Great Salvation by Jesus Christ, Doctrine 3

Great Salvation by Jesus Christ · Doctrine 3

p. 161THE THIRD DOCTRINE, The neglect of Great Salvation brings Great Damnation.

DAmnation is ſo dreadfull a doome, that the very report of it is like a thunderclap to cauſe a heart-quake in the hearers and ſpeakers of it; If Miniſters muſt preach upon paine of Damnation, and people muſt hear and attend upon pain of Damnation, the believing entertainment of this truth one would think ſhould be powerfull to work miracles, even to make the dumbe to ſpeake, and the deafe to hear; its better to hear the roring of the Lion, than to come into his paw, and its better to hear of the dreadfullneſs of Damnation, than to come under the ſentence. Its joyous to hear of Heaven, but its the fullreſs of joy to be invited to it, wath a come ye bl…ſſed children of my Father, receive the Kingar… p. 162prepared for you. So its dreadfull to hear of Hell, but its the moſt terrible of terribles to be ſentenred to it, with go yee curſed into everlaſting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels. You have heard of the amiableneſs of Salvation to invite you, hearken unto the dreadfullneſs of Damnation to affright you, that either you may be drawn, or driven to mind the things that belong unto your peace: the rule that we propoſed was ingentia beneficia, ingentia flagitia, great mercies abuſed do aggravate ſin, and make it ſinfull with a witneſs, And now the remainder of it is ingentia flagitia, ingentia ſupplicia, thoſe haynous ſinns do pull down puniſhnent with a vengance, that ſin with a hard heart doth call and cry for judgement with a high hand. Now though this be not expreſſed totidem verbis in expreſs words in the Text, yet that which doth tantamount is implyed in the queſtion, How ſhall we eſcape? which is as much as to ſay, ther's no poſſibility of eſcaping. And what is it that we cannot eſcape? why, a juſt recompence of reward for our tranſgreſſion, and diſobedience; if we look back to the verſe before the Text, yea, a ſeverer judgement more fiery indignation, and a ſorer puniſhment than the tranſgreſſors of Moſes Law, if we look p. 163forward to Ch. 10.27, 28, 29. And what the ſpirit of God ſpeaks ſhort here, is ſpoken out, and at large to the Scribes and Phariſes, hypocrites, that ſlew the Prophets that were ſent unto them, and refuſed ſervants, and Son too, that came to require fruit of the vineyard, Mat. 23.33. Ye Serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye eſcape the Damnation of Hell? And obſerve that Mat. 25.41. Its called the Divels damnation, depart ye curſed into everlaſting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels. The harmonious diſcord that dwells in the antitheſis which oppoſes this great damnation to that great Salvation is very elegant and obſervable.

The Salvation refuſed is called the Salvation of God, all the ends of the earth have ſeen the Salvation of our God.

The Damnation incurred by ſuch a refuſall is called the damnation of the Divel.

The Salvation ſlighted is the Salvation of Heaven.

The Damnation deſerved is the Damnation of Hell.

I obſerved in the handling of the firſt that the mercy of Salvation is much magnifyed, p. 164and made mervelous by three degrees. And now we are to obſerve that the juſtice of damnation is made glorious by the ſame degrees, for theſe two contraries have the ſame dimenſions, the moſt righteous God that gives the one, and inflicts the other, being as infini…e in juſtice, as in mercy. Obſerve then in order to ſuch an illuſtration of it,

1. That it is poſitively great Damnation.

2. That it is comparatively greater than other.

3. That it is ſuperlatively the greatest of all.

1 That it is Great Damnation you may eaſily conclude from what is allready ſpoken, that it is the damnation of Hell, and the Divels Damnation, and the very word gives ſuch an aſtoniſhing ſound to ſuch as can apprehend both name and thing, that to diſcover it to be great, it will need no more than the naming; but ſince we have to do with ſuch as are brutifyed, and muſt fight with beaſts after the manner of men, ſince our work lies much with dead men, ſuch as are dead in treſpaſſes and ſinns, and though they bear the names of men and women, that are p. 165reaſoable creatures, yet they are further from knowledge than the Ox and the Aſſe, Iſay. 1.3. And as ſenſeleſs and ſtupid as ſtocks and ſtones, as the inanimate globes of Heaven and Earth, Iſay. 1.2.

We muſt therefore uſe all poſſible means (and all little enough) to awaken them to things of higheſt Conſequence, and everlaſting Concernment, and ſuch are the things that we have in hand. Matters of Salvation and Damnation, matters of life and death for ever and ever.

Study with me but this one point, that the Damnation that we are ſpeaking of, and about to aggravate is not Damnation barely for the breach of Gods Law, but for refuſing the mercy of the Goſpel, that was offered to make up that breach, its Damnation for the refuſal of Salvation, of which refuſers we may uſe the Apoſtles words, Rom. 3.8. Whoſe Damnation is juſt. There can be no greater juſtice than this, when life and death are ſet before men, and they will chooſe death, that they ſhould have it, when Salvation and Damnation are both held out in the promiſe and threatning, that the refuſers of Salvation ſhould fall into damnation, obſerve Ioh. 3.16. God ſo loved the world that be gave p. 166his only begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth in him might not periſh but have everlaſting life, and in the next verſe, God ſent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be ſaved: In both verſes is declared both poſivetily, and negatively for what end Chriſt came into the world. 1 He came to ſave ſinners, 2 He came to ſave, and not to damne. But as God by his creating power brought light out of darkneſs; ſo men by their deſtroying ſin bring darkneſs out of light, and like the Spiders do gather poyſon from the ſweeteſt flowers, and moſt wholſome hearbs; They do wilfully aggravate their condemnation by the gracious offers of Salvation, and treaſure up for themſelves ſevereſt wrath from ſweeteſt mercy. And this is that that brings this great damnation, as you may ſee there in the very next verſe but one, ver. 19. This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkneſs more than light, that mercy is offered and wrath is choſen, that Salvation is tendered, and Damnation is taken, men deal ſo Jewiſhly with Chriſt, that they prefer Barrabbas a murderer before him, and this is rightly called foreign The Damnation.

2. It is comparatively greater than other p. 167condemnations, we proved Goſpel-Salvation to be greater than other Salvations. And the ſin of Goſpel-refuſing to be greater than other ſins. And now are to ſhew that this damnation is greater than other condemnations.

1. Greater than condemnation by mans law, ſentences in Courts of humane Judicature, reach But

1. Either to the eſtate as fining, or confiſcation,

2. Or to the body, as impriſonment and ſcourging,

3. Or to the name, as ſtigmatizing, or burning in the hand or forehead,

4. Or if capitall to the life as hanging, beheading, &c.

5. Or in caſe of treaſon to the family and poſterity.

But this tranſcends all thoſe condemnations, as we may gather from Luke 12.4, 5. which were the words of our Saviour to his Diſciples, I ſay unto you my freinds, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do, but I will forewarn you whom you ſhall fear, fear him which after he hath killed, hath power to caſt into hell, yea, I ſay unto you, fear him. Provoking ſinners are ſaid to treaſure p. 168up wrath againſt the day of wrath. Rom. 2.5. Though they catch many a rap here, that's nothing in compariſon of what's behind: This is the day of grace, wherein God exerciſeth patience and long-ſuffering towards them, but if the goodneſs of God do not bring them to repentance, there's another day a coming, where they muſt give another manner of reckoning, a fearfull, and terrible day, a day all of Wrath: Then righteous Judgement will be impartially diſpenſed without reſpect of perſons: here below in mens judicatories it falls out oftentimes as with fiſh in a net, great ones are caught, when little ones creep through; and ſometimes again as with flies in the Spiders webb, the little ones are held, when the great ones break through, but that day will ſurprize High and Low, Rich and Poor, one with another, We muſt all appear before the Judgement Seat of Chriſt, 2. Cor. 5.10 and every one muſt give an account of himſelf to God, Rom. 14.12. If any are left out of theſe expreſſions, all and every one, they may expect to eſcape judgement, elſe not. Here ſometimes the rod of the wicked falls to the lot of the righteous, and Gods ſervants are condemned as evil doers, when the Benjamins meſs, and double portion is given to the wicked, but then the juſt Judge of all the World p. 169will do all men right, and diſtribute righteous judgement in giving to every one according to his works. Rom. 2.6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Rendering eternal vengeance to the ignorant and diſobedient, and wilbe made glorious in them that believe. 2 Theſ. 1.7, 8, 9, 10.

2. Greater alſo than condemnation by Gods Law, as appears from the verſe before my text and Ch. 10.27, 28, 29, 30, 31. To ſuch as wilfully refuſe this Goſpel-Salvation, There remains no Sacrifice for ſins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgement, and fiery indignation, which ſhall devour the adverſaries: He that deſpiſed Moſes law (i. e.) Gods law given by the Mediatourſhip of Moſes, died without mercy; of how much ſorer puniſhment ſuppoſe ye ſhall he be thought worthy; who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the Covenant, wherewith he was ſanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done deſpite unto the ſpirit of Grace. For we know him that hath ſaid, vengeance belogneth unto me, I will recompenſe ſaith the Lord, and again the Lord will judge his people. It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God. So far the Apoſtle in that Scripture, which thunder-claps, though by the concurrent Judgement of expoſitours, they are levelled at ſinners againſt the Holy Ghoſt, p. 170thoſe that are guilty of that ſin unto death, yet many of the iniquities of that ſin are (though in a lower meaſure) to be charged upon the neglecter of this great Salvation.

3. It is ſuperlatively the greateſt of all condemnations, two places of Scripture I ſhall quote and improve, that are of this tendency, and then ſhall paſs to the further confirmation of it by ſtrength of reaſon.

The firſt is 1 Theſ. 2.16. Where the Apoſtle notes that the Jews, that killed the Lord Jeſus and their own Prophets, and perſecuted the Apoſtles, and envyed the Gentiles, that in a word, with the unjuſt Judge did neither fear God, nor reverence Man, did thus Fill up the meaſure of their ſins, till wrath came upon them to the utter moſt, (i. e.) they ſinned to the uttermoſt till they were plagued to the uttermoſt. compare with this place that Heb. 7.25. which words are ſpoken of Jeſus Chriſt, the great high Prieſt of his Church, the plentiful Redeemer and mighty Saviour, He is able to ſave to the uttermoſt all them that do come unto God by him, ſeeing he ever liveth to make interceſſion for them: what can be more equall than this that they that refuſe mercy to the uttermoſt, ſhould have wrath to the uttermoſt, that they which ſet light by that Salvation to the uttermoſt, p. 171ſhould indure the uttermoſt of Damnation.

