The Saints Sufferings and Sinners Sorrows, Part 94 – Part 106
The preſage of their eternall woe.
Saint Iohn lived to ſee it, and penned his Revelation duplicate page duplicate page after the deſtruction of the Citie. He alters the ſtyle of Hell, and gives it a name that no Prophet or Apoſtle did before him. Hee deſerves to be named that helped me to this knowledge, Maſter Ioſeph Mede, whoſe praiſe, to Gods glory bee it ſpoken, I can never blazen too much. I ſhall recall what I quoted in one place for the ſtyle of Hell, Rev. 19, 20. The Lake of Sodome, or fire and Brimſtone. A new appellation of Hell upon this accident, as that judicious and induſtrious man relateth it. Multitudes of Iewes being met withall by the Romans, upon the banks of Iordan, are miſerably ſlaughtered, as formerly was touched, and their dead bodies buried in the River: But GOD will not ſuffer them there to reſt, but by the ſtrength of the ſtreame tumbles them from place to place, till hee plunge them into the Lake of Fire and Brimſtone for their buriall and graves. A ſad ſpectacle in my judgement, and no ſmall conjecture that their ſoules were buried in hell. Saint Iohn ſeemes to intimate ſo much to me. I will not bind any man to the ſtrict obſervation of it, ſtill my deſire is to preſſe the puniſhment of diſobedience to the Goſpel. Such notes I am ſure thou mayeſt credite better than Popiſh legends and fables to make men feare hell, into which by Idolatry they teach them to leape, and never liſten after any legend or reading to prevent that. I will now wholly leave the inſtance of the Iewes, and teach all the miſery of Hell, in the lamentable extremity of it, and extreame lamentation. Matthew 13.42. A furnace of fire, there is the lamentable extremitie: wailing and gnaſhof teeth, there is extreame lamentation. The extremitie we will expreſſe in foure termes; firſt, fire; ſecondly, darkeneſſe; thirdly, worme; fourthly, perdition.
The fire of Hell.
Fire and water as they are of beſt uſe, ſo wee ſay of them, they are without mercy. It is their nature to doe what they doe: but it is the nature and property of God to have mercy, and therefore moſt unnaturall to be without merciemercy. It is juſt with God to change his mercy into juſtice, and kindle for the damned an unmercifull fire. Wee can quench our unmercifull fires with water: but in hell no water, no not a drop will bee allowed, not to quench, but not ſo much as to coole the heate of that flame upon the tippe of the tongue. The fire is a fearefull extremity that nothing can allay it. Spirits are agents too ſubtile to be patients in our fire, they are more quicke in avoyding than that element can ſmite them. It hath beene much queſtioned by Schoolemen what we might deeme hell fire to be. If corporall, how ſhall it torment ſpirits and ſoules of men? If ſpirituall, how bodies and the fleſh of men? It were caſie to anſwer, by adding to fire the breath of the Almighty, who is able to extend or contract any creature to touch bodies or ſpirits with what torments he pleaſeth I had rather reſt in ſome lively example, than buſie my ſelfe with rules of uncertainties. Our bleſſed Lord and Saviour is beſt able to tell us by experience, what fire that is that God kindles againſt ſinne, and with what extremitie it ſcorcheth and ſcourgeth the poore ſoule that muſt buckle and bend under it. I will preſent unto you, for an example, Ieſus Chriſt in the Garden, and upon the Croſſe.
Chriſts agony in the Garden.
