The Last Judgment, Tract · Doctrine 30
Ver. 41. Depart from me, ye curſed, into everlaſting fire, &c.
Doct. XXX. is this, That the fiery Puniſhment aſsigned and allotted for the wicked, is everlaſting: So Ver. 46. 2 Theſſ. 1.9. Mat. 3.12. Mark 9.43-48.
Reaſons. 1. From God. 2. From wicked men. 3. From the nature of Sin.
From God. 1. He is an Infinite One, and his Juſtice infinite, and finite creatures cannot ſatisfie Infinite Juſtice which is offended; and therefore what in their natures they cannot do, muſt be made up in the everlaſting puniſhment which they muſt undergo. 2. He is true in all his Threatnings, as well as in his Promiſes; and therefore having threatned everlaſting puniſhment to them, he will bring it to paſs, and lay it upon them, 2 Theſſ. 1.9. 3. He is a God of Severity, and will not bate them a farthing of the debt they owe him; and therefore becauſe they cannot pay it, they muſt be ever laſtingly puniſhed, and lye by it to all eternity. 4. He is a jealous God, Deut. 4.24. and jealouſie in man will not ſpare in the day of vengeance, Prov 6.34. much leſs will his jealouſie ſpare in the day of his vengeance, but lay on puniſhment to all eternity. 5. He is a God that will in no wiſe clear the guilty, Exod. 34.7. and if they ſhould not be puniſted everlaſtingly, he muſt ſometimes needs clear them, and that he will not do. 6. He is a God that will repay the wicked to his face, and a God to whom vengeance belongeth, Deut. 32.35. Pſal. 94.1. Jer. 51.56. Rom. 12.19. and being ſuch a Sin-revenging God, he will revenge himſelf to the full upon them.
2. From wicked men. 1. They would ſin everlaſtingly, and not ceaſe to provoke him, if they ſhould live for ever, Jer. 6.7. and if ſo, what wonder if they be everlaſtingly puniſhed? See Jer. 8.5. 2. They have deſerved this, Rom. 6.23. and it is meet men ſhould have their wages. 3. They anger him every day, Pſal. 7.11. and what wonder then if be paniſh them everlaſtingly. 4. They are ordained and appointed to it, Rom. 9.22 1 Theſſ. 5.9. 5. They will go in the way that leadeth to it, Matth. 7.13. they will die, Ezek. 18.31. 6. They will not repent, Jer. 8.6. they will not believe, John 5.40. they will not obey, Jer. 44.16.
3. From the Nature of Sin. 1. It is foreign, The tranſgreſtion of the Law, 1 John 3.4. and that layes under a Curſe Gal. 3.10. 2. It is a Debt, Mat. 6.12. and a debt, if not ſatisfied, in the nature of it leads to the Priſon: ſo this debt to this priſon, 1 Pet. 3.19. 3. It is a wry ſtep, and that cauſeth a fall: ſo this wry ſtep, this miſerable fall. 4. It is a work, Mat. 7.23. and the reward of this work, is this, Rom. 6.23.
Ʋſe 1. for Information: 1. We ſee the deſperate adventures that ſinners make, that not onelyonly run into the fire, but into ſuch a Fire as there is no getting out of to all eternity. Woe to them, for they have rewarded evil to themſelves. 2. We ſee how dreadful the condition of ſuch is: Fire is a dreadful thing to be caſt into; but to be in it alwayes, and never to get out, to be in it burning everlaſtingly, what heart can think ſufficiently of the dreadfulneſs of it? 3. We ſee what great enemies ungodly men be to themſelves, they bring everlaſting miſery upon their Souls: No ſuch enemy as ſuch a man is to himſelf. 4. We ſee what need we had to make ſure work for our Souls, P…p 2.12. 2 Pet. 1.10. for if we ſhould miſtake here, it would be the ſaddeſt miſtake in the world, and plunge us into the greateſt miſery. 5. We ſee the miſchief of the firſt fin, and what cauſe men have to bewail it, for that brought in this everlaſting puniſhment, Gen. 2.17. 6. We ſee what fools and mad-men the moſt be, that for a momentany delight and pleaſure, will run into ever laſting fire. Well may Solomon call them ſo often Fools, for no folly like this. 7. We ſee how intolerable the ſufferings of the damned will be, for who can abide ever laſting fire? 8. We ſee the wretchedneſs of thoſe men that are of their ſpirit and way, that ye reade of Rom 1.32. Thoſe take pleaſure to be caſt into everlaſting fire themſelves, and to ſee others alſo caſt into it. 9. We ſee what a dreadful God we have to do with, and how we ought to fear before him, Dan. 9.4. 10. We ſee the truth of that in Mat. 16.26. 11. We ſee what need we have to make peace, Iſa. 27.495. 12. We ſee that it is no matter what Tyrants do to the bodies of Saints, Luke 12.4.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour: 1. To all ungodly men: who can bear everlaſting puniſhment? 2. To all Hypocrites, that have made a ſhew onelyonly, 2 Tim 3.5. their puniſhment will be everlaſting. 3. To thoſe that have delighted to draw others into ſin, they will have no delight in everlaſting fire. 4. To thoſe that ſcoff at the Day of Judgement, a Pet. 3.3, 4.
Ʋſe 3. for Exhortation: 1. To think ſeriouſly of the eternity of this puniſhment. 2. To get an intereſt and part in Chriſt, 1 Theſſ. 1.10. 3. To admire the mercy of the Lord, that any of us eſcape; for a Sentence of Death was paſſed upon us all for the firſt ſin, Gen. 2.17. and every one of our ſins deſerve it, Rom. 6.23. 4. To give no ſleep to our eyes, nor ſlumber to our eye…ids, till we ſee a way of eſcape. 5. To tremble to ſin againſt him, who can caſt into ſuch everlaſting puniſhment, Luke 12.5. 6. To long for the time when we ſhall be out of all fear of this. 7. To love the Lord everlaſtingly, that ſaves us from this everlaſting puniſhment. 8. To pity thoſe that go in the way that leads to this, and help them out: ſee Exod. 23.5. 9. To make ſure of the contrary, 2 Pet. 1.10, 11. 10. To be willing to bear afflictions of longeſt continuance here, ſo we may eſcape this everlaſting puniſhment. 11. To abhorre evil, Rom. 12.9. 12. To abſtain from all appearance of evil, 1 Theſſ 5.22.
Ʋſe 4. for Conſolation: 1. Againſt the Saints troubles here, there will be an end of them, they are not everlaſting. 2. Againſt Satans temptations, they ſhall not alwa…es be. 3. Againſt the pains of the firſt death.