Despair
Despair is an unavoidable companion that attends the pains of the second death, experienced by all reprobates in hell.
Thomas Brooks preaches about the despair that accompanies eternal damnation, emphasizing that the wicked are imprisoned in hell due to their inability to pay the price for their sins. He describes despair as an inevitable companion of the damned, who face hopelessness and the certainty of their eternal punishment. The sermon highlights the irreversible nature of God's justice, leaving the sinner in a state of utter misery with no hope of escape from hell. Brooks illustrates the profound anguish of those who realize their fate and the great gulf that separates them from salvation.
Text
Continual imprisonment in hell, arises from man's not
being able to pay the price. The wicked go to hell as
their prison, because they can never pay their debts.
The damned must bear the wrath of God to all eternity,
because they can never satisfy the justice of God for sin.
Therefore they must lie in hell, world without end.
Despair is an unavoidable companion, attending the pains
of the second death--as all reprobates do experience.
Desperation is an utter hopelessness of any good, and
a certain expectation and waiting on the worst that can
befall; and this is the lot and portion of the damned in
hell. The wretched sinner in hell, seeing the sentence
passed against him; God's purpose fulfilled, never to be
reversed; the gates of hell made fast upon him; and a
great gulf fixed between hell and heaven, which renders
his escape impossible--he now gives up all, and reckons
on nothing but uttermost misery in his remediless,
woeful condition.
Sermon Outline
- The Nature of Despair
- The Experience of Despair
- The Reality of Despair
- The Sentence of God
- The Impossibility of Escape
Key Quotes
“The wicked go to hell as their prison, because they can never pay their debts.” — Thomas Brooks
“Despair is an unavoidable companion, attending the pains of the second death--as all reprobates do experience.” — Thomas Brooks
“He now gives up all, and reckons on nothing but uttermost misery in his remediless, woeful condition.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Recognize the reality of despair and its consequences for those who refuse to pay their spiritual debts.
- Understand that the wrath of God is an unpayable debt that must be faced in hell.
- Acknowledge the impossibility of escape from hell and the hopelessness of those who dwell there.