^ Whether the word Raca be Hebre-w, or as some say Syriac, or as others say Chaldee, it matters not; for all agree in this, that it is a word that notes scorn and contempt, &c.— Vide Lapide, Weemes, &c., on the Judicial Law of Moses, and Dr Field, 'Of the Church. ' 2 Query, ' void ' ?— Ed.
THAT THERE IS MOST CERTAINLY A HELL. 121
to the great Sanhedrim, and the highest degree of punishment that was inflicted by them, namely, to be bm*ned in the valley of Hinnom, which, by a known metaphor, is transferred to hell itself, and the inexpressible torments thereof. For as those poor wretches being inclosed in a brazen idol, heat with fire, were miserably tormented in this valley of Hinnom ; so the wicked being cast into hell, the prison of the damned, shall be eternally tormented in unquenchable fire. This valley of Hinnom, by reason of the pollution of it with slaughter, blood, and stench of carcasses, did become so execrable, that hell itself did afterwards inherit the same name, and was called Gehenna of this very place. And that, 1. In respect of the hollowness and depth thereof, being a low and deep valley. 2. This valley of Hinnom was a place of misery, in regard of those many slaughters that were committed in it through their barbarous idolatry ; so hell is a place of misery and infelicity, wherein there is nothing but sorrow. 3. Thirdly, by the bitter and lamentable cries of poor infants in this valley, is shadowed out the cries and lamentable torments of the damned in hell. 4. In this valley of Hinnom was another fire which was kept continually burning for the consuming of dead carcasses, and filth, and the garbage ^ that came out of the city. Now our Saviour, by the fire of Gehenna, in this Mat. v. 22, hath reference principally to this fire, signifying hereby the perpetuity and everlastingness of hellish pains. To this last judgment of the Sanhedrim, viz., burning, doth Christ appropriate that kind of murder, which is by open reviling of a brother, that he might notify the heinousness of that sin. Mark, in this scripture, judgment, council, and hell-fire do but signify three degrees of the same punishment, &c.
See also Mat. v. 29, 30, ' And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee ; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee ; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell-fire. ' Julian , taking these commands literally, mocked at [the] Christian religion, as foolish, cruel, and vain, because they require men to maim their mem- bers. He mocked at Christians because no man did it ; and he mocked at Christ because no man obeyed him. But this apostate might have seen from the scope that these words were not to be taken literally, but figuratively. Some of the ancients, by the right hand, and the right eye, do understand relations, friends, or any other dear enjoyments which draws the heart from God. Others of them, by the right eye, and the right hand, do understand such darhng sins that are as dear to men as their right eyes or right hands. That this hell here spoken of is not meant of the grave, into which the body shall be laid, is most evident, because those Christians who do pull out their right eyes, and cut off their right hands — that is, mortify those special sins wliich are as dear and near to them as the very members of their bodies — shall be secured and delivered from this hell, whereas none shall be exempt from the grave, though they are the choicest persons on earth for grace and holiness. Death, like the Duke of Parma's
^ Spelled ' garbid-e.'— G.
122 THAT THERE IS MOST CERTAINLY A HELL.