to the goodness or badness of the persons, their happiness or misery. It follows, of course, that wherever these two words are used in Scripture, though translated by the word hell, we ought not to understand a place of misery to be meant by the inspired writers.

2d. It establishes, also, that our English word hell, in its primitive signification, perfectly corresponded to Hades and Sheol, and did not, as it now does, signify a place of misery. It denoted only what was secret or concealed. What we wish to be noticed here, is, that people, generally, have connected the idea of misery with the word hell; but it is evident that it is a very false association. It is beyond all controversy that the word is changed from its original signification to express this idea.

3d. It is also obvious from the above quotation, and from other authors which might be quoted, that Gehenna is the word which is supposed to express the idea of a place of endless misery. The correctness of this opinion we shall consider afterwards. At present it need only be observed, that if the opinion be correct, it is somewhat surprising that the English word hell must assume a new sense to accommodate it with a name. Nor was this the original sense of the term Gehenna, as I shall show afterwards.

4th. I add, in regard to the statements made in the above quotation, that they are not opinions broached by a Universalist in support of his system. No; they are the statements of Dr. Campbell, who was not a Universalist. Nor are they his opinions alone, but admitted as correct by learned orthodox critics and commentators. In Mr. E. J. Chapman's critical and explanatory notes, we find very similar statements made, on Acts 2: 27, which, to save room, I forbear transcribing.

5th. It is now generally conceded that the doctrine of endless punishment is not taught in the Old Testament. Mr. Stuart does not pretend that it is taught there; but thinks that probably future punishment may be taught in five texts. Was it then brought to light by

the Gospel? The doctrine of endless punishment was current among the heathen nations long before the appearance of Christ. But who revealed it to heathen nations, yet left the Jewish nation in ignorance concerning it? If it is said it originated in early revelations which are now lost, I ask, how happened it that the heathen knew so much and the Jews so little about it? And if Moses, learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, believed that the doctrine of endless misery originated in lost revelations, why did he not teach it in his writings? But how could he refrain from teaching it, had he believed it true? The Jews could not avoid endless misery, for they knew nothing about it; they died, went down to hell, and the first notice they had of its existence was the awful consciousness that they were doomed to its hopeless tortures. Surely, then, if there is such a place, the Jews have reason to thank the heathen, notwithstanding God prohibited all intercourse with them.

It being admitted that the Old Testament does not teach endless punishment, we will inquire whether it teaches future punishment. We will begin our examination by considering the passages where Sheol occurs.

Genesis 37:35. Jacob said, concerning his son Joseph, "I will go down unto the grave (Sheol), unto my son, mourning." Grave is here the correct rendering of Sheol, for surely no one thinks Jacob believed Joseph had gone to hell, and that he also expected to go down to the same place of misery. But Dr. Allen says, "It is altogether probable that he (Jacob) had reference to the abode of departed spirits, where he hoped to meet his son. But our translators, by using the word grave, have excluded this important and interesting idea, annihilated the strong hopes of paternal affection and enlightened piety." But what is it which makes this probable? for there is not a text in the Bible which says Sheol is "the abode of departed spirits," or even names "" departed spirits."

Gen. 42:38. Concerning Benjamin, Jacob said, "If

mischief befall him by the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave (Sheol)." Evidently grave, in the same sense as the preceding passage.

Gen. 44: 29. Jacob again says, "Ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave," in the same sense as above.

Gen. 44:31. Judah, in making a speech for the liberation of Benjamin, said, "Thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave (Sheol). Obviously grave, as in the three preceding passages. See the quotation from Dr. Campbell.

Numb. 16:30. Moses said, concerning Korah and his company, "But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit (Sheol)." If Sheol, here rendered pit, means hell in its common acceptation, then Korah, his company, and all appertaining to them, went down alive there. But what is meant is explained, verse 32, by "the earth opening her mouth and swallowing them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods." They were swallowed up as whole cities have been by an earthquake. Who believes that people go down alive, soul and body, to hell, or endless misery? The common opinion teaches that no bodies go there until after the resurrection. Besides, did those persons, houses, and their goods, go there with them? for all went down into the pit, whatever place that was.

Numb. 16:33. "They and all that appertained to them (that is, Korah and his company), went down alive into the pit (Sheol); and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation." The sense here is the same as in the chapter preceding. But in reference to both these passages, it is said by Professor Stuart, "That Korah and his company went to the world of woe, there can be but little if any reason to

doubt, considering their character and the nature of their crime." This is being wise above what is written, for neither Moses nor any other sacred writer intimates any such thing. Mr. Stuart says, in the very next sentence, "But the words of Moses, in this place, seem to refer primarily to the event which was about to take place, namely, to Korah and his company being swallowed up alive, and thus going down into the under world." Can a particle of evidence be produced that Moses referred to anything else?

Deut. 32: 22. "For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell (Sheol), and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains." Moses is here foretelling God's judgments on the Jewish nation; and it required strong imagery to describe them. The figure of fire is common in Scripture to describe God's judgments on men; and as on the Jewish nation came all the righteous blood shed on the earth, so here the description of their punishment is set forth by a fearful fire. But if by the lowest hell we understand a place of endless misery, there must be three divisions of it, for the lowest hell supposes some hells above it, and all these hells must be burnt through for this fire to reach it. But who believes this? Besides, it may be asked, was David ever in this lowest hell? For he says to God, "Thou hast delivered my soul (me) from the lowest hell," Psalm 86:13. I may add, no intimation is here given, or anywhere else, that in this lowest hell any persons are suffering misery.

1 Sam. 2:6. "The Lord killeth and maketh alive; he bringeth down to the grave (Sheol), and bringeth up." Grave, or state of the dead, is evidently the meaning of Sheol here, as the two parts of the verse show. The words in the last part, "He bringeth down to Sheol and bringeth up," answer to the words in the first, "The Lord killeth, and maketh alive." Indeed, who believes that the Lord brings men up from Sheol, or hell, in the

popular sense of this term? and yet, if Sheol means hell, it is here plainly asserted.

2 Sam. 22:6. "The sorrows of hell (Sheol), compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me," or came upon me. The parallelism, here, shows what is meant. In the first part of the verse, "The sorrows of hell (Sheol) compassed me about," is explained by the second, "the snares of death prevented me." "Sorrows of Sheol," and "snares of death," express the same idea. See on Psalm 18: 5, below.

let י

1 Kings 2:6. David charged Solomon thus, "Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his (Joab's) hoar head go down to the grave (Sheol) in peace; him die, according to the laws, a violent death for the crimes he hath committed. Solomon could not send Joab to hell.

1 Kings 2:9. David charged Solomon thus concerning Shimei, "But his hoar head bring thou down to the grave (Sheol) with blood." No fault is generally found with David, in charging Solomon respecting Joab, but he has often been blamed for cruelty towards Shimei. I quote the following from the Missionary Magazine, vol. vii., p. 333, which places his conduct in a different light. It is there said, "David is here represented, in our English version, as finishing his life, with giving a command to Solomon to kill Shimei; and to kill him on account of that very crime for which he had sworn to him, by the Lord, he would not put him to death. The behavior thus imputed to the king and prophet should be examined very carefully as to the ground it stands upon. When the passage is duly considered, it will appear highly probable that an injury has been done to this illustrious character. It is not uncommon, in the Hebrew language, to omit the negative in a second part of a sentence, and to consider it as repeated when it has been once expressed, and is followed by the connecting particle. The necessity of so very considerable an alteration as inserting the particle NOT, may be here confirmed