Discourses, or, Sermons on several Scriptures

And thus I have laid down some Demonstrations of the dreadfulness of the Wrath and Vengeance of God, five of them drawn from the Words of the Text, and five drawn from other Considerations. I shall now shut up with two or three Words of Application.

Use. 1 First, Then be persuaded to believe that there is such a dreadful Wrath to come. I know well, you all profess that you do believe, that as there are unconceivable Rewards of Glory reserved in Heaven for the Saints, so that there are inexhaustible Treasures of Wrath reserved and ⟨p. 146⟩laid up in Hell for all ungodly and impenitent Sinners. But O how few are there that do really and cordially believe these things: Mens own Lives may be evident Convictions to themselves of their Atheism and Infidelity: For the true reason of all that dissoluteness which we see abroad in the World proceeds much from hence, because Men are not persuaded that these dreadful Terrors of the Lord which have now been set before us, are any thing but an honest Artifice. They look upon them as things only invented to scare the World into good order, and to awe Men into some compass of Civility and Honesty: They think all those tremendous Threatenings that God hath denounced in his Law to be things intended rather to fright Men ⟨p. 147⟩than to do execution upon them. And whereas one of the most effectual Motives to Piety and an holy Life, is to be persuaded of the Terrors of the Lord, these are not yet persuaded that there are any such Terrors: But assure your selves these are not the extravagant Dreams of Melancholy Fancies, nor the Politic Impostures of Men that design to amuse the World with frightful Stories; but they are sad and serious Truths, such as however you may now slight & contemn, yet shall you be woefully convinced of by your own experience, when after a few years, or possibly a few days, you shall be sunk down into that Place of Torment, that Gulf and Abyss of Misery, where the great God shall for ever express the Art, and the Power of his Vengeance