Feare and ſorrow begin his Paſſion. The objects that feare Chriſt, and worke him to ſorrow, are no eaſie ſcarcrowes and ſpectrums of men. Nay, all the Devils in hell are not able to put Chriſt into a Paſſion. To make him heavy in heart and ſoule, is no ſmall weight of woe; to complaine it preſſeth him to the very death, is a ſad ſymptome of ſome ſevere and unſpeakeable ſorrow. Paſſe we to his prayer, and ſee with ſubmiſſion how hee intreateth for the departure of it. Father, if there be any poſſible meanes to redeeme man without mee, and ſave me from the ſorrow I am in, let the bitter Cup eſcape my taſte. It is not a thing I ſue for once, but againe and againe I continue my fuite, and ſeeke more earneſtly than ever formerly in any prayer I expreſſed my ſelfe unto thee. It was no ſmall burden that Chriſt would have ſhifted from his ſhoulders, and ſetled upon ſome other meanes and mediation. Hee will not ſhrinke to have man ſaved, but it would glad him to ſee himſelfe eaſed. If it be poſſible, my will is to bee eaſed: but thy will bee obeyed, what ever I ſuffer. From ſorrow Chriſt fals to prayer, from prayer into an agony, and then he prayes more earneſtly as the burden is increaſed. Now he ſweates and drops with bloud. It paſſeth through the veines, fleſh, skinne, not like ſome thinne dewie ſweat by an ordinary tranſſudation, that Phyſitians diſcourſe of for cauſe and cure: but it breakes violently out by great lumpes, and leapeth forcibly from his veines, and with a ſtrong current is caſt from them to his upper garments, rumbling to the ground. To talke of diſeaſes when veines burſt, breake open their mouthes, or have their coates and containers thinned to ſweat out the bloud, is idle, to tell us of examples of the like, blaſphemous. Never was there ſickeneſſe, ſorrow, or example like this, meerely from apprehenſion and true conſideration of his owne ſufferings to be thus perplexed, no cauſe antecedent or conjunct, but what paſſed betweene Chriſt our Saviour and Suretie, and his Father angry and diſpleaſed for our ſinnes. This firſt combate had beene enough to have annihilated or ſwallowed up a meere creature, Angel or Man.
His Paſſion upon his Croſſe.
His preparation in the Garden brings him better armed to his Croſſe, he paſſeth by the wrongs of men and Angels: yet the one with the power of the hand, and the other with the hand of power, doe to him their worſt for divers houres. The power of darkeneſſe, after mans malice was ended, laid at him, and left him not for many encounters. Hee that in the Wilderneſſe aſſaulted him thriſe, and often afterwards in the courſe of his life, brings now all the power of hell, and for his farewell to the world, hopes to have ſucceſſe in his and all our ruines and deſtructions. But theſe are light skermiſhes and meane affronts to that which followed. All theſe are not worth the ſpeaking of he never opens his mouth to complaine of ſuch dealings and deeds of darkeneſſe, enough to plunge the beſt of us into hell: but after theſe troopes of wickedneſſe ſhaken off, he fals to the greateſt ſhocke and meetes with his match. His Father now takes him to taske, and turnes him to another tune. He is compelled to cry out, and utter words of complaint, fearefull for deſpaire, if that word My Father, had not ſupported his faith; My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? here is apprehenſion of dereliction and deſertion, there is nothing that keepes Chriſt to God but faith. On his Fathers part he complaines of deſertion, on his owne he will not deſpaire, as long as God is his in application. The Father leaves; the Sonne cleaveth and claſpeth cloſe about him. Suppoſe the caſe had beene mans in either of theſe aſſaults; hee had upon the firſt apprehenſion been, not onelyonly diſmayed, but confounded. Yet this would have put him into deſperation and deſpaire for ever. He had not been able to liſpe one word of a better life, or laid the leaſt of his thoughts upon God. In ſtead of my God he would have blaſphemed and gnaſhed his teeth at his tormentor. Deare Chriſtians, dread this fire that faſtened upon the Innocent Sonne of God, and thinke what extremity it would be to you, but to touch the moſt utmoſt flame. Learne for ever to obey his Goſpel, and bee thankefull for his mercy and deliverance.
Viter darkeneſſe.
