had a house in heaven — not like the present perishable taber- nacle, but one not made with hands, and eternal, v. 1. He looked forward to the things unseen, because in his present tabernacle he groaned, desiring to enter his heavenly habita- tion. He longed to be unclothed that he might be clothed upon with his house which is from heaven, vs. 2-4. This con- fidence he owed to God, who had given him the Holy Spirit as a pledge of his salvation, v. 5. Having this indwelling of the Spirit he was always in good courage, knowing that as soon as he should be absent from the body, he would be pres- ent with the Lord, vs. 6-8. Therefore his great desire was to please him, before whose tribunal he and all other men were to appear to receive according to their works, vs. 9. 10.
1. For we know that if our eartlilj house of (this) tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
The connection between this passage and the preceding chapter is plain. Our light afiiictions, Paul had said, Avork out for us an eternal weight of glory, for we know that even if our earthly house perishes, we have an everlasting habita- tion in heaven. The general sense also of the whole of the following paragraph is clear. The apostle expresses the as- surance that a blessed state of existence awaited him after death. There is, however, no little difficulty in determining the precise meaning of the figurative language here employed. Few passages in Paul's writings have awakened a deeper or more general interest, because it treats of the state of the soul after death; a subject about which every man feels the liveli- est concern, not only for himself, but in behalf of those dear to him. Where are those who sleep in Jesus before the resur- rection ? What is the condition of a redeemed soul when it leaves the body ? These are questions about which no Chris- tian can be indifferent. If Paul here answers those inquiries, the passage must have peculiar value to all the people of God. This, however, is the very point about which the greatest dif- ficulty exists. There are three views taken of the passage ; that is, three different answers are given to the question. What is that building into which the soul enters when the present body is dissolved? 1. The first answer is, that the house not made with hands is heaven itself. 2. That it is the