and in it self Death is the separation of life from its subject Death is not only a cessation from action but a negation of existence for the soul may in a swooning fit cease to operate not to animate There may be a suspension of action where there is not a privation of its principle but death separateth the soul the fountaine of vital action from the body the subject thereof Secondly We will view death in what it is Accidentaliter ad aliud Accidentally and in reference to somthing without it self And that to 1 The Godly 2 The Wicked First To the Godly And so it is a rest from their labours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Hom. 51. de Sanct. Mar. Boren Proâ—â—â—c Blessed are they that die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works follow them Rev. 14.13 They rest from 1 Sin 2 Sorrows Both which the holiest of men are exercised with and subject to whilst they live in the world they labour under the former in the latter whilst in this dying life But when they dye that which doth separate them from their bodies doth unite them closer unto God Their death is the Funeral of their sins the resurrection of their Graces that which doth unpinion them of mortality doth also translate them into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God So that Death is but a change to a holy Job Job 14.14 Act. 7.60 2 Cor. 5.10 a sleep to a blessed Steven a dissolution of the earthly house to a holy Paul whilst by it he accounteth not to be found naked but to be cloathed upon with his house which is from heaven to have mortality swallowed up of life and by the death of his body Rom. 7.24 to enjoy his wisht for deliverance from the body of death And this for the first Death to the godly is a rest from their sins 2. It is a rest from their sorrowes Josephs feet shal no longer be detained in the stocks neither shal he complain of the iron which entred into his soulâ— Nor any of the Saints and holy Martyrs shall at all complain of the incessant malice of their enemies Death shal give them a resting-place for in the grave the weary shall be at rest There the prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the oppressor Job 3.17 18 And all this shall not be the effect of a Stoical apathy or stupefactive cessation from sense and motion But by an introduction into real joy That soul which was before glewed unto the body shal therefore be dissolved that it may be with Christ and that which whilst it was in the world was but at best a prisoner of hope shall then be set at libertie and have eternity wherein to expatiate in the enjoyment of those mansions of glory which God hath provided for such whom he shall account worthy to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vâ—ri Septu The righteous also are taken away from the evil to come Isai 57.1 and their graves are but beds wherein they rest in the evening of their dayes And thus you see that as to live is Christ so to die is gain to believers whilst by it they rest from sin and sorrow Our next work is to consider death in its reference to the Wicked And to them it is the beginning of evil the entry of their woe They are the men who have hope only in this life and therefore are of all men the most miserable That death which in its intention is to put out the candle of a good mans life doth but snuff it and make it burne the brighter whilst their life of grace is consummate by being swallowed up in a never-ending life of Glory This shall cause the candle of the wicked to go out in a stench their Sun to set in a cloud their flattering day of prosperity to end in a dismal night of black eternal horror whilst by it they shall at once be separated from their bodies and from the presence of God in whose favour is life and from his right hand where are pleasures for evermore And thus I have answered this Question Quid sit What death is Secondly Quotuplex sit Of how many sorts it is And Death in its complexe notion represents it self under a threefold respect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Serm. 56. 1 Corporal 2 Spiritual 3 Eternal These three unnatural branches spring from one root to wit Sin The First is by sin The Second in sin The Third for sin The First is competent to both the Godly the wicked and hath been spoken to already Let us consider a little the second Spiritual Death and this also hatha double consideration 1. A Death in sin 2. A Death to sin The Apostle speaks of the former to the believing Colossians Col. 3.13 where he tells them that they being dead in sins and trespasses God hath quickned them together with Christ And thus the wicked are said to be dead whilst they live there being a separation between God the Author of Spiritual life and their souls the due subjects thereof by reason of their sins Psal 59.2 And this is the estate of every one of us until God saith unto us Live A Death to sin Secundum Spiritum â— mors est non credere vina quae câ—edebâ—t non jacere vana quae faciebat August Serm. 121. de Resurrect more And this is the estate of a lively Christian of one who is passed from death to life This is to be dead with Christ and is a testimony to him in whom it is that he shall live with him Rom. 6.8 This is not as the former the result of sin but the gift of God and of this death there is a twofold testimony First A death to the Law That is to say when we are