The greateſt comfort of the fire is light, heate without it is an hell in our bodies, and we ſee a burning Ague how it ſcorcheth us and ſends forth nothing but ſmoake and poyſon. It diſtracts men with rage and madneſſe. Poore ſoules, we never felt ſuch a fire in the ſharpeſt Ague, as we ſhall find in our ſoules when hell fire entreth us, and we it. Vtter darkeneſſe is but a privation, yet the loſſe will make it a ſenſible torment. The Father of lights is God, that will bee gone. The Fountaine opened to us is Chriſt, but he will not viſite us. The light of Grace and Glory vaniſh with the Spirit. No inward or outward light to comfort us will ſhew it ſelfe. Heaven and earth will curſe us, wee ſhall be blind in our ſelves, and burne without ſight of our owne miſeries. Senſe ſhall not be wanting, nor ſorrow to our ſenſes. Let darkeneſſe diſmay us to diſobey, and let the light, whiles we have it, ſtirre us up to follow it.
The never-dying Worme.
The worme that gnawes upon the living man, and eates him up being dead, may both be killed and conſumed with us: but this Worme is as immortall as our ſelves. Wee may deſperately ſend our ſoules from our bodies: but ſinne and conſcience cannot be diſmiſſed. We may ſooner part with our ſelves than with our tormentors. It were well a man might be as a flint in a rocke of ſtone, which as it findes no pleaſure, ſo it feeles no paine: but this will not be granted, his wounded Spirit will never leave him, Prov. 18.14. A man ſuſtained by the Spirit of God, may beare any infirmitie: but when his owne ſpirit is as much wounded by God as himſelfe, what man ſhall beare it? Once againe remember the Goſpel, and let it helpe and heale this miſery.
Ʋtter perdition.
Wee often pitty men when we heare Briefes of utter undoing, and we commonly complaine of lamentable loſſes, as if all were gone when we have parted with no more than our worldly goods. Never thinke men of being undone in ſpirituall loſſes. There is not the pooreſt Begger in the world, but in loſing his ſoule, he leaveth more than a King that is caſt out of his kingdome; nay, his loſſe is greater than to loſe the whole world. Better the ſoule bee ſaved, than a world purchaſed; and yet ſottiſh ſinners to ſeeke wealth upon earth, will hazzard their ſoules. I loſe my goods, yet I am not utterly undone as long as I have friends. I loſe my friends, yet I am not utterly undone, as long as I have my ſelfe. I loſe my life, yet ſtill I am farre from being undone, as long as God ſtands by me. But then I am undone indeed, when I have loſt God, then have I loſt my ſelfe. And all good Chriſtians, once more heare me friendly and favourably: feare God, love his Goſpel, live well, and never feare to dye ill. Many wretches feare to ſuffer ill, that never feare to ſinne, and of evils they ever feare the leaſt, looking to their temporall life, and never regarding their ſpirituall. Thouſands feare to dye a corporall death, that never heed what it is to die an eternall. Feare were better placed upon ſinne than ſorrow. If wee would feare to ſinne, wee ſhould not need to feare to ſuffer; and in ſuffering wee were better place our feare upon the ſecond than firſt death. Vtter perdition is not in this world, that is reſerved for the day of death, and dungeon of hell.
The miſery of the place.
It is ſometimes called a priſon, and judge what an hell it were to live and lie in a dungeon with Monſters of men in this world. It is Tartarus of foreign, a Pagan name, for fearefull and formidable Spectacles. They have imagined hell full of horrour for ſuch ſhapes and ſhadowes as they have fancied and fabled by their Poets: but thoſe are poore affrightments to the dreadfull and terrible face of God and his frowning countenance. Cō ſcience will skarre them more than ſhadowes, and darkeneſſe, than doating dreames. It is Tophet or Gehenna, a mercileſſe place. Infants yelling in the fire of Gehenna, had their voyces, cryings and ſhrikings drowned by Drums from being heard of their parents. The brands of Hell may roare in the Lake, and none will bee found to pitty them. They cry too late, the doore of mercy being ſhut againſt them, and God of heaven turned their irreconcileable enemie.
