Wrath than other even as in the Body some Parts are more of Pain If a Man would avoid a scalding drop to be let fall upon any Part of all other he would fence his Eye You see how a Mote a Flie troubleth it a scalding drop of Oyl would much more So it is in the Faculties of the Soul You read there is the Spirit of the Mind Eph. 4. 23. Now God will wound even that and aims at it in this Punishment A wounded Spirit who can bear says Solomon If a Man's Flesh be torn and cut he may yet bear up himself but if his Bones be broken who can stand Now the immediate Stroaks of God are so compared by David as unto the breaking of the Bones in comparison of other dealings of God with and Inflictions from God towards us The next thing which I mention but as an Appendix to this Head is that it is the Destruction of the Soul So Christ and the Apostle again and again They are said to be lost and though Men may Metaphysically dispute that it is better to Be though in Hell than not to Be Yet Christ hath said it were better not to have been born I shall say no more as to this Head than what the Apostle expresseth this by in the 1 Tim. 6. 9. in saying That Men are drowned in Perdition and Destruction one would think for him to have expressed Death and Destruction it might have been enough to have said that a Man were drown'd or sunk down to the bottom of Waters or the like Materials that would suffocate a Man But to say he is drowned in Perdition it self or that Perdition and Destruction are the Pit the Lake he is plunged into what can be said beyond it And yet here he is not content with one single Word to express that by neither as to have said drowned in Perdition but must double it and add another Word Destruction also Destroyed therefore over and over Drowned over Head and Ears as we say and all that is in them drowned and sunk into Perdition the whole Soul yea the whole Man No part above Water Destroyed with a double Destruction both for Object double and also for the Subject of it both Body and Soul So Christ says §. III. A third Head of Demonstrations drawn from the final Causes formerly mentioned As 1. The Glory of God 2. The Manifestation of his Power THe third Head that affords matter of Exaggeration to our Thoughts whereby to infer the fearfulness of this Punishment is taken from the Ends or Final Causes mentioned in that first Section The Ends I say which God hath in and is provoked by unto this Punishment And as I then singly argued from each of them the immediateness of God's Hand therein so now I shall from each of the same The dreadfulness hereof There were three Attributes of God in Special and his Glory in Common which God aimeth at the Manifestation of in this ultimate Guerdon or Reward for Sin 1. The Manifestation of the Glory that 's in Common then particularly 1. Of his Power 2. The satisfying of his Justice 3. Of his Wrath. The Scriptures I then had recourse to do specify all these I shall speak to these in this Section and to the other in the following 1. In General that he aimeth at his Glory in it which is God's general aim and is common to these and all other Attributes is evident His Glory as it is to be manifested to us is but the result or shine of all or any of his Attributes manifested In that place of Prov. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for himself that is for his Glory for that is himself My Glory I will not give to another it follows yea even the wicked for the day of evil The day of evil there is the day of Punishment the Wicked themselves also making and preparing themselves by Sin thereto but so as thereupon God manifests his Glory upon them as well as upon all things else which he hath made in their several seasons and kinds And Solomon doth mention this of Punishment as one Eminent Instance of all things else whatever that are for his Glory and which will be ordered then by him thereunto in a special manner And because it being so great an evil Men might think otherwise Yea but says Solomon God seeks and will have a Glory out of this Punishment as well as out of all things else of which ye all acknowledg that God made them for himself And so in that 2 Thess 1. 9. They are said to be punisht from the Glory of his Power that is from his Power glorifying himself on them as I afore expounded it And as it is for the Glory of this his Power so by the same reason of all or any of those other Attributes he is pleased to put forth therein I shall premise two Maxims from whence fore-laid the Inference for the dreadfulness of this will more readily rise in an infinite height unto our more serious and sober Apprehensiions The first That all things which God doth for his own Glory he will perform them like himself that is like God and so make the utmost of every thing that that subject Matter whatever it be will afford of Glory to him This Rule is ascertained to us as from the Nature of God so from that saying of the Apostle Rom. 1. 