vicious example being part occasion therof his tormēts should be doubled nay centupled vpon him In hell therfore there being neither grace nor deuotion but still affected iniquity their torments must bee euerlasting The third reason Drawne from that stinging attribute of Gods iustice because life was offered them here and they would none it is iust with God that when in Hell they begge it they should goe without it yea that they should séeke death and neuer find it Once they were offered saluation being gone in Adam but that offer being neglected let them neuer looke for another O if this long torment were alwaies thought vpon it would make vs vse this short time of our life better they are Spirituall Lunatikes and worse than mad Bedlomites that will purchase an eternall torment for so short a pleasure I beséech you therfore beloued brethren for your soules sake which should bee more worth vnto you than a thousand worldes let not these infinite torments be passed ouer with a short or shallow consideration but write the remembrance of them in the inward parts of your soules with the Diamond of déepest meditation that so this Tophet may neuer be your destruction The seuenth and last part of the Description of Tophet set downe in these words The breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone doth kindle it In which words there is not onely a Prosopopeia in the breath but a Topographia in the brimstone vsed both which figures doe notably expresse the furious indignation of the Author and the fierce seuerity of the act the Author or Inflictour of all these fearefull punishments is the Lord God offended at whose anger the Heauens do melt the Earth quakes the whole Creation trembles into whose hands to fall is most fearefull For the Lord our God is a consuming fire The Lord is the decréer appointer and commaunder of all these fearefull torments and the Lord doth execute them vpon the damned both immediate immediately from himselfe mediate mediately by his instruments as by the deuils fire darkenes stinch and other creatures Feare therfore in the feare of God this fearefull and terrible name Iehouah that at the day of néed ye may find him a mild and gentle Lambe and not A roaring Lion of Iudah The seuerity of punishment is set downe by a double allegory Breath Brimstone To expresse the rage and tyranny of Saul against the Lambes of IESVS this word is vsed in the Actes And Saul yet breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord c. So here to expresse the furious indignation of the Lord against sinners the Breath of the Lord is vsed Like a riuer of Brimstone The perplexing property of brimstone is to burne Darkely to grieue the sight Sharply to afflict the more Loathsomly to perplex the smell We reade in the Scriptures that the Lord being much prouoked punished not onely with fire but with burning brimstone which is tenne to one more terrible As vpon Sodome hee rained fire brimstone from heauen I will raine vpon him a sore raine haile-stones fire and brimstone Vpon the wicked God shall raine snares fire and brimstone and stormy tempest this shall bee their portion to drinke The beast and the false Prophet both aliue were cast into the Lake of fire and brimstone Oh who can expresse now the lamentation of Tophet for the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone doth kindle it As this should bee of power to kéepe you from the least iniquity so it should possesse you with the knowledge of the right nature of sinne that it is the most odious and loathsome thing in the world A stinking carkase stinketh not so in the nostrils of man as a polluted sinner stinketh in the nostrils of almighty God As Plato sayth of vertue That if it could be seene with a bodily eye it is so splendid and glorious a thing as all the world would be rauished with the loue of her So may I say the contrary of vice That if sinne could bee seene in his owne colours and in his right Nature all the world would loath and vtterly detest it But miserable man the more is the pitty conceiueth not aright of sinne one would thinke that Adam had committed but a small sinne in eating the forbidden fruit at the intreaty of Eue yet he and all his posterity guilty of eternall death for the same One would thinke that that poore man had committed but a small fault In gathering a few chippes on the Sabbaoth day wée haue fouler matters committed on our Sabbaoths and goe vnpunished yet hee was stoned to death for his labour one would thinke that Ananias detayning part of the money and maintayning the contrary with a lie had committed but a small fault yet hee was strooke dead for the same at the féete of Peter one would thinke that an idle