The other place of Scripture that ſpeaks to this point, and ſerves to ſet out the ſuperlative greatneſs of this Damnation is Matth. 3.7. They are the words of John Baptiſt to the Phariſees and Saduces, that came to his Baptiſm, O Generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come. Where note that this dreadfull Damnation is called Wrath to come, and therefore becauſe the main of it is reſerved for the life to come; true it is that ſome notorious Malefactours have an entrance into Hell opened unto them while they are upon earth, and are hang'd up in Gibbets for the aſtoniſhment of others, that are ſo purſued by the hornets of their conſciences ſtinging them with the pangs of the ſecond death, that with Cain and Judas they are driven by the Devil through hell internal into an hell eternal; but the dreadfulneſs of perfected Damnation, which the Devil believes and trembles to believe, is reſerved for an endleſs life, in that which we call the World to come, David ſaith Great plagues remain for the ungodly: though upon the ungodly, God raines ſnares, fire, and brimſton, ſtorm and tempeſt, and diſcharges whole Vollies of Wonderful plagues upon the p. 172children of diſobedience, Deut. 28.59. yet there is a reſerve of more and greater, and the biggeſt and worſt are ſtill behind. As the Saints have uſually the worſt in poſſeſſion, and beſt in reverſion, and this life is a ſowing in tears that they may reap in joy; ſo uſually the wicked have the beſt at firſt, and worſt at laſt, as Abrabram ſaid to Dives, Son remember how in thy life time thou receivedſt thy good things, but Lazarus pains, but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. But to return to take into further conſideration that expreſſion of wrath to come, Caſt abroad your eyes in all the world, and look back to the beginning of time, and enquire whether ever ſorrow were like unto that Weeping and Howling, and Gnaſhing of Teeth, which the Lord inflicts upon the Damned in the day of his fierce wrath.

1. We read that for our firſt Parents diſobedience, the whole Creation was under ſuch a load of wrath, that ever ſince it hath groan'd under it: Rom. 8.22. But there we read alſo that the creature groans under an expectation of liberty, waiting when it ſhall be reſtor'd into the glorious liberty of the Sons God; but when this Damnation takes place, the Torments as they are eaſleſs, ſo ſhall they be endleſs; the worm dyeth not, and the fire never p. 173goes out, there is no hope of a deliverance.

2. Its upon record that Sodom and Gomorrah were deſtroyed with Fire and Brimſton, but when the Cities were burnt the fire was extinguiſht, but the wicked are the chaff and ſtubble that muſt be burnt with unquenchable fire, the damned, who are the fuel that feed; it ſhalbe like the burning buſh all on a fire but not conſummed, and therefore the fire muſt needs be everlaſting; The burning thereof is fire and much wood, and the breath of the Lord like a River of brimſton doth kindle it. Iſay 30.33.

3. God overthrew the old World with a devouring floud, but the Scripture makes mention of the riſing and raging of it, and then of its ebbing again, and flowing no more: But thoſe ſouls that are drowned in perdition, are caſt into the Mare mortuum, the dead, and deadly Sea, the Red and the Raging Sea of the Almighties wrath, which hath neither bank nor bottome, where they muſt be ſinking and drowning for ever and ever.

4. The Jews for their rejecting Chriſt, were unchurched, and Excommunicated, but they are to be called again, when the fulneſs of the Gentiles is come in, But the ſentence of finall Damnation ſhalbe beyond the Anathema Maranatha, that was but till the coming of p. 174Lord, but this commences at the coming of the Lord, and from thenceforth for ever, Go ye curſed into everlaſting fire.

But we alſo promiſed to clear this point unto you by evidence of reaſon, as I did the former, for if ſuch truths were but believingly received in the evidence of them, they would ſurely be mighty in operation, and pierce to the dividing of the Soul and Spirit: If our everlaſting doors were but opened to entertain ſuch mighty Doctrines, can we think that men and women that have reaſonable Souls, and the principles of ſelf-love, and ſelf-preſervation in them, and the paſsion of fear in them, I ſay can it be once imagined that they can be ſo bruitiſh to caſt away all care what will become of them in another world, and with both hands to pull down upon bodies and ſouls this ſwift damnation. Know then that the damnation that we are treating of, which men draw upon their own heads by ſetting light by Goſpel-Salvation, is monſtrous great for theſe enſuing reaſons,

1. Reaſon, Becauſe it proceedeth from ſo great a God. If we would know the greatneſs of this Damnation, let us ſtudy the greatneſs of that God that inflicts it: The wrath of a King is like the roring of a Lyon; but let thoſe that p. 175can tell what the wrath of the King of Kings is: ſurely Moſes his words do advance it above all that can be ſpoken or thought of it: Pſal. 90.11. Who knows the power of thine anger? for according to thy fear is thy wrath (i.e.) let ſuch as have the moſt enlightned and moſt enlarged underſtandings, graſpe as much as they can in comprehending thy diſpleaſure, yet when they are come unto their wits end, it is infinitly beyond their reach. The Lord doth all things like himſelf; If he do but ſpeak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant it, his very word will bring it to paſs, it brought the world out of nothing with as little ado, for he did but ſpeak the word and they were made, he commanded, and they were created: and again if he do but blow upon it, and ſpeak againſt it to deſtroy it, whether it be a Nation, or all the Nations of the world, he can command a Floud or a Fire to do his ſtrange work: When he will deliver, none can deliver like him, and when he will deſtroy, none can deſtroy like him. Davids queſtion puts all out of queſtion, that there is no reſiſtance to be made againſt him. Who may ſtand in his ſight when he is angry? Dare we provoke the Lord to jealouſie? oh fooliſh people and unwiſe, are we ſtronger than he? Can ſtubble p. 176ſtand before a deavouring fire, or chaffe ſtand againſt a ſcattering whirlwind? Though hand joyne in hand, the wicked ſhall not go unpuniſhed, for he that judgeth them is a ſtrong Lord. Though they could ſore as high as Heaven, or fall as low as Hell, or fly to the uttermoſt coaſts of the Earth, or Sea, though they ſhould lie buried under Mountaines a thouſand miles deep, or all the rocks of the Sea and Land were piled upon them, yet there is no hiding them from the wrath of this mighty God, who is no leſs omniſcient, than he is omnipotent. Thoſe that deſire to know more of the greatneſs of this God, let them ſtudy the 40 Chapter of Iſay. And there they ſhall find, v. 12. That he meaſureth the waters in the hollow of his hand, and metes the Heaven with a ſpan, and comprehends the duſt of the earth in a meaſure, and weighs the mountaines in ſcales, and the hills in a ballance. And v. 15. All nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the ſmall duſt of the ballance, and v. 17. All nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted leſs than nothing and vanity. And v. 22. It is he that ſetteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as graſhoppers, that ſtretcheth out the Heavens as curtaine, and ſpreadeth them p. 177out as a tent to dwell in. That bringeth the Princes to nothing, and maketh the Judges of the earth as vanity. Conſidering all this greatneſs, and conſidering further that one halfe is not told you▪ the more we ſtudy it the more we are overwhelmed, and confounded with the glory of it, what can be too hard for the Lord, or who can ſtand in the judgement before this mighty God, to whom vengeance belongeth: We may eaſily be confirmed in the truth of all that is ſaid, & all that can be ſaid of the greatneſs of damnation, when we do but hear from whence it comes, even from the dreadfull Jehovah, who is able with a word, or a frown, or a diſpleaſed breath to turn all the wicked into hell, and all the people that forget God.

2. Reaſon, why this Damnation is ſo great, is, becauſe it is for deſpiſing, and ſetting light by ſo great a Saviour, an undervaluing of the higheſt Love in its loweſt condeſcention; This muſt be a reaſon coequall with the former, becauſe Chriſt is the Son coequall with the Father. The mercy of heaven never put the ſons of men to a quid amplius in any thing more than this? What could I do more for an unthankfull world than this? Let the Sons of invention ſet their wits upon the rack, and tell us (if they can) p. 178what God could do more than to turn himſelf wholly into LOVE. 1 John 4.16. and having but one Son, who was Heyr of all things, his or… begotten, and onelyonly beloved; who thought it no robbery to be equall with himſelf, to ſend him out of his own boſome, to empty himſelf of his glory, to take our ſin and curſe with our nature upon him, that we, who were children of diſobedience and wrath, and heyrs apparent to hell and condemnttion, might be received into the glorious liberty of the Sons and Daughters of the Lord God Almighty: Now for men to be ſo deſperatly rebellious is to ſlight this love, and ſo ſtubbornly mad as to refuſe this Saviour, can the greateſt judgements in Gods ſtorehouſe, or the hotteſt place in that fire that burns to the bottom of hell be a proportionable recompence for ſuch d…ing provocations? Shall wicked miſcreants, ſlight and trample upon that which the Saints admire, and the Angels adore? O ſtupendious madneſs! Its a thouſand wonders that the great eye of Heaven doth not wink the earth into utter darkneſs, & the very Sun take its leave of the world, abhorring to ſee men to be ſuch incarnate Devils, and to ſee the Earth tainted with ſuch helliſh abominations; helliſh do I ſay, nay in this the wickedneſs of man is ſo great in the Earth, that p. 179it juſtifies the Devils, for they, being left without hope of a Redeemer, were never guilty of ſetting light by a Saviour, and knowing ſo much of the terrours of the Lord as doth accompany their initial Damnation, in their chains of darkneſs, wherein they are reſerved to the judgement of the great day, and trembling to believe … much more of the conſummation of it: f…night be put to tryall whether they wou… … of … off…e Saviour, can we th… … Devils themſelves, … gent deceiving of finners to their … they would greedily apprehend the opp… nity of laying hold upon Salvation. He… O heavens, and hearken O earth; and be aſtoniſhed at this! We may ſtand amazed and wonder, that thoſe prodigies are not every daies news, which accompanyed the crucifying of this bleſſed Saviour, and did witneſs to the world h… deeply the Lord was diſpleaſed with the more than barbarous cruelties; th… … be a God even of invincible patien…e and long-ſuffering, and can ſee and ſuffer himſelf to be provoked every day, and his Sons blood, and righteouſneſs to be trampled on, and ſet at nought by the refuſers of mercy, yet this is but during the day of grace, this will not laſt p. 180alwaies, the day of wrath is a coming, even at the doors, and then righteous judgement ſhalbe diſpenſed; and one high and main end of that great and terrible day is the exaltation of Gods Son, that he may be manifeſted to both worlds, of men and Angels, to be Gods onelyonly beloved Son, in whom he is well pleaſed. Then ſhall the Lord Jeſus be terrible to thoſe that refuſed him, and glorious in them that believe, 2 Th. 7.8.