21. where he condemns the Gentiles that they glorified him not as God that is in such a manner as was worthy of him they came not up to that height of Glory so great a God must have given unto him from Creatures Now if it be the Sin of Creatures that they fall short in glorifying God as God then be assured that if God himself undertakes and professeth to do a thing for his Glory he will in the whole of it and issue thereof either glorify himself as God or never begin to essay or meddle with it but would have let it alone for ever 2. From hence take this also along with you to carry it in your view through each particular that follows That then if God seeks to glorify himself in a way of Punishment that Punishment must be answerably great and proportioned to raise up a Glory unto God such as shall glorify him As God in that way For it is the Punishment or the Judgment it self which he executes as the Psalmist says out of which this Glory must spring This Punishment as it is a Punishment is that wherein God will be glorified as God That is it is the Soil which this Crop of his Glory is to grow up out of and the Crop or Harvest of Glory can be but what the fertility of that Soil as such affords These things in general fore-laid Now 3. The greatness or vast comings in of that Glory God reckons upon from this may rise up in your view by these Particulars 1. Had it not been that in comparison of
in Jeremy Thy way and thy doings have procured these things to thee and this is thy Wickedness as it follows there in Jer. 4. 18. Yet still these are all of them deficient and fall short in representing unto the Heart and Conscience the demerit of Sin even so far as by the effects it may be known and the Soul yet further is capable to feel But if once the Wrath and Indignation of the Great God come into the Soul and Conscience this when felt doth bear some answerable proportion as an effect unto so great an Evil as Sin is which it hath deserved and when revealed unto and impressed upon the Sinner's Conscience it hath also the fullest dimensions of such an Evil even to the Sinner also as Sin justly deserveth as far as any way the Creature is capable Then it is that the Sinner feels and takes in the evil of Sin not as in secundary outward effects only and such all other Punishments whatsoever are in comparison to the Wrath of God and therefore fall short but in this case it feels immediately the demerit of Sin in that which is the Cause the only Cause the highest Cause of all other secundary Punishments which Sin hath also deserved whereof it also is the cause And this Dispensation of immediate Wrath riseth up unto the exactest demonstration of the evil that is in Sin which any way from Effects can be made or given unto the Creature 4. Of this immediate Wrath as it is an evil of Punishment the Conscience and intellectual part in Man's Soul is not only capable to be made the Vessel the Receptacle thereof but it lies immediatly exposed unto it It is bare and naked unto him with whom we have to do Heb. 4. 13. as in respect to God's knowledg so of God's punishing as I have elsewhere shewn Conscience is as an open Door or In-let or as an open Window is to the Sun so it to God for him to come in at at any time That when ever God will but take upon him to perform and execute the part of a Judg and Avenger a Conscience that is guilty lies exposed nakedly and barely unto his Anger to receive the strokes and impressions of it For I ask What is God's Justice against Sin but his just Anger against Sin as Rom. 3. 5. the Original hath it And what is a guilty Conscience but that in Man that is naturally suscipient or apprehensive of it And these two are suited as Faculty and Object and are as it were made one for the other there needs no third or other thing if God but please to hold forth his Anger and apply the Corrosive to the Sore so this unto the Soul to convey his own displeasure by Conscience hath an ear to hear what God will speak without any Medium to convey the Voice Look as Faith is a Principle peculiarly fitted to take in God's free Grace and Christ's Righteousness such is Conscience when guilty unto God's Wrath immediatly susceptive of it If God will but set a Mans Sins in order afore him and withal say unto Conscience I am angry yea look but angrily and present himself as such then Conscience instantly like the sensible Plant is struck shrinks and falls down For if God be angry but a little as Psal 2. last and rebuke us in his Anger Psal 6. 