Perpetual Fuel to the Flames of Hell!
The sermon warns of the torment of hell, where the damned are perpetually burned but never consumed, and contrasts it with the salvation offered through Jesus Christ.
Thomas Brooks delivers a sobering sermon on the nature of hell, emphasizing that unlike earthly fire, the flames of hell do not consume but perpetually torment the damned. He illustrates the eternal suffering of those in hell, who will long for death but find it elusive, enduring a state of perpetual anguish without annihilation. Brooks highlights the despair of being eternally burned yet never consumed, a fate that underscores the severity of divine judgment. He contrasts this with the hope of salvation through Jesus Christ, who rescues believers from such wrath. The sermon serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of sin and the importance of seeking redemption.
Text
Our earthly fire destroys and consumes whatever is cast
into it. It turns all combustibles into ashes. But the fire of
hell is not of that nature. The fire of hell consumes nothing
which is cast into it. It rages--but it does not consume or
destroy either bodies or souls.
"Men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long
to die, but death will elude them." Revelation 9:6
They shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
They shall cry to the mountains to fall upon them and
to crush them to nothing! They shall desire that . . .
the fire which burns them--would consume them to nothing,
the worm which feeds on them--would gnaw them to nothing,
the devils which torment them--would tear them to nothing!
They shall cry to God, who first made them out of nothing,
to reduce them to that first nothing from whence they
came! But "their Maker has no compassion on them,
and their Creator shows them no favor." Isaiah 27:11
They shall always be burned--but never consumed.
Ah, how well would it be with the damned, if in the fire
of hell, they might be consumed to ashes! But this is their
misery--they shall be ever dying, and yet never die; their
bodies shall be always a-burning--but never a-consuming!
It is dreadful to be perpetual fuel to the flames of hell!
What misery can compare to this--for infernal fire to be still
a-preying upon damned sinners, and yet never making an
end of them! The fierce and furious flames of hell shall burn
--but never annihilate, the bodies of the damned. In hell
there is no cessation of fire burning, nor of matter burned.
Neither flames nor smoke shall consume or choke the
impenitent. Both the infernal fire, and the burning of the
bodies of reprobates in that fire--shall be preserved by
the miraculous power of God!
"Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath!"
1 Thessalonians 1:10
"For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to
receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Thessalonians 5:9
Sermon Outline
- I. The Nature of Hell's Fire
- A. It does not consume or destroy bodies or souls
- B. It rages but does not annihilate
- II. The Torment of the Damned
- A. They seek death but cannot find it
- B. They cry to God to reduce them to nothing
- III. The Misery of Perpetual Fuel
- A. They are always burning but never consumed
- B. The fire of hell is a never-ending torment
Key Quotes
“Men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.” — Thomas Brooks
“Their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor.” — Thomas Brooks
“Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath!” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Recognize the severity of hell's torment and the importance of seeking salvation through Jesus Christ.
- Understand that the miraculous power of God preserves the flames and smoke of hell, highlighting His sovereignty.
- Be grateful for the rescue from wrath offered through Jesus Christ and strive to receive salvation.