The Last Judgment, Tract · Doctrine 29
Ver. 41. Depart from me, ye curſed, into everlaſting fire, &c.
Doct. XXIX. is this, That the Puniſhment that the wicked ſhall be caſt into, ſhall be of a fiery Nature; the Fire of Hell ſhall be their portion allotted to them: Rev. 21.8. Mat. 3.12. Mark 9.43-48.
For opening of which, let me ſhew, 1. In what reſpects their Puniſhment may be ſaid to be Fire. 2. Why they ſhall be ſo puniſhed. 3. The Uſes.
For the firſt: 1. Fire is a dreadful thing, Deut. 5.5. as we ſee in a Scale-fire, it puts dread and terrour into us: ſo this Puniſhment is a dreadful puniſhment; and therefore its ſaid, Heb. 10.31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God: ſee alſo Luke 12.5. 2. Fire is of a ſtorching and burning nature, ſo the Puniſhment of the wicked in Hell is of a ſcorching and burning nature, Rev. 21.8. 3. Fire is of a painful nature: if a man put his finger but a little into the fire, it will pain him exceedingly; much more is this puniſhment painful. If the ſmoke of their torment aſcendeth up for ever and ever, Rev. 14.11 then ſure they have no reſt, but are grievouſly pained in this fire. 4. Fire is of a tormenting nature: ſo is this Fire, Luke 16.23, 24. 5. Fire is of a deſtroying nature: ſo is this puniſhment, Heb. 10.39 2 Theſſ. 1.9. Matth. 10.28. 6. Fire will make mentry for the extremity of the tortureof it; ſo this puniſhment. If Iſa. 65.14. they cry and howl here, Oh what will they do in Hell! there they will cry and howl, weep and wail, and gnaſh their teeth, Mat. 25.30. 7. Fire is of an inſatiable nature, Prov 30.15, 16. ſo Hell fire it is inſatiable, Iſa. 5.14. 8. Fire will devour the migatieſt, Dan. 3.22. ſo this Fire, Iſa 30.33. 9. Fire will deſtroy multitudes, 2 Kings 1.10, 12. ſo this Fire, Iſa. 5.14. 10. Fire ſpares none that are caſt into it, except God miraculouſly ſuſpend the act of it, as Dan. 3.27. ſo this Fire ſpares none, neither man, woman nor childe, all the wicked ſhall be burnt up in it, Mat. 3.12. Malac. 4.1. 11. Fire has ſticks bundled up for it: ſo this Pire, Mat. 13.30. 12. Fire is intolerable; much more this Fire.
Q. 2. Why ſhall they be thus puniſhed?
Anſ. 1. From the Lord. 2. From them.
From the Lord. 1. His Diſpleaſure kindles it, Iſa. 30.33. 2. He hath ordained it of old. 3. He hath made it deep and large. 4. He hath made the Pile thereof of fire and much wood ibid. 5. He hath threatned this puniſhment. 6. He hath inflicted it upon many, as the old World, and Sodom, &c. 7. He is a conſuming fire, Deut. 4.24.
2. From them. 1. They have had many fiery luſts that they have provoked him with; they have burned with anger, deſire of revenge, with uncleanneſs, with envy and mali…e, which have kindled this fire, Rom. 1.27. Hoſ. 7.4. Jude v. 7. 2. They have kindled coals of Contention among their Neighbours, Prov. 26.21. Jam. 3.5, 6. 3. They have made ſtrange adventures into fiery company, Prov. 6.27, 28. 4. They have been inordinate in the uſe of inflaming creatures, Iſa. 5.11, 14. Hoſ. 7.5, 6. 5. They have kindled a fire of their own, and compaſſed themſelves about with ſparks. Iſa. 50.11. 6. They have quenched the Spirit, againſt that in 1 Theſſ 5.19. 7. They have fired Churches and Common-wealths.
Ʋſe 1. for Information: 1. We ſee what great cauſe we have to take heed of provoking the Lord, and kindling his anger againſt us, though but a little, Deut. 32.22. Pſa. 2.12. 2. We ſee that there's no dallying with ſin, of what nature and kinde ſoever, except we would dally with fire, and make nothing of it to run into it: and Oh what folly and madneſs were it, to run into the mouth of a devouring fire! yet ſo do they that daily with ſin, and make a mock of it, Prov. 14.9. 3 VVe ſee how fearful we ſhould be to go in company with evil men, for fear of being bundled with them, and caſt into the fire of Hell with them, Iſa. 5.14. 4. We ſee what a fearful thing it is to fall into his hands, Luke 12.5. Heb. 10.31. 5. We ſee what friends they be to us, that diſſwade us from bad company and bad courſes, they would ſave us from falling into the fire. 6. We ſee what terrours we ſhould uſe to reclaim ſome ſinners by, Jude ver. 23. 7. We ſee the miſery of thoſe whoſe puniſhment this muſt be: That was miſery enough that is recorded Mark 9.22. Oh but what is this then? 8. We ſee the miſchief that is in ſin; that which is ſaid of that one, Job 31.12. is true of all. 9. We ſee the woful ſtate of thoſe that laugh now, they will not laugh in Hell fire, Iſa. 5.14. Luke 6 25. 10. We ſee what a mercy of God it is to be ſaved from this ſore puniſhment. 11. We ſee what love we owe to Chriſt, who delivereth us from wrath to come. 1 Theſſ. 1.10. 12. We ſee what cauſe we have to beware of thoſe ſins that bring this puniſhment, Revel. 21.8.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour: 1. To all unbelievers, 2 Theſſ 1.7, 8. Mark 16.16. 2. To all impenitent perſons, Luke 13.3, 5. 3. To thoſe that give up themſelves to fiery luſts, they ſhall have fire for fire. 4. To thoſe that ruſh into ſin without fear, Jer. 8.6. this fire will affright them.
Ʋſe 3. for Hum…tation: 1. To the Lords Saints, that come too near this devouring fire by the ſins they fall into: How near came Lot, Samſon, David, Solomon, Peter? 2. To thoſe that do not pity others that are every moment ready to fall into this fire: we would pity ſuch as had the Falling-ſickneſs, and fall into the fire, &c. how much more ſhould we pity theſe?
Ʋſe 4. for Exhortation: 1. To forſake our moſt pleaſing and profitable ſins, to cut off right hands, and pluck out right eyes, Mat. 5.29, 30. Mark 9.43, &c. 2. To tremble to think of this puniſhment, and to fear to provoke him that hath power to caſt into Hell, Luke 12.5. 3. To ſave as many as we can out of this devouring fire. 4. To venture very farre to pluck men as brands out of the fire: what adventures will men make to pluck any thing of worth out of the fire? 5. To quench all our fiery luſts by Repentance and Faith in the Blood of Chriſt. 6. To be troubled to ſee ſo many wilfully run into it. 7. To fly from it. Mat. 3.7. men haſte out of the fire. 8. To admire the love of the Father, that ſo loved the world, as to give his onelyonly begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth on him might not periſh in this fire, John 3.16. 9. To be thankful that any of us eſcape it, for we are all children of wrath, and heirs of Hell by nature as well as others, Epheſ. 2.3. 10. To be farre from envying at evil men, they buy their pleaſures dear, Luke 16.25.
Ʋſe 5. for Conſolation: 1. Againſt thoſe fires of affliction that the Saints paſs through, Pſal 66.11, 12. 2. Againſt our dwelling with fiery men, Pſal. 57.4. 3. Againſt the fiery tongues of men, Jam. 3.6. 4. Againſt the fiery darts of Satan, Epheſ. 6.16. if we eſcape Hell fire, it's no matter for all theſe.