N34404:874
Human nature in its fourfold state ... In several practical discourses. / By Mr. Thomas Boston, late Minister of the Gospel at Etterick.
United States : s.n. Printed for the booksellers., M,DCC,LXXXVII. 1787
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.
Being separated from God, they are deprived of all good. The go• things, which they set their heart upon in this world, are beyond their reach there. The covetous man cannot enjoy his wealth there, nor the ambitious man his honours, nor the sensual m•n his pleasures, no […] a drop of water to cool his tongue, Luke xvi. 34, 35. No meat nor drink there to strengthen the faint; no sleep to refresh the weary; and no music, nor pleasant company to comfort […] cheer up the sorrowful. And as for these good things they despised in the world, they shall never more hear of them, nor see them. No offers of Christ there, no pardons, no peace; no wells of salvation in the pit of destruction. In one word, they shall be deprived of whatsoever might comfort them, being totally and finally separated from God, the fountain of all goodness.
Being separated from God, they are deprived of all good. The go• things, which they set their heart upon in this world, are beyond their reach there. The covetous man cannot enjoy his wealth there, nor the ambitious man his honours, nor the sensual m•n his pleasures, no 〈…〉 a drop of water to cool his tongue, Luke xvi. 34, 35. No meat nor drink there to strengthen the faint; no sleep to refresh the weary; and no musick, nor pleasant company to comfort 〈…〉 chear up the sorrowful. And as for these good things they despised in the world, they shall never more hear of them, nor see them. No offers of Christ there, no pardons, no peace; no wells of salvation in the pit of destruction. In one word, they shall be deprived of whatsoever might comfort them, being totally and finally separated from God, the fountain of all goodness.
3dly, Man naturally desires to be happy, being withal •scio• to himself that he is not self-sufficient; and therefore has eve• a desire of something, without himself, to make him happy: and the soul being, by its natural make and constitution, capable of enjoying God, and nothing else being commensurable to its desires, it can never have true and solid rest, till it rest in the enjoyment of God. This desire of happiness ⟨p. 327⟩the rational creature can never law •side, no not in hell. Now wh•le the wicked are on earth, they seek their satisfaction in the creature; and when one fails, they go to another: thus they put off their time in the world, deceiving their own souls, and luring them on with vain hopes B• in the other world, all comfort in the creatures having failed together at once; and the shadows they are now pursuing, having all of them evanished in a moment; they shall be ••tally and finally separated from God, and see they have thus lost him. So the doors of earth and heaven both are shut against them at once. This will create them unspeakable anguish, while they shall live under an eternal gnawing hunger after happiness, which they certainly know shall never be in the least measure satisfied, all doors being closed on them. Who then can imagine how this separation from God shall cut the damned to the heart! How will they roar and rage under it, and how it will sting them and gnaw them through the ages of eternity!
3dly, Man naturally desires to be happy, being withal •scio• to himself that he is not self-sufficient; and therefore has eve• a desire of something, without himself, to make him happy: and the soul being, by its natural make and constitution, capable of enjoying God, and nothing else being commensurable to its desires, it can never have true and solid rest, till it rest in the enjoyment of God. This desire of happiness ⟨p. 327⟩the rational creature can never law •side, no not in hell. Now wh•le the wicked are on earth, they seek their satisfaction in the creature; and when one fails, they go to another: thus they put off their time in the world, deceiving their own souls, and luring them on with vain hopes B• in the other world, all comfort in the creatures having failed together at once; and the shadows they are now pursuing, having all of them evanished in a moment; they shall be ••tally and finally separated from God, and see they have thus lost him. So the doors of earth and heaven both are shut against them at once. This will create them unspeakable anguish, while they shall live under an eternal gnawing hunger after happiness, which they certainly know shall never be in the least measure satisfied, all doors being closed on them. Who then can imagine how this separation from God shall cut the damned to the heart! How will they rore and rage under it, and how it will sting them and gnaw them through the ages of eternity!
