A77813:215
A few sighs from hell, or, The groans of a damned soul. Or, An…
A few sighs from hell, or, The groans of a damned soul. Or, An exposition of those words in the sixteenth of Luke, concerning the rich man and the beggar : wherein is discovered the lamentable state of the damned : their cries, their desires in their distresses, with the determination of God upon them. A good warning word to sinners, both old and young, to take into consideration betimes, and to seek by faith in Jesus Christ to avoid, lest they come into the same place of torment. Also a brief discourse touching the profitableness of the Scriptures for our instruction in the way of righteousness, according to the tendency of the said parable. / By that poor and contemptible servant of Jesus Christ, John Bunyan.A few sighs from hell, or, The groans of a damned soul. Or, An exposition of those words in the sixteenth of Luke, concerning the rich man and the beggar : wherein is discovered the lamentable state of the damned : their cries, their desires in their distresses, with the determination of God upon them. A good warning word to sinners, both old and young, to take into consideration betimes, and to seek by faith in Jesus Christ to avoid, lest they come into the same place of torment. Also a brief discourse touching the profitableness of the Scriptures for our instruction in the way of righteousness, according to the tendancy of the said parable. / By that poor and contemptible servant of Jesus Christ, John Bunyan.
London: printed by Ralph Wood for M. Wright, 1658
Title page typeset from the transcription.
A FEW Sighs from Hell: OR, The Groans of a damned Soul: OR, An Expo… › Verse 28
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 there 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; it would seem strange to me, that such a quality should be found in any there, as out of singleness of heart, to desire the salvation of their neighbours, out of love to them. 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 or heighten 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, then 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 of his neighbours that are of the same mind with him, they will labour to imitate him and follow ⟨p. 113⟩his steps: this is commonly seen. Again, if there be one given to drunkenness, others of the town through his means, run the more into that sin with him, & do accustom themselves the more unto it, because of his enticing them, and also by setting such an ill example before them. And so if there be any addicted to pride, & must needs be in all the newest fashions, how do their example provoke other to love and follow the same vanity; spending that upon their lusts which should relieve their own and others wants. Also if there be any given to jesting, scoffing, lying, whoring, backbiting, junketing, wantonness, or any other sin; they that are most expert in these things do oft-times entangle others that peradventure would not have been so vile as now they are, had they not had such an example. Now these will by their doings exceedingly aggravate the condemnation of one another, as thus. He that did set his neighbour an ill example, and thereby caused him to walk in sin: He will be found one cause of his and his friends destruction, insomuch that he will have to answer for his own sins, and for a great part of his neighbours too, which will still add to