Page:The New View of Hell.djvu/192

 cunning and cruelty. Their life is one of unmitigated selfishness. It is their delight to do all manner of mischief;—to foment hatreds, strifes and divisions;—to stir up envies, jealousies and revenges—to intensify all the worst passions of the human heart;—to blind, and mislead, and if possible make slaves of, all who come within the sphere of their influence.

Such, briefly, is the character of that legion of infernals in the spiritual world, who, taken collectively, are called the Devil. What a contrast to the character of those shining ones in the realms above!

Consider, now, that as to our spirits we are always living in the spiritual world, even while clothed with material flesh and blood; and are actually associated with one or the other class of spirits above described. We may flee the society of persons in the flesh; but we can never be alone. We can never rid ourselves of the society of spirits. Wherever we are, an invisible company attends us—in solitude no less than in society. We do not see them, nor sensibly perceive their influence. Yet their presence is none the less real on that account, nor their influence less positive. We do not hear their voices—certainly not with our outward ears; yet they converse with us during all our waking hours. Through the intricate and mysterious galleries of the soul they whisper to us a blessed gospel of peace and good will—thoughts of kindness, usefulness, justice, mercy, forbear-