Take Up the Cross

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
— Proverbs 14:12

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
— Matthew 7:13

Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
— Isaiah 14:9

Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
— Isaiah 14:15

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
— Revelation 14:10-11

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
— Luke 13:28-29

In Hell, He Lift Up His Eyes Being in Torment, by John Bunyan. The following contains an excerpt from his work, “A Few Sighs From Hell.”

The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
— Psalm 9:17

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
— Revelation 20:15

And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
— Luke 16:23

Verse 23. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

The former verse speaks only of the departure of the ungodly out of this life, together with the glorious conduct that the godly have into the kingdom of their Father. Now our Lord shows, in this verse, partly what does and shall befall to the reprobate after this life is ended, where he says,’And in Hell he lifted up his eyes.’ That is, the ungodly, after they depart this life — lift up their eyes in Hell.

From these words, may be observed these things:

First. That there is a Hell for souls to be tormented in, when this life is ended. Mark, after he was dead and buried,’In Hell, where he was in torment.’

Second. That all who are ungodly, and live and die in their sins, so soon as ever they die — they go into Hell: ‘The rich man also died and was buried. In Hell, where he was in torment.’

Third. That some are so fast asleep, and secure in their sins, that they scarcely know where they are, until they come into Hell. And that I gather from these words,’In Hell he lifted up his eyes.’ He was asleep before — but Hell makes him lift up his eyes.

First. As I said before, it is evident that there is a Hell for souls, yes, and bodies too, to be tormented in after they depart this life, as is clear, first, because the Lord Jesus Christ, who cannot lie, said that after the sinner was dead and buried,’In Hell he lifted up his eyes.’

Now if it be objected that by Hell is here meant the grave, that I plainly deny:

1. Because there the body is not sensible of torment or ease; but in that Hell into which the spirits of the damned depart, they are sensible of torment, and would very willingly be freed from it, to enjoy ease, which they are sensible of the lack of; as is clearly discovered in this parable, ‘Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue.’

2. It is not meant the grave — but some other place, because the bodies, so long as they lie there, are not capable of lifting up their eyes, to see the glorious condition of the children of God, as the souls of the damned do. ‘In Hell he lifted up his eyes.’

3. It cannot be the grave, for then it must follow that the soul was buried there with the body, which cannot stand with such a dead state as is here mentioned; for he says,’The rich man died’; that is, his soul was separated from his body. ‘And in Hell he lifted up his eyes.’

If it be again objected that there is no Hell but in this life; that I do also deny, as I said before: after he was dead and buried,’In Hell he lifted up his eyes.’ And let me tell you, O soul, whoever you are, that if you do not savingly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and lay hold on what he has done and is doing in his own person for sinners — you will find such a Hell after this life is ended, that you will not get out of again forever and ever! And you who are wanton, and do make but a mock at the servants of the Lord, when they tell you of the torments of Hell — you will find that when you depart out of this life, that Hell, even the Hell which is after this life, will meet you in your journey there; and will, with its Hellish crew, give you such a miserable salutation that you will not forget it to all eternity!

When that scripture comes to be fulfilled on your soul, in Isaiah 14:9, 10, ‘Hell from beneath is moved for you to meet you at your coming: it stirs up the dead for you, even all the chief ones of the earth; it has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they,’ that is, that are in Hell, shall say,’Are you also become weak as we? are you become like unto us?’ O sometimes when I have had but thoughts of going to Hell, and consider the everlastingness of their ruin that fall in there, it has stirred me up rather to seek to the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver me from thence, than to slight it, and make a mock at it. ‘And in Hell he lifted up his eyes.’

Second. The second thing I told you was this, that all the ungodly that live and die in their sins, so soon as ever they depart this life — descend into Hell. This is also verified by the words in this parable, where Christ said, He ‘died and was buried, and in Hell he lifted up his eyes.’ As the tree falls, so it shall lie — whether it be to Heaven or Hell Eccl 11:3. And as Christ said to the thief on the cross,’Today you shall be with me in paradise.’ Even so the devil in the like manner may say unto your soul, Tomorrow shall you be with me in Hell.

