A sermon on the eternity of hell-torments. By the Reverend Mr. George Whitefield, A.B.

THE Eternity of Hell-Torments.

MATTH. xxv.46.

These shall go away into Everlasting Punishment.

THE Excellency of the Gospel Dispensation is evidenced by nothing more, than those Sanctions of Rewards and Punishments, which it offers to the Choice of all its Professors, in order to invite or compel them to be obedient to its Precepts. — For it promises no less than Eternal Happiness to the Good, and de|nounces no slighter a Punishment than Everlasting Mi|sery against the Wicked. On the one Hand, it is a Savour of Life unto Life, on the other, a Savour of Death unto Death. And tho' 〈◊〉〈◊〉 would imagine the bare mentioning of the former would be sufficient to draw Men to their Duty, yet Ministers in all Ages have found it necessary frequently to remind their Peo|ple of the latter, and to set before them the Tenors of the LORD, as so many powerful Dissuasives from Sin.

But whence is it that Men are so disingenuous? —Why, the Reason seems to be this.— The Promise of Eternal Happiness on our Well-doing, is so agreeable to the Inclinations and Wishes of Mankind, that all that call themselves Christians, universally and willingly subscribe to the Belief of it. But then there is some|thing so shocking in the Consideration of Eternal Tor|ments, and seemingly such an infinite Disproportion be|tween an endless Duration of Pain, and a short Life spent in Pleasure, that Men (some at least of them) can scarcely be brought to confess it as an Article of their Faith, that an Eternity of Misery awaits the Wicked in a future State.

I shall therefore at this Time beg Leave, to insist on the proof of this Part of one of the Articles of our Creed; and endeavour to make good what our blessed LORD has here threatned in the Words of the Text, that These, that is, the Wicked, shall go away into Everlasting Punishment.

Accordingly, without considering the Words as they stand in Relation to the Context, I shall resolve all I have to say into this one general Proposition,—

That the Torments reserved for the Wicked here after are Eternal.

But before I proceed to make good this, I must in|form you that I take it for granted,

All here present stedfastly believe,

They have something within them, which we call a Soul, and which is capable of surviving the Dissolution of the Body, and of being miserable or happy to all Eter|nity.

I take it for granted farther,

That you believe a Divine Revelation; that those Books, emphatically

called the Scriptures, were written by the Inspira|tion of GOD, and that the Things therein contain|ed, are founded upon Eternal Truth.

I take it for granted lastly,

That you believe, that the Son of GOD came down to die for Sinners; that there is but one Mediator between GOD and Man, even the Man CHRIST JESUS.

These Things being granted (and they were necessa|ry to be premised) proceed we now to make good the one general Proposition mentioned before, and asserted in the Text, that

The Torments reserved for the Wicked hereafter are Eternal.

— These, says our blessed LORD, shall go away into Everlasting Punishment.

The first Argument I shall advance to prove that the Torments reserved for the Wicked hereafter are eternal (for I have taken it for granted, that you believe those Books, emphatically called the Scriptures, were written by the Inspiration of GOD, and that the Things con|tained therein are founded upon Eternal Truth) is, That the Word of GOD himself, assures us, Line upon Line, that it will be so.

To quote all the Texts that might be produced in Proof of this, would be endless.—Let it suffice to in|stance only in a few.—In the Old-Testament, in the Book of Daniel, Chap. xii. ver. 2. we are told, that Some shall awake to Everlasting Life, and others to E|verlasting Contempt.—In the Book of Isaiah, it is said, that The Worm of those that have transgressed GOD's Law, shall not die, nor their Fire be quenched.—And in another Place, the Holy Prophet, struck, no doubt, with Astonishment and Horror at the Prospect of the Continuance of the Torments of the Damned, breaks out into this moving Expostulation, Who can dwell with Everlasting Burnings?

