XII.
PRACTICAL BEARINGS OF THE QUESTION.
BESIDES this outer world of matter, there is another realm of being;—a world of spirits, both good and evil;—a heaven of angels and a hell of devils. Nor is this realm remote from the world in which we are now living and acting, but intimately present with it, interpenetrating every part of it, as the soul of man pervades and animates every part of his body.
In the midst of this viewless host our own souls live and breathe and act. With one or another class of spirits we internally hold close companionship; and are powerfully influenced by them for good or for evil. Neither heaven nor hell are far-away, but present and potential realities—none the less so because their denizens are invisible to the natural eye. And the moment this fact is recognized, the important practical bearings of the subject discussed in these pages, becomes apparent. For if hell be a present reality, or if it can come near to men and exert upon them a potent influence, it is important that we understand its nature.
And all who accept the Sacred Scripture as a revelation from God, must recognize this fact. For on almost