3. Reaſon, Becauſe it is wrath inflicted for reſiſting, and vexing of the Spirit of grace; The Father and Son have been the matter of the two foregoing Reaſons, and this third is drawn from the third Perſon in this great and glorious Trinity. This Spirit moved upon the waters in the worlds Creation, Gen. 1.2. This Spirit did ſtrive with man in the daies and Miniſtry of Noah, Gen. 6.3. This ſpirit was propheſied of in the daies of the Prophets, Iſay 59.…1. My Spirit that is upon thee ſhall not depart from thee, nor from thy ſeed, nor from thy ſeeds feed, ſaith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever, and Joel 2.28. I will poure out my Spirit upon all fleſh, &c. This ſpirit our Saviour promiſe when he went to the Father. I will pray the Father, and he ſhall give you another comforter and he ſhall abide with you for ever. Joh. 14.16. And this ſpirit was ſent according p. 181to promiſe in the likeneſs of cloven and fiery Tongues, Acts 2.2, 3, 4. to guid, the Apoſtles into all truth, to bring to their remembrance, and to teach them more perfectly the things they had heard of Chriſt; to inſpire and guide them in perfecting the Scriptures, and bearing witneſs to the truth of them by many wonderfull miracles: And this ſpirit keeps reſidence in the Church, and joyns it ſelf as the ſpirit of wiſdom and revelation, with the word of wiſdom and revelation, to call and draw men unto Chriſt, and to work energetically and effectually in ſuch as are made believers by the exceeding greatneſs of its mighty power. Now as Steven impleaded the Jews, ſo may we lay it to the charge of all ſuch as live within the ſound of the Goſpel, Act. 7.51. Ye ſtifnecked, and uncircumciſed in hearts and ears, ye do alwaies reſiſt the Holy Ghoſt, as your Father did, ſo do ye. When the Spirit of God ſtrives verbis, and verberibus, in the Word, and Rod, in ordinances, and providences, and the Lord may charge it upon us, as he doth, Pro. 1.24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. Becauſe I have called and ye refuſed, I have ſtretched out my hand, and none would regard, but ye have ſet at nought all my counſell, and would none of my reproof, I alſo will laugh p. 182at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh, when your fear cometh as deſolation, and your deſtruction cometh as a whirlwind, and diſtreſs and anguiſh cometh upon you. Then ſhall they call upon me, but I will not anſwer, they ſhall ſeek me early but ſhall not find me, &c. Therefore they ſhall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. When the ſpirit ſhall be thus unworthily reſiſted, and vexed, nothing renders the Lord more inexorable, implacable, and mercileſs, and leaves the guilty to periſh without remedy.

4. Reaſon, Becauſe it is prepared for great enemies. The very word prepared is a moſt ſtinging expreſſion Go ye curſed into everlaſting fire, prepared &c. That wrath into whoſe preparation the wiſedome, and juſtice of ſo great a God is ingredient, muſt needs be inconceivably, and unutterably great. But if we take in the great enemies for whom it is prepared, …t will augment it; it was prepared for the D…vel and his Angell. Mat. 25.41. Thoſe that were diſcontented with their own angelicall excellency, and emulated the Majeſty and greatneſs of God, and had an ambition to be like him. Tophet is prepared for the King (i. e.) for the Prince of darkneſs, and God of this world, or for the greateſt of malefactors be they never ſo high, never ſo p. 183mighty, never ſo noble after the fleſh, all their number, pompe, and greatneſs ſhall be ſwallowed up in the bottomleſs pit.

Obſerve what black Catalogues the Scripture makes of that notorious rabble of Rebells Rampant that muſt deſcend into the bottomleſs pit. 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous ſhall not inherit the Kingdome of God, be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abuſers of themſelves with mankind, nor theeves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners ſhall inherit the Kingdome of God. See alſo Gal. 5.19, 20, 21. The works of the fleſh are manifeſt, which are theſe, adultery, fornication, uncleanneſs, laſcivouſneſs, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, ſtrife, ſeditions, hereſies, enyvings, murders, drunkenneſs, revelling, and ſuch like, of the which I tell you, as I have alſo told you in time paſt, that they which do ſuch things ſhall not inherit the Kingdome of God. And Eph. 5.5. This ye know, that no whoremonger, nor uncleane perſon, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the Kingdome of Chriſt, and of God. Theſe Scriptures are only excluſive, and bar Heaven againſt ſuch, hear one place p. 184more, that acquaints us which the place that muſt receive them when Heaven ſpues them out, and that is the very ſink of Hell. Rev. 21.8. The fearfull and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and ſorcerers, and idolaters, and all lyars ſhall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone, which is the ſecond death, Its ſaid in Scripture that thoſe which die in their unbeliefe, and impenitency, ſhall have their portion with hypocrites, diſſemblers of holyneſs do but double their wickedneſs, and God will double their damnation. The perſecutors of Gods people, that ſtrike at God, and Chriſt, and wound them through the ſides of the Saints, theſe ſhall ſink deep into the bottomleſs pit, and the diſpiſers of God and Chriſt ſhall go into the ſame place of torment, the damnation prepared for the moſt notorious malefactors, ſhall be ſhared amongſt the world of ungodly: When men are to entertaine their beſt friends, they will do it with a confluence of choiceſt proviſions, ſuch is God's free entertainment of his Servants, and Favourites: Mine Oxen and Fallings are killed, and all things in a readineſs, come unto the Marriage. Mat. 22, 4. And Come yee bleſſed of my Father, receive p. 185the Kingdome prepared for you, Mat. 25, 34. But when men are to proſecute their deadlieſt Enemies, they will do it with the uttermoſt rigour that their poſſibility can reach unto; Such, and infinitely greater, is Gods anger againſt his Adverſaries, he takes pleaſure at their overthrow, and laughs at their deſtruction, Ah, I will eaſe me of mine enemies, and be avenged on mine Adverſaries, Iſay. 1.24. And as if his mercy were utterly at an end, and he had forgotten to be gracious, he will denounce that everlaſting excommunication, as the triumph of his glorious juſtice, Go ye curſed into everlaſting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels, Mat. 25.41.

5 Reaſon. Becauſe it hath a great and a long reach.

1. It reacheth to the Soul.

2. And it reacheth to eternity.

1 It reacheth unto the Soul: other ſentences reach but to the body, name, eſtate, family, relations, liberty, life, as was before hinted, but this reacheth the Soul. Fear not them which kill the body, and when they have done that, have no more that they can do, but fear him, who when he hath killed is able to caſt p. 186into Hell, yea, I ſay unto you, fear him, Luke. 12, 4. How do malefactors, that are arraigned for ſome capitall offences tremble before an earthly Judge, when he is pronouncing ſentence of death upon them? but how will corrupt Judges themſelves tremble, as Faelix did, when he heard Paul reaſoning of judgement to come, yea, a more than either he or Belſhazzar did, when the hand was writing him a divorce from his Kingdome, when this ſentence of Damnation is going out? how will blackneſs cover all faces, when a World of ſelfe condemned ſinners ſhall ſtand before the dreadfull Tribunall of the Lord Jeſus, which in the laſt Aſſize he is ſitting upon life and death, when nothing is left them but a certaine fearfull looking for of judgement, and fiery indignation, which ſhall devour the Adverſaries, Hebr. 10.27. 'Twas a ſad hearing to the rich glutton, Thou foole this night ſhall thy Soul be taken from thee, Luke. 12.20. The Soul is more worth than the World in his eſteem that laid down his life to ſave Soules, Mat. 16.26. And in this damnation this jewell is loſt, and this darling of ours muſt be delivered to the roring Lion. The Saints do lay all at ſtake to ſave their ſouls; Profſ…s, Pleaſures, Honours, Friends, Liberty, p. 187Life it ſelf, and think all to be an eaſie exchange, which will more than conclude the loſs, of the ſoul to be the loſs of all loſſes.

2. And that which makes this ſo great a loſs, and that we are treating of ſo great Damnation, is becauſe it is for ever and ever, It reacheth to Eternity. The ſinner under convictions thinks he ſhall dy no other death, & looks upon himſelf as in a very hell upon earth; David after deliverance out of ſuch a deep, ſaith, O Lord, thou haſt delivered my Soul from the nethermoſt hell, and Saint Auguſtine having in his confeſſions taken ſhame unto himſelf for a multitude ſins, in the depth of his humiliation, calls out of the deep of miſery to the deep of mercy, Lord, pitty my Soul in the loweſt hell; & ſuch in Scripture-ſenſe are called loſt, Chriſt came to ſeeke & ſave the loſt, but this loſs ſhall-be their gain, and I may ſay in this caſe as the Word in another, he that loſeth his life, ſhall find it, and the Apoſtle Paul deſired to be loſt in himſelf, that he might be found in Chriſt, this is but a ſeeming loſs, nor will it laſt long, heavineſs may indure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning, for a moment have I hid my face, in mine anger, ſaith the Lord, but with everlaſting mercy will I return and have compaſsion; but the loſe we are ſpeaking of is reall, and p. 188irreparable. The ſoul under deſertion thinks it ſelf in a wofull caſe, and hath much ado to diſtinguiſh betwixt it ſelf and a caſt-away, as appears in Davids caſe, Pſal. 77.7, 8, 9. Will the Lord abſent himſelf for ever? and will he be favourable no more? &c. and Job complained in the bitterneſs of his ſoul, that God had ſet him up as his marke to ſhoot at, and the venome of his arrows drank up his Spirit, and Hezekiah did mourn like a Dove and chatter like a Crane, and complained that from morning to night, God did make an end of him. But though it were now winter with them, and the ſap was gone down into the root, yet the Suns return brought their ſpring again, and the light of Gods countenance made all whole; but in that deſertion which Damnation cauſes, the deſerted ſoul is deſerted for ever: When the body loſes the ſoul at the death naturall, its a ſad loſs, but the Reſurrection will bring them together again, but where the ſoul and God are parted in the ſpirituall death, and the naturall death finds them in this caſe, eternall death preſently ſeizes that ſoul, and that ſeparation wilbe everlaſting, that ſoul and happineſs will never meet.

6. Reaſon, The laſt reaſon to prove this Damnation to be exceeding great, is Becauſe it p. 189conſiſts in great, and dreadfull puniſhments. We ſhall make uſe of this old, and common diſtinction of

1. Poena Damni The puniſhment of loſs.

2. Poena Senſus, The puniſhment of ſenſe.

All evil is diſtinguiſhed into

1. Malum culpae, The evil of ſin.

2. Malum poenae, The ſin of puniſhment.

All evill of ſin may be diſtinguiſhed into

1. Inherent, our own ſins.

2. Adherent, our other mens ſins,

All evil of puniſhment as afore, into

1. Poenam Damni, the puniſhment of loſs.

2. Poenam Senſus, the puniſhment of ſenſe.

Man is a compound creature, conſiſting of a ſoul and body, a Coeleſtiall and Terreſtriall part, as God is Lord both by Creation, Preſervation, and Purchaſe, ſo he requires to be honoured with both, with all of both, all the parts of our bodys, and all the powers of our ſouls: If the Apoſtles inference hold concerning one, (viz) Gods right of purchaſe, ye are bought with a price, and therefore ought to glorifie God, &c. It will conclude much more ſtrongly, if we take in all: ye are created with p. 190his power, preſerved by his providence, as well as bought with a price, therefore ye ought to glorifie God both with your bodies and ſouls, which are Gods. Here is the very qu…n…eſſence of reaſon that God ſhould have his own, that which is ſo much his own by a manifold right. Give unto Caeſar that which is Caeſars, and give unto God that wich is Gods. Now for ſuch as give up themſelves wholly to God in a way of grace and duty, taking him to be their …rtion, and his Son to be their Lord, preferring their intereſts before all others, ſerving them in the beautie of holineſs, and power of Godlineſs, giving up themſelves bodys, ſouls, and ſpirits unto God upon the account of the Covenant, deſiring nothing more than that their hearts may be whole with God, and they could be ſtedfaſt in his Covenant, making God and Jeſus Chriſt the joy of their hearts, and breath of their lives, and reſolve to continue ſo doing to the death, God hath provided for them ſuitable joyes and pleaſures in the life to come; Rationall delights for their reaſonable ſouls, and ſenſible delights for their glorified bodys. Miſtake not, far be it from me to ſay, or you to imagine that the glorified Saints ſhall enjoy ſuch carnall delights in heaven, which ſenſuall, and fleſh pleaſing men do make their heaven p. 191upon earth, that were a conceite better beſeeming a Turk than a Chriſtian, the Proſelytes of Mahomet have dreamed of ſuch an earthly, or rather helliſh heaven, by fancying ſuch an Utopian Paradiſe into which the unclean may enter, and the pleaſures of ſin ſhall meet them. The ſenſible pleaſures to be enjoyed there are ſuch as ſort, and ſuite with the ſublimated ſenſes of glorified bodies and no other.