word were but a small sinne yet of euery idle word that men shall speake a great account must bee made for the same And as men conceiue of sinne so they imagine of punishment they thinke that the Lord will not deale so seuerely with them and yet my Text sayth That the breath of the LORD like a riuer of brimstone dooth kindle it The terror of whose wrath is indurable Hearken here all you that make but a sport of sinne looke vpon your punishments prescribed the least sinne that euer you haue committed being weighty as lead is able to sinke your soules downe to damnation Cease therefore from euill and doe that which is good Cast away the workes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light hate the little sinne as well as the great an idle thought as well as blasphemy make much of offered grace to saluation Christ now knocketh at the dore of your soules and would gladly come in and dwell with you For it is his delight to dwell with the sonnes of men shut him not out as did the Bethleemites Bid him not be gone as did the Gadarens but Bee yee open yee euerlasting doores that the King of glory may come in that you hauing giuen him entertainement héere hee may do the like by you hereafter placing you with the sheepe on his right hand and singing this blessed haruest-song vnto you Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world To the which most blessed place of glory the LORD bring euery soule of vs at the day of our death and dissolution and that for IESVS CHRIST his sake to whom with GOD the Father and GOD the blessed Spirit three glorious persons but one immortal GOD be ascribed all honour and glory both in Heauen and Earth this day and euer Amen FINIS AN EARNEST AND ZEAlous Prayer to be saued from the damnation of TOPHET O Most glorious euerliuing and euerlouing Lord God the fountaine and well-spring of all our happinesse
TORMENTING TOPHET OR A terrible Description of HEâ—L able to breake the hardest heart and cause it quake and tremble Preached at Paules Crosse the 14. of Iune 1614. BY HENRY GREENVVOOD Master of Arts and Preacher of the Word of GOD. The second Edition corrected and amended Esay 30.33 Tophet is prepared of old it is euen prepared for the King he hath made it deepe and large the burning thereof is fire much wood the breath of the Lord like a Riuer of Brimstone doth kindle it LONDON Imprinted by George Purslowe for Henry Bell and are to be solde at his shop without Bishopsgate 1615. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL AND my very deare friends Sir LESTRAVNGE MORDAVNT of Massingham Hall in the County of Norfolke Knight Baronet and Lady FRAVNCIS MORDAVNT Bed-fellow HENRY GREENVVOOD Wisheth all increase of Grace in this Life and Eternall Life in Life to come IT is and hath beene long since Right Worshipful the custome of the learned that when they commended to publike view therein ayming at coÌ„mon good their Christian paines and diuine indeuours knowing that the truth hath and alwayes had many oppositions and detractions to present them to men of high place and well affected in Religion that so their works might passe with lesse feare and danger of disgrace and opprobrie I though vnlearned making bold to imitate their Christian policy herein haue presumed to present that doctrine to your Worships eies that lately in publike place was sounded in your eares both of which senses are great Instruments in the furtherance of our soules in the way of Gods Kingdome for as the eare conueieth grace to the affections of the soule so the eye bringeth much matter to the vnderstaÌ„ding of the mind nay the eare cannot so often be an Auditor as the eye an Oratour to the conscience For which cause your Worships nothing more affecting than growth in Grace and Religion I haue attempted to commend to your often considerations Tormenting Tophet for as nothing allureth the heart to grace more than Gods mercies so nothing more preualent against sinne than his fearefull and terrible iudgements If therfore your gracious Worships shall vouchsafe to accept of these my poore presented paines it will giue content to mine own heart and doubtles answerable comfort to your owne soules And to conclude as the Lord hath abundantly blessed your Worships with graces internall and blessings external So to vse the words of the Apostle the very God of peace sanctifie you still throughout and I pray God that your whole spirits and soules and bodies may be kept blameles to the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen From Hempsted in Essex Aprill 3. 