The Life of the Waiting Soul in the Intermediate StateSanderson, R. E. (Robert Edward)
Religion
The Life of the Waiting Soul in the Intermediate State
Sanderson, R. E. (Robert Edward)
Intermediate state
There will be revealed also to the soul the true meaning and significance
of GOD'S providences in life, which at the time were overlooked, or
slighted, or strangely misunderstood. Tokens of GOD'S love and care will
then find their interpretation. The soul will see plainly why was this,
wherefore was that, what that sorrow meant, what that loss, that parting
from one who was more dear than life. The many perplexities which on
earth misled the soul, of these the loving mercy and the gracious reason
will then be seen.
And will there not be with the amazing surprise at these revelations a
strange and unaccountable gladness? But, no less, at the thought of the
soul's past blindness and persistence in ill-doing, will there not be an
exquisite pain? And the soul's pain can be even more oppressive than the
pain of the body. "Pain," it may be asked, "in the Presence of Christ?"
Yes, indeed! pain, because in the Presence of Christ; pain in
remembering, and in the consciousness, new to the soul, of its utter
unworthiness before Christ. The soul cannot fully feel it now, but it
will feel it then. The fire of His love will kindle a fire of loving
self-reproach. The weight of a heavy shame to think of the past, and to
know now of His beauty, and His love, and His care, care for so careless
a soul, love for a soul so loveless,--this will sting with an extreme
severity the soul humbled before Him. And here we should do well to
remember that, as the characters of each differ almost infinitely,
whereby there are innumerable shades and degrees of every conceivable
distinction of merit and of sin, so the proportion and depth of the pains
which the souls will feel will vary equally. The pains of no two souls
will be exactly the same. They will be measured out, in subtle and exact
aptness to each, according to its guilt or goodness, precisely as the
process of its purification shall require. There will be nothing unjust,
nothing capricious in them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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