1. then at the very rebuke of his Countenance we perish Psal 80. And it is most certain that God can reveal his Anger to the Soul immediatly as well as his Favour And what is this Punishment we are speaking of but the Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God revealed as afore others so principally to a Man 's own Soul as vers 9. And what is that Judgment but God's Judgment expressed as in sentencing so in shewing his Anger and Wrath against Sin as the whole stream of that Scripture shews It is therefore the Wrath and Face of God and the Lamb when discovered which a guilty Conscience flies from Rev. 6. 16. That as Luther says Animus sibi male conscius potius ad Diabolum ipsum ferretur quam ad Deum accederet It had rather be brought afore the Devil and see his face than see God's Terror of Conscience what is it but all one and God's Wrath in Conscience See it in its contrary Peace which we call Peace of Conscience which passeth Vnderstanding is rather denominated the Peace of God which passeth understanding Phil. 4. 7. than Peace of Conscience although Conscience be the Subject pacified and whose Peace and Quietus est it is And in like manner Terror is stiled the Terror of the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 11. And these things may perhaps afford as true a Light towards the understanding of that Maxim of the Apostle Rom. 2. 8 9. Indignation and Wrath viz. of God Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul as the seat of their Anguish of Man that doth evil as any other And withal shew how it comes to pass that this Tribulation is executed from that Wrath even by the reception of Conscience For of Conscience also the following words vers 15. do there speak and that as in order unto Judgment vers 16. 5. I add as a Corollary from this that Conscience though it be thus naked and open to God and his Wrath yet it is so great a secluse so fast and privy a Cabinet so intimate a Power and Principle in and unto the Soul it self and so entirely reserved unto God himself who is the Lord thereof as it is not immediately subjicible to or to be broke open by Creatures No not those who are superiour Spirits to it either Angels or Devils they are not able to terrify the Conscience until it hath been first made raw and tender by God God only made the Heart and God only knows the Heart and God only can come at and strike at the root of the Heart The Devils or Angels can come but into an outward Room the Fancy and cast in Images thereinto the Fancy being the Souls Looking-glass wherein it vieweth its own thoughts and from which it takes off into it self the Species that are cast in there Also they may stir bodily Passions both which I have elsewhere shewn but they cannot enter into the Closet of the Soul God only is intimior intimo nostro as the Ancients express it God only is greater than our Hearts as the Apostle expresseth it Conscience is a Book so fast clasp'd as it is God's Prerogative alone to open it which he then at that day will do and thereunto that likewise may be applied He openeth and none shuts and he shuts and none opens That Speech holds as true of Conscience as of any other thing And as it is a Book which he alone can open so in which he alone can write over every Man's Sins not with Ink but with Wrath which like Aqua fortis every letter of it shall eat into the Soul According unto that in
Vessels of Mercy all will acknowledg that when it is spoken of as in relation to Heaven as here it is that importeth Souls their being set apart to be immediately filled with the Love and Mercy of God that as God is Love so that they as Vessels swim in that Ocean for ever That they dwell in God immediately and are filled with fulness of him And why should not then this other of being Vessels of Wrath be intended in the same Sense also and that Sense be urged accordingly Especially seeing it is evident that one scope of the Apostle here was to make a Parallel between the eternal Glorification of the one and eternal Destruction of the other and accordingly between what are to be the Causes of them And if so the Law of this Parallel will also carry it to this that as the Saints in Heaven have an immediate Participation of God that likewise in Hell there shall be oppositely an immediate Participation of God's Wrath. In Heaven they are not said to be Vessels of Mercy because God shews them Mercy only by created Benefits or Gifts bestowed or because they have God's Mercy communicated by Creatures though it must be affirmed that there is a confluence of these but because God himself appears all in Love Mercy and Kindness to them And it is not nothing that according to the same Analogy of Speech unto this Particular in multitudes of Scriptures in the New Testament This Destruction is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Singularity Eminency and simply stiled Wrath and the Wrath of God And so it bears away that Denomination from all other Punishments by Creatures except that by Magistrates in God's stead and who bear the Image of God Rom. 13. 