--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If it will be an intolerable thing to…" description: "\"If it will be an intolerable thing to suffer the heat of fire for a year or a day, or an hour, what will it be to suffer ten thousand times more for ev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98e/richard-baxter-2985_endure_if-it-will-be-an-intolerable-thing-to-su_1237127.png" --- # If it will be an intolerable thing to suffer the heat of… ![“If it will be an intolerable thing to suffer the heat of fire for a year or a day, or an hour, what will it be to suffer ten thousand times more for ever? What if thou wert to suffer Lawrence 's death, to be roasted upon a gridiron; or to be scraped or pricked to death as other martyrs were; or if…” quote by Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98e/richard-baxter-2985_endure_if-it-will-be-an-intolerable-thing-to-su_1237127.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98e/richard-baxter-2985_endure_if-it-will-be-an-intolerable-thing-to-su_1237127.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98e/richard-baxter-2985_endure_if-it-will-be-an-intolerable-thing-to-su_1237127.png) > “If it will be an intolerable thing to suffer the heat of fire for a year or a day, or an hour, what will it be to suffer ten thousand times more for ever? What if thou wert to suffer Lawrence 's death, to be roasted upon a gridiron; or to be scraped or pricked to death as other martyrs were; or if thou wert to feed upon toads for a year together? If thou couldst not endure such things as these, how wilt thou endure the eternal flames ?” [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage challenges the reader to compare temporary physical suffering with the eternal punishment of hell, urging endurance of earthly trials by recognizing the greater horror of eternal damnation. **In simple terms:** Endure present hardships, as they are minor compared to eternal punishment. Key Takeaway Remember that present pain is fleeting. Themes faith suffering eternity perseverance Mood solemn reflective Type religious motivational When to use this quote - prisoner - soldier - patient caregiver - person facing chronic illness Key Concepts theology martyrdom afterlife Questions to Reflect On - What present hardship could you bear if you trusted in eternal hope? - How does fear of eternity influence your daily choices? A Different Perspective The comparison may oversimplify complex psychological impacts of suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Heat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heat/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Martyr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/martyr/) [Mythology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythology/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Years together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-together/) ## Related quotes > [I will rather suffer a thousand wrongs than offer one. I have always found that to strive with a superior is injurious; with an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-hall/i-will-rather-suffer-a-thousand-wrongs-than-offer-one-i-have-always/) [Joseph Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-hall/) > [Peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr/peace-be-unto-thy-soul-thine-adversity-and-thine-afflictions-shall-be/) [Joseph Smith, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr/) > [My Brethren if thou endure thy trials well though shalt be exalted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr/my-brethren-if-thou-endure-thy-trials-well-though-shalt-be-exalted/) [Joseph Smith, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr/) > [“He has come that they might reject their works; but this is a thing they cannot suffer, and they reject Him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/he-has-come-that-they-might-reject-their-works-but-this-is-a-thing/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [I wish no living thing to suffer pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/i-wish-no-living-thing-to-suffer-pain/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [Know how sublime a thing it is to suffer and be strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/know-how-sublime-a-thing-it-is-to-suffer-and-be-strong/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [It a wretched thing to suffer at the hand of one of whom we cannot complain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/it-a-wretched-thing-to-suffer-at-the-hand-of-one-of-whom-we-cannot/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [Does each of us need to suffer agony to understand how brutal our gridiron entertainment is? Surely, seeing is believing enough. So, what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-deford/does-each-of-us-need-to-suffer-agony-to-understand-how-brutal-our/) [Frank Deford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-deford/) > [Finally, if you will permit me, I'd like to make a comment which in my mind, is indicative, perhaps, of the greater significance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nile-kinnick/finally-if-you-will-permit-me-i-d-like-to-make-a-comment-which-in-my/) Nile Kinnick > [This weekend President Obama attended the annual Gridiron Club Dinner, and during his speech he joked that he is getting older and crankier. Which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/this-weekend-president-obama-attended-the-annual-gridiron-club-dinner/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [The stock market and the gridiron and the battlefield aren't as tidy as the chessboard, but in all of them, a single, simple rule…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/the-stock-market-and-the-gridiron-and-the-battlefield-aren-t-as-tidy/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [The playing field is more sacred than the stock exchange, more blessed than Capital Hill or the vaults of Fort Knox. The diamond and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/the-playing-field-is-more-sacred-than-the-stock-exchange-more-blessed/) [Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/) > [I like to believe that my best hits border on felonious assault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/i-like-to-believe-that-my-best-hits-border-on-felonious-assault/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [You've managed-- in our short three years together-- to kill not only my god, but my father, my brother, and my fiance. That's kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-ve-managed-in-our-short-three-years-together-to-kill-not-only-my/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elend smiled. