Perhaps some of you may remember, about six months ago I preached to you on the subject of an eternal hell - upon the worm that never dies, and the fire that is never quenched. There are many people that do not like to hear preaching about hell, and some people think that it is not preaching the gospel; nevertheless, it is the counsel of God.
There was one part of the subject which I had not time to enter upon, and for which reason I have chosen this text, and that was to prove that an eternal hell was consistent with all the attributes of God. "Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this shall be the portion of their cup, for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness."
From this passage I draw these three propositions:
I. That hell will be sudden to the wicked. "Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone," &c.
II. That God will punish the wicked eternally because he loves righteousness.
III. I draw from this verse that God will justify the believer for the same reason that he condemns the wicked, - "For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness."
I. "Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this shall be the portion of their cup." It is quite obvious that the description here given is taken from what befell Sodom, Gen. xix. 23-25. It was a fine summer morning, the sun had just risen and was shedding his rays down upon the meandering Jordan; the women were busy about their employment, the children were sporting in the morning sun, when suddenly darkness overcast the sky, and in a moment God rained fire and brimstone from heaven upon them. One moment they were rejoicing in the morning sun, the next they were weltering in the lake of fire. Brethren, I believe that for the most of these in this congregation who will finally perish, their destruction will be sudden. It is written, "Take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares." Observe these words - "And so that day come upon you unawares." Compare this with the words of the text. "Upon the wicked he shall rain snares." Both passages are taken from the way in which the fowler catches birds; he draws in the snare suddenly, else the bird would escape. Such is the way with the wicked; the second coming of Christ will be like a snare. And, brethren, I believe, again, it is so with all you who die without finding Christ, you will perish suddenly. "Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this shall be the portion of their cup." There are many among you that do not believe that there is a hell. Though you read of it in the Bible, and are told about it, still you always put in a salvo to your conscience, perhaps there is not such a place after all - perhaps it is just a bit of priestcraft got up to frighten people with. I believe that many among you think that, and many of you will die thinking that; but, O, the moment you let go the last friend's hand that is grasping yours, that moment, sinner, when you find your soul in the presence of God, and when you find out for the first time that you have God to do with, that moment you will find that there is an eternal hell. "Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this shall be the portion of their cup." O! my brethren, methinks hell would not be so bad ifyou were counting the cost of it; but to have the eyes lifted on it in a moment, Ah! you will know what the second death is then.
II. I come to the second proposition, and I desire your attention to it, for it is what I have chosen these words for. It is the righteousness of God which makes him punish the wicked eternally. Verses 6, 7, "Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this shall be the portion of their cup, for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness." I believe there is a great deal of ignorance about an eternal hell. There are many men that think God will cast sinners into hell on account of mere passion. Now, it is right to know that God did not create hell merely out of passion. Brethren, if it was passion it would pass away. But it is not from mere passionateness that he has kindled hell. And it is right that you should still farther consider that it is not that God has pleasure in the pain of his creatures. I believe that God does not delight in the pain even of a worm. You will see this in Ezek. xviii. 23, "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live." And then verse 32, "For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." You will observe in this chapter that you have it put in two forms; you have it put in the interrogative form, and then you have it in the affirmative. Again, we are told in the New Testament, that" God will have all men to repent, and come to the knowledge of the truth." "He is not willing that any should perish." And in the 17th chapter of Acts, it is said, "God commandeth all men every where to repent." These passages show that there is an essential benevolence in God, that he has no pleasure in the pain of his creatures. Speaking humanly, God would rather that the wicked should turn from his evil ways and live.
