eat her Flesh and burn her with Fre. And again Chap. 18. throwout we have the destruction and burning of Babylon or Rome set forth at large Ver. 2. Babylon the great is fallen is fallen Ver. 4. Come out of her my people that ye pertake not of her Plagues Ver. 7. As she hath glorifyed her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her Ver. 8. Her plagues shall come in one day and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her The Kings of the Earth that committed Fornication with her and Merchants and Ship-masters shall bewail her when they see the smoke of her burning Ver. 9. But in Heaven there shall be joy The Lord will rejoice the Prophets and Apostles will rejoice and all the Saints will rejoice in the vengeance which shall then be taken upon Her Ver. 20. Rome was standing and did rejoice when London was burning and I hope London will be standing and much more rejoice when Rome is burning London was burnt but in part Rome shall be utterly burnt with Fire London after it's burning is rebuilt in a great measure but Rome shall never be rebuilt after this burning This Babylon when it falleth shall never rise more Ver. 21. And a mighty Angel took up a stone like a great Mile-stone and cast it into the Sea saying Thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all As a great Mile-stone thrown into the midst of the Sea is overwhelmed with Water so shall Rome be overwhelmed with Fire and as a Mile-stone cannot be raised and drawn out of the Sea so Rome when burnt shall never be raised again out of it's ashes and ruines Dreadful will the destruction of Rome be when the time of her barning is come those which stand a far off for fear of her torment who have been friends to her shall lament what lamentâ—…tions then will there be by such as shall be found in the place it self when it shall be set on Fire about their eares when the Pope and Cardinals and the other Inhabitants of that Filthy and Abominably wicked City shall be consumed together as is likely in the midst of the flames O the hideous out-crys which then will be made in every street when they are surrounded with Fire on all sides and there is no way left for them to escape when their Houses and Wealth and Persons shall be consumed together by the devouring flames when God by such a dreadful fire on Earth shall convey them down to the more dreadful fire of Hell Then the Lord will avenge all the blood of his Saints which under the Anti-Christian tyranny hath been shed for so many generations then he will avenge all the Idolatry Pride Covetousness Oppression Blasphemy Filthiness Cruelty and Wickedness of Rome together When the Grape â— of this Vine are fully ripe the Angel with his sharp Sicle will cut it and throw it into the Winepress of Gods wrath where it shall be squiesed and crusht to pieces When their iniquities are full then their ruine shall come And surely the time is not far off I am much of the perswasion that this generation shall not passe away before God will accomplish what he hath threatn'd concerning Râ—…nes burning and destruction the last Sands of the hour of Gods Patience seem to be running the forty and two months seem to be expiring and the two witnesses civilly slain it may be are arising and then Rome will quickly be faâ—…ling CHAP. X. Concerning the burning of the World 2 BY the burning of Mount Aetna we may be minded also of the burning of the World I mean the last general conslagration of the World at the end thereof whether Aetna's burning be a Prognostick of Rome's burning is not so certain but that it is a Prognostic of the Worlds burning and dissolution by Fire may be proved from Scripture as Luke 21. 11. Where our Saviour foretelling his Disciples what the signs should be of his coming and the end of the World amongst Wars Pestilences Earth-quakes doth reckon up fearful sights as one Fore-runner and I verily think there hath not been a more fearful sight since the days of our Saviour then this of the Eruption of Firâ—… and Brimstone from this flaming Mountain the Inhabitant of the place expected a general conflagration then but we may well say that this fearful sight is a Fore-runner of it foretold by Christ and therefore should put us in mind of it The notice of this great and universal burning of the World we have not from reason but from the Scripture the clearest and fullest place to prove this is 2 Pet. 3. 