N01395:15
The efficacy of the fear of Hell, to restrain men from sin. Showed in…The efficacy of the fear of Hell, to restrain men from sin. Shewed in…
The efficacy of the fear of Hell, to restrain men from sin. Showed in a sermon before the inferior court in Northampton, Decem. 3d, 1712. : Together with the benefit of the Gospel, to those that are wounded in spirit. Showed in several sermons, from Luke 4th. 18, 19. On the occasion of a more than ordinary pouring out of the spirit of God. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of Northampton.The efficacy of the fear of Hell, to restrain men from sin. Shewed in a sermon before the inferiour court in Northampton, Decem. 3d, 1712. : Together with the benefit of the Gospel, to those that are wounded in spirit. Shewed in several sermons, from Luke 4th. 18, 19. On the occasion of a more than ordinary pouring out of the spirit of God. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of Northampton.
printed by Thomas Fleet for Samuel Phillips, 1713
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. The fear of Hell helps Men to see somewhat of the baseness of Sin. When Men are afraid of Hell, they are thereby made sensible of the terrible Anger of God for Sin; and may rationally conclude that Sin is an exceeding great Evil. If it were not, God would not be so angry as to send Men to Hell on that account. Would God inflict eternal Punishment for it, if the Evil of it were not exceeding great? There is a great deal of Light in Hell-Fire, discovering that ⟨p. 8⟩Sin must needs be an abominable Thing, if we should see Persons burnt at a Stake under a righteous Government, we should conclude that they had been guilty of horrible Crimes. So in this Case; Besides when Men are afraid of Hell, that leads them to consider the Nature of Sin; it brings them into a ponderous frame of Spirit, and makes them to weigh Things more Judiciously, and when they do so, though they have only natural Conscience, yet they may perceive a great deal of Filthiness in evil Carriages. They can easily discern that there is in their sinful Carriages a great deal of Folly, much corrupt Affection and Filthiness, and baseness against the light of Nature, Natural Conscience doth condemn many Sins, Rom. 2.15.
2. The fear of Hell helps Men to see somewhat of the baseness of Sin. When Men are afraid of Hell, they are thereby made sensible of the terrible Anger of God for Sin; and may rationally conclude that Sin is an exceeding great Evil. If it were not, God would not be so angry as to send Men to Hell on that account. Would God inflict eternal Punishment for it, if the Evil of it were not exceeding great? There is a great deal of Light in Hell-Fire, discovering that ⟨p. 8⟩Sin must needs be an abominable Thing, if we should see Persons burnt at a Stake under a righteous Government, we should conclude that they had been guilty of horrible Crimes. So in this Case; Besides when Men are afraid of Hell, that leads them to consider the Nature of Sin; it brings them into a ponderous frame of Spirit, and makes them to weigh Things more Judiciously, and when they do so, though they have only natural Conscience, yet they may perceive a great deal of Filthiness in evil Carriages. They can easily discern that there is in their sinful Carriages a great deal of Folley, much corrupt Affection and Filthiness, and baseness against the light of Nature, Natural Conscience doth condemn many Sins,