Falling into the Hands of the Living God!

Part 11

Matthew Mead, 1629-1699
 

"It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!" Hebrews 10:31

I have explained the terms and demonstrated the truth. I have given you the reasons why it is such a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

I. With respect to those attributes of God which make it so.

II. Because all the proceedings of God in that day, shall be suited to the ministry of a man's own conscience.

III. Because all who fall into his hands, in the sense of the text, have to deal with God in such a covenant, wherein the great design of God is to glorify his justice.

IV. It is a fearful thing, because of the impartiality of the sentence that shall then be passed, wherein there shall be no distinction of persons, and the sentence shall be suited to the nature of the cause, and no sin shall escape the sentence.

V. Because there is no way of being delivered out of his hand.

VI. Because it is the last of God's dispensations to men. The glorifying believers, and the destruction of the wicked, are the last of all the works of God.

VII. Because we have then to do with God immediately.

VIII. Because in that eternal state, God shall be all in all.

These are the reasons why it is such a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

I come now to answer some OBJECTIONS which may tend to diminish the awfulness of this serious truth.

1. How can it be such a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God—when it has been the choice of many. Many have done it, and done it in pursuance of their eternal advantage. So did David, "Into your hands I commit my spirit," (Psalm 31:5). So did Stephen, in Acts 7:59. Therefore how can it be such a terrifying thing to fall into his hands, seeing believers do so freely commit themselves into his hands.

Now in answer to this you must know,

1. That the hands of God have a very different sense amidst various senses in Scripture. There is:
the hand of his care,
the hand of his power, and
the hand of his vengeance.

(1). The hand of his CARE. Care in Scripture is expressed by the hand. Numbers 33:1, "Israel went out of Egypt under the hand of Moses and Aaron," that is, by their care, "you led your people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron," (Psalm 77:20). That is, by their care and conduct.

So here the hand of God, means the care of God. The Lord Christ has by office, this care of the souls of all the elect. God the Father has given them to him to redeem, and believers commit themselves to him to save their souls at death, and are passed into Heaven through an enemies' country, through the devil's kingdom. For he is the prince of the air, and would be apt enough to intercept them, if Christ did not concern himself particularly for them. This believers know, and therefore commit themselves to his hand.

(2). There is the hand of his POWER, for in scripture, power is often expressed by the hand. This is what the Hebrew means in Daniel 4:27, he has delivered Daniel, "from the power of the lions," from the hand of the lions. So here, the hand of God is put for the power of God, and the hand of Christ is put for the power of Christ. He has power to kill, and to make alive, to pardon sin, to bind Satan, to change the hard heart, convert, and save souls. All who by faith commit their souls to him, shall experience his power in their salvation, "I will give unto them eternal life, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand," (John 10:29). "The Father who gave them to me is greater than all, and none shall pluck them out of my Father's hand." "You have given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him." (John 17:2)

(3). There is the hand of his WRATH and VENGEANCE, and this is the hand in the text. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of God's wrath. This hand all impenitent sinners fall into at last, and these are the hands that all the people of God dread and tremble at, and therefore commit themselves into the former hands of God, that they may by it escape the latter.

2. A man commits his soul into God's hands, because he would secure it. It is great wisdom to commit our soul to Christ. Satan would destroy it, and we ourselves cannot preserve it—therefore, it is our wisdom to commit it to him who is able to keep it. 2 Timothy 1:12, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." The deposit that he commits to the care of Christ, is his soul. Faith is a grace of great confidence and trust. When once it has brought the soul to a true union to Christ, there is no condition which it can be in, but it will trust itself to him. Faith practices a continual trust in the care and power of Christ, and that in these three cases more especially.

I. In the time of conversion.

II. In the time of trouble.

III. In the time of death.

I. At the time of CONVERSION, when faith is first worked in the soul, it is busy in multiplying acts of trust, and now the soul is brought into a new condition, full of sweetness and comfort, and therefore comes out of the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved.

II. In the time of great TROUBLE. These drive the soul to Christ. So it did David in the instance given, for the 31st Psalm was penned at the time when he was persecuted and pursued by Saul. That he was in very great straits appears from the second verse, "deliver me speedily." Danger (it seems) was at his heels, and in the fourth verse, "pull me out of the net they have laid privily for me." Now in these great fears, you have David acting his faith, "into your hands I commit my spirit."

