rible piece thereof, it is not worthy to stand in diameter with heaven, whofe happinefs confifts in that part that is beft able to comprehend it, that immortal effence, that tranflated divinity and colony emana of God, the foul, Surely tho' we on place hell under earth, the devil's habitabe walk and purlieu is about it; men speak too popularly who place it in those flaming mountains, which to groffer apprehensions represent hell, The heart of man is the place the devil dwells in: I feel fometimes a hell within myself: Lucifer keeps his court within my breaft, Legion is revived in me. There are as many hells as * Anaxagoras conceited worlds; there was more than one hell in Magdalen, when there were feven devils; for every devil is an hell unto himfelf: he holds enough of torture in his own ubi, and needs not the mifery of circumference to afflict him. Published in 1648 Imilated And in Paradise Lost published:6.

And thus a distracted confcience here, is a fhadow or introduction unto hell hereafter. Who can but pity the merciful intention of those hands that do destroy themselves? The devil, were it in his power would do the like; which being impoffible his miseries are endless, and he suffers most in that attribute wherein he is impaffible, his immortality.

SECT. LII.

I thank God, and with joy I mention it, I was never afraid of hell, nor never grew pale at the defcription of that place; I have fo fixed my contemplations on heaven, that I have almost forgot the idea of hell, and am afraid rather to lose the joys of the one than endure the mifery of the other; to be deprived of them is a perfect hell, and needs, methinks, no addition to compleat our afflictions;

that

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that terrible term hath never detained me from fin, nor do I owe any good action to the name thereof: I fear God, yet am not afraid of him; his mercies make me afhamed of my fins, before his judgments make me afraid thereof: these are the forced and fecondary methods of his wifdom, which he ufeth but as the last remedy, and upon provocation; a course rather to deter the wicked, than incite the virtuous to his worship. I can hardly think there was ever any fcared into heaven; they go the fairest way to heaven, that would ferve God without a hell; other mercenaries that crouch unto him in fear of hell, though they term themselves the fervants, are indeed but the flaves of the Almighty.

SECT. LIII.

And to be true, and fpeak my foul, when I furvey the occurrences of

my

my life, and call into account the finger of God, I can perceive nothing but an abyfs and mass of mercies, either in general to mankind, or in particular to myfelf; and whether out of the prejudice of my affection, or an inverting and partial conceit of his mercies, I know not; but thofe things which others term croffes, afflictions, judgments, miffortunes, to me who enquire farther into them than their visible effects, they both appear, and in event have ever proved, the fecret and diffembled favours of his affection. It is a fingular piece of wifdom to apprehend truly, and without paffion, the works of God, and fo well to diftinguifh his juftice from his mercy, as not to miftake thofe noble attributes: yet it is likewife an honeft piece of logick fo to difpute and argue the proceedings of God, as to diftinguifh even his judgments into mer^ They are exactly the same

thing Justice is goodness regulated by windon disciplining the better part

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P

cies. For God is merciful unto all, becaufe better to the worst than the best deferve, and to fay he punifheth none in this world, tho' it be a paradox, is no abfurdity. To one that hath committed murder, if the judge fhould only ordain a fine, it were madness to call this a punishment, and to repine at the fentence, rather than admire the clemency of the judge. Thus our offences being mortal, and deserving not only death, but damnation, if the goodness of God be content to traverse and pass them over with a lofs, misfortune, or disease; what frenzy were it to term this a punishment, rather than an extremi

ty

of mercy, and to groan under the rod of his judgments, rather than admire the scepter of his mercies? therefore to adore, honour, and admire him, is a debt of gratitude due from the obligation of our nature, ftates, and conditions; and for man own good ereptraining the with work part for the good of

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