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How needful is it then for all men that are blinded with ignorance, and fo deluded by the Devil, and their own imagination, to pray to the Lord for the Affiftance of his holy Spirit to guide them in all their ways,and to mollifie their hard and obdurate hearts, that they may be fenfible of their wicked Actions, acknowledging with the true penitent finner the wrath and judgment of God due unto them for every fin, to render all poffible thanks for the prefervation of their Lives from day to day; fo fhall they with a quiet Confcience be comforted in this Life, and end their days with assurance of a joy. ful Refurrection in the Life to come.

The Great ASSIZE.

The Fourth and laft Sermon, Treating of Death and Hell, and alfo of the Joys of Heaven.

Rev. 20. 14, 15.

14. And Death and Hell were caft into the Lake of Fire, this is the fecond death.

15. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life, was caft into the Lake of Fire.

N handling this weighty point of Religion,

IN

(the fecond coming of Chrift to Judgment) I have fhewed you from the Mouth of God, First, what manner of Perfon the Judge fhall be, and how he fhall come: Namely, like a mighty Prince, with great Power, Majefty and Glory, with an innumerable company of ArchAngels and Angels, with all the Host of Hea

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there is the number of them that shall appear at the last day, even all, and leave Heaven empty, as it were, of Angels; for at this fentence the whole Trinity will be prefent, fo that there will be no need of Angels in Heaven to do any office to wait upon God, or on the Holy Ghoft, while this fentence is paffing, unto the great comfort of all his poor Members, and to the terror and amazement of all his Enemies. Secondly, you have heard who shall be judged, Both great and Small.

Thirdly, The manner how Judgment fhall proceed: Namely, By the written Records, which are the Books of Mens Confciences.

And now in the last place, we come to the execution of Judgment, upon wicked Reprobates and ungodly, in thefe two laft Verfes: For when Judgment is pronounced according to their works, when Chrift Jefus, which is the fecond perfon in the Sacred Trinity, fhall fay unto them, Depart from me ye curfed into Hellfire, there to remain for ever with the Devil and his Angels, &c. Then immediately the execution of this fentence fhall follow for faith St. John, Death and Hell were caft into the lake of fire, that is the fecond death.

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First, We are to enquire and feek the true meaning of the Text, becaufe every word may move a Question. For,

Quest... What is Death, that he fhould be caft into Hell-fire? Is Death any Creature? Is Death fubject unto pain and torments? Surely no, Death is no body, it hath no fence nor

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feeling; Death is no Creature, but only the deprivation of Life. Again, what a strange fpeech is this, that death fhall be caft into Hell: How can this be?

Queft. 2. Secondly, What is meant by the lake of fire? Is Hell a Water, or a fire like unto our fire?

Queft. 3. And laftly, We are to confider what is meant by the fecond Death, into which all Reprobates must be caft without Recovery.

First, Here by Death and Hell, is meant not Death it felf, nor Hell it felf, but the Heirs of Death and Hell, that is all the Reprobates, that fhall be caft into Hell-fire, and there abide for evermore. Thus you fee what is here meant by Death and Hell; namely, the Heirs of Death, and fire-brands of Hell, all Reprobates, all tiff-necked Pharoahs, all bloody Cains, all covetous Nabals, all treacherous and betraying Judas's, all impenitent finners that live and die in their fin, all thefe fhall be caft into the Lake of Fire.

Ufe 1 Seeing the Holy Ghoft gives these Titles and Names unto all wicked and ungodly finners, even Death and Hell: this fhews the wonderful mifery, and the curfed Estate of all thofe that live and die in their fins, without Repentance. Alas! It is fo woful and damnable, that they are even called Death and Hell it felf.

This fhews the mifery of those that die in their fins.

Oh then, let all finners that live and delight in fin take heed to themselves. You fee the wo

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ful misery of all impenitent finners, namely, that they are no better than Veffels of Wrath, the Heirs of Eternal Death, and Firebands of Hell for evermore. Oh that all finners would forethink of this woful mifery that hangs over their finful heads. What a ftrange kind of fpeech is this, and of what force? when God called fuch Reprobates, even Death and Hell: it felf. Ah poor wretches! Ah miferable and woful creatures, which are bat Death and Hell it felf! Oh would to God that the Drunkard, the Swearer, the prophaner of the Lords day, the Adulterer, &c. would lay this to heart, that tho' they fee not their mifery, nor the wo-ful eftate wherein they live, but chear themfelves in their finful ways, yet they are no better than the heirs of vengeance and wrath of God, nay indeed very Death and Hell it felf and one day the Vials of Gods wrath will be poured upon them.

True it is, that wicked men do as the people did in Ifaiah's time, Ifa. 28. 21, tho' they lived in horrible fin, yet they made a League with Death, and were at an Agreement with the Grave; they had taken a Leafe of Death and Hell; as the Rich Man which faid to his Soul, Soul take thine cafe, for thou hast Goods and Riches laid up for many years, and fo live in fin, wichout fear of punishment: But the Lord tells them, he will break the Covenant, and difanul their Agreement. And although they have lived a long time in fin, yet in the end Death will knock at their doors, and then feize them

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and they must pay dear for their long Leafe, even the loss of Body and Soul for ever.

And is not this the daily practice of moft men and women at this day? Do they not make a Covenant with Death, and labour to be at an Agreement with Hell? Men live in Swearing, Lying, Drunkenness, &c. as if they thought they thould never die, they imagine they hall efcape for all their fins. But (poor Souls) let them know, that Death and Hell will feize up. on them. Nay, if they live and die in their ns without repentance, let them know that they are no better than Death and Hell it felf, and they must be caft into the Lake of Fire.

Ufe 2. Here you may fee what a horrible and curfed thing fin is in the fight of God, for En maketh men become guilty of Eternal Death, and Firebrands of Hell. As when a Traitor is executed for Treafon, his Son fmarteth for his Offence. Even fo fin, which is Treafon against the Majefty of God, when it is brought forth, it brings us to Death and Hell; for Death and Hell is the reward of fin.

And Death and Hell were caft into the lake of fire. Would you know what fhall become of the prophane Wretches of the World! the Blafphemer, Adulterer, Drunkard, Idolater, Swearer, &c. St. John faith here in plain terms; They shall be cast into the Lake of Fire. Thus was the rich glutton; Luke 17. For his excefs, drunkenness and want of piety, &c. caft into the Lake of Fire: And fo fhall all impenitent Sinners one day be cast into the terrible and woful Iake of Fire.

Now

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