Human nature in its fourfold state ... In several practical discourses

HEAD VI. HELL.

WERE there no other place of eternal lodging but heaven, I should here have closed my discourse of man's eternal state: but seeing in the other world, there is a prison for the wicked, as well as a palace for the saints, we must also enquire into that state of everlasting misery: the which the worst of men may well bear with, without crying, Art thou come to torment us before the time? Since there is yet access to fly from the wrath to come; and all that can be said of it, comes short of what the damned will feel; for who knoweth the power of God's anger?

The last thing our Lord did, before he left the earth, was, he lift up his hands, and blessed his disciples, Luke xxiv. 50, 51. But the last thing he will do, before he leave the throne, is to curse and condemn his enemies; as we learn from the text, which contains the dreadful sentence, wherein the everlasting misery of the wicked is wrapped up. In which three things may be taken notice of First, The quality of the condemned, ye cursed. The Judge finds the curse of the law upon them as transgressors, and sends them away with it, from his presence, into hell, there to be fully execute upon them, 2dly, The punishment which they are adjudged to; and to which they were always bound over, by virtue of the curse. And it is twofold, the punishment loss, in separation from God and Christ, Depart from me: and the punishment of sense, in most exquisite and extreme torments, Depart from me into fire. 3dly, The aggravation of their torments. (1.) They are ready for them, they are not to expect a moment's respite. The fire is prepared, and ready to catch hold of those who are thrown into it. (2.) They will have the society of devils in their torments, being shut up with them in hell. They must depart into the same fire prepared for Beelzebub the prince of devils, and his angels; namely, other reprobate angels who fell with him, and became devils. It is said to be prepared for them; because they sinned, and were condemned to hell, before man sinned. This speaks further terror to the damned, that they must go into the same torments, and place of torment with the