4thly, The damned shall know that some are perfectly happy in the enjoyment of that God, from whom they themselves are separate• And this will aggravate the sense of their loss, that they can never have any share with these happy ones. Being separated from God, they are separated from the society of the glorified saints and angels. They may see Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom, (Luke xvi. 23) but can never come into their company: being, as unclean lepers, thrust out without the camp, and excommunicated from the presence of the Lord, and of all his holy ones. It is the opinion of some, that every person in heaven or hell, shall hear and see all that passeth in either state. Whatever is to be said of this, we have ground from the word to conclude, that the damned shall have a very exquisite knowledge of the happiness of the saints in heaven; for what else can be meant by the rich man in hell his s••ing Lazarus in Abraham's bosom? One thing is plain in this case, that their own torments will give them such notions of the happiness of the saints, as a sick man has of health, or a prisoner has of liberty. And as they cannot fail of reflecting on the happiness of those in heaven more than they can attain to contentment with their own lot: so every thought of that happiness will aggravate their loss. It would be a mighty torment to a hungry man, to see others liberally feasting, while he is so chained up, as he cannot have one crumb to stay […] gnawing appetite. To bring music and dancing before a man labouring under extreme pains, would but increase his anguish; […] the• will the songs of the blessed, in their enjoyment of God, make the damned roar under their separation from him!
4thly, The damned shall know that some are perfectly happy in the enjoyment of that God, from whom they themselves are separate• And this will aggravate the sense of their loss, that they can never have any share with these happy ones. Being separated from God, they are separated from the society of the glorified saints and angels. They may see Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom, (Luke xvi. 23) but can never come into their company: being, as unclean lepers, thrust out without the camp, and excommunicated from the presence of the Lord, and of all his holy ones. It is the opinion of some, that every person in heaven or hell, shall hear and see all that passeth in either state. Whatever is to be said of this, we have ground from the word to conclude, that the damned shall have a very exquisite knowledge of the happiness of the saints in heaven; for what else can be meant by the rich man in hell his sing Lazarus in Abraham's bosom? One thing is plain in this case, that their own torments will give them such notions of the happiness of the saints, as a sick man has of health, or a prisoner has of liberty. And as they cannot fail of reflecting on the happiness of those in heaven more than they can attain to contentment with their own lot: so every thought of that happiness will aggravate their loss. It would be a mighty torment to a hungry man, to see others liberally feasting, while he is so chained up, as he cannot have one crumb to stay gnawing appetite. To bring music and dancing before a man labouring under extreme pains, would but increase his anguish; the will the songs of the blessed, in their enjoyment of God, make the damned rore under their separation from him!
5thly, They will remember that time was, when they might have been made partakers of the blessed state of the facts, in their enjoyment of God: and this will aggravate their sense of the loss. All may remember, there was once a possibility of it; that sometime they were in the world, in some corners of which the way of salvation was laid open to mens view; and may wish they had gone round the wor••. ⟨p. 328⟩till they had found it out. Despisers of the gospel will remember with bitterness, that Jesus Christ with all his benefits was offered to them; that they were exhorted, entreated, and pressed to accept, but would not; and that they were warned of the misery they feel, and obtested to flee from the wrath to come, but they would not hearken. The gospel-offer slighted, will make a hot hell; and the loss of an offered heaven will be a sinking weight on the spirits of unbelievers in the pit. Some will remember that there was a probability of their being eternally happy; that sometime they seemed to stand fair for it, and were not far from the kingdom of God; that they had once almost consented to the blessed bargain, the pen was in their hand (as it were) to sign the marriage-contract betwixt Christ and their souls; but unhappily they dropped it, and turned back from the Lord to their lusts again. And others will remember that they thought themselves sure of heaven but, being blinded with pride and self-conceit, they were above ordinances, and beyond instruction, and would not examine their state, which was their ruin: but then they shall in vain wish, they had reputed themselves the worst of the congregation in which they lived; and curse the fond conceit they had of themselves, and that others had of them too. Thus it will sting the damned, that they might have escaped this loss.
5thly, They will remember that time was, when they might have been made partakers of the blessed state of the facts, in their enjoyment of God: and this will aggravate their sense of the loss. All may remember, there was once a possibility of it; that sometime they were in the world, in some corners of which the way of salvation was laid open to mens view; and may wish they had gone round the wor.
Lastly, They will see the loss to be irrecoverable; that they must eternally lie under it, never, never to be repaired. Might the damned, after millions of ages in hell regain when they have lost, it would be some ground of hope: but the prize is gone, and can never be recovered. And there are two things here, which will pi••ce them to the heart. (1.) That they never knew the worth of it, till it was irrecoverably lost. Should a man give away an earthen pot full of gold for a trifle, never knowing what was in it till it were quite gone from him, and past recovery; how would this foolish action gall him, upon the discovery of the riches in it! such a one's case may be a faint resemblance of the case of despisers of the gospel, when in hell they lift up their eyes, and behold that, to their torment▪ which they will not see now, to their salvation. (2.) That they have lost it for loss and dung: sold their part of heaven, and not in•••hed themselves with the prize. They lost heaven for earthly profits and pleasures, and now both are gone together from them. The drunkard's cups are gone, the covetous man's gain, the voluptuous man's carnal delights, and the sluggard's ease: nothing is left them to comfort them now. The happiness they lost remains indeed, but they can have no part in it for ever.