1615. Your Worships alwayes ready to bee commaunded in the Lord HEN. GREENVVOOD TO THE CHRISTIAN READER CHristian Reader I commend to thy charitable view this terrible and lamentable description of Hell a Subiect most necessary in these dayes wherin Iniquity hath gotten the vpper haÌ„d the greatest part of mankind laboreth of this dangerous disease namely hardnes of hart and contempt of all grace I therefore for the remouing of this damnable euil haue prepared this Tormenting Corrasiue Blame mee not if I be too bitter in denouncing GODS Iudgements against sinne the presumption of the time compels me this onely is the ayme of my intention herein that many may bee saued from the damnation hereof Let not the Quotations of Latine and other tongues offend thee but know this they are but as country Stiles stepping ouer them thou losest not the way by them for their Expositions follow them Thus commending this Tractate to thy christian consideration and thy self to Gods most blessed protection I rest Thine euerlouing and vvelvvilling brother in the Lord HEN. GREENWOOD ¶ TORMENTING TOPHET OR A terrible description of Hell able to breake the hardest heart and cause it quake and tremble Esay 30.33 Tophet is prepared of old it is euen prepared for the King he hath made it deepe and large the burning thereof is fire much wood the breath of the Lord like a Riuer of Brimstone doth kindle it ALbeit the Lord in the beginning created man in glorious manner omninoÌ„ ad imaginem sui ratione sapientem vita innocentem dominio potentem altogether after his own most glorious image in purity and in perfection of holinesse both in soule and body yet withall he gaue him naturam flexibilem a mutable and changeable nature creating him inpotestate standi seuposse cadendi in power of standing and in possibilitie of falling power of standing that he had from God his creatour possibility of falling that he had from himselfe being a creature A reason whereof S. Augustine giueth in his booke of Confessions Because the Lord created man ex nihilo of nothing therefore hee left in man possibility to returne in nihilum into nothing if he obey'd not the will of his Maker And as Basil sayth Si Deus dedisset Adae naturam immutabilem deos potius quà m homines condidisset id est If God had giuen Adam an immutable and vnchangeable nature hee had created a God not a man for this is a mayne trueth in Diuinity immutabiliter esse bonum proprium soliusest Dei id est to be immutably and vnchangeablie good onely proper to God Adam therefore being thus created that hee might eyther stand or fall by the Diuels subtill suggestion and by the abuse of his owne free will receyued a double downefall the fall of sinne by disobedience and the fall of death by sinne the last fall being the wages of the first fall as ye may reade in the last verse of the sixt to the Romanes The wages of sinne is death The Lord therefore hauing pitty vpon this his miserable estate vouchsafed in his Sonne to shew mercy vpon some by election to saluation as to shew iustice vpon other some by reprobation to damnation According to which irreuocable decree the Lord hath prepared euen from the foundations of the earth answerable places a glorious habitation for the one and a terrible dungeon for the other Which generall truth is confirmed in the words of my Text hauing particular reference to the reprobat Assyrians For as the Lord in his mercy doth promise in this Chapter to his people repenting them of their sinnes manifold blessings spirituall and corporall temporall and eternall so doth he threaten in his iustice terrible vengeance to their enemies the idolatrous Babylonians and Assyrians not onely temporall but also eternall not to the meane subiect alone but to the King himselfe saying Tophet is prepared of old it is euen prepared for the King c. Not to insist therefore too long vpon introductions lest it should be sayde to mee as once a flowting Cynicke sayde to the Citizens of Myndus a little City with great Gates Shut your Gates lest your City runne out I come to the Text it selfe which containeth in it a terrible and lamentable description of Hell prepared of olde for
