be future punishments for the wicked, and that they will be very great. There Serm. 1. will be an Hell: Elfe why has Nature implanted fears of it in our Minds ? The torments of it, we may be fure, will be very great: Elfe how comes it to pass that the foretafts of them are so, even in this world, which is not the proper place for finishing and confummating the torments of the wicked? Hence too we may draw an Argument for the Vindication of God's Providence, in part, in refpect of the worldly profperity of wicked Men ; for, tho' they may outwardly feem to fucceed and live at ease in the eye of the world: Yet, fo long as it is frequently their cafe, to have terrors up- Job. 20. on them, darkness hid in their fecret 25, 26. places, and a fire not blown confuming them (as Zophar elegantly defcribes the Condition of wicked Men) this must needs be a mighty damp and fowring to all their Enjoyments, and make them, upon the whole, not thofe very happy Men that they are too apt to pafs with us for. In a word, Hence it appears what a very foolish and dangerous thing a Serm. 1. life of Sin is: Which, both in its own nature, and thro' the juft Judgment of God, tends to bring upon us continual uneafineffes, grief and anxiety of Mind here; and these too, as a fure and infallible pledge of much greater Torments hereafter. As alfo what a barbarous and cruel thing it is, to entice and draw in other Men, more efpecially our Friends, to an habitual courfe of Sinning. Can any Man deserve the name of a Friend from him, whom he would perfwade, and even constrain to do fuch things, as would certainly give him a fit of the Stone or Strangury? Much lefs can he from him, whom he would engage in the doing of that, which must neceffarily bring him under the pangs and lafhes of a guilty Mind, to which those compar❜d are even as nothing. To conclude all: Hence we learn both of what importance it is to us to preferve our Minds and Confciences pure and undisturb'd, or, at least, if we have been fo unhappy as to wound them, to get them heal'd again as fast as ever we can: And likewife, what is the best and speedieft way of doing this. Since the torments of a wounded Serm. 1. Spirit are fo great, as has been prov'd, it is impoffible, if we confider them, but that we should be afraid of them, and be most ready to do our utmost towards keeping our felves clear of them. Since the pain of it is fo intolerable, when we are under it, we must not love our felves and our own ease, if we do not make all the hafte we poffibly can to get rid of it; get rid of it, I fay, for bear it we cannot. The wifeft and the easiest way, no doubt, is to be careful to keep clear of the torments, from the beginning: And this can only be done, by keeping clear, as far as we are able, of all fins, which are, as you have seen, the certain feeds of them. Would you never be afflicted in mind, live well: Would you be fecure, do no evil. Or rather, to speak in the Words of the Apostle, Wouldft thou not be afraid of thy Confcience, do that which is good, and thou shalt have praife of the fame. But, if thou art already entangled and befet with these torments, and wanteft to get rid of them; get but rid of thy fins, which are the fting of them, and they fhall wound Ifidor. Seneca wound thee no more. And there is Serm. 1. but one way of doing this, and that is, by Repentance, and turning of our felves to God. This, through the mercies of God in Christ Jefus, fhall blot out all our fins, and confequently put an end to our pain, take away our guilt, & with that our punishment. Then shall God give us reft from our forrow, nay even turn it into joy. His Holy Spirit will then again vouchfafe to take up. his abode with us, and to fill us with his bleffed fruits of Love, Joy, Peace, &c. and to heal us and give us ftrong Confolation, now that we have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope fet before us. Amend your lives therefore, and turn,. that your fins may be put away, and that the times of refreshing may come from the prefence of the Lord. SERM. SER MON II Preach'd before King WILLIAM at The Certainty of Hell-Torments, from Principles of Nature and Reafon. Matthew 25. 41. Then ball he say unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye curfed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. TH 33 Serm. z. Hefe words, which are part of our Saviour's own description of the last Judgment, and contain in them that most dreadfull fentence, |