Religion & morality > Human nature in its fourfold state

Head VI. the Damned are Jl?ut up. 467
perfection, fo in hell fin arrives at its higheft pitch ;
and as fin is thus advancing Upon the man, he is the
nearer and the liker to hell. There are three things
that have a fearful afpedd here. F rfl, When every
thing that might do good to mens fouls, is blaited -to
them ; To that their bleffings are curfed, Mai. ii. 2.
feimons, prayers, admonitions, and reproofs, which-
are powerful towards others, are quite inefficacious
to them 7dh, When men go on finning (liil, in the
free of plain rebukes from the Lord, in ordinances
and providences : God meets them with rods, in the
way of their fin, as it were ftriking them back ; yet
they rufli forward What can be more hke hell,
where the Lord is always fruiting, and the damned
always finning againfl him ? Laftly, When every thing
in one’s lot is turned into fuel to one’s lufts. Thus
advetfity and profpcrity, poverty and wealth, the
want of ordinances, and the enjoyment of them, do ail
but nour'dh the corruptions of many. Their vicious
ftomachs corrupt whatfoever they receive, and all docs
but increafe noxious humours
But the full harveft follows, in that rrifery which
they flnll for ever lie under in hell ; that wrath, which,
by vhtue of the curfe, {hall come upon them to the
utrermoft : the which, is the cu-fe fully executed.
This black: cloud opens upon them, and the terrible
thunder bolt ftrikes them, by that dreadful voice from
the throne, Depart from me, ye cur/ed, <kc. Which
will give the whole wicked world a difma! view of
what is in the bofom of the curfe. (i.) It is a voice . if
extreme indignation and wrath, a furious rebuk" from
the Lion of the tribe of Judah. His looks will be mold
terrible to them : his eyes will cad flames of Hre on
them: and his words will pierce their he irts, like
envenomed arrows. When he will thus fpeak them
out of his prefence for ever, and, by his word, chafe
them away from before the throne : they will f-e how
keenly wrath burns in his heart againft them for their
fins (2 ' It is a voice of extreme difdain and con¬
tempt from the Lord. Time was, when they were