rich as the poore the father as the child the master as the seruant the king as the beggar as the Prophet Dauid sayeth With righteousnesse shal he iudge the world and the people with equity Though wickednesse among men bee in the place of iudgement yet the Lord our God will deale iustly Though among men there is respect of persons to bee had without which a confusion would and this is necessary to be vrged for men are full of contempt and too sawcy with them of superiour place and authority yet when all shal be summoned before the tribunall of God the Lord will indifferently procéed to Iudgement without any respect of persons And this should not onely pull down the haughty minds of the noble who thinke for their greatnesse here it will be easier for them hereafter than others but also this should be an vnalterable president to all Iudges of the world As they sit in Gods place so they should imitate the Lord in iudgement this should make them obey the counsell of the Lord deliuered by the Prophet Dauid Bee learned yee that are Iudges of the earth O the care that Iehosaphat tooke for iust and righteous iudgement after he had made Iudges and set them in euery City of Iudah hee gaue them this charge Take heed what yee doe for yee execute not the iudgements of man but the iudgements of the Lord and the Lord will bee with you to preserue you if you doe iustly but to confound you if you doe vniustly wherefore now let the feare of the Lord bee vpon you take heed and doe it for there is no iniquity with our God nor respect of persons nor receyuing of rewards O that this gracious counsell were intertayned of the Iudges of this land then we should not heare of so many complaints in our land as wee doe then we should not haue cause to complayne with the Prophet That iudgement is turned backeward and iustice standeth afarre off that trueth is gone and equity no where to be found then wee should not haue so many beggard by the Law as dayly are Law was neuer made to vndoe men but to compell men to doe well it was made to curbe the vnruely but not to beggar the innocent it is grown to this saying now a dayes I had rather loose it being my right than goe to law for it why what is the cause O because of rackt fees close bribes and the perpetuity of attendance Iudicate secundum iustitiam Iudge iudge O yee sonnes of men according to righteousnesse let your iudgement be in veritate in trueth iudicio in iudgement iustitia in righteousnes I pray God it may neuer bee sayde of our Iudges of England as once was sayd of the Iudges of Israel The Lord looked for iudgement but behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a crying Let not there be found in a land where the Gospell dwelleth such Iudges as were those that killed innocent Naboth Let none be like the sonnes of Samuel That turned aside after lucre and took rewards and peruerted the iudgement The duety of Iudges is notably set down in the 23. of Ex. Thou shalt not receyue a false tale Thou shalt not ouerthrow the truth for the multitudes sake Thou shalt not ouerthrow the right of the poore in his suite Thou shalt keepe thee from a false matter Thou shalt take no gift for the gift blindeth the wise and peruerteth the words of the righteous And this charge is continued in Leuiticus Yee shall not doe vniustly in iudgement Thou shalt not fauour the person of the poore nor honour the person of the mighty but thou shalt iudge thy neighbour iustly A Iudge must be Scientia potens and Virtute valens that is Able in learning and zealous in liuing by the one he shall discernere inter allegata Discerne betwixt cases propounded by the other disrumpere iniquitatem without hinderance punish and confound all manner of iniquity In all your Iudgements let these be aymed at the glory of God the righting of wrong the suppression of euill and the maintenance of truth Be zealous for the glory of our God and let the good lawes that are bee duly and impartially executed It was a great commendation that was giuen to Seleucus Gouernour of the Locretians who hauing made this Law against whoredome That whosoeuer committed the act should loose both his eyes his sonne being taken in the fact was not pardoned though the Citizens begged it earnestly but hee caused one of his sonnes eyes to bee pulled out and one of his owne eyes So hee shewed himselfe a mercifull Father and a iust Iudge O that we had the like laws against this and the like mostodious offences and that they were as strictly executed that many hereby may bee saued from Tophet The Lord guide that honourable assembly in Court of Parliament that they may all ioyne with one voyce and spirit for the banishing of Popery the reforming of iniquity and maintaining and countenancing of the word of trueth and painefull Preachers of the same And you my honourable Lord as you haue begun wel in reforming many foule abuses in this City so in the zeale of the Lord Prosper with your glory ride on with the word of truth meekenesse and righteousnesse and your right hand shall teach you terrible things Thus am I bolde to cast in among you the silly mite of my counsell meerely of Christian Charity tha◠yée may neuer taste of the woefull damnation of Tophet The third part of the description of Tophet is set downe in these wordes He hath made it deepe Many from these words do goe about to proue the locall place of Hell concluding it to