Some will ask, why then is there a hell? The answer, brethren, and it is an answer I desire to be written on the heart, it is that the righteous Lord loveth righteousness. The only reason why God casts the unbelieving into the fire that never shall be quenched is, because God is a God of righteousness, and therefore he will reign till all his enemies are put under his feet. Perhaps brethren, some of you will say, why does his love of righteousness make him puni~h sinners in an eternal hell? There are two answers to that: First, sin is an infinite evil, and therefore it demands an infinite punishment. I do not know ifyou understand this. The thing I was praying for in secret was, that I might be enabled to vindicate God's proceedings. Then, brethren, sin is an infinite evil, because it is the breaking of an infinite obligation. I suppose there are none here who will say that God is not infinitely lovely; and therefore none will say that there is not an infinite obligation upon us to serve him. Then, if you and I do not this, we are breaking an infinite obligation; and if it be an infinlte evil, then it demands infinite punishment. But how can man bear infinite punishment? If God were to put on infinite punishment who could bear it? Therefore it is eternal in duration, - "Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shaft be the portion of their cup, for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness." I said there is another answer to the question; how is it a righteous thing in God to punish sinners eternally? You know you would not care what a criminal said at the bar whether his sentence was just or not. He might probably say it was not just; but you would believe the judge. Now, God says it is a righteous thing. "Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you." 2 Thess. i. 6. You will observe it is said, "It is a righteous thing." And how much more then will everlasting destruction be righteous. God's whole ways are equal. God who holds the balance in his hand, says it is a righteous thing. Dear brethren, I pray you in God's name to think of this. If punishment come from the righteousness of God, then there is no hope. If it were out of passion, then it might pass away. Often you observe a man whose face is red and swollen with passion, but it passed away. But all! it is not out of passion. If it were out of passion surely God would have some pity when he saw the sufferings of the lost for many ages; but, ah! no. From what then does it proceed? It proceeds from the rectitude of God. If God can cease to love righteousness, then the fire may be quenched; but as long as he is a righteous God, that fire will never be quenched. Oh! brethren, it is a foolish hope you entertain that the fire will be quenched. I have seen some on their death-bed thinking that the fire may be quenched. Ah! it is a vain hope, sinner, God will never cease to be a righteous God. God will do anything to save a sinner; but he cannot part with his rectitude in order to save you. He parted with his Son in order that he might gain sinners, but he cannot part with his righteousness - he cannot part with his government; he would need to call good evil, and evil good, first. "Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this shall be the portion of their cup, for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness."
III. I come now to the last point, and that is that the very same rectitude saves the believer in Jesus, "For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness." I think this is the meaning of these words, "His countenance beholdeth the upright." The same thing is spoken of in the passage we read in Thessalonians, "It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with us," &c. The same thing we are taught in the 1st chapter of 1st John, 9th verse, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It is not said he is merciful, but he is just to forgive us our sins. The same thing we are taught in the 1st and 2nd verses of the 40th chap. of Isaiah, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God, speak ye comfortably unto Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." Here God puts the pardon of Israel on rectitude. "Her iniquity is pardoned:for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." Why? because in her Surety she hath received double for all her sins. Suppose then you, a sinner, were to come to the Surety this night, you will observe that the sins you have committed are double paid. If the curse had fallen upon you, you could never have exhausted it; but when it fell upon the Surety, he exhausted it. And therefore upon the ground of equity, "she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." "He is just to forgive us our sins." - "His countenance beholdeth the upright."
My dear brethren, in impressing this subject upon you, I would speak.
1. To those of you who are believers. Dear brethren, you were once condemned to this hell. Over this hell you walked; but God has brought you to a Surety, where you have received of the Lord's hand double for all your sins. Prize this Surety. Ah! brethren, it is better to be saved through Christ, than even if it was possible to be saved in any other way; for not only we are saved, but God's rectitude is displayed. Prize this Surety then.
2. I would say a word to those of you who are under concern about your soul. I am glad that there are any concerned. Oh! that I could say all were concerned. But, dear anxious friends, this is the hell you are going to by nature. I would say, then, see the necessity of fleeing from it. Many will say, there is no use of all that anxiety, if you need to kar, many will. But, dear anxious soul, if you have understood what I have been saying, you will see the necessity of a thousandfold more earnestness. Ah! it is a fearful hell; but, oh! it is more fearful to think that it is kindled by the rectitude of God. AH! then there is need to flee. Dear, dear souls, do not be turned away by the world's flattery.
3. Let me speak to those who are careless. My dear brethren, I have showed you a solemn truth to-night; and unless I knew that no truth in itself will convert you, I might think that you would be converted by what you have heard. I have showed you that the destruction of the wicked will be sudden. Dear friends, do you think that it will be sudden? The very fact that you can sit so easily, shows that you do not believe it. Therefore when hell comes to you, it will come like a snare. Ah! dear, careless soul, think when you go home to-night, what if it should be to-night, "This night thy soul shall be required of thee." Careless sinner, what would become of you if God were to shoot his darts, and rain snares, fire, and brimstone upon you? Ah! tell me, sinner, would it not embitter your eternity to think that you were told of it? Ah! you are like Lot's sons-in-law, "he seemed as one that mockery unto them." Ah! do you think they thought it a dream when they lifted up their eyes in hell. And oh I sinner, will it not embitter your eternity to think you had been warned to flee? The minister is free of my blood. I was warned, but I heeded not. I am the cause of my own undoing; my hands have made the snare wherewith I am caught.
Sabbath, Dec. 4, 1842.