5 6 7. By the Word of God the Heavens were of Old and the Earth standing out of the Water and in the Water Whereby the World that then was being overflowed with Water perished But the Heavers and Earth which are now by the same Word are kept in store reserved unto Fire against the day of Iudgement and perdition of Ungodly men And Ver. 10. The day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night in the which the Heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up Here Note First That as the World of old was drowned by Water so that the World that now is shall be consumed by Fire as certainly as the former was sâ—… certainly the later shall be and as dreadful as the Flood was to Sinners on that day so dreadful and much more dreadful will the Fire be to Sinners on the last day Secondly It is by the Word of the Lord that this general Conflagration shall be effected by the Word of the Lord the World was made and by the Word of the Lord the World was Drown'd and by the Word of the Lord the world shall be burn'd In his word he hath foretold it and by his Word he will effect it Thirdly The Heavens and Earth are said to be reserved in store for fire when the Old World was drowned it was only the Earth and Inhabitants thereof the Heavens were untouch'd and the Earth also did remain undissolved and the same Earth did appear afterwards when the Flood was drawn off by God but at the last day the Heavens and Earth too shall be dissolved by Fire not by subterranean Fire as some imagine and that as when the World was drowned the Fountains of the great deep were opened and the Waters kept before in Store-houses were brought forth which overwhelmed the Earth so that there are Fountains of Fire in the bowels of the Eatth and that there it is kept in Store-houses all which then shall be opened and that the fire shall break forth in a more dreadful flame then ever was seen at Mount Aetna and set the whole Fabrick of the World on â—…ire For as
the Chief and most honourable of these Angels being the Son of God the Angel of the New-Covenant staying behind the other two Angels who went onwards towards Sodom revealeth unto Abraham what he was about to do unto Sodom giving him to understand that the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah was great and their sins exceeding grievous and that now he was going down to visit them for their sins whether he revealed to him what manner of destruction he intended to bring upon them we have no mention but whatever it were Abraham is full of fears because of Lot and therefore interceeds with the Lord in the behalf of the place as wicked as it was to prevent if possible the ruine and destruction thereof which was threatned Abraham knew of one righteous person namely Lot which was there and he hoped that there might have been others besides him if not of the City yet in Lot's Family and therefore he maketh bold to plead with the Lord that he would not destroy the righteous with the wicked because this would 〈◊〉 â—…eem just and right for the Judge of all the Earth to do and first he prayeth that if fifty righteous persons were found in Sodom the place might be spared for their sakes the Lord being very gracious readily promiseth it should be according to his request Abraham having encoâ—…ragement from one grant and fearing what the number of righteous persons in Sodom might be entreateth further that if five were wanting of the fifty the place might not be destroyed and having obtained his request herein he doth not rest but proceeds to beg with expressions of low humility that if but forty and then if but thirty and then if but twenty and last of all if but ten righteous persons were found there that the Lord would spare the place for their sakes Abraham speeds in his whole desire the Lord assuring him that he would not destroy the place if he found so many as ten righteous persons therein and Abraham leaves off asking before the Lord giveth any denial unto his suit and though Abraham did not request it yet the Lord himself did resolve it that not one righteous person should be consumed in the iniquity of the City and therefore as he sent Angels thither to destroy the place so they had a commission to save righteous Lot and his Family as we may see in the 19th Chapter The two Angels were now come in the evening unto Sodom whilst Lot providentially was sitting in the gate who seeing them enter riseth up from his seat and meeteth them and bowing himself toward the ground entreateth the favour of them that they would be his guests that night through his importunate request they refusing at first he prevaileth with them and so bringeth them home to his house where he entertaineth them with a feast They had not been long in Lot's House before the House was beset by the Men of the City upon notice of two extraordinary persons that were there possibly the bodies which those Angels had assumed were very beautiful to the eye and full of sparkling lustre being inform'd by such glorious spirits and this might entice the beastly or rather worse than beastly lusts of the Sodomits and enflame them with burning desires of committing that filthy sin with them which is not fit to be nam'd these desires bring the chief part of the City old and young from every quarter unto Lot's house who when they were come they require him to bring forth those Men as they supposed them to be that they might satisfie their lusts upon them Lot looking upon this as a piece of inhumanity and abominable wickednesse to offer such injury unto strangers that he got forth of his door and with fair words endeavoureth to perswade them the forbearance of this wickedness yea he is so far transported with desire of saving his guests from the filthy lusts of the Sodomits that inconsiderately he endeavours