is a Death that has a Sting to hurt to twinge and wound the Sinner with even then when it has the utmost Mastery of him And this is the Death that the saved are delivered from not that which is natural for that is the end of them as of others but the second Death the Death in Hell for that is the Portion of the Damned and it is from that that the Saints have a Promise of deliverance He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second Death And again Blessed and Holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no Power It is this death then that hath the Chambers to hold each damned Soul in and Sin is the twining winding biting poysoning Sting of this Death or of these Chambers of Hell for Sinners to be stricken stung and pierced with The Sting of Death is Sin Sin in the general of it is the Sting of Hell for there would be no such thing as Torment even there were it not that Sin is there with Sinners for as I have hinted already the Fire of Hell the Indignation and Wrath of God can fasten and kindle upon nothing but for or because of Sin sin then as sin is the Sting and the Hell of Hells of the lowest and upmost Hells Sin I say in the Nature of it simply as it is concluded both by God and the Damned to be a breach of his Holy Law so it is the sting of the second Death which is the Worm of Hell But then as Sin is such a Sting in it self so it is heightned sharpned and made more keen and sharp by those Circumstances that as concomitants attend it in every act for there is not a Sin at any time committed by Man but there is some circumstance or other attends it that makes it when charged home by God's Law bigger and sharper and more venom and poysonous to the Soul than if it could be committed without them and this is the Sting of the Hornet the great Sting I sinned without a Cause to please a base Lust to gratify the Devil here is the Sting Again I preferred Sin before Holiness Death before Life Hell before Heaven the Devil before God and Damnation before a Saviour here is the Sting Again I preferred moments before everlastings temporals before eternals to be racked and always slaying before the Life that is blessed and endless here is the Sting Also this I did against light against Convictions against Conscience against perswasion of Friends Ministers and the godly Lives which I beheld in others here is the Sting Also this I did against warnings forewarnings yea though I saw others fall before my face by the mighty Hand of God for committing of the same here is the Sting Sinners would I could perswade you to hear me out A Man cannot commit a Sin but by the Commission of it he doth by some circumstance or other sharpen the Sting of Hell and that to pierce himself through and through and through with many sorrows Also the Sting of Hell to some will be that the Damnation of others stand upon their score for that by imitating of them by being deluded by them perswaded by them drawn in by them they perish in Hell for ever and hence it is That these principal Sinners must dye all these deaths in themselves that those damned ones that they have drawn into Hell are also to bear in their own Souls for ever And this God threatned to the Prince of Tyrus that capital Sinner because by his pride power practice and policy he cast down others into the Pit therefore saith God to him They shall bring thee down to the Pit and thou shalt die the Deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the Seas And again Thou shalt die the Deaths of the Vncircumcised by the Hand of Strangers for I have spoken it saith the Lord God Ah! this will be the Sting of them of those that are principal chief and as I may call them the Captain and Ring-leading Sinners Vipers will come out of other Mens â—â—e and flames and settle upon seize upon and for â—ver abide upon their Consciences and this will be the â—ting of Hell the great Sting of Hell to them I will yet add to all this How will the fairness of â—â—me for Heaven even the Thoughts of that Sting â—hem when they come to Hell It will not be so much â—heir fall into the Pit as from whence they fell inâ—o it that will be to them the buzzing noise and â—â—arpned sting of the great and terrible Hornet How â—t thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer there is the Sting thou that art exalted up to Heaven shalt â—â—e thrust down to Hell though thou hast made thy â—eâ—t among the Stars from thence will I fetch thee down there is a Sting To be pulled for and â—hrough love to some vain lust from the everlasting â—ates of Glory and caused to be swallowed up for 〈◊〉 in the Belly of Hell and made to lodge for ever in â—he dark some Chambers of death there is the pierâ—â—ing Sting But again as there is the Sting of Hell so there â—s the Strength of that Sting for a Sting though never so sharp or venom yet if it wanteth strength â—o force it to the designed Execution it doth but â—ittle hurt But this Sting has strength to cause it to pierce into the Soul The Sting of Death is Sin and the Strength of Sin is the Law here then is the â—trength of the Sting of Hell it is the Law in the perfect Penalty of it for without the Law Sin is dead Yea again he saith Where no Law is there is â—o Transgression The Law then followeth in the executive part of it the Soul into Hell and there strengthneth Sin that Sting in Hell to pierce by itâ— unutterable charging of it on the Conscience the Soul for ever and ever nor can the Soul justly murmur or repine at God or at his Law for that then thâ— sharply apprehensive Soul will well discern the justâ—â—ness righteousness reasonableness and goodness oâ— the Law and that nothing is done by the Law unto it but that which is just and equal This therefore will put great strength and force into Sin to sting the Soul and to strike it with the Lashes of a Scorpion Add yet to these the abiding Life of God the Judge and God of this Law will never die When Princes die the Law may be altered by the which at present Transgressors are bound in Chains But oh here is also that which will make this Sting so sharp and keen the God that executes it will never die It is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the living God FINIS a Ezek. 3. 18 19. b Luke 10. 62. c 2 Thes. 3 â— d Luke 16. 22 23. e Psal. 49. 8. f Prov. 23. 26. Mat. 15. 19.
