The book of nature translated and epitomiz'd. By George Sikes.

SECTION. II.

The eternal fruit of self-love.

IMmediatly after this life, he that had nothing but a false, temporary, momentany joy in the fleeting things thereof, wil for ever be deprived of all that he loved, desired, or rejoyced in. He wilbe compelled by the hand of God, to have all that he would not have; and he wilbe everlasting∣ly deprived of all he would have, his own honour, glory, praise, and bodily pleasur's. The soul of man in hel, cannot but think of such things, as will give it perpetual sorrow. It will look upon it∣self, as the most deformed, filthy, disorder'd thing, imaginable; contrary to God, in the utmost ex∣treamity; contrary to the uprightnes and glory of its own first-created, natural being; and much more contrary to the yet more excellent glory of spiritual life, it was capable of having bio advan∣ced into, by a new creation, or the true regenera∣tion, which it wilfully refused. The soul, finding itself in this dismal posture, will most vehemently desire to be rid of itself by annihilation; but never can. Man, in such case, will most earnestly desire,

God may lose his being, that there may be no omnipotent hand to keep him up in being, and punish him. He wilbe eternally displeased that ei∣ther God, or himself, or any other creatur's are continued in being, because all makes for his woe. Thus will fond self-love end at last in eternal self-abhorrency, sorrow, and confusion. As eye hath not seen, ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him; So nor hath eye seen, ear heard, nei∣ther have entred into the heart of man, while on earth, the dreadful vengeance and eternal fadnes, that wilbe the portion of all those that finally per∣sist in the love of themselvs, which is enmity to God. Eternal sorrow is eternal death, in reference to which, man wil be kept up in a most exquisite sensiblenes, by the omnipotent hand of divine justice. God know's exactly all the sins and follies of men, in their full dimensions and aggravati∣ons; and will proportion their punishment there∣unto. Those that deny God his due (by not loving him, but themselvs, and so hating him with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind) wilbe sure to meet with their due, from the most just aven∣ging hand of God, that fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

Man by self-love, exalt's himself into the room of God, with an ERO SIMILIS ALTISSIMO, in harmony with the devil's first sin; on which he will come to be cast down to hel (2. Pet. 2. 4.) with

his leaders, the devil and his angels. The punish∣ment due to man for such contempt of his omni∣potent creatour, is unexpressible by the tongu's of men or angles. Fire, as the most afflicting thing in nature, is used to express the eternal punish∣ment of man. The eternal fire, into which he wilbe cast, will burn, but not consume him, or af∣ford him any light. It wilbe accompanied with eternal darknes. It will have all the afflicting, grie∣ving properties of fire, but none of the relieving, comforting properties, at all. Men that love dark∣nes rather then light here, because their deeds are evil, will have their fill of darknes at last, for all their evil deeds.

Man only, of all the visible world, can proper∣ly deserv, and accordingly receive punishment from the hand of god, because he only is furnished with rational powers, to know what he ought to do, and to do what he ought, in obedience to God. If therefore he do things contrary to the will of God, and his own light, God will bring som∣thing upon him contrary to his will, with eternal darknes. His will, being a perpetual thing, and fixed in enmity to God, God will do that which wilbe perpetually contrary to it. His inordinate will, chiefly affected and sought his own honour, praise, glory, and pleasure; the contraries where∣unto, in extreamity, wilbe his portion, eternal dishonour, contempt, shame; confusion, and sor∣row unutterable. The everlasting punishment of

man, from the hand of God, wilbe managed and executed in such a way, as is most contrary to his will and desire, and most conducible to the aggra∣vation and advance of his sorrow.