Quest. LXXXIX.

QUEST. LXXXIX. What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgment?

ANSW. At the day of judgment the wicked shall be set on Christ’s left hand; and upon clear evidence, and full conviction of their own consciences, shall have the fearful, but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them; and thereupon shall be cast out from the favourable presence of God, and the glorious fellowship with Christ, his saints, and all his holy angels, into hell, to be punished with unspeakable torments both of body and soul, with the devil and his angels for ever.

Having, under the last answer, taken a view of Christ, as coming to judgment; and the whole world as seated at his tribunal, the wicked on his left hand, and the righteous on his right; the books opened, the cause tried, and the evidence produced; we are now to consider the sentence that will be past on each of them, together with the consequences thereof: and particularly we have an account in this answer, of a sentence of condemnation, pronounced against the wicked, and the punishment inflicted on them, pursuant thereunto; which our Saviour expresses in words full of dread and horror; Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; and these shall go away into everlasting punishment, Matt. xxv. 41, 45. This includes in it an eternal banishment and separation from him, in whose favour there is life. As sin is the object of his detestation, it being contrary to the holiness of his nature, they who are found in open rebellion against him, shall not stand in his sight, Psal. v. 5. As they did not desire his special and gracious presence, which his saints always reckoned their chief joy, in this world; they shall be deprived of it in the next. And when they are commanded to depart from him, they are described as cursed, that is, bound over to suffer all those punishments which the vindictive justice of God will inflict, that are contained in those threatenings which are denounced by his law that they have violated, and sent down into hell, to be punished with unspeakable torments, both in body and soul, with the devil and his angels, for ever. Accordingly there are three things to be considered, relating to the punishment of sinners in another world, namely, the kind thereof, its degree, and eternal duration.

I. As to the kind of punishment; that is generally considered in two respects, namely, the punishment of loss and sense.

1. Concerning the punishment of loss. This contains in it a separation from God, the fountain of blessedness; a being destitute of every thing that might administer comfort to them; and, as the consequence hereof, they are deprived not only of fellowship with Christ, but with his saints. Not that they were ever the objects of their love or delight, but, on the other hand, their conversation was distasteful and burdensome; especially when it was in itself most savoury and spiritual: nevertheless, it is reckoned to be one ingredient in their misery, as our Saviour expresses it, when he speaks of the workers of iniquity, as first commanded to depart from him, Luke xiii. 27, 28. and then tells them, Ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out: where the happiness of others is considered as what will raise their envy, and prove a torment to them.

2. There is the punishment of sense: this is set forth by those unspeakable torments to be endured both in soul and body; and because no pain is so exquisite as that which is occasioned by fire, it is therefore called unquenchable and everlasting fire, Matt. iii. 12. chap. xxv. 41. As for that enquiry which some make, whether the fire be elementary or material, like that which is in this world, it savours more of curiosity than what tends to real advantage: and since it is called a fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, some have a little hesitated about this matter, as concluding it impossible for material fire to affect spirits; but I am not desirous to enter too far into this disquisition. It is, indeed, a hard matter for us to determine whether, or how far a spirit is capable of the punishment of sense, any otherwise than, as, by reason of its union with the body, it has an afflictive sensation of the evils which that immediately endures; and therefore, some have thought, that when we read of the fire of hell, it is to be taken in a metaphorical sense, to denote those punishments which are most exquisite, and have a tendency to torment both soul and body in different respects. The soul is to be tormented as the wrath of God has an immediate access to it, to make it miserable: and though this cannot be styled the punishment of sense in the same respect as that is of which the body is the more immediate subject; yet if we take the word sense, as importing an intellectual perception of those miseries that it undergoes, whereby it is made uneasy, and in a moral sense, subject to pain, as we sometimes speak of the pain of the mind, as well as that of the body, then it may be said to endure the punishment of sense, though it be in a spiritual substance.

There are various ways by which the wrath of God may have access to the soul, to make it miserable; and this punishment is sometimes compared to fire, as it is beyond expression dreadful; and accordingly God, when inflicting it, is styled, A consuming fire, Heb. xii. 29. and his jealousy is said elsewhere to burn like fire, Psal. lxxix. 5. Therefore, some have described the punishment of sin in hell, as including in it the insupportable weight of the wrath of God lying on the consciences of men, and sinking them into perdition; whereby it appears to be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. x. 31. A judicious divine considers this as the effect of God’s immediate presence, as a sin-revenging Judge; and therefore understands that text, in which it is said, They shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, 2 Thes. i. 9. not as denoting an exclusion from his comforting presence, which is an undoubted truth, and the more generally received sense thereof; but he speaks of the presence of God, as well as his power, as the immediate cause of their destruction; in like manner as when the Psalmist joins both these ideas together, when he says, Who knoweth the power of thine anger, Psal. xc. 11. and it seems most agreeable to the grammatical construction of the words.[190] This is that punishment which is more immediately adapted to the soul.

