Religion & morality > Human nature in its four-fold state ... in several practical discourses

Head VI. the 'Damn'dare fiut up. 565
Man, he is the nearer and the liker to Hell.
There are three Things that have a fearful Afpeft
here. Firft, When every Thing that might do
Good to Mens Souls, is blafted to them ; fo that
their BleJJings are curfed (Mai. ii. 2.) Sermons,
Prayers, Admonitions, and Reproofs, which arc
powerful towards others, are quite inefficacious
to them, idly. When Men go on finning (fill, in
the Face of plain Rebukes from the Lord, in Or¬
dinances and Providences : God meets them with
Rods in the Way of their Sin, as it were ftrik-
ing them back ; yet they rufh forward. What can
be more like Hell, where the Lord is always fmit-
ing, and the Damn’d always finning againft him ?
Laftly, When every Thing in one’s Lot is turn’d
into Fewel to one’s Lufls. Thus Adverfity and
Profperity, Poverty and Wealth, the Want of
Ordinances, and the Enjoyment of them, do
all but nourifh the Corruptions of many. Their
vitious Stomachs corrupt whatfoever they re¬
ceive, and all does but encreafe noxious Hu¬
mours.
But the full Harveft follows in that Mifery,
which they fhall for ever ly under in Hell; that
Wrath, which, by virtue of the Curfe, fhall come
upon them to the uttermoft ; the which is the Curfe
fully executed. This black Cloud opens upon
them, and the terrible Thunderbolt ftrikes them,
by that dreadful Voice from the Throne, Depart
from me ye surfed, &c. Which will give the
whole wicked World a difmal View of what is
in the Bofom of the Curfe. ’Tis (i.) a Voice of
extream Indignation and IVrath, a furious Rebuke
from the Lion of the tfribe of Judah. His Looks
will be moft terrible to them : His Eyes will caft
N n 4 Flames