bee below as from the signification of Sheol also Sheol is taken for a Pit or Graue or Hell the state of the dead the place of the damned spirits In the Scriptures sometimes it is taken for the Graue and sometime for Hell so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also The Septuagint translating the Hebrew into Greeke and expressing there the sense of Sheol vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both for the death of the body in the Graue and of the soule in Hell Mercer vpon Genesis sayth That the proper signification of Sheol is to signifie all places vnder the earth and not the pit or graue alone wherupon it is euery where opposed to heauen which is highest of all Hell is called by the name of Abyssus in the Scriptures which signifieth a déepe and vast gulfe vnder the earth a bottomlesse pit into which the deuils feare to bee sent and where they are chained and bound when it pleaseth God From which Abyssus there is an assent to the earth no descent lower Reuelat 9.2 and 11.7 and 17.8 and therefore hell suspected to bee beneath Because Tophet is here sayd to be profunda deepe Nicolaus de Lyra putat esse circa
time for after this life there is neyther place for pardon nor time for repentance Yet for all this golden Time is not respected but men doe poste off their repentance from day to day till at the last they sinke into the depth of hell Yea the time of Grace is tedious to many they must haue some or other carnall delight to driue it away T is death to many to attend willingly vppon the meanes of their saluation an houre or two but there will come a time when they shall wish that all their life had been spent at the hearing of Sermons and Prayer as tedious as it séemeth to them now O the damned in Hell would giue if it were in their power a million of worlds to haue but one houre granted them to liue on the earth againe that so they may come within compasse of offered grace to saluation But if yee will not heare the Lord when hee calleth to you there will come a day when ye shall cry Lord Lord and his eares shall be shut to your prayers and his iustice shall cast you into the deep dungeon of Tophet there to remayne till yee haue payed the vttermost farthing The fourth part of the Description of Tophet mentioned in this word Large As the Lord hath made Hell Deepe so hath he made it Large in regard of the great number that shall be tormented in her as sayeth Occolampadius This word is vsed in the fift chapter of this prophesie Hell hath inlarged her selfe and hath opened her mouth without measure It hath set open her mouth as it were with a gag and all to receyue the great multitudes that shall descend into her It is called Lacus magnus in the Reuelation 14.19 A great Lake That this doctrine is too true witnes that of the Gospell of Matt. 20.16 Multi vocati Many are called but few conuerted Many called but few chosen The most high made this world for many but the world to come for verie few But some man may obiect against these Scriptures other Scriptures to proue the great number of them that shall be saued and so by consequence the small number that shall be tormented in Tophet Saint Mathew sayth That many shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of God many an innumerable company shall be saued Saint Iohn in Reuelat. 7.9 dooth point out that great number that shall bée saued with that nota stellifera that starry note Beholde I saw a great multitude of all Nations and Kinreds and People and Tongues that stoode before the Throne before the Lambe clothed in long white robes palmes in their hands long white robes in token of purity and palms in their hands in token of victory It may seeme by these Scriptures that many shall bee saued and not such a multitude damned I answere That though the number of the Elect be great by it selfe considered to the prayse of Gods mercy be it spoken yet if it be compared to the number of those that shal glorifie Gods iustice in hell Alas then a remnant of Israel shall be saued they are but a handful and therfore hell must be made excéeding Large This great destruction of the damned in hell is liuelily shadowed out vnto vs in the iudgements of God on earth mingled with mercy as in the destruction of the olde world by water how few escaped there aliue only Noah with his Family in the destruction of Sodome by fire how few escaped there aliue only Lot vvith his daughters in the destruction of Iericho by the sword how few escaped there aliue only Rahab with her family that intertained the Israeliticall Spies To come to later times in the destruction of Ierusalem by Titus Vespasian how few escaped there aliue Many hundred thousands of them were starued