N17286:254
The saints everlasting rest
The saints everlasting rest: or, A treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory: extracted from the works of Mr. Richard Baxter, by John Wesley, M.A. late fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford.
Philadelphia: printed by Prichard & Hall, 1790
Part 2 › Chapter 4: The Greatness of the Torments of the Damned discovered.
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.
His ancient comforts are taken from him, and the righteous GOD, whose fore-warning he made light of, will now make good his word against him to the least tittle.
6. But the great aggravation of this misery, will be its eternity. That when a thousand millions of ages are past, their torments are as fresh to begin as at the first day. If there were any hope of an end, it would ease them to foresee it; but when it must be for-ever so, that thought is intolerable: much more will the misery itself be. They never heartily repented of their sin, and GOD will never repent him of their suffering. They broke the laws of the eternal GOD, and therefore shall suffer eternal punishment. ⟨p. 119⟩They knew it was an everlasting kingdom which they refused; and therefore what wonder if they be everlastingly shut out of it? It was their immortal souls that were guilty of the trespass, and therefore must immortally suffer the pains. What happy men would they think themselves, if they might have lain still in their graves, or continued dust, or suffered no worse than the gnawing of those worms! Oh that they might but there lie down again! What a mercy now would it be to die? And how will they call and cry out for it? Oh death! whither art thou gone? Now come and cut off this doleful life. O that these pains would break my heart, and end my being! O that I might once die at last! O that I had never had a being!— These groans will the thoughts of eternity wring from their hearts. They were wont to think the sermon long, and prayer long; how long then will they think these endless torments? What difference is there betwixt the length of their pleasures and of their pains? The one continued but a moment, the other endureth through all eternity. Oh that sinners would lay this thought to heart! Remember how time is almost gone. Thou art standing all this while at the door of eternity; and death is waiting to open the door, and put thee in. Go sleep out but a few more nights, and stir up and down on earth a few more days, and then thy nights and days shall end; thy thoughts, and cares, and pleasures, and all shall be devoured by eternity; thou must enter upon the state which shall never be changed. As the joys of heaven are beyond our conceiving, so also are the pains of hell. Everlasting torment is inconceivable torment.