Fourthly, And lastly, consider the everlastingness of Hell-fire, and your torment which there you must endure, if you be found in the number of unbelievers. The wrath of God will never be at an end, the Worm of your conscience will never dye, and the Fire of Hell will never go out; but the smoke of your torment will ascend up for ever and ever, when you have been the space of as many Years in Hell, as there Stars in the Firmament, as ⟨p. 134⟩there are drops of dew upon the Earth in the morning, as there are spires of Grass which spring out of the Earth, as there are drops of Water in the Ocean, as are there Sands upon the Sea shore, your torments will be as far from being assuaged, and as far from being ended, as at the first minute of your entrance into this dreadful place. As there is an infinite space of place (if I may so call it to help our apprehensions) beyond the circumference of the Heavens, and the visible World in comparison with which ten thousand Millions of worlds would not fill up the space of the least speck: so there is an infinite space of duration beyond the circumference and bounds of time in comparison with which the duration of ten thousand Millions of worlds for ten thousand Millions of years, would not be so much as a Minute, or the least imaginable instant; and this whole eternity you if wicked must spend in extremity of torment; the real length of eternal torment cannot be measured, and the imaginary length will be greater (if I may so say) because of your misery. If a short time of misery here on Earth seem long, what will an eternity of misery seem to be in Hell? when the body is in health, and the Soul is sweetened with delight, time steals away insensibly, Years seem Months, Months Weeks, Weeks Days, Days hours; but when the body is sick and the Soul embittered with sorrow, a short time seemeth long, and it passeth away slowly in our apprehension, Hours seem Days, Days Weeks, Weeks Months, Months Years; how do we count the Clock, and reckon the Sands that fall in the glass, and time seem to have a Leaden heel; how long then will the eternity of misery in extremity seem ⟨p. 135⟩to be? I believe that the space of one quarter of an hour in Hell will seem longer to the damned than a whole life of misery in this World;
Fourthly, And lastly, consider the everlastingness of Hell-fire, and your torment which there you must endure, if you be found in the number of unbelievers. The wrath of God will never be at an end, the Worm of your conscience will never dye, and the Fire of Hell will never go out; but the smoke of your torment will ascend up for ever and ever, when you have been the space of as many Years in Hell, as there Stars in the Firmament, as ⟨p. 134⟩there are drops of dew upon the Earth in the morning, as there are spires of Grasse which spring out of the Earth, as there are drops of Water in the Ocean, as are there Sands upon the Sea shore, your torments will be as far from being aswaged, and as far from being ended, as at the first minute of your entrance into this dreadful place. As there is an infinite space of place (if I may so call it to help our apprehensions) beyond the circumference of the Heavens, and the visible World in comparison with which ten thousand Millions of worlds would not fill up the space of the least speck: so there is an infinite space of duration beyond the circumference and bounds of time in comparison with which the duration of ten thousand Millions of worlds for ten thousand Millions of years, would not be so much as a Minute, or the least imaginable instant; and this whole eternity you if wicked must spend in extremity of torment; the real length of eternal torment cannot be measured, and the imaginary length will be greater (if I may so say) because of your misery. If a short time of misery here on Earth seem long, what will an eternity of misery seem to be in Hell? when the body is in health, and the Soul is sweetned with delight, time steals away insensibly, Years seem Months, Months Weeks, Weeks Days, Days hours; but when the body is sick and the Soul imbittered with sorrow, a short time seemeth long, and it passeth away slowly in our apprehension, Hours seem Days, Days Weeks, Weeks Months, Months Years; how do we count the Clock, and reckon the Sands that fall in the glasse, and time seem to have a Leaden heel; how long then will the eternity of misery in extremity seem ⟨p. 135⟩to be? I believe that the space of one quarter of an hour in Hell will seem longer to the damned than a whole life of misery in this World;
