THE REWARD Of the WICKED, reached in a Sermon at Li●field in Sussex, and published at the request of some well disposed Christians.  
By HUMPHREY EVERENDEN.  
The ninth Edition.  Eccles. 11. 11. 
Rejoice, O young man in thy youth, and let thine heart-cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the sight of thine eyes: but know that for all these things, God will bring thee to Judgement.  
GLASGOW, Printed by Robert Sanders, One of His Majesty's Printers, 1696.   

TO THE Christian READER  
THe means of Edification in th● Holy Scripture (gentle Reader may all be referred to three heads Instructions for all. Consolations fo● the oppressed. Threats for those tha● err, and are obstinate. These make threefold cord, whereby God labour to draw mankind to this end. Her● hast thou one strain twisted, viz. th● judgement or death of the damned. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore God's mercies cannot allu● thee to love him, here hast thou hi● judgements to scourge thee that tho● mayest fear him, that beginning th● wisdom in fear, thou mayest so lear● to love him, that his judgements bein● bitter to thy taste, may cause thee seek to try how good he is in his mercies. God give his blessing to his ow● ordinance for thy good.   

THE REWARD Of the WICKED, SERMON Preached at Li●field in Sussex.  Matth. 25. 46. And these shall go into everlasting pain. 
THe recompense of the Righteous, and the reward of the wicked, described in this verse, are both declared to be everlasting▪ ●he one embracing the other despising an eternal Majesty. These that shall go into everlasting pain, are the merciless, the cruel and hard hearted ●nd with them all that go not into life eternal, ●hose that shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.  
Our Saviour Christ describing the punishment of the damned, in the pa●able of the Tares showeth that by his Angels they shall be boun● up into bundles to be burned: teaching that the that participate in sin shall be partakers 〈◊〉 punishment: and further that their Judgement, shall be irrevocable, their misery remediless, the●● estate helpless, for whom God bindeth, who c●● be able to lose?  
Curious division of the words I purposely om●● observing the general instruction which araised out of the words, without wresting of them, 〈◊〉 digressing from the true meaning of them.  
The ungodly shall assuredly receive the punishment of eternal damnation at the day of Judgement.  
This doctrine is further confirmed by sundr● places of Scripture.  
In Matthew 13 is taught, that the Angel's sha●● gather together the tares that is the children 〈◊〉 the wicked, and bind them into bundles to bu●● them.  
In the 20 of the Revelation is showed th●● death and hell, that is the heirs of death and 〈◊〉 were cast into the lake of fire, which is the secon● death.  
In the 21 of the Revelation is threatened, th●● the fearful and unbelieving, and abominable, 〈◊〉 murther●rs and whoremongers, and sorcerers, 〈◊〉 idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the la●● which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is t●● second death.  
Tribulation and anguish (saith Saint Paul) should … upon the soul of every one that doth evil, of the Jew 〈◊〉, and also of the Grecian.  
And in his Epistle to the Thessalonians that Jesus ●rist shall show himself from Heaven, with his mighty ●ngels in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them ●●●t do not know God and which obey not the Gospel 〈◊〉 our Lord Jesus Christ.  
Because the Justice of God doth exact and … err, that as every man doth sow, so he shall ●●●p, and therefore he that soweth to the flesh of 〈◊〉 flesh shall reap corruption, as on the other … e, he that soweth to the spirit, doth of the … it reap eternal life.  
How doth it stand with God's Justice to punish 〈◊〉 temporal offence with an eternal punishment? The wicked are justly punished for these causes. 〈◊〉 ●●cause their sins are an offence of an eternal majesty. 2. Because they neglect an eternal ●●od propounded, and set before them, which 〈◊〉 obedience they may obtain; and so choose ●●●rnal misery through walking in disobedience.  