And as God hath prepared ſuch ſuitable joyes and pleaſures for ſuch as love and ſerve him in ſincerity, even joyes for Soules, and pleaſures for bod…es, for thoſe that glorify him with Soules … ſo on the contrary thoſe that will … …ting call, nor cloſe with his …, in accepting his dear Son, … great Salvation offered with him, but remaine ſworne vaſſalls to the Divell, World, and Fleſh giving up the parts and powers of their Soules and Bodies to ſerve ſin in the luſt of it, Theſe ſhall receive wages according to their work, as they polluted themſelves with filthineſs of the fleſh and ſpirit, and diſhonoured God with their Soules and Bodies, ſo God will puniſh them accordingly, their Soules with rationall puniſhments, tribulation and anguiſh ſhall be upon the Soul of every one that doth evill, and their p. 192bodies with ſenſible, which the word ſhaddows out by fire and brimſtone.

Theſe two ſorts of Torments are breifly contained in thoſe Scriptures, Iſay. 66.24. Mark. 9.44. In the worme that dyeth not, and the fire that never goeth out. In which expreſſions expoſitors conceive the holy Ghoſt alludeth unto two Kinds of burialls of dead corpſes, ſome were interred in the earth, and out of thoſe wormes would breed, which would eat them up, and never leave devouring till all were conſumed, an Ancient gives this account of the degrees of that annihilation, which reſolves the body into its principle of nullity. Caro in putredinem, putredo in vermes vermis in pulvere, pulvis in nihilum redigitur. The fleſh is turn'd into rottenneſs, that rottenneſs into wormes, thoſe wormes into duſt, and that duſt is reduced to nothing.

Other bodies were not buryed in the earth, but were burned with fire, and reduced to aſhes, and thoſe aſhes were reſerved in urnes. Only here is the difference, this worme is not like that that devours bodies, for when the body is conſumed, that worme dies, nor is this fire like that that burnes carcaſſes, for when the carcaſes are burnt, that fire goes out, but this is ignis inextinguibilis unquenchable fire.

p. 193By this never dying worme we are to underſtand the worme of an accuſing, and tormenting conſcience, that is ever gnawing, and hereby we may underſtand all rationall torments of which the buffetings of conſcience are the cheifeſt.

And by this fire that never goes out, we are to underſtand the torments of ſenſe, ſet off by burning, becauſe that was the moſt torturing death that was inflicted by the Jewes; but to open theſe a little more fully, we will take them as they lie before us, and ſpeak of them apart.

1 Rationall torments provided for damned Soules are a part, and the greateſt part of the torments of Hell, for which this deſerves to be called Great Damnation. Now as the Soul is diſtributed into the underſtanding, will, and affections, ſo we may aſſigne unto theſe ſoveral faculties their peculiar torments, I only intend to touch upon them to give you a taſt, and not to enter upon any topicall, and methodicall diſcourſe concerning them.

1 They ſhall be plagued in their underſtandings, by ſeing, and knowing, and feeling themſelves to be irrecoverably loſt, and intolerably miſerable: Here the meſſengers of the Lord, knowing the terrors of the Lord, p. 194did cry alowd to give warning of their ſin, and danger, and duty, they did throw Hell-fire in their faces, and ſo gaſter them with the thunder and lightning of Hell and damnation, that they could never be at quiet, but were even tormented before their time; and when they had done their uttermoſt, when they had ſtudyed, and preacht, and prayed, and waited, and wept themſelves into conſumptions, in ſeeking to them, and to God for them, that they might be ſaved, they could make no better a report of their embaſſy to him that ſent them, but to this effect. Lord, who hath believed our report, or to whom hath the arme of the Lord been revealed? In which ſeat doth that Sou… ſi…, in what town is his habitation, or in what family dwells he that was dead and is alive, that was loſt and is found? Some of us, thy unworthy ſervants, Lord, have through undeſerved mercy been preachers ten, ſome twenty, ſome thirty, ſome forty yeares and more, to ſuch and ſuch congregations, we have preacht ſome hundreds, ſome of us thouſands of Sermons, and through grace we have indeavoured to do it faithfully in our meaſure, we have taught publikly and from houſe to houſe, we have ſpoken with authority, and dealt perſonally and familiarly with p. 195the ſoules of refuſers, and all was but loſt labour upon them, though not a labour in vaine to our ſelves: Will not this be a ſad hearing for thouſands, when thoſe, that have been watchmen for their ſouls, muſt come to give up this account with griefe; But what will the Lord ſay to this? Will he ſay to thoſe that would not be taught, be ignorant ſtill, and to thoſe that would not be reformed, be diſobedient ſtill, no ſurely, it may well be doubted whether the Lord had not formerly ſeared them up in their ignorance and prophaneneſs, with ſuch an hardning of their hardneſs by inflecting ſenſleſneſs for their affecting ſenſleſneſs: But now it ſhall be otherwiſe, the ignorant ſhall be no longer ignorant, the drunkard, ſwearer, who monger, ſabboth-breaker ſhall be ſo no longer, they ſhall ſee with their eyes, and hear with their eares, and underſtand with their hearts, though they ſhall never be converted, nor be healed; Lord thy hand is lifted up, ſaid the Prophet Iſay, and they will not ſee, thy wrath was in the threatning, they ſaw a black clowd riſing, and a driving ſtorme coming, and would not beware, but now they ſhall ſee, volentes, nolentes, willing or nilling they ſhall hear and underſtand, and be aſhamed, and confounded.

p. 196Then ſhall the damned know good and evill, as the Angels that kept not their firſt eſtate know it, and as the Divel perſwaded our firſt parents to know it, to know the excellency of good by the miſery of evill, by a wofull experimentall knowledge, as light is known by darkneſs, or ſweetneſs by bitterneſs. Then they ſhall be fully convinc'd in their judgements of that, which no art of ours, no evidence of the ſpirit could prevaile with them to believe, that Gods juſtice is as infinite as his mercy, and his mercy no larger than his truth: That Chriſt is only a refuſe for humble, penitent, believing ſinners, and none elſe, that Hell is as hot, and eternity full as long as Gods word, and Miniſters have told them.

2 They ſhall be plagued in their conſciences; The conſcience is taken to be a part of the practicall underſtanding: Scientia cum ſcientia, a reflex knowledge joyn'd with a direct knowledge, and moſt of the rationall torments of the damned are diſcharged upon conſcience, and therefore the worme of conſcience as inſtar omnium is ſynechdochically, put for for all. If a wounded conſcience were an intolerable burden upon earth, ſurely a damned conſcience will be much more intolerable p. 197in Hell. Some do cut this worme of conſcience into three peices, but cut it into an hundred, and it will never die.

1. Memoria praeteritorum.

2. Senſus praeſentium.

3. Metus futurorum.

1. The remembrance of things paſt.

2. The ſenſe of preſent miſery.

3. The fear of wrath to come.

But I may not enlarge upon theſe particulars, leaſt it ſwell this part of our diſcourſe, that it will not hold proportion with the reſt.

While they lived here, though the mighty word mannaged by Sons of thunder, did often grate upon conſcience, that their ſins were hardly the pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon, yet the ſpirit of ſlumber did often fall upon them, and they might perhaps fall into ſome pleaſing dream while that ſleep laſted; or they might be ſear'd with an hot iron, and made paſt feeling, but when the pit ſhuts her mouth upon the ſinner, the conſcience opens hers, and opens it wide, & opens it ſo as it ſhall never be ſhut more, the conſcience is all feeling, & the ſinner can never hope for any flattering anodine from his bribed p. 198conſcience, but muſt indure conſcience as Judge Jury, & Witnes & Executioner for ever & ever. When a ſinner in hell ſhall look back upon his time upon earth, and conſider that God made him a reaſonable creature fit to perform unto him reaſonable ſervice, and reveal'd his righteous will in his law and Goſpel, both for matter and manner of his ſervice; and g…ve him his lot of being, not onelyonly in the boſome of his Church, and in Goſpel times, but in reforming times, when the Sun was broken out of a cloud, and ſhined in ſtrength, and did ſtrive with him by his Spirit in ordinances and providences, making many gracious offers of Chriſt, and with Chriſt himſelf, and Spirit, and all things belonging to their peace, ſaying and ſwearing that he takes no delight in the death of ſinners, intreating, and beſeeching them to be reconciled, to return and live; expoſtulating with them why they will dye, why they will not be gathered, waiting with invincible patience, and, a very miracle of long-ſuffering, when it will once be; yet after all this, after Chriſt, and mercy, and grace have been offered, and refuſed, after ſin hath been reproved and yet continued in; Faith and other graces have been preſſed, of as abſolute neceſſity to Salvation, and never heeded, duty p. 199hath been taught, and never performed, ſeaſons & opportunitys have been offered and all neglected and fruſtrated; and now to conſider that there ſhall never be one call more, one offer of grace more, one opportunity to be ſaved more, they are all loſt and loſt for ever, this makes the heart to ſinke and dye, and this is the worm of conſcienc… that never dyes.

Sinners believe it, though you can now ſlight Chriſt at your pleaſure, and wilfully neglect this great Salvation, and deipiſe the riches of Gods patience and long-ſuffering and will not be brought to repentance, all the cords of Love cannot draw you to it, and neither ſcourges, nor ſcorpions can drive you: when this ſhalbe lookt back upon in hell (and the time is near) it will prove the moſt torturing torment in the bottomleſs pit, the moſt tormenting torture that the damned can meet with through all eternity: Then let the ſtundieſt ſinner refuſe to ſubmit to the ſentence of Damnation, if he can, let him turn away his ear from the clamours of his conſcience, if he can, let him break priſon, & get out of hell, if he can, or if he cannot (as it is more than infinitely impoſſible) then let men ſet themſelves ſericuſly and ſeaſonably to the preventing of it, and make uſe of Gods gracious warnings, that they never come into thoſe torments.

p. 2003. They ſhalbe plagued in their Wills, with ſtubborneſs, and wilfulneſs: God would and they would not, here; they would, and God would not, when they were departing hence, but neither they nor God will, when they come to hell: the ſinner that could not be wrought upon to be made willing in the time of Love, ſhalbe of obdurate, that he ſhalbe wilfull in the day of his wrath: ſins of the damned do partake much of that wilfulneſs that is in the ſinners againſt the Holy Ghoſt here, as here they ſin willingly, ſo there they ſin wilfully. As by Adam's ſin mankind was bound up to good, & let looſe to evil, and that is all the moral freewil they have, till through regeneration, the Son hath made them free indeed, ſo after judgement is paſt upon them, the damned are utterly diſabled from all good, and their hearts are ſet in them to do wickedly, ſo that they are ſinning, and yet ſuffering, ſuffering and yet ſinning for ever and ever. The damned could well enough away with a hell of ſin, but they cannot indure a hell of ſuffering, if that might but be abated, it were the haven where they would be.