sinful Soul to this I do not ask what he saith with his Lips for he will assuredly flatter God with his Mouth But what doth his actions and carriages declare as to his acceptance of this incomparable benefit For a wicked man speaketh with his feet and teacheth with his fingers With his feet that is by the way he goeth and with his fingers that is by his acts and doâ—ngs So then what saith he by his goings by his acts and doings unto this incomparable benefit thus â—rought unto him from the Father by his only Son Jesus Christ What saith he Why he saith That he doth not at all regard this Chrâ—st nor value the Grace thus tendered unto him in the Gospel First he saith That he regardeth not this Christ that he seeth nothing in him why he should admit him to be entertaâ—ned in his affections Therefore the Prophet speaking in the Person of Sinners says He Christ haâ—h no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him And then adds to shew what he meaneth by his thus speaking saying He is dâ—sâ—ised and rejected of Men. All this is spoken with reference to his Person and it was eminently fulfiâ—â—ed upon hâ—m in the days of hiâ— flesh when he was hated maligned and persecuted to death by Sinners And is stiâ— fulfilled in the Souls of Sinners in that they cannot abide to think of him with thoughts that have a Tendency in them to separate them and their Lusts asunder and to the making of them to imbrace him for their darling and the taking up of their Cross to follow him All this Sinners speak out with loud voices in that they stop their ears and shut their eyes as to him but open them wide and hearken diligently to any thing that pleaseth the Flesh and that is a Nursery to Sin But 2. As they despise and reject and do not regard his Person so they do not value the Grace that he tendereth unto them by the Gospel this is plain by that indifferency of spirit that always attends them when at any time they hear thereof or when it is presented unto them I may safely say That the most of Men who are concerned in a Trade will be more vigilant in dealing with a Twelve-penny Customer than they will be with Christ when he comes to make unto them by the Gospel a tender of the incomparable Grace of God Hence they are called fools Because a price is put into their hands to get wisdom and they have no heart unto it And hence again it is that that bitter complaint is made But my People would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me Now these things being found as practised by the Souls of Sinners must needs after a wonderful manner provoke wherefore no marvel that the Heavens are bid to be astonished at this and that damnation shall seize upon the Soul for this And indeed The Soul that doth thus by practice though with his mouth as who doth not he shall shew much love he doth interpretatively say these things 1. That he loveth Sin better than Grace and darkness better than light even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed And this is the Condemnation that light is come into the World and Men love darkness more than light as is manifest because their deeds are evil 2. They do also by their thus rejecting of Christ and Grace say That for what the Law can do to them they value it not they regard not its thundering threatnings nor will they shrink when they come to endure the Execution thereof wherefore God to deter them from such bold and desperate ways that do interpretatively fully declare that they make such desperate conclusions insinuates that the Burden of the Curse thereof is intolerable saying Can thy Heart endure or can thy Hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee I the Lord have spoken it I will do it 3. Yea by their thus doing they do as good as say That they will run the hazzard of a sentence of death at the day of judgment and that they will in the mean time joyn Issue and stand a Tryal at that day with the great and terrible God What else means their not hearkning to him their despising of his Son and the rejecting of his grace yea I say again what else means their slighting of the Curse of the Law and their chusing to abide in their sins till the day of death and judgment And thus I have shewed you the Causes of the Loss of the Soul And assuredly these things are no fables Object But some may Object and say But you denounce all against the Soul as if the Body was in no fault at all or as if there were no punishment assigned for the Body I Answer The Soul must be the part punished because the Soul is that which sins Every q Siâ— that a Man doth is without the Body Fornication or Adultery excepted Is without the Body that is as to the wilily inventing contriving and finding out ways to bring the motions of sin into action For alas What can the Body do as to these it is in a manner wholly passive yea altogether as to the lusting and purposing to do the wickedness excepting the sin before excepted Ay and not excepting that as to the rise of that Sin for even that with all the rest ariseth and proceedeth out of the Heart the Sul. For from within out of the Heart of Man proceed fornication adultery murder thefts covetousness wickedness deceit lasciviousness an evilâ—eye blasphemy pride foolishness all these evil things come from within and dâ—filâ— the Man that is the outward Man But a difference must always be put betwixt defiling and being defiled that which doâ— sileth being the worst not but that the Body shall have its share of judgment for Body and Soul must be destroyed in Hell the Body as the Instrument the Soul as the Actor but oh the Soul the Soul the Soul is the Sinner and therefore the Soul as the Principal must be punished And that God's indignation burneth most againâ— the Soul appears in that death-hath seized upoâ— every Soul already for the Scripture saith That every natural or unconverted Man is dead Dead How Is his Body dead No verily his Bodâ— liveth but his Soul is dead Dead but with whaâ— death Dead to God and to all things Gospell good by reason of that benumâ—ing stupefying and senselesness that by God's just Judgment for and by sin hath swallowed up the Soul Yea if you observe you shall see that the Soul goeth first or before in punishment not only by what has been said already in that the Soul is first made a partaker of death but in that God first deals with the Soul by convictions yea and terrors perhaps while the Body is well or in that he giveth up