Because if they did live eternally, they would ●o sin eternally. 4. Because the damned do 〈◊〉 eternally, their transgressions is coeternal with ●●eir punishment; as therefore they shall ever ●●main in torment▪ so shall they for ever remain 〈◊〉 unbelief impenitency blasphemy: so that their ●●nishment is not larger than their sins deserving  
For the opening of this Doctrine, two thi●●● are to be considered▪ First, wherein the damnat●●● of the wicked consisteth Secondly, How their punishment extendeth. For the first, 〈◊〉 damnation of the wicked standeth in a twofold punshment, called poena damni, & poena sen … punishment of loss, and the punishment of sen●●…  
The punishment of loss, is a separation fr●● the presence of God, and from all joys, pleasures attending the same. This is that wh●●● the Apostle teacheth, that they shall be punis●●● with everlasting perdition from the presence the Lord and from the glory of his power. 〈◊〉 how great a misery this is, may appear, in t●●● they are separated from God's presence, are separated from all joy and pleasure, between which▪ extreme sorrow, and misery there is no mean; in God's presence (and not else where) is fullness of joy, and at his right hand (and no where to be found) are pleasures for evermore: 〈◊〉 for this cause our Saviour Christ accounteth it greatest happiness of the pure in heart that 〈◊〉 shall see God: And Cain accounteth it not the 〈◊〉 judgement that should befall him here on e●●●● that he should be hid from the face of God. 〈◊〉 were so grievous to Cain to be separated from place of God's Worship here on earth, which is a type of the separation in the life to come: how grievous then must it needs be to the dam●●● 〈◊〉 ●●e life to come to be indeed excluded from the … y of God, and happiness of the glorified? ●he punishment of sense is the inflicting of tor●●nts, and miseries, both on soul and body; for 〈◊〉 shall be the misery of the damned, that they ●●●ll not rest without joy, and sorrow but as they 〈◊〉 be deprived of all happiness, so shall they be oppressed with all unhappiness as they shall be debar●●● of all delight and pleasure so they shall be filled ●●●h all unspeakble torments, by many th●ngs are … they torments expressed in the holy Scripture, … st terrible, and most painful.  
●ur Saviour Christ saith, Their worm never dyeth 〈◊〉 their fire never goeth out, and again Cast that profitable servant into utter darkness, there shall be … ping, and gnashing of teeth, Matth. 25 30. with … y the like paraphrases and denominations ex … ssing the like. Now if nothing can be more ●●●rible than utter darkness, being that plague of ●●●pt, which next to the death of the first born ●●●st of all moved Pharaohs hard heart: if nothing … re painful inwardly, than the gnawing of the ●●●rt with the teeth of the serpent; if nothing ●●wardly than the heat and burning of fire; yea, ●othing more intolerable than the continuance, these torments without ceasing or intermission … n surely by these descriptions the Lord would ●●ve us know that the punishment of the damned most intolerable and so great as the fury of God's wrath against sin can kindle, and the rage of S … can inflict.  
Now the reasons that the damned do su●●●● not only the punishment of loss, but of sense, is, that they do not only lose the benefit of ●●●fort, but are also tormented, are these: Firs● the punishment, of loss. Because they neg … and despise the true good grace and glory off●●●● unto them yea, and GOD himself, the fountain all good, and therefore it is equal, and just their punishment extend to this that they be suppurated from GOD and his Glory from all good 〈◊〉 happiness. For GOD will forsake them 〈…〉 forsake him.  
Secondly, of the punishment of sense, bec●●●● they have chosen to follow that which is evil, forbidden unto them, therefore it is just tha● 〈◊〉 reward of their own hands be given unto t … yea, it is equal Prov. 5. that his ●wn iniquities 〈…〉 the wicked himself, and that be holden with the 〈◊〉 of his own sin.  
As for the second consideration, How fa● 〈…〉 punishment of the wcked doth extend, it is evi●●●● that it extendeth.  
