The Saints' Everlasting Rest

2. Another addition to the misery of the damned will be this; That with the loss of heaven, they shall lose also all their hopes. In this life, though they were threatened with the wrath of God, yet their hope of escaping it did bear up their hearts; And when they were wounded with the terrors of the Word, they licked all whole again with their groundless hopes; but then they shall part with their hopes and heaven together: We can now scarce speak with the vilest Drunkard, or Swearer, or covetous Worldling, or scorner at Godliness, but he hopes to be saved for all this: If you should go to all the Congregation, or Town, or Country, and ask them one by one, whether they hope to be saved? how few shall you meet with, that will not say yea? or that make any great question of it? But, O happy world, if Salvation were as common as this Hope! Even those whose hellish nature is written in the face of their conversation, that he that runs may read it, whose tongues plead the cause of the devil, and speak the language of hell▪ and whose delight is in nothing but the works of the flesh, yet these do strongly hope for heaven, though the God of heaven hath told them over and over again in his Word, that no such as they shall ever come there. Though most of the world shall eternally perish, and the Judg of the world himself hath told us, that of the many that are called, yet but few are chosen, yet almost all do hope for it, and cannot endure any man that doth but question their hopes: Let but their Minister Preach against their false hopes; or their best friend come to them, and say. I am afraid your present hopes of heaven will deceive you, I see you mind not your soul, your heart is not set upon Christ and heaven, you do not so much as pray to God, and worship him in your Family; and the Scripture gives you not the least hope of being saved in such a condition as this is: How ill would they take such an admonition as this?

2. ANother addition to the misery of the damned will be this; That with the loss of heaven, they shall lose also all their hopes. In this life, though they were threatned with the wrath of God, yet their hope of escaping it did bear up their hearts; And when they were wounded with the terrors of the Word, they lick't all whole again with their groundless hopes; but then they shall part with their hopes and heaven together: We can now scarce speak with the vilest Drunkard, or Swearer, or covetous Wordling, or scorner at Godliness, but he hopes to be saved for all this: If you should go to all the Congregation, or Town, or Countrey, and ask them one by one, whether they hope to be saved? how few shall you meet with, that will not say yea? or that make any great question of it? But, O happy world, if Salvation were as common as this Hope! Even those whose hellish nature is written in the face of their conversation, that he that runs may read it, whose tongues plead the cause of the devil, and speak the language of hell and whose delight is in nothing but the works of the flesh, yet these do strongly hope for heaven, though the God of heaven hath told them over and over again in his Word, that no such as they shall ever come there. Though most of the world shall eternally perish, and the Judg of the world himself hath told us, that of the many that are called, yet but few are chosen, yet almost all do hope for it, and cannot endure any man that doth but question their hopes: Let but their Minister Preach against their false hopes; or their best friend come to them, and say. I am afraid your present hopes of heaven will deceive you, I see you minde not your soul, your heart is not set upon Christ and heaven, you do not so much as pray to God, and worship him in your Family; and the Scripture gives you not the least hope of being saved in such a condition as this is: How ill would they take such an admonition as this?