presence The 3d. thing I proposed to speak to was to shew you how dreadful this Prison is and that I shall open to you in these following particulars 1. This Prison is a very dark Prison the Scripture calls the darkness of it outer darkness Matt. 8.12 The Children of the Kingdom shall be cast into outer darkness so the unprofitable servant is sentenced to and sent into outer darkness Matt. 25.30 Sinners now are in darkness yea they are said to be darkness Ephes 5.8 but this expression points at the inward darkness of the minds of Sinners there is a Cataract on the Eye of the Soul a Veil on the Understanding but there is besides this inward darkness an outer darkness when sinners shall be removed at the greatest distance from God the Father of Lights James 1.17 They shall be eternally separated and cut off from the Communion with God In his light Saints shall see light Psal 36.9 In the light of his Countenance they shall see the light of Life but wicked men shall go to the generation of their ungodly Fathers they shall never see the Light Psal 49.9 The mist of darkness is their portion 2 Pet. 2.17 yea the blackness of Darkness is reserved for them as an eternal inheritance Judes Epist the 13th v. what Terrour is there in this expression The blackness of darkness Neither Creatures that Shine as a Candle to them nor God as a Sun shall arise on them Luke paints out the sadness of Pauls State and of those that were in the Ship with him Acts. 17.20 That no small Tempest laid on them and that neither the Sun nor the Stars for many days appeared to them Thus it shall be with the Damned in Hell a dreadful Tempest of the wrath of God will lye upon them and he will never appear as a Sun to chear them nor suffer Creatures as Stars to shine for their Comfort they will be shut out from Gods gracious presence and also shut up from the Creatures they shall neither have Beams from Heaven nor Lamps from Earth they shall leave all their Idols behind them in the world they shall loose all their sensual pleasures and delights God will give them no joy and Creatures will lend them no comfort therefore blackness of darkness must needs follow Thick darkness that might be felt was one of the plagues of Egypt Exod. 21.22 23. but this lasted but three days but here is Eternal Darkness 2. This prison is a strong prison there is no breaking out of it no Filing off the Chains of the Damned or Forcing open the doors the Judg himself by the arm of his own Omnisciency is the Keeper of this Prison the Eye of his Omnisciency still watches over the Prisoners that there is no flying or escaping God challengeth all creatures who shall deliver out of my hand Deut. 32.39 if he do tare in pieces and deliver up the body to the first and the Soul to the Second Death there will be none to rescue or deliver Ps 50.22 when God shuts up there is no opening Job 12.14 Tho there may be millions of Prisoners in Hell yet this Evidences their weakness and evinces Gods strength that this huge and vast multitude cannot wrest themselves ouâ— of the Hand of the Judg or break his Prison God that cast them thither will hold and secure them there 3. Gods Prison is a close Prison there will be no Addressing to Visiting or Releiving of his Prisoners Luke 16.26 consider what Abraham there speaks to Dives And besides all this between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that they that would pass from hence to you cannot neither can they pass to us that would come from thence There is a great gulf that cannot be filled up or passed over and this gulf is Fixed it shall remain and continue for ever Gods Decree is Stable it cannot be changed revoked or repealed there is an unalterable an eternal separation between the blessed and the damned it is not to be thought that any of the Saints will pity the Damned will relent towards them or melt over them Saints that be perfected and even swallowed up in the Love of God they shall fully acquiess in his will and rejoyce that his Justice is Magnified and his Power Glorified in the Eternal Destruction of the Wicked but Abraham makes only a supposition if any such thing were possible if Saints could sympathise with the Damned if their Bowels did yearn towards them if they were willing to relieve them or to carry over any supplies to them if they did endeavour to case their Pains or mitigate their Torments all such desires would be in vain all such endeavours would be frustrated and inefiectual they could not get to the Damned their Kindness could not reach them or affect them all Communicatition with them is obstructed all passages are shut up these tormented Creatures are inaccessible Saints can carry no water to cool their Tongues can bring them no Cordials to revive their Souls the Damned cannot come forth nor others come in to them to succour or ease them 4. It is an Eternal Prison there will be no Goal-delivery no dismission or releasing of these Prisoners We read in Isa 24 21.22 of some that should be gathered together and shut up in Prisons but after many days they should be Visited Piscator understands this of Kings and Princes that should be Conquered by the King of Babylon and held in Bondage for many years but these oppressed men should at last be