to divert them by making proffer of both his Virgin-daughters to them to be used or mis-used by them as they pleased so that his guests might be spared But the Sodomits are fully bent upon their wickedness and deafning their ears against his proposal they press in upon Lot and threatning to deal worse with him than with them they attempt to break open his door The Angels seeing what danger Lot was in amongst the furious and lustful multitude put forth their hands and pull Lot into his house and withall putting forth the power the Lord had given them they smite the Sodomits with blindness so that they could not find the door which notwithstanding that judgement of blindness upon their bodies being pricked forward by their blind and impetuous lusts they still seek after And now the ruine of Sodom is not far off the Angels reveal unto Lot who they were and that they were sent by the Lord to destroy Sodom and the Neighbouring Cities because of the crying wickedness which was in them therefore inquiring concerning his relations in that City they bid him bring forth all that belonged to him accordingly Lot goeth forth and calleth upon his Sons in Law and giveth them to understand what he had heard of the Angels concerning the near destruction of the City and therefore warneth them with all expedition to hasten out of the place but Lot seemeth unto his Sons in Law as if he had mocked and they give heed to none of his words The day being come that Sodom and Gomorrah must be destroy'd the Angels in the top of the morning hasten Lot to come forth and whilst he lingereth they lay hold on his hands and the hands of his Wife and Daughters and the Lord being merciful unto them bring them forth bidding him flee to the Mountain and escape for his life and not look back lest he should be destroyed which his Wife offering notwithstanding the warning to do was turned into a Pillar of Salt Lot being full of fears entreateth for Zoar and for his sake the Lord spared that City that Lot might retire unto it whilst he brought destruction upon Sodom and Gomorrah and the other Cities of the Plain CHAP. III. A general description of Sodoms Iudgement together with the efficient cause which was God and the meritorious cause Sodoms sins BEing thus led by the clew or 〈…〉 story we are at length come to 〈…〉 most tremendous and dreadful Judgâ—…ment 〈◊〉 God executed upon Sodom Gomorrah namely that horrible tempest of Fire and Brimstone which the Lord rained upon those wicked Cities for their sins the relation and description whereof we have Gen. 19. from the 23d Ver. to the 30th The Sun was risen upon the Earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah Brimstone and Fire from the Lord out of Heaven And he overthrew those Cities and all the Plain and all the Inhabitants of the Cities and that which grew upon the ground And Abraham gat up early in
and ungodly here you that are righteous shall escape God will hide you in the day of his anger when a Deluge of Judgements shall break in upon the ungodly God will provide an Ark for you when God raineth a horrible Tempest of Fire and Brimstone upon the wicked he will provide a Zoar for you God will either keep you from the judgement it self which befalleth others or else he will keep you in it and from that fiery indignation which is mingled with it be sure you shall be kept from the horrible Tempest of Fire and Brimstone which shall beat upon the head of the wicked at last when the Heavens shall be on Fire and pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall be on Fire and melt with fervent hâ—…at and the Earth shall be on Fire and all things here below in flames when the wrath of the Sin-revenging God shall break forth like a Deluge upon the Ungodly World and they shall be cast together into the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone Heaven shall be youâ—… Ark your Zoar where you shall be in safety and made happy in the full enjoyment of God unto 〈◊〉 eternity Away then with fear and dread whatever the fâ—…owns and threatnings of men be though 〈◊〉 oâ—… the Ungodly may inveron you though the wrath of wicked men like fire be kindled against you yet being righteous you are safe since God is for you neither men nor Devils shall be permitted to do you real hurt God is your dwelling place and God is your hiding place you are under his wing whilst you remain here and you shall hereafter lye in his bosom for ever Fire and Brimstone from Earth in the burning of Aetna or Mount Gibel CHAP. I The Introduction THe History of Sodom and Gomorrah's flames and destruction by Fire and Brimstone from Heaven may seem incredible unto some who either are ignorant of the Infinite Power of God whereby he can do whatever he pleaseth as evidently appeareth in the mighty works thereof which could not be effected without the hand of Omnipotency and know not how feirce and hot his anger is which burneth in his breast against Sinners especially such Sinners as the Sodomits were which would quickly put the whole world into flames did not his infinite Patience restrain it for a while from breaking