Application. Give thanks to God with your wh heart for having taken the form of a servant, and come a poor child for the love of you; especia when you hear the Angelus-bell ring in the morni at noon, and at night. Resolve also to perform your actions in the manner you know Jesus did H If you do this, you will be sure to please God, wheth you be rich or poor. (Feast of the Nativity of Lord, or Christmas day.)

THE FOURTH ARTICLE.

'Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.'

(See Short Hist. of Rel. §§ 25, 26.)

1. What does the Fourth Article of the Creed tea us?

It teaches us that Jesus Christ suffered for us, di on the cross, and was laid in the grave.

2. Did Christ really die?

Yes; His soul was truly separated from His bod 3. Was His Divinity also separated from it? No; the Divine Person always remained insepar bly united with His body and with His soul.

4. Why did Christ will to be buried?

In order that His death might be the more und niable, and His resurrection the more glorious a credible.

5. Did Christ suffer as God or as man?

Christ suffered as man—that is, according to H human nature.

6. Was Christ compelled to suffer death?

No; Christ suffered death of His own free wil ́ He was offered, because it was His own will' (Isai liii. 7).

'I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, a delivered Himself for me' (Gal. ii. 20; comp. John x. 17, 1 and xviii. 4-9).

7. Why was it the will of Christ to suffer and die? In order to satisfy the Divine Justice for our sins, and thereby to redeem and save us (p. 100, q. 91–93).

By His voluntary obedience unto the death of the cross Christ has given full, nay, superabundant satisfaction to the Divine Majesty for the manifold offences given to Him by our disobedience, and thus He has redeemed us from the eternal punishment which we had deserved. Therefore St. Paul says (Rom. v. 19): As by the disobedience of one man [Adam], many were made sinners; so also by the obedience of One [Jesus Christ], many shall be made just.' And St. Peter (1 Pet. ii. 22, 24): Who did no sin, who His ownself bore our sins in His body upon the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live to justice; by whose stripes you were healed.' And Isaias (liii. 4, 5): Surely He hath borne our infirmities, and carried our sorrows. But He was wounded for our iniquities, He was bruised for our sins.'

་

8. For what sins has Christ given satisfaction?

For the sins of the whole world' (1 John ii. 2)— namely, for original sin and all the other sins of mankind.

9. Why could no one but Christ make full reparation for our sins?

Because the offence given to the infinite Majesty of God demanded a satisfaction of infinite value, which Christ alone was able to give.

'No brother can redeem, nor shall man redeem: he shall not give to God his ransom. Nor the price of the redemption of his soul and shall labor for ever, and shall still live unto the end' (Ps. xlviii. 8, 9).

10. Why is the satisfaction of Christ of infinite value?

It is of infinite value because a Divine Person made it; for the greater the dignity of the person who satisfies, the greater also is the value and merit of the satisfaction.

11. Was it necessary for a perfect satisfaction that Christ should suffer such indescribable torments?

No; for even the least suffering of a God-Man would in itself have been satisfactory, because each of His works is of infinite value.

12. Why, then, would He suffer so much?

In order that we might be the more sensible of the greatness of His love, and of the punishment which sin deserves; and also that we might bear our cross the more patiently.

13. From what has Christ redeemed us by his sufferings and death?

He has redeemed us, 1. From sin; 2. From the slavery of the devil, who had subdued us by sin; and 3. From eternal damnation, which we have deserved by sin.

1. 'He hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood' (Apoc. i. 5). 2. He Himself hath been partaker of flesh and blood, that, through death, He might destroy him who had the empire of death-that is to say, the devil' (Hebr. ii. 14). 3. God hath not appointed us unto wrath [damnation], but unto the purchasing of salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us' (1 Thess. v. 9, 10).

14. What more has Christ gained for us through His sufferings and death?

He has, 1. Reconciled us with God; 2. Reopened Heaven to us; and 3. Merited abundant graces for us, in order to enable us to lead a holy life and to obtain eternal happiness.

1. 'When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son' (Rom. v. 10). 2. Having therefore, brethren, a confidence in the entering into the Holies [Heaven] by the blood of Christ; a new and living way which He hath dedicated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh' (Hebr. x. 19, 20). 3. God hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places [things] in Christ, according to the riches of His grace, which hath superabounded in us' (Eph. i. 3,7, 8; comp. Rom. v. 15-21).

15. Has Christ merited grace and eternal salvation for those only who are really saved?

No; He has merited it for all men without exception, as He died also for all without exception (2 Cor. v. 14, 15).

'Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a redemption for all' (1 Tim. ii. 6).

16. If Christ has merited eternal salvation for all men, why, then, are not all saved?

Because not all do, on their part, what is necessary for obtaining salvation; that is, because they do not all believe, keep the Commandments, and use the means of grace.

"He [Christ] became to all that obey Him the cause of eternal salvation' (Hebr. v. 9).—Example of Št. Paul (Col. i. 24). 'He who made you without your concurrence, will not save you without it' (St. Augustine)

Application. Oh! that you would never forget how much Jesus has loved you, and what He has suffered for you. For out of mercy, and 'for His exceeding charity wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins' (Eph. ii. 4, 5), He has redeemed us through His most bitter Passion and death, and has placed us in the kingdom of His grace.

Let this charity of Christ urge you to live unto Him who died for you, and rose again (2 Cor. v. 14, 15). (Devotion to the Sufferings of Christ; the Way of the Cross, or Stations; Visiting the Holy Sepulchre in Holy-week; Abstinence on Fridays, etc.)

THE FIFTH ARTICLE.

'He descended into hell, the third day He rose again from the dead.'

(See Short Hist. of Rel. § 27.)

1. What means, 'He descended into hell' ? That the soul of Jesus Christ, after His death, descended into 'Limbo '-i.e., to the place where the souls of the just who died before Christ were detained, and were waiting for the time of their redemption.

'He was put to death indeed in the flesh, but enlivened in the spirit; in which also coming He preached to those spirits that were in prison'-that is, announced to them their redemption (1 Pet. iii. 18, 19).

2. Why were the souls of the just detained in

Because Heaven was closed through sin, and first to be opened by Christ (Hebr. ix. 6-8).

3. Why did Christ descend into Limbo?

1. To comfort and set free the souls of the ju and 2. To show forth His power and majesty e there in the lower regions (Phil. ii. 10).

4. What means, the third day He rose again f the dead' ?

That on the third day after His death Christ united, by His own power, His soul to His body He had foretold, and rose again from the gr (Easter day.)

'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it But He spoke of the temple of His body' (John ii. 19, 21; c John x. 18).

5. How did Christ rise again?

He came forth glorious and immortal from grave, secured as it was by a heavy stone, and gu ed by soldiers.

6. Did Christ no longer retain in His glor body any mark of His sufferings?

He still retained, in His hands, feet, and side, marks of His wounds; therefore He said to Thor 'Put in thy finger hither [into the place of the na and see my hands; and bring hither thy hand, put it into my side' (John xx. 27).

7. Why has He still retained these marks?

1. In testimony of His victory over hell; 2. 4 proof that He rose again in the very same bod which He had suffered; and 3. To show them on day of judgment, for the consolation of the just for the confusion of the wicked.

8. Whence do we know that Christ rose from dead?

From the testimony of His Apostles and His ciples, who often saw Him after His resurrect touched Him, ate, spoke, and conversed with I