Sighs from hell, or, The groans of a damned soul discovering from the 16th of Luke the lamentable state of the damned : and may fitly serve as a warning-word to sinners, both old and young, by faith in Jesus Christ, to avoid the same place of torment : with a discovery of the usefulness of the Scriptures as our safe conduct for avoiding the torments of hell / by John Bunyan.

Verse 23.

And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and La∣zarus in his bosome.

Something in brief I have observed from the first part of this verse, namely from these words, And in hell he lift up his eyes. And indeed I have observed but something, for they are very full of matter, and many things might be taken notice of in them. There is one thing more that I might touch upon, as touched in this saying, and that is this, Methink the Lord Jesus Christ doth hereby signify, that men are naturally unwilling to see or take notice of their sad state, I say by nature; but though now they are willingly ignorant, yet in hell they shall lift up their eyes. That is, in hell they shall see and understand their miserable con∣dition; and therefore to these words, In hell he lift up his eyes, he added, being in torment. As if he had said, Though once they shut their eyes, though once they were 2 Pet. 3. 5. willingly ignorant, yet

when they depart into hell, they shall be so mise∣rably handled and tormented, that they shall be forced to lift up their eyes. While men live in this world, and are in a natural state, they will have a good conceit of themselves, and of their condition; they will conclude that they are Chri∣stians, that Abraham is their father, Matth. 3. 7, 8. and their state to be as good as the best; they will conclude they have faith, the Spirit, good hope, and an interest in the Lord Jesus Christ: but then, when they drop into hell, and lift up their eyes there, and behold, first their soul to be in extream torments; their dwelling to be the bottomless pit; their company thousands of dam∣ned souls; also the innumerable company of de∣vils; and the hot scalding vengeance of God, not only to drop, but to fall very violently upon them; then they will begin to be awakened, who all their life time were in a dead sleep. I say, when this comes to pass, Lo it will, then in hell they shall lift up their eyes, in the midst of tor∣ments they shall lift up their eyes.

Again, you may observe from these words, And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torment. That the time of the ungodly mens smarting for their sins, will be in the torments of hell. Now here I am put to a stand, when I consider the torments of hell, into which the damned do fall. O unspeak∣able torments! O endless torments! Now that

thy soul might be made to slee from these intolle∣rable torments, into which the damned do go. I shall shew you briefly what are the torments of hell. First, by the names of it. Secondly, by the sad state thou wilt be in, if thou commest there. First, the names: It is called a never dying worm, Mark 9. It is called an oven, fire hot, Malach. 4. 1. It is called a furnace, a fiery furnace, Mat. 13. It is called the bottomless pit, the unquenchable fire, fire and brimstone, hell fire, the lake of fire, devouring fire, everlasting fire, eternal fire, a stream of fire. Rev. 21.

First, one part of thy torments will be this, thou shalt have a full fight of all thy ill spent life from first to last, though here thou canst sin to day, and forget it by to morrow; yet there thou shalt be made to remember how thou didst sin against God at such a time, and in such a place, for such a thing, and with such an one, which will be an hell unto thee. Psal. 50. 21. God will set them in order before thine eyes.

2. Thou shalt have the guilt of them all lye heavy on thy soul, not only the guilt of one or two, but the guilt of them altogether, and there they shall lye in thy soul, as if thy belly were full of pitch, and set on a light fire. Here men can sometimes think on their sins with delight, but there with unspeakable torment; for that I un∣derstand to be the fire that Christ speaketh of,

which shall never be quenched, Mark 8. 43, 44, 45, 46. While men live here, O how doth the guilt of one sin sometimes crush the soul, it makes a man in such plight, that he is weary of his life, so that he can neither rest at home nor abroad, nei∣ther up nor in bed. Nay, I do know, that they have been so tormented with the guilt of one sin∣ful thought, that they have been even at their wits end, and have hanged themselves. But now when thou comest into hell, and hast not only one or two, or an hundred sins with the guilt of them all on thy soul and body; but all the sins that ever thou didst commit since thou camest into the world, altogether clapt on thy conscience at one time, as one should clap a red hot iron to thy breasts, and there to continue to all eternity, this is miserable.