III. The time of DEATH is a peculiar season of strong reliance. There is in the believer, a principle of faith which teaches him to do what God would have him, and to die when God would have him. He is not only to live by faith, but to die in the faith. "These all died in faith," (Hebrews 11:13). This is called a, "dying unto the Lord," a way of dying we little understand, (Romans 14:8). Now such a committing the soul into his hands is far from falling into his hands, for it has a threefold end in it, which secures from falling into his hands. This is in absolute perfection, an immediate fruition, and an after reunion.

1. The believer trusts Christ for conferring upon him an absolute perfection, which it could not attain here, and therefore seeks it where it is to be had, in the divine presence. A state of grace is, at best, a state of imperfection. Under the highest attainments, some darkness is mixed with our light. We know but in part. Our love to God has much coldness in it. No believer is thoroughly sanctified, though sanctified throughout. The best edition of a Christian in this life is full of erratas; he will never be free from them, until he is stamped with an impression of real glory. Heaven is the proper place of, "the spirits of just men made perfect." Therefore, the believer puts himself into the hands of Christ, so that the work of God begun in him here, may be perfected hereafter. A Christian is not satisfied with such an imperfect conformity to God, and low attainments in grace; he longs for the perfection of his state, and puts himself into Christ's hand for the end.

2. The believer commits his soul to him in order to an immediate fruition, for the full sight of God is not in ordinances, but in the light of glory. This is the blessedness of Heaven, this is the blessedness of angels—to live in the views of the face of God. This is the blessedness of the human nature of Christ—to live in the enjoyment of God, and the blessedness of God, to live in the eternal enjoyment of himself, as being the chief good. Now this blessedness is attainable by the believer only in Heaven. All enjoyment of God in that state is by virtue of its union, and eternal membership with Christ—and by virtue of this union it is that the soul sees God.

3. The believer trusts Christ for an after-reunion at last, for the believer goes to Heaven by halves. The soul enjoys him, but the body lies in the dust. The soul has a great love to the body, and would not willingly be divorced from it. It is content to leave the flesh in the present state, for a better life—but not to part with it always. For the glory of the soul in the presence of God in Heaven is not fully complete without the body to share in it.

If we lived in a house which was our own, and the walls were ready to fall, and the roof ready to drop in, we would be willing to go from it for a while, but not to lose the ground and materials, but have it built in a better form and fashion, and so return again.

In the same way, the flesh, the soul's house, grows out of repair, is ready to drop, and therefore the soul is willing to leave it for the present, but not forever. Therefore, the believer commits his soul into the hands of Christ, as for the perfecting of grace, and for the full fruition of God—also for a reunion with the body, which Christ will come again, and change, and make it like his glorious body. So, as the body and soul have served God together here on earth—so they may together enjoy God forever in Heaven. And the soul leaves the body, it parts with it looking for it again. For,

(1). A man cannot be completely happy, no not even in Heaven, until the body is raised again. The soul alone, without the body, does not constitute the human nature. Therefore, though the soul is a spirit, and can live separately—yet it is not made to live separately forever. Therefore it remains, as it were in a state of widowhood, when it is without its old companion, and is destitute of one half of itself—until the body is raised again, and reunited to it.

(2). It is agreeable to the justice and goodness of God, that the body which had a share in duty and obedience, should also have a share in the recompense. Shall the body be a partner with the soul in the work of God, and shall the soul go away with all the reward? This is not just—it is the body that undergoes all the hardship. What weariness, and straits, and tiring in obedience the body undergoes, which the soul feels nothing of. Have the bodies of believers been yielded up to God, "as instruments of righteousness," (as the Apostle calls them in Romans 6:13), and shall they have no part in the inheritance? Has the body been mortified, and crucified, and kept under control, for the sake of Christ—and shall it have no share in the glory of Christ?

The body of Christ is glorified in Heaven, therefore so shall the body of every believer. Therefore, the body of every believer shall be raised to share with the soul in its eternal state.

