and from the light he formed the sun, to illuminate the body being still himself, the infinitely more glorious Light of the mind, so that whenever he is pleased to display himself in a special manner, the sun is darkened at his presence, as befel Paul when favoured with the heavenly vision. Now, had all been created spirits, like the angels, there had been no need for natural light, for the Father of spirits is to them the Fountain of light; and sometimes they have brought such a brightness with them from the throne of glory (like Moses when he came down from the mount of God) such a blaze of light spreading round about, as has amazed the astonished spectators. Thus, neither the natural darkness of the night, nor the thick darkness, of sorrow, affliction, and woe, nor the pitchy darkness of death, ball spread a shade over those who have his presence, diffusing serenest noon in their souls wherever they go; as, on the other hand, the fallen angels, cast out of his favourable presence, are kept in chains of darkness, though allowed to roam over this universe in the noon-day beamings of the natural sun.

Again, a man may enjoy the light of life, and bask himself in the pleasant beams of affluence and peace, while nothing but a dark and stormy night surrounds his soul. As the evening-shadows mantle the world, so they produce a silence and tranquility over all; but the darkness that seizes the soul from an angry or concealed God, awakens the keenest anguish, and pours storms and tempests in all the powers of the mind, which raise this complaint, "Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.". But what comfort may it yield me, that, though the nights seem long, the darkness thick, the tempests loud, and the thunders terrible, the Sun is on his way, will shortly rise, and

afford eternal day! that I shall walk in the light of his countenance, and in his light see light clearly! Then, and not till then, "shall mine age be clearer than the noon-day, and I shall shine forth, and be as the morning."

MEDITATION XLVI.

ON ONE CURSING AND SWEARING AT AN AFFRONT.

Spithead, July 10, 1758.

THIS discloses to me the dreadful confusion and deplorable passion which the wicked shall be put into at the tremendous bar! Hear that poor wretch, for a matter of no moment compared to his eternal felicity, roars, rages, foams, and blasphemes. What surprising, chilling, and unheard-of oaths, even where oaths are too much heard every day, pursue one another in his fiendlike fury! Scarce can he tell what troubles him for belching out hideous, horrid, and uncommon oaths, protestations, and imprecations, not to be allowed to return ever into the memory again but in a way of deploration.

Now, if such be the language of sinners on earth, what shall be their dialect in hell, when they shall turn their blasphemies against the blessed, but tremendous Avenger himself! when their kindling eyes shall swell with fury! Here they curse others, or invoke damnation on themselves; but then and there, they shall blaspheme God for his burning indignation, and, in perpetual rage and fury, rise up against incensed Omnipotence itself; and this shall increase their torment, that they madly oppose their feeble power, and subdued enmity, against the infinite afflictor, where.

by they, as it were, approve of their old rebellion against their rightful Lord, and make it evident that he is just when he condemns and punishes his foes. But what a countenance will they put on, what passjon, what revenge, what anguish, what rage, what horror, what burning envy in their soul, what rolling e yes, and trembling joints, what tormenting confusion of thought, what terrible disquiet, and consummate despair, will tear and prey on them for ever! Against whom will they stamp, frown, storm, and foam, like this desperado? Whom will they threaten? God, their eternal foe, is far above their reach, holds them down in chains of everlasting wrath, and roars against them with the thunders of his right hand for ever.

Now, as I heard expressions terribly strange, and oaths to me entirely new (which I pray may be so for ever, and never grate my ear again) from hence I infer, that the blasphemies of the damned, now past all hope, and filled with unrelenting enmity, are so extremely and inconceivably dreadful, so excessively horrid, that the most abandoned swearer, the master of the newest and blackest blasphemies on earth, comes not near them; just as the sharpest pains we feel in time, bear no proportion to the excruciating torments of the damned. This desperado's passion assuages by little and little, and he becomes himself by degrees; but there their passion and tumult ever grows, even against God. Their soul abhors him, and his soul also loathes them. O then to be wise, and learn wisdom from every thing I see

MEDITATION XLVII.

GOD'S EQUITY IN THE ETERNITY OF TORMENT.

July 10, 1758.

MAN is daringly bold to find fault with God, and tell him to his face, that his ways are not equal. To make a creature only to be miserable for some small offence, to make a creature to be damned, they think is not just in a Being said to be infinitely just; or to punish a few follies in frail man, the extravagancies of a few days with eternal wrath, and the failings of a finite creature, that is crushed before the moth, with the whole collected fury of an Omnipotent God, an Almighty Avenger.

As to the first, God creates not to destroy, but still delighteth in mercy; yet,before any creatures rob him of his glory by a course of sin, he will magnify himself in their damnation. Again, shall the man that derides revelation, scorns to search the word of truth, contemns counsel, casts instruction behind his back, hates him that reproveth, sins against his light, will not hearken to the reproofs of conscience, but runs into all sin with precipitance, and commits wickedness with greediness, dragging as many as he can with him to hell;—shall such a wretch (and generally such they are who have these sorry and pitiful pleas) talk of mercy? Would he have God to take him, sin and all to heaven, who would not forsake his sin for heaven, nor cease from wickedness for God? Those who will not receive mercy, who will not have a gift of salvation on God's terms, and in God's time, must expect damnation from him in due time, which shall asure with eternity.

I have, for a long time, been convinced of the punishment for sin being infinite (as far as creatures can sustain) and eternal, on account of the infinite Majesty against whom it was committed; because it is impossible for finite creatures, who despise the satisfaction provided by God, to satisfy in their own persons for one sin; and because the sinner continues, even in torment, the enemy of God and righteousness. But now I see another thing, even that punishment, infinite and eternal, is no more than the just reward of their sin; for the sinner employs all his thoughts, exerts all his might, and goes to the very utmost of his finite omnipotence (may I use the expression?) against God. By his power, had he power equal to his impious inclinations, he would destroy righteousness out of the world, just as he does in his own breast; yea, could he effect it, he would pull the angels out of heaven, who daily tears the moral law in pieces; nay, could he rise in power he would contend even with the Almighty, and take the government of heaven and earth out of his hand, who will not let God govern his poor insignificant self. Now, is it not no more than strict justice in God to punish to the uttermost of his power, those who sin against him to the uttermost of their power; and not to repent in casting the fury of his wrath on them who, in their sinning against him, knew no repentance? Moreover, is it not equitable with God to punish those as long as he lives, who sinned against him as long as they lived? So may an earthly king condemn to perpetual imprisonment a rebel or a regicide. Again, though their life was short and passing, yet how did they spend it, every moment of it, in abom, inable sin! and since they spend the eternity of their life (might I again use the expression?) against God, and would never cease to offend the everlasting Jeho