See then what a miserable case he who dies in an unregenerate state is in! He departs from a long sickness — to a longer Hell; from the gripings of death — to the everlasting torments of Hell. ‘And in Hell he lifted up his eyes.’ Ah friends! If you were but yourselves, you would have a care of your souls; if you did but regard, you would see how mad they are, who slight the salvation of their souls. O what will it profit your soul to have pleasure in this life, and torments in Hell? Mark 8:36. You had better part with all your sins, and pleasures, and companions, or whatever you delight in, than to have soul and body to be cast into Hell.

O then do not now neglect our Lord Jesus Christ, lest you drop down to Hell Heb 2:3. Consider, would it not wound you to your heart to come upon your death-bed, and instead of having the comfort of a well spent life, and the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ, together with the comforts of his glorious Spirit — to have the sight of an ill-spent life, your sins flying in your face, your conscience uttering itself with thunder-claps against you, the thoughts of God terrifying of you, death with his merciless paw seizing upon you, the devils standing ready to scramble for your soul, Hell enlarging herself, and ready to swallow you up; and an eternity of misery and torment attending upon you, from which there will be no release!

For mark, death does not come alone to an unconverted soul — but with such company, as were you but sensible of it would make you tremble. I pray, consider that scripture Rev 6:8,’And I looked and behold a pale horse, and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.’ Mark, death does not come alone to the ungodly, no — but Hell goes with him. O miserable comforters! O miserable society! Here comes death and Hell unto you. Death goes into your body, and separates body and soul asunder; Hell stands without, as I may say, to embrace, or rather, to crush your soul between its everlasting grinders. Then your mirth, your joy, your sinful delights will be ended when this comes to pass. Lo it will come. Blessed are all those who through Christ Jesus his merits, by faith, do escape these soul-murdering companions. ‘And in Hell he lifted up his eyes.’

Third. The third thing you know that we observed from these words was this, That some are so fast asleep, and secure in their sins, that they scarcely know where they are, until they come into Hell. And that I told you I gather by these words,’In Hell, he lifted up his eyes.’ Mark, it was in Hell, that he lift up his eyes. Now some understand by these words that he came to himself, or began to consider with himself, or to think with himself in what an estate he was, and what he was deprived of; which is still a confirmation of the thing laid down by me. There it is that they come to themselves, that is, there they are sensible where they are indeed. Thus it fares with some men that they scarcely know where they are, until they lift up their eyes in Hell. It is with those people as with those who fall down in a swoon; you know if a man falls down in a swoon in one room, though you take him up and carry him into another — yet he is not sensible where he is until he comes unto himself, and lifts up his eyes.

Truly thus, it is to be feared, it is with many poor souls, they are so senseless, so hard, so seared in their conscience 1 Tim 4:2, that they are very ignorant of their state; and when death comes it strikes them as it were into a swoon, especially if they die suddenly, and so they are hurried away, and scarcely know where they are, until in Hell they lift up their eyes: this is he who ‘dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet’ Job 21:23.

Of this sort are they spoken of in Psalm 73, where he says,’There are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.’ ‘They are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like other men.’ And again,’they spend their days in wealth, and in a moment,’ mark,’in a moment,’ before they are aware, they ‘go down to the grave!’ Job 21:13.

Indeed this is too much known by woeful and daily experience; sometimes when we go to visit those who are sick in the towns and places where we live, O how senseless, how seared in their consciences are they! They are neither sensible of Heaven nor of Hell, of sin nor of a Savior! If you speak to them of their condition, and the state of their souls, and you shall find them as ignorant as if they had no souls to regard! Others, though they lie ready to die — yet they are busying themselves about their outward affairs, as though they would certainly live here, even to live and enjoy the same forever.

