no part in the first Resurrection THIS is the dregs of the fury of the Lord the Cup of his sorest indignation which requireth eternity to drink it to the bottom This is the gnawing worm and unquenchable fire the sense whereof doth cause them on whom it is inflicted to meditate terror for ever THESE are the sparks which the wicked have kindled from the fire of their own lusts and wherein God will cause them to lye down in sorrow THIS is that Devouring fire who among us shall dwell with it Who among us shall dwell with these everlasting burnings Every one shal thus die for sin who is before dead in sin The next Question I am to resolve is Quare sit Wherefore it is which will be answered by inquiring Vnde sit Whence it is And there is a threefold rise of Death 1. Satan 2. Man 3. God The first by Temptation The second by Consent The third by Infliction 1. SATAN is the grand contriver of mans destruction and therefore is the Author of it not by a Physical but moral causality He is the Father of sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam 1.15 Sin the parent of death He who is the Antient of daies tells us the Devil is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A murderer from the beginning And through mans cowardise in consenting to iniquity he who at the first did but usurp hath now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the power of death and is not to be overcome but by Christ who is stronger then he And blessed be God that the Author of Death is overcome by him who is the Prince of life Heb. 2.14 15. and the Author and finisher of that faith against which the gates of hel shal not prevail But 2. Man consenting This is another cause of death to prove this see that remarkable place Rom. 5.12 Hic enim duo concurrunt tentator et obtemperator Zeged loc◠commu As by one man sin entered into the world Death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned We were no sooner children of Adam but we were sons of Death Our first Father Adam we in him did eat of that apple the core whereof doth yet stick in our throats and will at length choak us one by one Sin is our own work death is the Wages of sin which brings me to the third cause God inflicting If man by his sin saith he will die God by his decree saith he shall die so that man shal have his will though it end in his woe If Adam will needs entaile an hereditary curse upon his posterity God will so ratifie it by his supreme Act in heaven that it shall never be cut off it shall be inevitable seeing he hath appointed for men once to die And thus we have the resolution of these three Questions I shall only answer an objection and so proceed to use Object But is this true It is appointed to men men indefinitely to all men to die What is the reason we read of some persons who did not of some who shall not taste of Death Answ I. Answer Particular exceptions destroy not the verity of general rules because some go out of the backdoor we doe not therefore cease to say that the gate is the ordinary way out of the house and because some hath not seen death or others shall not we need not cease to affirm It is appointed for men once to die for men are said to die either properly and really or by way of aequivalency when they ungergo a Change equal with death Thus did Enoch when he was translated Elijah when carried to heaven in a fiery Charriot and this shall they undergo who shall be found alive when Christ shal come to judgment The essence of Death or rather its nature not consisting in cinerefaction but as I have before affirmed in a separation of life from its subject which in Gods people is accompanied with a blessed dis-union of sin from their soul They are no longer subjects of sin when once vessels of eternal glory The next thing in order of method will be to make some inference from what hath been said and let me premise this it will be wisdom for us to look this King of Terror in the face and to consider whether we are able to encounter with him or no and what Nero did when he heard he was sentenced by the Senate as an enemy to the Publick Weale to be punished More majorum despairing to live he tried the points of the Ponyards wherewith he had resolved to dye to feel their sharpness before he sheathed them in his bowels So it would be wisdome in us by serious reflection upon our frailty to die daily that so the day of our death may not surprize us unawares Storms are most terrible when they surprize us suddenly and without a shelter Death will then be most unwelcome when it overtakes us unprepared or unresolved to grapple with it I shall now endeavor to apply this Doctrine If this be true That death is inevitable Vse 1 then let us live as such who are to die Because death is an evil to nature let us not hasten it because it is a necessary consequent of our sin Let us endeavour that though it separate our souls from our bodies yet it seize not on us in such an estate which will separate both from God Because by Christ it is overcome and proves a friend to Grace by hasting its consummation in Glory let us not be afraid to encounter with it But alas how few of us make this improvement of the necessity of death How many by intemperance and disorder do dig their graves with their own teeth How many are there whose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whilest they are Somno vinoque sepulti before their passing-bell hath tolled and even whilest their bones are full of marrow Job 20 11. their souls are replete with the sins of their youth These are such who put far from them the evil day They consider not the daies of darknesse neither think of them any more then as the Prophane proverb is Their dying day Their inward thought is that not only their houses Psalm 49.11 but they shall abide for ever not considering there is a God in whose hands are their life breath and all their waies that their breath is in their nostrils and their life ere long may be as water spilton the ground that it will lay the greatest Prince leveld with the poorest Peasant Pallida mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas Regumque turres Hor at lib. 1. Od. 4. that Death regards not the scepter of a mortal Prince nor compassionates the sad estate of any nor will be bribed to give a release from natures bonds that the grizly hand of death will cover many a naked brest which formerly hath been the looking-glasse of lust and pride with a