3. Again, then thou shalt have brought into thy remembrance, the slighting of the Gospel of Christ; here thou shalt consider how willing Christ was to come into the world to save sinners, and for what a trifle thou didst reject him. This is plainly held forth in Esay 28. where speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, the foundation of salva∣tion, ver. 16. he saith of them that reject the Gos∣pel, that when the overflowing scourge doth pass through the earth, (which I understand to be at the end of the world) then saith he, It shall take you morning by morning, by day and by night shall it

pass over you; that is, continually without any intermission. And it shall be a vexation only to hear the report. A vexation, that is, a torment, or a great part of hell only to understand the report, to understand the good tydings that came into the world by Christs death for poor sinners, and you will find this to be verily the mind of the Spirit, if you compare it with Chap. 53. of Esay verse 1. where he speaks of mens turning their backs upon the tenders of Gods grace in the Gospel, he saith, Who hath believed our report, or the Gospel decla∣red by us? Now this will be a mighty torment to the ungodly, when they shall understand the goodness of God was so great, that he even sent his Son out of his bosome to dye for sinners, and yet that they should be so foolish, as to put him off from one time to another; that they should be so foolish, as to lose heaven, and Christ, and eternal life in glory, for the society of a company of drun∣kards; that they should lose their souls for a lit∣tle sport, for this world, for a strumpet, for that which is lighter then vanity and nothing. I say, this will be a very great torment unto thee.

4. Another part of thy torment will be this, Thou shalt see thy friends, thy acquaintance, thy neighbours; nay, it may be thy Father, thy mo∣ther, thy wife, thy husband, thy children, thy brother, thy sister, with others, in the Kingdome of heaven, and thy self thrust out. Luke 13. 28.

There shall be weeping, &c. when you shall see A∣braham, (your father) and Isaac, and Jacob, (toge∣ther with your brethren) the Prophets in the King∣dome of heaven, and your selves thrust out. Nay, saith he, There shall come from the East, and from the West, that is, th••se that thou didst never see in all thy life before, and they shall sit down with thy friends, and thy neighbours, thy wife and thy children, in the Kingdome of Heaven, and thou for thy sins and disobedience sh••l•• be shut, nay, thrust out. O wonderful ••o••ment!

5. Again, thou shalt have none but a company of damned souls, with an innumerable company of devils to keep company with thee. While thou art in this World, the very thoughts of the devils appearing to thee makes thy flesh to tremble, and thine hair ready to stand upright on thy head. But O what wilt thou do, when not only the supposi∣tion of the devils appearing, but the real society of all the devils in hell be with thee howling and roaring, screeching and roaring in such a hideous manner, that thou wilt be even at thy wits end, and be ready to run stark mad again for anguish and torment.

6. Again, that thou mightest be tormented to purpose, the mighty God of heaven will lay as great wrath and vengeance upon thee, as ever he can, by the might of his glorious power. As I said before, Thou shalt have his wrath, not by

drops, but by whole showres shall it come thun∣der, thunder upon thy body and soul so fast, and so thick, that thou shalt be tormented out of mea∣sure. And so saith the Scripture, 2 Thes. 1. 9. speaking of the wicked, Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, when the Saints shall be admiring his goodness and glory.

Again, this thou shalt have, as I said before, without any intermission, thou shalt not have any ease so long as while a man may turn himself round: thou shalt have it alwayes every hour, day and night: for their worth never dyes, but al∣wayes gnaws, and their fire is never quenched. As it is written in Mark 9.