Objection, But if ſin be their delight, is this wilfulneſs in ſinning, their plague, and puniſhment.

p. 201Anſwer, yea and as great as any, for as Pharoah's hard heart was the biggeſt plague in Egypt, that pull'd down all the reſt, ſo this ſining frame of Spirit, this ſinning wilfully and with a hard heart, is one of the greateſt plagues of hell, for if the ſins of a ſinners life were not more than enough, this would find fuel to ſupply the fire for ever and ever.

4. I ſhall but touch upon ſome of the paſſions, and paſs over to the next.

Love, Joy, Hope, Deſire being bereft of their objects, the damned are bereft of them: they would not love God, nor what God loves here, and there they cannot, they would not joy in believing here, with joy unſpeakable and glorious, the joy of grace, and Salvation would not reliſh with them, and now they have nothing to rejoyce in; while they lived they made a kind of a mock-conſolation of the pleaſures of ſin, of the Profits, pleaſures, and honours of the world, but theſe are paſſed away, as if they had never been, Tranſit voluptas, dolor manet, & nothing remains but the doleful remembrance of them. They had a door of hope once opened to them, and a prize in their hands, if they had had hearts to uſe it, but now its ſhut and barr'd, and ſhall never be opened more, and they are left to mourn as without hope, and p. 202without God in that world. They had no deſire of God, and Chriſt, and happineſs, while they lived here, or no more but a carnal deſire, as Balaam deſired the death of the righteous without their life, ſo they deſired happineſs without holineſs, and glory without grace, and there the deſire of their Souls ſhall never be towards his name, or if they could never ſo much deſire to get out of the bottomleſs pit, there can be no redemption.

The tormented and tormenting paſſions which will find the damned ſuffering work in their Souls world without end, are thoſe that are contrary to theſe forementioned affections, I ſhall trouble you but with three.

1. Hatred, which is loves contrary.

2. Greif, which is joys contrary.

3. Fear, or deſpair which is hopes contrary.

1. As there is no love in Hell, ſo there is all Hatred, and if hatred, envy, and malice do gnaw ſo greedy, like helliſh vultures upon the hearts of the malicious here; If implacable anger, Ira furor brevis eſt.which is more than furor brevis, do ſo macerate the Sons of violence, when their blood-thirſty rage is not ſatisfied: How will this paſſion work, p. 203when they come to hell? If they hate God, and the Saints, and one another with ſuch bitter hatred upon earth: ſurely the matter will not be mended when they come to hell; beſides that, that they ſhall hate God, as God abhors them, and that they ſhall hate the Saints, that are gathered to the congregation of the firſt-born, whom God hath ſecured in his pavilion from the ſtrife of tongues. They ſhall like mad Dogs, or enraged Lions diſcharge their invenom'd ſpleens upon one another: Thoſe that have been fratres in malo, brethren in iniquity, and have walked hand in hand in the counſel of the ungodly, and have enticed one another into Satans ſnares: and accompanyed and incouraged, and hardned one another in the, waies of ſin, and hindred one anothers repentance and converſion; thoſe that could go in troopes to the harlots houſes, and bear one another company daies and nights at an Ale-houſe, and could ſwear, and be drunk, and whore, and revel, and rant together, like ſo many helliſh furies that had broke priſon, or hell had ſpued them out upon earth, and caſt them up as the foam and ſcumme of the bottomles pit, with what dejected, and fell countenances will theſe looke upon one another in hell? People that have been loſt by p. 204the neglect of Magiſtrates curſing their Magiſtrates, O you Princes of Sodome, you ſhould have been nurſing fathers to us, and you have cut our throats: your care ſhould have been that your ſubjects ſhould have lived under you in all godlineſs & honeſty, but you, like the unjuſt Judge, that neither feared God, nor reverenc't man, gave up your Kingdoms and power to the Beaſt, or Dragon, the Pope or Devil: Whereas you ſhould have ſerved God with your might, and if it had been poſſible have ſet a Candle upon every Candleſtick, and countenanc't and protected a godly and learned, and laborious Miniſtry, and not muzled their mouths, and have ſtopped the mouths of g…inſayers, and ſeducers, of blaſphemers and hereticks, and ſhould have been copies for your ſubjects to live by; but you were taken up in minding and plotting high things for your ſelves and relations, (but the things of God and heaven, the higheſt things were none of them) oh you cut-throats both of Churches and Commonwealths, you are juſtly in this condemnation, and we that have periſht through your baſe negligence, and notorious ungodlineſs muſt be here with you curſing and banning you for evermore.

Souls that have been loſt through the neglect p. 205of Miniſters will do the like by their Miniſters, oh you daubers with untempered mortar, you curſed time-ſervers, and men-pleaſers, you Wolves in ſheeps clothing, that inſteed of feeding did devour the flock, you cryed peace, peace, and made us flatter our ſelves with mercy, mercy, what peace is to the wicked now? what mercy for us and you? whether had it been better believing God, or your lying viſions; oh you ſoul-murderers, our blood is required at your hands, but we muſt be damned with you, world without end. The Quakers, and the Devils agents, the Factours for Rome and Hell do rail at good Miniſters now, and call them hirelings, and limbs of Antichriſt, but the bad Miniſters that have fed upon the milke, and clothed themſelves with the fleeces of the flock, and have neither fed nor taught the ſheep and lambs of their fold; they wilbe ready to tear out their own throats, they will then take ſhame unto themſelves, and befool and bebeaſt themſelves, and the Souls that have periſht by their neglect will heap worſe reproches upon them for ever and ever.

Hearers that have been deceived by the damnable doctrines of ſeducers, that have been led away by the errours of the wicked into p. 206Blaſpemies and Hereſies, they will ſay to their Sect-Maſters, as Paul ſaid to Elimas the Sorcerer, Act. 13.10. O full of ſubtlety and all miſcheife you children of the Devil, and enemies of all righteouſneſs, you have not ceaſed to pervert the right waies of the Lord: You have cumbred the Church with your wranglings about circumſtances, while the ſubſtantials and vitals of inviſible Chriſtianity have been left languiſhing, you have tithed Mint, Anniſs, and Cummine, and neglected juſtice and judgement, you have filled the world with doubtful diſputations de lanâ caprinâ, of things of nought; while the great truths of the Law and Goſpel, are unknown, and unbelieved, and unpractiſed: you do but beat your drums, and fill the Church with calmour, like the Idolaters at Tophet, while the children are a burning, that the cry may not be heard; whiles you are robbing the Church of its Fundamentals, and poyſoning the people with falſe doctrine, and Heterodox principles; you were the men that taught others to fight with ſhadows, while you carryed away the ſubſtance, and perplexed people about Churchmember-ſhip, and Baptiſme; and queſtions about the Law, till you had left them neither Church, Saviour, nor Goſpel: Then ſhall the p. 207poore ſilly Women that were led captive by Houſe-creepers (as the Apoſtle calls them) let fly againſt theſe ſeducers. O you ſons of the Deceiver-General and daughters of the Sorcereſs and the whore, oh ye children of Belzebub, and ſons of Which-craft, you are they that have dealt with us as the Devil dealt with our firſt Parents, or Jacob with Eſau, that gave us an apple for Paradiſe, and a meſs of Pottage for a Birth-right.

Family-Members that have been loſt through the careleſneſs of Family-maſters, they will let fly againſt the overſights of ſuch overſeers: O you caterers for the Devil, your houſes ſhould have been nurſeries for the Church, and they have been ſties, and kennels to breed up hel-hounds in, you ſhould have brought up your children in the fear and nurture, and admonition of the Lord, and done your indevour to make your ſervants Gods ſervants, you ſhould have read the word of God to them, and talked of it with them at your downlying, and upriſing; you ſhould have ſought God early and late, with them and for them, and according to the Commandment ſhould have preſerved the Sabbath in your Families, as well as obſerved it in your ſelves. But there was nothing but Prayerleſneſs all the p. 208week, and profaneneſs all the Sabbath; when you hired us, you gave us your careleſneſs for our earneſt, and now have brought upon your ſelves and us Damnation for our wages. The neglected wife will ſay to the neglecting huſband, as Zipora once to Moſes, Thou haſt been a bloody husband to me, and the graceleſs child to the graceleſs father, thou haſt been a bloody Butcher to me, and the unprofitable ſervant to the ungodly Maſter, thou haſt been a cruel Maſter to me: God will ſay to careleſs Brethren; The voice of your Brothers blood cries for vengeance, and thoſe that live here as neighbours and friends in their dull, carnal way of neighbour-hood & friendſhip, will cry ſin and ſhame upon one another, as the greateſt foes and moſt cruel enemies; O the heart-burnings that hell-fire ſhall kindle, the everlaſting grudges that ſhall find Fomentations, there's the malice that burns and boyls in that fiery lake in the breaſts of the damned; 'Twas not for nothing that Dives deſired his brethren ſhould be kept out of that place of torment, one reaſon amongſt the reſt may be conceived to be this, that their ſins being augmented by his, and they hardned in them by his ſociety, and example, his torments at their coming to hell ſhould receive an augmentation.

p. 2092. As there is no joy in hell, there is Greif with a witneſs, yea, with a thouſand thouſand witneſſes: Men count it their Solomon upon earth to have fellow-ſufferers, but this will be no palliation to the pangs of hell, but augmentations rather, eſpecially by the ſins of others, which have been made ours by acceſſorineſs. Here they would not greive with godly ſorrow, but there they ſhall greive, though with ſorrow as far from godly ſorrow as the heaven is from hell. How many with worldly ſorrow have grieved themſelves to death; taking up Rachells Lamentation, perhaps for children, or ſome other relation in the fleſh, mourning, refuſing to be comforted? But this helliſh ſorrow doth far exceed it, every pang of it is a heart-breaking ſorrow; we uſually ſay, were it not for hope the heart would break, and all the mourning in hell is mourning without hope: Ezekiel makes mention of a book written within and without with Lamentations and mournings and We, and the Damned have no other book to read in: If they look to their book without, the book of Scriptures, by that they ſtand condemned, and according to that, ſentence is paſt upon them. If they look to the book of conſcience, the book within, that contains nothing but matter p. 210of mourning and everlaſting Lamentation, nothing but what will cauſe Weeping and howling and gnaſhing of teeth.

