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

594- TheEter. of the inferable State,IV.
You condefcend, there’s ftill another beyond it. When
you are abroad in the Fields, and behold the Piles
of the Grafs on the Earth, which no Man can
reckon; think with your felves, that, were as many 1
Thoufands of Years to come, as there are Piles of !
Grafs oh the Ground, even thofe would have an
End at length, but Eternity will have none. When
you look to a Mountain, imagine in your Hearts,
how long it would be, e’re that Mountain fhould
be remov’d, by a little Bird coming but once, every
Thoufand Years, and carrying away but one Grain
of the Duft thereof at once: The Mountain would
at length be remov’d, that Way, and brought to *
an End ; but Eternity will never end. Suppofe
this with Refpeft to all the Mountains of the Earth,
nay with Refpeft to the whole Globe of the Earth;
the Grains of Duft, whereof the whole Earth is
made-up, arc not infinite, and therefore the laft
Grain would, at long run, come to be carried
away, in the Way fuppofed : But when that flowed
Work would be brought to an End, Eternity would
be, in Effedt, but beginning.
Thcfe are fome rude Draughts of Eternity: And
now add Mifery and IVo to this Eternity, what
Tongue can exprefs it ? What Heart can conceive :
it ? In What Ballance can that Mifery and that
Wo, be weighed ?
Secondly, Let us take a View of what is Eternal,
in the State of the Damned in Hell. W hatfoever
is included in the fearful Sentence, determining
their eternal State, is everlafting: Therefore all the
doleful Ingredients of their miferable State, will be
eierlafthig; they’ll never end. The Text exprefly
declares the Fire, into which they muft depart, to
be everlajling Fire. And our Lord elfewhere tells