Troposchēmalogia: Tropes and figures; or, A treatise of the metaphors, allegories, and express similitudes, &c. contained in the Bible of the Old and New Testament To which is prefixed, divers arguments to prove the divine authority of the Holy Scriptures wherein also 'tis largely evinced, that by the great whore, mystery Babylon is meant the Papal hierarchy, or present state and church of Rome. Philologia sacra, the second part. Wherein the schemes, or figures in Scripture, are reduced under their proper heads, with a brief explication of each. Together with a treatise of types, parables, &c. with an improvement of them parallel-wise. By B. K

Of Hell.

Hell a Furnace of Fire, the Place of the Damned.

Mat. 13.42. —And shall cast them into a Furnace of Fire, there shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth.

WE are now drawing towards a Conclusion; it remains only, that we speak something concerning Hell, which is the Place prepared for the Damned, the Torment of whom is set forth by Fire, by a Furnace of Fire, and by utter Darkness. It hath been a long and ancient Controversy, whether Fire here is to be taken Properly or Figuratively? I shall not undertake to determine, whe∣ther it be real Fire or not: Doubtless the Torment of the Wicked, will be worse than 'tis to be cast into any Furnace of Elementary Fire. The Schoolmen affirm, that the least Torture in Hell, exceeds the greatest that can be devised by all the Men on Earth; even as the least Joy of Heaven, surpasseth the greatest Comforts of this World, &c. There is scarce any Pain here on Earth, but there is some hope of Ease, Mitigation, or Intermission; but in Hell, their Torments are easeless, endless, remediless, and they themselves left hopeless, help∣less, and pittyless. However, we will run a Parallel between a Furnace of Fire, and the Place of the Damned; for in some things there is a fit Resemblance.

Parallels.

A Furnace of Fire, hath been prepared as a place of Torment; the King of Babylon cau∣sed a Furnace to be heat exceeding hot, and that whosoever would not bow down to his Golden Image should be cast unto it: Hell is a place of Torment prepared for all Wicked and Ungodly Men, who live and dye in their Sins.

II. A Furnace of Fire that is heated exceeding hot, is very terrible and amazing to him, who for his wicked Deeds is told he must be cast therein: So Hell is a very terrible and an ama∣zing thing to think upon; how lamentable is the Thoughts of it to a guilty Sinner, that is awakened, that sees no Remedy, but thither he must go?

III. What Torment can be greater than to be cast into a burning fiery Furnace? So what Torments can be greater than the Torments of Hell?

Disparity.

A Fiery Furnace tho terrible and painful, yet it puts an end to the Lives of those that that are thrown into it, and the hotter it is, the sooner it dispatcheth them out of their pain: But the Torments of Hell put no end to the tortured, neither can the Damned die, but have an ever-dying Life, and an everlasting Death; it is a Death which hath no Death, The Worm dyeth not.

II. The Torment of a Fiery Furnace can reach but the outward Man, it cannot destroy the Soul: But the Torments of Hell reach to the very Soul, called the Perdition or Destruction of Ungodly Men, both of Soul and Body.

III. The hottest Furnace in the World may abate its heat for want of Fuel, and at length be wholly extinguished; however its Terrors and Pains are but short and momentary: But the tormenting Fire of Hell never abates its heat, nor ever goeth out, therefore called ever∣lasting Fire; now to add Eternity to Extremity, and then you will perceive Hell to be Hell indeed.

IV. Other Fire may be quenched: But the Fire of God's Wrath, or Hell Fire, shall nev••r be quenched, Ʋt supra.

Inference.

THat as there is no greater cause of magnifying Christ, than for Redemption-Mercy, and so of Joy unspeakable, and full of Glory: So there is no greater cause of Sorrow, and intolerable Misery, than to live and dye in Sin, and so to be cast both Body and Soul into Hell Fire. O! what an alarm may those two Scriptures among many sound in the Ears of Wick∣ed and Ungodly Men, Be not deceived, neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, not Effeminate, nor Abusers of themselves with Mankind, nor Thieves, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, nor Raylers, nor Extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. But whither then must they go? See Rev. 21.8. But the Fearful, and Ʋnbelieving, and the Abominable, and Murderers, and Whoremongers, and Sorcerers, and Idolaters, and all Lyers, shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone, which is the second Death.

Hell utter Darkness.

Mat. 8.12. — Shall be cast into utter Darkness.

Jude v. 13. — To whom is reserved the blackness of Darkness for ever.

AS the Torment and Misery of the Ungodly is set forth by a Furnace of Fire; so 'tis also by Darkness, utter Darkness, and blackness of Darkness, as the Word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth.

Parallels.