Lastly, They will see the loss to be irrecoverable; that they must eternally ly under it, never, never to be repaired. Might the damned, after millions of ages in hell regain when they have lost, it would be some ground of hope: but the prize is gone, and can never be recovered. And there are two things here, which will pi••ce them to the heart. (1.) That they never knew the worth of it, till it was irrecoverably lost. Should a man give away an earthen pot full of gold for a trifle, never knowing what was in it till it were quite gone from him, and past recovery; how would this foolish action gall him, upon the discovery of the riches in it! such a one's case may be a faint resemblance of the case of despisers of the gospel, when in hell they lift up their eyes, and behold that, to their torment▪ which they will not see now, to their salvation. (2.) That they have lost it for loss and dung: sold their part of heaven, and not in•••hed themselves with the prize. They lost heaven for earthly profits and pleasures, and now both are gone together from them. The drunkard's cups are gone, the covetous man's gain, the voluptuous man's carnal delights, and the sluggard's ease: nothing is left them to comfort them now. The happiness they lost remains indeed, but they can have no part in it for ever.
USE. Sinners, be persuaded to come to God through Jesus Christ, uniting with him through a Mediator: that ye may be preserved from this fearful separation from him. O be afraid to live in a state of separation from God, lest that which ye now make your choice, become your eternal punishment hereafter! Do not reject communion with God, cast not off the communion of saints; for it will be the misery of the damned to be driven out from that communion ••ase to ••d ⟨p. 329⟩up the wall of separation betwixt God and you, by continuing in your sinful-courses: repent rather in time, and so pull it down; lest the cape-stone be laid upon it, and it stand for ever between you and happiness. Tremble at the thoughts of rejection and separation from God: By whomsoever men are rejected on the earth, they ordinarily find some pity to them; but if ye be thus separated from God, ye will find all doors shut against you. Ye will find no pity from any in heaven: neither saints nor angels will pity them whom God has utterly cast off: none will pity you in hell, where there is no love but loathing; all being loathed of God, loathing him, and loathing one another. This is a day of losses and fears. I show you a loss, ye would do well to fear in time; be afraid lest you lose God; if ye do, a long eternity will be spent in roaring out lamentations for this loss. O horrid stupidity! men are in a mighty care and concern to prevent worldly losses: but they are in hazard of losing the enjoyment of God for ever and ever, in hazard of losing heaven, the communion of the blessed, and all good things for soul and body in another world: yet as careless in that matter, as if they were uncapable of thought. O! compare this day with the day our text aims at. This day is heaven opened to them, who hitherto have rejected Christ, and yet there is room, if they will come: but that day the doors shall be shut. Now Christ is saying unto you, Come: then he will say, Depart: seeing ye would not come, when ye were bidden. Now pity is shown: the Lord pities you, his servants pity you, and tell you, that the pit is before you, and cry to you, that ye do yourselves no harm; but then ye shall have no pity from God nor man.
USE. Sinners, be persuaded to come to God through Jesus Christ, uniting with him through a Mediator: that ye may be preserved from this fearful separation from him. O be afraid to live in a state of separation from God, lest that which ye now make your choice, become your eternal punishment hereafter! Do not reject communion with God, cast not off the communion of saints; for it will be the misery of the damned to be driven out from that communion ase to d
Secondly, The damned shall be punished in hell (with the punishment of sense) they must depart from God into everlasting fire. I am not in a mind to dispute, what kind of fire it is which they shall depart into, and be tormented by for ever, whither a material fire, or not? Experience will more than satisfy the curiosity of those who are disposed rather to dispute about it, than to seek how to escape it. Neither will I meddle with that question. Where it is? It is enough, that the worm which never dieth, and the fire that is never quenched, will be found somewhere by impenitent sinners But (1) I shall evince that, whatever kind of fire it is; it is more vehement and terrible than any fire, we, on earth, are acquainted with. (2) I shall condescend on some properties of these fiery torments.
