Two Discourses, Table of contents – Section 1
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.
Corollaries.
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.
A DISCOURSE OF THE Puniſhment of Sin in HELL: DEMONSTRATING That the Wrath of God is the immediate Cauſe of that PUNISHMENT.
HEB. 10. 30, 31.For we know him that hath ſaid, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompence, ſaith the Lord. And again, The Lord ſhall judg his People.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
2 THESS. 1. 8, 9.In flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt: Who ſhall be puniſhed with everlaſting deſtruction from the preſence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.
ROM. 9. 22.What if God willing to ſhew his wrath, and to make his power known, endureth with much long-ſuffering, the veſſels of Wrath fitted to deſtruction.
WHat Hell and Deſtruction are, is a Myſtery, as well as what Heaven is: And the true and proper Notion or Conception of either, are a Riddle to the moſt of Men. As Eye hath not ſeen, Ear not heard, nor hath it entred into the Heart of Man (the Natural Man) what God hath prepared for thoſe that love him; ſo, nor what God hath prepared for them that hate him. For it is the ſame, and no other puniſhment but that which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels, as Chriſt ſays. And what it ſhould be that ſhould torment them, or be the immediate Executioner of vengeance on them, the imagination of Man confined to worldly Agents and Inſtruments, cannot divine or take in.
Other Scriptures go Metaphorically to work, in ſetting out this Puniſhment by things outwardly, ſenſibly dreadful. But theſe Scriptures (of all other) that are my Texts, do more plainly, and without parables declare it to us, in its immediate Cauſes, and from them do leave us to infer the fearfulneſs.
For inſtance, other Scriptures ſet it out to us as a Priſon, 1 Pet. 3. 19. large enough, to be ſure, to hold Men and Devils. [The wicked ſhall be turned into Hell, and all the Nations that forget God, Pſal. 9. 17.] As alſo by their being retained in Chains of Darkneſs; 2 Pet. 2. 4. where Men muſt lie till they have paid the utmoſt farthing, Mat. 5. 26. where is nothing but darkneſs, utter darkneſs, blackneſs of darkneſs; Jude 4. that is, an emptineſs of all Good, not a Beam of Light to all Eternity. Alſo a place of torment, Luke 6. 48. where there is not admitted one drop to cool ones Tongue (Luke 15.) in the midſt of the moſt raging ſcorchings. Alſo, I find it elſewhere expreſſed by the moſt horrid Puniſhments and Tortures that were found amongſt the Nations, cutting Men in peices, dividing them in the midſt, (foreign, Mat. 24. 49, 51.) tearing them in peices, Pſal. 50. laſt, cutting them up to the Back-Bone, Heb. 4. 12, 13. *See for this, The interpretation hereof in the Child of Light, &c. pag. 49, 50.drowning Men in perdition, 1 Tim. 6. 9. and that with Milſtones about their Necks, as Chriſt adds, Mat. 18. 6. to make ſure they never riſe again: alſo unto a being caſt bound Hand and Foot, Mat. 22. 13. into Fire to be burnt alive; a Furnace of Fire, twice in one Chapter, Mat. 13. 42, 49, 50. A Lake of Fire; and ſo drowned over Head and Ears, for ever. A Lake fed with a Stream of Brimſtone, which (of all matter that feedeth Fire) is the moſt fierce. Then again, Eternal Fire, and that never to be Rev. 14. 19. Rev. 19. 20. & Chap. 20. 10. 14. 25. & chap. 21. 18. Mat. 3. 1. Mat. 18. 8. Mat. 25. 41.ſlackt or extinguiſht. And you may with the like Analogy, go over what ever elſe of torment is moſt exquiſite to outward Senſe.
But theſe and all elſe you can imagine, are but Shadows and Similitudes (as I my ſelf heard one upon the Rack of terror of Conſcience cry out, in a like compariſon, Theſe are but Metaphors to what I feel) and indeed unto what the thing it ſelf is. As to ſay of Heaven, there are Rivers of Pleaſures: a City, whereof the Strees are of Gold, the Gates of Pearl, and ſuch like; they are but metaphorical Deſcriptions; for it is God himſelf that is the Fountain of Life: and oppoſitely it is ſaid, of the Wrath to come, That God is a conſuming Fire, Heb. 12. laſt.
But theſe Scriptures which I have read, they all ſpeak eſſences, quinteſſences. And as Hell is ſaid to be naked before the Lord, Job 16. 16.and without a covering; ſo do theſe words lay Hell open nakedly (not unto our ſenſes, but) to the underſtanding of us, and then they leave us to infer how fearful! And although theſe Scriptures conſiſt of words that differ, yet they conſpire together in the ſame ſcope and matter, viz. to ſet out Damnation to us in the true and proper Cauſes, and the real horridneſs thereof argued from thoſe Cauſes.