GOD sometimes hath brought Darkness, upon a People, as a great Judgment, for Sin and Rebellion against him: So God in just Judgment, will cast the Wicked into Dark∣ness, into a burning Furnace of Fire, but such Fire as shall give no Light, therefore called utter Darkness.

II. Where there is Darkness, either by want of Light, or want of Sight to see the Light, there cannot be any comfortable Enjoyment of any visible Object, that might afford them Satisfaction and Content, as it doth those that enjoy the Light: So to be cast into Dark∣ness, nay utter Darkness, not only such Darkness that is a deprivation of Light, or occasioned by want of Sight, but a Darkness of Terror and Torment, reserved for Wicked and Un∣g••dly Men, called the blackness of Darkness: For as the Glory of Heaven shall abound be∣yond all comparison with glorious Light, called the Inheritance of the Saints in Light, Col. 1. So the Horrors and Terrors of Hell will consist in that abounding Darkness, beyond all com∣parison.

III. As to be shut up in Spiritual Darkness, is a separation from God, as to his Presence in a way of Grace: So to be shut up in the thickness and blackness of the darkness of Hell, is an eternal separation from God, and the enjoyment of him for ever: when once he shall say [Depart from me] there is a separation from all Joy and Happiness, [Ye cursed] there is a black and direful Excommunication. [into Fire], there is the Extremity of pain, [everlasting], there is the Perpetuity of the Punishment, [prepared for the Devil and his Angels], there are the In∣fernal tormenting, and tormented Company. And to encrease the horror and amazement of the Damned, this Fire shall only torment them, not give them any Light, but they shall be cast out into utter Darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth.

Disparity.

WHen God brings Darkness upon a Land, as he did upon Egypt, as an Judgment it hath been but for a while, a certain time, and after there hath been Light again; but those that shall be cast out in the Darkness of the Pit of Hell, shall never see Light more, nei∣ther Spiritual, Natural nor Artificial. As there will be no need of the Sun nor Stars in Heaven: So the Damned shall not have any Benefit thereby, whatever their Needs and Necessities are.

II. Men may be in Darkness spiritually, and they may be enlightned and saved through Grace, but to be cast out into the dark and dismal Gulf of Hell, it totally and everlastingly deprives of any use of Means, for enlightning any more for ever, Gospel-Light shines not at all in that dark and dismal Region, because they hated the Light thereof in this World, they must now be cast out into utter Darkness in the World to come.

III. Men may be in Darkness, and yet enjoy many other Comforts, tho they be deprived of Light: But the Damned in Hell are not only in black and thick Darkness, but are also de∣prived of any other Comfort: As they see nothing but Darkness, so they hear nothing but dismal Screeches, and amazing dreadful Crys, and gnashing of Teeth.

IV. Men may be naturally Blind, or shut up in a dark Dungeon, and yet may have much of the Presence of God with them: But the Damned that are in the blackness of Darkness, that is, the Darkness of Hell, shall utterly be deprived of the comfortable Presence of God; As they said to God, depart from us: So are they separated with a Depart ye from me, ye cursed, into everlasting Fire, or, into the blackness of Darkness for ever.

Inferences.

HOw might this awaken Sinners, and be a means to turn them from Spiritual Darkness to Light; and from Satan, the Prince of Darkness, to God: Oh! that these closing, direful, and amazing Lines, might turn many to Righteousness, to believe, repent, and obey the Gospel, before the Lord Jesus come in flaming Fire, rendring Vengeance upon all that know not God, nor obey the Gospel.

II. How just will the Condemnation of such rebellious Sinners be, who will neither be drawn by the tenders of Mercy and Salvation to Jesus Christ, and of an enjoyment of Heaven through him, nor be deterred from their sinful Course, by all the threatned Judg∣ments; nay tho it extend to Hell it self, to the Fire of Hell, to the blackness of Darkness for ever! Oh! were there not Eternity written upon the Gate of the broad way that leads to Destruction, the Damned might have some hope, tho it were not till hundreds of thousands of Millions of Years were expired: But O Sinners! when once this dark dismal Dungeon hath shut its Mouth upon you, and you come with the Devil and his Angels to lie therein, you can never come out more, never see Light more, never have ease from intollerable Tor∣ment more; no Father, Husband, Wife, &c. can come to light so much as a Candle, or dip the tip of a Finger in Water to cool your Tongue.

III. Let the Redeemed of the Lord rejoyce and magnify the God of their Salvation, who hath given them good hope through Grace, that they are delivered from Wrath to come, by being called out of Spiritual Darkness into Christ's marvellous Light, and by him have escaped that dreadful Doom, of being cast out into utter Darkness.

Notes

• Rev 21.8.