Discourses, or, Sermons on several Scriptures

Secondly, The infinite Dignity of Christ's Person, being God as well as Man, might well compound for the Rigour of his Punishments, and stamp such a Value upon his Humiliation, that less degrees of Suffering from him, might be fully satisfactory. ⟨p. 120⟩For indeed it cannot be but an infinite Punishment, for an infinite Person to be punished. But thou that art but a vile contemptible Creature, made up of Mud and Slime, hast nothing in thy Nature wherewith to satisfy the dread Justice of God, but only the eternal Destruction and Perdition of it. Thou hast no Worth nor Dignity, the consideration whereof might persuade the Almighty to mitigate the least of his Wrath and Fury upon thee: And when it falls in all its weight and force upon thee, thou hast nothing to uphold or support thee. It is true, the Almighty Power of God shall continue thee in thy Being, but thou wilt for ever curse and blaspheme that Support, that shall be given thee only to perpetuate ⟨p. 121⟩thy Torments, and ten thousand times wish that God would destroy thee once for all, and that thou mightest for ever shrink away into nothing: but that, alas, poor miserable Wretch will not be granted thee; no, thou shalt not have so much as the relief and comfort of dying, nor escape the Vengeance of God by Annihilation: but his Power will for ever so support thee, as for ever to torment thee, which is only such a Support as a Man is supported on the Rack or on the Wheel, supported so as they cannot come off, the very Engine of their Torture upholds them. And as for any help or relief the Ministry of Angels will afford thee, think what solace it will bring thee, when God shall set on whole Legions of infernal Ghosts, black ⟨p. 122⟩and hideous Spirits, as the Executioners of his Wrath, who shall for ever triumph in thy Woes and add to them, hurl Fire-brands at thee, heap fuel about thee, and fully satiate their Malice upon thee, as God satisfies his Justice. And this is one Consideration of the dreadfulness of this Vengeance, in that it aims at and exacts satisfaction for Sin, which will be infinitely intolerable, because our Sins are infinite both in Number and Heinousness.

Secondly, The infinite Dignity of Christ's Person, being God as well as Man, might well compound for the Rigour of his Punishments, and stamp such a Value upon his Humiliation, that less degrees of Suffering from him, might be fully satisfactory.