Extreame lamentation.
They ſhall weepe their bellies full, and to weeping adde wailing, and wiſhing they had never beene. They ſhall wring their hands and curſe the day they were ever borne. And when ſorrow ſhall doe no good, gnaſh their teeth and grinde them againſt God for their exceſſive plagues. Teares ſhall not be taken for repentance, but ſerve to coole the heart and dant the ſpirits, ſo that extremity of cold may make their teeth chatter and gnaſh together. Heat and cold with all exceſſes and aggravations of ſorrow may meet together. We have but lightly touched what they muſt deepely taſte; would God it might teach us by ſo miſerable an end to make a happy beginning of our ſalvation and ſubjection to the Goſpell in this world. I will now diſpatch the reſt more briefely and wiſh thee the benefit in the whole.
Vnknowne miſery.
Peter queſtioneth what we quarrell withall, and ſay hell is not ſo hot as Preachers make it. Peter knowes not how to make it hot enough. He had rather aske the queſtion and ſay, What ſhall the end be, than determine. It were ſome comfort to a ſubject of hell to know his worſt. Men ſo ſolace their ſoules upon earth, with a ſtubborne reſolution to their tormentors, doe your worſt, I know what you can doe, and there is an end: but it will not be ſo in hell, their ſturdy ſtomackes muſt come downe, and not dare the Almighty to the tryall of his ſtrength. The reaſons why in hell men ſhall never faddom the bottome of their woes, are theſe; firſt, he that ſmites is infinite, and therefore can augment every blow hee gives. Wee whip our children often till they bee ſenſeleſſe and careleſſe of the rod: but God will worke them feeling, as well as whipping, and if need be, by an unwonted blow fetch bloud out of another veine. Men ſhall ſooner be weary with ſuffering, than he with ſmiting, and every touch ſhall deare them more than other. Secondly, man ſhall never know his owne capacitie. Hee hath enough to day to fill him to the brimme, his veſſell ſhall be ſtretched and ſtrained to hold as much or more the next day, and ſo for all eternitie hee ſhall be inlarged to receive torments. Thirdly, eternity of extremity can never be brought to light; there is ſtill behind, whatſoever the meaſure be for the preſent. We onelyonly that obey the Goſpell know our worſt, and what can be done for us in this world. happy time we ſuffered for God and his truth, that we may never ſuffer for ſinne in hell.
The confuſion of unbeleevers.
Where ſhall they appeare? Sinners and ungodly perſons ſhall be aſhamed to be ſeene, and ſhall finde no place where to hide their ſhame. A marveilous alteration ſhall befall them, and it ſhall be a wonder to ſee what a change is made in all their behaviour. Impudency and boldneſſe did attend them in all places, now feare and ſhame ſhall accompany them where ſoever they are. I will touch them in two things here related, their appearance and place: as no ground can hold them from trembling; ſo no ſight but it will put them to ſhame.
The appearance of unbeleevers.
It can hardly be credited with what audacious boldneſſe, and bold audacity, men and women, dare appeare before God in this world, not once thinking that they are either in his debt or danger. They prepare not for their audite and account. They are like that impudent Ruffian that pictured upon his Target God and the Devill, with an inſcription under both. VnderUnder God was written, ſi tu nolis, if thou wilt not have me, I am at a point with thee of defiance, &c. VnderUnder the Devill, directly oppoſite to God, iſte rogitat, I am for the Divell and his ſervice. God muſt take them as they are; for they meane not to mend, and if hee like them not at their worſt, take them Divell. Men live as if they were either to be happy here, or without hope hereafter. To gaine the world, they count all things lawfull, and judge they have nothing to injoy when they leave it. This makes them appeare empty before God, and aſhamed of their madneſſe and miſery.
