expounds it so the word in the Greek is an adversary of the Law Pro. 6. 3. Luk. 12. 38. mention is made of the Magistrate Gaoler which are terms and offices properly fitting the buâ—iness of this life a like place is Mat. 18 34. to understand Luk. 5. of their hell doth imply free will and falling from grace and that suffering in hell is a satisfaction and payment of the debt they will confesse in hell there is no Gaol-delivery nor any redemption therefore it suits not to their purpose it is conceived that hell is deep within the earth reason concludes it must needs be dark the grave is called the Land of darknesse Job 10. 21. 22. the cruelty of the enemy is called thick darkness Joel 2. 1 to 14. the Greek Poets say it is dark they compare the darknesse thereof to a certain Territory that lieth between Baiae and Cumae where the Cimeria inhabit so invironed with Hills that the Sun never came to it wherupon the Proverb comes darker then the darknesse of Cimeria but the chief cause is because they are in darkness without the light of the word for darkness is in this life we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness Job 38. 19. where no light is there is utter darkness when the eye is evil the whole body is full of darkness Mat. 6. 23. the dâ—rk places of the earth full of cruelty Ps. 74. 20. ignorant men are in the dark and full of works of darknesse Romans 13. 12. that would have others tormented with cruel tortures and death because not of their opinion in Religion all unconverted men are in darknesse they are of the night 2 Corinth 6 14. Gen. 5. Christ is the light and Saints are the children of the light what communion hath light with darknesse 2 Cor. 4. 14. Darkness covered the earth till Christ the light came to give light to them that sate in darkness Isa. 61. 12. Luc. 1. 79. who hath delivered us from the power of darkness Col. 1. 13. who hath called us out of darknesse into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. The people that sate in darknesse saw a great light and to them that sate in the region shadow of death light is sprung up Mat. 4. 16. ye were sometimes darkness but now ye are light in the Lord Eph. 5. 8. The chains of darkness are not material chains but so called because they are fast in darkness and cannot get out the Law worketh wrath when that cometh into a dark and ignorant soul it causeth weeping and gnashing of teeth Luk. 13. 28. â—eing sad and comfortlesse Of burning the Tares Mat. 13. 30. Is at the end of the world verse 39. The Tares are the wicked the Harvest is the end of the world by which it appeares the wicked with the earth shall be consumed by fire 40 42. 2 Pet. 3. 7. Is any so weak as to imagine the earth will ever burn and never be consumed I have seen one burned to ashes in an houre in our cole fire they say our fire is but painted fire to that in Hell if so then it will of necessity follow that so much as that fire is hotter than our fire so much sooner shall the body be burnt and consumed in that more fierce and terrible fire The wrath to come 1 Thes. 1. 10. 35. 9. The late Annot. Bible say they were to fill up a full measure of their own and fathers sins because God intended to sweep them away by the hand of the Romans to cut them off by a temporall death which was the wrath to come to fill up their sins for the wrath is not shall come upon them to the uttermost 1 Thes. 2. 16. We are by nature the children of wrath that is liable to wrath inward and outward Thy wrath lieth hard on me Ps. 88. 7. The wrath of God is the hiding of his face Isa. 54. 8. Outward wrath is temporall destruction he cast upon them the fierceness of his wrath Ps. 78. 49. destroyed them Deut. 7. 10. Lev. 10. 6. Jos. 9. 20. 22. 20. Numb. 19. 40. Ezek. 3. 7. 2Chr 19. 10. Psal. 90. 6. Of the word Cursed It is to be barren so the Earth Figtree were cursed Mat. 11. 2. It is to be a servant of servants Gen. 9. 25. Josh. 9. 23. to want prosperity Deut. 28. 16 17 18 19. Mal. 22. to die a violent disgracefull death 2 Kings 2. 24. Deut. 21. 23. to be a Fugitive a Wanderer Ps. 59. 12. to eat in sorrow Gen. 3. 17. to endure pain and hardship 14. Lev. 11. 42. Of eternall Damnation The word damned Mar. 16. 16. 2 Thes. 22. Rom. 14. 23. in Greek is judged Damnation is Judgement eternall Damnation is eternall Judgement a Judgement is a Sentence the Sentence is to a second death called Eternal because it is not to be reversed The word Reprobate Is in the Greek of no judgement a reprobate mind is a mind void of judgement see Râ— 1. 28. 2 Tim. 3. 8. Tit. 1. 16. See the â—otes in the margin Of the word Fire Fire is put for fiery trials 1 Pev 4. 12. inward troubles fire in my bones Lam. 1. 13. 2. 4. the tongue is a fire 2 Sam. 3. 6. 5. 