An Edwardsian Definition of Hell

Hell is a spiritual and material furnace of fire where its victims are exquisitely tortured in their minds and in the bodies eternally, according to their various capacities, by God, the devils, and damned humans including themselves, in their memories and consciences as well as in their raging, unsatisfied lusts, from which place of death God's saving grace, mercy, and pity are gone forever, never for a moment to return. Edwards nowhere gives such a comprehensive definition, but this is the way we put his message together as his overall view of hell, to which he gave so much reflection in his study and in his pulpit.

John H. Gerstner, Jonathan Edwards on Heaven and Hell (Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 1998), 53.

Chrysostom on Matthew 23:37

3. Then He directs His speech unto the city, in this way too being minded to correct His hearers, and saith, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!” What meaneth the repetition? this is the manner of one pitying her, and bemoaning her, and greatly loving her. For, like as unto a woman beloved, herself indeed ever loved, but who had despised Him that loved her, and therefore on the point of being punished, He pleads, being now about to inflict the punishment. Which He doth in the prophets also, using these words, “I said, Turn thou unto me, and she returned not.”

Then having called her, He tells also her blood-stained deeds, “Thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, and ye would not,” in this way also pleading for His own dealings; not even with these things hast thou turned me aside, nor withdrawn me from my great affection toward thee, but it was my desire even so, not once or twice, but often to draw thee unto me. “For how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not." And this He saith, to show that they were ever scattering themselves by their sins. And His affection He indicates by the similitude; for indeed the creature is warm in its love towards its brood. And everywhere in the prophets is this same image of the wings, and in the song of Moses and in the Psalms, indicating His great protection and care.

“But ye would not,” He saith. “Behold your house is left desolate,” stripped of the succor which cometh from me. Surely it was the same, who also was before protecting them, and holding them together, and preserving them; surely it was He who was ever chastening them. And He appoints a punishment, which they had ever dreaded exceedingly; for it declared the entire overthrow of their polity. “For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.” And this is the language of one that loves earnestly, earnestly drawing them unto Him by the things to come, not merely warning them by the past; for of the future day of His second coming doth He here speak.

What then? Did they not see Him from that time? But it is not that hour which He meaneth in saying, Henceforth, but the time up to His crucifixion. For since they were forever accusing Him of this, that He was a kind of rival God, and a foe to God, He moves them to love Him by this, namely, by showing Himself to be of one accord with His Father; and He indicates Himself to be the same that was in the prophets. Wherefore also He uses the same words as did the prophets.

Chryosostom, "Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew," NPNF, 1st Series, ed. Philip Schaff (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2004), 10:447-448.

Stephen Charnock (1628–1680) on God’s Hate for the Unbelieving Elect

God doth hate his elect in some sense before their actual reconciliation. God was placable before Christ, appeased by Christ. But till there be such conditions which God hath appointed in the creature, he hath no interest in this reconciliation of God; and whatsoever person he be in whom the condition is not found, he remains under the wrath of God, and therefore is in some sense under God’s hatred.

Stephen Charnock, “A Discourse of God’s Being the Author of Reconciliation,” in The Works of Stephen Charnock (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1986), 3:345. Similarly, Thomas Manton said: “In themselves God’s elect differ nothing from the rest of the World, till grace prevent them; they were as bad as any in the World, of the same race of cursed mankind, not only living in the World, but after the fashions of the World; ‘dead in trespasses and sins,’ and obnoxious to the curse and wrath of God” (Thomas Manton, “Sermons Upon 2 Corinthians V: Sermon XXXIV,” in The Complete Works of Thomas Manton, D.D., 22 vols. [London: James Nisbet, 1873], 13:253).

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John Howe (1630–1705) on God Seeking Those Never Won by His Loving Allurements

Men are easier of acquaintance towards one another, they slide insensibly into each others bosoms: even the most churlish, morose natures are wrought upon by assiduous repeated kindnesses, gutta cavat lapidem, &c. as often-falling drops at length wear and work into very stones: towards God their hearts are more impenetrable than rocks, harder than adamants. He is seeking with some an acquaintance all their days: they live their whole age under the gospel, and yet are never won. They hearken to one another, but are utterly unpersuadable towards God; as the deaf adder that hears not the voice of the charmer though charming never so wisely. The clearest reason, the most powerful arguments move them not: no nor the most insinuative allurements, the sweetest breathings of love: "How often would I have gathered thee, as the hen her chickens under her wings, and ye would not." God draws with the cords of a man, with the bands of love: but they still perversely keep at an unkind distance.

John Howe, "The Blessedness of the Righteous," in The Works of the Rev. John Howe (London: The Religious Tract Society, 1862), 1:194.

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C. H. Spurgeon (1834–1892) on the Consistency of God’s Loving and Just Character

