the Wicked, and to give my Opinion of the Place of their Torments.

SECT. III.

Of the Punishment of the Wicked, and Place of Hell.

T

HIS difmal State is reprefented to us in Scripture by Fire and Brimstone, which, though indeed 'tis most terrifying to our prefent Senfes, yet can never fufficiently represent the Terrors of that dreadful State; for as much as Spirit exceeds Matter, fo much does fpiritual Fire, or the Terrors of a Soul banish'd all Felicities, and confign'd over to the moft inexpreffible Miseries, exceed all poffible Representations of material Fire. That material Fire, properly fo call'd, cannot act immediately upon immaterial Substances, as the Devils are, I do not now argue; but that their Torment will be as great at leaft, as that of material Fire upon material Substances, is not to be doubted; for the everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels muft neceffarily very grie-, voufly affect them. As to the Place of Hell, as we call it, I take it to be an Exilement from all manner of Place, in the ufual No

tion

tion of that Word, and to be a Confine ment in a Vacuum or the univerfal Space, where there is no Matter to collect and reflect any of the Rays of Light of the Heavenly Luminaries; fo that the Sun and Stars darting their Rays through, and meeting with nothing to reflect their Rays upon, there is confequently nothing but a pitchy Darkness: And now will not this alone be a difmal State, if there were no other pofitive Torments, where those who are confign'd over to it have not the leaft Hope left of ever recovering Light or Place of Reft?

This is that dismal Place, or rather Imprisonment from all manner of Place, reprefented to us in the Scriptures as a Bottomlefs Pit, and outer Darkness, which is very agreeable to the aforefaid Notions; for, as a Bottomless Pit, it is agreeable to a Banishment from Place, or, in other Words, from the Body of any Globe and its Atmosphere, into the Vacuum of the univerfal Space; the Extent whereof is fuch, as I have fhew'd, that nothing can come nearer its End, tho' it has never fo rapid a Motion, no, were it even as quick as Thought or Imagination itfelf, and continued to never fo long a Duration: So that this may properly enough be call'd a Bottomless Pit; and difmal outer Darkness must also attend it, as it is out of the way of any thing to receive, collect, or reflect any of the Light of the glorious heavenly

venly Bodies. In this tremendous State ist both temporal and fpiritual Darkness, no Righteousness to shine in these doleful Regions, no more than material Lights to attend them; for that fpiritual Light, which is ready to be afforded, by Chrift, to every one that comes into the World, the Inhabitants of these difmal Regions have wilfully loft, by chufing Darkness rather than Light, because their Deeds were evil. This is, then, fuch a Deftruction from the Presence of the Lord, and his Light, as muft certainly be attended with dismal Anguish and Horror to thofe exil'd to it: Their Confciences too will then reproach and fting them with Remorfe; they will then reflect upon the Evils they have done, and cannot help it; this Worm that dieth not will continually gnaw and fret their guilty Minds, and never let them be at Eafe and Quiet; and the Reflection upon the infinite Lofs of Heaven, and their everlasting Exclufion from the unfpeakable Happiness of that bleffed State, and their Deprivation of the Sight of the Beatific Vifion, and the Want of the heavenly Society, viz. God and Christ, and the bleffed Saints and Angels, will fill them with inexpreffible Torment. The Devils, as Spi-, rits, may be able to affect Spirits, and fo afflict the Souls of Men, as well as Bodies do Bodies: For fince our Bleffed Saviour plainly fays, that the Wicked fhall go into ever

lafting

lafting Fire prepar'd for the Devil and his Angels, we may be affur'd that there is in Hell a Fire, tho' not material, yet fuch as fhall as much, if not more, affect those who fhall be confign'd over to that dreadful State; fo that it will be fuch an one as will execute God's Defign of punishing both wicked Angels and wicked Men. And now let wicked Men confider what a woful Bargain they make, when they foolishly chufe Vice before Religion and Virtue: Let 'em think what an unfpeakable Torment the Reflection upon their paft Sins, and the wilful Neglect of their Duty, will fill their Minds with; what terrible Anguish and Horror will then feize them; what Madness and Defpair will poffefs them; what a monstrous Pile of Fire they are raifing to burn, but not confume them; for there the Worm dies not, as our Saviour tells us, and the Fire is not quenched.

Now the very Nature of Virtue and Spiritual-mindednefs leads to Happiness, even in this Life, and the contrary to Mifery; for to be carnally minded is death, but to be Spiritually minded is life and peace: For Carnality of itself finks us below the afpiring after heavenly Objects, fixes our Minds on the World and fenfual Pleafures, whereby we come to doat fo much upon the Pursuit of our beloved Senfualities, that our Hearts at last become fo intent upon them, that

their

their Happiness is fixed in them: And fince these earthly Treasures and fenfual Enjoyments are fading and tranfitory, and can laft no longer than our prefent Lives; and fince no Treasures are thereby laid up for the Soul, (for thefe are only useful to our Bodies) we are fure to lofe all when we leave thefe: Whereas if we raise our Souls to a spiritual Temper, and purfue true Virtue with a heavenly Difpofition, and regard the things of the Spirit more than those of the Flesh, we may affure our felves we are laying up fuch Treasures as will be durable and lasting, even to all Eternity. And how much must the Satisfaction of a spiritual Mind be even in this Life? 'Tis fufficient to fupport us under the greatest outward Calamities and Afflictions; and all the Riches, Pleasures, and Honours of the World cannot equal it; equal it, did I fay? nay, not stand in the leaft Competition with it, where they are only enjoy'd without this Spiritual-mindedness: This will make the Mind of a Man or Woman eafy and chearful, and their Countenance lively; for true Virtue never shews itself in affected fanctified Looks, an artificial turning of the Eyes, wry Mouths, wrinkling of Faces, or whining Speeches, which are chiefly Tokens of Hypocrify, or at least a Want of a true Understanding of the Nature of Religion and Virtue, which in its own Nature renders Men bold as a Lion, C courteous,