The wicked are but partly punished by what they feel under the wrath of God, and the godly are but in part rewarded—until the body is re-united to the spirit, and made to share with it in all.

(3). The Lord Christ in all his mediatorial undertakings, had a respect to the body as well as the soul. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, "You are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your bodies and in your spirits, which are God's." And is not the body in covenant union to Christ as well as the soul? "Don't you know that your bodies are the members of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 6:15). And the Spirit of Christ sanctifies the body as well as the soul, "I pray God (the apostle says) you may be sanctified throughout, in body, soul, and spirit," (1 Thessalonians 5:23), and is not, "your body the temple of the Holy Spirit?" (1 Corinthians 6:19). He dwells in it. And why does he dwell in it, but to make it ready for glory?

(4). We read of some saints who shall be found alive at Christ's coming, and shall not die at all. They shall never leave the body, but shall be changed, (1 Corinthians 15:51). "Behold, I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed." He means that our mortality shall be made immortal. Such saints as shall be found in the flesh when the Lord Christ shall come, shall never die at all, but their natural body shall be made spiritual forever.

So it is said, "For the Lord himself will come down from Heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words!" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). This is so that the bodies of saints in that day shall not remain dissolved, but changed and perfected. Their substance shall remain, but only endued with new and glorious qualities. Now, how unequal would it be for some saints to have glorified bodies, and others not!

(5). To what end does the Spirit of God maintain a union with the bodies of the saints while they lie in the grave? It is a great truth, that the Spirit of God maintains a union with the flesh of a believer, even while it lies rotting in the dust. "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you—he who raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit who dwells in you," (Romans 8:11). Here we may see how the body of a believer rises. It is by the virtue of the Spirit of God dwelling in him. If the Spirit dwells in the body of saints, it dwells in them forever, and this will appear if you consider the following:

1. The relation of God to believers is unchangeable and indissoluble. Now the union of God to believers is to the person—not the parts but to the whole—both soul and body. The relation cannot be broken between God and the body, any more than it can between God and the soul. Therefore, the Apostle says, "When we die, we are the Lord's." That which dies, dies in union with God. For, can you imagine that when the bodies of believers rot in the dust, they are in no more union with God? So, if when the body drops into the grave, it drops out of covenant. But this cannot be, for believers are said to, "die in the Lord," (Revelation 14:13). What is that which dies? Not the soul, but the body. It dies in the Lord, in union to God. Therefore, it is said, "to sleep in Jesus." It is the body that sleeps, and it sleeps in union to Christ, and the Spirit, and in covenant with God.

2. The analogy of this personal union, and the mystical union, makes this necessary. There is a personal and hypostatic union between the Godhead and the manhood of Christ. And when they were once united, they were never divided again. When the body of Christ was in the grave, was his body then in a firm union to the Godhead?

In the same way, are the bodies of the saints when they are in the grave, and the soul is in Heaven—yet even then, the body remains in union to Christ. Christ will not lose any of his mystical body. "And this is the Father's will who has sent me, that of all which he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day," (John 6:39). He speaks of the body that must be raised again, or else something would be lost of the gift of God, and his own purchase. Believers shall be raised by the power of the Spirit. To what end can it be supposed that the Spirit of God should maintain his union to the body of a dead believer, but to raise it to glory at last.

If any should object that by this argument, the bodies of the wicked should be glorified at last because they shall be raised; I answer, it is true they shall be raised—but not to glory. For they are raised from a different cause, and to a different end.

1. From a different CAUSE. Saints rise by the power of the Spirit, the power of Christ as mediator. The wicked are raised by the power of Christ as Lord. The godly rise by virtue of their union to Christ as their head. The wicked by virtue of the power of Christ as their Judge. The one rise to have a sentence of condemnation executed on them. The other rise by virtue of Christ's life and resurrection, and shall enter into a state of blessedness, in the enjoyment of God and Christ forever. Therefore they rise,

2. To a different END, one rises to receive the reward of grace—and the other to receive the wages of sin, "for God will reward every man according to his work," (Matthew 16:27). Believers rise that they may be glorified forever. The wicked rise to be tormented forever. As it was with Pharaoh's butler and baker, both are lifted up out of the dungeon, the one in a way of exaltation, the other to execution.