sin and sin only that hath made the Devils Devils and yet for this for this vile this abominable thing some Men yea most Men will venture the Loss of their Soul yea they will mortgage pawn and set their Souls to sale for it Is not this a great Waster doth not this Man deserve to be ranked among the extravagant ones What think you of him who when he tempted the Wench to uncleanness said to her If thou wilt venture thy Body I 'le venture my Soul was not here like to be a fine bargain think you or was not this Man like to be a gainer by so doing This is he that prizes sin at a higher rate than he doth his immortal Soul yea this is he that esteems a quarter of an hours pleasure more than he fears everlasting damnation What shall I say this Man is minded to give more to be damned than God requires he should give to be saved is not this an extravagant one Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be ye horribly afraid Yea let all the Angels stand amazed at the unaccountable prodigality of such an one Object 1. But some may say I cannot believe that God will be so severe as to cast away into Hell fire an immortal Soul for a little sin Answ. I know thou canst not believe it for if â—hou couldest thou wouldest sooner eat fire than â—â—n this hazzard and hence all they that go down â—o the Lake of Fire are called the Vnbelievers and the Lord shall cut thee that makest this Objection asunder and shall appoint thee thy portion with such except thou believe the Gospel and repent Object 2. But surely though God should be so angry at the beginning it cannot in time but grieve him to see and hear Souls roaring in Hell and that for a little sin Answer Whatsoever God doth it abideth for ever he doth nothing in a passion or in an angry â—it he procâ—edeth with Sinners by the most perfect Rules of Justice wherefore it would be injustice to deliver them whom the Law condemneth yea he â—ould falsify his word if after a time he should deliver them from Hell concerning whom he hath solemnly testified that they shall be there for ever Obj. 3. O but as he is just so he is merciful and mercy is pitiful and very compassionate to the afflicted Answ. O but mercy abused becomes most fearful in tormenting did you never read that the Lamb turned Lyon and that the World will tremble at the Wrath of the Lamb and be afflicted more at the thoughts of that than at thâ— thoughts of any thing that shall happen to them in the day when God shall call them to an account for their sins The time of mercy will be then past for now is that acceptable time behold now is the day of salvation The Gate of mercy will then be shut and must not be opened again for now is that Gate open now it is open for a Door of hope The time of shewing pity and compassion will then be at an end for that as to acting towards Sinneâ—â— will last but till the Glass of the World is run anâ— when that day is past mark what God saith shall follow I will laugh at your calamity I will mâ—câ— when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh like a Whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you Mark you how many pinching expressions the Lord Jesus Christ doth threaten the refusing Sinner with refuseth him now I will laugh at him I will mock at him But when Lord wilt thou laugh at and mock at the impenitent The answer is I will laugh at their calamities and mock when their fear cometh when their fear cometh as desolation and their destruction like a Whirl-wind when distress and anguish cometh upon them Obj. 4. But if God Almighty be at this point and there be no moving of him to mercy at that day yet we can but lie in Hell till we art burnt out as the Log doth at the Back of the Fire Poor besotted Sinner is this thy last shift wilt thou comfort thy self with this are thy sins so dear so sweet so desirable so profitable to thee that thou wilt venture a burning in Hell Fire for them till thou art burnt out is there nothing else to be done but to make a covenant with Death and to maintain thy agreement with Hell is it not better to say now unto God do not condemn me and to say now Lord be merciful to me a Sinner would not tears and prayers and crys in this acceptable time to God for mercy yield thee more benefit in the next World than to lie and burn out in Hell will do But to come more close to thee Have not I told â—â—ee already that there is no such thing as a ceasing 〈◊〉 be that the damned shall never be burned out in Hell There shall be no more such death or cause of dissolution for ever This one thing well considered breaks not only the neck of that wild conceit on which thy foolish Objection is built but will break thy stubborn heart in pieces For then it follows that unless thou canst conquer God or with ease endure to conflict with his sin-revenging wrath thou wilt be made to mourn while under his everlasting wrath and indignation and to know that there is not such a thing as a burning out in Hell Fire Object 5. But if this must be my case I shall have more â—ellows I shall not go to Hell nor yet burn there alone Answ. What again Is there no breaking of the League that is betwixt Sin and thy Soul what resolved to be a self Murderer a Soul Murderer what resolved to murder thine own Soul but is there any comfort in being hanged with company in sinking into the bottom of the Sea with company or in going to Hell in burning in Hell and in enduring the everlasting pains of Hell with company O besotted wretch But I tell thee the more company the more sorrow the more fuel the more fire Hence the damned Man that we read of in Luk desired that his brethren might be so warned and prevailed with as to be kept out of that place of torment But to hasten I come now to the second Use. Vse 2. Is it so is the Soul such an excellent thing and the Loss thereof so unspeakably great Then here you may see who are the greatest Fools in the World to wit those who to get the World and its Preferments will neglect God till they lose their Souls The rich Man in the Gospel was one of these great Fools for that he was more concerned about what he should do with his Goods than hoâ— his Soul should be saved Some are for venturing their Souls for pleasures and some are for venturing their Souls for profits they that venture their Souls for pleasures have but little