brought by the threatnings in the Law to know that there is no salvation or life to be found by the Law but in Christ and this I doubt not to assert for the meaning of S. Paul Gal. 2.19 For I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God Secondly A dying to the World A deâ—pising all things therein or whatsoever it counteth admirable for the excellencie of the knowledg of Christ And thus to do is to be made conformable to the death of Christ Phil. 3.8 9 10. But I haste to passe over these which though fair fruit yet never grew on this tree profitable Doctrine but not arising from the present Text spoken to by transition rather then regular deduction from the subject I am upon I proceed to consider death in its third acception Eternal Death This is the in-let of Hell the sum of misery the second death which I suppose is not excluded yet not primarily intended in the words and hath power over none but such as have had
winding-sheet That this which is called death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Serm. de Fid. Leg Natur. Psal 49.14 shall cool the valour of all the hot-spurs in the world who in their life time could not put up an injury without a challenge That they shall roll in the dust who sometimes did wallow in pleasures like the swine in the mire when like sheep they are laid in the grave and death shall feed upon them And how few of the heirs of life do walk as if they were to pass to an inheritance but after death whilst some do either with persecuted Elijah or peevish Jonah seek after death exceedingly desirous of the penny but yet so delicate that they they are loth to work in the heat of the day Others of them though they have set their faces towards the new Jerusalem and are on their journey thither yet by the way they remember the flesh-pots of Egypt Num. 11.5 and their present enjoyments do make them the lesse active in the expectation of future felicity God is forced to cast wormwood upon the brests of the Creature that he may make them the more earnestly draw water out of the wells of Salvation Others of them conceive God may have honour by their lives and therefore they are loath they should be deprived of such an opportunity by their deaths For this cause possibly the Psalmist might say Psalm 102.24 O my God take me not away in the midst of my dayes And upright Hezekiah might beg for a reprieve after God had said unto him Thou shalt dye and not live All these though their intentions might plead an excuse yet their actions are not commendable Yet we know a found constitution is consistent with some qualmes and we ought to conclude that strength of grace is consistent with some weakness in this particular Gods people cease not to be men by becoming Christians as they are the former they may be afraid as the latter they do dare to dye Aaron upon Mount Hor can be stripped of his clothes Num. 20.18 and without repining go to bed Blessed Simeon wil depart in peace Luke 2.29 30. after his eyes have seen the Lords Salvation Act. 21.13 The holy Apostle is indifferent whether to live or dye but if it be for the name of the Lord Jesus he is ready not to be bound but to dye also Thus we see the Shepherd of Israel hath sheep as well as Lambs in his fold men of riper years as well as babes in Christianity Such as dare encounter the King of terrors as well as such who are afraid at his presence Vide Bullinger in 1 Thess 4.8 Morteâ—n mali vitant sancti in vitant quibus non tam vitae hujus interitus quam aeternae interitus est Heidfel Sphis Theo Phil. c. 38. p. 908. But all believers have this happinesse though few live in the comfort of it that death to them is but a sleep the grave an hiding place both a resting from their labours their passage from this vale of misery is but an entrance into their Masters joy This notwithstanding is not sufficient for a Christian to know that though he die yet his life is hid with Christ in God He must so dye that God may be glorified by his death the which that every one of us may do we must prepare our selves for so great a change The which preparation consists in three things 1. Dying unto sin 2. Living unto righteousness 3. Mortification to the world A word to each of these First Dying unto sin * The sting of death is sin 2 Cor. 15.56 he then that dyeth unto sin destroyeth death And frequent reflections upon death would prove an excellent meanes hereunto But oh how hard is it though we have daily Spectacles of others mortality to live under convictions of our owne we should live more in heaven if we did believe we were to die and so to goe from hence This would season our discourse lives and check the exorbitancy of our rising lusts to consider it is appointed for all men once to die and consequently alleviate the feare of death For that which maketh death terrible to a considerative mind is not so much the pain which is felt in the separation of soul body for I doubt not but men undergo more sharp agonies as to fense in a fit of the stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost expos Psal 116. or gout or such acute diseases then at the moment of their dissolution nor is it altogether that natural abhorrency of an annihilation or destruction of being which maketh death formidable but that which represents death sitting upon a pale horse as described Rev. 6.8 is conscience of sin and thereby