So that in the resurrection, both saints and lost sinners are in the hands of God. The saints are in the hands of a reconciled and loving God, who will forever glorify them. The wicked fall into the hands of the living God, who will forever avenge himself on them.

OBJECTION. How can it be such a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God, when that to some, we find, even in this world, it has been an good thing? David chose rather to fall into the hands of God than man—therefore how can it be such a fearful thing? To answer this you must consider,

1. The relation David stood in to God. For God deals with every man according to the relation in which he stands to God. Now David was in the nearest relation to God. He was one whom God had made a covenant with, as he tells you in the fifth verse of the chapter, "God has made with me an everlasting covenant." That which put David on making his choosing of falling into the hands of God rather than man, was the sense of his covenant interest. He knew he could never miscarry in an everlasting covenant. He was safe in the main, as the covenant secures good to us out of every dispensation of God. "All things shall work together for good." Therefore Jacob, from the sense of his covenant interest, urges God with this plea, when he was in straits, (Genesis 32:12), "You said, I will surely do you good." He infers this from his covenant interest, for in covenanting to be our God, he has engaged to do us good.

David was one of God's children, and therefore seeing he must be scourged, he chooses rather to be under a rod of his Father's making, than man's making. To be scourged by a tender father is better than to be scourged by a bloody enemy that has neither mercy nor pity.

You must distinguish between the anger of God—and the hatred of God. There is the hand of his chastening anger in this world—and the hand of his heavy wrath in the next. Now anger is highly consistent with love. God may be, and often is, angry with his own children, and makes them to know it to their cost, but in the midst of all, his heart is still on them, and his love is to them. "Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes," (Psalm 89:32). There is his anger. But there is love in the next words, "my loving kindness will I not take from them."

But the hatred of God is no way consistent with love, it is contrary to it.

Now David speaks of falling into the hands of God's chastening anger, for that endures but for a moment—and not of falling into the hands of his avenging wrath, for that has no end.

3. We must distinguish different ways of "falling into the hands of God." There is a falling into his hands by final impenitency and obduration. In this way, all who live and die in sin fall into the hands of the living God—and this is that which is intended by the expression in the text, which is such a fearful thing.

But then there is a falling into his hands by putting ourselves into his hands, by a humble resignation to the will of God. So, David did in the case of Absalom's conspiracy against him. "If I shall find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back again, but if he thus says, Behold I have no delight in you, here I am, let him do as seems good unto him." It was by this that Shimei saved his life—by putting himself into David's hands, (2 Samuel 19:16-23). "Shimei hastened to meet David, and fell down before him, and said, let not my Lord impute iniquity to me." He puts himself into his hands, and by this submission he is overcome, "therefore the king said to Shimei, you shall not die." In the same way, Benhadad's servants hearing that the kings of Israel were merciful kings, came to the king with sackcloth upon their loins, submitting to his mercy.

In this way, by putting ourselves into the hands of God—we may prevail with him, and obtain mercy from him.

You must distinguish the state. There is a state where mercy acts chiefly—and a state where mercy acts no more. On the stage of this world, mercy acts its part and shows itself in more objects, and in more instances, than the judgment of God does—that must have its course and triumph in the next world. Here on earth, all lost sinners share, more or less, in the mercy of God. "The Lord is good to all," (Psalm 145:9). "He makes his rain to fall, and his sun to shine upon the just and the unjust," (Matthew 5:4-5).

And this mercy David had an eye to. The sense of the faithfulness and mercy of God directed his choice, when the three judgments were offered to his choice—the famine, the sword, or pestilence. He chooses the last, because in this he had to deal with God alone; in the others there was the hand of man too. In the sword there is the bloodiness and cruelty of man, much barbarity but little mercy—and therefore he chooses the plague, for in this he had to deal with God alone, who is a God of great mercy.

It is better for any man, not only for a godly man, as David here—but even for lost sinners, to fall into the hands of God in this world, than man's, because this world is a stage of mercy. But in the next world the case is altered. Mercy has done its work, and there is no more mercy for lost sinners. God will put away all pity and tenderness—and betake himself to acts of justice and vengeance.

