Why must there be
a hell?
"The wicked shall be
turned into hell." Psalm 9:17
"How can you escape the damnation of hell?" Matthew
23:33
God has built hell on purpose,
for the damned to lie in.
See the dreadfulness of that place! Hell is the
epitome of misery! Besides "the punishment of
loss," which is the exclusion of the soul from
the gloried sight of God, which some think is the
worst part of hell—there will be "the punishment of
sense."
In hell there will be a plurality of torments:
There will be the "chains of darkness." 2 Peter 2:4.
There will be the "never-dying worm." Mark 9:48.
This is the worm of conscience.
There will be the "lake of fire." Revelation 20:15.
Other fire is but 'painted fire'—compared to this.
This house of hell is haunted with devils! Matt
25:41. Anselm says, "I had rather endure all
torments, than see the devil with bodily eyes." Such
as go to hell, must not only be forced to behold the
devil—but must be shut up with this lion in his den!
They must keep the devil company! This red dragon
is full of spite—and will spit fire in men's faces!
The torments of hell abide forever! "The
smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever."
Rev. 14:2. Time cannot finish hell. Tears cannot
quench hell. Mark 9:44. The wicked will always live
in the fire of hell—but never be consumed. After
they have lain millions of years in hell, their
punishment is as far from ending, as it was at the
beginning! If all the earth and sea were sand, and
every thousandth year a bird should come, and take
away one grain—it would be a long time before that
vast heap would be removed! Yet, if after all that
time the damned might come out of hell—there would
be some hope; but this word FOREVER breaks
the heart!
If anyone should ask, where is hell? I wish
he may never know experimentally. "Let us not so
much," says Chrysostom, "labor to know where
hell is—as how to escape it."
Why must there be a hell?
Because there must be a place for the execution of
divine justice. Earthly monarchs have their prison
for criminals—and shall not God have his? Sinners
are criminals, they have offended God. It would not
be consistent with His holiness and justice—to have
His laws infringed, and not inflict penalties.
How does it seem to comport with God's justice—to
punish a sin committed in a moment—with
eternal torment?
1. Because there is an eternity of sin in man's
nature. They will continue to sin in hell. "Men
gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God
of heaven because of their pains and their
sores, but they refused to repent of what
they had done." Revelation 16:10-11
2. Because sin is "committed against an infinite
majesty," and therefore the sin itself is infinite,
and proportionally the punishment must be infinite.
3. Because a finite creature cannot satisfy
infinite wrath, he must be eternally paying
what he can never pay.
"Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath!" 1
Thess 1:10 What infinite cause have they to bless
God—who are delivered from hell! Jesus Christ
suffered the torments of hell in His soul —that
believers should not suffer them. Oh, how should we
bless God to be preserved from the wrath to come!
It may cause more thankfulness in us, to realize
that most people go to hell when they die. To
be of the number of those few who are
delivered from hell—is matter of infinite
thankfulness. "Wide is the gate and broad
is the road that leads to destruction, and
many enter through it. But small is the gate and
narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few
find it." Matthew 7:13-14
"Divide the world," says one, "into thirty-one
parts, nineteen parts of it are Jews and
Turks, and seven parts are heathen; so that
there are but five parts of professing
Christians—and among these, so many deceived
Papists on the one hand, and so many formal
Protestants on the other—that we may conclude
that the major part of the world goes to hell.
Scripture compares the wicked to "the mire
in the streets." Isaiah 10:6. Few precious
jewels are in the street—but you cannot go a
step without meeting with mire! The wicked are as
common as the dirt in the street! The devil has most
of the harvest—and God has only a few gleanings. Oh,
then, such as are delivered from hell, have infinite
cause to admire and bless God. How should the
vessels of mercy run over with thankfulness!
When most others are carried as prisoners to
hell—they are delivered from the wrath to come!
How shall I know if I am delivered from hell?
(1) Those whom Christ saves from hell—He saves from
sin. "He shall save His people from their sins."
Matthew 1:21. Has God delivered you from the power
of corruption, from pride, malice, and lust? If He
has delivered you from the hell of sin, He
has delivered you from the hell of torment.
(2) If you prize, trust and love Christ—you are
delivered from hell and damnation. "There is no
condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus."
Romans 8:1. If you are in Christ, He has put the
garment of His righteousness over you—and hell-fire
can never singe it!
