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similar exertions to save them from it as are used in the present day? No: God suffered all nations to walk after their own ways. If the doctrine of eternal misery was known and believed in those days, is it not very unaccountable, that so many ages should pass away, before God commanded the Gospel to be preached to every creature, and before those who knew the danger, to which men ignorant of it were exposed, should use exertions to save them from it. If the doctrine be false, we may cease to wonder at this, but if it be true, it is not easy to reconcile these things with the well known character of God, and the feelings of every good man. What an immense multitude of human beings, during four thousand years, must have lived and died ignorant that such a place of misery awaited them in a future state. It is evident, that both Jews and Gentiles, during the above period, were often threatened with, yea, suffered temporal punishment. God raised up, and sent prophets to warn them of his judgments against them. I am then totally at a stand, what to think, or what to say, in justification of God's character, the character of the prophets sent by him, yea, of all good men in those days, that, knowing eternal misery awaited every heathen, yea, every wicked Jew, that nothing should be said to them on this subject. Jonah was sent to Nineveh, and the sum of his message was," yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown." But did he either receive, or did he deliver any message to them, that their souls were in danger of eternal misery? Nothing like this; and every one who has read the Old Testament knows, that this is only a single example from many more I might adduce. The very reason why Jonah refused to go to Nineveh was, he knew that God was a merciful God, and would spare Nineveh. After he did go, his pride was hurt, because

God did not destroy the city as he had predicted. His peevish disposition was sufficiently manifested about this; but not a word escapes him that the Ninevites were exposed to endless punishment. I may go further and ask, can an instance, a single instance be produced from the Old Testament, where a prophet of the Lord, was ever sent to any people to warn them against eternal misery in a place called hell?

Yea, I go further, and ask, if any man can produce a single instance where a false prophet ever endeavoured to make gain to himself, by the doctrine of eternal misery from any being in the universe of God. I do not find that either true or false prophets did so under that dispensation, or that this doctrine was known and believed by a single individual. As men were not threatened with such a punishment, so none were ever congratulated as being saved from it. As it was never held up to deter men from sin while ignorant of God, so it was never urged on believers to stimulate them to gratitude and obedience to God in delivering them from it. Is it possible then, that this doctrine of eternal misery could be believed, yet all remain silent on the subject? If no revelation was given about it, how could men avoid such a punishment? If a revelation was given, how is it to be accounted for, that it is not mentioned by one of the Old Testament writers? If it is mentioned by any of them under any other name than Sheol, I am ignorant of it; nor is this even pretended by those who believe the doctrine.

I am fully aware, that there are two or three passages in the Old Testament commonly quoted, showing that eternal punishment was threatened under that dipensation. For example, Dan. xii. 2. is perhaps the most plausible that can be adduced :-" and many of them that sleep

in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

All I shall say of this text here, is, that were I fully convinced that the doctrine of eternal misery was true, I never could quote this passage in support of it. To assign my reasons here, would be aside from the present investigation. See note at the end of this chapter.

5th, Another fact deserving our notice, is, that the liv ing in speaking of their dead friends, never speak as if they were to be separated from them after death, but always as associated with them. This appears to have been the case, whether the persons were good or bad. An instance I believe to the contrary, cannot be produced, where a person ever expressed himself, as if he expected after death to be separated, and separated from his friends forever. But it is well known, that persons in our day, not only expect to be separated from many of their friends forever, but even say, that they shall give their hearty amen to their everlasting condemnation. Yea, it is even said, that the happiness of those in heaven is to be greatly enhanced, by their looking down on those in eternal torments, in seeing the smoke of it ascend forever and ever. This was once the current popular divinity, and though not yet altogether out of use, yet I am happy to say, the more thinking and sober minded reject it. As an individual I would say, the feelings it exhibits, are more like the feelings of a fiend than a human being, and from such a heaven as this may the good Lord deliver me. In regard to good feelings I should not better my condition by going to heaven.

