Hell Utter Darkness

    HELL UTTER DARKNESS

    "---Shall be cast into Utter Darkness," Mt 8:12.

    "---To whom is reserved the blackness of Darkness for ever," Jude 1:13.

    As the torment and misery of the ungodly is set forth by a furnace of fire: so it is also by Darkness, Utter Darkness, and blackness of Darkness, as the word zofov (2217) signifieth.

    PARALLELS.

    I. GOD sometimes hath brought Darkness upon a people, as a great judgment, for sin and rebellion against him: so God in just judgment will cast the wicked into Darkness, into a burning furnace of fire, but such fire as shall give no light, therefore called Utter Darkness.

    II. Where there is Darkness, either by want of light, or want of sight to see the light, there cannot be any comfortable enjoyment of any visible object, that might afford them satisfaction and content, as it doth those that enjoy the light: so to be cast into Darkness, nay Utter Darkness, not only such Darkness that is a deprivation of light, or occasioned by want of sight, but a Darkness of terror and torment, reserved for wicked and ungodly men, called the blackness of Darkness: for as the glory of heaven shall abound beyond all comparison with glorious light, called the inheritance of the Saints in light, Col 1:12, so the horrors and terrors of Hell will consist in that abounding Darkness, beyond all comparison.

    III. As to be shut up in spiritual Darkness, is a separation from God, as to his presence in a way of grace: so to be shut up in the thickness and blackness of the Darkness of Hell, is an eternal separation from God, and the enjoyment of him for ever: when once lie shall say, "Depart from me," there is a separation from all joy and happiness; "ye cursed," there is a black and direful excommunication; "into fire," there is the extremity of pain; "everlasting," there is a perpetuity of the punishment; "prepared for the devil and his angels," there are the infernal tormenting, and tormented company. And to increase the horror and amazement of the damned, this fire shall not only torment them, not give them any light, but they shall be cast out into Utter Darkness, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

    DISPARITY.

    I. When God brings Darkness upon a land, as he did upon Egypt, as a judgment, it hath been but for a while, a certain time, and after there hath been light again; but those that shall be cast out into the Darkness of the pit of Hell, shall never see light more, neither spiritual, natural, nor artificial. As there will be no need of the sun nor stars in heaven: so the damned shall not have any benefit thereby, whatever their needs and necessities are.

    II. Men may be in Darkness spiritually, and they may be enlightened and saved through grace, but to be cast out into the dark and dismal gulf of Hell, it totally and everlastingly deprives of any use of means, for enlightening any more for ever, Gospel light shines not at all in that dark and dismal region, because they hated the light thereof in this world, they must now be cast into utter darkness in the world to come.

    III. Men may be in Darkness, and yet enjoy many other comforts, though they be deprived of light: but the damned in Hell are not only in black and thick Darkness, but are also deprived of any other comfort. As they see nothing but Darkness, so they hear nothing but dismal screeches, and amazing dreadful cries, and gnashing of teeth.

    IV. Men may be naturally blind, or shut up in a dark dungeon, and yet may have much of the presence of God with them: but the damned that are in the Blackness of Darkness, that is, the Darkness of Hell, shall utterly be deprived of the comfortable presence of God; as they said to God, depart from us: so are they separated with a "depart ye from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, or, into the Blackness of Darkness for ever."

    INFERENCES.

    I. How might this awaken sinners, and be a means to turn them from spiritual Darkness to light; and from Satan, the prince of darkness, to God: Oh that these closing, direful, and amazing lines, might turn many to righteousness, to believe, repent, and obey the Gospel, before the Lord Jesus come in flaming fire, rendering vengeance upon all that know not God nor obey the Gospel.

    II. How just will the condemnation of such rebellious sinners be, who will neither be drawn by the tenders of mercy and salvation to Jesus Christ, and of an enjoyment of heaven through him, nor be deterred from their sinful course, by all the threatened judgments, nay, though it extend to Hell itself, to the fire of Hell, to the Blackness of Darkness for ever! Oh! were there not eternity written upon the gate of the broadway that leads to destruction, the damned might have some hope, though it were not till hundreds of thousands of millions of years were expired: but, Sinners I when once this dark dismal dungeon hath shut its mouth upon you, and you come with the devil and his angels to lie therein, you can never come out more, never see light more, never have ease from intolerable torment more; no father, husband, wife, &c., can come to light so much as a candle^ or dip the tip of a finger in water to cool your tongue!

    III. Let the redeemed of the Lord rejoice and magnify the God of their salvation, who hath given them good hope through grace, that they are delivered from wrath to come, by being called out of spiritual Darkness into Christ's marvellous light, and by him have escaped that dreadful doom, of being cast into Utter Darkness.