A Christian Library, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
Sect. 1. FIrst, Is it so that the torments of Hell are so exquisite: even worse than the pangs of death, or child-birth, scalding lead, drinks of gall and wormwood, griping of chest-worms, fits of the stone, gowt, strangury, flames of fire and brimstone? Yea are all these, and all other pains that can be named put together, but shadows, and flea-bitings to it? And are they to be endured everlastingly? And are all Fornicators, Idolalaters, Thieves, Covetous, Drunkards, Swearers, Raylors, fearfull and unbelieving persons, Murtherers, Sorcerers, Liars, and all unrighteous persons to have their part and portion in that lake? And withall lose their par… and portion in the Kingdom of Heaven, as the Word of God expresly tells us? Rev. 21. 7, 8. & 22.14, 15. How is it that we are not more affected therewith?
The only reason is, most men are so far from believing the word of God in this point; that they do not believe there is a God. The fool (sayes David) hath said in his heart there is no God, Psal. 53.1. They (meaning the wicked) think alwayes there is no God, Psal. 10.4. to 14. And the reason follows, His wayes alwayes prosper, Psal. 73, 3. to 21. And hence it is, that they live like beasts, because they think they shall die like beasts, without any answer for what they have either acted or left undone; and accordingly resolve, Let us eat and drink, …or to morrow we shall die, as the Holy Ghost hath acquainted us with their inmost thoughts, 1 Cor. 15.32. Whereas if men did believe either Heaven or Hell; they could never s… carelesly hazard the loosing of the one, or the procuring of the other. As O… the madness of these men! that cannot be hired to hold their finger for one minute, in the weak flame of a farthing candle; and yet for trifl…s will plunge themselves body and soul, into those endless and infinitely scorching flames of Hell fire.
If a King but threatens a Malefactor to the Dungeon, to the Rack, to the wheel; his bones tremble a terrible palsie runs through all his joyn…: … unmoved, undaunted. And what makes the difference? tho one we believe as present, the other is, as they think uncertain, and long before it comes if ever it do come. Otherwise it could not be, since the soul of all sufferings, are the sufferings of the soul; since as painted fire is to material; such is Material to Hell-fire.
Men may say they believe there is an Hell, and a Heaven, but surely, they would never speak as they speak; think as they think; do as they do; if they thought that their thoughts, words, and actions, should ever come to judgment. If men believed that Heaven were so sweet, and Hell so intollerable as the Word makes them; they would be more obedient upon earth. The voluptuous, and covetous, would not say, take you Heaven, let us have money, pleasure, &c.
Sect. 2. True, there are none so confirmed in Atheism, but some great danger will make them fly to the aid of a Divine Power, as Plato speaks. Extremity of distress, will send the prophanest to God: as the drowning man stretcheth out his hand to that bough, which he contemned whiles he stood safe on shore. Even Sardanapalus, for all his bold denying of a God, at every hearing of thunder, was wont to hide his head in a hole.
Yea, in their greatest jollity, even the most secure heart in the world, hath some flashes of fear, that seize on them like an arrest of Treason. At least on their death-beds, had they as many Provinces as Ahashuerosh had: they would give an …ndred six and twenty of them, to be sure there were no Hell, though all their life they supposed it but a fable. And … makes them fearfull to die, and to die fearfully. Yea, how oft do those Russians that deny God at the Tap-house, preach him at the Gallows? and confess that in sincerity of heart, which they oppugned in wantonness▪ And certainly, if they did not at one time or other believe a God, a day of judgment, an Heavens and an Hell: they should be in a worse condition than Felix, or Belshazzer; yea, than the Devils themselves; for they believe them, yea quake and tremble to think of them, as being still in a fearfull expectation of further degrees of actual torments, Mat. 8.29.
However, admit their lethargized consciences be not awakened, untill they come into Hell, (as God not seldom leaves them, to be confuted with fire and brimstone, because nothing else will do it:) yet in Hell, they shall know there is a righteous Iudg, that will reward every man according to his deeds; and confess that what they once vainly imagined, was but imagined. There may be Athiests on earth, there are none in Hell. Vengeance shall make them wise, whom sin hath made, and left foolish.
A Pope of Rome, being upon his death-bed, said to those about him: Now comes three things to trial, which all my life I have made doubt of: whether there be a God, a Devil, and whether the soul be immortal▪ 'Twas not long, o're he was fully resolved with a vengeance: and so shall you, O ye foolls, when that hour comes, though you flatter your selves for the present. When you feell it, you will confess it: and when … late, you will like a fool say, Alas I had not thought. For this is the … foreseeth the evil, (the evil of Hell, sayes Bernard) and preventeth it; but fools go on, and are punished, Prov. 22.3. Acknowledg thy self a fool then, or bethink thy self now, and …o thereafter without delaying one minute: For there is no redemption from Hell, if once thou comest there. And there tha… maist be (for ought thou knowest,) this very day; yea, before thou canst swallow thy spittle: Thy Pulse may leave beating, before thou canst fetch thy Breath.
Sect. 3. But to speak thus to the Sensualist, is labour in vain: For their consciences are so blinded, that they (as they think) do believe an Heaven, and an Hell; yea, in God, and in Christ, as well as the precisest, Iohn 5.38, 39, 46, 47. For it is hard for men to believe their own unbelief in this case, They that are most dangerously sick, are least sensible of their being sick.