As to the 1st, of these; burning is the most terrible punishment, and brings the most exquisite pain and torment with it. By what reward could a man be induced to hold but his hand in the flame of a candle for an hour? All imaginary pleasures on earth would never prevail with the most voluptuous man, to venture to lodge but one half hour in a burning fiery furnace; nor would all the wealth in the world prevail with the most covetous to do it. Yet, on much lower terms, do most men, in effect, expose themselves to everlasting fire in hell, which is more vehement and terrible ⟨p. 330⟩than any fire we on earth are acquainted with; as will appear by the following considerations.
1. As in heaven grace being brought to its perfection, profit and pleasure do also arrive at their height there; so sin being come to its height in hell, the evil of punishment doth also arrive at its perfection there. Wherefore, as the joys in heaven are far greater than any joys which the saints obtain on earth, so the punishments of hell must be greater than any earthly torments whatsoever; not only in respect of the continuance of them, but also in respect of vehemency and exquisiteness.
2. Why are the things of the other world represented to us, in an earthly dress, in the word; but that the weakness of our capacities in such matters (which the Lord is pleased to condescend unto) does require it; it being always supposed, that these things of the other world are in their kind more perfect, than that by which they are represented? When heaven is represented to us under the notion of a city, with gates of pearl, and the street of gold; we look not to find gold and pearls there, which are so mightily prized on earth, but something more excellent than these finest and most precious things in the world: when therefore we hear of hell-fire, it is necessary we understand by it something more vehement, piercing, and tormenting, than any fire ever seen by our eyes, And here it is worth considering, that the torments of hell are held forth under several other notions than that of fire simply: and the reason of it is plain; namely, that hereby, what of horror is wanting in one notion of hell, is supplied by another. Why is heaven's happiness represented under the various notions of a treasure, a paradise, a feast, a rest, &c. but that there is not one of these things sufficient to express it? Even so hell-torments are represented under the notion of fire: which the damned are cast into. A dreadful representation indeed! yet not sufficient to express the misery of the state of sinners in them. Wherefore we hear also of the second death, (Rev. xx. 6.) for the damned in hell shall be ever dying: of "the wine-press of the wrath of God," (chap. xiv. 19.) wherein they will be trodden in anger, trampled in the Lord's fury, (Isa. lxiii. 3.) pressed, broken, and bruised, without end: the worm that dieth not, (Mark ix. 44.) which shall eternally gnaw them: a bottomless pit, where they will be ever sinking, Rev. xx. 3. It is not simply called a fire, but the lake of fire and brimstone, (ver. 19) a lake of fire burning with brimstone, (chap xix 20) than which, one can imagine nothing more dreadful. Yet, because fire gives light, and light (as Solomon observes, Eccles. xi. 7) is sweet, there is no light there, but darkness, utter darkness,
3. Our fire cannot affect a spirit, but by way of sympathy with the body, to which it is united; but hell fire will not only pierce into the bodies, but directly into the souls of the damned; for it is prepared for the devil and his angels, these wicked spirits, whom no fire on earth can hurt. Job complains heavily under the chastise-men: of God's fatherly hand, saying, The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit, Job vi. 4. But how will the spirits of the damned be pierced with the arrows of revenging justice! how will they be drunk up with the poison of the curse on these arrows! how vehement must that fire be that pierceth directly into the soul, and makes an everlasting burning in the spirit, the most lively and tender part of a man, wherein wounds or pain are most intolerable!
Lastly, The preparation of this fire evinceth the inexpressible vehemency and dreadfulness of it. The text calls it prepared fire, yea, the prepared fire, by way of eminency. As the three children were not cast into an ordinary fire, but a fire prepared on a particular design, which therefore was exceeding hot, the furnace being heated seven times more than ordinary, Dan. ii. 19, 22. So the damned shall find in hell a prepared fire, the like to which was never prepared by human art; it is a fire of God's own preparing, the product of infinite wisdom on a particular design, to demonstrate the most strict and severe divine justice against sin; which may sufficiently evidence to us the unconceivable exquisiteness thereof. God always acts in a peculiar way becoming his own infinite greatness, whether for, or against the creature: and therefore as the things he hath prepared for them that love him, are great and good beyond expression or conception; so one may conclude, that the things he hath prepared against those who hate him, are great and terrible beyond what men can either say, or think of them. The pile of Tophet is fire and much wood, (the coals of that fire are coals of juniper, a kind of wood, which set on fire burns most fiercely, Psal cxx. 4.) and the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it, Isa. xxx. 33. Fire is more or less violent, according to the matter of it, and the breath by which it is blown: what heart then can fully conceive the horror of coals of juniper, blown up with the breath of the Lord? Nay, God himself will be a consuming fire (Deut. iv. 24) to the damned; intimately present, as a devouring fire, in their souls and bodies. It is a fearful thing to fall into a fire, or to be shut up in a fiery furnace, on earth: but the terror of these evanisheth, when one considers, how fearful it is to fall into the hands of the living God, which is the lot of the damned; for who shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who shall dwell with everlasting burnings? Isa. xxxiii. 14.