forth in it's rage and fury or whâ—… give no credit unto the Divine Authority of the Scriptures of whom there are too many in our age and Nation which doth relate this judgement on those wicked Cities which however being indeed the Word of God as might be proved by many unaswerable Arguments the record of them is undoubtedly true and may as firmly be believed as any thing may certainly be known which is the object of sence or demonstrable by reason Even as the future flames of Fire and Brimstone in Hell are discredited by such Atheists and Antiscripturists and little effectually believed of the most as appeareth by their secure walking in the broad way of Sin which leadeth to this place of most dreadful and eternal burning Therefore by way of Appendix unto Sodom's burning and by way of Introduction unto the burning of Hell I shall treat of Aetna or Mount Gibel's burning with Fire and Brimstone out of the bowels of the Earth especially in the eruption of it the last year which being a thing so late and so nâ—…ar and so attested by eye-witniss and so easily disproved yet not disproved as it would have been by this time had it been false I suppose will find credit with the most and may be of greater use than hath as yet been made of it from the relation we have had so barely of the thing without any mention made of the name of God or his hand or the end which he may have in such wonderful and stupendous burnings It is from the soul that the body hath it's life and motion it 's beauty and lustre when the soul is separated the body becomes a carkasse breathless lifeless ghaâ—…y and subject to putrefaction The whole world is full of God Praesentemque refert quaelibet herba Deum every pile of Grasse yea the meanest thing which is the object of our eye or any 〈◊〉 doth carry an Imprâ—…sse of God especially the greater works of Creation and Providence do bare large characters of the Deity and have Praise unto the Lord written more legibly upon them and although God be not the Soul of the World as some have affirm'd yet the whole Creation hath it's beauty from him and so far are any work truly admirable and great as God is taken notice of in them The Sun Moon and Stars and the whole frame of the Heavens are most great and illustrious as by their brightness and motion they declare the glory of the Lord their maker and ruler The Earth and Sea and all things in both as they set forth Gods infinite power and wisdom and goodness so far they are most worthy our observation and admiration All the good things we receive are onely so far truly good to us as we perceive them handed to us by God and Gods hand in afflictions also doth sweeten them to us when we are perswaded of the Author and God's love and design for our good in them To leave out God therefore in the consideration of any work is to leave out that which is chiefly remarkable without him we see but the carkasse without the Soul without the the life and beauty The design therefore of this Treatise concerning Aetna's late burning is to turn our eye upward towards God that we take notice of him and give him the glory of this work which is the wonder of all unto whom the notice thereof hath come There are six things under this subject which â—… shall briefly creat of First Concerning the Mountain of Aetna or Gibel in the general Secondly Concerning the Antecedents of the late Eruption of this Mountain Thirdly Corcerning the eruption of Fire and Brimstone it self from the Mountain Fourthly Concerning the concomitants of this eruption Fifthly Concerning the cause of this eruption Sixthly And lastly concerning the use and improvement which we should make of it CHAP. II. Concerning the Mountain of Aetna or Gibel in the general AETna is a Mountain in the Island of Sicily which Island is inviron'd round by the Tyrâ—… Sea but a small distance from Italy in one part of it up to which ancient Writers think it was joyned by an 〈◊〉 or neck of Land like as Pelepâ—…sus to Greece unto the continent of Italy but by the violent beating of the Sea upon that neck was devided asunder 〈◊〉 iâ—… so Iustin. lib. 4. cap. 1. and others are of the sâ—…me mind The heigth and bigness of this Aetna or Mount Gâ—…b is very great some 〈◊〉 it to be ten 〈◊〉 others fifteen mâ—…les distant from the head and top above to the foot and plain 〈◊〉 â—…nd perpendicular in a strait line to