As for the punishment of sense, which the body shall endure, whether it be compared unto fire, as containing in it some effects, not unlike to those produced by fire; or, whether it only signifies that the punishment shall be most exquisite, as no pain is so terrible as that which is the effect of fire, I will not pretend to determine. There are, indeed, other expressions by which it is set forth in scripture, as well as fire, viz. cutting asunder, Matt. xxiv. 51. tearing in pieces, Psal. l. 22. drowning men in destruction and perdition, 1 Tim. vi. 9. a being bound hand and foot, and cast into outer darkness, Matt. xxii. 13. or, into a furnace of fire, chap. xiii. 42. or, a lake of fire burning with brimstone, Rev. xix. 20. some of which are, doubtless, metaphorical expressions, by which the punishment of sin is set forth; but whether they are all so we must not be too positive in determining: however, some suppose they are, because the glory of heaven is described by the metaphors of streets of gold, gates of pearl, Rev. xxi. 21. rivers of pleasure, &c. Psal. xxxvi. 8. and the wrath of God is metaphorically described, when he is called a consuming fire, Heb. xii. 29. Therefore, as the glory of heaven is represented by metaphors, denoting that it is inconceivably great; so, if we suppose that the punishment of sin in hell, is set forth by metaphorical ways of speaking, we cannot from hence, in all respects, take an estimate of the quality thereof; nevertheless we must conclude in general from such-like expressions, by which it is represented, that it is inexpressibly terrible, such as respects both soul and body, which is called, as has been observed in different respects, the punishment of sense. Which leads us,

II. To consider this punishment, as to the degree thereof, which is generally described as being various, in proportion to the aggravations of sin committed; accordingly they who have sinned under the gospel-dispensation, are considered as exposed to a greater degree of punishment than others who have not had those advantages. Thus the apostle says, Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, chap. x. 29. And our Saviour speaking concerning the Scribes and Pharisees, who were notorious hypocrites, whose religion was no more than a pretence, and made subservient to the vilest practices, tells them, that they should receive the greater damnation, Matt. xxiii. 14. that is, a greater degree of punishment, as they had contracted greater guilt than others: and the apostle speaks of some who had had great advantages through the riches of God’s goodness and forbearance towards them, but yet were impenitent, and hardened in sin; these, says he, treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath, Rom. ii. 5. that is, add greater degrees to the punishment which they shall endure in another world.

III. We are to consider the punishment, which sinners are liable to in the world to come, as to its duration, in which respect, it shall be without intermission, and eternal. That there shall be no relaxation of punishment, may be proved from what our Saviour says in the parable; in which the rich man, who was tormented in flames, could not obtain one drop of water to cool his tongue, Luke xvi. 26. Thus we read of those who are said to drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation; and that the smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever; and that they have no rest day nor night, Rev. xiv. 10, 11. And our Saviour speaks of the two main ingredients in the punishment of sin; namely, the tormenting sense which conscience shall have of the wrath of God due to it; and the punishment of sense, which is compared to that that proceeds from fire, and both are described as eternal; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, Mark ix. 44, 46, 48.

That the punishment of sin in another world will be eternal, may be argued from the impossibility of their obtaining a discharge from the sentence of condemnation, under which they are, unless satisfaction be given to the justice of God for sins committed; but this cannot be given by the person that suffers; inasmuch as his sufferings are due to him, pursuant to the sentence of the judge, and agreeable to the demerit of sin; which being, as it is usually expressed objectively infinite, because committed against an infinite God, and containing a contempt of his sovereignty and other perfections which are infinite; therefore it deserves a punishment proportionable thereto. And since the sufferings of finite creatures are no other than finite, and consequently bear no proportion to the demands of infinite justice, they must be infinite in duration, that is, eternal. It may also be observed, that at the same time that persons are suffering for past sins, they are committing others. This is not like God’s furnace, which is in Zion; whereby he designs not to consume, but to refine and purge away the dross and the tin; for it cannot, in any instance be said, that this is overruled for good. Therefore the habits of sin are increased rather than weakened thereby; and consequently sinners are set at a farther distance from God, from holiness and happiness; which, because it is still increasing, their punishment must be eternal.

And to this we may add, that there is no Mediator appointed between God and them; none who has undertaken to pay this debt for them, and procure their discharge, as the apostle says concerning those who have sinned wilfully after they had received the knowledge of the truth; there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, Heb. x. 26. no advocate to plead their cause; no ordinances in which the glad tidings of salvation are published, nor any golden sceptre of mercy held forth to invite them to come in, or give them hope of finding acceptance in the sight of God; no covenant of grace that contains any promise that will afford relief; and no inclination, in their own souls, to return to God with an humble sense of sin, and desire to forsake it, and from hence arises everlasting despair, beyond expression tormenting, which the apostle calls blackness of darkness for ever, Jude ver. 13.