But to return; it may be asked, is it true, that persons under the Old Testament expected to be associated with their deceased friends after death? I do not recol

lect a single instance to the contrary, and shall here quote the following in proof of the assertion.

Jahn, in his Biblical Archæology, p. 234, thus writes: "The Hebrews regarded life as a journey, as a pilgrimage on the face of the earth. The traveller, as they supposed, when he arrived at the end of this journey, which happened when he died, was received into the company of his ancestors, who had gone before him, Gen. xxv, 8.; xxxv. 29.; xxxvii. 35.; Psalm xxxix. 12. Comp. Heb. xi. 13, 15. Eccles. xii. 7. Reception into the presence of God at death is asserted in only two passages of the Old Testament, viz. Hag. ii. 23. and Eccles.

xii. 7.

"Opinions of this kind, viz. (that life is a journey, that death is the end of that journey, and that, when one dies, he mingles with the hosts who have gone before,) are the origin and ground of such phrases, as the following: to be gathered to one's people, voy x 87, Numb. xx. 24, 26. Deut. xxxii. 50. Gen. xxv. 8, 9.; xxxv. 29.; xlix. 29. Jer. viii. 2.; xxv. 33. and to go to one's fathers, 18, Gen. xv. 15.; xxxvii. 35. This visiting of the fathers, has reference to the immortal part, and is clearly distinguished, in many of the passages above quoted, from the mere burial of the body. Examine Gen. xxxvii. 35.

"A person, when dying, was said to go, to depart, or to be dismissed, rogueras, Badiles, aπonvert, 7, Tob. iii. 6. 13. John vii. 33.; viii. 21.; xvi. 16, 17. 2 Cor. v. 6-9. Phil. i. 13. 2 Tim. iv. 6. Luke ii. 29.; xxii. 22. comp. the Septuagint in Gen. xv. 2, 15. and Numb. xx. 26. In those parts of the bible which were written at a comparatively recent period, there occur such expressions as the following; to sleep among one's fathers, max by D,

2 Sam. vii. 12. 1 Kings xi. 21. and in all

parts of the

bible, such as the following, to give up the ghost, and no

longer to be or exist, in Hebrew ya 18, Gen. xlii. 13. Numb. xx. 3, 29. Gen. xxxi. 15. Psalm xxxvii. 10, 36.; xxxix. 13.; ciii. 16. Mark xv. 37.

"Some suppose that the expressions and descriptions which oocur in Gen. v. 24. Eccles. xliv. 16. Wisdom iv. 10. Heb. xi. 5. and 2 Kings ii. 12. are of a poetical character, which convey, when truly interpreted, no other idea than that of natural death.

"Sometimes the Hebrews regarded death, as a friendly messenger, but they were more frequently inclined to dread him, as a formidable enemy. Impressed with a sense of the terrors, which were the consequence of his visitations, their imaginations imparted to him a poetical existence in the character of a hunter, armed him with a dart or javelin, xEVTgov, with a net, DD, and with a snare,

Thus equipped, this מוקשי מות חבלי מות חבלי שאול. פחים

fearful invader commenced his artifices against the children of men, and when he had taken them captive, slew them, 2 Sam. xxvi. 6. Psalm xviii. 5, 6.; cxvi. 3. 1 Cor. XV. 55, 56.

"The wild fancy of some of the poets went still further, and represented Death no, as the king of the lower world, and fitted up for him a subterranean palace, denominated Sheol and Hades, xw, 'Adys, in which he exercised sovereignty over all men, (including kings and warriors) who had departed from this upper state of existence. This place occurs also under the phrases, ny, and αι πύλαι του άδου, the gates of Death and Hades, Job xxxviii. 17. Psalm ix. 13.; xlix. 15.; cvii. 18. Isai. xxxviii. 10, 18. Matth. xvii. 18. Such are the attributes of this place, its situation, its ruler, and its subjects, that it might very justly be denominated Death's royal palace : comp. 2 Sam. xv. 2.

"Mention is made of the rivers of Hades in Ps. xviii. 4, 5.

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