merciful and nothing more easie than to obtain a Pardon and if they call on his name and cry for mercy though at the last gasp what ever their wicked lives have been they shall be saved not considering that God is Holy and jealous just and righteous as well as merciful and gracious and that such as go on still in their trespasses have no share in his mercy or any of his promises Fourthly Others do lull themselves asleep upon the Bed of security because of their own and others impunity thus abusing Gods patience and long-suffering which should lead them to repentance to grow more hardned and impenitent hereby Rom. 2. 4 5. Because Sentence against their evil works is not speedily executed therefore their hearts are fully set in them to do evil and they are secure Eccles. 8. 11. Not considering that though God be long-suffering yet that he is not ever-suffering that patience long and much abused will at length break forth into fury not considering that Gods vengeance though it hath leaden heels yet it hath Iron hands and though the Fire of Gods anger be long kindling yet that it will be longer yea for ever burning Fifthly Others quiet themselves for the present and arm themselves against fears of Hell through their intention of after repentance and reformation however they indulge themselves for a while in their sinful course yet they resolve shortly to become new Men and Women to turn over a new leaf and lead a new life and to become as Holy and strict as the best not considering that repentance is not in their own power and how they provoke God hereby to deny the grace to them hereafter and to remove from the means of working it not remembring how many thousands have perished with such intentions which never have been put into execution Sixthly Others are quiet and secure through want of serious consideration what their guilt and danger is they fill and throng up their time so full with worldly business and secular employments that they leave themselves no room or leasure for to think of Sin and their near-approaching death and future wrath and the eternal burnings of Hell which they are in danger of The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches do choke their Meditations in the first springing forth of them that no fruit doth come from them to perfection Did but guilty Sinners sit down one quarter of an hour every day and look upward to the angry God who frowns upon them and down-ward to the flames of Hell which are preparing for them and forward to the last judgement when they will be sentenced by the Judge to dwell with devouring Fire and Inhabit everlasting burnings and were perswaded that if they continue in Sin they can by no means escape surely the could not be so secure Seventhly Others are secure though they are going on in the way of Sin which leadeth to Death and Hell because the most of the children of Men are going on in the same course and they hope they shall fare as well as others their Fore-Fathers trod in these steps and their neighbours are their companions in Sin and if they be punished at last in Hell they think they shall have company enough and bear it as well as others not considering how intollerable the wrath of God is by any and that their company in Hell will be so far from alleviating that it will exceedingly heighten and aggravate their pain and torment Eightly Others and the most are secure through their frequent practice of Sin custom in Sin hath taken away the sense of Sin their lusts have enthralled them and their lusts have stupifyed them however conscience did grumble at first especially when they first ventured upon some more notorious Sins yet now they have shut the mouth of conscience they have charm'd and feared it as with a hot Iron 1 Tim. 4. 2. Ninthly Others are quiet and secure under their danger of Hell because they are not so bad as others because they do not run with others unto the same excesse of riot and have escaped the more grosse pollutions which are in the World through Iusts especially if they carry some face of Religion too if they have a form of Godliness and employ themselves in all the ourward exercise of Devotion and withal have had some inward flashy affections and a counterfeit of all saving grace though they never were truely humbled for Sin emptied of themselves cut off the old stock and truely by Faith engrafted into Christ and from him draw vertue and spiritual influence which is proper to all those that are in Christ and are freed from condemnation through him Rom. 8. 1. Thus the Devil and the deceitful hearts of men do bewitch and befool the most some of these ways to sit still in peace and security until destruction come upon them suddenly and that without remedy and they are not awakened out of their spiritual slumber until they are awakened in the midst of the flames of Hell CHAP. VIII 3. Use of Reproof and Terrour for the awakening of the Wicked and Ungodly out of their carnal security HOw long will ye sleep O ye Sinners How long will ye slumber in such imminent danger ye Graceless and Christless persons what sleep under the light what sleep upon the brinks of the burning Lake and will nothing rouze you and awaken you out of this sleep are you resolved it shall prove the sleep of death shall it insensibly and effectually usher you to Hell before you are aware have you been called already so long so loud so frequently so fervently and yet do you deafen your ear have you been told so often of your guilt and danger and yet harden your â—…art yet will you hold fast your sins resolving not to let them go what ever they cost you have your hearts been like so many brazen walls beating back all the Arrows of reproof and threatnings which have been shot at you or are they like Cley and Mud which groweth the more hard and obdurate under the Sun and Light