You must consider the duration of falling into the hands of God. It may be for a season—or forever; in this world for a time—or in the next world for eternity. David chooses to fall into the hands of God, but not to lay there forever. It was but for a little time, but three days pestilence, and what is this compared to everlasting wrath and vengeance. This objection therefore is of no force to take off the edge of this truth, for though to fall for a few days under-chastening anger may be tolerable—yet, to fall forever into the hands of his avenging justice is intolerable.
 

OBJECTION. How can it be consistent with the justice and righteousness of God . . .
to punish temporal sinning, with everlasting suffering,
to inflict eternal vengeance, for momentary offences,
to throw a sinner into unending misery, for committing a few sins here which quickly have an end?

This has made some conclude against the eternal duration of Hell's torments—as if God were so merciful that He would not let them lie under His wrath forever. But I answer this with the Apostle, "Is God unjust in bringing His wrath on us? Certainly not!" (Romans 3:5-6). God is holy, just, and righteous—even when He punishes momentary offences with everlasting torments. And this will appear, by considering the following:

1. It is necessary for the governing of the world, that the penalty should be so stated. It is necessary for the preserving the authority of God's law in its full force and vigor, and to render it more solemn and dreadful. The design of God is to have the punishment so great as to check all the temptations to sin which a man can have. There is in man since the fall, such a propensity to sensual things, that, without this fear of Hell, nothing is able to keep it down. Fleshly lusts are so pleasing to corrupt nature, that they need to be checked with the severest threatenings. Therefore, God has told us beforehand, "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient!" Ephesians 5:6

God wisely balances the sinner's delights with the fear of punishment, that by setting eternal pains against momentary pleasures, we may the better escape temptation. The pleasures of sin, which are but for a season—entail on us torments which are eternal!

God has wisely left to our own choice whether we will have the passing pleasures of sin here on earth—or those eternal pleasures which come hereafter, as a reward of grace. Things at hand will far more prevail than things to come, if those things to come are not considerably greater. Here on earth the pain is short, and so is the pleasure—but in the eternal world both the pain and the pleasure are eternal. In the wisdom of God, those who work out their salvation with fear and trembling here, should have pleasures at the right hand of God for evermore—and those who will have their sinful pleasures here, should have everlasting misery in the eternal world.

2. There are no human laws which prescribe that the continuance of the punishment, should be no longer than the continuance of the offence. Punishments inflicted by human laws are of a far longer continuance, than the doing of the crime. Shame, banishment, imprisonment—all these may be inflicted for life, for an act done in one hour. It is ordained by the wisest countries, that many crimes which may be done in a few minutes, shall be punished with the death of the offender. And is it not most just then that, offences done against God should be punished with everlasting death?

3. Common reason allows that there ought to be a proportion between the nature of the offence, and the quality of the punishment. Now sin against God is such an immense thing that nothing less than an everlasting punishment can be equivalent to it. This will be plain, if you consider the following:

(1). The greatness of the majesty against which sin is committed. Every sin is a base derogating of God, and this is enough to make the guilt of it infinite—because it is done against an infinite God, and therefore it deserves an infinite punishment. Now a finite creature cannot bear an infinite punishment—therefore God makes the punishment infinite in regard of continuance. The creature cannot pay the whole debt at once—therefore he must be paying it forever!

(2). There is an eternity in sin, not only as being committed against an eternal God, and as deserving eternal punishment. There is a further eternity in sin—with respect to the disposition and will of the sinner, which is so tied in sin, that if the sinner should live forever—then he would sin forever. He is never weary of sin. He desires to live here always, that he may always enjoy his lusts. Though he lives ever so long—yet he never thinks it is time to be judged by God.

To what a great age the men of the old world lived—eight or nine hundred years, and yet they made no other use of it than to indulge their lusts! Every sinner would certainly go on in sin to the world's end, if death did not hinder him. His desire and will is to sin everlastingly—and he would do so if he could!

As in the case of duty, so in the case of sin—God looks more at the will than the deed. What hinders a sinner from being a sinner still, who does not leave sin, until sin leaves him? He who would sin forever if he could—he continues to sin in willing to sin.

Is it not just, that those who if they had lived forever, would never have left sinning—should never cease suffering? And is it not just that their eternal obstinacy should be punished with an everlasting punishment?

