8 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XVII.
fear, overwhelming sorrow and despairing fear : it is a helpless and liopeless grief. Carnal men are prejudiced against godly sorrow ; but that is useful and profitable, 2 Cor. vii. 10. These sorrows would pre- vent those that the damned suffer in hell. The sorrows of repentance are joys in comparison of these sorrows ; the sorrows of repentance are full of hope. God will afford comforts to his mourners ; but the sor- rows of the damned are heightened by their own desperations ; it is for ever and ever. These are small, those swallow us up ; these are curing, those tormenting ; here it is like pricking a vein for health, hereafter wounds to the heart. These are mixed with love : Luke vii., she that loved much, wept much. The cup of wrath is unmixed, confounding and overwhelming us with continual amazement. These are short, those endless.
2. Their vexation and indignation. The grinding and the gnashing of the teeth is usually in pain or rage, in pain of body and soul. But of that afterwards, when I come to speak of hell under the notion of everlasting fire. Now, as it is a token and effect of rage. Now the damned are represented as full of rage, blasphemy, and indignation against God, against the saints, and against themselves.
[1.] Against God ; they have despised his favour, and now feel the power of his justice and displeasure against them, and have still an implacable hatred against him. We see in Eev. xvi. 9, when they were ' scorched with great heat, they blasphemed the name of God, which had power over these plagues ; and repented not, to give glory to God : they blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and sores, and repented not of their deeds.' I know that this pro- phecy doth not concern the state of the wicked in hell, but their plagues and disappointments in this world. However the fashion and guise of the reprobate is to be observed, here when they will not repent, so there when they cannot repent. Like men distracted and mad, they gnaw their tongues, and gnash their teeth ; like mad dogs, that bite their chains, or wild bulls in a net or toil, that roar and foam. They will curse God that created, and sentenced them to this death ; his power, by which they are continually tormented ; his wisdom, by which he governeth the world ; his goodness, that to them is turned into fury ; his Son's death and blood, which hath profited so many, and they have no benefit by it.
[2.] Against the saints. They hate them, and have an envy at all the felicity that betideth them in this world : Ps. xxxvii. 12, ' The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth at him with his teeth ;' so Ps. cxii. 10, ' The horn of the righteous shall be exalted with hon- our : the wicked shall see it, and be grieved ; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away.' The godly are their opposite party ; then their blessedness shall be so great that they shall envy their happiness when they see the godly in good case, and themselves miserable. At the great day the wicked shall sec the believers' joy to the increase of their own sorrow.
[3.] Against themselves; their own hearts shall reproach them: Hosea xiii. 9, ' Thou hast destroyed thyself.' They shall rave and vex at their own past folly, past neglects, and past abuse of grace, and past refusal of that happiness which others enjoy, when they find their own
VeR. 30.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 9
delights salted with the present curse. Little comfort and satisfaction shall they have, when they rememher they came thither to avoid the tediousness of a few blessed duties.
Use. Is to shame us that we make no more preparation to escape this dreadful estate ; or, in the language of the Holy Ghost, that we do not ' flee from wrath to come.' No motion can be earnest and speedy enough. There are two things that are very great wonders : —
1. Tliat any man should reject the christian faith, so clearly pro- mised in the predictions of the prophets, before it was revealed, and confirmed with such a number of miracles, when it was first set afoot, received among the nations by so universal a consent, in the learned jiart of the world, notwithstanding the meanness of the instruments employed in it ; and perpetuated to us throughout so many successions of ages, who have had experience of the truth of -it. And yet still we have cause to complain: Isa. liii. 1, 'Lord, who hath believed our report ? ' Some cannot outsee time and look beyond the grave : 1 Peter i. 9, ' He that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off;' and 2 Peter iii. 3, ' There shall come in the latter times scoffers, and mockers, walking after their own lusts.' Many dare not question the precepts of Christianity, because of their usefulness to human society and reasonable nature ; they doubt of the recompenses, and yet have a secret fear of them, and seek to smother it by their incredulity and unbelief. But alas ! it will not do. They scoff at others as simple and credulous ; none so credulous as the atheist ; there is a thousand to one against him : at least, if it prove true, in what a case are they ? It will do them no hurt to venture upon pro- babilities until further assurance. What assurance would you have ? Luke xvi. 30, 31, ' You have Moses and the prophets ; if you believe not them, neither will you be persuaded if one came from the dead.' Will you give laws to heaven ? God is not bound to make a sun for them to see that wilfully shut their eyes ; yet that way v/hat assurance would you have to prove this is nc phantasm ? Doth God need a lie to persuade you to your duty ? But —