of the Gospel which hath shined upon you have no Heavenly dews and showers of the Word yet melted and softned you no Fire and Hammer new-moulded and framed you have you been threatned with Death and Wrath and Misery for ever and yet not startled yet stupid and senseless O that yet at length you might be awakened and by the Spirit of the Lord effectually perswaded â—…o lift up your eyes and look a little before you Younder Younder look Sinner younder is a horrible burning Tempest driving towards thee a dreadful burning Lake preparing for thee but canst not thou see it look thorow the perspective of Sodom's burnings when fire came down from Heaven and Aetna's burnings when Fire came forth of the Earth and this will discover something but the perspective of the word will show it plain if thou looâ—…est upwards with this perspective thou maist see
some glimâ—…s of the Glory of Heaven and if thoâ—… looâ—…est dowâ—…ward wâ—…th it thou maist see some glimps of the Fire of Hell Look doest thou not see a horrible deep and large pit filled with horribly burning Fire and that Fire filled with damned Men and Women Lay thy ear to the mouth of this pit and harâ—… what the dolorous complaints what the shreeks and yellings be of that cursed company and doest thou not perceive thy self hastning forward in the way to this place of burning and wilt thou go forward still or wilt thou suffer thy self to be carried on furiously by thy impetuous lusts until thou art fallen into this pit and there be no poâ—…sibility of ever getting forth again But more particularly I shall lay before you some considerations for the awakening of the secure First Think how doleful a day of trouble and adversity is like to be to you if you be then in danger of Hell where will the quiet and security which now you have appear on that day possibly it may last and abide with you so long as the warm Sun of prosperity doth shine upon you in the spring of youth and sensual delights whilst you thrive and flourish in the World whilst your friends and flatterers are about you your health and outward peace doth remain with you but you may live to see all your outward comforts lye dead before you and hid in the Grave from your sight for ever your Sun of prosperity may set at the noon-day of your lives and a black night of adversiry may come upon you stormy Winds and a bitter cold Winter of trouble and affliction may assault you wither all your sensual pleasures like the herb and Flower of the Field some unlooked-for-providence may blast your estate and your name bereave you of your dearest Friends and Relations and withdraw all the fewel and provisions which you have been storing and laying up for your flesh and sensual satisfactions how well and strong so ever you are for the present an unexpected Sickness and Death-threatning distemper may suddenly invade you and bring you down to the sides of the pit and fill you with such pain and grief as no outward enjoyments shall be able in the least to aswage And then think with your selves you that are in danger of Hell what dread is like then to seise upon you like an armed man which you will not be able to resist then your carnal security will fly away like a Bird or a Cloud and vanish like smoke in the Air then your false peace will be broken and torn to pieces like the Spider Webs by the feirce Winds as being utterly unable to resist the feirce blasts and rougher assaults of an adverse estate And oh how doleful and dismal is a day of trouble like to be to you when all outward stays and comfort and all nward quiet and peace shall fail together when there are storms abroad and worser storms at home great trouble without and greater trouble within when you shall fall under the scourge of outward affliction and under the lashes of an accusing conscience the fear of Hell and everlasting burnings is like to be more lively and afflictive in a day of trouble than when prosperity doth restrain conscience from doing it's Office Secondly Consider if you should escape the greater storms of outward affliction in your life yet you cannot escape the stroke of death and think how the apprehensions of future wrath and burnings are like to consume you with terrours at your later end Psal. 73. 19. Death hath a grim aspect and looks with a feirce countenance upon guilty Souls and when this enemy shall assault and wound you when your last sickness shall come prove mortal to you when the Phisitian shall give you over and leave you your friends shall mourn and stand weeping about you when death hath seised upon the extream parts of your body and the cold clammy sweats are upon you and then you apprehend the second death near yoâ—… which will immediately follow upon the first death when you think that whilst Friends are conveying your body to your Grave that Devils shall drag your Souls to Hell how are you then like to awake in horrour despair and utter confusion the dying sobs and Gâ—…oans of some guilty Sinners when awakened at their entrance in at the port of death are dreadful but the inward anguish of the heart is beyond all compass of