it is our greatest happiness not at all to run upon the score especially when God hath told us certainly The Soul that sinneth shall die 2 Tim. 2.25 but hath left it at a peradventure whether or no he will give us Repentance to the acknowledgement of the Truth He therefore that exerciseth himself to keep his Conscience void of offence taketh the surest course to be one who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 5.24 though he may appear before Gods Tribunal yet he shall not come into Condemnation It is through Faith we are saved but our Faith thus working by Love herein is made perfect 1 Ioh. 4.17 that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgement MAT. 25.46 And these shall go away into Everlasting Punishment but the Righteous into Life Eternal III. Of HELL I Have formerly spoken of Death and its consequent Judgement the which seeing it is terminated in a definitive Sentence of Absolution or Condemnation I have chosen these words wherein we have described the different estate of the Wicked and the Righteous after Judgement They shall go away into everlasting punishment but these into life eternal And because we judge of Contraries best Ideo autem hunc tenere ordinem malui ut postea disseram de faelicitate Sanctorum nec à divinis ordo iste abhorret eloquiis c. Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 21. cap. 1. where they are opposed each to the other we know the pleasure of light by experiencing the terrors of darkness the worth of health by feeling the woe which is in sickness I shall endevour to represent to your thoughts the nature or estate of Hell that so we may with greater vehemency aspire by our thoughts and actions towards Heaven The subject then of my present Discourse is To Treat of Hell in the Suburbs whereof every Son of Adam is born and therein doth inhabit till being born again he becometh the Son of God and consequently an Heir of Eternal Glory In these words we have these parts FIRST The Persons which are two sorts expressed under these terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Wicked those on the left hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Righteous on the right hand Secondly Their Places which are as different as their Persons The one shall go 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the former of which is Everlasting the latter Eternal I shall endevour to speak to both in their order Doct. The Proposition I observe from the first part is That the Portion of the Wicked is everlasting Punishment Or in the words of the Psalmist The Wicked shall be turned into Hell Psal 9.17 I suppose I need not multiply places to evince the truth of this Proposition if any man doubt of it let him consult his Conscience the secret rebukes whereof do sometimes anticipate Hell and give the sinner an earnest of that Sum of Misery the payment whereof never shall have end Let me ask such a sinner if he feel nòt that Worm crawling in his brest which shall never die If he is not sometimes even scorched in this life with some sparks of that unquenchable fire But I should be sorry to think my self speaking to any who are worse than the Devils who believe what I am about to speak and do tremble I therefore proceed to open this Abyss of Terror to bring to light the state of this place of Darkness by considering it in these respects 1 Secundum Materiam According to its Matter 2 Secundum Modum Its Manner 3 Secundum Mensuram Its Degree 4 Secundum Durationem Its Duration I shall speak to Hell and the Torments thereof according to all these respects For the First When I speak of this Materia Gehennae my purpose is not problematically to dispute or positively to assert any Corporeal fire in that place of Torment Aquinas Suppl ad 3. partem Quest 97. Art 5. Bellarm. de Purgat lib. 2 cap. 11. Eligat quisque quod placet aut ignem tribuere corpori animo vermem hoc propriè illud topice c. August de Civ Dei l. 21. c. 9. Qui ignis cujusmodi in qua mundi vel rerum parte futurus sit hominem scire arbitror neminem Ibid. de Civit. Dei l. 20. c. 16. which some out of choice rather than with clearness have possibly undertaken But my design is to treat of that Materîa circa quam that object upon which these internal flames are conversant as also the Materia ex qua that Pabulum ignis the fewel and foment of those everlasting burnings And as to the first we are to know That Soul and Body conjoyn'd are the adequate objects of this eternal fury They have been partakers in sin and therefore shall be sharers in suffering though the Soul as it was the Principal and Ring-leader of this Rebellion against its Creator shall have the first and deepest taste of this Misery Look as the Body whilst in this life by reason of the corruption of the Soul was made an instrument thereof to act impiety so when they are in Hell the Soul shall be the Efficient of that vexation and anguish which shall seize upon the Body Even as we see here they do sympathize together and partake of the weal or woe of either in this life Though I deny not but God doth positively inflict his wrath on the Body as well as on the Soul as we shall hear further ere long But Secondly Let us see what is the Materia ex qua that which doth kindle and doth keep alive those coals of fire which are heaped upon the heads of the wicked and that is Sin This is that which was the Parent of Hellish sorrow which did dig that Bottomless Pit and doth daily inlarge the Mouth thereof We lost our Right to Happiness when we let go our Title to Holiness and ever since we have departed from God our steps have took hold of Hell which is the production of the Creature not at all the operation of the Creator and though he execute it as an act of his Justice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. in Mat. 23.41 yet he approveth not of it when it comes in competition with his Mercy for As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a sinner but rather that he turn from his iniquity and live Ezek. 33.11 And thus much for the first Consideration of Hell and its Torments SECONDLY We are to consider it Secundum Modum according to the Manner of that estate And this will further descry the nature of these Torments the manner of which consisteth 1 In privation of Infinite Good 2 In position of Vnspeakable Misery The First is that Paena damni The Second that Paena sensus which those miserable Creatures do lie under First That Privation is part of the nature of Hell seems to have some ground