obligation unto hell following after death but a beleever may use with a holy confidence what sometimes presuming Agag said 1 Sam. 15 32. Surely the bitternesse of death is past and with the blessed Apostle may close his eies in peace with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Rom. 8.83.39 I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers c. shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2. Living unto righteousnesse Mala more putâ—nda non est quâ—m bona vita praecesserit August de civit Dei lib. 1. cap. 11. A holy life will usher in a happy death This is that which doth also evidence our dying unto sin and will make us die more peaceably in our beds We find that they who lived most up amongst the heathens to the principles of morality were least afraid to die when those who lived the most rudely were most unwilling to leave the world Seneca or Cate when about to die seem exceeding ready when a wicked Nero whose conscience told him what his mouth did utter Sueton in vita Neronis Vivo deformiter ac turpiter doth depart the world with an Vsque adeone mori miserum est and encourageth himself to his own ruine with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It becometh not It becometh not thee O Nero to be so daunted go to encourage thy selfe Upright Hezekiah had not such cause to weep when the Prophet brought those tydings to him Isai 38.1 2 that he should dye and not live seeing he was so well prepared for death that he could appeal to God that he had walked before him in truth and with a perfect heart and done that which was good in his sigh David his father also a man after Gods own heart did thus prepare for death and after he had served his own generation by the wil of God fell asleep Act. 13 35. Thirdly Mortification to the world this will prepare us for the stroke of death Those things which are glewed together are not without much difficulty dis-united and when our affections are set upon earthly things we shall not willingly
think of being covered up in dust A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and men are not easily perswaded to part with present delights for an expectation of future happinesse The man who fareth deliciously every day will not willingly hear of being meat for worms He who is gorgeously arrayed as the rich man in the Gospel will not easily strip himself to a winding-sheet or they that stretch themselves upon their couches will be willing to be laid in the grave Charies the Fifth Haec sunt que faciunt invitos mori These are the things which make us unwilling to die was a sober answer of that prudent Emperor to a magnificent Duke of Venice in the like case But now a child of God whose Treasure is in Heaven desireth to be there himself also leaving the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle his phrase is Phil. 1.23 having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ who by his death doth enable his to die to earthly things that their heart may soar a ofâ— and aspire to that place where he their treasure is where their souls being sequestred from earthly comforts they drink no longer at the broken cisterns of the Creature but derive all their happinesse from him with whom their springs are found Thus those precious Jewels their immortal souls shall there shine in their native lustre where not trampled upon by filthy sense they approach to God and are made more like to him from whom their essence was received And thus much shall serve for the first use Is Death inevitable Vse 2 then let this be a cordial to cheer us up under to strengthen us against the losse of friends we usually say patience perforce is small hearts ease but yet we may make a virtue 〈◊〉 this necessity of mortality imposed upon us to help our patience in this particular The wise heathen could comfort himself under the losse of his sons with this expression Scio me mortales genuisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laert. Diog vita Anaxag I know I have begot such who are mortal But a holy Christian who knoweth that God hath appointed and not fate imposed a necessity of Death to all may with greater comfort support himself with a Scio Deum hoc decrevisse I know God hath appointed it and with the Psalmist hold his peace seeing the Lord hath done it David hath learned this lesson exceeding well and we see him take it out to the amazement of his Servants 2 Sam. 12.21 22 23. even to their saying with admiration What thing is this that thou hast done Much more may we comfort our selves if we know they did die in the Lord The doubt of which possibly might be one reason of the impatience and immoderate grief of the aforesaid holy man for the death of Absalon Were our relations holy in their lives they are happy after death They have left us we have not lost them but shall receive them or rather be received to them at the last day when death shall be swallowed up into victory 'T is the Apostle his comparison That which thou sowest is not quickned except it die neither is the body raised in glory except sown in dishonour 1 Cor. 15.36 43. This is rather envy than piety to bewail the death of such Charron of Wisdom lib. 3. c. 27. seeing their absence from us speaks their presence with their and our chiefest good Their death is but a departure to a better life Hence St. Paul when he speaketh of his death for