Page:The Last Judgement and Second Coming of the Lord Illustrated.djvu/102

 things from the souls of men which are contrary to their predominating love and characters. This is effected by the merciful providence of the Lord opening out "the book of life," which pertains to every individual; separating the good from the evil by which he may be distinguished, and bringing that which predominates of either into the fulness of its existence. It is thus that the spirits of just men are made perfect; and where from him who hath not is taken away that which he seemeth to have.

These reasonable considerations are, in addition, plentifully confirmed by the evidence of Scripture. They are clearly indicated by the terms sheol in the Old Testament, and hades in the New. These two words of the original are by no means satisfactorily rendered in our version of the Scriptures. Sometimes they are translated grave, and sometimes hell, which every one perceives to be two very distinct things; and the consequence is that a frequent confusion of thought upon the subject is induced. The word sheol is sometimes surrounded with expressions which clearly show that hell could not have been intended by it; in these cases, because the translators did not acknowledge an intermediate state, they have rendered it by the expression grave, which, however, the very same surroundings clearly show cannot have been its true meaning. For instance, Jacob, in his grief occasioned by the reported death of his son Joseph, said, "I will go down to sheol to my son, mourning." Here it was readily perceived that hell could not have been the place referred to, and, therefore, the word grave was adopted. But who does not see that the patriarch could never have expected to find his son in any natural sepulchre, to which he himself might be consigned. Joseph had not been interred: the report was