A27107:215
The practice of piety directing a Christian how to walk, that he may please…
The practice of piety directing a Christian how to walk, that he may please God / amplified by the author
A27107:215
The practice of piety directing a Christian how to walk, that he may please God / amplified by the author
No title page in the transcription: set from the catalogue record.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
There thy lascivious Eyes shall be afflicted with sights of ghastly Spirits, thy curious Ears shall be affrighted with hideous noise of howling Devils, and the gnashing Teeth of damned Reprobates; thy dainty Nose shall be cloyed with noisome stench of Sulphur; thy delicate Taste shall be pined with intolerable hunger; thy drunken Throat shall be parched with unquenchable thirst; thy Mind shall be tormented to think how for the love of abortive pleasures, which perished ere they budded, thou so foolishly lost Heaven's Joys, and incurredst Hellish Pains, which last beyond Eternity. Thy Conscience shall ever sting thee like an Adder, when thou thinkest how often Christ by his Preachers offered the Remission of Sins, and the Kingdom of Heaven freely unto thee, if thou wouldest but Believe and Repent; and how easily thou mightest have obtained mercy in those days; how near thou wast many times to have repented, and yet didst suffer the Devil and the World to keep thee still in impenitency, and how the day of mercy ⟨p. 61⟩is now past, and will never dawn again.
There thy lascivious Eyes shall be afflicted with sights of ghastly Spirits, thy curious Ears shall be affrighted with hideous noise of howling Devils, and the gnashing Teeth of damned Reprobates; thy dainty Nose shall be cloyed with noisom stench of Sulphur; thy delicate Taste shall be pined with intolerable hunger; thy drunken Throat shall be parched with unquenchable thirst; thy Mind shall be tormented to think how for the love of abortive pleasures, which perished ere they budded, thou so foolishly lost Heaven's Joys, and incurredst Hellish Pains, which last beyond Eternity. Thy Conscience shall ever sting thee like an Adder, when thou thinkest how often Christ by his Preachers offered the Remission of Sins, and the Kingdom of Heaven freely unto thee, if thou wouldest but Believe and Repent; and how easily thou mightest have obtained mercy in those days; how near thou wast many times to have repented, and yet didst suffer the Devil and the World to keep thee still in impenitency, and how the day of mercy ⟨p. 61⟩is now past, and will never dawn again.
How shall thy understanding be racked to consider, how for momentany Riches thou hast lost eternal Treasure, and changed Heaven's felicity for Hell's misery; where every part of thy Body, without intermission of pain, shall be continually tormented alike!
In these Hellish Torments, thou shalt be for ever deprived of the beatifical sight of GOD, wherein consisteth the sovereign good and life of the Soul. Thou shalt never see Light, nor the least sight of Joy, but lie in a perpetual Prison of utter Darkness, where shall be no Order, but Horror; no Voice, but of Blasphemers and Howlers; no Noise but of Torturers and tortured; no Society, but of the Devil and his Angels, who being tormented themselves, shall have no other ease, but to wreak their Fury in tormenting thee: Where shall be punishment without Pity; misery, without mercy; sorrow, without succour; crying, without comfort; mischief, without measure; torment, without ease; where the Worm dieth not, and the Fire is never quenched; where the Wrath of God shall seize upon the Soul and Body,1 as the flame of fire doth on the lump of Pitch or Brimstone. In which flame thou shalt ever be burning, and never consumed; ever dying, and never dead; ever roaring in the pangs of Death, and never rid of those pangs, nor knowing end of ⟨p. 62⟩thy pains. So that after thou hast endured them so many thousand years as there are Grass on the Earth, or Sands on the Seashore, thou art no nearer to have an end of thy torments, than thou wast the first day that thou wast cast into them; yea, so far are they from ending, that they are ever but beginning. But if after a thousand times so many thousand years, thy damned Soul could but conceive a hope that those her torments should have an end, this would be some Comfort, to think that at length an end will come: But as oft as the Mind thinketh of this word Never, it is as another Hell in the midst of Hell.