Again, come to others, speak to them about the state of their souls, though they have no more experience of the new birth than a beast — yet will they speak as confidently of their eternal state, and the welfare of their souls, as if they had the most excellent experience of any man or woman in the world, saying,’I shall have peace’ Deut 29:19. When, as I said even now, the Lord knows that they are as ignorant of the new birth, of the nature and operation of faith, of the witness of the Spirit — as if there were no new birth, no faith, no witness of the Spirit of Christ in any of the saints in the world. Nay, thus many of them are, even an hour or less before their departure. Ah, poor souls! though they may die here like a lamb, as the world says — yet, if you could but follow them a little, to stand and listen soon after their death, it is to be feared, you should hear them roar like a lion at their first entrance into Hell, far worse than even did Korah, etc., when they went down quick into the ground Num 16:31- 35.

Now, by this one thing does the devil take great advantage on the hearts of the ignorant, suggesting unto them that because the party deceased departed so quietly, without all doubt they are gone to rest and joy; when, alas! it is to be feared the reason why they went away so quietly, was rather because they were senseless and hardened in their consciences; yes, dead before in sins and trespasses. For, had they had but some awakenings on their death-beds, as some have had, they would have made all the town to ring of their doleful condition; but because they are seared and ignorant, and so depart quietly, therefore the world takes heart; ‘therefore pride compasses them as a chain’ Psalm 75:6. But let them look to themselves, for if they have not an interest in the Lord Jesus now, while they live in the world, they will, whether they die raging or peaceful, go unto the same place; ‘and lift up their eyes in Hell.’

O, my friends, did you but know what a miserable condition they are in, who go out of this world without a saving interest in the Son of God, it would make you smite upon your thigh, and in the bitterness of your souls cry out,’Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?’ Acts 16:29- 31. And not only so — but you would not be comforted until you found a rest for your soul in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 23. ‘And in Hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.’

Something, in brief, I have observed from the first part of this verse, namely, from these words,’And in Hell he lifted up his eyes.’ And, indeed, I have observed but something, for they are very full of matter, and many things might be taken notice of in them. There is one thing more that I might touch upon, as touched in this saying, and that is this: Methinks the Lord Jesus Christ does hereby signify that men are naturally unwilling to see or take notice of their miserable state, I say by nature; but though now they are willingly ignorant — yet in Hell they shall lift up their eyes. That is, in Hell they shall see and understand their miserable condition; and, therefore, to these words: ‘In Hell he lifted up his eyes,’ he adds,’being in torments.’ As if he had said, though once they shut their eyes, though once they were willingly ignorant 2 Peter 3:5 — yet, when they depart into Hell, they shall be so miserably treated and tormented, that they shall be forced to lift up their eyes.

While men live in this world, and are in a natural state, they will have a good conceit of themselves and of their condition, they will conclude that they are Christians, that Abraham is their father, and their state to be as good as the best Matt 3:7-9. They will conclude they have faith, the Spirit, a good hope, and an interest in the Lord Jesus Christ; but then, when they drop into Hell, and lift up their eyes there, and behold first their soul to be in extreme torments; their dwelling to be the bottomless pit; their company thousands of damned souls; also the innumerable company of devils; and the hot scalding vengeance of God, not only to drop — but to fall very violently upon them; then they will begin to be awakened, who all their lifetime where in a dead sleep. I say, when this comes to pass, lo it will; then in Hell they shall lift up their eyes, in the midst of torments they shall lift up their eyes.

Again, you may observe in these words,’And in Hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments,’ that the time of the ungodly men’s smarting for their sins — will be in the torments of Hell. Now here I am put to a stand, when I consider the torments of Hell into which the damned do fall. O unspeakable torments! O endless torments! Now that your soul might be made to flee from those intolerable torments into which the damned do go, I shall show you briefly what are the torments of Hell. First, by the names of it. Second, by the miserable state you will be in, if you come there.

First. The names of Hell.

It is called a never-dying worm Mark 9.

It is called an oven fire, hot Mal 4:1.

It is called a furnace, a fiery-furnace Matt 13.

It is called the bottomless pit, the unquenchable fire, fire and brimstone, Hell-fire, the lake of fire, devouring fire, everlasting fire, eternal fire, a stream of fire Rev 21.

Second. By the miserable state you will be in, if you come there.

