Hell Opened, Preface – Publishers advertisement
THE PREFACE
THe Devil is ſtiled by our bleſſed Saviour. A Murderer from the beginning; Having deſtroyed himſelf by his willful A poſtacy from God, and being juſtly baniſhed the Glories of the celeſtial Paradiſe for his Voluntary Rebellion, he turned about him, ſeeking how and in what manner he might be revenged on his Judg. And after all his rueful thoughts and conſultations could find no expedient more likely to ſucceed and take than the working miſchief on mankind.
Our firſt Parents a Compendium of both Worlds, Sublunary and Aetherial, the Crown of Gods Creation, but a little lower than the Angels, are become the objects of his rage and fury. Satan had loſt Heaven, and he envies them Earth. Their habitation in an Earthly Heaven diſpleaſeth him, becauſe it pleaſeth God. They juſt now came out of their Creators hands endowed with a double Portion, Holyneſs and happineſs: But he reſolves they ſhall not long enjoy either. Hence in the very firſt dawn of their Creation, he contrived and accompliſhed their deſtruction. He ſubtilly inſinuates the poyſon of ſin by his conferences with, and ſuggeſtions unto Eve, and ſhe having once taſted of the doſe, and allured with the deceitful pleaſantneſs thereof to her ſenſual appetite, communicates it to her Husband, and they both derive it down unto all their natural poſterity.
Ah! How many Murders were in this One? Mankind made and ruined altogether. Certainly they who plotted the blowing up of King and Kingdom in One hour, they who effected the Sicilian Veſpers, Pariſian Mattins, and Iriſh Maſſacres had been all trained up and Educated in the Schools of this, this old, and Grand Abaddon.
Adam being in Honor, continued not a day in it. His glorious ſtate did ſhine, and ſet with the ſame Sun. In the Morning it flouriſhed and grew up, in the Evening it was cut down and withered like the Graſs. He played away (as a beſorted Gameſter) his whole, and all preſent and to come, what he had in poſſeſſion, what he might have in Reverſion, at one caſt. Nothing was left him but his ſin and curſe, and this he propagates unto all his Children. (A moſt ſad Portion) to be inherited by us.
Sin being now conceived doth prodigiouſly ſpawa and ſwarm. The Old Serpent is not idle. His boiling malice gives him no reſt. His firſt born like the Plague ſpreads its venom univerſally, and new Monſters are hatched and produced by it every day. New ſins in new ſhapes, in odious and hideous colours ſhew forth their heads. Grace is modeſt. Sin impudent and ſhameleſs: It ſeeketh no diſguiſe, nor putteth on a Vizard, but for its own ſecurity, and in order to further miſchief, to perpetrate ſome greater Villany.
The Devil having ſet variance between God and Man, will give another caſt of his Office: He throws a Bone of contention between Man and Man. The neareſt Relations, the deareſt Friends, they that had the ſame fleſh in their Bodies, the ſame blood in their veins, that if not Twins yet ſcarce divided in their age, that were Nurſt, Fed, and Educated together, both alike tendered by their Indulgent and Religious Parents, ſhall yet through his ſubtilty and cruelty be ſundered and divided one from the other: And if he cannot drag them both with himſelf into Hell, yet will he precipitate the one by a bloody and Barbarous death into his untimely Grave, and the other (by a ſin like his own) into the bottomleſs Pit of deſtruction ere he is aware of it.
Cain by the inſtigation of the wicked one, upon no provocation, no offence given, (unleſs Gods gracious acceptance of Abel for his Faith and Holineſs be a crime,) Murthers his own, his only and deareſt Brother. Bloody Villain! Thou choppeſt off thy right hand with thy left, thou daſheſt out thine own Brains in daſhing out his. Thou deſtroyeſt his, body, but damneſt thine own Soul. Ah, what grief it this to Pious Adam! Oh, what joy and Muſick unto Hell! Revenge is ſweet. But its a poor revenge, Satan! Which ends hi thine own, in thine endleſs deſtruction.
However the Devil hath ſhown the way of Murthering, and bad Arts are ſoon learnt. Any one may be an eaſie and early proficient in Ungodlineſs, the whole and old World ſoon got the skill of it. God ſaw that the wickedneſs of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Earth alſo was corrupt before God, and filled with Violence: All fleſh had perverted its way, and blood touched blood.
There was no fair and gentle means left uneſſayed by God to reclaim ſinners, to dam up, if poſſible, the torrents of their ungodlineſs, to ſtench thoſe foul iſſues, and frequent effuſions of Innocent blood. Adam, and the Holy Patriarks decry it down in their Lives and Sermons. Enoch (the Phoenix of his Age for the life and power of Godlineſs ſhining moſt illuſtriouſly in his Converſation) Thunders out Propheſies of dreadful Judgments againſt the irreligious Cainites. Behold, ſaith that Glorious Saint, The Lord cometh with Holy Myriads of Angels to Execute vengeance upon all the ungodly, and to convince you of your ungodlineſs in flames of Fire, who will not be convinced by our Miniſtry. Upon the wicked he ſhall Rain Snares, Fire, and Brimſtone, and an horrible Tempeſt, This ſhall be the Portion of their Cup.
But the Prophet is counted a Fool, and the Spiritual man Mad, and his Menaces of approaching wrath idle Dreams, melancholly thoughts, bugbears to fright Children, and bublings up of his envy and malice againſt them. Thus he and his Prophecies are deſpiſed, and ſcornfully rejected.
At laſt fair warning and loud calls and Summons unto Repentance having been long afforded them, and not accepted, nor in the leaſt improved, the patience of God is tired, mercy finally departs from them, and Divine Juſtice ſweeps away the Habitations and perſons of thoſe Scarlet Sinners with a deluge of Waters.
One would have thought that ſuch a fearful Judgment ſhould have cautioned afterages from ever treading in their ſteps. But alas! Poſterity is grown ſtupid, and Judgment-proof. As for Gods Judgments the wicked makes a puff at them, they are afar off, above, and out of his ſight, he forgets and makes no reckoning, nor account of them. God hath Hanged up ſome in Chains before their eyes, Executed a whole World of Malefactors, and made them an everlaſting Sign and Example to them, yet they willfully ſhut their eyes that they may not ſee, and lock up the Doors of their hearts, that they may not conſider for what cauſes this great wrath is come upon them. So that we need not wonder at Gods plaguing ſuch willful blind Souls. It is but a righteous Retribution that his Juſtice oweth them. In as much as they regarded not the works of the Lord, nor took notice of the operation of his hand, he could not build them up, he muſt totally and utterly deſtroy them. Sinners ate the Voluntary Carvers of their own misfortunes. They chooſe and Create unto themſelves their own bane and deſtruction, Temporal and Eternal. The reading of this enſuing Narrative will be a clear proof and evidence hereof.
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