to death many hundred thousands of them taken captiues to the Romane Empire some put to one death some to another and few escaped aliue and those of the meaner sort agricolae vinitores husbandmen and labourers in vineyards If beloued in the iudgements of God in this world so few haue escaped aliue how few thinke you shall scape at the dreadfull day of Iudgement when of euery idle word that men shal speake a great account must bee made for the same yea when Inquisition shall bee made for the very thoughts of the vngodly If the iust shall scarce be saued where shall the sinner appeare Againe that great is the number of those that shall to Tophet and therefore Tophet made large to giue them fiery intertainement it appeareth in the very liues of men vpon earth for where there is one that commeth to the profession of the truth truly with the sincere heart of Nathanael there are ten yea twenty yea more that walke in the way of sinne in the roade to Tophet without any checke of conscience remorse for their sinnes or reclamation from their sinnefull courses in the world some in the way of Atheisme some in Paganisme some in Epicurisme some in Brovvnisme some in Anabaptisme som in Mahometisme some in Papisme yea some in Deuilisme a matter with many teares to be lamented But wouldest thou not be with this large company in this large place of torment O then follovv not a multitude to doe euill Reuelation 18.4 Come out from amongst them for if thou beest partaker with them in their sinnes thou must bee partaker with them in their punishments Fashion not thy selfe after the wicked fashion of this world rather walke alone by thy selfe to heauen than goe with the multitude to Hell Walke in the narrow way of grace to saluation shunne the broade and large way for that will bring thee to Tophet which as thou hearest is made excéeding deepe and large The fift part of the description of Hell in these wordes The burning thereof is fire expressing the bitternesse of the torments of Tophet There is great controuersie among the learned about this fire Whether it be true substantiall fire or fire allegoricall if it be true fire whether it be materiall corporall or spirituall If it be Corporall whether it burneth the body onely or soule and body also Whether there be true fire in Hel or whether these words the burning thereof is fire be taken allegorically Caluin would haue it taken allegorically and thinks there is no true fire in hell His reason is this If Wood and the Worme be taken metaphorically vvhy not then the fire also But this is no argument to prooue this fire allegoricall For in the holy Scriptures things spoken together are not alway taken in the same maner and nature For example sake Christ is called a Dore a Vine a Rocke a Stone figuratiuely and doth it therefore follow that he was not God and man substancially Againe in Saint Lukes Gospel our
tormented with a furious malice against God and against the Elect. And in this their cursed estate they shall recurse curse God againe because hee made them and making them adiudged them to death and dying they can neuer find death they shall curse his punishments because hee punisheth them so vehemently they shall curse his benignities because they are sawced with contrary seuerities they shall curse CHRISTS bloud shed vpon the Crosse because it hath beene auayleable to saue thousands nothing auailable to saue them they shall curse the Angels in heauen and the Saints in blisse because they shall sée them in ioy and themselues in torment cursings shall be their hymnes and howlings their tunes blasphemy shall be their ditties and lachrymae their notes lamentations shall bee their songs and scriching their straines these shall bée their euening and morning yea mourning songs Moab shall cry against Moab father against child and child against father that euer he begat him vae vae vae Reuel 8. Vae prae amaritudine vae prae multitudine vae prae aeternitate poenarum that is Woe in regarde of the Bitternesse woe in regard of the Multitude and woe in regard of the Euerlastingnes of the torments of Tophet Now therefore I may truely say of all the damned crue as our Sauiour sayde of Iudas It had beene good for him if he had neuer been borne So it had been good for the damned if they had neuer beene borne or if they must needes haue a being they had bin toads or serpents that so they might neuer haue known these vnspeakeable sorrowes of Tophet I cannot but muse at a company of wicked hell-hounds that will vse these execrable words Would I ware damned if euer I knew of this or that God damne me body and soule if I do it not Alas alas full little doe these wretches know what it is to be damned if they