The Lake Of Fire

The following is an extract from a Spurgeon sermon . I literally have just this from a single page that I had copied years ago . I had wanted to see the endings of his messages , and this was one . Of course I did not ignore the rest of the messages . Nevertheless , this quote is about the subject heading .

Oh , that lake ! Have you ever read the words , " Shall be cast into the lake of fire , which is the second death " ? The lake of fire ! and souls cast into it ! The imagery is dreadful . " Ah , " says one , " that is a metaphor. " Yes , I know it is , and a metaphor is but a shadow of the reality . Then , if the shadow be a lake of fire , what must the reality be ? If we can hardly bear to think of a " worm that never dieth , " and a " fire that never shall be quenched , " and of a lake whose seething waves of fire that dash o'er undying and hopeless souls , what must hell be in very deed ? The descriptions of Scriptures are , after all , but condescensions to our ignorance , partial revealings of fathomless mysteries ; but if these are so dreadful , what must the full reality be ?

 

What has been before us ought to stir up all of God's people to a deepened sense of their duty . Fellow-Christian , have you no obligations toward your godless neighbors ? If God has made clear these solemn truths to you , does it not deepen your responsibility toward the unsaved ? If you have no love for souls , it is greatly to be feared that your own soul is in imminent danger . If you can witness , unmoved , to men and women hurrying down the broad road which leadeth to destruction , then it is serously to be doubted if you have within you the Spirit of that One who wept over Jerusalem . It is true you have no power of your own to save a soul from death , but are you faithfully giving out that Word which is that instrument which God uses to bring souls from death unto life ? Are you supplicating God as you ought and depending on Him to bless your efforts to point the lost to the Lamb of God ? Are you as fervent as you should be in your cries to God on behalf of the lost ? Alas , must you not join the writer as he hangs his head in shame ? Is there not reason for each of us to ask God to give us a clearer vision of that indescribably awful portion which awaits every Christ rejector , and to enable us to act in the power of such a vision !

( taken from A.W.Pink's 28 page booklet : " Eternal Punishment " )

 

The Lake of Fire and Hell are to be distinguished , but in this thread there will be an overlap . I will be giving more Spurgeon quotes . The numbers following afterward are the volume and page number .

Do not begin telling me that there is a metaphorical fire in hell . Who worries about that ? If a man were to threaten to give me a metaphorical blow on the head , I should worry very little about it . He would be welcome to give me as many as he pleased . And what do the wicked say ? " We do not worry about metaphorical fires . " But they are real , sir , yes, as real as yourself . 2.104

[ Regarding Luke 16:24 ] It was not a metaphorical tongue , and it was not a metaphorical flame . It was not metaphorical water that he wanted . Real , positive , actual flames tormented the body of that rich man in hell ... 11.636

[ Re. 1 Cor. 2:9 ] Hell is horrible , for we may say of it , " Eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the horrors which God hath prepared for them that hate him . 4.310

[ Re. Jude 13 ] " Reserved " seats in hell ! Did you ever think of that ? 12.342