Visited and releived by the gracious Kingdom of Jeâ—â—s Christ that should give liberty to their Souls freedom to their Consciences But those that God apprehends and shuts up in his Prison shall never be visited and recover their Liberty Jeremiah was by the Fury of his Adversaries cast into a deep and miery Dungeon but God rais'd him up Friends Ebed-melech and others did let down Cords into his Dungeon drew him up and saved his life Jer. 38.10 11 12 13. But no Beam of Hope shall shine no Cord of a Promise shall be let down to the Damned to draw them up out of their Dungeon It was an Act of Oppression Cruelty and Tyranny in the King of Babylon that he opened not the House of his Prisoners Isaiah 14.17 but this is an Act of Pure and High Justice in God that he will never open the House of his Prisoners they that sinned without Dread of his Justice shall suffer without Relief from his Mercy There is now a Wall of Partition between God and sinners in this Life but this may possibly be broken down but there is a Gulf fixed in Hell that can never be passed over This is dreadful to consider that God executes sinners and yet they continue his Prisoners to feel more Wrath and suffer more Vengeance the guilt of sin still cleaves to them and the wrath of God will still abide on them John 9. last John 3. last sin is
said to remain and so wrath doth abide Repentance in Hell will be without any Fruit their Grief without Relief their Groans Cries Petitions will not prevail can obtain nothing at the Hand of God sinners were deaf to God in time and he will be deaf to them in eternity Their Hearts were hardned and his Bowels will be shut The Fewel of Gods Anger will be everlasting therefore the Fire will be eternal an Immortal Death an ever dying Misery and endless Torments will be the Portion of the Damned The suffering Jews complain and say that God had hedged them about and they could not get out Lam. 3.7 so the damned in Hell are so hedged in by their own guilt and the just wrath of God that they can never get out Their Destruction will be everlasting their Ruin irrecoverable God will not Release them and they cannot Rescue themselves 5. This heightens the Misery of departed Souls that their Prison is a place of Torments as well as of Restraint Dives complains he was tormented in that Flame Luke 16.24 and would have his Brethren warned that they might not come into that place of Torments Luke 16.25 God will exact his debts of and execute his threatnings on sinners He will tread them in the Wine-press and press out all that is sweet grateful and pleasant and leave only a dry Husk of Being the Damned seem to be called Carcases Isaiah 66. last Ye shall go forth and see the carcases of the men that transgressed against me The Expression is Elegant Significant and Emphatical Christ will command his Enemies that would not have him to reign over them to be brought before him he will sentence them to be slain in his presence when they are slain when all the Peace Joy Comfort of their Souls is destroyed what will remain but a meer Carcase of Being When men shall be only to be miserable to endure vengeance to suffer Torments this may well be stiled a Carcase of Being Bullinger de Triumph tells us that the day that an Emperour Triumphed the Prisoners were led in Chains and exposed as an open spectacle to the Eyes of the Spectators and that when the Chariot of him that Triumphed turned to go up to the Capitol then the Prisoners were led away to the Prison and the Triumpher staid in the Capitol till news was brought him that the Prisoners or some one of them was put to death in the Prison the Prison this day was a place of Execution among the Romans Gods Prison will be a place of Eternal Execution and Torments Dives begged that Lazarus might but dip the Tip of his Finger in Water and let fall a few drope to cool his Tongue Luke 16.24 his Request seems very modest he did not desire that Lazarus should dip his whole Hand no not his whole Finger but only the Tip of his Finger this was a very small Petition yet it is not granted but rejected and decried Sinners in Hell shall not obtain the least ease refreshment or mitigation of their Torments God will deal with sinners as they did with Jesus Christ he cried out I Thirst John 19.28 but did he receive any thing to refresh or ease him no his Enemies only filled a Sponge with Vinegar and put it to his Mouth John 19.30 this was to Torment rather than Relieve him As Christ obtained nothing from men to refresh him so sinners shall get nothing from God to ease them when once they are shut up in his Prison as the wicked Jews Priests and Scribes upbraided Christ with his words and works Mat. 27.40 41 42 43. that he said he would build the Temple that he asserted himself to be the Son of God that he saved others so a Righteous God and an Awakened Conscience will upbraid Sinners with their evil words and their sinful actions to eternity the iniquity of their Heels will compass them about the reward of their Hand will be given to them Isaiah 3.10 they shall feed on the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own inventions Prov. 1.31 They that glory in their wisdoms and applauded themselves in their inventions as of they had