Discourses, or, Sermons on several Scriptures

Fourthly, Consider, it is a falling into the Hands of the Living God himself, and not of any Creature. ¹Indeed we read in 2 Sam. 24.14. that David chose rather to fall into the Hands of the Lord, than into the Hands of Men. It is true, when there is true Repentance, and hopes of obtaining Mercy, this is far more eligible: for the Chastisements of the Lord are full of Mercy; but the tender Mercies of the wicked are ⟨p. 105⟩cruel. But where all hopes and expectations of Mercy are excluded, as they are in Hell, certainly there it is infinitely more dreadful to fall into the Hands of a Sin-revenging-God, than into the Hands of all the Creatures in Heaven, or Earth, yea or Hell it self. One would have thought it had been terrible enough, if the Apostle had said, It is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of Devils, and so indeed it were, if we consider either their Power, or their Malice: Certainly they can easily find out such tormenting Ingredients, and apply them also to such tender Parts, that it would transcend the Patience of any Man on Earth quietly to bear but what one Devil can inflict. Do we not often see in the Illusions of black and ⟨p. 106⟩sooty Melancholy, what strange Fears and Terrors they can imprint upon the Fancy, what Horror and Despair they can work in the Conscience, so as to make Men weary of their Lives, and many times persuade them to destroy themselves, only to know the worst of what they must suffer? And all this he can do out of his own Kingdom; what then can he do when he hath got Sinners into his own Territories, and under his own Dominions? What exact Tortures can he inflict upon them there? such indeed as we cannot tell what they are, and may it please God we never may.

Fourthly, Consider, it is a falling into the Hands of the Living God himself, and not of any Creature. ¹Indeed we read in 2 Sam. 24.14. that David chose rather to fall into the Hands of the Lord, than into the Hands of Men. It is true, when there is true Repentance, and hopes of obtaining Mercy, this is far more eligible: for the Chastisements of the Lord are full of Mercy; but the tender Mercies of the wicked are