First, to every one, without respect or differ●●●● of persons or properties, to old, young, poor, weak, and mighty, noble and ign●●●● wise and foolish, Tribulation and anguish shall b● 〈…〉 ●he soul of every one that doth evil, Rom. 2. 6. 〈…〉 〈◊〉 … het is prepared of old; it is even prepared for the ●●●g he hath made it deep, and large, Isaiah 30. 33. 〈…〉 ●●●ondly, to every part of the damned both to soul 〈◊〉 body; yea, to every part of either of them so 〈◊〉 not so much as Dives tongue can be free from 〈◊〉 heat of this torment, Luke 16. 24. Th●rdly 〈…〉 the uttermost extremity, for it shall be the ●●●reamest torment that may be the breath of ●●ds fury kindling it Isa 30. 33 and being without 〈◊〉 pitying or commiseration: For there shall be 〈◊〉 … ement merciless to him that showeth no mercy, Jam. 〈◊〉 3. Fourthly, to be without ceasing, or inter … lion, so that it shall be restless without so much 〈◊〉 ●he refreshing of a drop of water, which were … all thing in such a fire, to cool any part of the ●●mented; and therefore our Saviour Christ saith 〈◊〉 ●he place before named that their worm never … h, and their fire never goeth out: the worm biteth 〈◊〉 ●ong as he liveth and the fire tormenteth so long 〈◊〉 ●t burneth. Fifthly, to eternity, for it shall be ●●●rlasting without end, and therefore it is not ●●●y called fire, to express the greatness of it, but ●●●rlasting fire, to express the continuance of it. ●●tth. 25. 41. Which causeth me to remember 〈◊〉 ●●at one saith in his meditations: If the damned ●●re to continue in their torments but a thousand ●●●usand years, yet had they some hope, if but so ●●ny years as there are stars in the sky, 〈◊〉 sands on sea, grass on the ground, and dust on the face of the earth in the greatest drought, yet sh●●● there be an end; nay, if but so many though … 〈◊〉 thousand years as are stars in the sky, sand on 〈◊〉 sea, grass on the ground, and dust on the fa●● 〈◊〉 the earth yet should there be one day an en● 〈◊〉 their torments, but their misery is far other … for so many thousand years being ended, so 〈◊〉 thousands of thousands are again to begin, w●●●● also ever shall begin, and never shall have en●  
Now if it be demanded by the way, when … there shall be in hell material fire to the torment 〈◊〉 the damned.  
I Answer, it is no point of faith, or ma … 〈◊〉 necessary to salvation to know yet freely to de … my opinion without disparagement to the opi●●●● of the contrary minded, I see no reason to 〈◊〉 contrary: for inasmuch as the body sinneth 〈◊〉 the soul it is just that it be punished with the 〈◊〉 Now insomuch as the Scripture hath expressed torment of fire, I think it curiosity to expo●● that by a figure, and to be fain to search out a●●ther figurative speech, to find a matter to torm●●● the body, fire being apt to torment and being 〈◊〉 greatest of all torments, neither is it material 〈◊〉 may be said that then there must by that reaso● a material worm to gnaw, as well as fire to bu●● for fire can torment the body, but a worm can torment the soul, and therefore that which can … ally be understood to be done must be fig●●●●tively expounded, which exposition that may be … ne, so understood need not but literaturely to ●e expounded.  
This doctrine may be a powerful motive to all randring sinners that go astray after the corrupti●ns of their own hearts in the desert paths of ●isobedience, to return unto their GOD by true repentance, lest they die the death for their ●●sobedience: If the poor sheep in the wilderness … d but know, that if they continue straggling from ●●eir folk, they would assuredly be devoured of ●●e Wolf, they would surely (although wanting 〈◊〉 ●●ason) by the very conduct of sense, make haste 〈◊〉 the custody of their shepherd: This then being ●ost certain, that all that go astray from the ways 〈◊〉 GOD, and so continue wandering either till ●●e day of their visitation be past, or till death ●●ke away the time and place of repentance, shall 〈◊〉 devoured of hell and destruction: Oh, how ●ould this move us speedily to return to the fold 〈◊〉 CHRIST to wash away our sins with the tears 〈◊〉 repentance, to redeem the time, and to be … rned, that they come not into this damnation? ●●nce may all obstinate and impenitent sinners to ●●eir terror, see the assured end of all their wicked ●urses by the eternal damnation both of body ●●d soul. What then shall become of all Idolaters, adulterers, Drunkards, Swearers, breakers of ●●ds Sabbaths, Covetous, Earthworms, Usurers, Oppressors, and such like, that live and die in t●●●● sins? surely they shall be bound up in bundle● 〈◊〉 be burned, they shall go into everlasting p … Malefactor's on earth have some hope after s●●tence to escape their temporal punishment▪ men are drawn by many means to revoke t … sentences, and to grant their gracious pardo● But in this judgement the damned have to do 〈◊〉 GOD, who is feared by no man's greatness alte … by no reward, with whom is no changing 〈◊〉 shadow of turning, and therefore his sentence 〈◊〉 unrecoverable: neither after this life is there 〈…〉 time, place or liberty of repentance: but as 〈◊〉 tree falls so it lies, either to life or destruct●●● Amen.  
FINIS.