the cause of his blessed Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Châ—ysost in Phil. 2.12 and the service of the Church Phil. 2.12 doth not call for their tears but rejoying The serious belief of a Resurrection and this life which is to come would be then a great support under our loss of friends for the present 1 Thess 4.14 or else the Apostle shewed himself no good Rhetorician when he maketh use of such an Argument to perswade believers from sorrowing as others which have no such hope But whilst I speak for this Humanitatis vero officia misericordiae opera quod alibi monuimus per hoc non damnantur c. Bulling in 1 Thess 4.13 14. I would not seem the least to countenance or insinuate the other extreme I mean that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is more common in the world Many men who would not be counted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without hope yet are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without natural affection who never think they shall live till their relations die and follow them with less sorrow to their graves then they return with laughter to their Chests The which though they labour to conceal yet their neglect of Funeral Rites to their deceased friends doth give others occasion to suspect it If you ask them a reason of this omission their answer is at hand and because you shall know they speak not without the book you shall have the sense if not the words of the Father O mnis ista curatio funeris August de Civit. Dei lib. 2. c. 12. conditio sepulturae pompa exequiarum magis sunt vivorum solatia quam subsidia mortuorum Funeral soâ—â—mnities are rather for the comfort of the living than the advantage of the dead and therefore are with less trouble omitted than cost performed But I could wish such to look a little further and they shall soon perceive what ill use they make of that Doctrine Nec ideo tamen contemnenda August de Civit. Dei lib. 1. c. 13. abjicienda sunt corpora defunctorum c. We must not therefore cast those away from whom God hath withdrawn his breath especially those bodies which have been the organs of the Holy Spirit to every good work God will not be well pleased that men should respect those bodies that were the Temples of the Holy Spirit no more than dung which is cast forth into the open Air That the Stones of the Sanctuary should be poured forth in the top of every street that the precious Sons of Zion comparable to fine gold should be esteemed as earthen pitchers nor that the Body of a man should be buried as the Carcase of a dog The same God who hath commanded us not to sorrow as men without hope doth yet allow we should mourn as those in whose hearts resideth love That we weep Vid. Bullin optimè de hac re disserentem Dec. 3. Ser. 10. de Inst Eccles Mat. 23.27 29. will speak us men that in this case we grieve with moderation will shew us Christians Indeed our Saviour seems to chide such who did build the Tombs of the Prophets and garnish the Sepulchers of the righteous but take notice they were such who themselves were as graves that did not appear and like unto whited Sepulchers Luk. 11.44 47. seeing it was not affection to the persons of the
lastly We must not condemn our brother for some particular failing we clearly see in his life either to the safety of his estate here or the final security of his condition hereafter My meaning is this If I see one the more constant tenor of whose life hath been towards God and the remembrance of his Name through temptation hurried or invigilancy intangled in any sin I must not censure this man to have been alwayes an Hypocrite or condemn him as one who shall ever be a Reprobate No I am to look upon him as a dislocated joynt in Christs Mystical Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 6.1 and therefore I must endevour to restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering my self lest I also be tempted That mans tongue had out-run his wits and charity also who should have as it is to be thought many one did counted David a Hypocrite before or a Reprobate after his two great sins Murther and Adulteny But the Sun was never totally eclipsed nor shall the candle of the righteous be put out in obscurity Ps 37.24 A righteous man may fall but he shall not utterly be cast down and it is the confidence of the Church When I fall I shall rise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me Mic. 17.8 Let me adde Though the constant tenor of a mans life in sin Duo autem sunt in quibus temerarium judicium evitare debemus cumincertum est quo animo factum fuerit quic quid quum incertum sit qualis futurus sit qui nunc vel honus vel malus apparet Aug de Serm. Dom. l. 2. c. 18. may give us ground to think a man at the present to be no better than a childe of wrath yet this cannot warrant us to say Hereafter he shall be a son of perdition for INTER PONTEM ET FONTEM MISERICORDIA DOMINI God maketh our Necessity of help his Opportunity to bestow mercy And he who here hath wallowed with Swine in the mire of sin may before he die be washed white in the blood of the Lamb and made fit to lodge in Abraham his bosom Apud apertissimos adversarios praedestinati amici latitant ad huc ignotictiam sibi Aug. de Civ Dei l 1. c. 35. He who here had fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness may through Gods renewing Grace