void the death of Christ ^ In fact, thifi, more than any thing else, was the ground of separation from the Church of Rome. Much as transubstantiation and the infalHbility of the Pope were objected to, it was the doctrine of human merit that most of all kindled the zeal of the Reformers, and stimulated them to protest against such fatal errors : and in proportion as we entertain hopes of meriting salvation by any works of our own, we return to Popery, and cherish the most damning corruption of " the beast."]
3. The abettors of persecution — [It is a strange idea entertained by some, that persecution for the Gospel's sake has ceased. But if fires be not now kindled for the extirpation of pretended heretics, is therefore persecution ceased ? Are there no such things as " cruel mockings" yet in existence ? Yea, where is the person who is at all active in the cause of Christ, that is not despised and hated on that very account ? Let him possess every qualifica- tion that can entitle him to respect, that one fault of loving and serving the Lord Jesus Christ, is sufficient to despoil him of all, and to render him an object of derision. Nor is it to any abhorrence of persecution that we are indebted for the measure of peace that we enjoy, but to the laws, and to the knowledge which men possess on the subject of religious to- leration. The same spirit that has " made war with the saints" in the Romish Church, still exists in ours : and inasmuch as it does so, we " bear the image of the beast in our forehead, and are in danger of the judgments which are treasured up for it]
Having ascertained the characters here spoken of, let us inquire into,
II. Their doom —
Whether the metaphors that are used to describe the punishment of the ungodly are to be understood in any thing like a literal sense, we will not pretend to determine : nor is it of any importance to us to know : for, though there should be no lake of fire and brimstone to torment our bodies, yet will there be torment of some kind or other both to our bodies and souls ; and that torment cannot be more fitly re- presented to us in our present state, than by the images used in our text. We can form some little idea of the internal agony arising from the drinking of a cup composed of burning ingredients; and of
the
" Gal. V. 2, 4.