John Bunyan 5

In this testimony, a lost soul in hell describes two overwhelming miseries: what is lost and what is suffered. The soul mourns the eternal loss of God's presence, heaven, hope, and the company of saints—replaced instead with devils and despair. The suffering includes intense, universal, and unceasing torments that affect both body and soul: burning fire, choking brimstone, darkness, the memory of lost salvation, and the gnawing of conscience. The soul emphasizes that the most terrifying part of all is that these torments are forever, with no hope of escape, mercy, or end.

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A LOST SOUL SPEAKS

"Our miseries in this infernal dungeon are of two kinds: what we have lost, and what we suffer. I will first speak about what we have LOST.

1. In this sad dark place of misery and sorrow, we have lost the wondrous presence of the ever blessed God. This is what makes this dungeon—hell. Though we had lost a thousand worlds, it would not be as important as this one greatest loss. Could we but see the least glimpse of His favor here—we might be happy; but have lost it to our everlasting woe.

2. Here we have also lost the company of saints and angels, and instead have nothing but tormenting devils!

3. Here we have lost heaven, too—the center of blessedness. There is a deep gulf between us and heaven, so that we are shut out from it forever! Those everlasting gates that let the redeemed into heaven—are now forever shut against us.

4. To make our wretchedness far worse, we have lost the hope of ever obtaining a better condition. This makes us truly hopeless. Well may our hearts now break, since we are both without hope and help. This is what we have lost; and if we think of these things, it is enough to tear and gnaw upon our miserable souls forever. Yet, oh, that this were all that our torments were!

WHAT WE SUFFER

But we are also tormented by suffering and pain, as I will try to explain to you now.

1. First, we undergo a variety of torments. We are tormented here a thousand, no, ten thousand different ways! Those who suffer upon the earth seldom have more than one affliction at a time. But if they had ulcers, gallstones, headaches, and fever all at the same time—would they not be very miserable? Yet all those together are but like the biting of a flea—compared to those intolerable, sharp pains which we endure. Here we have all the sufferings of hell. Here is an unquenchable fire which burns us; a lake of burning brimstone which ever chokes us; and eternal chains which bind us. Here there is utter darkness to frighten us, and a worm of conscience which gnaws upon us everlastingly. Any one of these is worse to bear—than all the torments that mankind ever felt on earth!

2. But our torments here are not only various—but are also universal. They afflict every part of the body, and torment all the powers of the soul. This makes what we suffer—the worst of tortures. In those sicknesses which men have on earth, though some members of their bodies will suffer—yet other parts will have no pain. Here it is different; every member of the soul and body suffers at the same time.

Our eyes are tormented here with the sight of devils who appear in all the horrible shapes and black appearances that sin can give them. Our ears are continually tormented with the loud continual yellings of the damned. Our nostrils are smothered with sulfurous flames; our tongues with burning blisters; and the whole body is rolled in flames of liquid fire! All the powers and faculties of our souls are also tormented here. The imagination suffers with the thoughts of our present pain and the memory of the heaven we have lost. Our minds are tormented as we remember how foolishly we spent our precious time on earth. Our understanding is tormented with the thoughts of our past pleasures, present pains, and future sorrows, which are to last forever. And our consciences are tormented with a continual gnawing worm!

3. Another thing that makes our misery so awful—is the sharpness of our torments. The fire which burns us is so violent that all the water in the sea can never quench it. The pains we suffer here are so extreme, that it is impossible for anyone to know them except the damned.

4. Another part of our misery is the ceaselessness of our torments. As various, as universal, and as extremely violent as they are, they are also continual. We have no rest from them. If there were any relaxation, it might be some relief. But there is no easing of our torments, and what we suffer now—we must suffer forever.

5. The company we have here is another part of our misery. Tormenting devils and tormented souls—are all our company. Dreadful shrieks, howlings, and fearful cursing—are our continual conversation because of the fierceness of our pain.

6. The place we are in also increases our sufferings. It is the epitome of all misery—a prison, a dungeon, a bottomless pit, a lake of brimstone, a furnace of fire which burns to eternity, the blackness of darkness forever; and lastly, hell itself. Such a wretched place as this, can only increase our wretchedness.

7. The cruelty of our tormentors is another thing which adds to our sufferings. Our tormentors are devils in whom there is no pity. While they are tormented themselves, they still take pleasure in tormenting us!

8. All those sufferings that I have recounted are very grievous. But that which makes them the most grievous—is that they shall always be forever! All of our intolerable sufferings shall last to all eternity! ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed—into everlasting fire!’ is what continually sounds in my ears. Oh, that I could reverse that fatal sentence! Oh, if there was but a bare possibility of salvation! This is the miserable situation we are in—and shall be in forever!"

The next testimony shares the sorrowful voice of a lost soul in hell who bitterly regrets rejecting Jesus Christ. This soul reflects on a life of delay and rebellion, now trapped in eternal torment with no second chance. It pleads with the living not to make the same mistake, warning that hell is real, unbearable, and forever. The soul’s suffering is worsened by the memory of neglected opportunities for salvation and the unending realization that it is too late to repent.

