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Gen, xxxvii. 35. Jacob, said concerning his son Joseph-"I will go down into 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, xlii. 38. concerning Benjamin Jacob said—“ If mischief befal 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.

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Gen. xliv. 29. Jacob again says-"ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave,' in the same sense as above.

Gen. xliv. 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 preceeding passages. See the quotation from Dr. Campbell above.

Numb. xvi. 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 v. 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? For it is the common opinion, 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, what ever place this was?

Num. xvi. 33. "They and all that appertained to them, (i. e. 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 passage 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 Moses, nor any other sacred writer, intimates any such thing. Mr. Stuart says himself, 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, viz. to Korah and his adherents being swallowed up alive, and thus going down into the under world." Can a particle of evidence be produced, that Moses referred to any thing else?

Deut. xxxii. 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 such a tremendous image, thus to describe them; even a fire, which should burn unto the lowest Sheol. The figure of fire, is common in Scripture to describe God's judgments on men; and as on the Jew

oughtest to do unto him,) but bring NOT down his hoary head to the grave with blood. Now, if the language itself will admit this construction, the sense thus given to the sentence derives a very strong support from the context. For, how did Solomon understand this charge? Did he kill Shimei in consequence of it? Certainly he did not. For, after he had immediately commanded Joab to be slain, in obedience to his father, he sends for Shimei, and, knowing that Shimei ought to be well watched, confines him to a paticular spot in Jerusalem for the remainder of his life. 1 Kings, ii. 36-42. See Kennicott's Remarks, p. 131." Those who wish to see this verse noticed at considerable length, may consult the Christian's Magazine, vol. i p. 172-181. David, could not surely mean, respecting either Joab or Shimei, their hoary head bring thou down to endless misery with blood.

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Job vii. 9. "As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave (Sheol) shall come up no more. The next verse, explains the writer's meaning;-" he shall no more return to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.'

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Job xi. 8. "It is high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than hell (Sheol): what canst thou know?" The antithesis here shews, what is meant by Sheol, for it is contrasted with the heaven for height. The sea, or abyss, is probably alluded to. See verse 7. No man can by searching find out God, any more than he can measure the height of heaven, or the depth of the abyss. Sheol included the abyss, for it was the state of all the dead, whether in the abyss, grave or tomb, etc.

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Job xiv. 13. "Oh that thou wouldest hide me in the grave (Sheol)." The context shews, Job longed for death, to find rest in the grave. No man supposes, Job prayed, that God would hide him in the place of endless misery.

Job xvii. 13. "If I wait, the grave (Sheol) is mine house." I must die at last, and I may as well die now, as at any future period.

Job xvii. 16. " They shall go down to the bars of the pit, (Sheol), when our rest together is in the dust." The grave or sepulchre, is here evidently referred to by Sheol rendered pit. Corruption and the worms were to be with Job there, which he explains to be "in the dust." Not surely in hell, or endless misery.

Job xxi. 13. “They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave (Sheol)." Our translators understood Sheol here to mean grave, and have rendered it so; and the fact stated, we see daily occuring around us. This, is the first of Professor Stuart's five texts, in which he thinks, Sheol-“ may designate the future world of woe." But he places little dependence on it, for he says-" Job xxi. 13, is not altogeter so probable as to afford entire satisfaction. Verses, 17, 18, 21, 30-33, it may be alleged, seem rather to incline the mind to construe Sheol in v. 13 as meaning grave; and so our translators have done." The general usage of Sheol, by his own confession, is also opposed to construing it otherwise than grave.

Job xxiv. 19. “ Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so doth the grave, (Sheol), those which have sinned." This is true of the grave; but does hell, the world of woe, consume those which have sinned?

Job xxvi. 6. "Hell (Sheol) is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering." What is called hell or Sheol in the first part of the verse, is called destruction in the last. Hell here, has the sense of grave, as in the apostles creed, and other texts.

Psal. vi. 5. For in death there is no remembrance of thee; in the grave, (Sheol), who shall give thee thanks." The parallelism here shows, that grave is the meaning of Sheol. The first part of the verse, "in death there is no remembrance of thee," explains what is meant in

the last, "in the grave (Sheol) who shall give thee thanks." Did David expect to go to the world of woe? And who ever supposed, it was a place for praising God?

Ps. ix. 17. "The wicked shall be turned into hell, (Sheol), and all the nations that forget God." This is the second text, on which Professor Stuart depends, that "Sheol may designate the future world of woe." But probably perceiving, that the context stood opposed to such a view of it, he passes it without remark. Dr. Allen gives this text up as teaching future punishment. He says "But probably the punishment expressed, is cutting off from life, destroying from the earth, by some special judgment, and removing to the invisible place of the dead." But there is no text in which the word Sheol occurs, which has been more frequently quoted than this, to prove that by hell, is meant a place of misery for the wicked. The wicked are the persons spoken of, and they are said to be turned into hell, with all the nations that forget God. Plausible as this appears, we have only to consult the context, to see that no such idea was intended by the writer. The Psalm in which the words stand, is treating of God's temporal judgments upon the heathen nations. We think if verses 15-20, are consulted, this will sufficienly appear. What leads people to think, that this passage refers to eternal misery, is, the false idea which they have attached to the word hell. But surely no one, who has attended to all the texts, can continue to believe that Sheol here, has such a meaning. It is the same hell into which the wicked are turned, which Jacob said he would go down to Joseph mourning. is the same hell in which the Savior's soul was not left. It is the same hell David prayed the wicked might go down quick, or alive into. When I can believe that David prayed the wicked might go down alive to a place of endless misery, and that Korah and his company did

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