5. so bearing the Name of its immediate Cause The Baptist he began that stile in the New Testament The Wrath to come Mat. 3. by way of destinction from all that is executed in this Life And the whole New Testament afterwards much useth that Phrase As when the day of Judgment is stiled the day of Wrath Rom. 2. And elsewhere It is equivalent to say a Child of Hell Mat. 23. 15. And a Child of Wrath Eph. 2. 3. To say fitted to Destruction as Rom. 9. and ordained to Wrath 1 Thess 5. 9. To say Damnation hasteneth 2 Pet. 2. 3. And the Wrath of God cometh on the Children of Disobedience Col. 3. 6. As in like manner on the contrary Saved from Wrath Rom. 5. Delivered from Wrath through Christ 1 Thess 1. ult is all one and saved from Death and Hell elsewhere And this is usually termed the Wrath of God so Joel 3. ult Col. 3. 6. and Eph. 5. 6. Rom. 9. 22. That which I would observe from both is that according to the general Analogy of common Speech in all Languages the punishment as the Effect bearing the Denomination of that which is the immediate Instrument of the principal Agent in that Punishment Thus the torture by the Rack is called the Rack whipping the Rod. So in Deaths Crucifying was termed the Cross Hanging the Gallows Thus 't is in the Punishments which Men execute That in like Analogy of Speech this ultimate Punishment should so generally be termed Wrath and the Wrath of God by way of eminency and difference from all other fore-running effects of Wrath executed by Creatures in this Life this still strengthens the former Notion that it is indeed the Wrath of this God it self in a way of eminent difference from what by Creatures he doth in Wrath pour out that is the inflicter of that Punishment I shall for the close of this cast in one Scripture-Testimony more both to confirm this Interpretation of Wrath given upon Rom. 9. and the whole of the Point in hand It is IV. Rom. 2. 8 9. Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish unto every Soul of Man that doth evil c. I observed afore from the second Verse of this Chapter how that this Punishment was termed both the Judgment of God ver 2. as denoting God to be the Judge and also Wrath as of God the Avenger Now in these Words ver 8 9. the Apostle pursueth the latter more fully when he says Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish to every Soul of Man These are two pairs or Conjugates of Causes and Effects 1. Indignation and Wrath as the Causes 2. Tribulation and Anguish as the two Effects and that on the Souls of Men which are the Vessels of this Wrath and Indignation and Subjects of that Tribulation and Anguish thence arising And truly his instancing in the Soul which though it often signifies the whole Person yet here seems purposely done as being that in or of Man which alone is immediately capable of this Indignation and Wrath of God and the Impressions or Effects of Anguish there-from and is the proper seat of that Anguish and Tribulation And that Phrase of Wrath its being said to be treasured up in the 5th verse suits this For what is the Treasury or Magazine thereof but the Heart and Bosom of God Himself in which it lyes hid as Treasures use to do in some secret place Even as the Saints Life is said to be hid in God Col. 3. 3. compare Deut. 32. 24. I shall but further superadd that noticed Ira Dei est infernus Diaboli omnium Damnatorum Famed by Gerard in his Common Place De inferno Sect. 30. out of Luther's Enarrations or Commentary upon Genesis Chap. 45. upon the 14 15. ver Also by Fabritius saying of Luther which out of deep experience of the Wrath of God in his Soul at his first Humiliation and Conversion he had learned The Wrath of God is Hell the Hell of Devils and all damned Spirits CHAP. IV. That this immediate Wrath of God is in Scripture set forth unto us under the Similitude of Fire and fiery Indignation The Examples of Persons devoured by Fire in the Old Testament Shadows of this Punishment by the immediate Wrath of God This the Fire wherein the Devil and his Angels are tormented THere hath been nothing more divertive of the Thoughts of Men from apprehending or so much as imagining God's immediate Wrath to be a cause of that Punishment in Hell then that the Scriptures do so often make mention of Fire c. as the Instrument thereof and so Mens conceptions do terminate therein and go no further But I shall rather on the other hand make an Argument of it Namely that indeed the Scriptures do set out this immediate Wrath of God under the Similitude Resemblance and Representation of Fire and that sometimes when Hell-fire is spoken of the Wrath of God is intended thereby Unto which I yet Preface this That I must not nor dare I say that there is no material Fire in Hell ordained for Punishment to Mens Bodies but that it is Rational that the Body having sinned as well as the Soul it should have a meet recompence of Reward suited thereto
