Wicked Men of the Past are Still in Hell"By which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison, etc..." -- 1 Peter 3:19, 20 Two things it is my present purpose to observe concerning the spirits or souls of those wicked men that Noah preached to...1. How long ago they lived. 2. How those souls are here spoken [of] as to their present state, “spirits in prison.”DOCTRINE. — Those wicked men who lived before the flood, and went to Hell in Noah’s time, are there still.1. I would give some reasons why they have remained in Hell so long. 2. Observe in some respects in what circumstances they remain there all this while.I. Give some reasons.Negatively.1. ’Tis not because Hell has been tolerable to ’em.2. ’Tis not because they ben’t convinced of their former folly...That they have not yet been brought to their right mind or to their judgment of things.3. ’Tis not because they are careless about their own welfare and ease, and not willing to be at any possible labors or cost in order to escape, if there were any hope of deliverance. Not because they don’t wish and long... not thoroughly overwhelmed... not because they ben’t in earnest... that they ben’t thoroughly engaged in their spirits... not yet disposed to own that the courses that they went on going weren’t good... not disposed to attend to any offer of mercy... because they begrudge... would be unwilling to lay out themselves... not because they are covetous... not willing to be shown...4. ’Tis not because they were weaker than the generality of men. Many of them were giants.5. Not because there is not a great number of those who are disposed to unite their strength to burst prison.Affirmatively.1. Their souls are immortal... made for eternity... of a nature agreeable to this design...Though they desire it, they can’t return to nothing. “Seek death and cannot find it.” Extreme torment, but no tendency to annihilate the soul... tendency to sink it, but not to reduce it to nothing. ’Tis not with the soul as ’tis with the body in its present mortal state... extreme oppression tends to destroy it.2. They are not in a state of probation.3. Their debt is what they can’t pay...Great debt to Divine justice. Have not wherewith... Nothing to pay... Cast into prison till they should pay the last mite...4. THERE IS NOT GOSPEL PREACHED IN HELL. Christ did not die for the damned... had no respect to that world... to those in this state... any more than to the devil. No means of grace Means of grace not accommodated to that state. No manner of provision made in any respect for their relief. No aid. Preaching of the Word don’t reach them. The prayers of saints, of godly friends, don’t reach them.5. The place and state they are in was never designed for the exercise of mercy.God is infinitely merciful; but the exercises of mercy are not for ever... Limited by Wisdom in various respects: has declared what the purposes of His wisdom are with respect to the exercises of His mercy. As to the kind of beings; fallen men and not angels... His declarations are according to truth... His purposes are not altered...Hence no mercy in Hell... Though their pain is extreme... God don’t pity ’em. Though their wishes for deliverance are great... though their cries are loud... though long continued... though it be exceeding intolerable.6. By being longer in Hell, they have not become any more fit for any other state... don’t make ’em better... although indeed their judgments are convinced, yet their hearts are the same. No change in their dispositions. There are no conversions in Hell. he wrath makes a great change indeed; but no saving change. The wicked in Noah’s days were most of them very wicked on earth, yet, in some respects, they become worse when they went to Hell. Not fit for Heaven. Not fit to come and live in this world. Fit for no other place. hat is the place provided and fitted for such.7. The prison is strong that holds them. Delivered up into the hands of Satan... against whom they have no strength. And his cruelty is as strong as his power. And what is much more than devils, God confines them... irreversible sentence binds them. Omniscience opposes them. No escape by subtlety unobserved. Often here, in this world, persons break prison by stealth... get away by night, when no one observes them... And God’s Almighty power holds ’em down. And God ever lives. He is unchangeable. He never will alter His purpose... never will forget His own Son... never will forget His righteous sentence...II. Observe, in several things, in what circumstances they have been in , all this so long a time.1. They have not been in a state of insensibility. “The Rich man.” Not less their sensibility by long-continued torment and misery... hence not been deprived of the use of reason.2. Have had no time of respite all this while. No rest. Rev. 14:11 — “No rest day nor night.” Both day and night are mentioned, because the night in this world is a time of rest. Have never been asleep... never find any resting-place. Never find out any assuaging medicines... any cool shadows... cooling green... never found a drop of water... never found any expedient for mitigating their torment.They have had much to goad ’em, in exercising their invention. Necessity is the mother of invention. But their inventions have not saved them... have had nothing to divert them.... no amusement to take off their attention....3. Have not forgotten things that were so long ago, or when they were on earth. “Son, remember.”