Hell and its Consequences

In this verse is threatened the vengeance of God about the wicked unbelieving Israelites, who were God\’s visible people, and who lived under the means of grace; but who, notwithstanding all God\’s wonderful works towards them, remained (as verse 28) without any counsel, having no understanding inside them. Under all the cultivations of heaven, they brought forth bitter and poisonous fruit; such as the two verses next preceding the text. – The expression I have chosen for my text, their foot shall slide in due time, appears to imply the following things, relating to the punishment and destruction this agreement these wicked Israelites were exposed.

1. That they were always exposed to destruction; together that stands or walks in slippery places is usually exposed to fall. This is implied in the way of their destruction coming upon them, being represented by their foot sliding. Exactly the same is expressed, Psalm 72:18. \”Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them into destruction.\”

2. It implies, them to be always exposed to sudden unexpected destruction. While he that walks in slippery places is every moment prone to fall, he cannot foresee one moment whether he shall stand or fall the following; and when he does fall, he falls at once without warning: Which is also expressed in Psalm 73:18,19. \”Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them on to destruction: How are they brought into desolation as with a moment!\”

3. Another thing implied is, they are liable to fall of themselves, without having to be thrown down by the hand of some other an spent 23 minutes in hell; as he that stands or walks on slippery ground needs nothing but his own weight to throw him down.

4. The reason why they are not fallen already and don\’t fall now is only that God\’s appointed time is not come. For it is said, that when that due time, or appointed time comes, their foot shall slide. They shall be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight. God is not going to hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will let them go; and then, as well very instant, they shall belong to destruction; as he that stands on such slippery declining ground, on the edge of a pit, he cannot stand-alone, when he is let go he immediately falls and is also lost.

The observation from the words that I would now require is this. – \”There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, nevertheless the mere pleasure of God.\” – By the mere pleasure of God, After all his sovereign pleasure, his arbitrary will, restrained by no obligation, hindered by no types of difficulty, any more than basically but God\’s mere will had in the least degree, or in any respect whatsoever, any submit the preservation of wicked men one moment. – The truth of this observation may appear by the following considerations.

1. There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at at any time. Men\’s hands cannot be strong when God rises up. The best have no power to resist him, nor can any deliver out of his hands. – He\’s not only able to cast wicked men into hell, but they can most easily do it. Sometimes an earthly prince fulfills a great deal of difficulty to subdue a rebel, that has found means to fortify himself, and contains made himself strong from the numbers of his followers. However it is not so with God. There is no fortress that is any defence from the power of God. Though hand participate in hand, and vast multitudes of God\’s enemies combine and associate themselves, they are easily broken in pieces. They\’re as great heaps of light chaff before the whirlwind; or large quantities of dry stubble before devouring flames. We find it easy to tread on and crush a worm that individuals see crawling on the earth; so it is easy for us to cut or singe a slender thread that whatever hangs by: thus easy can it be for God, when he pleases, to cast his enemies right down to hell. What are we, that individuals should think to stand before him, at whose rebuke our planet trembles, and before whom the rocks are thrown down?

2. They need to be cast into hell; in order that divine justice never stands in the way, it makes no objection against God\’s using his power at any time to destroy them. Yea, to the contrary, justice calls aloud to have an infinite punishment of their sins. Divine justice says with the tree that brings forth such grapes of Sodom, \”Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?\” Luke 13:7. The sword of divine justice is every moment brandished over their heads, which is nothing but the hand of arbitrary mercy, and God\’s mere will, that holds it back.

3. They\’re already under a sentence of condemnation to hell. They don\’t only justly deserve to be cast down thither, but the sentence of the law of God, that eternal and immutable rule of righteousness that God has fixed between him and mankind, is gone out against them, and stands against them; so that they are bound over already to hell. John 3:18. \”He that believeth not is condemned already.\” In order that every unconverted man properly belongs to hell; that is his place; from thence he is, John 8:23. \”Ye come from beneath:\” And thither he is bound; it is the place that justice, and God\’s word, and also the sentence of his unchangeable law assign to him.

4. Vehicle the objects of that identical anger and wrath of God, which is expressed in the torments of hell. As well as the reason why they do not go down to hell each and every moment, is not because God, in whose power they are, is not then very angry together; as he is with many miserable creatures now tormented in hell, who there feel and bear the fierceness of his wrath. Yea, God is a great deal more angry with great numbers which can be now on earth: yea, doubtless, with many that are now in this congregation, who it could be are at ease, than he\’s with many of those who are now in the flames of hell.

It to be not because God is unmindful of their wickedness, and does not resent it, that he does not let loose his hand and cut them off. God just isn\’t altogether such an one as themselves, though they could imagine him to be so. The wrath of God burns against them, their damnation does not slumber; the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them; the flames do now rage and glow. The glittering sword is whet, and held on them, and the pit hath opened its mouth under them.

5. The devil stands prepared to fall upon them, and seize them as their own, at what moment God shall permit him. They are part of him; he has their souls as part of his possession, and under his dominion. The scripture represents them as his goods, Luke 11:12. The devils watch them; they are ever by them at their right hand; they stand waiting for them, like greedy hungry lions that see their prey, and have a it, but are for the present kept back. If God should withdraw his hand, through which they are restrained, they would in a single moment fly upon their poor souls. The old serpent is gaping for them; hell opens its mouth wide to get them; and if God should permit it, they would be hastily swallowed up and lost.

6. There are in the souls of wicked men those hellish principles reigning, that would presently kindle and flame out into hell fire, whether it were not for God\’s restraints. There is laid in the very nature of carnal men, the groundwork for the torments of hell. You can find those corrupt principles, in reigning power included, and in full possession of them, which can be seeds of hell fire. These principles are active and powerful, exceeding violent inside their nature, and if it weren\’t for the restraining hand of God upon them, they might soon break out, they would flame out following your same manner as the same corruptions, the identical enmity does in the hearts of damned souls, and would beget the identical torments as they do in them. The souls from the wicked are in scripture when compared to the troubled sea, Isa. 57:20. For your present, God restrains their wickedness by his mighty power, because he does the raging waves from the troubled sea, saying, \”Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further;\” but if God should withdraw that restraining power, it would soon carry all before it. Sin may be the ruin and misery of the soul; it is destructive in its nature; and if God should let it rest without restraint, there would need very little else to make the soul perfectly miserable. The corruption with the heart of man is immoderate and boundless in their fury; and while wicked men live here, it is like fire pent up by God\’s restraints, whereas if it were let loose, it would set on fire the course of nature; and as the heart is now a sink of sin, therefore if sin was not restrained, it could immediately turn the soul into fiery oven, or a furnace of fire and brimstone.

If you want more information on hell, feel free to check out Bill Weise\’s blog.