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that you're unusual, Vin. You're like some strange mixture of a noblewoman, a street urchin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elend-smiled-oh-come-on-you-have-to-admit-that-you-re-unusual-vin-you/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## More by Richard Baxter > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Most (Christians) have an ungrounded trust in Christ, hoping that He will pardon, justify and save them, while the world has their hearts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/most-christians-have-an-ungrounded-trust-in-christ-hoping-that-he/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [My Lord, I have nothing to do in this World, but to seek and serve thee; I have nothing to do with a Heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/my-lord-i-have-nothing-to-do-in-this-world-but-to-seek-and-serve-thee/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [We must feel toward our people as a father toward his children; yea, the most tender love of a mother must not surpass ours.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/we-must-feel-toward-our-people-as-a-father-toward-his-children-yea/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [We are ignorant of things necessary, because we learn things superfluous and unnecessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/we-are-ignorant-of-things-necessary-because-we-learn-things/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [In a divine commonwealth holiness must have the principal honor and encouragement, and a great difference be made between the precious and the vile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/in-a-divine-commonwealth-holiness-must-have-the-principal-honor-and/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [God takes men's hearty desires and will, instead of the deed, where they have not power to fulfill it; but he never took the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/god-takes-men-s-hearty-desires-and-will-instead-of-the-deed-where/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Surely love is both work and wages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/surely-love-is-both-work-and-wages/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Naturally, men are prone to spin themselves a web of opinions out of their own brain, and to have a religion that may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/naturally-men-are-prone-to-spin-themselves-a-web-of-opinions-out-of/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [“God never saved any man for being a preacher, nor because he was an able preacher; but because he was a justified, sanctified man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/god-never-saved-any-man-for-being-a-preacher-nor-because-he-was-an/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [A man pleaser cannot be true to God, because he is a servant to the enemies of his service; the wind of a man's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/a-man-pleaser-cannot-be-true-to-god-because-he-is-a-servant-to-the/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [“He is not drowning His sheep when He washeth them, nor killing them when He is shearing them. But by this He showeth that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/he-is-not-drowning-his-sheep-when-he-washeth-them-nor-killing-them/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Get masters of families to do their duty, and they will not only spare you a great deal of labor, but will much further…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/get-masters-of-families-to-do-their-duty-and-they-will-not-only-spare/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Christ leads me through no darker rooms than He went through before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/christ-leads-me-through-no-darker-rooms-than-he-went-through-before/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Such is the depth of the Christian Scriptures, that even if I were attempting to study them and nothing else from early boyhood to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/such-is-the-depth-of-the-christian-scriptures-that-even-if-i-were/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) [Explore all 143 Richard Baxter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) ## More Endure quotes > [So many things beat upon us in a lifetime that simply enduring may seem almost beyond us… But the test a loving God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/so-many-things-beat-upon-us-in-a-lifetime-that-simply-enduring-may/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/this-is-no-time-for-ease-and-comfort-it-is-time-to-dare-and-endure/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) James Nayler > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/) [Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/) > [It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-is-easy-enough-to-say-that-man-is-immortal-simply-because-he-will/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [It is well for a man when he has learned to endure what he cannot change, and to give up with dignity what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/it-is-well-for-a-man-when-he-has-learned-to-endure-what-he-cannot/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-art-of-life-is-to-know-how-to-enjoy-a-little-and-to-endure-very/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Life is not a PG feel-good movie. Real life often ends badly. Literature tries to document this reality, while showing us it is still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/life-is-not-a-pg-feel-good-movie-real-life-often-ends-badly/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [It is impossible to build enduring institutions without solid values. For us, the fundamental value is that associated with democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-henrique-cardoso/it-is-impossible-to-build-enduring-institutions-without-solid-values/) [Fernando Henrique Cardoso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-henrique-cardoso/) > [I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-will-love-the-light-for-it-shows-me-the-way-yet-i-will-endure-the/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [“This is how they are able to continue and endure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/this-is-how-they-are-able-to-continue-and-endure/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [There are many who say they want to be victorious Christians, but few are willing to endure the discipline necessary to make one a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-havner/there-are-many-who-say-they-want-to-be-victorious-christians-but-few/) [Vance Havner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-havner/) > [“Whatever befalls us, we will endure it together. 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