3. As there is no hope in hell, ſo there is fear & horour in ſuch ſuperabundant meaſure, that like a thouſand Milſtones, or Mountains of lead they would ſink the Soul to the bottom of that Sea of wrath, were it not bottomleſs. They ſhall be raging mad with fear, and deſperate horrour at the fearful ſights that their eyes ſhall ſee, and the fearful things that their ears ſhall hear. They had no fear of God before their eyes while they lived in the fleſh, they could fear the face and frowns of man, who was but Duſt and Aſhes, but the dreadful everliving God, that ought to be feared, he was not feared; we could never bring them to the beginning of wiſdom, the fear of the Lord, with all that we could ſay or do, though we have ſtudyed to ſpeak words that might cut like ſwords, and have preacht them Sermons as keen as Razors: Though we have improved all our wit and skill in handling that Sacrificing knife that pierces to the dividing aſunder of the Soul, and Spirit, and Joynts and Marrow, though we have in our ſevere denunciations of certain judgements ſpoken thunder claps and fire-brands, and thrown he…l fire amongſt p. 211them in many and many a Sermon, yet they were ſo croſs-grain'd, and knotty, that they were fearleſs in the midſt of real fears, though they could fear where no fear was; but now the caſe is altered, before they would not fear alwaies to purchaſe bleſſedneſs, Pro. 28.14. and now they ſhall fear alwaies, with Gods curſe to boot; now they ſhall fear vvith a vengeance, and God ſhall ſet a marke upon them, even Cain's marke, a perpetual quaking, not a horn in 's forehead, as the Maſter of Fancy, the Jewiſh Rabbies have ſome of them thought, but a hornet in his conſcience. The curſe that God threatned to the Rebellious children of diſobedience, Deut. 28.65. ſhalbe inflicted upon them, God ſhall give them a trembling heart. They vvould not ſanctifie the Lord in their hearts, nor make him their fear and dread, vvhen he vvould have undertaken to be for a Sanctuary againſt all other fear, Iſay 8.13, 14. and therefore novv a confluence of all other fears ſhall flovv in upon them like the billovvs of the raging, Sea, which cannot reſt, one in the neck of another: Here the very name of the Devil is like a Bug-bear to children; if they have but thoughts of ſeeing him in their ſolitary vvalks, eſpecially vvhen they are in the dark; they are ready to creep p. 212into corners to hide themſelves, If they do but dream of him, how do their thoughts trouble them till they awake; and if they ſee him indeed, though he do not appear in the moſt formidable ſhape, they are ready to fall dead, or mad. Oh what will they do when they ſhall be caſt into the ſame priſon with all the Devils in hell, and they muſt continue ſhut up with them for ever? What fear and trembling ſhall then come upon them, what Tribulation and anguiſh ſhall fill their Souls to the very brim? What horrour and deſperation ſhall over-whelm the damned, when the King of fears, the death natural, hath delivered them up unto the Second death, when fear & anguiſh is ſtill coming upon them, and they ſhall never know when Wrath is come upon them to the uttermoſt, it ſhall all be ſo to the uttermoſt, and all without end, deſpairing Cain's Language differs now in the ſeveral readings: one runs thus, My puniſhment is greater than I can bear, Gen. 4.13. the other thus, Mine iniquity is greater than that it can be forgiven, then both theſe ſhall be true of all the damned, their Sins are impardonable, and their torments unſuffereable; Chriſts merit cannot then ſatisfie for their ſins, neither can Gods mercy pardon them; God and Chriſt p. 213can as ſoone ceaſe to be what they are as to do it. The caſe of the damned for ever ſhall be much like that of the wicked, that ſhall be alive immediately before Chriſt's coming to judgement, Luk. 21.25, 26. There ſhalbe ſigns in the Sun, and in the Moon, and in the Stars; that is, if we conſult Mat. 24.29. The Sun ſhalbe darkned, and the Moon ſhall not give her light, and the Stars ſhall fall from heaven, and the powers of the Heavens ſhalbe ſhaken, &c. When upon the world God ſhall rain Stars, and the ungodly may ever expect when he ſhall rain ſnares, fire and brimſton, ſtorm and tempeſt to be the portion of the wicked to drink; When theſe are but the beginning of ſorrows, & more pangs are coming upon them as upon a woman in travel; as the Evangeliſt Luke goes on, upon the earth there ſhalbe diſtreſs of Nations and perplexity, the Sea and Waves roaring; Mens hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after thoſe things which are coming: for all the judgements that are come, they ſhall ſtill be eaten up with fear of further wrath, and indignation that is ſtill a coming.

2. Senſible torments provided for the bodies of the damned are alſo a part of thoſe puniſhments: which do denominate this to be GREAT DAMNATION: As the former p. 214were comprehended under the Worm that dyeth not, ſo theſe under the fire that never goeth out; As the torments of conſcience were put for all rational torments belonging to the Soul, ſo the torments of the ſenſe of feeling, here ſignified by fire, is put for all ſenſible torments belonging to the body. I ſhall firſt diſcover unto you, why the torments of hell are compared to fire: The Jews before their Juriſdiction was taken away by Herod, who was ſur-named the great, primus ex alienigenis Rex Judeorum, the firſt of forraigners that was King of the Jews, had three Courts of Judicature: one was ruled by three men, wherein were tryed money matters, and leſſer cauſes. The 2 did conſiſt of 23 Judges, who heard & decided weighty affairs, and matters of life and death: And theſe two were called the leſſer Shanedrim. The higheſt of all, which was called the great Shanedrim, had 71 Judges, who had the hearing of moſt weighty affairs, as the matter of a whole Tribe, or an high Prieſt, or a falſe Prophet. Now the puniſhments that their Judicatories did infl ct, were of four Sorts. 1. Hanging, 2. Beheading, 3. Stoning, 4. Burning. And becauſe burning was the moſt dreadful, therefore doth our Saviour …llude unto that in comp…ring of hell-torments to fire.

p. 215Neither is it every kind of fire, but the fire of Gehenna; now that Gehenna was the Vally of Hinnom, a place in the ſuburbs of Jeruſalem, where Idolaters offered their children halfe burnt to Idols; Which place was alſo called Tophet from a word in the Hebrew tongue which ſignifies a Drum, becauſe they did beat drums to deaden the cries of the Infants while they were a burning: Indeed thoſe half burnings do beſt ſhadow out unto us thoſe of hell, where the d…mned ſhall be fuel for everlaſting fire, ever burning and never conſumed, ever dying, and never dead. Its alſo called fire and brimſtone, as if fire it ſelf were not hot enough to ſhadow out the terrour of it.

I might here enlarge upon all the ſenſes, as we did before upon the faculties, but the very torments of the Soul are the very Soul of torments, and do as far ſurpaſs bodily torment as the Soul doth the body. And I have enlarged ſo much upon that, that its time to think of contracting here.

Yet for all the haſt, know that as Heaven is likened to a Kingdom, where there is a confluence of Pleaſures, ſo Hell is compared to a Priſon, where there is an inundation of Miſerys Its called in the Goſpel foreign utter darkneſs, being furtheſt from God the p. 216Fountain of life and glory ſay ſome. Becauſe compared to a priſon ſay others, and priſons were uſually without the gates of Cities, and they were dark places, eſpecially the dungeons, where malefactours were as it were buryed alive: Without are doggs ſaith John of the new Jermſalem, Revel 22.15. Within are children, but without doggs. And the Apoſtle calleth Infidels ſuch as are without, Col. 4.5. without indeed if you read all thoſe withouts Eph. 2.12. Without Chriſt, without the Commonwealth of Iſrael, without the Covenant of promiſe, without hope, and without God in the world; and ſurely thoſe that are in hell are, and everlaſtingly ſhalbe without in all theſe reſpects: Now as in a Priſon all the ſenſes have their puniſhments, The Eyes are puniſhed with darkneſs, the Ears with complaints of fellow priſoners, the Smell with loathſome ſtinks, the Palate with the hunger or courſeſt proviſions, the Touch with the hard earth, and cold, and nakedneſs: So in the priſon of hell ther's. foreign the blackneſs of darkneſs for the ſight, beſides that curſed crue of the Devils and damned, the diſpleaſed countenance of the Almighty, and the ſight of him who… their ſins have pierced: Their ears ſhal… filled with roarings, and howlings, and p. 217gnaſhing of teeth, beſides the curſes, and blaſphemies of the damned. Their ſmell ſhall be ſuffocated with fire and brimſton; their taſt glutted with Gall and Worm-wood, and the dreggs of the Cup of the Lords Fury. And their touch with fire, with fire unquenchable. Obſerve laſtly that our Enquiries concerning Hell are here anſwered by fire, to note out unto us the extremity of hell-torments. Fire is as great a torment as our capacities can reach unto, but if they can reach higher, the terrours of thoſe infernal torments are ſtill out of our reach; As a fire painted on a wall in the ſtory of Dives and Lazarus is nothing in compariſon of our Culinary fire, ſo that fire that burns upon our hearths is but like a painted fire for heat to the flames of hell. Suppoſe a woman ſhould lye in the extreameſt pangs of childbirth for 100 years; or a man ſhould lye languiſhing under the continual pains of ſtone, and goute, and collick for 1000. Suppoſe a Traytour ſhould be upon the Rack as many years as there are drops in the Sea; or a Malefactour ſhould be a burning as many years as there are Sands on the Sea-ſhore: Suppoſe Captives ſhould be detained in the Turkiſh G…llies, or in that hell upon earth, the Devils Slaughter-houſe, the Spaniſh Inquiſition for p. 218as many years as there are Stars in the Firmament. Theſe if they were real would be amazing and confounding conſiderations able to ſhake to pieces the ſtouteſt heart of the moſt daring Nimrod; but theſe that we have been ſpeak…ng of are ſo infinitly beyond them, ut nihil ſupra; that nothing can be more tranſcendedently inconceivable, and unſpeakable; AETERNITY is of ſuch a length, that when we have run to our wits end, we are but at the beginning of it, if that Ever and Never, though ſhort in ſyllables, and ſound, yet are ſo long in ſenſe and ſignification, that they are the ſavour of life and death to the ſaved, and damned; ever with the Lord, and never taken out of his Hands, is the ſavour of life to life to the one; ever with the Devil, and never redeem'd from hell, is the ſavour of death unto death to the other. Eternity is the very bottom of the bottomleſs pit, though the torments were eaſleſs, yet if they were not alſo endleſs they might be the better indured, But when thouſands, and ten thouſands, and Millions, and thouſands of Millions, and Millions of Millions, and all the numbers in Arithmetick are added, and put into one ſum total; when the drops, and ſands of the Sea, and ſtars of the Firmament, and all hairs upon all p. 219heads from the worlds creation to the day of Judgement ſhalbe compared with the years of Eternity: Nondum finis, nondum medium, nondum principium aeternitatis deſignatur, they are ſo far from reaching to the end, that they cannot reach the Middle, no not the Beginning of eternity. Sic parvis magna, thus have I given you a Slender account of thoſe great puniſhments which conſtitute this Great Damnation, and ſo endeth the laſt of the Reaſons.

USE.

