And as there are a diversity of torments in Hell so the torments of Hell are everlasting. 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. But oh, but this word, 'Eternity! Eternity! Eternity!' this word, 'Everlasting! Everlasting! Everlasting!' this word, 'Forever! Forever! Forever!' will break the hearts of the damned into ten thousand pieces!
Suppose that the whole world were turned into a mountain of sand, and that a little bird would come once every thousand years and carry away one grain of sand from that heap. 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 him some ease, some hope, and some comfort.
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 for 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 then he would comfort himself with this poor thought, "Well, there will come a day when my misery and torment shall 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 then 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!"
Oh, exalt that Christ! Oh, extol that Savior who has saved you from that eternal wrath!
[Thomas Brooks]
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Matthew 25:41 ... Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Matthew 25:46 ... And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Matthew 10:28 ... And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 ...For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, ❤
