6. It is called a bottomless pit, out of which the smoke and the locust came, and into which the great dragon was cast; and it is called bottomless, to show the endlessness of the fall that they will have into it, that come not, in the acceptable time, to Jesus Christ (Rev 9:1, 2; 20:3). . 7. It is called outer darkness. “Bind him hand and foot—and cast him into outer darkness,” “and cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness,” “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 22:13; 25:30).
8. It is called a furnace of fire. “As the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be at the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and those that do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” And again, “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 13:40–51).
9. Lastly, It may not be amiss, if, in the conclusion, I show in a few words that the things that torment them in this state are compared. Indeed, some of them have been occasionally mentioned already; as they are compared,
(1.) To wood that burned.
(2.) To fire.
(3.) To fire and brimstone: But,
(4.) It is compared to a worm, a gnawing worm, a never-dying gnawing worm; They are cast into hell, “where their worm died not” (Mark 9:44).
(5.) It is called unquenchable fire; “He will gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matt 3:12; Luke 3:17).
(6.) It is called everlasting destruction; “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Thess 1:7-9).
(7.) It is called wrath without mixture and is given in the cup of his indignation. “If any man worships the beast, and his image, and receives his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb” (Rev 14:9, 10).
(8.) It is called the second death. “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power” (Rev 20:6, 14).
(9.) It is called eternal damnation. “But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.” Oh! these three words! Everlasting punishment! Eternal damnation! And forever and ever! How will they gnaw and eat up all the expectations of the end of the misery of the cast-away sinners? “And the smoke of their torment ascended up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night,” &c., (Rev 14:11).
Their behavior in hell is set forth by four things, as far as I know: (a) by calling for help and relief in vain; (b) by weeping; (c) by wailing; and (d) by gnashing of teeth.
No comments:
Post a Comment