The New-Testament is still fuller as to this Point, it being a Revelation which brought this and such-like Particulars to a clear Light.—The Apostle Jude tells us of the profane Despisers of Dignities in his Days, that for them was reserved the Blackness of Darkness for ever.—And in the Book of the Revelations it is writ|ten, that The Smoke of the Torments of the Wicked as|cendeth for ever and ever.—And if we believe the Witness of Men inspired, the Witness of the Son of GOD, who had the Spirit given him, as he was a Mediator, without Measure, is still far greater.—And he, in St. Mark's Gospel, repeats this solemn Decla|ration three several Times. It is better for Thee to enter into Life maimed; that is, it is better to forego the Gratification of thy Lust, or incur the Displeasure of a Friend, which may be as dear to thee as a Hand, or as useful as a Foot, than having two Hands and Feet, that is, for indulging the one, or disobeying GOD to oblige the other, to be cast into Hell, where the Worm dieth not, and the Fire is not quenched.

And here again, in the Words of the Text, These, that is, the Wicked, says he, shall go away into everlast|ing Punishment.

I know it has been objected by some who have de|nied the Eternity of Hell Torments,

That the Words Everlasting and Ever and Ever, are often used in the Holy Scriptures, (especially in the Old-Testament) when they signify not an endless Dura|tion, but a limited Term of Time.

And this we readily grant. But then we reply,

That when the Words are used with this Limitati|on, they either manifestly appear to be used so from the Context

—or are put in Opposition to some

occasional Types which GOD gave his People on some special Occasions, as when it is said, it shall be a perpe|tual or everlasting Statute, or a Statute for ever, that is, a standing Type, and not merely transient or occasion|al, as was the Pillar of Cloud, the Manna, or such like.—Or lastly, they have a Relation, to that Cove|nant GOD made with his spiritual Israel, which, if understood in a spiritual Sense, will be everlasting, tho' the Ceremonial Dispensation be abolished.

Besides, it ought to be observed, that, some of the Passages just now referred to, have neither of these Words so much as mentioned in them, and cannot possibly be interpreted so as to denote only a limited Term of Years.

But let that be as it will, it is evident even to a De|monstration, that the Words of the Text however, will not admit of such a restrained Signification, as ap|pears from their being directly opposed to the Words immediately following, viz. That the Righteous shall go into Life eternal. From which Words, all are ready to grant, that the Life promised to the Righteous will be Eternal; and why the Punishment threatned to the Wicked should not be understood to be Eternal like|wise, when the very same Word in the Original, is used to express the Duration of each, no Shadow of a Reason can be given.

But Secondly, There cannot be one Argument ur|ged, why GOD should reward his Saints with everlast|ing Happiness, which will not equally punish Sinners with Eternal Misery.

For, since we know nothing (at least for a Certain|ty) how he will deal with either, but by a Divine Re|velation; and since, as was proved by the foregoing

Argument, he hath as positively threatned eternally to punish the Wicked, as to reward the Good; it follows that his Truth will be as much impeached and called in Question, did he not inflict his Punishments, as it would be, if he did not confer his Rewards.

To this also it has been objected,

That though GOD is obliged by his Promise to give his Rewards, yet his Veracity could not be called in Question, supposing he should not execute his Threatnings, as he actually did not in the Case of Nineveh, which GOD expresly declared by his Prophet Jonah, should be destroyed in Forty Days; notwithstanding the Sequel of the Story informs us, that Nineveh was spared.

But in answer to this Objection we affirm,

That GOD's Threatnings, as well as Promises, are with|out Repentance.

—And for this Reason, because they are both founded on the eternal Laws of right Reason.—Accordingly we always find, that where the Conditions were not performed, on the Non-perfor|mance of which the Threatnings were denounced, GOD always executed the Punishment threatned.— The driving Adam out of Eden,—The Destruction of the old World by a Deluge of Water, and the Over|throw of Sodom and Gomorrah, are, and will be always so many standing Monuments of GOD's executing his Threatnings when denounced, though, to our weak Apprehensions, the Punishment may seem far to exceed the Crime.

It is true, GOD did spare Nineveh, and that because the Inhabitants did actually repent, and therefore per|formed the Conditions upon which it was supposed by the Prophet's being sent to warn them, the threatned Punishment should be with-held.

And so likewise in respect to Gospel Threatnings. If Men will so far consult their own Welfare as to live up to the Gospel Terms, GOD certainly will not punish them, but on the contrary, confer upon them his Rewards,—But to affirm that HE will not punish, and that eternally too, impenitent, obstinate Sinners, according as he hath threatned, if they do not perform the Terms of the Gospel, what is it, in Effect, but to make GOD like a Man, that he should lie, or the Son of Man that he should repent?

