Christian Commemoration, Afterword – Errata
Poſtſcript.
THE foregoing Diſcourſe hath preſſed the Remembrance of departed Saints Glory, without any thing ſaid of departed Sinners Miſery. Becauſe I had purpoſed to treat thereof diſtinctly and as fully, from another Text. But, opportunity being here given me, I take it to ſay thus much.
Of the Means of Grace, all are Excellent, but none Superfluous. They do, all, …ualifie and Engage us unto the uſe of each other. No one excuſeth from the uſe of another. It hath been ſhewn to be highly beneficial, to ſtir up our ſelves, by the conſideration of deceaſed Saints Bleſſedneſs, unto an imitation of their Faith and Holineſs. And it is as certainly profitable to urge our ſelves, by the conſideration of deceaſed Sinners Ruine, unto an abhorrence of their Unbelief and Diſobe…ience.
The Reaſons are both obvious and numerous. So are convincing Obſervations and Experiences. He was an eminently pious Antient that thus beſpake his Auditory; Sirs, Let us be oft going down to Hell in our contemplations while we live that our Souls may not go down into it when we die. And I have heard our greateſt Divines praiſe another; who having found that exerciſe very helpful againſt his Temptations, did not ſtick to exclaim, O Lord, my Soul doth bleſs thee for Hell!
It is true, the Hope of Heaven is the ſweeteſt Perſuaſive; but, it is as true, that the Fear of Hell is commonly the ſtrongeſt Motive, to our Duty. Unregenerate hearts, do feel little but this latter. And the moſt ſanctified men alive will tell you; that they are fain, under moſt of their Conflicts, to call in their Fear to the help of their Hope. And that their Life is a Flying from the Wrath to come, as well as a Laying up Treaſure in Heaven.
To clear this, let it be obſerved. The Objects of Hope are leſs conceivable by our minds, than thoſe of Fear be. Although Storms and Darkneſs be without any difficulty pictured; Calms and Sun-ſhines cannot be drawn without exquiſite Art, and extreme Induſtry. Hell's Torments be a thouſand times more eaſily underſtood, than Heaven's Joys and Glorys be. The Imagination of a natural Man, will frightfully repreſent the burning Fire, and the gnawing Worm. But the fulneſs of Joy in God's preſence, and the everlaſting Pleaſures at his right hand, theſe are fooliſhneſs unto him, neither can he know them. No Eye but a Spiritual one; and that ſtrained hard in deep Contemplation, can diſcern much of them. Alas! who is it that can ſay, he needs not all the helps preſcribed in Mr. Baxter's Saints Everlaſting Reſt? (part 4th. page 219. unto page 242.) I mean his Helps to conceive affectionately of the Heavenly Glories.
Theſe things premiſed, I exhort unto the Duty eaſily inferred. Unto frequent and moſt ſerious Conſideration of impenitent Sinners end, as well as of penitent Believers. Naturaliſts ſay, that the attractive vertue of the Loadſtone is leſs when it is ſingle; and draweth much more ſtrongly, when it is encompaſſed and armed with Iron. You ſhall find, I am very ſure, that the Hope of Heaven will much better draw you, when the Fear of Hell doth conjunctly drive you.
Briefly, Having here no more room, I adviſe to a juſt meditation of theſe three particulars.
There is an Hell, as ſure as there is an Earth. There be damned men Burning, as ſure as there be ſinning men Breathing. Yea, and as many of them, as have ever died in Impenitence, and Unbelief, and Diſobedience. Chriſtians and Jews alſo believe this. So do Turks and Pagans, for the ſubſtance of it. The Al…oran mentions a houſe of Perdition. Plato ſpeaks almoſt the words of Holy Scripture; foreign.
This Hell is the Center of Miſery. A Collection of all evils in their …igheſt degrees. Paſſing all our pre…ent underſtanding; foraſmuch as not comprehending what an incenſed God can do, 'tis impoſſible to comprehend what a Damned man doth ſuffer. A man that eternally Dies and Lives together; having a Death without End, and a Life without Eaſe. And Tortures too, without, and beyond, all compariſon.
This Hell or Center of Miſery hath ſix Memorables; e. gr. 1. Its Scripture Names. A Priſon, bottomleſs Pit, ſecond Death, never dying Worm, unquenchable Fire. 2. Its Eſſentials. Deprivation of all good; of Drops of Water, as well as Cups of Wine: and Accumulation of all evils; for the Veſſels of Wrath are filled with it. 3. Its Efficients. The Place, Company, and enraged Conſcience are grievous ones; but God's own immediate hand is inconceivably the ſoreſt, and ſtrikes the hardeſt blows. (…ee Dr. Tho Good win hereof.) 4. Its Concomitants. Theſe are an Enlargement of mind and a Fixedneſs of it upon tormenting Objects. God lets in upon the Damned a great Light, to exaſpe…te their Fire. There, Ignorance …ould do them a kindneſs; ſo …ould one minutes Forgetfulneſs. But it cannot be. Here they would … know God, there they muſt. …ere they would not Think of him, …ere they cannot ceaſe one moment …om thoughts of him. And there…re feel nothing but confounding Shame, piercing Sorrow, racking …ury, and Deſpair that is beyond … Epithets. 5. Its Duration. And this is FOR EVER. An Eternity …expreſſable as its Extremity. 6. Its …nds and Reaſons. Which are, the …estraining of Sin in the World; …nd the ſhewing forth God's Holi…ſs, Righteouſneſs, and Power, up…n Sinners finally incorrigible.
Indeed, if we ſaw all the Bleſſed …ining in Heaven, and all the …amned burning in Hell, as daily and plainly as we ſee any thing with our Eyes; it could not make us Holy without the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit. But, be it conſidered; that bleſſed influence of his is not to be expected, without the uſe of his preſcribed Contemplations and Practices. It is by Heaven and Hell, both of them, in our Thoughts, that he pleaſeth to rectifie our Affections and Works. Let us therefore, neither Pray for his Grace without Meditations, of both, nor Meditate of both without Prayers for his Grace.
FINIS.
NB. The Marginal Note page 59… was by the Printers miſtake inſerted. The ſubſtance of it being found page 60 and 61 in its proper place.
End of the text · Daniel Burgess, Christian Commemoration (1691)