Our ſpeech and language might learne us the leſſon of our folly. We ſay when wee would be credited for certainty, It is as certaine as death, and then like fooles we croſſe our ſelves, and alter the ſtile when we have forgotten our ſelves, I did no more thinke of it than my death. I judge you by your owne mouthes, and manifeſt your madneſſe. You beleeve there is nothing that is more certaine than death, and confeſſe there is nothing you leſſe thinke of. As God ſhall judge mee, is as ready as words, and yet by workes you deny it, fearing nothing leſſe than his judgement. To contemne his Law, and deſpiſe his Goſpell, is your ordinary practiſe. He may command, you will not obey. He may threaten, you will not feare. He may promiſe you will not beleeve. His juſtice you dare affront, his mercy controul, his anger does but provoke you, his goodneſſe emboldens you to ſinne. You reſiſt and rebell againſt his Spirit, outface and diſgrace his Ordinances, rage and raile againſt his Miniſters, ſcoffe and ſcorne at your brethren, and there is not any wickedneſſe you bluſh at, or once checke or challenge your ſelves for the wrong you doe to God and men, Law and Goſpel.
But tell me what you will doe, and how you will deale at your appearance and meeting with your judge: you have made others tremble defore you, and according to your authority have lorded it over your inferiours. Thinke ſeriouſly of your ſtanding before a greater Lord, and gaine an Advocate to pleade with him. You ſhall not bee able to ſhew your faces, or open your mouthes without him. Laugh no longer (yee impudent ſinners) at your audacious practiſes, take counſell betimes. Bee afflicted, and mourne, and weepe; let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heavineſſe. Humble your ſelves in the fight of the Lord, and hee ſhall lift you up, Iam. 4.9, 10. Lift not up your ſelves and brow-beat his Ordinances, but beare downe the ſtout and ſtubborne heart to bee aſhamed betimes, and the Lord will encourage you in the evill day. Preſumptuous perſons will pricke on in their pride, and periſh in the end. It will be terrible for them to appeare before God, that never appeared before him in prayer, but alwayes againſt him. Thinke of this appearance and by the Goſpel make your preparation.
Ʋnbeleevers have no place free from feare.
Where ſhall they appeare? They may not hide themſelves, and yet no place ſhall be ſafe for their appearance. They will be calling to rockes and mountaines to fall upon them and cover them from from the direfull and irefull Iudge: But no hill will be intreated to hide them, no rocke to ruſh upon them. Miſerable wretches that can beare their ſinnes with eaſe, had rather lie under hards rockes and maſſie mountaines, than the leaſt touch of Gods wrath. Sampſon tooke the Gates of Gaza with the poſts and barres upon his ſhoulders, and bare them to the very top of the hill; ſuch ſtout Sampſons are our ſinners that ſtick at no ſinne, breake open the floud-gates of all impietie, pull up all poſts and barres that ſhould ſhut them up, and carry all down before them, and raiſe up to the very top of the hill, the hight of their horrible crimes. All places are defiled with their uncleanneſſe, and they leave no roome in the earth for righteouſneſſe to dwell in. Such as they brew, ſuch muſt they drinke, and God will not leave them a place where to ſhew their heads or ſhelter themſelves from danger. No Cave ſhall cover them, no den of darkeneſſe keepe them from eternall darkeneſſe. I will conclude with Saint Paul, 2 Cor. 5.11. Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord, wee perſwade men, but wee are made manifeſt to God, and trust alſo, are made manifeſt in your conſciences. If the terrour of the Lord (as we have touched it) were made manifeſt vntounto men they would bee perſwaded: but, alas, it will never worke till men apply it to their conſciences: in them have I laboured to fixe this worke, and have found ill hearers of it. My comfort ſhall be with aſſurance that to God wee are made manifeſt, we deale ſincerely, and wiſh it may worke kindly in all for their timely converſion, and holy converſation to the end, Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Yates, The Saints Sufferings and Sinners Sorrows (1631)