But the absurdity of such an Opinion will appear still more evident from

The next and Third Argument I shall offer to prove, that the Torments reserved for the Wicked hereafter are eternal, viz. From the Nature of the Christian Co|venant.

And here I must again observe, that it was taken for granted at the Beginning of this Discourse, that,

That you believe the Son of GOD came down to save Sinners; that there is but one Mediator be|tween GOD & Man, even the Man CHRIST JESUS.

And here I take it for granted farther (unless you believe the absurd and unwarrantable Doctrine of Pur|gatory) that you are fully persuaded, that this Life is the only Time allotted by Almighty GOD for work|ing out our Salvation, and after a few Years are passed over, there will be no more Sacrifice for Sin.

And if this be granted (and who dares deny it) it follows that if a wicked Man dieth in his Wickedness, and under the Wrath of GOD, he must continue in that State to all Eternity. — For, since there is no Possibility of his being delivered out of such a Condi|tion but by and thro' CHRIST; and since at the Hour

of Death, the Time of CHRIST'S Mediation and In|tercession for him is irrecoverably gone; the same Rea|son that may be given, why GOD should punish a Sinner that dieth under the Guilt of his Sins for a single Day, will equally hold good, why he should continue to punish him for a Year, an Age, nay, to all Eternity.

But I hasten to the Fourth and last Argument, to prove, That the Torments reserved for the Wicked here|after are eternal, viz. Because the Devil's Punishment is to be so.

That there is such a Being whom we call the Devil, that he was once an Angel of Light, but for his Pride and Rebellion against GOD, was cast down from Heaven, and is now permitted with the rest of his spi|ritual Wickednesses, to walk to and fro, seeking whom they may devour. — That there is a Place of Tor|ment reserved for them, or, to use the Apostle's Words, that they are reserved in everlasting Chains under Dark|ness unto the Judgment of the Great Day, are Truths all here present were supposed to be convinced of, when it was taken for granted under the second Proposition at the Beginning of this Discourse, that you believed the holy Scriptures to be written by the Inspiration of GOD, wherein these Truths are delivered.

But then if we allow all this, and think it no In|justice in GOD to punish those glorious Spirits for their Rebellion, how can we think it unjust in him, to punish wicked Men for their Impenitency to all Eternity?

You will say perhaps, that they have sinned against greater Light, and therefore deserve a greater Punish|ment. And so we grant that the Punishment of the fallen Angels may be greater as to Degree, than that of wicked Men. But then we affirm, it will be equal as

to the Eternal Duration of it. For in that Day, as the lively Oracles of GOD inform us, shall the Son of Man say to them on his left Hand, Depart from me ye Cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels. — Where we find that impenitent Sinners are to be cast into the same Everlasting Fire, with the Devil and his Angels, — and that too very justly. — For though they may have sinned against greater Light, yet Christians sin against greater Mercy. Since CHRIST took not hold of, did not die for the fallen Angels, but of the Seed of Abraham, for Men and for our Salvation. So that if GOD spared not those excellent Beings, assure thy self, O obstinate Sin|ner, whoever thou art, he will by no means spare thee.

From what then has been said it plainly appears, that verily the Torments reserved for the Wicked hereaf|ter are Eternal. — And if so, Brethren, how holy ought we to be in all Manner of Conversation and Godliness, that we may be accounted worthy to escape this Wrath to come!

But before I proceed to a practical Exhortation, permit me to draw an Inference or two from what has been said.

And first, If the Torments reserved for the Wicked hereafter are Eternal, what shall we say to those who make an open Profession in their Creed to believe a Life everlasting, i. e. a Life of Happiness as well as Misery, and yet dare to live in the actual Com|mission of those Sins which will unavoidably, without Repentance, bring them into the Place of Torment? Thou believest the Punishment of the impenitently Wicked in another Life, are Eternal: Thou doest well, The Devils also believe and tremble. But know,

O vain Man, unless this Belief doth Influence thy Practice, and makes thee bid Adieu to thy Sins, every Time thou repeatest thy Creed, thou dost in Effect say, I believe I shall be undone for ever.

