II. God's Unspeakable Mercy in delivering us from this Hell; which consists of these two Things chiefly,

The Pain of Sense.

The Pain of Loss.

The former of which are in Scripture describ'd by,

1. Eternal Darkness. 2. Unquenchable Fire. 3. The Worm never dying. 4. Everlasting Bands. 5. Conversation with Devils. 6. Bitter Weeping. 7. Continual gnashing of Teeth:

And the latter consists in an Eternal Deprivation of God's gracious Presence; which is the greatest of all Miseries, as being the utter Loss of all that is good, desirable, and absolutely necessary for Man's Happiness.

III. ult. The indispensablo Obligation we lie under to return our humble and hearty Thanks to our good God, for his infinite Mercy in delivering us from the lowest or nethermost Hell, even from Eternal Death and Damnation.

And on the last Lord's Day the 16th instant , I preach'd to them again upon part of the Gospel appointed for that Day, viz. Matt. 11. 10. containing these Words spoken by our Blessed Saviour himself: For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my Messenger before thy Face, which shall prepare Thy Way before Thee.

From which Words I shew'd,

I. What Place (i. e. Mal. 3. 1) this Expression [It is written] has a reference to; and how we ought thence to learn, that it is most necessary for us carefully to read, and make ourselves well acquainted with, the Word of God; which (being sanctified to us by the Spirit of Grace) is able to comfort and to save our Souls.

II. Who was the Messenger here spoken of, namely, St. John the Baptist; and what sort of Life he led, i. e. a Life of great Austerity; such as then became his Office.

III. and lastly, What his Message was, viz. The Preaching of Repentance.

Upon these I first discours'd at large, and then spoke more particularly to the following Points resulting from the Text, and with respect to the Season of the Year and present Occasion, very proper to be then insisted on:

1st, The true Nature

2dly, The absolute Necessity

3dly, The great Danger in the Delay

4thly, & lastly, The blessed Fruits

Having enlarg'd upon those Heads and Particulars, I concluded with suitable Exhortations and Applications to the Persons condemn'd, whom I endeavour'd to bring into a due Sense and sincere Repentance of all