did vnderstand aright they would bee hanged vp before they would vse these fearefull speeches vnlesse they meant with the moth-flie neuer to be at quiet till they haue clipt their winges in those flames I therefore conclude this part with the admonition of Prosper who wisheth all men to thinke how great an euill it is to be excluded the presence of God to be banished from heauen and cast into euerlasting fire with the deuil and his Angelles to see no light but feele excessiue heate to bee drowned in the deepe Lake of Gehenna and to be eternally torne with most greedie wormes To thinke on these thinges sayth he is a sure way to renounce al vice whatsoeuer and he that wil not be brought to lay to heart these I leaue him to féele the smart of them for euerlasting The sixt part of the Description of Tophet is set downe in these wordes Much wood Wherein is noted the eternity of the torments of Tophet The Perpetuity of these torments is euery where mentioned in the booke of God The Prophet Daniel speaking of the condemnation of the wicked addeth perpetuity to their shame saying Som shall awake to perpetuall shame and contempt Saint Marke speaking of the vexing worme addeth Perpetuity to the gnawing of it their worme neuer dyeth Saint Paul addeth to the perdition of the wicked Perpetuity also Their perdition is euerlasting 2. Thess 1.9 Saint Iude addeth the like That they suffer eternall fire And Saint Iohn doth adde vnto the lake perpetuity The Deuill was cast into the lake where he shall be tormented day and night for euermore Thus wee see that the torments of hell are infinite ratione finis without end and though they séeke death yet find it they shall neuer Thus shall they be like a man that is to be pressed to death who calleth for more weight more weight to dispatch him of his paine but alas he must not haue it So in hell they shall cry for death and go without it As the Psalmist speaketh of Gods mercy That his mercy endureth for euer so the damned may say of his iustice that his iustice endureth for euer There were some comfort to the damned soules if these their torments might haue end but that shal neuer be that is that that breaketh the hearts of the damned no torment in hell comparable to this of perpetuity what neuer haue end neuer O this is such a torment that the damned themselues are not able to expresse It is a common saying But for hope the heart would burst but they are shut out of all hope and therefore who can expresse their torments O sayth a heathen man God shall once giue an end to these euils but the damned shall neuer be able to say this For as Gregory sayth Mors miseris fit sine morte finis sine fine defectus sine defectu quoniam mors semper viuit finis semper incipit defectus deficere nescit that is The death of the damned is such as shall neuer die their end shal neuer end and their destruction a perpetuall confusion No maruell therefore if Saint Bernard sayth Horres in manus incidere mortis viuentis vitae morientis that is It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of liuing death and dying life If there might be an end of these paines it were something though it were after so many millions of yeares as there are drops of water in the sea starres in the firmament motes of dust vpon the earth and as there haue béen moments of time since time beganne but this cannot be graunted but when the Lord doth giue ouer his being then and neuer before then shall the damned be discharged though the blockish Catabaptist perswadeth the contrary The reason of the perpetuity of these torments is thréefold The first Drawne from the Maiesty of God offended an infinite Maiesty offended an infinite torment imposed The second Drawne from the state and condition of the damned For as long as they remayne sinnefull so long shall they remaine tormented for sinne but in hell they euer remayne sinneful therefore in hell they shall euer be tormented Sinne is like oyle and the wrath of God like fire as long as the oile lasteth so long the fire burneth and so long as they are sinnefull so long for sinne tormented therefore for euer damned For most sure it is that in hell there is neyther grace nor deuotion the wicked shall be cast in exteriores tenebras extra limitem diuinae misericordiae They shal be cast into outward darkenesse out of the limits both of grace and mercy Though their weeping in hell may séeme penitentiary yet they doe but lugere poenas non peccata they doe but mourne their sorrowes not lament their sinnes And though Diues his prayer for his brethren may seem to proceed from a charitable soule yet it was not for their good but for his owne for hee knew that if they should come to hell his lewd and