Hell and Everlasting Punishment
Part 3: Crying
"there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out." (Luke 13:28). It was said of the rich man in Hell "he cried" (Luke 16:24).
Imagine the times you have cried, lamented and weeped over sins and small problems in this life. Imagine that contrasted to an eternal seperation with God, an eternal punishment! Hell is a reality that we must not ignore, it would be better to weep over sin now before sin becomes death and swallows you up.
John Bunyan wrote an article concerning this crying entitled "A Sigh from Hell":
He was laughing, jesting, jeering, drinking, mocking, swearing, cursing, prating, persecuting the godly in his prosperity, among his filthy companions. But now the case is otherwise, now he is in another frame, now his proud, stout, currish carriage is come down; "And he cried." The laughter of the ungodly will not last always, but will be sure to end in a cry: "The triumphing of the wicked is short." (Job 20:5).
Consider, you must have a change either here or in Hell. If you be not new creatures, regenerate persons, and newborn babes, in this world, before you go hence, your note will be changed, your conditions will be changed; for if you come into Hell, you must cry...
O what an alteration will there be among the ungodly when they go out of this world! It may be a fortnight, or a month before their departure, they were light, stout, surly, drinking themselves drunk, slighting God's people, mocking at goodness, and delighting in sin, following the world, seeking after riches, faring deliciously, keeping company with the wickedest; but now they are dropped down into Hell, they cry.
Little while ago they were painting their faces, feeding their lusts, following their whores, robbing thir neibours, telling their lies, following plays and sports, to pass away the time; but now they are in Hell, they do cry.
It may be last year they heard some good sermons, were invited to recieve Heaven, were told their sins should be pardoned if they closed in with Jesus; but, refusing His proffers, and slighting the grace that was once tendered, they are now in Hell, and do cry.
Before, they had so much time, they thought that they could not tell how to spend it, unless it were in hunting and whoring, in dancing and playing, and spending whole hours, yea days, yea weeks, in the lusts of the flesh; but when they depart into another place, they begin to lift up their eyes in Hell, and consider their miserable and irrecoverable condition, they cry.
O! consider, I say, consider betimes, and put not off the tenders of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, lest you lift up your eyes in Hell, and cry for anguish of spirit.
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