2. his word is fire Ier. 23. 29. Gods Spirit fire Mat. 3. â—1 bapâ—ized with fire 1 Cor. 10. 2. God is a consuming fire â—eb 13. last Bellarmin and Bâ—llinger and others say the fire of Hell is materiall fire kindled with wood and alledge for it Isa. 30. 33. Isa. 66. 24. the fire of Hell is true and substantiall fire kept under the earth to puâ—ish withall saith Tertullian The fire of hell cannot be corporal fire for these reasons 1. Our fire is corporal they say our fire is but painted fire a shadow to that therefore it is not corporal fire 2. Corporal elementary Fire is light and enlightneth the place where it is in Hell they say is utter darkness if so the Fire of Hell is not corporall Fire 3. Corporal Fire consumes speedily all combustible matter cast into it they say the Fire of Hell ever burneth and never consumeth that cast into it therefore it is not corporal Fire 4. They say the Fire of Hell is invisible then it is not corporal for that which is corporal may be seen 5. Corporal Fire may be quenched the Fire of Hell they say is unquenchable therefore it is not corporal 6. Corporal Fire goeth out without wood theirs not therefore not corporal 7. They say the Fire of Hel is eternal if so it is not corporal corporal Fire is seen things seen are not eternal 8. They say the absence of God is the greatest torment in Hel corporal Fire is a greater torment to the body than the absence of God Lastly corporal Fire cannot work upon a Spirit the Devils are Spirits therefore cannot be tormented with corporal Fire saith Willet Synops page 1023. to say God is able to make
corporal Fire work upon a Spirit and able to make to live without food or refreshment to eternity and to make Fire burn without wood is no proof that he will do so and is as silly a kind of reasoning as to say God is able to do all things with God all things are possible therefore he will do all things men should not build their vaine conceits upon Gods power without his word 2. Others say the Fire of Hell is not corporal but spiritual Fire but that it cannot be neither for there is no spiritual fire if it cease to be natural fire it ceaseth to be true fire it cannot be spiritual because they say it is natural it cannot be natural because they say it is spirituall it cannot be neither of them because they say it is partly corporal and partly spiritual the one to burne the body the other to burn the soul Hell flames are materiall yet not all materiall saith Willet Synop. pag. 1010. if so there are two Fires in Hell Bernard saith Fire shall burn thy flesh and a worm thy spirit conscience accusing Isidore saith their minds burn with sorrow and their bodies with the flame 3. Others say Hell Fire is neither material nor spiritual nor mixt but metaphoricall figurative so Austin and some of the modern Preachers say Calvin thinketh that there is no true Fire in Hell for saith he the wood and worm is to be taken metaphorically but saith another that the Fire is so to be taken I utterly deny Ten opinions of the Learned of the places of Hell 1. M. Edm Leigh Hugo and others say Hell is a bottomlesse pit but there is no place without a bottom which is the earth 2. It is generally agreed that Hel is in the lower parts of the earth but where these lower parts should be Mr. Perkins on the Creed saith no man is able to define the lower parts of the earth is great abasement saith Dr. Fulk on Phil. 2. 7. the lowest degree of Christs humiliation Eph. 4. 10. one part of the earth is not put in opposition to another part thereof but to Heaven Psal. 103. 13. David saith thou hast fashioned me in the lowest parts of the earth Ps. 139. 15. was David born in Hell 3. Bish. Bilson Mr. Wheatly and others say Hell is below but how many miles it is to Hell they do not say nor cannot tell 4. Bellarm. Lyria and others say Hell is in the earth neer the centre thereof if so ye may know how farre it is to Hell the earth being round the circumference thereof being twenty one thousand and six hundred miles the whole consisting of 360 degrees at 60 miles a degree the diameter of the terestrial Globe is six thousand seven hundred and eighty two miles and one eleventh so there to the centre or middle point is three thousand three hundred and ninty miles and halfe at length deep into the earth to Hell but in the day of Judgement when the earth shall be consumed with fire as 1 Pet. 3. 7. where shall Hell be then it cannot be in the centre of the earth when there is no earth 5. Mr. Leigh and others say Hell is a lake the lake is a sea as appears Luke 5. 1 2. where the swine were choaked Luke 8. 33. whose common depth is not half a mile men seek Hell in the bottom of the sea because they know not where to find it Hell cannot be the lake because Hell was cast into the lake Rev. 20. 