be made meet to be partaker hereafter of the inheritance of the Saints in light We must not then we cannot judge any scarce as to their estate here not at all to their weal or woe hereafter The Third Vse Vse 3 is that Jam. 2.12 So speâ—k ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty He founds his Exhortation upon the Rule of Judgement The Law of Liberty He doth not say Liberty your Law which Judge many one would with their hearts and good will stand to but that Law the observance of which makes you speaks you free is certainly meant by the Apostle Now he that will practise this duty must observe these Directions which will prepare him for the last and final Judgement by the Law of Liberty the future Rule of our judgement FIRST that in Act 17.30 Let our actions answer Gods injunctions which is that all men every where do repent God gives a reason of this Command in the following verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Because God hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness c. This is the great Audit of Heaven and God expects our Accounts should be ready It is Heavens Assizes and God would give us notice to make sure of our Advocate lest we be impleaded It is the day of Hearing and God expects that our cause should not then be to be commenced and because we cannot say we are innocent God desires we should meet him with Repentance that so he may not lead us forth with the workers of iniquity â—ic agat anima paenitentiam ut illapossit mutaare sententiam Aug. de Sym. ad Cat. tract 3. c. 8. He warns us to flee from the wrath to come which cannot be but by flying to his mercy in Christ offered at the present we should meet him with sorrow that he may not cover our faces with shame open our mouthes to him in confession lest we stand speechless before him at that great day Let every one of us say QVID FECI What have I done lest hereafter in the bitterness of our Souls each of us cry out QVID FACIAM What shall I do for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Secondly Let us practice that Constitue te ante te ascende tribunal mentis tuae esto ribi judex torqueat te timor erumpat confessiâ— c. Aug. in Psal 49. 1 Cor. 11.31 Judge our selves that we may not be judged We shall not be condemned at the Great Assizes if we judge our selves in our own Private Sessions If we would consider our wayes God would not set our iniquities in order before us When God doth open the Books amongst the which that of his Omniscience will be one all our debts will be found cancelled wiped out with the blood of our Redeemer if we wash them with the tears of true Repentance Assure we our selves God will not seal up that mans iniquity in a bag whose tears he putteth into his bottle In that day the penitent sinner shall lift up his head for joy and know his Redeemer liveth when the obstinate sinner shall not stand when he is judged He who hath opened his mouth to God in Confession shall stop the Devils mouth by preventing his Accusation Then shall that Promise have its full accomplishment Pro. 28.13 He that confesseth his sins shall finde mercy when he that hideth them shall not prosper A Third thing is that Act. 24.16 To Exercise our selves to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost de Fut. Jud. Hom. 25. Tom. 6. and toward men This the Apostle tells us was the result of his Faith in the Resurrection which doth immediately precede the Judgement 2 Cor. 5.9 10. to which also St. Paul had special regard as an excellent Motive to a holy life The same Conscience which doth Absolve us in this life will also under God Acquit us in the other A Conscience which is here void of offence will not hereafter be filled with Complaints but if our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things 1 John 3.20 Repentance indeed is TABVLA POST NAVFRAGIVM But no man will sink his Ship trusting to a possibility of escaping drowning by a floating Plank Nor should we sin because the Grace of God doth abound No man runneth into Debt the more because he hopes for a Purse to discharge it Next to having our sins blotted out of Gods Book
from this expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall go away there is then terminus à quo from which they depart as well as terminus ad quem whither they go 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab à privativo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Etymologie which every School-boy is acquainted with and such indeed is the nature of Hell There is a twofold privation which I shall touch upon First A Privation of all outward enjoyments of whatsoever the world calls good Secondly and chiefly A privation of the Beatifical Vision And indeed if the former were all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys ad Theod. laps Paraen Hell were something tolerable there being nothing without a man in the absence whereof he may not retain his happiness But yet that is not inconsiderable in this forlorn estate because whilst wicked men have their outward comforts about them they do somewhat stupifie Conscience and put far from them the evil day But in Hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ad Theod. laps Paraen Cain shall finde no Cities to build nor shall his Posterity invent to themselves instruments of Musick none among them will take the Timbrel and Harp or rejoyce at