Domine tu scis quod illo die cum talia loqueremur mundus iste nobis inter verba ista vilesceret cum omnibus delectationibus suis Aug. lib. Con. 9. Cant. 504. do so refresh their Souls in this valley of tears what will be their joy when the Lord shall be their everlasting light If the Spouse her bowels are moved when Christ puts in his hand by the hole of the door how will her Soul be inflamed when she her self shall be received into those everlasting Mansions When this Sun ariseth every shadow will disappear and he who did sometimes speak roughly to his people shal then discover himself to be their Father and their hearts shall revive within them They who did bear his image here when he shall appear shall be like him They who in the world cried Hosanna to the Highest shall then chant forth Hallelujah to him that sitteth upon the Throne Secondly The Society of Saints and Angels This is another part of their Happiness Our Saviour describeth part of Heavens Happiness to consist therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys ad Theod laps Paraen Luk 13.28 29. Mat. 8.11 They shall come from the East and the West the North and the South and sit down with Abraham Isaac Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God Cicero de Senect pag. mibi 212. If Cato the Heathen Philosopher could comfort himself in his old age with an O praeclarum diem cum ad illud animorum concilium caetumque proficiscar cum ex hac turba colluvione discedam Vid. Melch. Adam vit Bullinger Vid. Ger. Med. 48. de suavissima Angelorum in caelo associatione And Socrates against death because after it he hoped to see Homer Hesiod and other worthy men How much more may a Saint lay down his head in * Lu. 2.29 Heb. 12.23 peace and rejoyce seeing he is but going to the City of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are writien in heaven and to the spirits of just men made perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chry. hom 70. de mart Egypt The company of the Saints even in this life doth comfort the weak encourage the faint chear up the dejected whilst by their mutual intercourse and intimate society they provoke one another to love and good works inliven each others zeal incite and incourage each other by a good example to hold forth to the end that they may receive the Crown of Life and by mutual offices of love do endear themselves one to the other and chiefly to God whose image they behold ingravened in their Souls as the bond of that Union which is between them If this be so pleasant how sweet will then their communion be in that sâ—â—te of peace where they who served the Lord with one shoulder and prayed together here Omnium Christianorum spes fratreâ— charissimi in futurum â—empus extenaitur uâ— quod hic servimus Dom no alibi nos servisse laeâ—emur Aug. in verb. apost 2 Cor. 5.10 shall with one consent offer up praise to their God where nothing shall interrupt their joy frustrate their hopes contradict their wills which are then perfectly on with God's O blessed Society where is no jarring envy strife O heavenly Consort where is no Discord but a perfect Harmony with God and one another Me-thinks I could say with the Psalmist his phrase somewhat varied Who will give me the wings of a Dove Psal 55.6 that I may fly hither and be at rest And this is the second thing that shall be conferr'd upon them they have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like unto God in holiness here they shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as with so like the Angels in glory hereafter Thirdly Fruition of inconceiveable Joy In this place and that to purpose Psal 50.8 God shall make his people to hear the voice of joy and gladness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys ad Thcod laps paraen If corn and wine and oil do make mens hearts rejoyce what will the light of Gods countenance when lift upon his people so as never more to be obscured with a frown God shall then put gladness into their hearts his joy in this life is in them then shall they enter into their Masters joy Mat. 25.23 Here it is our happiness to have God rejoyce over us there it shall be the honour of the Saints to joy in and with the Lord. Joy here is in a capacity of increase there it shall be full Jeremiah though sometimes cast into the dungeon as not worthy to behold the light shall shine as the Sun and though his feet did stick in the mire yet shall he lift up his head for joy Paul and Silas who did sing in the Prison whilst their feet were in the Stocks shall then be delivered and their glory shall awake to their Redeemers praise Then the eyes of the blinde shall be opend and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped then shall the lame man leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb shall sing In the wilderness shall waters break out and the streams in the desart Isa 15.5 6. This is the Saints Nuptial day Rev. 19.7 should they not sing for mirth The accomplishment of their Warfare shall they not be in peace The Harvest of their Hopes should they not now rejoyce who themselves are gathered into the garner Yes surely But how great shall be the measure thereof Which leads me to the third Consideration Quoad Mensuram The Measure of their joy Of the * Quae sententia plus habet disputationis quam certitudinis utilitatis Muscul in 1 Cor. 15.40 different Degrees of which there are more nice Discourses than satisfactory Resolutions Some whilst they would engross a greater portion of this glory may possibly detract from Gods grace which is free and bestows a penny upon him who is called at the last hour Quo utique denario vita fignificatur aeterna Aug. Exp. in Johan as well as on them who did bear the heat and burthen of the day The Affirmative is most believed because chiefly desired and is an excellent motive to be abundant in the work of the Lord because he that soweth sparingly shall reap also so but the †Vide Pet. Mart. in 1 Cor. 15.40 Musc ibid. Negative is not yet beyond dispute The various * Has dissimilitude in resurrectione mortuorum apparet verum in applicatione vulge crratur c. Calv. in 1 Cor. 15.41 excellency of the Stars is an Argument wanting light to evidence the different glory of the Saints it being wrested from the first intention of the Apostle and which is more seems to be contradicted by the Lord of Glory who speaking indefinitely of the Righteous tells us Mat. 13.43 they shall shine