... Will remember over all at the Day of Judgment. Have not forgotten pleasant circumstances they lived in ... swam in delights... their lives were long... the wickedness they committed... they opportunities they had... the warnings... Noah’s preaching... their folly... the thoughts they had concerning God and His testimony.4. Their misery is not grown more tolerable by their being so long used to it.5. The great additions that have been made to the numbers from their time has been no comfort to ’em.6. They have had no hope all this while... have none now... though their torments have been so long continued.This is verified concerning all that go down to the pit of Hell. (Isa. 38:17-19) — “They that go down to the pit cannot hope for Thy truth.”USE:May be of warning: Let sinners in these days take warning. Those that now live in unbelief and impenitence are in danger of the same.1. Let me call upon [you] seriously to consider how long a time those who have been spoken of have already worn out [themselves] in Hell: they have been there 4000 years. How many ages? How many and great changes, and successions, and transactions? How many generations have passed? How many successions of those who had come into being, gradually grown up, and grown old, and then died?Not only have many generations gradually come upon the stage and have died; but many great and populous nations have come into being, and have flourished, and made a great figure in the world for many ages, and then by degrees have dwindled and wasted, swallowed up by other nations and come to nothing, and nothing of them now know but by history. And some of them very ancient and powerful, so that even the very history of them is almost come to nothing and vanished; and all since they have been suffering the flames of Hell, without any cessation or rest. The world has been peopled... subdued... many mighty princes have appeared and made a good bustle, and none... whose memory is now almost forgotten... Very great and magnificent cities... and not ’tis hardly to be known where they stood. Many kingdoms, yea, many great monarchies.. Those four monarchies of the world. How many things have worn out! The strongest fortunes.... strongest empires... most durable monuments.... pillars of brass... monuments of marble stone... Languages used as the common speech of large countries. Such things have gradually perished, and length of time worn ’em out; but yet the torments of the “spirits in prison” yet remains... not come to nothing... are as fresh and lively and in as great vigor as the first moment.The souls who are the subjects of these miseries were sinners, and their miseries immortal. Since they have been in Hell there has been a long series of wonderful dispensations of God towards His Church and the whole world. After the flood, the nations degenerated... fell off to idolatry... Abraham was ‘called’... children of Jacob became a great nation... Christ was foretold of old, from time to time.. anciently prefigured... and in the fullness of time Christ actually came into the world... all these ancient prophecies and ancient types were fulfilled... the Jews, God’s ancient people, rejected... Gentiles called... prophecies were given ... a mighty change made in the Roman kingdom... Antichrist arose... reigned for long time... but at length the Reformation came... During all those mighty changes on earth those souls spoken of in the doctrine, continued without ease day or night or one minute’s respite, wrestling with the mighty torments of Hell; and so they continue still... torment not abated. These great and mighty changes on earth have not affected them to cause any change there. There have been many good times on earth: days of great good; but...2. How we may suppose the things which they remember of their past lives now affects them... their worldly enjoyments... the length of the time of their past ease and pleasures... they lived long lives... their past opportunities... their long warnings... the preaching they had... their folly and stupidity... obstinacy...3. How many since have followed their steps and have gone to Hell in like manner. ’Tis not the manner of men to take warning by those that perish before them... Those that are gone before can see the folly of those that come after, whom it will do no good. The rich man in Hell. Those that went to Hell in Noah’s day, see the folly of those that come to ’em from generation to generation. But those that follow after don’t see the folly of those who went before, and so they follow them...CONT.
