Christian ethics -- Fiction; Christian fiction; Conduct of life -- Fiction
1. Suppose that there be an Hell in very deed, not that I do question
it, any more than I do whether there be a Sun to shine; but I suppose
it for argument sake, with Mr. Badmans friends; I say, suppose there be
an Hell, and that too, such an one as the Scripture speaks of, one at
the remotest distance from God and Life eternall, one where the Worm of
a guilty Conscience never dyes, and where the fire of the Wrath of God
is not quenched.
Suppose, I say, that there is such an Hell, prepared of God (as there
is indeed) for the body and soul of the ungodly World after this life,
to be tormented in: I say, do but with thy self suppose it, and then
tell me, Is it not prepared for thee, thou being a wicked man? Let thy
conscience speak, I say, is it not prepared for thee, thou being an
ungodly man? And dost thou think, wast thou there now, that thou art
able to wrestle with the Judgment of God? Why then do the fallen Angers
tremble there? thy hands cannot be strong, nor can thy heart endure, in
that day when God shall deal with thee: Ezek. 22. 14.
2. Suppose that some one that is now a soul in Hell for sin, was
permitted to come hither again to dwell; and that they had a grant
also, that upon amendment of life, next time the dye, to change that
place for Heaven ant Glory; what sayest thou, O wicked man? would
such an one (thinkest thou) run again into the same course of life as
before, and venture the damnation that for sin he had already been in?
Would he choose again to lead that cursed life that afresh would kindle
the flames of Hell upon him, and that would bind him up under the heavy
wrath of God? O! he would not, he would not; the sixteenth of Luke
insinuates it: yea Reason it self, awake, would abhorr it, and tremble
at such a thought.
3. Suppose again, that thou that livest and rollest in thy sin, and
that as yet hast known nothing but the pleasure thereof, shouldst be
by an angel conveyed to some place where with convenience, from thence
thou mightest have a view of Heaven and Hell; of the Joyes of the
one, and the torments of the other; I say, suppose that from thence
thou mightest have such a view thereof, as would convince thy reason,
that both Heaven and Hell, are such realities as by the Word they are
declared to be; wouldest thou (thinkest thou) when brought to thy home
again, chuse to thy self thy former life, to wit, to return to thy
folly again? No; if belief of what thou sawest, remained with thee,
thou wouldest eat Fire and Brimstone first.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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