found out the true and chief Good as if they had discovered the true Pleasures the true Liberty the true Happiness shall smart for their Inventions and feel the woful effects of them for ever 6. This renders the Condition of those that are in Gods Prison terrible that they are under the fear and dread of future evils and of a more severe punishment As the thoughts of the Affizes are bitter and terrible to Malefactors they know that then their Crimes will be remembred accusations will be formed Witnesses will appear against them they will be Condemned and Executed So sinners in Hell may dread the appearing of Jesus Christ and the Judgment of the Great Day Sinners are not yet at the bottom of their Pit they are not yet fallen under the heaviest hottest fullest expressions of the Wrath of God they do not yet see the worst of their Condition It is said that Death and Hell shall be cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone this is the second death Revel 20.14 What is intended and meant by Death and Hell I suppose by Death here is meant the Body that died and so fell under the power of Death and Hell here signifies the Souls of the Damned that were cast into Hell The Continent is put for the thing Contained the Bodies of the wicked were held under death and their Souls were shut up in Hell but the Bodies of the Wicked shall not still sleep in the Grave they shall awake and rise be joined to and united with their Bodies but this resurrection will not be a benefit but a hurt to them it will not be a priviledge but a punishment their Bodies shall rise that they may fall into the Lake of Fire that they may feel Torments that they be obnoxious to punishment from the Revenging Hand of God those that are now in Hell do know that this will be that their Souls and Bodies must meet again that as they joined in sin so they may be Companions in misery this conjunction they dread they would rather their Bodies should dwell in the Grave for ever than that Soul and Body both should be united to be drowned in a Lake of Fire to be swallowed up of the second Death 7. Sinners shall have the misery of their Prison heightned by these two aggravations 1. They that remember what Mercy was once offered to them and was rejected by them 2. They that behold what happiness others enjoy and they are eternally deprived of 1. Sinners shall call to mind what means of Grace they once enjoyed what tenders of Salvation were made to them the Son of God preached to the old World he called them to Repentance he warned them to fly from the Wrath to come yet their Understandings were darkned their Consciences stupified their Hearts hardned their
heavier Yoke on himself for us He puts his Name into our Bond and became a Surety for us the Debt was great he was to discharge it was not to be paid off with Gold and Silver but with Blood the Debt was not only possible or probable or likely only to fall on him but certainly to take hold of him and to be required of him He was to be wounded with the Sword of his own Father to bear the heaviest Burden to drink the most bitter Cup this Lamb of God was to be roasted by the hottest Fire he was to sweat Blood and to pour out his Soul to the Death and is it not reasonable now that the Son of God should require us to renounce our depraved Wills base Lusts and vile Affections and put our Necks under his easie Yoke bound on us by Cords of Love Did our Lord submit and obey and shall we be proud disobedient and rebellious 3. The Son of God preached Peace Ephes 2.17 His Gospel is a Gospel of Peace Ephes 6.15 His Covenant a Covenant of Peace Isa 54.10 In the days of his Flesh he preached Peace Acts 10.36 And now he still publisheth Peace to humbled Sinners This Peace the Son of God Preaches is a costly and righteous Peace His own Father did wage War with him that he might make Peace with us Zech. 13.7 He called the Sword of his Justice to awake smite and wound his own Son The Sufferings the Wounds of Christ were great and deep they came from they were made by the awakened Sword of Justice Our Sins had made a wide Breach between God and us and this Breach was filled by the dead Body of Jesus Christ Our Iniquities had kindled the Fire of God's Wrath and this Fire was quenched by the Blood of the Son of God He made Peace for our Souls because he made Atonement for our Sins 4. Jesus Christ preached Salvation That we should be saved from the hands of our Enemies and from all that hated us Luke 1.71 Sin and Death are our Enemies wicked Men and Satan hate us here is a Salvation from Enemies and all that hate us And this is a full and perfect Salvation Christ saves from sin Matth. 1.21 And he saves from wrath Rom. 5.9 And by his own Sufferings he was delivered up to Death Rom. 8.32 that he might deliver us from the Wrath to come 1 Thess 1. last He fell into the hands of God as an angry Judge that we might not fall into the Bottomless-pit He went out into the most dreadful Storm that he might allay it and free us from it The Cup of Wrath came to him that the Cup of Salvation might come to us Jesus Christ could not have been a Shield to us if he had not been pierced by the Arrows of Divine Vengeance himself He could not have been a shadow to us from the burning scorching Wrath of God if he had not been himself exposed to it That Cloud that skreened Israel from the hottest Beams of the Sun was exposed to them that Cloud did not feel the burning Beams of the Sun but Jesus Christ had a tender sense and feeling of the Wrath of God that for our sakes he was liable to 5. Jesus Christ preached the Kingdom of God Matth. 