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If those who fear God and obey him are exposed to such a condition as has been described, then consider: who is among you that does not fear the Lord, nor obeys the voice of his servant? You who live in known sins and in the omission of known duties which God's servants, your ministers, tell you ought to be performed — who do not pray with your families, who make no conscience of your speech — can you expect to be thus scarcely saved? If those whom God has loved with a love as great and unchangeable as himself yet suffer his terrors here, what shall you do, whom he has set himself to hate and to show the power of his wrath upon, without repentance? If these things are done to the green tree, what shall be done to the dry, which is fitted for wrath and fire, even as stubble fully dry, as the prophet speaks? If such an estate of darkness and horror befalls them who are children of light, whose inheritance is light, then what is reserved for you who are darkness and love darkness more than light? And if this befalls them for not stirring up the grace which they already have, what shall befall you who are utterly devoid of it and not only so, but despise and scoff at it? If this befalls them for not humbling themselves for old sins, though long since committed, what will befall you for going on to add new sins to the old with greediness? If to them for neglecting opportunities of drawing nearer to God, what to you for neglecting the offer of grace and trampling under foot the blood of Christ? All you who think there is no hell, or if there is, that it is not so dark as it is usually painted — look upon Heman, ready to run distracted through terrors and to give up the ghost every moment (Psalm 88), when yet his body was strong and his outward estate whole. Look upon David lying upon the rack, and the Spirit of God breaking his bones, when otherwise he being a king had all outward things at will. Look upon holy Job in chapter 6: 'Oh that my grief were weighed, it is heavier than the sand; and my words are swallowed up' — that is, I am not able to express and utter my grief. 'The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison of them drinks up my spirit, the terrors of God set themselves in battle array against me' (verse 4). Indeed, at verse 8, he wishes that God would cut him off, and cries, 'Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh bronze?' — complaining that he should be able to hold out against such fierce encounters. My friends, God's people find pains beyond those of the stone, gout, and toothache; the falling of God's wrath on the conscience is more than the dropping of a little scalding fluid on a tooth. And yet these which Job and David felt are but a taste of that cup which you who do not obey must drink to the bottom — and it is eternity to the bottom. In Psalm 75:8: 'There is a cup in the hand of the Lord, and it is full of mixture' — that is, all the bitter ingredients in the world are in it, the very quintessence of evils is strained into it. In this life some few sprinklings of it fall from the top of the cup, which his own do taste and drink of. But the bottom, the dregs of it, all the wicked of the earth shall drink and wring out — that is, leave none behind. And the vials of it, which will never be emptied, shall be poured forth to the utmost drop. And if God's people begin to taste of it, as Christ himself did — it could not pass him, and Zebedee's sons were to pledge him, as was observed — then as God says by Jeremiah in chapter 25:27-29: if my people have drunk of it, and I have brought evil upon the city that is called by my name, then certainly you shall drink of it and be drunk and vomit and fall and never rise again. If God's people are thus shut up in darkness, what darkness is reserved for you? Even as Jude says in verse 13: 'blackness of darkness' — darkness where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:13) — blackness of darkness because there is not a crack of light nor one beam of comfort that shines in, to all eternity. And this is not for a moment or a few years, but forever. You who spend your days in pleasure here and rejoice in them all — 'Remember the days of darkness, for they are many,' says Solomon (Ecclesiastes 11:8) — many indeed, days of eternal night that shall know no end, which no day shall follow.

If those who fear God and obey Him are exposed to such a condition as has been described, then consider: who among you does not fear the Lord or obey the voice of His servant? You who live in known sins and neglect known duties that God's servants — your ministers — tell you must be performed: who do not pray with your families, who take no care with your speech — can you expect to barely escape judgment? If those whom God has loved with a love as great and unchangeable as Himself still suffer His terrors in this life, what will happen to you — whom, without repentance, He has set Himself to hate and upon whom He intends to display the power of His wrath? If these things happen to the green tree, what will happen to the dry — which is ready for wrath and fire, like completely dry stubble, as the prophet says? If such darkness and horror falls on those who are children of light, whose inheritance is light, then what is reserved for you who are darkness itself and love darkness more than light? And if this happens to them for failing to stir up the grace they already have, what will happen to you who are utterly without it — and not only that, but who despise and mock it? If this happens to them for not humbling themselves over old sins long past, what will happen to you for continuing to pile new sins on top of the old ones with eagerness? If it comes on them for neglecting opportunities to draw closer to God, what will come on you for rejecting the offer of grace and trampling underfoot the blood of Christ? All you who think there is no hell, or that if there is, it is not as dark as it is usually described — look at Heman, nearly driven out of his mind by terror and ready to die at any moment (Psalm 88), while his body was still strong and his outward circumstances were fine. Look at David lying on the rack, the Spirit of God breaking his bones, while he as king had every outward comfort at his disposal. Look at holy Job in chapter 6: 'Oh that my grief were actually weighed! It is heavier than the sand of the seas; that is why my words have been rash' — meaning, I cannot even begin to express my grief. 'The arrows of the Almighty are within me, their poison drinks up my spirit; the terrors of God are arrayed against me' (verse 4). Indeed, by verse 8 he wishes God would cut him off, and cries, 'Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh bronze?' — complaining that he should have to endure such fierce assaults. My friends, God's people experience pain beyond the stone, gout, and toothache; when God's wrath falls on the conscience it is more than a few drops of scalding liquid on a tooth. And yet what Job and David felt is only a taste of the cup that those who do not obey must drink to the bottom — and eternity is the bottom. In Psalm 75:8: 'For a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams' — that is, every bitter ingredient in the world is in it, the very essence of every evil is pressed into it. In this life a few drops from the rim of that cup fall on God's own people, and they taste it. But the bottom, the dregs — all the wicked of the earth shall drink them down and drain the cup dry, leaving nothing behind. And the bowls of it, which will never be emptied, shall be poured out to the very last drop. And if God's own people begin to taste it — as Christ Himself did, and as the sons of Zebedee were told they would share in it — then as God says through Jeremiah in chapter 25:27-29: if My people have drunk of it, and I have brought disaster on the city that is called by My name, then you will certainly drink of it too — you will drink and stagger and fall and never rise again. If God's people are shut up in such darkness, what darkness is reserved for you? As Jude says in verse 13: 'the black darkness' — darkness where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:13) — pitch black, with not a crack of light or a single ray of comfort breaking through, for all eternity. And this is not for a moment or a few years — it is forever. You who spend your days in pleasure and rejoice in them all — 'Remember that the years of darkness will be many,' says Solomon (Ecclesiastes 11:8) — many indeed: days of eternal night with no end, followed by no dawn.