At to the second point proposed, namely, the properties of the fiery torments in hell.
1. They will be universal torments, every part of the creature being tormented in that flame. When one is cast into a burning fiery furnace, the fire makes its way into the very bowels, and leaves no member untouched; what part then can have ease, when the damned swim in a lake of fire burning with brimstone? There will their bodies be tormented, and scorched for ever. And as they sinned, so shall they be tormented, in all the parts thereof; that they shall have no sound side to turn them to: for what soundness or ease can be to any part of that body, which being separated from God, and all refreshment from him, is still in the pangs of the second death, ever dying, but never dead? But as the s•• was chief in sinning, it will be chief in suffering too, being filled brimful of the wrath of a sin-revenging God. The d•mmed shall ever be under deepest impressions of God's vindictive justice against them: and this fire will melt their souls, within them, like wax. W•o knows the power of that wrath which had such an effect on the Mediator, standing in the room of sinners, Psal. xxii. 14. My heart is like was, it is melted in the midst of my bowels? Their minds shall be filled with the terrible apprehensions of God's implacable wrath: and whatever they can think upon, past, present, or to come, will aggravate their torment and anguish. Their will shall be crossed in all things for ever-more: as their will was ever contrary to the will of God's precepts; so God, in his dealings with them, in the other world, shall have war with then will for ever. What they would have, they shall not in the least obtain; but what they would not shall be […] upon them without remedy. Hence no pleasant affection shall ever s•••ng up in their hearts any more: their love of complacency, joy, and delight, in any object whatsoever, shall be pluck up by the root; and they will be filled with hatred, fury, and rage, against God, themselves, and their fellow-creatures, whether happy in heaven, or unferable in hell, as they themselves are. They will be sunk in sorrow, r••ked with anxiety, filled with horror, galled to the heart with fretting and continually darted with despair; which will make them weep, gnash their teeth, and blaspheme for ever.
xvi. 21. And there fell upon men, a great ha• out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God, because of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great Conscience will be a worm to g••w and prey upon them; remorse for their sins shall seize them, and torment them for ever, and they shall not be able to shake it off, as sometimes they did; for "in hell—their worm d•ech not," Mark ix. 45, 46. Their memory will serve but to aggravate their torment, and every new reflection will bring another pang of anguish, Luke xvi. 25. "But Abraham said, (viz. to the rich man in hell) S••, remember, that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things."
2. The torments in hell are manifold. Put the case, that a man were, at one and the same time, under the violence of the gout, gravel, and whatsoever diseases and pains have ever met together in one body; the torment of such a one would be but light in comparison with the torments of the damned. For as in hell there is an absence of all that is good and desirable, so there is the confluence of all evils there; since all the effects of sin and of the curse take their place in it, after the last judgment, Rev. xx. 14. "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire." There they will find a prison they can never escape out of; a lake of fire, wherein they will be ever swimming and burning; a part where they will never find a bottom. The worm that dieth not, shall […] on them, as on bodies which are inferred: the f• that is not quenched, shall devour them, as dead bodies which are burned. Their eyes shall be kept in blackness of darkness, without the […] comfortable gleam of light: their ears fi•led with the frigh […] of the infernal crew. They shall taste nothing but the vine•• of God's wrath, the dregs of the cup of his fury. The stench of the burning lake of brimstone will be the smell there; and they shall feel extreme pains for evermore.
