Twenty sermons preached at Oxford before His Majesty, and elsewhere

I come now to speak of the place of torment it self, wherein the sinner is to be cast eternally, which is the second act. But think not that I am able to discover the thousandth part of it, no nor any man else: God grant that no soul here present ever come to find by experience what it is. What a woeful thing is it; that many men should take more pains to come to this place of torment, then would cost them to go to h•aven, that men should wilfully run themselves upon the pikes, not considering how painful it is, nor how sharp those pikes are: And this I shall endeavour to my power to set forth unto you. This Text declares unto us two things.

I come now to speak of the place of torment it self, wherein the sinner is to be cast eternally, which is the second act. But think not that I am able to discover the thousandth part of it, no nor any man else: God grant that no soul here present ever come to find by experience what it is. What a woful thing is it; that many men should take more pains to come to this place of torment, then would cost them to go to h•aven, that men should wilfully run themselves upon the pikes, not considering how painful it is, nor how sharp those pikes are: And this I shall endeavour to my power to set forth unto you. This Text declares unto us two things.

1. Who they are for whom this place is provided. 2. The place it self, and the nature of it.

1. For whom the place is provided. The Text contains a Catalogue of that black Roll (though there are many more then are expressed) but here are the grand crimes, the ring leaders to destruction, the mother sins And here we have in the first place the Fearful: whereby is not meant those that are of a timorous nature (for fear simply is not a sin) those that are simply fearful; but such as place their fear on a wrong object, not where it should be: That fear not God, but other things more then God. Such as if affliction and iniquity were put to their choice, will rather choose iniquity then affliction: Rather then they will have any cross betide them, rather then they will incur the indignation of a man, rather then they will part with their life and goods for God's cause, will adventure on any thing, choosing iniquity rather then affliction;