proportions of Justice fore-mentioned which are most near and sacred to him 2. The second Assertion That it is also requisite yea necessary I speak it as in relation to Justice attaining its ends For all mediate Punishments executed by Creatures being deficient as unto that wherein the very Essence of this Punishment lies they all not reaching the Inwards of the Spirit of the Mind and Conscience and seeing that without God's wrath revealed therewith by God himself all such Punishments would not compleat the Justice of God in a Punishment in any tolerable measure suitable Then if Justice will have its perfect work and bring its Suit against the Sinner unto the ultimate issue it is requisite God himself put his immediate hand to the execution For otherwise this Work of Justice will not be perfect as yet every of his Works in their kind are said to be And so he should not only fall short of satisfying his Justice but also by not doing that towards it which is in his power to do and which he is Lord of he should not in any tolerable measure content it Especially if we further consider that when all is done that can be done this Punishment will not arise to a perfect satisfaction for the Creature 's punishment will not afford it and therefore it doth for ever suffer but only unto what may be had out of them towards it I shut this Point up therefore with this that If God be Judg Himself he will do this work Himself which none else can perform for him and without which all else would be utterly imperfect and defective For upon what hath been afore argued I may say of all other Punishments and Punishers although set by God upon a Man what the Apostle says of those legal Ordinances though instituted by God for his Worship That they could not make the Service perfect as pertaining to the Conscience So nor all outward Torments take them alone without God's Wrath accompanying them they cannot make a perfect or compleat Punishment as pertaining to the Conscience And all this also shews one sufficient reason of Difference why earthly Kings and Judges leave the Execution of Traytors and Offenders wholly unto others Because they have no more Power as in respect of Execution to inflict a condign Punishment than other Men but others can do it as exquisitely and their Justice be as fully satisfied thereby but it is not so here And for these causes God is so far from staining his Glory thereby which other Judges would esteem to be so as that it is the only way fully to recover his Glory And so much for that Argument drawn from satisfying of Justice A second Reason is drawn from satisfying of Vengeance or Avenging Wrath as against Enemies which heightens Justice Thus in many places in the Old and New Testament Deut. 32. Rom. 12. 19. 2 Cor. 10. 6. Rev. 6. 10. In which last place God is stiled both a Judg and an Avenger Judg and Avenge say the Saints there A Judg most commonly doth acts of Justice in the behalf of others but an Avenger is one that doth or seeks Justice in his own Cause and in his own behalf and Interest therefore the next a-Kin seeking the Life of a Murtherer was termed an Avenger of Blood Now God is more nearly concerned in this than any Creatures can be in what may concern Vengeance in them for what ever Injury This is therefore poena vindictae as of one enraged and provoked Patience having been abused as Rom. 9. 22. and so is turned into Fury Now there are two properties of Vengeance from whence I argue this being put together First that it is the property of Revenge to vent it self upon that which is principal in the Injury and to make that the Vessel of its Wrath it will never be satisfied else Now that is the Soul of Man which is the chief seat and subject of the Corruption of Sin the chief Cause of the Act proceeding from thence and that in which the Guilt arising from both doth principally abide The Body is but instrumental in what the Soul doth yea and in some and the greatest Sins the Soul hath the sole and immediate Hand This Soul therefore which is the chiefest Vessel of Sin must be the chief Vessel of Wrath. Indignation and Wrath upon every Soul of Man that doth evil Rom. 2. 