God is practically, as far as we are concerned, bound by his own revelation of his own character. He has been pleased to tell us that he is just, and that he is the Lord God, merciful and gracious. In a few words, he has given us the sum of himself by saying that “God is love.” When a man says concerning himself, “I have a right to do as I like, but I am generous as well as just,” you feel sure he will exercise the right which he claims in a manner according to, and consistent with, his own statement of what he is, and if he has rightly estimated his own character, he will give bountifully and pay honourably. Rest assured, then, that God’s sovereignty never will prove him to have misrepresented himself, or to have deceived us. When he says that he is just, he neither can nor will act unjustly towards any creature he has made. There was never a pang or a pain inflicted arbitrarily by God. God never pronounced a curse upon any man unless that man had clearly and richly earned it by his sin. No soul was ever cast into hell by sovereignty. God takes counsel with himself, but he stoops not to caprice. How comes the hapless creature, then, to this dread torment? Sin brings the sinner into a ruined state; justice pronounces the sinner’s doom. Sovereignty may let that doom stand. What if it moves not to avert the issue. Justice it is that pronounces the curse. Be assured, man, however much you may kick against the doctrine of election, you have no reason to do so. Whatever that doctrine may involve, it is not possible but that God must, and will, act towards you in a way so strictly just that, when you yourself come to discover it in eternity, you will not be able to cavil, but be compelled to stand speechless. Moreover, God has been pleased to assure you that he is love; that he is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. Now, whatever sovereignty may decree, you may rest assured that the decree will be in consonance with the fact that God is full of mercy, grace, and truth. I know some of you set up the decree of God like a huge monster before you. You paint a horrible picture, as though the visage of him that speaketh to you from heaven were cruel and pitiless. But that picture is drawn by your perverse imagination; it is not God’s portrait of himself, for he saith, “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, but had rather that he would turn unto me and live.” God mocks not when he says, “Turn ye, turn ye; why will ye die, O house of Israel?” That is honest emotion which God feels over a sinner who ruins himself when he cries, “How can I give thee up? How shall I set thee as Admah? How shall I make thee as Zeboim? My bowels are moved; my repentings are kindled together!” God willeth not the death of a sinner, but had rather that he should turn unto him and live. So he himself assures us, and, sovereign as he is, yet he still remains both just and gracious for ever, and let us not doubt it for a moment. The rainbow, the rainbow of his own glorious attributes of mercy, ever surrounds the throne.

C. H. Spurgeon, “The Heavenly Rainbow (No. 3,412),” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, 63 vols. (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1914), 60:303–304.

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Robert Peterson and Michael Williams on the Love of God and Hyper-Calvinism

We also affirmed that the Bible teaches two seemingly contradictory, but ultimately complementary truths: (1) God loves a sinful world, and (2) he has a special effective love only for the elect. Only by affirming these two truths simultaneously do we do justice to scriptural teaching. If we refuse to hold the two truths in tension and downplay the first, we err in the direction of hyper-Calvinism; if we downplay the second, we err in the direction of Arminianism.

Robert A. Peterson and Michael D. Williams, Why I Am Not an Arminian (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2004), 214.

Robert A. Peterson on the Well-Intentioned Offer and Hyper-Calvinism

We need to invite people to trust Christ. The Gospel call invites all, it really does. There is no doubt in my mind, biblically, about when we read in the book of Acts that God has commanded people everywhere to repent. Also, when He told the apostles in the great commission to take the Gospel to all the nations, there is not only the intention of God for us to take the Gospel call to everyone, but this is a well meant offer of the Gospel. Who would ever say the Gospel call is not a well meant offer? Hyper-Calvinists. And here we get into some history with the Protestant Reformed Church breaking with the Christian Reformed Church, because it was not considered to be reformed enough. One of the issues was that God does not sincerely offer the Gospel to the reprobate. In brief, I agree with [Anthony] Hoekema [click] that the Gospel offer is well-intentioned, not only on the part of the less-than-omniscient preacher or witness, but on the part of Almighty God Himself.

Robert A. Peterson, Humanity, Christ & Redemption (Covenant Theological Seminary, 2006), Lecture 29, The Application of Salvation: Calling, II, 1–2.

Hyper-Calvinism...begins with sovereignty of God passages, and there are plenty of those, and it correctly affirms God's absolute sovereign sway is human affairs. But it becomes hyper when it feels threatened with affirming genuine human responsibility alongside of sovereignty. So human freedom is squelched, and among other things, the well-meant offer of the Gospel is denied. You cannot do that; there are many biblical passages that affirm the well intentioned offer of the Gospel.

Ibid., 2.

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Brief Bio:

Robert A. Peterson (Ph.D., Drew University) is professor of systematic theology at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He was formerly professor of New Testament and theology at Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, Pennsylvania.

Educational Background
BS, Philadelphia College of Bible, Langhorne, PA
MDiv, Biblical Theological Seminary, Hatfield, PA
MPhil and PhD (both in historical theology), Drew University, Madison, NJ

Presbytery and Denominational Service
Licensed and Ordained, Philadelphia Presbytery (PCA) (1981)
Teaching Elder, Missouri Presbytery (PCA) (1990-present)

Theophilus Gale (1628–1678) on Christ’s Willingness to Give Life to Sinners

(2.) Is not Christ extreme willing, and readie to give out life to sinners? Doth he not long for, and thirst after the Salvation of lost souls? Are not his offers of life exceeding Free, chearful, and universal? May not al that wil, come and drink freely of this living Fountain, Revel. 21.6? Is not he as readie to give as we are to ask; to open, as we are to knock, Joh. 4. 10. Doth he not give Liberally, and Abundantly to al that desire friendship with him, Cant. 5. 1? Yea, doth he not wait long, and greatly importune sinners to be reconciled to him? So 2 Cor. 5. 20. We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. Now is not this an hainous crime, that Christ, who is the Lord of Glorie, should come and beseech his enemies to be reconciled to him, and yet they go on in open Hostilitie against him? What? Doth Christ, who is the person offended, and injured, stoop so low, as to become a supplicant, and beseech you, who are rebellious Subjects, to be reconciled to him, and his Father? And wil you sleight such gracious condescension, such unparalleld offers of mercie? Oh! What prodigious Impietie is this?

Theophilus Gale, Theophilie: Or a Discourse of the Saints Amitie with God in Christ (London: Printed by R. W. for Giles Widdows at the Green Dragon in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1671), 251–252.

Lo! Christ is willing to be friends with thee; he offers life to thee; take heed what thou doest; neglect not so great salvation. Remember what it is that is offered to thee; and who it is that offers it.

Ibid., 262. [Note: Gale says this in the context of talking about the misery of such as reject Christ.]

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