14. 6. Others say Hell is in the Aire the Devil is the Prince that ruleth in the air Eph. 2. 6. the air then is the Devils hel saith Willet Synops pag. 1018. is so then all we that are alâ—ve are in Hell we do find it is not a place of so great torment for almost all men like is well for there they desire â—o dwell 7. Others say Hell is above neer the third Heavens within the view of the glorious Saints and alledge for it Isa. 66. 42. Rev. 14. 10. if so it is very far to Hell Astronomers say that there are three Heavens above the Firmament where the fixed stars are is a hundred and sixteen millions of miles above the earth which is so high that if a stone or weight should fall from thence and continue falling an hundred and fifty miles an houre it would be eithy eight yeares two weeks four dayes five houres and twenty minutes a falling down to the earth 8. Some say the absence of Gods face is Hell but that is not called hell but wrath Isa. 54. 8. this was Cains punishmen from thy face shall I be hid my punishment is greater than I can beare Genes 4. 13 14. the hiding of Gods face causeth sadness and the breaking of the bones of comfort Psâ—l 5. 81. Behold his eye-lids try the children of men Ps. 11. 4. if shut they are troubled if open they are comforted 9. Some say Hell is in this life and is a guilty accusing conscience Dr. Willet saith a guilty troubled conscience is a Hell and prison of the Soul what may rather be called Hell then anguish of Soul the Judges Tribunal is in the Soul God sitteth there as Judg the conscience is the Accuser fear is the Tormentor guilt in the Soul wounds the Spirit a wounded spirit who can beare Prov. 18. 14. they the spirits in prison 1 Pet. 3. 1 9. this is the wrath of God that abideth upon him that believeth not in the son Joh. 3. 16. Heaven is Gods face and presence and our greatest joy in this life Exod. 33. 15 16. and so will be the next Psal. 17. 5. thou wilt fill me with the joy of thy face in thy presence is fulnesse of joy Act. 2. 18. pleasures or pleasantness that is pleasant joyes at thy right hand in the full enjoyment of thee are sweet delights eternal Some say Hell is a locall place Augustine saith it is not a place Doctor Willet saith the place of Hell maketh not the torments it is a question sâ—ith he whether the place make Hell or the absence of the presenâ—e of God Synops p. 1056. 10. Another saith it is in the other side of the blew cloud that appeareth to us in the air others say where the place of Hell is they cannot tell whether it be in the Earth or in the Water or in the Air it is not revealed saith Greenwood they that have taken pains to find it out are as far from it as ever some of the Ministers of France affirms that Father Coâ—ton the Jesuite did enquire of the Devil for a plain place of Scripture to prove Purgatory so they are at as great a losse to prove Hel by a plain place of Scripture truly translaâ—ed their Hel of torments never to end Also the learned agree not upon which Scripture to ground their Hel-torments upon for that place one of them alledge to prove it another of themselves deny it that it is so â—o
but from the penalty expressed in his Law for the breach of it which is death Genesis 3. 3. Proof V. The word saith Gods fury is like fire in the fire of his jealousie he shall make a speedy riddance of all them in the day of the Lords wrath Ezek 1. 18. but to contiuue in torment for ever is no speedy riddance therefore there is no such punishment to be the pouring out of the fiery anger of the Lord is a day Zeph. 1. 15 18. Rom. 6. 17. Ezek. 13. 14. 22. 22. James 2. 21. Isa. 13. 9 13. the day of the Lord is at hand Deut. 33. 34 35. Job 20. 28. a punishment never to end no-way a grees to a day therefore there is no such punishment to be Proof VI The opinion of the torments of Hell never to end hath and doth daily cause much sin For First it causeth feare feare hath punishment 1 John 4. 8. He that feareth is not perfect in love 1 Joh. 4. 18. a servile and a slavish fear is sin 2. It causeth many evill and hard thoughts of God 3. Fear troubleth the hearts of many of the Lords people and makes them sad with their lyes this God complains of Ezâ—k. 13. 22. their lies cause them to erre after which their Fathers walked Amos 2. 4. Châ—ist saith â—et not your hearts be troubled Joh. 14. 1. the fear of hell doth greatly trouble the hearts of many it is Gods will to comfort the sad to release those that are bound Isa 61. 1 2 3 4. 40. 5 9. a word fitly spoken is like apples of Gold in pictures in Silver Pâ—ov. 25. 11. 4. Fear distracts and greatly discourageth the soul hinders faith that which freeth the soul from fear fits the soul to serve God without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our lives Luk. 1. 