8. whereof this undeniable Instance is given by God that the Soul is it that suffers for the whole Man until the Resurrrection as the Instance of the Rich Man shews And it must be no less an immediate Sufferer although not the alone Sufferer but much more after the day of Judgment unto Eternity A second thing which Vengeance affecteth is that the person that wrought the Injury dye by the hand of himself that is the Avenger It loves to do that work it self And this especially holds good in this cause of God's and seeing it is to recover glory to God by shewing Vengeance He comes to be glorified rendring Vengeance from the glory of his Power I need not go about to form up any Argument from hence for these two things especially the latter do speak home unto the Point And being added unto what hath been spoken in the former Head of Justice may be sufficient There is a third thing which as I said both Divine Justice and Vengeance do conspire in and that is the utter Destruction of that which is the principal Offendor which is the Soul it is the nature of Vengeance to work the Destruction of that it is set against And in this case of Sin God's Justice also doth the same the demerit of Sin is such as it exciteth Vengeance to it And therefore in both these places which are my Texts Destruction is mentioned as the issue and product of this Revenge and Wrath. So in 2 Thess 1. 6 7. To render Vengeance on them who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction and Rom. 9. 22. to make known the power of his Wrath on those Vessels of Wrath fitted to Destruction Destroyed they shall be though not in regard of being for they are to be Vessels of Wrath and therefore to be still kept whole in respect of being else they could hold no Wrath And that is another property of Vengeance to have the Party made sensible of its Misery and that his Enemy is even with him And therefore God upholds their Being but destroys their Souls in regard of well being Now that is never till it be stript of every Comfort and every corner of the Soul be filled with Misery For if any corner be empty it is not destroyed it will not die Now this third or last thing doth of it self afford at least a Demonstration ab effectis from the event and effects of this Punishment That therefore it is God's immediate hand that inflicts this Punishment Which Demonstration is to be added unto the former Reason which was drawn from the Causes
speak of Glass that they may endure this Fire All the Terrors of Conscience here are as is said of the Joys of the Saints but the earnest-Pennies Farthing-Tokens in comparison to that great immensely vast Treasure of Wrath to come you have heard the Scriptures speak of All here is but the Shadow of Death and yet if that can wither Mens Souls so what will the blackness of darkness do as the Apostle speaks of this The utmost threatned here is that The Anger of the Lord shall smoke against a Man Deut. 29. It is but Smoke but in Hell it breaks forth into raging Flames * Luke 16. 24. of the fiercest Fires that fill every Corner and break out at all the Windows of the Soul §. VII The last Head of Demonstrations That it is a falling into the Hands of the Living God and what that further super adds to the dreadfulness of this Punishment THe fifth and last Head which represents the dreadfulness of all this unto an infinity is that it is a falling into the Hands of the living God The living God The former exaggerations have been raised from falling into the Hands of the Great Powerful Just and Avenging God but this further of the Living God Which of all other Attributes the Apostle hath singled forth to set out the dreadfulness of it by and is therefore most of all to be heeded by us as having as much weight in it to the thing in Hand as any of the other The Living God notes out not only God's Activity and how the whole of his Life and Being is engaged and active in this Punishment as was noticed But further both that 1. He shall execute this to Eternity and 2. That during that whole space of Eternity he will permanently continue to inflict it His being the Living God notes out 1. Eternity 2. With a continuation of acting all that while And so his being the Living God both threatens and effecteth 1. an eternal and 2. a continual Death in those that are the Subjects thereof And to imply so much it is that he hath that Denomination specially and so eminently given him here when this Punishment is spoken of First consider thy Soul is an immortal Soul as to the duration of it and that this Great God is the Living God And Sin in thee and the Injury of it to God is an eternal Stain which Hell Fire cannot eat out or satisfy God for but in an Eternity of time And therefore whilst God lives and thou livest he will inflict it on thee That 's one meaning Again God's Life as it is in himself a continual Act so in its being attributed to him with respect to this Punishment it imports his continued acting therein without cessation or intermission For he doth it as the Living God Job whilst he endured the Terrors of the Almighty complains they were so uncessant that God suffered him not to take Breath Job 9. 18. he followed his Stroaks so thick with one Breach as he there speaks upon another You have both these set forth in one and the same Scripture Rev. 14. 