and get out of his Torments, yet he is fo faft chain'd to that Mifery wherein he lies, that he can never regain his Liberty, neither can he ever Taste of the happy Condition we are in; he can never obtain any the leaft fhare in ourComfort. God hath determined otherwife, and therefore, where thou art, and as thou art there, so art thou like to abide, till the great Day of Judgment come, when, whatfoever change there fhall be made, either of the Place or Torments, it fhall be much for the worse.

Let us therefore confider this in time; before the Confideration of it will do us no more good than to make our Torments intolerable. Let us rcpent whilst we may. Now, in our Life Time there is place for hope, but after Death, we shall be wholly fwallow'd up of defpair. Now, our ftate is changeable, and we are invited, and even bribed, if I may fo fay, by a Thousand Tenders and Promifes of all good Things, if we will turn and repent. But after death our flate will be unchangeable as to the kind howfoever it fhall alter as to degrees, either of bleffedness or mifery. When we are once in Abraham's Bofom, we can never be miferable any more, how much happier foever we may be; and they that are once in Hell and in Torments, must be so for ever; how much deeper foever they may link into Hell, and how much foever their Torments may encrcafe. Now we may, but then, we cannot repent to any purpofe. Now let us feek the Lord whilft he may be found, for then will his Face be hid everlaftingly from us. Then neither Abraham nor Lazarus, nor all the Saints in Heaven can make us any help.

And would it not be very ftrange now, if what Father Abraham could not do, every MassPriest on Earth fhould have a power given him to do? Looks it not a little odly, I fay, that a Sinful-Priest laden with Sins, and hired to the Work with a little Money, fhould prevail for Fafe and Refreshment for a poor Soul tormented after Death, when the Father of the Faithful, and the Friend of God, durft not engage himself in fo difficult a Task? How hard a thing muft we needs find it after this to believe, that the Saints in Heaven (and fuch it may be fome of them as have no other Sandlity, than what wicked Men have given them) fhould be ready whenever we pray to them for our dead Friends, to procure them the Refreshment we defire for them, and to fet them at liberty out of their Prifon, free them from all their Torments, and convey them into Abraham's BoJom; when the great Father of these Saints could not be entreated by the Prayer of his Son fo much as to intercede for him; but told him plainly, it was a thing out of his power to do; and farther affured him, that whofoever was once got into that dark Prison, muft never hope to come our again.

We do not find it Recorded in Holy Scripture, that ever any Prayer was made to any of the Saints in Heaven, befides this only, which the Rich Man in Hell is here fuppos'd to have made unto Abraham. And if this be efteem'd by any one a fit Example for him to imitate, I would fain know of him what reafon he has for it, or where the Encouragement lieth; for my part I cannot find it, feeing we are here told he pray'd in vain, and got nothing by his Prayer, but this

only,

only, an Affurance that it would be to no purpose to pray jo again.

Indeed, we have no warrant at all from God, to believe, that either their own Prayers, or ours for them, can do thofe any good, who are once in torments after Death. But bleffed be God, we are told to our comfort, That we have, whilft we live, a very powerful Advocate at God's Right Hand, making Interceffion for us; by Him, therefore, the only Mediator between God and Men, let us make our humble Approaches, and prefent our Petitions unto the Father, praying, in his Name, who is the Propitiation for our Sins, both for our Selves, and for all Men living upon Earth; and we need not fear, but for his fake, we shall have Vouchfafed unto us a moft Gracious Audience.

LUKE

LUKE XVI. 27, 28.

Then he faid, I pray thee therefore Father, that thou wouldst fend him to my Father's Houfe. For I have five Brethren, that he may testify unto them, left they alfo come into this place · of Torments.

N the five following Verfes of this Parable, we

have a fecond Petition, made by the Rich Man unto Abraham, after the former was denied. He had first begg'd fome little Eafe and Refreshment for himself, but could not prevail. Now he fupplicates in behalf of his five furviving Bretbren. Seeing his own condition could not be better'd, he will try what he can do to keep his Brethren from coming into it. These we have in the two Verfes now read; and in those which follow, Abraham's Answer to this new Request, and fome farther Difcourfe thence occafion'd between him, and his Petitioner.

The Rich Man is fuppos'd to have left behind him when he died, five Brethren, all living in his Father's Houfe. And if Lazarus may not be fent to comfort him in Hell; yet, he hopes he may get leave to go to his Father's House, to teftifie to thefe his Brethren, in what a fad condition be now lay, and to warn them to take heed how

now

now they behav'd themselves, left, when they died, they fhou'd become as miferable as he

was.

The things which are most obfervable in this new Petition of this Rich Man in Hell, are thefe, Seeing that this wicked Man, now in torments, is here represented to us, Petitioning Abraham, that fome means may be us'd to prevent his five Brethren's coming into the fame deplorable and defperate condition. It hence follows,

Firft, That thefe five Brethren of his, whom he had left behind him alive, were wicked Men, like himself; for thence arifeth his fear for them, left they fhould come into the fame place of Torments. However, foolish Sinners judge now very favourably of the finful ways they walk in, that there is no great burt in them; all that can be faid against their voluptuous Courses, cannot bring them out of love with them, or perfuade them of any dangers they are in by reason of them; ; yet, will the torments of Hell awaken 'em, and then they will judge otherwife of those pleasant ways than formerly they had done, and will be made to confefs the evil of them, and that they are no other but the way to Deftruction. Indeed, they who have given themselves up to live by Senfe, and not by Reafon, are not to be convinc'd of the Evil they are drawing down upon themselves, by Reason, but by Feeling only, Experience will convince, when nothing else will; and Fools are rarely convinc'd of their folly but by experience, which makes them Smart for it; and the feeling of torments brings them to their Wits, when it is too late to grow Wifer.

Secondly,