74. 5. Fear unfits and disableth the soul to every good work to God or man fear unfits for any outward occasion fear is a weight that depresses the soul and makes it weak it straitneth the heart but hope comforteth and enlargeth it 6. The opinion of hell torments provokes the soul to envy and unbelief and hinders subjection to God if the soul apprehends it self lyable to so great and everlasting punishment it cannot submit to God nor be quiet This caused Francis Spira to wish hee were above God the light of this truth causeth the soul lesse to sinne and lesse to be troubled to have lesse hard thoughts of God and lesse to fret against the Lord 7. Their opinion causes an exceeding and unreasonable trouble of minde and melancholy such trouble is sinne John 13. 1. a merry heart doth good Prov. 17. 22. the knowledge of the truth herein easeth the fearful mind and causes as it were a Heaven upon Earth 8. Their opinion hath caused many to murder themselves in taking away their own lives by poyson stabbing drowning hanging strangling and shooting themselves casting themselves out of windowes and from high places to break their necks and by other deaths that they might not live to encrease their sin and encrease their torments in Hell 9. Their opinion provoketh to the greatest sins as despair also to the wickednesse that the world lieth in namely working for life to do duties to escape Hell and get Heaven which is to tread under foot the blood of Christ as an unholy thing Heb. 10. 29. in seeking to be justified by the law of works and not alone by the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ Rev. 1. 5. Jer. 23. 6. Heb 10. 10 14. 10. Freedome from feare causeth love love causeth service the love of Christ constraineth it tends to the comfort of many that through weakness of faith give way to Satans temptations to fear the torments of Hell causeth a feeble mind comfort the feeble mind 1 Thes. 5. 14. its a comfort to many whose children and friends die and leave no testimony of their conversion the fear that they are to suffer so great and endlesse torment hath greatly sadded and troubled the heart of many a parent and friend Proof VII The Reason that God gives that he will not contend for ever nor be almayes wroth for the spirit would faile before me and the souls I have made Isa. 57. 16. man is not able to dwell with everlasting burning Isa. 33. 14. to be in so great a torment as they speak of without end ease and refreshment the spirit must needs fail a small thing will make the spirit fail if so then the reason is the same against the being of a punishment never to end Proof 8. It is not agreeable to the God of nature to go contrary to the law of nature that he hath written in mankind there is planted in man an universal love to man especially to their Off-spring be they obedient or disobedient what bowels of love is there in Parents to their Off-spring when in misery and to others in misery and want sure no man doth desire any man nor creature to indure the torment they speak of one year much less their own of-spring how then may I or can I think so of God to be lesse pittifull lesse mercifull then cruell man Jer. 50. 24. and 6. 23. Hos. 4. 1. to his Off-spring we are all his Off-spring Acts 17. 28. sure God exceeds man in goodnesse if ye which are evill know how to give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that aske him Math. 7. 8 9 10 11. thou Lord art good and dost good Psal. 119. 68. Math. 5. 45. though they were evil and did evil God did good and gave rain Act. 14. 17. They say the fire Dan. 3. 21. is nothing to Hell and that the greatest torment man can devise is scarce a shadow to that in hell by which they declare God to be more cruel than man Proof IX If man had deserved so great punishment why may not God shew that mercy as not to inflict it as well as to let his Sun to shine and his rain to fall on them that no way deserve it seeing he could if he so pleased hinder it we do see men shew more kindnesse to a rebellious and disobedient child then he deserveth may not God do the same so much as God is greater than man so much greater is his mercy love and goodnesse than that in man yea than that that is or ever was in all men all that came from him and all is but the least drop to that great sea and ocean of mercy and love that is in him how little a portion is heard of him Job 24. 14. All nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him lesse than nothing vanity Isaiah 40. 12 15 17 22. O how great is he that hangeth the earth upon nothing Job 24. 7. he can and will doe for the worst creature far above that which it is able to ask or think