conceit or expression of tongue Thirdly But think how fearful the seperation of your Souls and Bodies will be think with what dread your spirits will appear before God when your consciences shall furiously charge you with guilt of all the Sins which ever you committed and you have not one pardon to show nor one word to answer for your selves when being examined and accused and found guilty you shall be condemned unto eternal punishment think oh think what your horrour is like then to be Fourthly Think of the day of doom when the Lord Jesus shall come I mean when he shall come down from Heaven to judge the World when the Graves shall be opened and you called forth to appear before him and the Book of your conscience shall be opened and all your Sins made manifest to the whole World and having nothing to answer when you shall be Sentenced to everlasting Fire Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Dâ—…vil and his Angels and when the Lord shall then drive you out of his presence into Hell O what will you shreeks and out-cryes be at that day See my Book of Christ's certain and sudden appearance to Indgement Fifthly Think of the punishment of Hell it self which you will be condemned unto and that First What will there be taken from you Secondly What there will be denied unto you Thirdly What there will be inflicted upon you First Think what in Hell will be taken from you all your riches will be taken away riches will then take the wing and be gone and you shall never set your eye upon them any more you shall never buy and sell and get gain any more never purchase Houses and Lands and Inheritance more and not then have so much Land left as whereon to set the sole of your foot all your money and estate wlil perish with your selves and oh how poor and miserable will you perceive your selves then to bâ—… when you are deprived of all your riches and treasures on Earth and instead thereof are made to possess treasures of wrath your honour also will be taken away and everlasting shame and contempt shall be poured upon you Although you may be raised to a higher seat than the ordinary rank now then you must stand upon even ground with the meanest even such whom you would think scorn to set with the Dogs of your Flock or to employ in the meanest office about you the crown will then be pluckt from the Head and the
spend in extremity of torment the real length of eternal torment cannot be measured and the imaginary length will be greater if I may so say because of your misery If a short time of misery here on Earth seem long what will an eternity of misery seem to be in Hell when the body is in health and the Soul is sweetned with delight time steals away insensibly Years seem Months Months Weeks Weeks Days Days hours but when the body is sick and the Soul imbittered with sorrow a short time seemeth long and it passeth away slowly in our apprehension Hours seem Days Days Weeks Weeks Months Months Years how do we count the Clock and reckon the Sands that fall in the glasse and time seem to have a Leaden heel how long then will the eternity of misery in extremity seem to be I believe that the space of one quarter of an hour in Hell will seem longer to the damned than a whole life of misery in this World yea I think I may add that a Minutes pains in Hell will seem longer to the wicked than a thousand years of pleasures in Heaven to the Righteous who will sweetly passe forward in the infinite duration of joy without the least trouble or tediousness so that the ternity of misery in Hell will be as it were a double treble yea thousand-fold eternity Me thinks these consideration should startle all you that are asleep in Sin me thinks they should make your hearts to quake and every joint to tremble me thinks the Sinners in Zion should be affraid and fearfulness should surprize the Hypocrites and I should hear some of you cry out as Isa. 33. 14. Who among us shall dwell with devouring Fire who among us shall Inhabit everlasting burnings And as the Jaylor Act. 16. 29 30. When awakened by the Earth-quake and the impression of guilt made by God upon his conscience Sirs what shall we do to be saved CHAP. IX 4. Use of Comfort to the Righteous SUch of you as are Righteous through the perfect Righteousness of Chriâ—… made yours by Faith without the imputation oâ—… which what ever righteosness you may have within you because imperfect it is impossible you should escape the damnation of Hell you that are clothed with the white Robes of Christ's Righteousness under which all your iniquities are covered and withall have the Spirit of Christ given unto you to work you into a conformity unto the Image of Christ in your regeneration and Sanctification which are inseparably joyned unto justification by Faith you may take comfort in this Doctrine which is matter of such terrour unto the wicked and Ungodly As in Sampsons Riddle out of the strong and feirce Lion came forth Honey and sweetness So this Doctrine which looks with such a feirce aspect upon those which are out of Christ yet will yeild sweetness unto you which are in him because there is no condemnation unto them which are in Christ Iesus Rom. 8. 