Now as this volume of flame, denominated the _Sun_, is the _only_ source of fire; and as fire seems to us one of the controlling elements of nature, and pervades all things, and God rained down fire and destroyed those cities, and also sent down fire and destroyed those who offered incense on a strange altar, we plainly see where the fire is that is to be the punishment of the wicked. That it is said "fire came down from heaven," or "out of heaven," does not vitiate, but rather confirms our hypothesis. For God is omnipresent, and dwells in _all_ heavens, and, from that region, _that permanent source of fire_, He commanded--doubtless--the concentration of the rays of the Sun, and it thus came at His command from heaven, and fell as flame of fire. But to prove that our hypothesis as to the location of hell is correct, we direct your mind again to the narrative of the Saviour, of the rich man in _hell_, and Lazarus in Abraham's bosom. That Abraham was in heaven no one can doubt, while we are plainly told that the rich man was "_in hell_," and, although "afar off," yet within speaking distance. How far distant the voice of _spirit_ can be heard, no one in mortality can know. We know that on this earth sound is limited because of the density of the atmosphere, and we realize even here that when the atmosphere is the more rarified, the greater the distance of sound. It is computed that the condensed, or earth-atmosphere, extends outward from the earth about forty miles. When we have passed this stratum, and have gained space in the _ethereal atmosphere_, it may be possible that the same volume of voice we are accustomed to here, might be heard thousands, or even millions of miles distant from us. Heat rarifies atmosphere as we here realize by the influence of the sun. If the addition of a few rays of the sun will dissipate the dense clouds, and so materially rarify our atmosphere at the distance of ninety-five millions of miles, what may we suppose the condition of the atmosphere ninety millions of miles nearer its source? Therefore, we may readily believe that although Dives, and Abraham, were far apart--possibly thousands of miles--yet they could see and converse with each other. You will remember that astronomers inform us that there seems a volume of non-luminous atmosphere, or void, between the outer phostosphere of fire and the body of that _inner globe_ (which globe we believe is heaven). Now remember the words of Father Abraham, "Beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulph fixed; so that they who would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us that would come from thence." Is not here conclusive evidence that the two places--heaven and hell--are not in far distant regions from each other?