A30203:210
Sighs from hell, or, The groans of a damned soul discovering from the 16th…
Sighs from hell, or, The groans of a damned soul discovering from the 16th of Luke the lamentable state of the damned : and may fitly serve as a warning-word to sinners, both old and young, by faith in Jesus Christ, to avoid the same place of torment : with a discovery of the usefulness of the Scriptures as our safe conduct for avoiding the torments of hell / by John Bunyan.
London: printed for F. Smith, 1666
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Quest. But some may say, what should be the reason, that the damned should desire not to have their companions come into the same condition that they are fallen into, but rather, that they might be kept from it, and escape that dreadful state.
Answ. I do believe there is scarce so much love in any of the damned in hell, as really to desire the salvation of any. But in that there is any desire in them that are damned, that their friends and relations should not come into that place of torment▪ It appears to me, to be rather for their own ease, then for their neighbours good; for let me tell you, this I do believe, that it will aggravate the grief and horror of them, to see their ungodly neighbours in the like destruction with them: For where the ungodly do live, and die, and descend into the pit together, the one is rather a vexation to the other, than any thing else. And it must needs be so, because there are no ungodly people, that do live ungodly together; but they do learn ill examples one of another, as thus. If there live one in the Town that is very expert and cunning for the World, why now the rest that are of the same mind with him, they will labour to imitate and follow his steps: this is commonly seen.
Answ. I do believe there is scarce so much love in any of the damned in hell, as really to desire the salvation of any. But in that there is any desire in them that are damned, that their friends and relations should not come into that place of torment▪ It appears to me, to be rather for their own ease, then for their neighbours good; for let me tell you, this I do believe, that it will aggravate the grief and horrour of them, to see their ungodly neighbours in the like destruction with them: For where the ungodlie do live, and die, and descend into the pit together, the one is rather a vexation to the other, than any thing else. And it must needs be so, because there are no ungodlie people, that do live ungodlie together; but they do learn ill examples one of another, as thus. If there live one in the Town that is verie expert and cunning for the World, why now the rest that are of the same mind with him, they will labour to imitate and follow his steps: this is commonlie seen.