But Secondly, If the Torments reserved for the Wicked hereafter are Eternal, then let this serve as a Caution to such Persons (and it is to be fear'd there are some such) who go about to dissuade others from the Belief of such an important Truth. There being no surer Way, in all Probability, to encourage & pro|mote Infidelity and Prophaneness, than the broaching or maintaining such an unwarrantable Doctrine. — For if the positive Threats of GOD concerning the Eternity of Hell-Torments are already found insuffi|cient to deter Men from Sin, what a higher Pitch of Wickedness may we imagine they will quickly arrive at, when they are taught to entertain any Hopes of a future Recovery out of them, or, what is still worse, that their Souls are hereafter to be annihilated, and be|come like the Beasts that perish? — But Woe unto such blind Leaders of the Blind. No Wonder if they both fall into the Ditch. — And let such Corrupters of GOD's Word know, that I testify unto every Man that heareth me this Day, that if any one shall add unto, or take away from the Words that are written in the Book of GOD, GOD shall take his Part out of the Book of Life, and shall add unto him all the Plagues that are in that Book.

Thirdly and Lastly, If the Torments reserved for the Wicked hereafter are eternal, then this may serve as a Reproof for those who quarrel with GOD, and say it is inconsistent with his Justice, to punish a Person to all Eternity, only for enjoying the Pleasures of Sin for a

Season. But such Persons must be told, that it is not their thinking or calling GOD unjust, will make him so, no more than a condemned Prisoner's saying the Law or Judge is unjust, will render either duly charge|able with such an Imputation. — But knowest thou, O Worm, what Blasphemy thou art guilty of, in char|ging GOD with Injustice? — Shall the Thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? And wilt thou presume to arraign the Almighty at the Bar of thy shallow Reasoning? And call him unjust, for punishing thee Eternally, only because thou wish|est it may not so? But hath GOD said it; and shall he not do it? He hath said it: And let GOD be true, tho' every Man be a Liar.—Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right? Assuredly he will. And if Sinners will not own his Justice in his Threatnings here, they will be compell'd e'er long to own and feel them when tormented by him hereafter.

But to come to a more practical Application of what has been deliver'd.

You have heard, Brethren, the Eternity of Hell-Torments plainly proved, from the express Declarati|ons of Holy Scriptures, and Consequences naturally drawn from them.—And now there seems to need no great Art of Rhetorick to persuade any understanding Person to avoid and abhor those Sins, which without Repentance, will certainly plunge him into this Eternal Gulph.—The Disproportion between the Pleasure and the Pain (if there be any Pleasure in Sin) is so infi|nitely great, that supposing it was only possible tho' not certain, that the Wicked would be everlastingly punished, no one that has the Reason of a Man, for the Enjoying a little momentary Pleasure, would,

one would imagine, run the Hazard of enduring Eter|nal Pain.—But since the Torments of the Damned are not only possible, but certain, (since GOD him|self, who cannot lie, has told us so) for Men, not|withstanding to persist in their Disobedience, and then flatter themselves that GOD will not make good his Threatnings, is a most egregious Instance of Folly and Presumption.

Dives himself supposed, that if one rose from the Dead, his Brethren would amend their Lives; but Christians, it seems, will not repent though the SON OF GOD has died and rose again, and told them what they must expect, if they still continue obstinate in Evil Doing.

Would we now and then draw off our Thoughts from sensible Objects, and by Faith, meditate a while on the Miseries of the Damned, I doubt not but we should, as it were, hear many an unhappy Soul vent|ing his fruitless Sorrows in some such piteous Moans as these.

O Wretched Man that I am, who shall deliver me from this Body of Death! O foolish Mortal that I was, thus to bring myself into these never-ceasing Tortures, for the transitory Enjoyment of a few shortlived Pleasures, which scarcely afforded me any Satisfaction, even when I most indulged myself in them.—Alas! are these the Wages, these the Ef|fects of Sin? — Are all the Grand Deceiver's invi|ting Promises come to this?—O Damned Apostate! First to delude me with pretended Promises of Hap|piness, and after several Years Drudgery in his Ser|vice, thus to involve me in Eternal Woe.—Oh that I had never hearkened to his beguiling Insinuations!

