soul, any region it inhabits without the body *. * Of this opinion was Pearson, (vol. i. p. 352), who says, "The word which the Psalmist used in Hebrew, and the Apostle in Greek, and is translated Hell, doth certainly, in some other places, signify no more than the grave, and is translated so." And in the next paragraph, "Now being, the soul is sometimes taken for the body deserted by the soul; and Hell is sometimes taken for the grave, the receptacle for the body dead." Though he does not admit that such interpretation can be given to the article of the Creed, which he is there discussing. Also, Burnet, p. 73. At 3. And Warburton, Divine Legation, vol. v. p. 281. Also, Tomline's Elements, on Article the 3d. vol. ii. p. 156. I shall now give the opinions of several writers, and unless I greatly err, their inferences from Scripture will prove in favour of Hades, not being in the depths of the earth, but in some region distinct from this world, and of its being the place appointed for the reception of the soul after death until the day of judgment. They will likewise tend to show that two such places exist, one for the souls of the righteous, the other for the souls of the damned; where the former are in bliss, the latter in misery. In support of the first opinion, that the Hades of the blessed is not in the depths of this earth, I shall quote Bishop Pearson, who, in his discussion on the fifth article of the Creed, (Vol. I. p. 368), says, "But there is no certainty that the souls of the just, the Patriarchs, and the rest of the people of God, were kept in any place below, which was or may be called Hell. The bosom of Abraham might well be in the heavens above, far from any region where the devil and his angels were; the Scriptures no where tell us that the spirits of just men went unto or did remain in Hell; the place where the rich man was in torments after death is called Hell, but that into which the angels carried the poor man's soul is not termed so. There was a vast distance between the two, nor is it likely that the angels who see the face of God should be sent down from heaven to convey the souls of the just into that place where the face of God cannot be seen. When God translated Enoch, and Elias was carried up in a chariot to heaven, they seem not to be conveyed to a place where there was no vision of God." To these scriptural references of that great and learned divine may be added, the declaration of St. Stephen, who "looked up stedfastly into heaven," and exclaimed, 66 Behold I see the 66 heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Acts vii. 55.) And Stephen when dying called, saying, Lord Jesus receive my spirit." Since this noble martyr was supported in his dying hour by a glorious vision, and was inspired, and "full of faith and wonders," we may conclude, that his spirit was received by his Redeemer in that place, where St. Paul assures us" are the spirits of just men made perfect," (1 Heb. xii. 23.) and which is the same place where he was "" caught up into Paradise, |