the sound of the Organ Belshazzar cannot there drink wine in bowls or eat the lambs out of the flock or the Calves out of the midst of the stall The rich man shall be deprived of his delicate dishes and that fine raiment wherewith he was clad every day There are no Dice whereby to cast care away nor Cellars wherein to drown his grief Jezebel her Paint shall there be melted off and burning shall be in stead of beauty Neither shall Judas his Bag afford him a crum of Comfort for in one hour so great delights are come to nought But this is the least part of their loss for these also shall be deprived of him in whose Presence is fulness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Depart from me ver 41. is the first and worst of that dreadful Sentence which such shall hear How shall Amazement and Horror the pangs as of a woman in travail seize upon the Souls of these accursed Caitiffs when the Lamb of God shall utter his voice like a Lion in that terrible Sentence Depart from me each syllable whereof doth pronounce amazement accent grief and will cause their Souls to meditate Terror whom it doth concern Thus those who did forget the God that formed them shall be cut off from his hand and be remembred no more They who were the Servants of Sin shall be free amongst the dead They who were wise to do evil whilst they suffer the terrors of the Lord shall be distracted They who wearied themselves to commit iniquity shall finde that the wages of sin is death when they shall reap the fruit of their own doings and their backslidings shall correct them But I proceed to the Second to wit Position of Vnspeakable Misery And here were my Tongue as the Pen of a ready writer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ad Theod. laps Paraen Psal 108.11 I should fail in speaking of those Torments which eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive If we respect the Soul great is the misery inflicted on it Let us then judge of the Lion by his Paw and that Ocean of wrath by those * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys ad Theod laps Paraen Drops thereof which fall sometimes upon men on this side the Infernal Pit If these do drown men in sorrow and sadness what will be the case of such when God shall afflict them with all his waves when the terrors of the Lord shall come round about a Soul Psa 88.17 and compass it about together when the Lord shall meet such a Soul as a Bear which is robbed of her whelps and shall rend the caul of his heart when he shall make the wicked as a fiery oven in the time of his anger Psa 29.9 and shall swallow them up in his wrath and the fire shall devour them Iob 7.15 when God shall hunt them as a fierce Lion and the Almighty shall set himself against a sinner in battel aray How would such a Soul choose strangling and death rather than life But this is not all though the chiefest of their sorrow for the Body hath sinned and must also suffer That flesh which hath swimmed in pleasures shall be drenched in rivers of Brimstone Those eyes which were sometimes the windows of vanity shall now be the inlets of ghastly spectacles Those ears which were delighted formerly with corrupt communication shall now be affrighted with hideous yellings of those damned creatures The curious smell stopped with the stench of that infernal place That nice palate shall want its curious fare when he who was mighty to drink wine and a man of strength to mingle strong drink shall feed upon wormwood and drink the water of gall The delicate touch shall no longer then be pleased when he who was accustomed to stretch himself upon Beds of Ivory shall have this at the hand of the Lord to lie down in sorrow This will silence each cursing Shimei who addeth grief to the sorrow of Gods people by reproachful taunts and tie the tongues of those railing Rabshekahs who love all devouring words For the tongue of the Slanderer shall not then be at liberty to walk up and down the earth when its imprisonment in Hell shall controll it The hands of the violent person shall be Manacled there and cease to oppress and the feet of him who was swift to shed blood shall be reserved in everlasting chains of darkness Rev. 18.17 And by how much the more such have glorified themselves and lived deliciously so much torment shall be given unto them Were their strength the strength of stones or their flesh of brass yet how could they harden themselves in this sorrow Can their hearts endure or can their hands be strong in the day that the Lord shall deal with them it's God 's own question Ezek. 22 14. Yet endure they must and that more than I have yet named And this leads me to the Third Consideration of these Torments Secundum Mensuram According to the Measure or Degree of them and this is exceeding great yet various according to the several demerits of the sinner for such as rebel against the light is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever LAESA PATIENTIA FIT FVROR Love slighted turns to irreconcileable hatred The Gulf between Heaven and Hell is made more wide by neglecting great Salvation It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of Judgement than for Chorazin and Bethsaida wherein Christ did his mighty works We poor Mortals until God do bring us from under the power of Satan to himself do live in the world as if Hell were not so hot or the Devil so black