Sin the Plague of Plagues, Part 6
Second part of Damnation;
Which the Schools (and juſtly) call paena ſenſus, Para ſcuſus; or, poſi…ive d…nation.the puniſhment of ſenſe; if 'twere not for this, that men will be then ſenſible of, and feel both their loſs and their gain, viz. the pain which they have gotten by their ſins, Damnation would ſeem to be but a dream, or an imagination; but their ſenſes as well as their underſtanding, feeling as well as fancy, will tell them what a dreadful thing 'tis to be damned; a thing which I wiſh with all my ſoul, that none of you may ever know but by hearing of it, and that the hearing may be a means to prevent the feeling of it. But now, what ſhall I do? who that hath not been in Hell, can tell what Hell is? who would go thither (periculum facere) to try what 'tis? Surely, eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive, as what God hath prepared for them that love him, ſo for them that hate him, that is, for ſinners, impenitent ſinners. It is ſins deſign and work to make man eternally miſerable, to undo him ſoul and body for ever. Now the better to repreſent this doleful ſtate and woful miſery, I ſhall ſearch the Scriptures, and endeavour to fathom the depth of expreſſions uſed there, that we may learn from thence what Damnation is, and from thence the ſinfulneſs of ſin, in relation whereunto I lay down three Propoſitions in general.
1 1All the miſeries of this life not to be compar'd with it.This puniſhment that ſinners muſt undergo, will be ſuch a ſtate of miſery as all the miſeries of this life are not to be compared with it, they are nothing to it: Take the dregs of all the miſeries of this life, and out of them extract an Eſſence, the very ſpirit of miſeries (as men do Strong-waters from the Lees and dregs of Wine and Beer) it will fall infinitely ſhort of this miſery damnation: The gripings and grindings of all the diſeaſes and torments that men do or can ſuffer in this life, are but flea-bitings to it; to pluck out a right eye, to cut off a right hand, were a pleaſure and recreation, in compariſon of being damned in Hell, Mat. 5. o. A Burning Feaver is nothing to burning in Hell; nay, let me ſpeak a true, though a great and big word, If all the miſeries that have been undergone by all men in the world, were all met together and center'd in one man, it were nothing to Hell; Hell would be a kind of Paradiſe, if 'tw…re no worſe then the worſt of this world.
2. 2'Tis contrary to what the Saints ſhall enjoyThis ſtate will be a ſtate clean contrary to that which the Saints ſhall enjoy in Eternity; their differing ſtates are expreſt in contrary terins, as Mark 16.16. He that believeth ſhall be ſaved, but he that believeth not ſhall be damned: Now damnation and ſalvation are contrary ſtates; that's a ſtate all of evil, and of all evil, this all of good, and of all good. So Mat. 25.46. The wicked ſhall go into everlaſting puniſhment, but the righteous into life Eternal: The life that Saints obtain, ſinners go without; and the miſery that Saints are deliver'd from, ſinners are deliver'd to; as different as grief is from joy, as torment is from reſt, as terror from peace, ſo different is the ſtate of ſinners from that of Saints in the world to come, Rom. 2.6.-10
3 This ſtate, damnation-ſtate of ſinners, 3I admits of no reliefwill admit of no relief, 'twill be puniſhment without pitty, miſcry without mercy, ſorrow without ſuccour, crying without comfort, torment without eaſe: The ſinner can look for no relief from God, for God judgeth and condemns him; none from conſcience, for that accuſeth and upbraids him; none from the Devils, for they torment him; none from hope; for that's departed from him; none from time, for 'tis for ever; its a ſtate of all miſery, it hath no conſolation, not ſo much as a little drop of water to cool the tongue; 'tis miſery, all miſery, nothing but miſery, as ſin is all ſin, and nothing but ſin.