The third thing observable in the words, is the severity of their punishment, Suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. We §3commonly say, that fire and water have no mercy, and we have frequently experienced the truth of that saying. When God would give the world a proof of his greatest severity against notorious sinners and notorious sins, he doth it by inflicting the Judgment of Fire; when the Sodomites burned in their lusts one towards another, Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire, from the Lord out of heaven. The Lord rained brimstone and fire from the Lord, (that is) by an elegant Hebraism, from himself; it being usual with the Hebrews to put the Noun for the Pronoun, as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margin together. 1Now this fiery vengeance came not from any inferior cause, but from the supreme cause, even God himself. This brimstone and material fire that was rained by the Lord out of Heaven, was not by any ordinary course of Nature, but by the immediate almighty power of God. Doubtless it was the supernatural and miraculous work of the Lord, and not from any natural cause, that such showers, not of water, as when the Old world was drowned; but of material fire and brimstone, should fall from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah (to which add Adama and Zeboim; for all these four Cities were burnt together) God rained, not sprinkled, yea, he rained not fire only, but fire and brimstone for the increase of their torment, and that they might have a Hell above ground, a Hell on this s•de Hell. They had hot fire for their burning lusts, and stinking brimstone for their stinking brutishness. They burned with vile and unnatural lusts, and therefore against the course of Nature fire falls down from Heaven, and devours them, and their stinking abominable filthiness is punished with the stench of brimstone mingled with fire. Thus God delights to suit mens punishments to ⟨p. 131⟩their sins; yea, that temporal fire that God rained out of Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, was but a fore-runner of their everlasting punishment in that Lake which burns with 2fire and brimstone for evermore. The temporal punishment of the impenitent Sodomites, did but make way to their 3eternal punishments, as Jude tells us. I readily grant, that the fire of Hell was typified by that fire which fell from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah:
The third thing observable in the words, is the severity of their punishment, Suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. We §3commonly say, that fire and water have no mercy, and we have frequently experienced the truth of that saying. When God would give the world a proof of his greatest severity against notorious sinners and notorious sins, he doth it by inflicting the Judgment of Fire; when the Sodomites burned in their lusts one towards another, Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire, from the Lord out of heaven. The Lord rained brimstone and fire from the Lord, (that is) by an elegant Hebraism, from himself; it being usual with the Hebrews to put the Noun for the Pronoun, as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margine together. 1Now this fiery vengeance came not from any inferior cause, but from the supream cause, even God himself. This brimstone and material fire that was rained by the Lord out of Heaven, was not by any ordinary course of Nature, but by the immediate almighty power of God. Doubtless it was the supernatural and miraculous work of the Lord, and not from any natural cause, that such showers, not of water, as when the Old world was drowned; but of material fire and brimstone, should fall from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah (to which add Adama and Zeboim; for all these four Cities were burnt together) God rained, not sprinkled, yea, he rained not fire only, but fire and brimstone for the increase of their torment, and that they might have a Hell above ground, a Hell on this s•de Hell. They had hot fire for their burning lusts, and stinking brimstone for their stinking brutishness. They burned with vile and unnatural lusts, and therefore against the course of Nature fire falls down from Heaven, and devours them, and their stinking abominable ••lthiness is punished with the stench of brimstone mingled with fire. Thus God delights to suit mens punishments to ⟨p. 131⟩their sins; yea, that temporal fire that God rained out of Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, was but a fore-runner of their everlasting punishment in that Lake which burns with 2fire and brimstone for evermore. The temporal punishment of the impenitent Sodomites, did but make way to their 3eternal punishments, as Jude tells us. I readily grant, that the fire of Hell was typified by that fire which fell from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah:
- 1Gen. 1. 27. 1 Sam. 15. 22. 2 Chron. 7. 2. 1 Kings 8. 1.
- 2Rev. 21. 8.
- 3Jude 7.