FURTHER CONVERSATIONS

This wretched soul had scarcely finished what he was saying when he was tormented again by a hellish demon, who told him to stop complaining. The demon said, "Don’t you know you have deserved it all? How often were you told of this before—but would not believe it? You laughed at those who warned you about hell. You were even so presumptuous as to dare Almighty justice to destroy you! How often you called on God to damn you. Do you complain that you are answered according to your wishes? What an unreasonable thing! You know that you had salvation offered you, and you refused it. How can you now complain of being damned? I have more reason to complain, for you had a long time in which repentance was offered you; but I was cast into hell as soon as I had sinned. If I had been offered salvation, I would never have rejected it as you did. Who do you think should pity you now, with all that heaven had offered to you?"

This made the wretch cry out, "Oh, do not continue to torment me; I know that I chose destruction. Oh, that I could forget it! These thoughts are my greatest torture. I chose to be damned—and therefore justly am so."

Then turning to the demon that tortured him he said, "But I also came here through your temptations, you cursed devil! You were the one who had tempted me to do all of my sins; and now you would reproach me? You say you never had a Savior offered to you; but you should also remember that you never had a tempter such as you have always been to me!"

To this the devil scornfully replied, "It was my business to lead you here! You had often been warned of this by your preacher. You were plainly told that we sought your ruin, and go about continually like roaring lions, seeking whom we could devour. I was often afraid that you would believe them, as several other souls did, to our great disappointment. But you were willing to do what we wanted; and since you have done our work—it is but reasonable that we should pay you wages." Then the fiend tormented him again and caused him to roar out so horribly that I could no longer stay to hear him, so I passed on.

DAMNED SOULS AND DEMONIC HATRED

"How dismal," I then said to my conductor, "is the condition of these damned souls! They are the devils' slaves while upon earth, and he reproaches and then torments them for it when they come to hell."

"The devils hate all the race of Adam," said my conductor. "And because many souls are ignorant of their devices, they easily succeed to bring them to eternal ruin. You will see more how the demons treat the damned here."

Passing a little further we saw a multitude of damned souls together, gnashing their teeth with extreme rage and pain, while the tormenting fiends with hellish fury poured liquid fire and brimstone continually upon them. In the meantime, they were cursing God and those about them, and were blaspheming in a tremendous manner. I could not help but ask of one demon that so tormented them, who were these souls that he tormented so cruelly?

Said he, "These wretches well deserve their punishment. They led others astray, and were so in love with sin, that they came here. These are those souls that have been our great helpers upon the earth, and therefore they deserve our special attention in hell. We use our full diligence to give every one their utmost share of torments, for they not only have their own sins to answer for—but also all the sins of those whom they led astray both by their doctrine and example."

"Since they have been such great helpers for you, I would think that in gratitude you would treat them a little more kindly."

To this the impudent fiend answered me in a scoffing manner, "Those who expect gratitude among devils, will find themselves mistaken. Gratitude is a virtue—but we hate all virtue. Besides, we hate all mankind, and were it in our power not one of them would be happy. It is true we do not tell them so upon earth, because there it is our business to flatter and deceive them. But when we have them here where they cannot escape—we soon convince them of their foolishness in serving us."

THE FOLLY OF TRUSTING FALSE TEACHING

From this I could only think about what infinite grace it is—that any poor sinners are brought to heaven, considering how many traps are laid by the enemy to ensnare them by the way. Therefore it is a ministry well worthy of the blessed Son of God—to save His people from their sins, and to deliver them from the wrath to come. But it is also folly and madness in men—to refuse the offers of His grace, and to choose to side with the destroyer.

FALSE HOPE AND LATE REPENTANCE

Going farther on, I heard a wretch complaining in a heartbreaking strain, against those men that had betrayed him and brought him here.

"I was told," said he, "by those whom I depended on, and whom I thought could inform me correctly, that if I said ‘Lord, have mercy on me,’ when I came to die, it would be enough to save me. But oh, now I find myself mistaken, to my eternal sorrow! Alas, I called for mercy on my deathbed—but found it was too late. Before that time, this cursed devil here told me that I was safe. Then on my deathbed, he told me it was too late! Hell must forever be my portion!"

"You see—I did tell you the truth at last," said the devil, "and then you would not believe me. A very fitting end, don't you think? You spend your days enjoying sin, and wallow in your filthiness—and you want to go to heaven when you die! Would anyone but a madman think that would be just? No! He who sincerely wants to go to heaven when he dies, must walk in the ways of holiness and virtue while he is alive. You say that some of your lewd companions told you that saying, ‘Lord, have mercy on me’ when you came to die would be enough. A very fine excuse! If you had read the Bible you would have known that ‘Without holiness, no one shall see the Lord.’ Therefore, if you were willing to live in your sins as long as you could, you did not finally leave them because you did not like them—but because you could follow them no longer! And this you know to be true. How could you be so stupid to think you could go to heaven—with the love of sin in your heart? No! no! no! You were warned often enough that you should take heed of being deceived, for God is not mocked—but what you have sowed—you have reaped. You have no reason to complain of anything—but your own folly, which you now see too late."

THE TRUE CONDITION OF LOST SOULS

"This lecture of the devil was a very cutting one to the poor tormented wretch," I said to my conductor, "and shows the true situation of many now on earth as well as those in hell. But oh, what a far different judgment do they make in this sad place from what they did on earth."

"The reason for this," replied my guardian angel, "is that they will not allow themselves to think what the effect of sin will be, while on earth. Carelessness ruins many souls who do not think about what they are doing, nor where they are going—until it is too late to help it."