2. The torments in hell are manifold. Put the case, that a man were, at one and the same time, under the violence of the gout, gravel, and whatsoever diseases and pains have ever met together in one body; the torment of such a one would be but light in comparison with the torments of the damned. For as in hell there is an absence of all that is good and desirable, so there is the confluence of all evils there; since all the effects of sin and of the curse take their place in it, after the last judgment, Rev. xx. 14. "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire." There they will find a prison they can never escape out of; a lake of fire, wherein they will be ever swimming and burning; a part where they will never find a bottom. The worm that dieth not, shall 〈…〉 on them, as on bodies which are inferred: the f• that is not quenched, shall devour them, as dead bodies which are burned. Their eyes shall be kept in blackness of darkness, without the comfortable gleam of light: their ears filed with the frigh of the infernal crew. They shall taste nothing but the vine of God's wrath, the dregs of the cup of his fury. The stench of the burning lake of brimstone will be the smell there; and they shall feel extreme pains for evermore.
2. Why are the things of the other world represented to us, in an earthly dress, in the word; but that the weakness of our capacities in such matters (which the Lord is pleased to condescend unto) does require it; it being always supposed, that these things of the other world are in their kind more perfect, than that by which they are represented? When heaven is represented to us under the notion of a city, with gates of pearl, and the street of gold; we look not to find gold and pearls there, which are so mightily prized on earth, but something more excellent than these finest and most precious things in the world: when therefore we hear of hell-fire, it is necessary we understand by it something more vehement, piercing, and tormenting, than any fire ever seen by our eyes, And here it is worth considering, that the torments of hell are held forth under several other notions than that of fire simply: and the reason of it is plain; namely, that hereby, what of horror is wanting in one notion of hell, is supplied by another. Why is heaven's happiness represented under the various notions of a treasure, a paradise, a feast, a rest, &c. but that there is not one of these things sufficient to express it? Even so hell-torments are represented under the notion of fire: which the damned are cast into. A dreadful representation indeed! yet not sufficient to express the misery of the state of sinners in them. Wherefore we hear also of the second death, (Rev. xx. 6.) for the damned in hell shall be ever dying: of "the wine-press of the wrath of God," (chap. xiv. 19.) wherein they will be trodden in anger, trampled in the Lord's fury, (Isa. lxiii. 3.) pressed, broken, and bruised, without end: the worm that dieth not, (Mark ix. 44.) which shall eternally gnaw them: a bottomless pit, where they will be ever sinking, Rev. xx. 3. It is not simply called a fire, but the lake of fire and brimstone, (ver. 19) a lake of fire burning with brimstone, (chap xix 20) than which, one can imagine nothing more dreadful. Yet, because fire gives light, and light (as Solomon observes, Eccles. xi. 7) is sweet, there is no l•ght there, but darkness, utter darkness, Matth. xxv. 30. For they must have an everlasting night, since nothing can be there, which is in any measure comfortable or refreshing.
1. They will be universal torments, every part of the creature being tormented in that flame. When one is cast into a burning fiery furnace, the fire makes its way into the very bowels, and leaves no member untouched; what part then can have ease, when the damned swim in a lake of fire burning with brimstone? There will their bodies be tormented, and scorched for ever. And as they sinned, so shall they be tormented, in all the parts thereof; that they shall have no sound side to turn them to: for what soundness or ease can be to any part of that body, which be•ng separated from God, and all refreshment from him, is still in the pangs of the second death, ever dying, but never dead? But as the s•• was chief in sinning, it will be chief in suffering too, being filled brimful of the wrath of a sin-revenging God. The d•mmed shall ever be under deepest impressions of God's vindictive justice against them: and this fire will melt their souls, within them, like wax. W•o knows the power of that wrath which had such an effect on the Mediator, standing in the room of sinners, Psal. xxii. 14. My heart is like was, it is melted in the midst of my bowels? Their minds shall be filled with the terrible apprehensions of God's impeacable wrath: and whatever they can think upon, past, present, or to come, will aggravate their torment and anguish. Their will shall be crossed in all things for ever-more: as their will was ever contrary to the will of God's precepts; so God, in his dealings with them, in the other world, shall have war with then will for ever. What they would have, they shall not in the least obtain; but what they would not shall be 〈…〉 upon them without remedy. Hence no pleasant affection shall ever s•••ng up in their hearts any more: their love of complacency, joy, and delight, in any object whatsoever, shall be pluck up by the root; and they will be filled with hatred, fury, and rage, against God, themselves, and their fellow-creatures, whether happy in heaven, or unferable in hell, as they themselves are. They will be sunk in sorrow, r••ked with anxiety, filled with horror, galled to the heart with fretting and continually darted with despair; which will make them weep, gnash their teeth, and blaspheme for ever. Matth. xxii. 13. B••d him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into utter-darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Rev.