1. One part of your torments will be this — you shall have a full sight of all your ill spent life, from first to last; though here you can sin today and forget it by tomorrow — yet there you shall be made to remember how you sinned against God at such a time, and in such a place, for such a thing, and with such a one — which will be a Hell unto you. God will ‘set them in order before your eyes’ Psalm 51:21.

2. You shall have the guilt of them all lie heavy on your soul, not only the guilt of one or two — but the guilt of them all together, and there they shall lie in your soul, as if your belly were full of pitch, and set on fire. Here men can sometimes think on their sins with delight — but there with unspeakable torment; for that I understand to be the fire that Christ speaks of, which shall never be quenched Mar 9:43-49.

While men live here, O how does the guilt of one sin sometimes crush the soul! It makes a man in such plight that he is weary of his life, so that he can neither rest at home nor abroad, neither by day nor in bed. Nay, I do know that they have been so tormented with the guilt of one sinful thought, that they have been even at their wits’ end, and have hanged themselves. But now when you come into Hell, and have not only one or two, or an hundred sins, with the guilt of them all on your soul and body — but all the sins that ever you did commit since you came into the world, altogether clapped on your conscience at one time, as one should clap a red hot iron to your breasts, and there to continue to all eternity — this is miserable!

3. Again, then you shall have brought into your remembrance the slighting of the gospel of Christ; here you shall consider how willing Christ was to come into the world to save sinners, and for what a trifle you rejected him. This is plainly held forth in Isaiah 28, where, speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, the foundation of salvation, verse 16, he says of them that reject the gospel, that, when the overflowing scourge passes through the earth, which I understand to be at the end of the world, then, says he, it shall take you morning by morning, by day and by night shall it pass over you; that is, continually, without any intermission. ‘And it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.’ ‘A vexation,’ that is, a torment, or a great part of Hell only to understand the report, to understand the good tidings that came into the world by Christ’s death for poor sinners.

And you will find this truly to be the mind of the Spirit, if you compare it with Isaiah 53:1, where he speaks of men’s turning their backs upon the offers of God’s grace in the gospel, he says,’Who has believed our report?’ or the gospel declared by us? Now this will be a mighty torment to the ungodly, when they shall understand the goodness of God was so great that he even sent his Son out of his bosom to die for sinners, and yet that they should be so foolish as to put him off from one time to another; that they should be so foolish as to lose Heaven and Christ, and eternal life in glory — for the society of a company of drunkards; that they should lose their souls — for a little sport, for this world, for a harlot, for that which is lighter than vanity and nothing; I say this will be a very great torment unto you!

4. Another part of your torment will be this: You shall see your friends, your acquaintances, your neighbors; nay, it may be your father, your mother, your wife, your husband, your children, your brother, your sister, with others — in the kingdom of Heaven, and yourself thrust out! Luke 13:28. ‘There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see Abraham your father, and Isaac, and Jacob, together with your brethren, and all the prophets in the kingdom of Heaven, and you yourselves thrust out.’ Nay, says he,’they shall come from the east, and from the west’ that is, those who you never saw in all your life before, and they shall sit down with your friends, and your neighbors, your wife and your children, in the kingdom of Heaven — and you, for your sins and disobedience, shall be shut, nay, thrust out. O astonishing torment!

5. Again, you shall have none but a company of damned souls, with an innumerable company of devils, to keep company with you. While you are in this world, the very thoughts of the devils appearing to you makes your flesh to tremble, and your hair ready to stand upright on your head. But O! what will you do, when not only the supposition of the devils appearing — but the real society of all the devils in Hell will be with you — howling and roaring, screeching and roaring in such a hideous manner, that you will be even at your wits’ end, and be ready to run stark mad again for anguish and torment?

6. Again, that you might be tormented to purpose, the mighty God of Heaven will lay as great wrath and vengeance upon you as ever he can, by the might of his glorious power. As I said before, you shall have his wrath, not by drops — but by whole showers shall it come, thunder, thunder, upon your body and soul so fast, and so thick, that you shall be tormented out of measure. And so says the Scripture 2 Thess 1:9, speaking of the wicked,’Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power,’ when the saints shall be admiring his goodness and glory.

