A Few Sighs from Hell, Author to the reader
The Authour to the READER.
FRiend, becauſe it is a dangerous thing to be walking towards the place of darkneſs and anguiſh: and again, becauſe it is (notwithſtanding) the journey that moſt of the poor ſouls in the world are taking, and that with delight and gladneſs, as if there was the onelyonly happineſs to be found; I have therefore thought it my duty (being made ſenſible of the danger that will befall thoſe that walk therein) for the preventing of thee, (O thou poor man or woman) to tell thee, by opening this Parable, what ſad ſucceſs thoſe ſouls have had, and are alſo like to have, that have been or ſhall be found perſevering therein.
We uſe to count him a friend that will forewarn his neighbour of the danger, when he knoweth thereof, and doth alſo ſee, that the way that his his neighbour is walking in, doth lead right thereto; eſpecially when we think that our neighbour may be either ignorant, or careleſſe of his way. Why Friend it may be, nay twenty to one but thou haſt been ever ſince thou didſt come into the world, with thy back towards heaven, and thy face towards hell; and thou (it may be) either through ignorance, or careleſneſſe (which is as bad, if not worſe) haſt been running full haſtily that way ever ſince. Why Friend? I beſeech thee put a little ſ…op to thy earneſt race, and t…ke a view of what entertainment thou art like to have, if thou do indeed and in truth perſiſt in this thy courſe. Friend, …hy way leads down to death, and thy ſteps take hold on hell. *Prov 5.5.It may be the path indeed is pleaſant to the fleſh, but the end thereof will be bitter to thy ſoul. Hark, doſt thou hear the bitter cries of them that are but newly gone before? ſaying, Let him dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, that is ſo tormented in this flame:*Luke 16. Doſt thou not hear them ſay, Send one from the dead to prevent my father, my brother, and my fathers houſe from comming into this place of torment? Shall not then theſe mournfull groans pierce thy flinty heart? Wilt thou ſtop thine ears, and ſhut thy eyes, and wilt thou not regard, take warning, and ſtop thy journey before it be too late? Wilt thou be like the ſilly flie, that is not quiet, unl…ſs ſhe be either intangled in the ſpiders web, or burned in the candle? Wilt thou be like the bird that haſteth to the ſ…are of the Fowler? Wilt thou he like that ſimple one named in the 7. of Proverbs, That wilt be drawn to the ſlaughter by the cord of a ſilly luſt? O ſinner, ſinner, there is better things then hell to be had, and at a cheaper rate by the thouſand part then that! (O there is no compariſon) there is heaven, the…e is God, there is Chriſt, there is communion with innumerable company of Saints and Angels: hear the meſſage then that God doth ſend, that Chriſt doth ſend, that Saints do bring; nay, that the dead do ſend unto thee. How long ye ſimple ones, will you love ſimplicity? and ye ſcorners delight in ſcorning, and ye fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof, and behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. I ſay, hear this voice, O ſilly one, and turn and live thou ſinful ſoul, leſt he make thee hear that other ſaying: But, becauſe I have called, and you have refuſed, I have ſtretched out my hand, and no man regarded, I alſo will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh.
O poor ſoul, if God and Chriſt did wiſh thee for thine harm, it would be another matter: then if thou didst refuſe, thou mighteſt have ſome excuſe to make, ſome fault to finde, and ſome ground to make delayes. O but this is for thy profit, for thy advantage, for the pardoning of thy ſins, the ſalvation of thy ſoul, the delivering of thee from hell fire, from the wrath to come, from everlaſting burnings, into favor with God, Chriſt, and communion with all happineſs, (that is ſo indeed.)
But it may be thou wilt ſay, all that hath been ſpoken to in this diſcourſe, is but a Parable, and Parables are no realities.
I could put thee off with this anſwer, that though it be a Parable, yet it is a truth, and not a lie, and thou ſhalt finde it ſo too, to thy coſt, if thou ſhalt be found a ſlighter of God, Chriſt, and the ſalvation of thy own ſoul.
But ſecondly, know for certain, that the things ſignified by Parables, are wonderful realities. O what a glorious reality was there ſignified by that Parable! The kingdom of heaven is like to a net that is caſt into the ſea, &c. Signifying, that ſinners of all ſorts, of all Nations, ſhould be brought into Gods kingdom, by the net of the Goſpel. And O how real a thing ſhall the other part thereof be, when its fulfilled, which ſaith, And when it was full, they drew it to ſhore, and put the good into veſſels, but threw the bad away; ſignifying the manſions of glory that the Saints ſhould have, and alſo the rejection that God will give to the ungodly, and to ſinners. And alſo that Parable, what a glorious reality is there in it, which ſaith, Except a corn of wheat fall to the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it doth bring forth much fruit. To ſignifie, that unleſs Jeſus Chriſt did indeed ſpill his blood, and die the curſed death, he ſhould abide alone; that is, have never a ſoul into glory with him; but if he died, he ſhould bring forth much fruit, that is, ſave many ſinners. And alſo how real a truth there was in that Parable, concerning the Jews putting of Christ to death, which the poor diſperſed Jews can beſt experience to their coſt; for they have been almoſt ever ſince a baniſhed people, and ſuch as have had Gods ſore diſpleaſure wonderfully manifeſted againſt them, according to the truth of the Parable.*Mat. 21. v. 33. to 41 O therefore for Jeſus Chriſts ſake, do not ſl…ght the truth, becauſe it is diſcovered in a Parable; for by this argument thou mayeſt alſo, nay thou wilt ſlight almoſt all the things that our Lord Jeſus Chriſt did ſpeak; for he ſpake them for the moſt part (if not all) in parable. Why ſhould it be ſaid of thee, as it is ſaid of ſome, Theſe things are ſpoken to them that are without in parables, that ſeeing they might not ſee, and that hearing they might not underſtand Luke 8.10. I ſay, take heed of being a quarreller against Chriſt parables, leſt Chriſt alſo objecteth againſt the ſalvation of thy ſoul at the judgement day.
Friend, I have no more to ſay to thee now, it may be ſhortly thou mayeſt hear from me again, in a diſcourſe touching the Covenant of Works, and the Covenant of Grace; it had been with thee now, had opportunity been afforded me; but being buſie here and there among the ſaints and ſinners (though I can do but little good) I have not had that conveniencie nor leaſure, that I could wiſh I had, to preſent it in right form for truth and edification to thee. Now if thou doſt love me, pray for me, that my God would not forſake me, nor take his holy Spirit from me; and that God would fit me to do and ſuffer, what ſhall be from the world or devil inflicted upon me. I muſt tell thee, the world rages, they ſtamp and ſhake their heads, and fain they would be doing: the Lord help me to take all they ſhall do with patience, and when they ſmite the one cheek, to turn the other to them, that I may do as Chriſt hath bidden me; for then the Spirit of God, and of glory ſhall reſt upon me. Farewel.
I am thine, if thou be not aſhamed to own me, becauſe of my low and contemptible deſcent in the world. John Bunyan.