The Punishment of Sin in Hell, Title page – Table of contents
A DISCOURSE OF THE PUNISHMENT OF Sin in Hell; Demonstrating the Wrath of God to be the immediate Cause thereof.
To which is added, A SERMON, proving a State of Glory for the Spirits of Just Men upon Dissolution.
By THO. GOODWIN, D. D. Sometime President of Magd. Coll. Oxon.
LONDON, Printed for Jonathan Robinson, at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard. 1680.
To the Reader.
THo we judg it needless to speak much of this eminent Author, whose Praise is in the Gospel throughout all the Churches; yet we could not but give some account of the publishing of these small Tracts at this time. Many, who well knew how mighty this Man of God was in the Scriptures, and how skilful, from his great Abilities, and long Experience in the interpreting of them, have impatiently desired the publishing of his Labours; but that being a Work of time, it was thought fit to gratify them in the interim with this short Treatise. And tho his excellency lay chiefly in wading into the great Deeps of the Gospel, yet among many other Discourses, this of Hell was made choice of, wherein, we think, you have the true scriptural Notion of it. We judged that such a rousing Argument might not be unseasonable in so secure and Atheistical an Age as this; and that the Profound Mysteries of the Gospel, excellently discovered in his Lectures upon the Ephesians, might be the more welcom to those who have known the Terrors of the Lord, or have their Senses exercised to discern spiritual things. Upon the request of some, we have also added a Discourse of the State of Glory for the Saints, immediately after this Life, being very suitable to Times of Suffering; since it was the constant Method of the Apostles, to keep up in the Eyes of the Primitive Saints, the Glory of another World, as what was proper to support them under the Sufferings of this: And 'twas one main design of the Transfiguration of Christ, in the presence of Peter, James, and John, who were to be great Sufferers in the Times of the New Testament, as Moses and Elias had been under the Old; intimating what the Saints in after Ages might expect, in a Conformity to Christ, after all their Sufferings.
We therefore judg both Treatises fitly joined together, Punishments and Rewards being the great Motives which God proposeth to Obedience, and Perseverance in Holiness, and are both necessary at this time to be urged: the one, to awaken hardened and secure Persons; the other, to encourage Christians to go on in a holy Course, through all the difficulties of this degenerate Age.
That both Discourses may be bless'd of God, to the ends for which they were designed; shall be the Prayer of
Thankfull Owen. James Barron.
The Contents.
HEb. 10. 30, 31. 2 Thes. 1. 8, 9. & Rom. 22. explained at large from page 1 to 5.
§ I.
Chap. 1. The Subject of the Discourse set out, and reduced to 2 Heads, (1.) That God's Wrath is the immediate Cause of the Punishment of Sin in Hell. (2.) The dreadfulness of that Punishment inferred and argued therefrom, from p. 5. to p. 8.
Chap. 2. The first Sort of Proofs from divers Scriptures, from p. 8. to p. 21.
Chap. 3. Rom. 9. 23. explicated, only so far as concerns the Execution. Several particulars in the words that shew the power of God's Wrath to be the immediate inflicting Cause, and immediately inflicting the Punishment. An Explication of Rom. 2. 8, 9. added for confirmation of all, p. 21, to 35.
Chap. 4. That this immediate Wrath of God, is set forth in Scripture unto us under the similitude of Fire, and fiery Indignation. The Examples of persons devoured by Fire in the old Testament, shadows of this Punishment by the immediate Wrath of God. This the fire wherein the Devil and his Angels be tormented, p. 36, to 55.
Chap. 5. A second sort of proofs. Demonstrations from Instances both of wicked and holy Men, who have felt in this life Impressions of God's immediate Wrath: And that such Impressions are Evidences of what in the fulness, is in Hell, p. 55. to 78.
Chap. 6. Containing the Reasons. (1.) God's Justice. (2.) Avenging Wrath, otherwise not satisfied. A Demonstration added, p. 78, to 111.
Chap. 7. A fourth sort of additional Confirmations drawn from the Harmonies that are between it, and other divine Truths, p. 111, to 115.
§ II. The dreadfulness of the Punishment in Hell argued from all, and each of the particulars treated of in the former section, page 115, to 117.
§ 1. The first head of Demonstrations from this in general, that it is a falling into the hands of God immediately, p. 117, to 132.
§ 2. The 2d. head of Demonstrations, from the capacity of the Soul, the subject of this Punishment; and this that it is the destruction of the Soul, p. 132, to 140.
§ 3. The 3d. head of Demonstration, drawn from the final causes formerly mentioned: As (1.) The Glory of God, (2.) The manifestation of his Power, p. 141, to 156.
§ 4. Demonstrations taken from the satisfying God's Justice, which is the 2d. particular Attribute, p. 156, to 167.
§ 5. Demonstrations taken from the satisfying of avenging Wrath; the 3d. particular Attribute, p. 167, to 177.
§ 6. A fourth head of Demonstrations, drawn from those Instances both of good and bad Men, their having suffered those kind of Terrors in this life, p. 177, to 191.
§ 7. The last head of Demonstrations, that it is a falling into the hands of the living God, and what that further superadds to the dreadfulness of the Punishment, p. 191, to 197.
§ III.
Some
Ʋses. p. 197, to 257.
Corollaries. p. 197, to 257.
Meditations. p. 197, to 257.
A SERMON, intituled. An immediate State of Glory for the Spirits of Just Men upon dissolution demonstrated, from 2 Cor. 5. 5. pag. 259. ad finem.