The nature of the punishments of hell follows upon the nature of sin. The first thing in sin is that it is essentially opposed to the divine nature; consequently the chief punishment or effect of this is the loss of God; this is the pæna damni, or damnation strictly speaking. The loss of God is the loss of all that is good in every kind and degree. Consider what one loss is in this world, even if we retain everything else; the loss of sight, of nerve, of health, of possessions, of companionship, of occupation, of bride or bridegroom, of food or water or liberty for a short time. One such loss makes all else useless; it may drive a man to desperation, madness or death. The loss of God is the loss at once of everything; of the object and aim of existence, of wholesome activity, of all that makes life happy, of all that constitutes the life of the mind and spirit apart from bare existence. Life without God, even on earth, is empty, unsatisfying, wearisome, disappointing: life for ever with out Him is the accumulation of every misery. Consider the gains which accrue from sin; some slight gratification or advantage which generally lasts but a short time, a little wealth, the approval of a few men, the satisfaction of pride, hatred, lust. For a few years of this, or perhaps for the gain from one sin, a man sacrifices the totality and eternity of all good. To run the slightest risk of this is the height of folly.
