The Hell of Hell

And as there are a diversity of torments in hell,

so the torments of hell are everlasting.

"Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal

fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!" Mt. 25:41

The sentence which shall be passed upon them, is eternal.

God Himself, who damns them, is eternal.

The prison and chains which hold them, are eternal.

The worm which gnaws them, is eternal.

The fire which torments them, is eternal.

Grievous is the torment of the damned--for the bitterness

of the punishments. It is more grievous--for the diversity

of the punishments. But it is most grievous--for the eternity

of the punishments!

If, after so many millions of years as there are drops in

the ocean, there might be a deliverance out of hell--this

would yield a little ease, a little comfort to the damned.

Oh, but this word Eternity! Eternity! Eternity! this word

Everlasting! Everlasting! Everlasting! this word Forever!

Forever! Forever! will even break the hearts of the

damned in ten thousand pieces!

Suppose that the whole world were turned into a mountain of

sand, and that a little bird should come once every thousand

years and carry away from that heap, one grain of sand. What

an infinite number of years would be spent before this great

mountain of sand would be fetched away! Just so--if a man

should lie in everlasting burnings so long a time as this, and

then have an end of his woe--it would give some ease, some

hope, and some comfort to him. But when that immortal bird

shall have carried away this great mountain of sand--a thousand

times over and over--alas, alas, sinful man shall be as far from

the end of his anguish and torment as ever he was! He shall be

no nearer coming out of hell, than he was the very first moment

that he entered into hell!

Suppose, say others, that a man were to endure the

torments of hell as many years--as there are . . .

sands on the sea-shore,

drops of water in the sea,

stars in the heavens,

leaves on the trees,

blades of grass on the ground

--yet he would comfort himself with this poor thought,

"Well, there will come a day when my misery and torment

shall certainly have an end."

But woe and alas! this word, "Forever! Forever! Forever!"

will fill the hearts of the damned with the greatest . . .

horror and terror,

anger and rage,

bewilderment and astonishment!

If the fire of hell were terminable, it might be tolerable. But

being endless, it must needs be easeless, and remediless.

The eternity of hell--is the hell of hell.

The damned shall live as long in hell--as

long as God Himself shall live in heaven!

"The reprobate shall have . . .

punishment without pity;

misery without mercy,

sorrow without support,

crying without compassion,

mischief without measure, and

torment without end!"

"And they will go away into eternal punishment,

but the righteous into eternal life." Matthew 25:46

All the pains, torments, curse, and wrath which were

due to the elect--fell on Christ, until divine justice was

fully satisfied. "For God did not appoint us to suffer

wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus

Christ." 1 Thes. 5:9. Oh, exalt that Christ! Oh, extol

that Savior, who has saved you from that eternal wrath!