sinners, and theirs will be the greater damnation, and the more intolerable torment, though he that has least of this oil of sin in his bones, and of the kindlings of hell-fire upon him, will find he has hell enough, and will be weary enough thereof, for still he must struggle with flames that are everlasting; for sin is such a thing, that it can never be burned out of the soul and body of a damned sinner.

But again; having treated thus of hell, we will now speak a word or two of sin, for that is it upon which hell-fire seizes, and so on the soul by that. Sin! it is the sting of hell-the sting of death is sin: By "death" in this place we must not understand that which is natural, but that which is in hell, the second death, even everlasting damnation; for natural death the saints die, yea, and also many sinners, without the least touch of a sting from that; but here is a death that has a sting to hurt, to twinge, and wound the sinner with, even then when it has the utmost mastery of him. And this is the death that the saved are delivered from; not that which is natural, for that is the end of them as of others, (1 Cor. xv. 55; Eccles. ii. 15, 16;) but the second death, the death in hell, for that is the portion of the damned, and it is from that that the saints have a promise of deliverance"He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death," Rev. ii. 11. And again, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power," chap. xx. 6. It is this death, then, that hath the chambers to hold each damned soul in; and sin is the twining, winding, biting, poisoning sting of this death, or of these chambers of hell for sinners to be stricken, stung, and pierced with. "The sting of death is sin." Sin in the general of it is the sting of hell, for there would be no such thing as torment even there were it not that sin is there with sinners; for as I have hinted already, the fire of hell, the indignation and wrath of God, can fasten and kindle upon nothing but for or because of sin; sin then, as sin is the sting and the hell of hells, of the lowest and upmost hells; sin, I say, in the nature of it, simply as it is concluded both by God and the damned to be a breach of his holy law, so it is the sting of the second death, which is the worm of hell. But then, as sin is such a sting in itself, so it is heightened, sharpened, and made more keen and sharp by those circumstances that as concomitants attend it in every act; for there is not a sin at any time committed by man but there is some circumstance or other attends it that makes it, when charged home by God's law, bigger and sharper, and more venom and poisonous to the soul than if it could be committed without it; and this is the sting of the hornet, the great sting. I sinned without a cause to please a base lust, to gratify the devil; here is the sting. Again; I preferred sin before holiness, death before life, hell before heaven, the devil before God, and damnation before a Saviour; here is the sting. Again; I preferred moments before everlastings, temporals before eternals, to be racked and always slaying before the life that is blessed and endless; here is the sting. Also, this I did against light, against convictions, against

conscience, against persuasion of friends, ministers, and the godly lives which I beheld in others; here is the sting. Also, this I did against warnings, forewarnings, yea, though I saw others fall before my face by the mighty hand of God for committing of the same; here is the sting.

Sinners, would I could persuade you to hear me out. A man cannot commit a sin but by the commission of it he doth by some circumstance or other sharpen the sting of hell, and that to pierce himself through, and through, and through with many sorrows, 1 Tim. vi. 10. Also, the sting of hell to some will be, that the damnation of others stands upon their score, for that by imitating of them, by being deluded by them, persuaded by them, drawn in by them, they perish in hell for ever; and hence it is that these principal sinners must die all these deaths | in themselves that those damned ones that they have drawn into hell are also to bear in their own souls for ever. And this God threatened to the prince of Tyrus, that capital sinner, because by his pride, power, practice, and policy, he cast down others into the pit; therefore saith God to him, "They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas." And again ; "Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God." Ah! this will be the sting of them, of those that are principal, chief, and, as I may call them, the captain and ringleading sinners. Vipers will come out of other men's fire and flames, and settle upon, seize upon, and for ever abide upon their consciences, and this will be the sting of hell, the great sting of hell to them.

I will yet add to this; how will the fairness ! of some for heaven, even the thoughts of that, sting them when they come to hell. It will not be so much their fall into the pit, as from whence they fell into it, that will be to them the buzzing noise and sharpened sting of the great and terrible hornet. "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer!" there is the sting, Isa. xiv. 12; Matt. xi. 23. Thou that art exalted up to heaven shalt be thrust down to hell, though thou hast made thy nest among the stars, from thence will I fetch thee down; there is a sting, Obad. 4. To be pulled, for and through love to some vain lust, from the everlasting gates of glory, and caused to be swallowed up for it in the belly of hell, and made to lodge for ever in the darksome chambers of death, there is the piercing sting.

But again; as there is the sting of hell, so there is the strength of that sting; for a sting, though never so sharp or venom, yet if it wanteth strength to force it to the designed execution, it doth but little hurt. But this sting has strength to cause it to pierce into the soul; the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law, 1 Cor. xv. 56; Rom. iv. 15; vii. 8. Here then is the strength of the sting of hell; it is the law in the perfect penalty of it; for without the law, sin is dead. Yea, again he saith, where no law is, there is no transgression; the law then followeth, in the executive part of it, the soul into hell, and

there strengtheneth sin, that sting in hell, to pierce by its unutterable charging of it on the conscience, the soul for ever and ever; nor can the soul justly murmur or repine at God or at his law, for that then the sharply apprehensive soul will well discern the justness, righteousness, reasonableness, and goodness of the law, and that nothing is done by the law unto it but that which is just and equal.

This therefore will put great strength and

force into sin to sting the soul, and to strike it with the lashes of a scorpion. And yet to these the abiding life of God, the Judge and God of this law, will never die. When princes die, the law may be altered by the which at present transgressors are bound in chains; but, oh! here is also that which will make this sting so sharp and keen, the God that executes it will never die. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," Heb. x. 30, 31.