Discourses, or, Sermons on several Scriptures

Fourthly, The Dreadfulness of this Wrath of God may be demonstrated by this, That the Punishment of the Damned is reserved by God as his last Work. It is a Work which he will set himself about when all the rest of his Works are done, when he hath folded up the World, and laid it aside as a Thing of no further use, then ⟨p. 139⟩will God set himself to this great Work, and pour out all the Treasures of his Wrath upon damned Wretches, as if God would so wholly mind this Business that he would lay all other Affairs aside, that he might be intent only upon this, having no other thing to interrupt him. Think then how full of Dread and Terror this must needs be, when God will as it were employ all his Eternity about this, and have no other thing to take him off from doing it with all his Might. God hath reserved two Works, and but two for the other World; One is the Salvation of the Elect, and the other is the Damnation of Reprobates.

Now it is remarkable that God's last Works do always exceed his former: And therefore ⟨p. 140⟩we find in the Creation […] World, God still proceeded on from more imperfect kind of Creatures to those that were more perfect, until he had fully built and finished, yea carved and as it were painted this great House of the Universe; and then he brings Man into it as his last Work, as the Crown and Perfection of the rest: So God likewise acted in the manner of revealing his Will unto Mankind, first he spake to them by Dreams and Visions, but in the last Days (as the Apostle expresseth it) he hath spoken unto us by his Son. So also in the Dispensation of the Covenant of Grace, and Exhibition of the Messiah, first he was made known only by Promise to the Fathers, then in Types and obscure Resemblances to the Jews, but in ⟨p. 141⟩the latter Days, himself came and took upon him the form of a Servant, and wrought out a complete Redemption for us. So usually the last Works of God are more complete, perfect and excellent than the former. Now God's punishing-Work is his last Work, and therefore it shall exceed in Greatness all that ever went before it. In his first Work, the Creation of the World, he demonstrated his infinite Power, Wisdom, and Godhead; but in the Destruction of Sinners, which is his last Work, […] will manifest more of Power and Wisdom, than he did in his creating them; and how fearful a Destruction then must this needs be? God hath variety of Works that he is carrying on in this World, and if his Glory doth not perfectly