7. And the greater by far will their Torments be, because they shall have no one comfort left to help to mitigate them. In this life when a Minister foretold them of Hell, or Conscience begun to trouble their peace, they had Comforters enough at hand to relieve them▪ Their carnal friends were all ready to speak comfort to them, and promise them that all should be well with them, but now they have not a word of comfort, either for him or themselves. Formerly they had their business, their company, their mirth, to drive away their fears, they could drink away their sorrows, or play them away, or sleep them away, or at least time did wear them away; but now all these remedies are vanished: They had a hard, a presumptuous, unbelieving heart, which was a wall to defend them against troubles of mind, but now their experience hath banished these, and left them naked to the fury of those flames: Yea, formerly Satan himself was their comforter▪ and would unsay all that the Minister said against them, as he did to our first Mother; Hath God said, Ye shall not eat? Yea shall not surely dye. So doth he now, Doth God tell you that you shall lye in Hell It is no such matter, God is more merciful, he doth but tell you so to fright you from sinning: Who would lose his present pleasures, for fear of that which he never saw? Or if there be a hell, what need you to fear it? Are not you Christians? And shall you not be saved by Christ? was not his blood shed for you? Ministers may tell you what they please, they delight to fear men, that they may be masters in their Consciences, and therefore would make men believe that they shall all be damned, except they will fit themselves to their precise humour. —Thus as the Spirit of Christ is the Comforter of the Saints, so Satan is the Comforter of the wicked, for he knows if he should now disquiet them, they would no longer serve him; or if fears and doubts should begin to trouble them, they would bethink themselves of their danger, and so escape it: never was a thief more careful lest he should awake the people when he is robbing the house, then Satan is careful not to awake a sinner: And as a cutpurse will look you in the face, and hold you in a tale, ⟨p. 327⟩that you may never suspect him while he is robbing your pockets, so will Satan labour to keep men from all doubts or jealousies or sorrowful thoughts.
7. ANd the greater by far will their Torments be, because they shall have no one comfort left to help to mitigate them. In this life when a Minister foretold them of Hel, or Conscience begun to trouble their peace, they had Comforters enough at hand to relieve them▪ Their carnal friends were all ready to speak comfort to them, and promise them that all should be well with them, but now they have not a word of comfort, either for him or themselves. Formerly they had their business, their company, their mirth, to drive away their fears, they could drink away their sorrows, or play them away, or sleep them away, or at least time did wear them away; but now all these remedies are vanished: They had a hard, a presumptuous, unbelieving heart, which was a wall to defend them against troubles of minde, but now their experience hath banished these, and left them naked to the fury of those flames: Yea, formerly Satan himself was their comforter▪ and would unsay all that the Minister said against them, as he did to our first Mother; Hath God said, Ye shall not eat? Yea shall not surely dye. So doth he now, Doth God tell you that you shall lye in Hell It is no such matter, God is more merciful, he doth but tell you so to fright you from sinning: Who would lose his present pleasures, for fear of that which he never saw? Or if there be a hell, what need you to fear it? Are not you Christians? And shall you not be saved by Christ? was not his blood shed for you? Ministers may tell you what they please, they delight to fear men, that they may be masters in their Consciences, and therefore would make men believe that they shall all be damned, except they will fit themselves to their precise humor. —Thus as the Spirit of Christ is the Comforter of the Saints, so Satan is the Comforter of the wicked, for he knows if he should now disquiet them, they would no longer serve him; or if fears and doubts should begin to trouble them, they would bethink themselves of their danger, and so escape it: never was a theif more careful lest he should awake the people when he is robbing the house, then Satan is careful not to awake a sinner: And as a cutpurse will look you in the face, and hold you in a tale, ⟨p. 327⟩that you may never suspect him while he is robbing your pockets, so will Satan labour to keep men from all doubts or jealousies or sorrowfull thoughts.
