Little is needed to take a man to hell

It is, indeed, a strange fancy, prevalent among men, that only the wicked go to hell. You poor deluded ones, listen to my words—it is incredible, I assure you, how little is needed to take a man to hell—that is to say, if he dies without having found his Saviour. For without Him, the soul is unable to bear the smallest weight of wrong; while with Him—yes, with Him—she will wing herself to heaven in the face of mountains of sin. Do you know that Saviour? I ask you as one who can never know Him now!

There are many here, I assure you, who have never committed any particular crime. The world, with its notions of right and wrong, would cry out for justice if it were but known! And why are they here? They never felt the sting of conscience, leading respectable lives, laying the unction of goodness to their souls—but they died and went to hell. No demon of evil ruled their lives, and yet they are here—oh heaven, where is thy justice?—in a like damnation with ourselves! The torment of hell for such people consists in having nothing to do here, no counting-house to attend, no families to provide for. Not ruled by passion, they are slaves to life's habit, and the latter may be as terrible a taskmaster as the former.

Thus much is certain, if having nothing to live for could kill people, and if one could die in hell, many here would die of sheer hankering after their earthly drudgery.

Letters from Hell, L. W. J. S., Richard Bentley & Son, London, 1889