rejection of his gracious invitation were but venial sins. It is frequently pleaded that even Protestants affirm that "Christ descended into hell," and regard the statement sufficiently important to be formally avowed as a matter of belief. The reference is to "the Creed" of the Church of England. It is not my business to defend that confession. I never use it. But there is a single passage of Scripture which in our translation seems to favour the idea, and but one, and that claims attention. The apostle Peter in his discourse on the day of Pentecost, quotes from Psalms xvi. 10, the sentence, "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell." It is all but universally admitted, that the word here rendered "hell," simply denotes the grave, or the separate state; and that the word translated " my soul," is intended to designate that life which the Redeemer surrendered on the cross. It teaches no such absurd idea as that the Saviour when he expired descended to the abodes of the lost.

The last Scripture we have to examine is Matt. v. 25. "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whilst thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison." The prison they say is purgatory. But this cannot be, because the sinful anger which our Lord reproves, is expressly enumerated by the church of Rome as one of the seven mortal

sins. The language is entirely metaphorical, and cannot therefore be made the foundation of any doctrine, not plainly taught in other parts of the word of God.

I shall now proceed to expose the erroneous nature and dangerous tendency of this pernicious sentiment; a sentiment opposed to many of the essential truths of the gospel, and which has often been made the instrument of cruel extortion, in the season of bereavement.

The

1st, It is founded on most dangerous and delusive views of the nature and desert of sin. Roman Catholic Church sets up a distinction between venial and mortal sin. The following statements of the celebrated Dr. Doyle on the subject, will place it in the clearest light, and will be sufficient to defend me from the charge of misresentation. According to his catechism taught to Roman Catholics in Ireland, "a venial sin is a sin which does not break charity between man and man, much less between man and God, such as the stealing of an apple, a pin, &c." or as it is in the Abridgement of Christian Doctrine. Q. Whither go such as die in mortal sin? 4. "To hell to all eternity, as you have heard in the creed." Q. "Whither go such as die in venial sin, or not having fully satisfied for the temporal punishments due to their mortal sins, which are forgiven them?" A. "To purgatory, till they have made full satisfaction for them, and then to

heaven." Q. "By what kind of sins are the commandments broken?" A. "By mortal sin only; for venial sins are not, strictly speaking, contrary to the 'end of the commandments,' which is charity." Q. "When is a theft a mortal sin?" A. "When the thing stolen is of considerable value, or causeth a considerable hurt to our neighbour." Q. "When is a lie a mortal sin?" A. "When it is any great dishonour to God, or notable prejudice to our neighbour." You scarcely need to be reminded that no such distinction as this exists in the Bible. If it were once admitted the most dangerous consequences would ensue. Men would soon bring themselves to believe their most flagrant transgressions to be venial sins. "The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." We are especially

warned to beware lest we become "hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." No right views of the way of salvation can be expected, if sin be not known, and felt to be "exceeding sinful."

Still we admit that all sins are not in themselves equally atrocious, that there are sins of infirmity, and sins that more strongly indicate the entire and habitual alienation of the heart from God, yet let us not forget that all sin is rebellion against God. "Sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John iii. 4. "Whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all." James ii. 10. "The soul that sinneth

it shall die." Ezek. xviii. 4. “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." Gal. iii. 10. The same law that denounces the sinful actions of the life, condemns the sinful inclination and purposes of the heart. "The thought of foolishness is sin." Prov. xxiv, 9. Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment." Matt. xiii. 36. There is not one of the human race exempt from the charge of mortal sin. From the rising of the sun to the going down thereof, "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Rom. iii. 23. Thus we see that the Scripture has concluded all under sin-all under mortal sin. "For " without distinction, and without exemption of any kind, "the wages of sin is death." Rom. vi. 23. Whither then shall the awakened sinner seek for pardon end salvation? What is the resource of the humble penitent overwhelmed with the bitter sense of his transgressions? Where shall the Christian contending with inherent evil, and bewailing his daily infirmities, expect relief? To each and all we reply, "Behold! the Lamb of God." There is but one fountain-"The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." While the greatest sin is not so great that the precious blood of Christ cannot cancel it, the least sin not expiated by the one atonement of Calvary, will

be found great enough, to ensure the eternal ruin of the soul.

2nd. The doctrine of Purgatory is a denial of the necessity and efficacy of the atonement of our glorious Redeemer. If man by personal suffering could satisfy for his sins, why did the Son of God become incarnate? Why did he who knew no sin make his own soul a sin offering? Why did he make himself of no reputation, and take upon himself the form of a servant? Why did he submit to the lowest humiliation and endure the bitterest reproach? Why encounter the terrors of Gethsemane, and the ignominious agony and death of Calvary? But it is no more possible for man to satisfy for his transgressions than for the blood of bulls or of goats-the typical sacrifices of the ceremonial law, to take away sin. The whole tenor of Scripture proclaims the utter inability of man to meet the righteous claims of eternal justice, or as a sinner to secure by his merits or sufferings acceptance with God. "Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou. If thou sinnest, what doest "thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him? If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he at thy hand?" Job xxxv. 5—7. “Wherewithal shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year