Oh that I had rejected his very first Suggestions with the utmost Detestation and Abhorrence! Oh that I had taken up my Cross and followed CHRIST! Oh that I had never ridiculed serious Godliness; and out of a false Politeness, condemned the truly Pious, as too Severe, Enthusiastick, or Superstitious! For I then had been happy indeed, happy beyond Expressi|on, happy to all Eternity, yonder in those blessed Regions where they sit, cloathed with unspeakable Glory, and chanting forth their Seraphick Hallelu|jahs to the Lamb that sitteth upon the Throne, for ever.—But, alas! these Reflections come now too late: These Wishes now are vain and fruitless. I have not suffered, and therefore must not reign with them. — I have in Effect denied the LORD that bought me, and therefore justly am I now denied by him.

But must I live for ever tormented in these Flames?—Must this Body of mine which not long since lay in State, was cloathed in Purple and fine Linnen, and fared sumptuously every Day, must this be here eternally confin'd, and made the Mockery ••••••sulting Devils? Oh, Eternity! that Thought fills me with Despair 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cannot, will not, yet I must be miserable for ever.

Come then, all ye self-deluding, self-deluded Sin|ners, and imagine yourselves for once in the Place of that truly wretched Man I have been here describing. — Think, I beseech you by the Mercies of GOD in CHRIST JESUS, think with yourselves, how racking, how unsupportable the never dying Worm of a self|condemning Conscience will hereafter be to you. Think how impossible it will be for you to dwell with everlasting Burnings.

Come, all ye Christians of a Lukewarm Laodicean Spirit, ye Gallie's in Religion, who care a little, but not enough for the Things of GOD, O think, think with yourselves how deplorable it will be to lose the Enjoyment of Heaven, and run into endless Torments, merely because you will be content to be almost, and will not strive to be altogether Christians.— Consider, I beseech you, consider, how you will rave, and curse that fatal Stupidity, that made you believe any Thing less than a Life of strict Piety, Self-Denial, and Mor|tification, can keep you from those Torments, the Eternity of which I have been endeavouring to prove.

But I can no more — These Thoughts are too melancholly for me to dwell on, as well as for you to hear, and GOD knows, as Punishing is his strange Work, so denouncing his Threatnings is mine. But if the bare mentioning the Torments of the Damned is so shocking, Good GOD! how terrible must the enduring of them be!

And now are not some of you ready to cry out, These are hard Sayings, who can bear the••▪

But let not sincere Christians be in the least terrifi|ed at what has been delivered. No, for you is 〈◊〉〈◊〉, a Crown, a Kingdom, an Eternal and exc••••••ing Weight of Glory. CHRIST never said the Righteous, the Upright, the Sincere, but the Wicked, Merciless, negatively good Professors before described, shall go in|to Everlasting Punishment. For you, who love him in Sincerity, a new and living Way is laid open into the Holy of Holies by the Blood of JESUS CHRIST. And an abundant Entrance will be administred unto you, at the great Day of Account into Eternal Life. Take heed therefore, and beware that there be not in

any of you a Root of Bitterness springing up of Unbe|lief. But, on the contrary, stedfastly and heartily rely on the many precious Promises reached out to you in the Gospel, knowing that he who hath promised is faithful, and therefore will perform.

But let no obstinately wicked Professors dare to ap|ply any of the divine Promises to themselves. For it is not meet to take the Children's Bread & give it unto Dogs. No, to such the Terrors of the LORD only belong. And as certainly as CHRIST will say to his true Fol|lowers, Come ye blessed Children of my Father, receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the Beginning of the World, so he will unalterably pronounce this dreadful Sentence against all that die in their Sins, Depart from me, ye Cursed, into everlasting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.

From which unhappy State may GOD of his infinite Mercy deliver us all through JESUS CHRIST; to whom with Thee, O FATHER, and Thee, O HOLY GHOST, Three Persons and One Eternal GOD, be ascribed, as is most due, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Honour, Power, Might, Majesty, and Dominion 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and for evermore.

FINIS.