A very likely matter thou believest in Christ, and hopest to be saved by him, when tho… wilt neither imitate his actions, nor follow his Precepts. How does this hang together? Let me ask thee a question or two, that may convince thee of thy unbelief: If a Physitian should say to his Patient, here stands a cordial, which if you take, will cure you; but touch not this other vial, for that is deadly poyson; and he wittingly refuseth the cordial to take the poyson; will not every one conclude, that either he believed not his Physician, or preferred death, before life? If Lots Sons-in-law had believed th…r Father, when he told them the City should suddenly be destroyed with fire and brimstone, and that by flying they might escape it, they would have obeyed his counsel. If the old World had believed that God would indeed, and in good earnest, bring such a stood upon them as he threatned, they would have entred the Ark, and not have scoft at Noah for building it. So if you did firmly believe what God in the Scriptures speaks of Hell, you would need no entreaties to avoid the same.
Sect. 4. But alas! men of thy condition are so far from believing what God threatens in his Word against their sins, that they bless themselves in their hearts, saying we shall have peace, although we walk according to the stubbornness of our own wills; so adding drunkenness to thirst, Deut. 29.19. Yea, they preferre their condition before others, who are so abstemious, and make conscience of their waies, thinking that they delude themselves with needless fears and scruples, 2 King. 18.22, 30, 33, 35.
Alas, if they d…d in good earnest believe, that there is either God or Devil, Heaven or Hell, or that they have immortal souls, which shall everlastingly live in bliss or woe; and receive according to what they have done in their bodies, whether it be good or evil, 2 Cor. 5.10. They could not but live thereafter, and make it their principal care, how to be saved.
…ut alas, they believe what they see, and feell, and know; they be… this makes them abstain from murther, felony, and the like; but they believe not things invisible and to come: For, if they did, they would as well, yea much more fear him that hath power to cast both body and soul into Hell, as they do the temporal Magistrate, that hath onelyonly power to kill the body ▪ they would think it a very hard bargain, to win the whole world, and lose Heaven, and their own souls, Luk. 9 25.
Men fear a Gaol, more then they fear Hell; and stand more upon their silver or sides smarting, than upon their souls; and regard more the blasts of mens breath, than the fire of God's wrath; and tremble more at the thought of a Serjeant or Bailiff, than of Satan and everlasting perdition▪ Else they would not be hired with all the worlds wealth, multiplied as many times as there be sands on the Sea shore, to hazard in the least the loss of those everlasting Joys before spoken of; or to purchase and plunge themselves into those caseless and everlasting flames of fire and brimstone in Hell, there to fry body and soul, where shall be an innumerable company of Devils and damned Spirits to affright and torment them, but not one to comfort or pity them. Confident I am, thou wouldest not endure here to hold thy hand in a fiery crusible the space of a day, or an hour, for all the worlds wealth and splendour: How then (if thou bethinkest thy self) wilt thou hereafter endure that, and ten thousand thousand times more, for millions of millions of ages? Look Revel. 20.10. and bethink thy self, how thou wilt brook to be cast into a dole…ull disconsolate dungeon, to lie in utter darkness in eternal chains, in a little ease, a no ease for ever and ever. Canst thou endure to dwell with the devouring fire? with the everlasting burning?
Sect. 5. Wherefore let me, my Brethren, beseech you, not to be such Atheists and Fools, as to fall into Hell before you will fear it, when by fearing it you may avoid it, and by neglecting it you cannot but fall into it. What though it be usual with men, to have no sense of their souls till they must leave their bodies? yet do not you therefore leap into Hell to keep them company, but be perswaded to bethink your selves now, rather than when it will be too late, when the Draw bridge will be taken up, and wh…n it will vex every vein of your hearts that you had no more care of your souls. Yet there is grace offered, if we will not shut our hearts and wills against it, and refuse our own mercy; but how long God will yet wait thy leisure, or how soon he will in his so long provoked Justice pronounce thy irrevocable sentence, thou knowest not; nor canst thou promise thy self one minutes time.
Oh that men would believe the God of truth (that cannot lie) touching spiritual and eternal things, but as they do these temporary and transitory! Oh that thou who art the sacred Monarch of this mighty frame, wouldest give them hearts to believe at least thus much; That things themselves are in the invisible World, in the World visible but their shadows onelyonly! And that whatsoever wicked men enjoy here it is but as in a dream; their plenty is but like a drop of pleasure, before a River of sorrow and displeasure; And whatsoever the godly feel, but as a drop of misery ▪ … Iudg of all the World comest slowly to judgment; yet thou wilt come surely. As the Clock comes slowly, and by minutes to the stroak; yet it strikes at last. That those are onelyonly true riches, which being once had, can never be lost. That Heaven is a Treasure worthy our hearts, a purchase worth our lives: That when all is done, how to be saved, is the best plot. That there is not mention of one, in the whole Bible, that ever sinned without repentance; but he was punished without mercy. For then there would not be a Fornicator, or prophane person as Esau; who for a portion of meat sold his inheritance, Heb. 12.16. Then they would not be of the number of those, that so doted upon Purchases, and Farms, and Oxen; that they made light of going to the Lords Supper, Luke 14.18, 19, 20. Nor of the Gadarens mind, who preferred their Hogs before Christ. Then would they know it better to want all things, then that one needfull thing: whereas now they desire all other things, and neglect that one thing which is so needfull. They would hold it far better, and in good sadness, to be saved with a few, as Noah was in the Ark: than in good fellowship with the multitude, to be drowned in sin, and damned for company. Nor would they think it any disparagement to their wisdoms, to change their minds, and be of another judgment to what they are.