But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Revelation 21:8)

This is the fearful future for all those who live apart from the grace of Jesus Christ. The future is described by a geographical location – a lake that burns with fire and brimstone. Men naturally fear the first death but how awful would be a death that never ceases; that is, eternal! How awful would be a death that is both internal (where the worm dies not) and external (fire and brimstone)! 

On this day of meditation upon the person of Christ, let us remember His love for the world. May that love compel us to warn and plea for sinners to behold the lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.

Did we really believe that our dear, but poor, ungodly parents, wives, children, brothers or sisters might certainly lie in the fiery pit of hell for ever, if not converted before death, how could we refrain from striving day and night to deliver them from the danger of so deplorable an end? It could not be. So inestimable, so precious are they in the eye of him that made them, that to prevent their otherwise inevitable, intolerable damnation and to procure their eternal salvation, he graciously sent his Son, his only begotten Son into the world, to assume our nature, and to become obedient to death, even the death of the cross. These considerations, if deeply laid to heart, would surely make us solicitous for the welfare of poor sinners, and through the help of God to spare no pains for their conversion.

Cruelty and inhumanity to men’s bodies is a most damnable sin. What must it be to their souls, which are immensely more valuable? Alas! we, while here, neither see nor feel what their souls do when they are in hell, for want of our faithful admonition. Little do we know what many a poor wretch, who was once our neighbor, acquaintance, relation now endures in hell upon whom we never bestowed one hour’s advice to prevent his destruction. Could we do it now it is likely we readily would, but alas, it is too late. The season is past. As death left them, judgment will find them. The devil has them, and must have them for ever. In hell fire they are, and there must be for ever. O that this consideration may rouse us to beware the alike unmerciful behaviour to poor sinful souls in the future! (Faith Cook, William Grimshaw of Haworth, Banner of Truth, 209)