Two Discourses, Title page – To the reader
TWO DISCOURSES.
I. Of the Puniſhment of Sin in Hell; Demonſtrating the Wrath of God to be the immediate Cauſe thereof.
II. Proving a State of Glory for Juſt Men upon their Diſſolution.
BY THO. GOODWIN, D. D.
LONDON, Printed by J. D. for Jonathan Robinſon, at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard, M. DC. XCIII.
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 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.