Again, this you shall have, as I said before, without any intermission; you shall not have any ease; you shall have it always every hour, day and night; for their worm never dies — but always gnaws, and their fire is never quenched; as it is written in Mark 9.

7. Again, in this condition you must be forever, and that is as miserable as all the rest. For if a man were to have all his sins laid to his charge, and communion with the devils, and as much wrath as the great God of Heaven can inflict unto him; I say, if it were but for a time, even ten thousand years, and so end — there would be ground of comfort, and hopes of deliverance! But here is your misery — this is your state forever, here you must be forever! When you look about you, and see what an innumerable company of howling devils you are among, you shall think this again — this is my portion forever! When you have been in Hell so many thousand years as there are stars in the sky, or drops in the sea, or sands on the sea-shore — yet you have to lie there forever. O this one word FOREVER, how will it torment your soul!

Friends, I have only given a very short touch of the torments of Hell. O! I am not able to utter what my mind conceives of the torments of Hell. Yet this let me say to you — accept of God’s mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ, lest you feel that with your conscience — which I cannot express with my tongue, and say,’I am sorely tormented in this flame!’ ‘And sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.’

When the damned are in this pitiful state, surrounded with fears, with terrors, with torment and vengeance, one thing they shall have, which is this — they shall see the happy and blessed state of God’s children. He sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom; which, as I said before, is the happy state of the saints when this life is ended. This now shall be so far from being any ease unto them — that it shall most wonderfully aggravate or heighten their torment, as I said before. There shall be weeping, or cause of lamentation — when they shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of Heaven — and themselves thrust out.

1. Observe, Those that die in their sins are far from going to Heaven; he sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And, indeed, it is just with God to deal with them that die in their sins according to what they have done; and to make them who are far from righteousness now — to stand far from Heaven to all eternity. Hearken to this, you stout-hearted, that are far from righteousness, and that are resolved to go on in your sins, when you die you will be far from Heaven; you will see Lazarus — but it will be afar off. Again, he ‘sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.’

These are some of the things the damned behold, as soon as they come into torment. Mark, and he ‘sees Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom.’ Lazarus, who was he? Why even he who was so slighted, so disregarded, so undervalued by this ungodly one while he was in the world, he sees Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom.

From whence observe, That those who live and die the enemies of the saints of God, let them be ever so great, or stout, let them bear ever so much sway while they are in the world, let them brag and boast ever so much while they are here — they shall see the saints, yes, the poor saints, even the Lazaruses or the ragged ones that belong to Jesus, to be in a better condition than themselves.

O! who do you think was in the best condition? who do you think saw themselves in the best condition? He who was in Hell — or he who was in Heaven? He who was in eternal darkness — or he who was in everlasting light? He who was in everlasting joy — or he who was in everlasting torments? The one with God, Christ, saints, angels — or the other in tormenting flames, under the curse of God’s eternal hatred, with the devils and their angels, together with an innumerable company of howling, roaring, cursing, ever-burning reprobates? Certainly, this observation will be easily proved to be true here in this world, by him that looks upon it with an understanding heart, and will clear itself to be true in the world to come, by such as shall go either to Heaven or to Hell.

2. The second observation from these words,’And sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom,’ is this; those who are the persecutors of the saints of the Lord now in this world — shall see the Lord’s persecuted ones to be those who are so highly esteemed by the Lord, as to sit or to be in Abraham’s bosom, in everlasting glory, though they, the enemies to the children of God, did so lightly esteem them, that they scorned to let them gather up the dog’s food that falls under their table. This is also verified, and held forth plainly by this parable. And therefore be not grieved, O you who are the tempted, persecuted, afflicted, sighing, praying saints of the Lord, though your adversaries look upon you now with a disdainful, surly, rugged, proud, and haughty countenance — yet the time shall come when they shall behold you in Abraham’s bosom!

I might enlarge upon these things — but shall leave them to the Spirit of the Lord, who can better by ten thousand degrees enlarge them on your heart and conscience, than I can upon a piece of paper. Therefore, leaving these to the blessing of the Lord, I shall come to the next verse, and shall be brief in speaking to that also, and so pass to the rest.

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