In these Hellish Torments, thou shalt be for ever deprived of the beatifical sight of GOD, wherein consisteth the sovereign good and life of the Soul. Thou shalt never see Light, nor the least sight of Joy, but lie in a perpetual Prison of utter Darkness, where shall be no Order, but Horrour; no Voice, but of Blasphemers and Howlers; no Noise but of Torturers and tortured; no Society, but of the Devil and his Angels, who being tormented themselves, shall have no other ease, but to wreak their Fury in tormenting thee: Where shall be punishment without Pity; misery, without mercy; sorrow, without succour; crying, without comfort; mischief, without measure; torment, without ease; where the Worm dieth not, and the Fire is never quenched; where the Wrath of God shall seize upon the Soul and Body,
This thought shall force the damned to cry [Greek or Hebrew], as much as if they should say [Greek or Hebrew], O Lord, not ever, not ever, torment us thus. But their Consciences shall answer them as an Echo, [Greek or Hebrew], ever, ever. Hence shall arise their doleful [Greek or Hebrew], woe and alas for evermore.
This thought shall force the damned to cry 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, as much as if they should say 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, O Lord, not ever, not ever, torment us thus. But their Consciences shall answer them as an Echo, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, ever, ever. Hence shall arise their doleful 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, wo and alas for evermore.
This is that second Death, the general perfect fullness of all cursedness, and misery, which every damned Reprobate must suffer, so long as GOD and his Saints shall enjoy bliss and felicity in Heaven for evermore.
This is that second Death, the general perfect fulness of all cursedness, and misery, which every damned Reprobate must suffer, so long as GOD and his Saints shall enjoy bliss and felicity in Heaven for evermore.
Thus far of the misery of Man in his state of corruption, unless he be renewed by Grace in Christ.
Now followeth the knowledge of Man's self, in respect of his state of Regeneration by Christ.
Now let us see how happy a Godly man is in his state of renovation, being reconciled to God in Christ.
NOw let us see how happy a Godly man is in his state of renovation, being reconciled to God in Christ.
The godly Man, whose corrupt Nature is renewed by grace in Christ, and become a new creature, is blessed in a threefold respect. First, in his Life. Secondly, in his Death. Thirdly, after Death.
1. His blessedness during his Life is but in part, and that consists in seven things.
2. He hath,1 for the Merits of Christ's Sufferings, all his sins, original and actual, with the guilt and punishment belonging to lthem,3 freely and fully forgiven unto him.4 And all them righteousness of Christ as freely and fully imputed unto him: and son God is reconciled unto him, ando approveth him as righteous in his sight and account.
4. God spareth him as a Man spareth his own Son that serveth him. And this sparing consists, In 1. Not taking notice of every fault, but bearing with his infirmities, Exod. 34. Verse 6, 7. A loving Father will not cast his Child out of doors in his Sickness. 2. No• making his punishment when he is chastened, as great as his deserts, Psal. 103. 10. 3. Chastening him moderately, when he seeth that he will not by any other means be reclaimed, 2 Samuel 7. Verse 14, 15. 1 Cor. 11. 32. 4. Graciously accepting his Endeavours, notwithstanding the imperfection of his obedience, and so preferring the willingness of his mind before the worthiness of his work, 2 Cor. 8. 12. 5. Turning the curses which he deserved, to crosses and fatherly corrections; yea, alla things, all bcalamities of this life,3 cDeath it self,5 yea, hisd very sins unto his good.7
4. God spareth him as a Man spareth his own Son that serveth him. And this sparing consists, In 1. Not taking notice of every fault, but bearing with his infirmities, Exod. 34. Verse 6, 7. A loving Father will not cast his Child out of doors in his Sickness. 2. No• making his punishment when he is chastned, as great as his deserts,
5. God gives him his Holy Spirit.