7. Again, in this condition thou must be for ever, and that is as sad as all the rest. For if a man were to have all his sins laid to his charge, and communion with the devils, and as much wrath as the great God of heaven can inflict upon them. I say, if it were but for a time, even ten thousand years, and so end, there would be ground of com∣fort, and hopes of deliverance; but here is thy misery, this is thy state for ever, here thou must be for ever: when thou lookest about thee, and seest what an innumerable company of howling devils thou art amongst, thou shalt think this a∣gain, this is my portion for ever. When thou h••st been in hell so many thousand years as there are

stars in the firmament, or drops in the Sea, or sands on the sea-shore, yet thou hast to lye there for ever. O this one word ever, how will it tor∣ment thy Soul.

Friends, I have only given a very short touch of the torments of Hell. O! I am set, I am set, and am not able to u••ter what my mind conceives of the torments of Hell. Yet this let me say to thee▪ accept of Gods mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ, lest thou feel that with thy Conscience, which I cannot express with my Tongue, and say, I am sorely tormented in this flame.

And seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his Bosome]

When the damned are in this pittiful state, sur∣rounded with fears, with terrours, with torment and vengeance; one thing they shall have, which is this, they shall see the happy and blessed state of Gods Children: he seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his Bosom, which as I said be∣fore, is the happy state of the Saints, when this life is ended. This now shall be so far from being an ease unto them, that it shall most wonderfully aggravate or heighten their torment, as I said be∣fore. There shall be weeping, or cause of lamen∣tation, when they shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven, and them∣selves thrust out.

2. Observe, those that die in their sins, are far

from going to Heaven; He seeth Abraham a far off, and Lazarus in his Bosom. And indeed, it is just with God, to deal with them that die in their sins, according to what they have done; and to make them who are far from Righteousness now, to stand far from Heaven to all Eternity. Hearken to this ye stout-hearted, that are far from Righteous∣ness, and that are resolved to go on in your sins; when you die, you will be far from Heaven; you will see Lazarus, but it will be afar off. Again, he seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his Bo∣some.

These are some of the things that the damned do behold, so soon as they come into torment. Mark, And he seeth Lazarus in Abrahams Bosome. Lazarus, Who was he? Why, even he that was so slighted, so disregarded, so undervalued by this ungodly one, while he was in the World; he seeth Lazarus in his Bosome.

From whence observe, That those who live and die the enemies of the Saints of God; let them be never so great or stout; let them bear never so much sway while they are in the World; let them ••rag and boast never so much while they are here, they shall in spight of their teeths see the Saints, yea, the poor Saints, even the Lazarus's, or the ragged ones that belong to Jesus, to be in a better condition then themselves. O who do you think, was in the best condition, or who do you think,

saw themselves in the best condition, he that was in Hell, or he that was in Heaven? He that was in darkness, or he that was in light? He that was in everlasting joy, or he that was in everlasting torments? The one with God, Christ, Saints, Angels: the other in tormenting flames, under the curse of Gods eternal hatred, with the Devils and their Angels, together with an innumerable company of howling, roaring, cursing, ever burn∣ing Reprobates. Certainly, this observation will be easily proved to be true here in this World, by him that looks upon it with an understanding heart, and will clear it self to be true in the World to come, by such as shall go either to Heaven or to Hell.

2. The second Observation from these words. And seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his Bosom, is this, They that are the persecutors of the Saints of the Lord now in this World, shall see the Lords persecuted ones, to be they that are so highly esteemed by the Lord, as to sit, or to be in Abrahams bosom (in everlasting glory) though the enemies to the Children of God, did so lightly esteem them, that they scorn to let them gather up the Dogs meat that falls under their Table: this is also verified, and held forth plainly by this Parable. And therefore be not grieved, O you that are the tempted, persecuted, afflicted, sighing, praying Saints of the Lord, though your adversa∣ries

look upon you now with a disdainful, surly, rugged, proud, and haughty countenance, yet the time shall come, when they shall spie you in A∣brahams Bosom.

I might enlarge upon these things, but shall leave them to the Spirit of the Lord, which can better by ten thousand degrees, enlarge them on thy heart and conscience, then I can upon a piece of paper. Therefore leaving these to the blessing of the Lord, I shall come to the next Verse, and shall be brief in speaking to that also, and so passe to the rest.