The onelyonly proper uſe to be made of a Sermon of Damnation; that it may be the power of God through faith unto Salvation, is a uſe of Terrour ſet home by a Son of thunder unto the conſciences of ſecure ſinners that are ſettled on their lees, frozen in theis dreggs, and lye ſoaking in their luſts. As the Doctrine of Salvation may be the ſavour of death, and aggravate the Damnation of unprofitable hearters, ſo the Doctrine of Damnation may be the ſavour of life, and tend to the furtherance of Salvation to ſuch as hear in hearing, that hear and underſtand, and are converted, and healed. The Doctrine of Salvation like a pleaſant Song, may lull ſinners into p. 220a Spiritually Lethargy, when the Doctrine of Damnation may awake them, and diſcover to them their danger to prevent it. Oh that I could now ſpeak with the tongue of Angels; or rather that the Lord would ſpeake unto you by the words of a man of like infirmities with your ſelves, your fellow-creature and ſervant, who is but duſt and aſhes; oh that the Lord would either give me the tongue of the Learned, or ſpeake effectually by my Stammering tongue, and open me a wide door of utterance and enterance! Though I ſpeake of a dreadfull Theme, no leſs than Great Damnation, yet afford me the hearing; Its better to hear it than to feel it, you had better hear a man coolly telling you of the greatneſs of the thing, than to hear an angry God terribly denouncing the greatneſs of the ſentence; I may beſpeake your attention as Elihu did Jobs, Job. 33 6, 7. Behold I am according to your wiſh in Gods ſtead, I alſo am formed out of the clay; Behold my terrour ſhall not make you afraid, neither ſhall my hand be heavy upon you. But here I muſt lift up my voice, and cry aloud, or elſe I cannot wake you, (and he had need to have a ſtronger voice than mine that ſhall ſpeake loud enough for the dead to hear.) When ſinners are ſo ſupine and negligent that they can hear p. 221the wiſe and powerful charmes of the Goſpel with Adders ears, and ſo dead aſleep that they can hear the words of the curſe and bleſs themſelves in their hearts, and promiſe themſelves peace when God proclaimes War, and ſaith again and again no peace to the wicked, I ſay 48.22. and 57.21. When you can come to the ordinances, and ſit as Gods people do, as if you did delight to know his waies, and enquire after the ordinances of juſtice, and yet are no more moved with the ſad, or glad tidings of the law or Goſpel, than the Seats you ſit upon, or the Stones you tread upon; no more moved with a diſcouſe of judgement to come, or ſhaken with the breath of Gods diſpleaſure than the Walls, or Pillars that you leane unto; The dead under-ground are as ſenſible of what is ſpoken as the dead above ground; how juſtly may we fear that the Lord will anſwer you according to your Idolls? What need have the Lords ſervants to ſtep into the gapp, and ſtep betwixt you and danger and ſeeke the Lord that he may not give a hardning commiſſion to his word, and miniſtry, for if he once bind ther's no looſing, and if he ſhut none can open.

The proper effect of this great Damnation is to ſtrike terrour through the ſpirits of ſuch p. 222as are within reach of it; And I have to do with men and women that have reaſonable Souls, into which God hath put the affections of fear and love; and the ſame God hath put into his word promiſes and threatnings ſuitable to theſe affections, that they may be drawn with the promiſes as with the cords of love, or driven with the threats as with the rod of men; you have heard of great Salvation, a mighty motive to draw you, and great Damnation a mighty engine to drive you; I have ſet before you life and death, bleſſing and curſing…, oh that the Lord would perſwade you to make Maries choiſe, to chooſe life, that your Souls, your precious Souls may live and live for ever: Since I have undertaken this expedition, as David did his againſt Goliah, not having any confidence in Sword or Spear, but laying all the ſtreſs upon the Name and power of the living God, I will not deſpair, but that the Doctrine here delivered may take hold upon ſome hearts that may be ſavingly bettered by it.

Sinners remember that the time is at hand when the Lord Jeſus muſt be revealed; and the great Judge is even ready to take the Throne to ſit upon life and death; and all both quick and dead muſt be gathered before him; and thoſe that have made light of Salvation p. 223offered, Chriſt will make light of their Damnation inflicted; Thoſe that take counſel againſt the Lord and againſt his Chriſt, ſaying let us breake their bonds aſunder, and caſt their cords from us; He that ſitteth in heaven ſhall laugh them to ſcorn, the Lord ſhall have them in deriſion, Then he ſhall ſpeak unto them in his wrath, and vexe them in his ſore diſpleaſure, yet have I ſet my King upon my holy hill of Sion, The deſpiſers of Chriſt ſhalbe confounded, and he alone ſhalbe exalted in that day.

It is reported of Philip King of Macedon, that he cauſed his Page to come every morning to his Chamber door with this good morrow, Memento, Philippe, te eſſe mortalem, O Philip remember that thou art a man, and muſt dye like a man, as Moſes ſaith in Pſal. 82.6, 7. I have ſaid ye are Gods, but ye ſhall dye like men, and you Princes ſhall fall like others. Its reported of the ancient Aegyptians that in their great feaſts they cauſed a Deaths head to be carryed about the Table, to put them in mind of their mortality, a frolick that the Epicures and Belly-gods of our times, that ſit-down to eat and drink, and riſe up to play, are not acquainted with: its reported of one of the Fathers, and I think it is Hierome: That he ſeemed alwaies to hear that ſaying ſounding in p. 224his ear, Surgite mortui, venite ad judicium, ariſe you dead and come to judgement. The meditations of death and judgement are excellent coroſives to eat out the heart of ſin, and no leſs Soveraign preſervatives to keep us upright. If we adde two more unto them, which this Scripture prompts us to take in, it will be more than a double fence, it wilbe a double bar to keep out ſin, and a double cord to draw to God, and duty. The ſecond that my Text adds are Hell and Heaven, Salvation and Damnation; and theſe four put together are quatuor noviſſima, the four laſt things, and will furniſh us with excellent matter for profitable meditation; Some adviſe to meditate of Death, ſome to think of Judgement; ſome adviſe that we ſhould remember Hell, others that above all we ſhould not forget Heaven; but, if they are of ſuch force ſingle to kill ſin, and quicken grace, to help the Spirit, and mortifie the fleſh, vis unita fortior, when they joyn forces, they will do their work more effectually; I ſhall therefore lay and leave them before you as the fitteſt ſubjects of daily ſerious Meditation.

1. Death ſhalbe the firſt in order, becauſe it is firſt in time; the great Statute of the Churches Magna Charta (the Scriptures) is recorded p. 225thus, Heb. 9.27. It is appointed unto all men once to dye: The Scriptures tell us, examples tell us, all former generations tell us, experience tells us, our own infirmities tell us that there is not that man living that ſhall not ſee death: O what ſhould dying men have to do with ſin? ſurely not to hugg it in their boſomes, and lodge it next their hearts, and let it reign in their mortal bodies, and ſerve it in the luſts of it, but to kill, and crucifie, and mortifie it, to kill it before they dye, to kill it which otherwiſe will kill them, ſin is the ſting of death, and it makes death to be the King of fears to a man in his ſins, O death how bitter is thy remembrance to ſuch a one? We dare not dye in our ſins. Balaam that lived the life of the wicked, did chooſe to dye the death of the righteous; ſin unrepented of is the worſt pillow that a mans head can lye upon on a dying bed; and ſinners, if they can by the help of a ſeared, or flattering conſcience make a ſhift to dye quietly, that no bonds appear in their death, no deſperate horrour open them an entrance into Hell, yet the wicked ſhall not be able to ſtand in the Judgement, nor the ſinners in the congregation of the righteous; they may elude humane juſtice, or out-face, and out-brave it in mens courts, p. 226greatneſs may carry them off with power, or poverty with pitty; but righteous judgement ſhall be there diſpenſed by the ſearcher of hearts to high and low according to their works; And this is certain, that no unclean thing can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; ther's no Purgatory to ſcour ſuch as dye polluted, but as death leaves them, ſo ſhall Judgement find them: Ther's no knowledge, nor wiſdom, nor invention in the grave, ſaith Solomon, O that they were wiſe to conſider this, that they would remember their latter end, ſaith Moſes on the behalf of Iſrael, noting what David ſaith, the onelyonly way to apply a mans heart to wiſdom, is to pray to God to teach him to number his daies, Pſal. 90.12. And in another place the Prophet notes that Jeruſalems filthineſs was in her skirts, becauſe ſhe remembred not her latter end, Lament. 1.9. The onelyonly way to have all in a readineſs at death, to have calling and election made ſure, and to have nothing to do but to dye when death comes, is to write it in our memories, and to be often drawing it out by meditation and conference; ſome will wear a ring with a deaths-head upon their fingers, ſome will keep a dead mans ſcull in t…eir ſtudyes, or cloſets, ſome will have death pictured on their walls, or windows, ſome will p. 227have their Coffins in their chambers, ſome will write Memento mori upon their books as their Motto, remember death, all to help our dulneſs, and ſlowneſs of heart in believing that our end is near, and our diſſolution at hand: but thoſe that have gotten it deeply rooted in their hearts, and are carefull to keep the memory of death alive and quick in their meditations, are the onelyonly champions that are like to give death a valiant encounter, and to come off with victory, and triumph; Oh death where is thy ſting? Oh grave where is thy victory? Theſe are likelyeſt to give Paul's farewell to the world: I have fought, I have finiſhed, I have kept, &c. henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteouſneſs, 2 Tim. 4.7, 8. and Rom. 8.38. I am perſwaded that neither death, nor life, nor any other creature ſhall ſeparate us from the love of God which is in Chriſt Jeſus. The frequent Meditation of death is an excellent means to make us dye daily.

2. Judgement is the ſecond, becauſe it is deaths ſecond, & after death cometh the judgement, and it is ſure that we muſt all come to judgement, as that we muſt once dye: We muſt all appear before the judgement Seat of Chriſt to receive according to things done in the fleſh, whether they be good or evil. The word of God p. 228is abundant in ſetting this before us with all appurtenances that do accommodate it, as 1. The Judge and his throne, and attendants, and his work. 2 Theſ. 1.7, 8. The Judge the the Lord Jeſus. 2. His throne Heaven, ſhall be revealed from heaven. 3. His attendants, with his mighty Angels, 4. His work of juſtice, to render vengeance in flaming fire to them that know not God, and that obey not the Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and his gracious work, to be made glorious in them that believe. 2. The books by which we muſt b… judged, of Scripture, and Conſcience, Revel. 20.12. And I ſaw the dead ſmall and great ſtand before God, and the books were opened (i. e.) of Scripture, and Conſcience, and another book was opened (i. e.) the book of life, and the dead were judged out of thoſe things which were written in the books according to their works. 3. The cauſes that muſt be heard and tryed, good and bad, juſt and unjuſt. Ecles. 12.14. God ſhall bring every work into judgement, with every ſecret thing, whether it be good or evil. 4. The whole proceſs, and final ſentence, Gods dealing with the good and evil to convict the one of ſin unto Damnation, the other of righteouſneſs unto life; and the ſentence paſſed on them both, you ſhall find very punctually p. 229recorded Mat. 25. from 31. to the end. Wherefore is the word ſo exact in all theſe, but to aſſure us that there is nothing of greater certainty than death, and judgement.

O what ſhould thoſe have to do with ſin that muſt be brought to judgement? If they be brought to judgement in their ſins, that is before they have confeſſed & forſaken their ſins, before they have accuſed and condemned themſelves, they cannot ſtand in the judgement. Can duſt ſtand before a whirlwind, or ſtubble before a conſuming fire. Solomon throws this judgement as a ſtumbling block in the way of licentious youth, to ſtop them in their full careere, and to be a means to teach the young man how to cleanſe his way. Eccles. 11.9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the daies of thy youth, and walk in the waies of thine heart, and in the ſight of thine eyes; but know that for all theſe things God will bring thee to judgement. The former part of that verſe looks lovely in the eyes of a libertine, and ſpeaks to his very heart, but it hath as ſad a farewell as ever was heard: In the former part the preacher ſpeaks Ironically and in jeſt, but in the laſt he ſpeaks plainly and in good earneſt, thou maiſt if thou wilt do as thy liſt, but do if thou dareſt, for know this, take p. 230it home with thee, & take it home to thy heart, receive the point of this ſword into the very heart of thy beloved ſin, and if it kill it not, or give it a deaths wound, tell thy ſelf that thou haſt a ſtrong heart a heart that is ſermon-proof, & tell God ſo, & deſire him day night to take away thy heart of ſtone, and to give thee an heart of fleſh.