This is a very awful and awakening subject; and many are as little desirous to hear of these things, as the people were to hear of the account which the prophet Isaiah gave them of approaching judgments; and therefore they say, Cause the holy One of Israel to cease from before us, Isa. xxx. 11. But since there is such a passion in men as fear; and this is oftentimes made subservient to their spiritual advantage, it pleases God, in wisdom and mercy, sometimes to reveal those things in his word, which have a tendency to awaken our fears, and to set before us death as well as life, the threatenings as well as the promises, that hereby we may see it to be our duty and interest to flee from the wrath to come; and to use those precautions prescribed in the gospel, which may have a tendency, through divine grace, to prevent our sinking into everlasting perdition. They who cast off fear, and think themselves safe, because the rod of God is not upon them, generally cast off a sense of duty, and say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways, Job xxi. 9, 14. Therefore these subjects are to be insisted on as warnings to induce men to avoid the rock on which multitudes have split and perished; not to lead them to despair. However, there is great need of prudence in applying every truth in such a way as that it may be of advantage; which renders the work of those that are employed in preaching the gospel, exceeding difficult: every one must have those doctrines inculcated and applied to him, that are adapted to his respective condition, as well as founded on the word of God; and therefore we may observe,

1. That such subjects as these, though they are not to be concealed, as being a part of the counsel of God, and a means ordained by him, to answer some valuable end; yet they are not only, or principally to be insisted on, as though there were no passion to be wrought upon but fear. It is the stupid person that is to be awakened out of his lethargy, by violent methods: the man that says, I shall have peace, though I walk according to the corrupt inclinations of my own heart; the danger is over; or that no ill consequences will attend that wilful impenitency and unbelief, which is like to prove destructive to him; or, if a person is willing to deceive himself, and endeavours to extenuate his sin, apprehending the consequences thereof not to be so pernicious as they really are; or, that the mercy of God will save him, though remaining in open rebellion against him, as though there were no arrows in his quiver, or vials of wrath to be poured forth on his enemies. Such ought to be dealt with, by representing God as a consuming fire, with whom is terrible majesty; and they must be told of the punishment of sin in this and another world, that they may see their danger before it be too late to escape. If it be said, that the terrors of God have a tendency to drive persons to despair. To this it may be replied, that the persons we are speaking of, are so far from despairing of the mercy of God, that they are inclined to abuse it; and that which is like to be their ruin, is the contrary extreme, viz. presumption; which leads them to turn the grace of God into wantonness.

2. As for others, who are humbled under a sense of sin, whose flesh trembles for fear of God’s judgments, there is not so much occasion to insist on these awakening subjects, when we have to do with them; for this would be like adding fuel to the fire. If the heart be broken and contrite, and is apt to meditate little else but terror; then such subjects are to be insisted on as are encouraging. Thus when the prophet Jeremiah had been reproving the people for their abominations, and threatening many sore judgments which God would execute upon them, he applies healing medicines; Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? Jer. viii. 22. And elsewhere when he had been reprehending them for their idolatry, and putting them in mind of those judgments they had exposed themselves to; he encourages them to cry unto God, my Father, thou art the guide of my youth: Will he reserve his anger for ever? Will he keep it to the end? Jer. iii. 4, 5. It is God’s usual method in dealing with sinners, first to excite their fear by charging sin on the conscience, and putting them in mind of the dreadful consequences thereof; in which respect, as the apostle expresses, The law enters that the offence might abound; and then he shews him, that the soul may take encouragement, when humbled under a sense of its own guilt; that where sin has abounded, grace did much more abound, Rom. v. 20. The gospel is designed to administer comfort to those, who are distressed under a dread of the wrath of God. Therefore, there are promises as well as threatenings; and each of these are to be applied as the occasion requires it; so that the happiness of heaven is to be set in opposition to the punishment of sin in hell; and accordingly as the answer we have been explaining, contains a very awful and awakening subject; so, in the next, we are led to consider a doctrine which is full of comfort to those who have an interest in Jesus Christ.

Footnote 190:

See this largely insisted on by Dr. Goodwin, in his works, Vol. III. Book xiii. His critical remarks in chap. ii. seem very just, viz. that απο is causal here, as well as in many other scriptures which he refers to: and his strongest argument to prove that it is to be taken so in this verse, is, because, as he observes, απο must be applied to the glory of his power, as well as to his presence; so that if it denotes a separation from the one, it must also denote a separation from the other; whereas no one supposes that this punishment consists in a separation from the power of God, but that it is to be considered as the effect thereof.