A Body of Practical Divinity

3. Without Cessation, Eternal. The Pleasures of sin are but for a season, but the Torments of the wicked are for ever. Sinners have a short Feast, but a long Reckoning. Origen erroneously thought that after a thousand years the damned should be released out of their Misery: But the Worm, the Fire, the Prison are all Eternal, Rev. 14.11. The smoke of their Torment ascendeth up for ever and ever. Poenae Gehennales puniunt, non finiunt, Prosper. Eternity is a Sea without Bottom and Banks. After Millions of years there's not one Minute in eternity wasted; and the Damned must be ever burning, but never consuming, always dying, but never dead, Rev. 9.6. They shall seek death, but shall not find it. The Fire of Hell is such as multitude of Tears will not quench it, Length of Time will not finish it; the Vial of God's Wrath will be always dropping upon a sinner. As long as God is Eternal, he lives for Ever to be avenged upon the wicked. O Eternity, Eternity, who can Fathom it? Mariners have their Plummets to measure the Depth of the Sea; but what Line or Plummets shall we use to Fathom the Depth of Eternity? The Breath of the Lord kindles the Infernal Lake, Isa. 30.33. and where shall we have Engines or Buckets to quench that Fire? O Eternity! If all the Body of the Earth and Sea were turned to Sand, and all the Air up to the starry Heaven were nothing but Sand, and a little Bird should come every 1000th year, and fetch away in her Bill but the Tenth part of a grain of all that heap of Sand, what a numberless number of years would be spent before that vast heap of Sand would be fetched away; yet, if at the end of all that time the sinner might come out of Hell (though long) yet there would be some hope: But this word ever breaks the heart, The smoke of their Torment ascendeth up for ever and ever. What a Terror is this to the wicked, enough to put them into a cold Sweat, to think as long as God is Eternal, he lives for ever to be avenged upon sinners.

3. Without Cessation, Eternal. The Pleasures of sin are but for a season, but the Torments of the wicked are for ever. Sinners have a short Feast, but a long Reckoning. Origen erroniously thought that after a thousand years the damned should be released out of their Misery: But the Worm, the Fire, the Prison are all Eternal,