(3) Again there is an actual eternity in man's sin, for though death puts an end to their lives, it does not put an end to their sins—for Hell is as full of sin as of suffering. They sin even in Hell, even when under the wrath of God. Their sin-nature remains forever—and they continue sinning forever. Therefore it is just with God that there should be an everlasting continuance of the punishment.

Here is the greatest misery of the damned—that is without redemption, or hope, or aid, forever!

(4). It is just with God that the sinner should be punished with everlasting misery—because he chooses it, by refusing everlasting felicity. The purchase our Lord made by his death, is an everlasting blessedness, and God by his infallible promise assures us that all who sincerely believe and obey him, shall be rewarded with Heaven forever. For all the wages of God in the last day, whether of love to the saints, or punishment to the wicked—are everlasting and run into eternity.

Now if God's tender and promises of everlasting glory are despised—then there is nothing left to be the sinner's portion, but everlasting misery. It is the fruit of his own choice, for it is certain that God will give to every man in the next world, that which he chooses in this. "I have set before you everlasting life, therefore choose life, that you may live!" He who chooses life shall have it. He who does not choose life, but willingly cleaves to his lusts—he in the outcome chooses death and Hell, and he shall have it.

He who chooses sin, chooses it with all its attendants, misery and wrath, for they cannot be separated from it. Therefore, if he chooses sin for himself—it is just that he should have the consequence his own choice.

He who chooses God for his portion, shall forever enjoy him. Is it not then just, that he who chooses misery—should forever lie under it?

Many say to God here, "Depart from us. We do not desire the knowledge of your ways!" It is just that God should say to such then, "Depart from Me into everlasting fire!"

There can be no complaint in Hell against God, where the punishment, however so great it is, is nothing else but the fruit of a man's own choice. For he who chooses sin as his way, does by consequence choose sin's end—which is eternal Hell and misery. If he falls into the hands of the living God—then he can blame none but himself. It is the fruit of his own choice.

Here we see the folly of lost sinners. What greater folly can any be guilty of, than to indulge sin, and gratify lust, and neglect God and Christ, and all the means of grace? Is it not folly for a man to make himself eternally wretched and miserable by his own choice? This shall be the woe of the damned, that they chose it!

But you will say, did any man ever choose to be miserable? Yes, thousands, and tens of thousands—every man who knows there is a God, and that he has an immortal soul, and must give a final account to God for all that he does in this world. He knows that sin will end in eternal damnation—and yet indulges in sin and lust! Therefore he chooses to perish and to be miserable forever. He loves Hell and death. (Proverbs 8:36). "All those who hate Me, love death." They love their sins and lusts and pleasures, that God has entailed death on, and therefore are said to love death.

Is it not folly to do that in respect to your souls, which your discretion abhors with respect to your bodies? You will not drink poison, though ever so sweet and pleasant, because there is death in it. Yet how does the sweetness of sin draw us to commit it, though there is Hell and damnation wrapped up in it? Is it not folly to run the hazard of Hell, for the satisfaction of your lusts? Is it not the greatest folly for any man to run the hazard of eternal torments—out of a fond desire for present sinful satisfaction?

As he who parted with a crown, for a draught of water in his distress cried out, "For what a short pleasure, have I lost a kingdom!" So this will be the cry of the sinner, "For what a short pleasure in sin—have I lost eternal happiness!"

Therefore, to cure the folly of these mischiefs, it is good to counterbalance our sinful desires with frequent thoughts of eternal realities.

I am not to live always. I may be in another world, before another Lord's Day comes. I must appear before the eternal God, to give an account of all that I have done in the flesh. Can I dwell with everlasting burnings? Can I endure the endless wrath of incensed justice? Think of this, when you are about to please the flesh and gratify your lusts: Can I bear the wrath of God forever?

We are apt to think that a Sabbath and a sermon long, and wish they were ended. But how long will the miseries and torments of Hell be! When once they begin, they shall never end—for there, conscience shall be a worm that never dies, and the wrath of God shall be a fire that never goes out. O! then, that you would endeavor to cure your present prevailing lusts, with the frequent forethoughts of the heat of the everlasting wrath of God! "For it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."