4.23 He went about Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and declaring the glad Tidings of the Kingdom of God Luke 8.1 Jesus Christ doth not only Preach to us Salvation from the greatest Evil but also the Enjoyment of the highest Good The Apostle 2 Tim. 2.10 saith The Elect shall obtain the Salvation that is in Christ together with everlasting Glory As Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were not only called out of and saved from the Fiery Furnace but also promoted and exalted to Honour and Rule in the Province of Babylon Dan. 3. last So Believers are not only preserved from a Furnace of Fire but also called into a Glorious Kingdom they do not only escape Ruin but are advanced to Reign And this Kingdom is bequeathed by Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word as Budaeus * In Comment Graecae Linguae observes is Verbum Testamentale a word used by the Graecians in making their Wills Though in the account of wicked Men Jesus Christ died as a Malefactor yet in the Eye of God he died as a Testator when he was robbed of his Liberty Garments and Life then he bequeathed a Kingdom to enrich us for ever The Eternal Inheritance is a Legacy of Christ's Testament Heb. 9.15 Christ that is Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 takes us to be Coheirs with himself Rom. 8.17 Those that serve God shall Reign Rev. 22.3.5 And those that are Subjects to Christ shall wear a Glorious and Everlasting Crown Rev. 2.10 As the Blood of Christ keeps destroying Justice out so it gives us boldness to enter into the Heavenly Sanctuary Heb. 10.19 6. The Cross of Christ is preached 1 Cor. 1.19.23 as the Meritorious cause of all Good Christ's Poverty enriches us his Abasement Exalts us his Infamy is our Glory He is a Priest of good things Heb. 9.11 he merits and procures them by his Sacrifice The Death and Testament of Jesus Christ is the very Foundation of our hopes of and of our call to the Everlasting Inheritance Heb. 9.15 In the Civil Law * Institut lib. 2. Tit. 19. Sect. 6. he that is an Heir is said to be Vocatus ad haereditatem and that by the Testament of the Deceased This much illustrates Spiritual things Christ makes a Testament designs Heirs and calls them in due time to what he hath designed for them The Cross of Christ should be preached and the Death of the Son of God should be most valuable in our Eye because this is the Foundation and Confirmation of Christ's Testament If he had not made a Will and died to confirm it there had been no Heirs appointed there had been no Inheritance bequeathed and there had been no ground to call any to the Kingdom and Glory of God 3. To whom did the Son of God Preach I Answer sometimes to more sometimes to fewer before Abraham was called and his Seed chosen and separated to be God's Peculiar and only People he preached more or less to all Mankind if they did not cut off and cast themselves out by their Negligence and Profaneness as Cain's Posterity seemed to do Afterward God made an Inclosure of a Common when he took Abraham redeemed him from his Idolatry and called him from his Ignorance and Blindness Since that God hath made a Common instead of an Inclosure We read of the Common Faith Titus 1.4 And of the Common Salvation Jude's Epistle Verse 3. After Christ's death the Hedges were pulled * Luke 14 23. up the Inclosure thrown open Christ was to be a Light to the Gentiles and to be Gods Salvation to the ends of the Earth Isa 49.6 The Son of God is the true Universal Bishop 1 Pet. 2. last The
Ears stopt even so it hath been since those that have been in the Church and under the sound of the Word have heard tidings that should have affected their Spirits gladded their Hearts yea even ravished their Souls a year of Jubilee hath been proclaimed a day of Salvation hath been afforded sinners have been told that dead Souls may hear the Voice of the Son of God and live that Prisoners in this World may be set free Captives released Wounds may be healed Diseases cured Sinners may be justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus filthy Souls may be cleansed Conscience may be purged from dead works yet men mind not regard not seek not any of these things They make light of all the Travel of Christs Soul of the Purchase of his Blood of the Legacies of his Testament Matt. 22.5 they consider not that their Diseases threaten them with Eternal Death that the weight of their Guilt will sink them down into the Bottomless Pit that the shame of their Nakedness will expose them to everlasting Contempt and Abhorrency all this Stupidity Folly and hardness of Heart shall be renewed and reflected on as a just Cause of Eternal Punishment They shall remember how Jesus Christ called and they did not answer he knocked and they did not open he stretched out his Hands filled with pretious and inestimable Gifts but they did not stretch