3. Hell and condemnation is commended as the third ſubject of our Meditation; for as after death cometh the judgement, ſo after judgement cometh the death; Had not men need to fear double leaſt they dye a double death; If men be ſo ſcared at the face of the death naturall, what ſhould they be at the thoughts of death eternal, in compariſon whereof the other death is but a ſhadow of death? It was ſaid of Jezebells children, Revel. 2.23. I will kill her children with death; Though all dye, yet believers are not kill'd with death; as the Spirit directed John to ſay unto Sardis, Thou haſt a name that thou liveſt and art dead, Rev. 3.1. We may ſay the contrary of ſound believers, they have but a name to dye, and are alive; that's (the thing) which kills the Soul, that is but (the name) which kills the body. This death beyond death is that which the Scripture calls the ſecond death…, Revel. 21.8. The fearfull and unbelie…ng, and abominable, and murderers, and p. 231Whoremon…ers, and Sorcerers, and Idolaters, and all Lyars ſhall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone, which is the ſecond death, and Revel. 20.6. Bleſſed and holy is he that hath part in the firſt Reſurrection, on ſuch the ſecond death hath no power. O what ſhould men do with ſin, when if they will have it, they muſt have hell to boote! durſt a malefactour play his pranks if the Judge lookt on him that muſt condemne him, and the torments were in ſight that were prepared for him? If ſinners did but ſee God frowning upon them, and hell gaping for them; if they did but ſee death before them, and Judgement beyond death, and hell beyond Judgement, they could not ſurely ſin with ſuch a ſwinge as they do; they could not ſin ſo damnably without check and controule: Sinners, do but go aſide once a day, and ſeriouſly meditate on the great damnation that you have heard of, and the Eternity of it, but one half hour, and if you do not walke the more warily, humbly, and circumſpectly, ſay I am a Lyar. One that writes the life of Mr. M…. Fu…r it his Holy State.Perkins reports of him that he did pronounce the word Damn with ſuch an emphaſis, that it left an Echo in the ears of his hearers a long time after; Oh that I could make ſuch an impreſſion of p. 232this Doctrine upon your Memories, that it may ſtick like a barbed Arrow in your conſciences, that may never be ſhaken out untill you break off your ſins, and unfainedly turn to God, who is ready to forgive abundantly, and to give liberally.

4. Heaven and Salvation is propoſed as the fourth matter of meditation, and both theſe laſt do follow Judgement, which ſends the Goats on the left hand to hell, and the Sheep on the right hand to heaven: The Libertines of the age would perſwade us that there is neither Hell nor Heaven, but what is in the conſcience; but let us aſſure our ſelves, if there were no other Hell or Heaven, there would be none there; if a conſcience excuſing in well doing did not flow from a Heaven in hope, and a conſcience accuſing for evil doing did not proceed from a hell in fear, ſurely there would be no ſuch conſciences; let the fancies of theſe vain men paſs for strong deluſions, and let us mind the true ſayings of the everlaſting Goſpel, which tell us, that as the wicked go into everlaſting puniſhment, ſo the righteous into life eternall. Matth. 25. ult. How poſitively, and alluringly doth the Scripture ſpeak of this bleſſed & bleſſed making place, calling it the third Heaven. 2 Cor. 12.2. The throne of God, I ſay 66.1. & p. 233we are directed to prefer our petitions to him as our Father dwelling heaven, Mat. 6.9. An houſe not made with hands, eternall in the Heavens. 2 Cor. 5.1. the ſeat of the bleſſed. The kingdom prepared for them from the beginning of the world, Matth. 25.34. ſhadowed out by the Mount Sion, Heb. 12.22, 23, 24. and the new Jeruſalem, Revel. 21.10. to the end, wherein many excellent things are ſpoken of this City of God. But I have ſpoken ſo largely both of the Priſon of Hell, and the Paradiſe of Heaven in the antecedent Doctrines of Salvation & Damnation, that the leſs may ſerve here. O what ſhould thoſe do with ſin that make it their refuge to lay hold on the hope that is ſet before them. Ther's no ſin in heaven, and if unclean ſinners ſhould be carryed thither in their uncleanneſs, heaven would not be heaven to them; Its the Saints holineſs that makes heaven their happineſs, and the grace they bring thither that prepares them for that Joy unſpeakable and glorious. When we meet with temptations to ſin let us remember Hell, with its forerunners, death and judgement, and that will prompt us to ſay with Joſeph, How can I do this great wickedneſs and ſin againſt God? Gen. 39.9. And when we meet with temptations from ſufferings, let us remember p. 234Heaven, and that will prompt us to ſay with Paul, I count that the afflictions of this preſent world are not worthy the glory which ſhalbe revealed. When we are inticed to ſin, let us ſit down and count the coſt, it may coſt our lives, it may coſt our precious Souls, it may looſe us Heaven and Salvation for eternity; and when we are diſcouraged in the waies of God, in laying out our ſelves to be wail our ſins, to treaſure up grace, to perform duty, and not be weary of well doing, to ſuffer patiently whatſoever can befall us for Chriſt's ſake, then let us ſit down and count our gain: It will make us live comfortably, it will give us hope in death, it will give us boldneſs in Judgement, it will ſave us from hell, it will advance us to Heaven.

To wind up all let me ſpeak cloſe to you as once Paul did to Agrippa, as if he would offer violence to force his belief: O Agrippa, believeſt thou the Scriptures? I know thou believeſt. you that have read or heard theſe Lines do you believe theſe things? I know you believe them; they are ſo ſet out in the demonſtration of the Spirit, and in power, that you cannot gain-ſay them; and if you cannot contradict them, will you not believe them?

1. Do you believe Goſpel-Salvation to be great Salvation? The Angels believe it and admire p. 235it, 1 Pet. 1.12. The Saints believe it and adore it, Revel. 5.11, 13. The number of them that gave glory to God was ten thouſand times ten thouſand, and thouſands of thouſands, and every creature in Heaven, and earth and ſea were heard to ſay, Bleſsing, Honour, Glory, and Power, be unto him that ſitteth upon the Throne, and to the Lambe for ever and ever.

The Devils believe and envy it. The damned believe it, and the loſs of it is that neverdying worm that renders them reſtleſs; and whether you will now believe it or no, the time is coming when you will believe and confeſs it with hearts as full of anguiſh, as ever they can hold: O believe it now and be happy for ever, and the Lord help your unbelief, and make you believers by the exceeding greatneſs of his Omnipotent Power, and according to the working of his mighty power; Oh that the King of Saints would command thoſe everlaſting doors of your underſtandings and wills to be opened to give entrance to the King of glory; that you may imbrace, and receive thankfully this great Salvation, that you may live and dye upon the faithfulneſs and truth of that acceptable and accepted ſaying. That Jeſus Chriſt came into the World to ſave ſinners.

2. Do you believe Goſpel neglecting to be great p. 236ſin? Thoſe that are truely inlightned, & touched with the fear of God do think ſo: thoſe that are under the convictions, and compunctions of the Spirit of bondage for this ſin do think ſo, they are ready to depend, and give up themſelves as loſt, and utterly undone under the load of it; this is ſtill ready at hand to make up the ſum totall of their confeſſions, we have added to all our tranſgreſſions of thy law this Monſter, that we have reſiſted and ſlighted thy gracious Goſpel. Againſt thee, thee have we ſinned and done this evil: O be mercifull to our ſin, to this of all ſins, for it is great. The infinite mercy of God and merit of Chriſt; and mighty Spirit of grace and adoption, revealing, offering, and applying that mercy and merit as balſome to the wounded Spirit, hath much ado to bear it up from ſinking under ſo inſupportable a burden. Inlightned ſinners will believe it at the laſt, when they are under the arreſt of death, then they will be ready with Cain and Spira to fill all the ears about them with their deſpairing complaints, then they could ſeek the bleſsing with tears as Eſau did, & could be content to fill heaven and earth with their roarings, if that would help them; Believe it, Sirs, the Devil that tempts you to make light of this Salvation now, and preſents p. 237it as a Molehill, will then turn the other end of the proſpective, and make it as bigg as a Mountain, and perſwade you it is greater than that it can be forgiven. How much better were it that you ſhould now believingly receive in this truth in the power of it, that where ſin hath abounded grace may ſuper-abound, and that you may in time leave and loath this ſin before it be your everlaſting undoing.

3. Do you believe that Great Damnation remains for ſuch as dye in this ſin? that the wrath of God abides on them here, and a ſorer puniſhment, and more fiery indignation will abide on them (if converſion prevent not) world without end? Thoſe that are in hell already do believe it, yea, they know not how to evade the believing it. They do curſe thoſe Mountebank Preachers that heal mens wound with oyly words, that ſpeak Placentia, things that may pleaſe itching ears, rather than things that may profit unbelieving hearts. Yea, they do charge it heavily upon their deceiv'd & own deceitful hearts, that when they heard the words of the Curſe, and threats of Damnation cauſed them to bleſs themſelves in their curſed practiſes, though they added drunkenneſs to thirſt, and Goſpelrefuſing to Law-tranſgreſſing, till all curſes written and unwritten came in tumbling upon p. 238them like mighty waters. How much better were it for men to carry about with them a hell in their conſciences, than to be carryed captive by the Devils into this hell of torments? How much eaſier were it for them to deſcend every day into hell by meditation, than at their dying day to be doom'd unto hell by condemnation.

Pliny writes of the Lions whelps that he is at firſt much given to Sleeping, but being once awakened, & ſcared with the hideous roaring of the old Lion, ſleeps ever after with his eyes open; The application is to our preſent purpoſe very pertinent. Thoſe that ſet light by Salvation are much given to ſleeping; they hear in the Text Damnation thundred out againſt ſuch ſleepers, like the roaring of a Lion Rampant; I heartily wiſh that this uſe may be made of it, that our conſciences may be ſo throughly awakened, to ſee our ſin and danger and duty, that we may alwaies ſleep with the eye of conſcience open, and that we may reſolve not to ſuffer our eyes to ſleep, nor our eye-lids to ſlumber, nor the temples of our heads to take any reſt, till we have made this great ſin our great Lamentation; till we have great and grounded probability of eſcaping this great Damnation, and till we have believed, and prayed, and lived our ſelves into ſome p. 239ſetled and imfalliable perſwaſions of our obtaining of this great Salvation. All which the Lord give grace unto his choſen people effectually to perform, for his great names ſake, for his beloved Sons ſake, for his gracious Spirits ſake. And the grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and the love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghoſt be with you all, 2 Cor. 13.14. Amen.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the Church by Chriſt Jeſus, throughout all ages, world without end, Amen.

FINIS.

End of the text · Richard Eedes, Great Salvation by Jesus Christ (1659)