10 11. He shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God and he shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb and the smoak of their Torment ascendeth up for ever and ever And they have no rest Day nor Night First they have no rest Day nor Night That shews they have no intermission And then that the smoak of their Torment ascends up for ever shews the Eternity Yea and further to strike out dull Hearts with the sense of this Eternity if one ever be not enough another is added For ever and ever Which Eternity as you know our Saviour is still careful to indigitate when he speaks of Hell in love and warning unto Mens Souls that they might be moved by the moment thereof to endeavour to escape it Now it being thus this infinitely superadds unto all the former The former Heads have given Demonstration to us wherein the substance of this great Punishment consists And then comes in this as the fatal and final rowling Stone upon the Grave or Sepulchre of Souls And with the Grave Hell is oft parrallel'd Or these two imports thereof are as two Mill-Stones hung about the Necks of those that are plunged into this Lake to sink them down for ever For these two things mentioned do work in the Spirits of those that undergoe it Perfect Fear and perfect Despair The Effects of both which make up a perfection of Misery in such a State 1. Perfect Despair Hope was given to reasonable and intelligent Natures and in peculiar unto them to be as a breathing hole in time of Misery to keep up Life in such an one whereby to sustain it self And the reasonable Soul being in its duration Eternal and having an Eternity of time to run through and sail over hath this Priviledge denied to Beasts to take a prospect or fore-sight of time that is yet to come and if it can spy out any space or spot of time in which it shall have happiness or ease or out-live its Misery it will not utterly die yea it will harden it self against present Misery with this Thought that however it shall not always be thus with me But on the contrary here by reason of this ability of fore-sight it comes to pass that a wretched Soul in Hell viewing and turning over all the Leaves of Time to Eternity both finds that it shall not out-live that Misery nor yet can it find one space or moment of Time of Freedom and Intermission having for ever to do with him who is the Living God And then it dies and dies again and sinks into a Gulph of Despair for the future as well as it is swallowed up with present sense of Wrath. 2. Perfect Fear Which these likewise cause and keep up within that Soul and that continually of all their Misery that is yet to come And the nature of Fear is to out-strip a Man's Misery and to take them up afore they come as Hopes use to do our Comforts So as by reason thereof it comes to pass that the Soul is not only tormented by what it at present feels but with the thought of all that is to come which still further strikes that Soul through and through So as this Thought that it will be with me thus for ever and ever makes it compleatly miserable Yea hereby the Soul doth come all along in every instant to endure and be possessed in Fears and Dreadful Apprehensions of all that Woe that in Eternity is yet to come as well as that at present THE PUNISHMENT OF SIN in HELL God's WRATH the immediate CAUSE SECT III. Some Uses Corollaries Meditations A COROLLARY IF God in his Wrath be the immediate Inflicter of that Punishment for Sin then certainly he is not the Lib. 1. de Praedest ad Monymum
of it For I argue asking this Question What is able to fill the Soul of Man with good or evil The Soul which was created in so large a Capacity as to be filled with God and with none but God himself He only is able to fill the vast corners of it with either Creatures like it self may afflict and torment it much especially whilst in the Body so much as to cause it to desire Death and a being out of the Body but the Soul they are never able to destroy The Soul is a Castle so strong built as it can bear the Assaults of all its fellow-Creatures and sustain it self and not sink into Destruction Nothing can destroy the well-being of the Soul but God's Power For it is said They may kill the Body but God only can kill the Soul And else according to that Argument of Christ Fear not them that can kill the body only c. they were to be feared as God himself is if they could kill the Soul as God can do For Christ says God is therefore to be feared and only to be feared because he can destroy both Body and Soul And he redoubleth it with an Emphasis Fear him yea I say unto you Fear him Luke 12. 5. Indeed one Evangelist says Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell which expresseth no more but an act of Authority to sentence and cast into Hell as the Judge doth into Prison Yet the other Evangelist puts it upon this because he is able to kill the Soul and that only he is able to destroy both Body and Soul in Hell He says not barely to cast into Hell as by way of Authority but adds kills and destroys in Hell when they are cast thither For God is both Judg and Avenger And therefore if it be Destruction 't is evident He only can and must do the execution And therefore in the Text 2 Thes 1. 