Words Whereby We May Be Saved, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Motive 3. FRom the conſideration of the Damnation of all ſuch as do not obtain ſalvation. The damnation of all ſuch perſons will be Dreadfull and Certain.
(1.) The Damnation of ſuch as are not ſaved will be dreadful.
1. The Day of their damnation will be dreadful.
2. The Sentence of their damnation will be dreadful.
3. The Execution of their damnation will be dreadful.
1. The Day of the damnation of ſuch as are not ſaved will be dreadful, and that is the laſt day, the day of judgement: O how dreadful will this day be to you that are wicked and ungodly, when the Heavens ſhall be opened, and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the Judge of the world ſhall deſcend with a ſhout, with the voice of the Arch-Angel, and the loud ſound of a Trumpet; when the Earth ſhall be opened, and you ſhall be raiſed out of the duſt, and ſummoned to appear before Chriſts Tribunal; and the Books ſhall be opened, and all your ſins ſhall be made manifeſt before the whole world; when the Heavens ſhall be on fire, and melt down upon you, and paſs away with a great noiſe; and the Earth ſhall be on fire, and burn under you; and every Mountain and Hill ſhall flee away before Chriſts face; and Chriſt ſhall be on fire, and come in flames of anger to take vengeance upon you for your ſins. Think, O think how dreadful this day of damnation will be unto all ſuch of you as ſhall not then be found in a ſtate of ſalvation! O what dread will ſeize upon you ſo ſoon as your eyes are opened, and you find the predictions of the word which you formerly ſlighted to be true, and perceive that now indeed the day of Gods wrath is come, when you ſhall be dragged like ſo many malefactors before the Judgement-ſeat, and there ſtand naked horribly laſhing your ſelves in the reflections of conſcience upon your fore-paſt wickedneſs; how will you be ready to tear your ſelves to pieces for your folly and madneſs, that you did not provide for this day, and flee from this wrath of God, which then you will not be able to eſcape? how willingly would you creep into ſome rock, or under ſome mountain, or abide ſtill in your grave, or caſt your ſelves into the Sea, if poſſibly any place could be found to hide you in this terrible day, but ſhall be able to finde no hiding-place for your ſelves? Think what hideous thoughts, what ſinking fears, what horrible perplexity of mind you will on this day be filled withall, it will be a dreadful day.
2. The Sentence of the damnation of ſuch as are not ſaved will be dreadful; when the Books are opened where your ſins are recorded, and you are convicted by the Judge; then he will proceed to paſs ſentence upon you. Depart from me ye curſed into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels, Matth. 25. 41. O dreadful words! the voice will be loud with which they will be pronounced, ſuch as ſhall reach the cars of all the wicked together of all generations, and how will they all quake and tremble at the ſound thereof! You may cry it may be to the Lord for mercy, but it will be in vain; you may ſay, Lord open to us, and receive us into thy Kingdom, that we may participate in the joyes thereof; but he will ſay unto you, Depart from me, I know ye not all ye workers of iniquity: But if you muſt depart, you may wiſh for his bleſſing, as Eſau, though it were but an inferiour bleſſing; no, depart ye curſed, depart with a curſe: If then you muſt depart with a curſe, you may wiſh for ſome convenient place of abode, and good company, as Cain, when he went forth from the preſence of the Lord with a curſe, he built a City to dwell in, and took ſome comfort, it may be in his habitation, and wife, and children; no, depart into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels; you muſt dwell in devouring fire, and inhabit everlaſting burnings, and your companions will be the Devil and his Angels, and fellow-damned ſinners, in whom you will not find the leaſt comfort, which leads to the third particular.
3. The Execution of the Damnation of ſuch as are not ſaved, will be dreadful, and this will be in Hell; when the irreverſible ſentence of damnation is paſſed upon you, immediately the execution will follow, and you will be haled from the Judgement ſeat, and the everlaſting doors of the priſon of Hell will be lifted up, where a horrible fire is burning, which can never be quenched, into which you muſt enter, and be ſhut down, and ſhut in to take up your eternal abode in that place of torment; there every part will be tormented, every member of your bodies, every faculty of your ſouls, and that in the higheſt degree of extremity beyond your now capacity, and your torments will have no intermiſſion, neither will you have any hopes of their concluſion. I have already treated in my Book of Judgement of the univerſality, extremity, and eternity of the torments of the Damned, and therefore ſhall not here inlarge. From what hath been ſaid, you may evidently perceive, that the Damnation of ſuch as are not ſaved will be dreadfull, which ſhould awaken you to endeavour after your ſalvation, eſpecially if withall you conſider,
(2.) That the Damnation of ſuch as are not ſaved will be Certain; where there is no Salvation there will be unavoidable Damnation, becauſe between theſe two hereafter there will be no middle condition; ſuch as are not ſaved will moſt certainly be damned; Heaven or Hell, eternal happineſs, or eternal miſery will be the portion of all the Sons and Daughters of Adam. I might ſhew, that Gods Juſtice, and Holineſs and Truth, doth require the Damnation of all ſuch as do not obtain Salvation by Jeſus Chriſt, ſo that either God muſt prove unholy, and unjuſt and falſe in his Word, which is impoſſible, or you which are not ſaved muſt be damned; therefore this is moſt certain, there is no eſcaping of the damnation of Hell by ſuch as neglect the great Salvation of the Goſpel, Heb. 2. 3.
And methinks by this time I ſhould hear ſome of you cry out as the Jews when Peter preached, or the Jaylor, O what ſhall we do to be ſaved?