The hell of hell – Thomas Brooks
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!