A30203:219
Sighs from hell, or, The groans of a damned soul discovering from the 16th…
Sighs from hell, or, The groans of a damned soul discovering from the 16th of Luke the lamentable state of the damned : and may fitly serve as a warning-word to sinners, both old and young, by faith in Jesus Christ, to avoid the same place of torment : with a discovery of the usefulness of the Scriptures as our safe conduct for avoiding the torments of hell / by John Bunyan.
London: printed for F. Smith, 1666
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.
While men live here, if they can be counted the cunningest in Cheating, the boldest for Lying, the archest for Whoring, the subtlest for Covering, and getting the World: If they can but cunningly defraud undermine, cross, and anger their Neighbours; y•a, and hinder them from the means of Grace, the Gospel of Christ; They glory in't, ⟨p. 98⟩take a pride in't, and think themselves pretty well at ease, and their Minds are somewhat quiet, being beguiled with sin.
While men live here, if they can be counted the cunningest in Cheating, the boldest for Lying, the archest for Whoring, the subtillest for Covering, and getting the World: If they can but cunningly defraud undermine, cross, and anger their Neighbours; y•a, and hinder them from the means of Grace, the Gospel of Christ; They glory in't, ⟨p. 98⟩take a pride in't, and think themselves pretty well at ease, and their Minds are somewhat quiet, being beguiled with sin.
But Friend, when thou hast lost this life, and dost begin to lift up thine Eyes in Hell, and seest what thy sins have brought thee to; and not only so, but that thou by thy filthy sins didst cause others, (Devil-like) to fall into the same condemnation with thee: And that one of the Reasons of their Damnation was this, that thou didst lead them to the Commission of those wicked practices of this World, and the Lusts thereof. Then, Oh! that some body would stop them from coming, lest they also come into this place of Torment, and be damned as I am: How will it torment me? Balaam could not be contented to be damned himself, but also he must by his wickedness cause others to stumble and fall. The Scribes and Pharisees could not be content to keep out of Heaven themselves, but they must labour to keep out others too. Therefore, theirs is the greater Damnation.