out the hand of Faith to receive Christ and his Benefits They would not look to Christ that they might be saved Isaiah 45.22 They turned from the Captain of Salvation to a Murtherer from a merciful Shepherd to a cruel and devouring Lion they would not come to Christ that they might have life John 5.40 they would not lean on Christâ— Arm that they might not fall under the wrath of God and the vengeance of eternal Fire This will one day sting them that sin was sweeter to them than salvation that rather than quench the fire of Lust they would run into the flames of Hell that rather than the Old Man should suffer and its Members be mortified or cut off they themselves would perish everlastingly This will to eternity wound them that their vanity of Mind their carelesness of Spirit their unbelief and hardness of Heart hath undone them that they dallied trifled away the time turned away the Physitian refused the Redeemer rejected the Bridegroom and must suffer the deserved punishment for all this to eternity they will see their opportunity is lost and never to be regained that the Door of Gods House is shut never to be opened again that the Treaty of Peace is broken off never to be revived any more that the Ladder that joined Earth and Heaven together is taken away is drawn up and will never be let down to sinners any more 2. This will aggravate the Misery of those that are in this Infernal Prison that they shall see what others enjoy but they are bereaved of and shut out from Luk. 13.28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth when ye shall see Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out The Time was when Sinners were earnestly called upon were pressed with importunity to enter into the Kingdom of God but they neglected they contemned it but now this is their Punishment to be thrust out into Eternal Darkness and Torment and their loss will be embittered when they behold what others are arrived at and in Possession of O how will it pierce the Hearts of the degenerate Seed of Godly Men to see their Fathers possess a rich Inheritance and they themselves to be Poor for ever How will this vex incense and inrage them to see others at a plentiful Royal Feast and themselves to lie under an Eternal Famine That Saints Triumph in Glorious Triumph and they are held in Eternal Bondage That others wear Robes and Crowns of Glory but they themselves are clothed with sordid Garments and Rags of Infamy it might be a trouble to Lazarus to see Dives his Plenty and his own Penury To behold his Delicates and costly Fare and then reflect on his own hunger and wants but in the other World things are quite turned Now Dives is troubled to see Lazarus at Rest and he himself in Torments to behold Lazarus Feasted and himself Famished Luk. 16.19 20 21 22 24. O how will this Disquiet and Torment Sinners to see Saints bathing themselves in the Fountain of Life and that they cannot get a drop of Water to cool their Tongues and allay their Torments 1. Vse Of the Doctrine Is it so that the Spirits of Wicked men gone out of the Body are in Gods Prison then this Truth should awaken secure and strike a Terrour into hard Hearted Sinners O do not imagine that if you are afflicted that you receive all your evil things here Gods anger is not turned away his Sword is not sheathed his Controversie is not at an end with you there is a vast Arrear of Debt a dreadful remainder of Wrath yet behind You drink but the Top of the Cup of Gods Fury the dregs of it yet remain to be sucked into your Souls in another World Psal 75.8 God le ts fall but some drops of his Displeasure here the most dreadful storm is yet behind Psal 11.6 God now doth but Skirmish with Sinners in this World he will join Battel and come to a close fight with them in another World O Sinners will you choose the way to Gods Prison will you take the Road that leads to the Lake of Fire and Brimstone you foolishly run into the Devils snares and rush upon Hell and Destruction will you bring forth Fruit to Death Rom. 7.5 Will you bear such Fruit as will make you more worthy of Death and more fit for Destruction Will you provide evidences and prepare witnesses for your Condemnation Jer. 14.7 Mens Iniquities testifie against them The more Sins they commit the more Witnesses they raise up against themselves Will you heap up fuel for your Eternal burning Will you daily purchase for your selves a place in this Eternal Prison Will you yield your depraved Wills your vile Affections as so many Chains given into the Devils hand to lead you by unto this dreadful Prison Will you Barter and Trade away your Souls for so contemptible a price as the Wages of Unrighteousness and the Pleasures of Sin that are but for a season Will you be ignorant of Satan Devices Will you not discern his designs he seeks for he hunts after your Souls His aim is to gain and seize them that he may carry them away into this dark Prison O Sinners will you not consider will you not rouse up your selves and start out of your deep Sleep there may be but a step between you and this Eternal Prison Will you delay at the brink of the Pit will you sleep at the Door of the Prison Will you not stop your selves before it be too late Will you stay in the Devils