tation, contracted this mischief,
and in the end became desperate, thought he saw devils in his chamber, and
that he could not be saved; he smelled nothing, as he said, but fire and
brimstone, was already in hell, and would ask them, still, if they did not
[6706]smell as much. I told him he was melancholy, but he laughed me to
scorn, and replied that he saw devils, talked with them in good earnest,
Would spit in my face, and ask me if 1 did not smell brimstone, but at last
he was by him cured. Such another story I find in Plater _observat. lib.
1._ A poor fellow had done some foul offence, and for fourteen days would
eat no meat, in the end became desperate, the divines about him could not
ease him, [6707]but so he died. Continual meditation of God's judgments
troubles many, _Multi ob timorem futuri judicii_, saith Guatinerius _cap.
5. tract. 15._ _et suspicionem desperabundi sunt._ David himself complains
that God's judgments terrified his soul, Psalm cxix. part. 16. vers. 8. "My
flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments."
_Quoties diem illum cogito_ (saith [6708]Hierome) _toto corpore
contremisco_, I tremble as often as I think of it. The terrible meditation
of hell-fire and eternal punishment much torments a sinful silly soul.
What's a thousand years to eternity? _Ubi moeror, ubi fletus, ubi dolor
sempiternus. Mors sine morte, finis sine fine_; a finger burnt by chance we
may not endure, the pain is so grievous, we may not abide an hour, a night
is intolerable; and what shall this unspeakable fire then be that burns for
ever, innumerable infinite millions of years, _in omne aevum in aeternum._
O eternity!

[6709] "Aeternitas est illa vox,
Vox illa fulminatrix,
Tonitruis minacior,
Fragoribusque coeli,
Aeternitas est illa vox,
--meta carens et orta, &c.
Tormenta nulla territant,
Quae finiuntur annis;
Aeternitas, aeternitas
Versat coquilque pectus.
Auget haec poenas indies,
Centuplicatque flammas," &c.

This meditation terrifies these poor distressed souls, especially if their
bodies be predisposed by melancholy, they religiously given, and have
tender consciences, every small object affrights them, the very
inconsiderate reading of Scripture itself, and misinterpretation of some
places of it; as, "Many are called, few are chosen. Not every one that
saith Lord. Fear not little flock. He that