The Last Judgment, Tract · Doctrine 31
Ver. 41. Depart from me, ye curſed, into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.
Doct. XXXI. is this, That the Devil and his Angets are to ſuffer the Puniſhment of everlaſting fire: 2 Pet. 2.4. Jude ver. 6. Rev. 20.10.
For opening of which, let me 1. Give Demonſtrations of it. 2. The Reaſons of it. 3. The Uſes.
For the firſt: The truth of it does appear; 1. In that they are reſerved in everlaſting chains to the Judgement of the Great Day, Jude ver. 6. 2. In that they tremble to think of their puniſhment, Jam. 2.19. 3. In that they deſire they may not be ſent into the place of their torment, Luke 8 31. 4. In that they carry Hell about with them in their Conſciences, Mark 5.7, 8. 5. In that they are in expectation of it, Mat. 8.29. 6. In that the Lord, when he pleaſeth, can ſhut them up in the bottomleſs Pit, that they ſhall not do ſo much miſchief as they would, Rev. 20.1, 2, 3. 7. In that they beſtir themſelves ſo much the more, by how much the time is ſhorter that they have to do miſchief in, Rev. 12.12. which ſhews that they make account of their puniſhment. 8. In that they cannot endure to think of the Day of Judgement; they could not endure to ſee Chriſt on earth, Mat. 8.29. 9. In that the Saints ſhall judge theſe wicked Angels, 1 Cor. 6.3. 10. In that they are curſed of the Lord, Gen. 3.14, 15. if the Inſtrument, much more the Acter. 11. In that they fall like Lightning, Luke 10.18. which is a pledge of their deſtruction. 12. In that they deſpair of any Remedy, Heb. 2.16.
Q. 2. Why is this to be their Puniſhment?
Anſ. 1. It is pr…pared for them: ſo the Text: Prow. 16.4. 2. They have ſinned, 2 Pet. 2.4. and God will not ſpare the greateſt that ſin. 3. They are Reprobate Angels; for there are Elect Angels, 1 Tim. 5 21. and therefore others are Reprobate Angels: and they being ſubjects of Reprobation, no wonder if everlaſting fire be their puniſhment. 4. They never ceaſe ſinning, 1 John 3.8. it has been their trade and way from the beginning, ever ſince they fell, to go on in a way of rebellion againſt the Lord. 5. They have been the greateſt Martherers that ever were; after they had deſtroyed themſelves, they deſtroyed all the Race of Mankinde, ſave onelyonly a few that the Lord Jeſus hath reſcued out of their hands, Gen 3. Rom. 5.12. Joh. 8.44. 6. They go up and down ſeeking whom they may devour, 1 Pet. 5.8. 7. They de…e to have the Elect to ſift them as wheat, and to ſtrike at their Faith, Luke 22.31. 8. They have done what they could againſt Chriſt Jeſus himſelf, when he was upon earth, to tempt him to ſin, though they could not prevail, Mat. 4.1-10. John 14.30. 9. They are the …reateſt Lyars and Deceivers that are, John 8.44. Rev. 12.9. 10. They maliciouſly oppoſe God and Chriſt Jeſus, and blaſphēme the Spirit, and reſiſt his Truth, and Wayes, and Saints and with all the ſpight they can, draw others to do the like, and never ceaſe theſe wayes; and what wonder then if overlaſting fire be their portion? 11. They have kindl… all the fires of Luſt and Contention in Families, Churches, and Common-wea…hs; and have led men into fiery Company, and into damned Deluſions; and ſhot fiery Darts into mens Souls: No marvel if everlaſting fire be their puniſhment.
Object. But how can fire hurt them, being Spirits?
Anſw. 1. Hell fire will be of another Nature then the fire on earth, Iſa. 30.33. 2. God knoweth how to make it ſeiae on Spirits, though we know not how. 3. The Souls of men, which are Spirits, ſhall be tortured in that fire, and why then not the Devils? 4. The eternity of it addes to the torment of it.
Ʋſe 1. for Information: 1. We ſee what great reaſon we have to fear ſia, for if we were Angels God would not ſpare us, if we ſin againſt him, but caſt us down to Hell, 2 Pet. 2.4. 2. We ſee that the principal Ring-leaders in a way of fin, ſhall be ſure not to eſcape the Lords ſevereſt puniſhment: theſe Apoſtate Angels began all the evil that ever has been committed, and what their puniſhment i…, we here ſee. 3. We ſee that the greateſt among the ſons of men muſt not look to be favoured above others, for the greateſt of theſe Angels eſcapes not, Iſa. 30.33. 4. We ſee that they that follow others in a way of ſin, muſt look to ſhare in puniſhment with them; the Devil and his Angels go together: See Numb. 16. 5. We ſee what diſcontented and melancholly Spirits the Devils muſt needs be, that know what their puniſhment muſt be. 6. We ſee a reaſon of that in Jam. 4.7. God has made him of a yielding nature, as a fruit of that firſt puniſhment, Gen 3.15. 7. We ſee what a great and dreadful God the Lord is, Dan. 9.4. that caſts Angels into everlaſting fire. 8. We ſee that the beſt of Creatures being corrupted, prove the worſt: theſe Angels were made very good. Gen. 1.31. but being corr…pted, fall into this great miſery. 9. We ſee a reaſon of the perdition of Apoſtates, Heb. 10.39. for it is ſo with Angels, Jude ver. 6. 10. We ſee that thoſe Angels that ſtand, ſtand by Grace, 1 Tim. 5.21. 11. We ſee what cauſe Elect men and Angels have to praiſe God, Pſal. 103.20, 21. 12. We ſee the miſchief of ſin, it caſts Angels into Hell.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour: 1. To thoſe that are the Children of the Devil, John 8.44. 1 John 3.12. 2. To Jeſuites, that take up the Devils Trade of Lying, and Murther, and going up and down, 1 Pet. 5.8. 3. To thoſe that are great perſons that ſin, 4. To all Apoſtates, whoever they be.
Ʋſe 3. for Exhortation: 1. To beware of falling, 1 Cor. 10.12. 2. To take heed of drawing others to ſin, and being drawn by them. 3. To take heed of Pride, 1 Tim. 3.6. 4. To beware of bearkning to the Derils ſungeſtion, and tempt…tions, for it is but to draw us with him into puniſ…ment. 5. To bewail the firſt ſin, that had plunged …s all into everlaſting fire, if God had not ſtept in to ſave ſome, Eccleſ. 7.29. 6. To abhor the Devils wayes, Rom. 12.9. as Lying, Deceit, Murther. 7. To take the whole Armour of God, Epheſ. 6.10, 15 2, &c. 8. To be… of the Lord that we may be kept, 1 Pet. 1.5. 9. To beware of truſting in Grace received, for the Devils were once good, Gen. 1.31. 10. To take heed of being firſt in ſin, Micah 1.13. …
Ʋſe 4. for Gonſolation: 1. Againſt Satans wiles and temptations, he muſt dearly pay for them. 2. Againſt the longeſt troubles that he brings upon us; his will be longer, Luke 13.16. 3. Againſt the Lords long forſakings of his people, Lam. 5.22. What are theſe to the puniſhment of Devils?