8 9. their being punished with everlasting Destruction is attributed to the glory of his Power These are some of the Reasons of this great Point CHAP. VII A fourth sort of additional Confirmations drawn from the Harmonies that are between it and other Divine Truths I Shall in the last place cast in some Harmonies or Congruities and Correspondencies which this holds and makes up with other Divine Truths And in such Harmonies and Concords there is much of Reason at least to confirm if not demonstrate Truths in Divinity 1. To begin where I left Hereby it comes to pass that as the Souls of Men and other Spirits were immediately made and created by God who is therefore in a peculiar respect and with an opposite distinction to the Fathers of our Bodies said to be the Father of Spirits and the God of the Spirits of all Flesh So that their last termination or end should be into and by his immediate Hands also This makes up a congruous and suitable Dispensation That look as they receive their first Being from him likewise they should return to him as Ecclesiastes speaks as to their sole and immediate Author and Creator and so receive from him as a Father of Spirits their Portion at his immediat Hands And Man 's ultimate end either way is called their Portion Psal 11. 6. Mat. 24. 51. whether it be in blessedness as their Inheritance out of his Love or Misery as the wages of their Sin And thus hereby God himself is made the end and the beginning or terminus the Alpha and Omega of Souls to whom be Glory for ever 2. Thereby also there comes to pass an answerableness and a proportion held between the two conditions of Heaven and Hell Which the Apostle seems to make the ultimate aim and determination of God's Counsels Unto which all in this World are but preparations as he calls them Thus Rom. 9. 22 23. for the shewing forth of his own immediate Glory What if God willing to shew his Wrath and to make his Power known endured with much long-suffering the Vessels of Wrath fitted to Destruction And that he might make known the riches of his Glory on the Vessels of Mercy which he had afore prepared unto Glory And thirdly also It is said that after that Christ the Judg of All hath delivered up his Administration and Kingdom unto his Father then God should become all in all 1 Cor. 15. 28. not in respect of Being that is not as if the Being of all things shall return into God again as some have wickedly dreamed Or that God's blessed Being and the Creatures should become one that can never be 'T is a contradiction to say a Creature made out of nothing should come to be of it self and such God in his Being is But all in all in respect of immediate Dispensation And so look as to the Vessels of Mercy he will then be all in all so that they shall not need the light of the Sun and the Moon c. that is the comfort of any Creature though all created Excellencies in the Spirit and quintesence of them shall be there why should it not be also meant that the same God which makes up a Parallel seeing Mens Sins deserve it shall be all in all in Hell too in a contrary way to the other 4. And the rather this may be thought because when God shall have caused this visible World to pass away the Earth and the Heavens we now behold as some judicious Divines have inclined to think from Job 14. 12. and other Scriptures either by turning them into nothing or into their first Chaos And so there being none that is of this old World left but pure Heaven and Hell which are as two spiritual Places or Worlds and therein these two sorts of Creatures rational either those who are wholly Spirits as Angels good and bad or the Spirits of Men whose Bodies are raised Spiritual and so fitted for that other kind of World both of which are capable of Happiness or Wo from him That then these two sorts of intelligent Natures God and they being left thus alone the bruitish part of the World being done away should have to do with him for ever immediately either in a way of Wrath or Blessedness And so God shall be all in all in either Worlds and this to be the final ending and Catastrophe of all But these I urge not but only mention THE PUNISHMENT OF SIN in HELL SECT II. The dreadfulness thereof argued from all and each of the Particulars treated of in the former Section HEB. 10. 31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God THe second thing at first propounded to be handled was the dreadfulness of this Punishment It is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God Which being an inference from the foregoing words and not a simple affirmation only do come in with an amazing kind of implication wherein the Apostle leaveth it to our own Thoughts to conceive