A41649:275
A word to sinners, and a word to saints The former tending to the…
A word to sinners, and a word to saints The former tending to the awakening the consciences of secure sinners, unto a lively sense and apprehension of the dreadful condition they are in, so long as they live in their natural and unregenerate estate. The latter tending to the directing and persuading of the godly and regenerate unto several singular duties. As also a word to householders stirring them up to the good old way of serving God in and with their families, from Joshua's resolution, Josh. 24. 15. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Set forth especially for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of St. Sepulchres Parish, London by Tho. Gouge, late pastor thereof.A word to sinners, and a word to saints The former tending to the awakening the consciences of secure sinners, unto a lively sense and apprehension of the dreadfull condition they are in, so long as they live in their natural and unregenerate estate. The latter tending to the directing and perswading of the godly and regenerate unto several singular duties. As also a word to housholders stirring them up to the good old way of serving God in and with their families, from Joshuah's resolution, Josh. 24. 15. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Set forth especially for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of St. Sepulchres Parish, London by Tho. Gouge, late pastor thereof.
London: printed for George Sawbridge, 1668
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Ye cursed.] To depart from Christ were hell enough, ⟨p. 66⟩but thou must also go with a curse, even a curse that comprehends all woes and miseries under it. This curse will be a thousand times more grievous than the cursed and bitter water was to the defiled woman, 1which caused her belly to swell, her thigh to rot, and made her accursed among her people. For upon the pronouncing of this curse, not only the belly and thigh, but likewise head and heart, yea body and soul of the wicked shall be filled with rottenness and bitterness, and become accursed before God, men and Angels. Now thou cursest every one that stands in the way of thy lusts; and that crosseth thee in thy designs. But at the great and last day all the curses of Heaven and Hell shall meet in thee, so that thou shalt be cursed with a witness. And truly to be under Gods curse is the quintessence of misery.
Into everlasting fire.] What! into fire, and into everlasting fire? Ah wretches! cursed indeed. For as the Prophet Isaiah speaketh,1 who can dwell with devouring fire? who can dwell with everlasting burnings? which shall not be quenched night nor day, but fed continually with Rivers of brimstone, and kept still in flame and fierceness by the unquenchable wrath of the just God to all Eternity. The torment of the wicked in hell will be, as without any intermission, so without any end. After they have there been tormented hundreds, thousands, millions of days, years and ages, their torments will be as far from ending, as if they were then beginning. And is not this misery enough? to lye in fire? in everlasting burnings? this is even beyond the expression of men or Angels. If a man knew he must lye in a flaming fire but one day or hour, Oh what fear and horror would possess his soul? But what is a day, or an hour, or an age, to eternity? Oh then what stupidity and senselessness hath possessed the hearts of sinful men, who by all this are not frighted from their sins? The fear of Nebuchadnezzar's fiery Furnace made men do any thing to avoid it. And shall not the fear of everlasting