1. Because Iesus hath delivered you from the wrath to come 1 Thes. 1. 10. Who shall lay any thing to your charge when God hath justified you who shall condemn you when God hath acquitted you Need you value then the wrath of men when you are delivered from the wrath of God Need you fear mens threatnings of temporal punishment which can reach no farther then the body when you are delivered from condemnation to the eternal punishment of Soul and Body in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone what though you should lose your estates yet since you are not in danger of losing your Souls what though you should be thrown into a Prison on Earth yet since you are not in danger of being thrown into the Prison of Hell you may take comfort and the consideration hereof may alleviate all your fears and grief upon the account of any pains and afflictions which in this life are upon you or you are in danger of You may say of them all these are not the torments of Hell there are light the other heavy these short the other eternal Lift up then your heads with joy yet a little while and you shall see what a difference the Lord will put between you and the wicked when they shall weep ye shall laugh when they shall mourn ye shall be glad when they shall cry and howl ye shall sing and leap for joy when they shall go with fighing to Hell and everlasting horrour in their hearts and all mirth and joy shall flee away from them for ever ye shall come with singing to Heaven and everlasting joy in your hearts and all sorrow and mourning shall flee away and never any more be found CHAP. X. 5. Use of Exhortation both to the Wicked and Righteous ANd now Sinners what will you do will you dare to go on in that broad way of Sin which ere long will open under you and let you down into the horrible gulp of unquenchable burnings can you be contented with a portion in this Life and to receive all your good things here and that Fire and Brimstone and everlasting burnings shall be the portion of your Cup hereafter will any pleasure of the Flesh and Sin for a season countervail that everlasting pain and misery which will be the bitter fruit and consequent of them Let me therefore exhort you without any delay to come out of the broad way of Sin It is the way of Hell and will you proceed any further in it You that are profane and unclean you that are Swearers Sabbath-breaker Scoffers of Religion Persecutors of Gods people Drunkards Covetous persons yea all you that are Hypocrites that are impenltent and unbelieving persons give me leave to stop you in your course or rather hearken unto the voice of God in his Word who calleth you to turn from your evil ways that iniquity may not be your ruine Come out of the broad way and get into the narrow way It hath a strait Gate namely the Gate of Regeneration this you most pass thorow you must become new Creatures get new hearts and lead new lives you must walk in the narrow way of mortification self denial new obedience otherwise you will certainly be numbred amongst the damned who will be everlastingly burned in the Fire of Hell the passage is difficult and the way narrow but both are necessary it is the passage from Death to Life and the way from Hell to Heaven Nothing in the World is so absolutely necessary as that which is necessary unto Salvation better the belly be without food than the heart be without grace better the back be without raiment than the Soul be without Righteousness better be starv'd than damned better be hang'd than burn'd better dye the most painful temporal death than endure the pains of eternal death What you should do that you may be saved from the everlasting burnings of Hell I refer you for direction in my Book of Words whereby you may be saved because I have not room for large direction here But â—…ch of you which read these Lines who have passed thorow the strait Gate of Regeneration and are got into the narrow way you are safe you are in the way to Heaven Learn to admire free grace which hath made the difference between you and Vilest Sinners use your endeavour to bring others into the same way commend to them the ways of God both by your Word and example and perseveer in these ways to your lives end be faithful unto the death that you may receive the Crown of Life I shall shut up all with the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 58. Therefore my beloved Brethrâ—… be stedfast and unmoveable always abounding the work of the Lord for as much as ye know your labour is not in vain in the Lord. When the wicked are stedfast and unmoveable in the ways of Sin and no argument can perswade them to forsake those ways when they abound always in the work of the Devil and the wages which they shall reap will be death and wrath and everlasting burnings in Hell be you stedfast and unmoveable in the ways of the Lord be not allured by flatteries not affrighted out of them by threatnings but abound more and more in the work of the Lord and your reward shall be everlasting life and Glory in Heaven FINIS