Many Mansions in the Life to Come

The Wisdom of Israel, by Edwin Collins, [1910], at sacred-texts.com

MANY MANSIONS IN THE LIFE TO COME.

"And a man goeth to his everlasting home" (Eccles. xii. 5).

The preacher does not say to "an everlasting home," but "his everlasting home," in order to teach that for every individual righteous man there is a special home in the world to come.

This may be likened to a king who entered a district accompanied by the governors of districts in his dominions, his counsellors, many high officers of state, and a numerous retinue. They all entered by one gate, but as soon as they were in the chief city, they were all led to different quarters. Some were lodged in palaces and some in mansions, and some in more humble quarters—each according to his rank and the honour due to him. So it is with the righteous that enter the kingdom of Heaven. All must enter through the one gate of death; but the lot of each one is according to his merit. The degree of the repentant sinner is higher than that of the righteous, for they have tasted the sweets of sin, and virtue has been attained with greater sacrifice and effort.