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Sea of your own blood, without journeying through a tedious wilderness, entered immediately into the land of promise,-Pray for the souls, &c.

'Blessed confessors, who, despising the vanities here below, and placing your affections entirely on the joys above, are already arrived at the full possession of all your wishes,-Pray for the souls, &c.

'Blessed virgins, who, watching continually with your lamps prepared, were ready at the first voice of the chaste Spouse of heaven, to enter with him into the marriage chamber,-Pray for the souls, &c.

'O all ye holy saints, who, not retaining at your death the least irregular adherence to any creature, were perfectly capable of an immediate union with your Creator,-Pray for the souls, &c.'

In the same Litany we have a description of the dreadful prison and inexpressible torments of Purgatory. And, surely, when Protestants read it, they should lift up their hearts in gratitude to God, that they are taught the way of salvation "more perfectly.” What can the sufferings of Purgatory add to the agony of the Saviour in Gethsemane and Calvary? Was not that bitter agony sufficient to make atonement for sin ? Has not Christ "redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us?" (Gal. iii. 13.) Was not He "made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him?" (2 Cor. v. 21.) Is it not true that we are justified freely, by faith only, without works? Is it not true that the doctrine of justification by faith only, freely, without works, is the doc

trine which the holy Scripture teacheth? Is it not the strong rock and foundation of all Christian religion? Is it not the doctrine which all old and ancient authors of Christ's church do approve? Does not this doctrine advance and set forth the true glory of Christ, and beat down the vain glory of man? Is the man, who denies this doctrine, to be accounted for a Christian man, or for a setter-forth of Christ's glory? Is he not rather to be accounted for an adversary to Christ and his Gospel, and for a setterforth of men's vain-glory? (See Second Part of the Homily on Salvation.) What can the fire of purgatory add to the finished atonement of Christ? Does not the Scripture say, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them?" (Rev. xiv. 13.) And yet the Church of Rome dares to go in the very teeth of Scripture. She declares that " they who die in the Lord" are NOT "blessed." She declares that they do NOT rest from their labours." Witness the following prayers for souls detained in purgatory, and remember that they are prayers for the souls of the faithful departed!

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'From the shades of death, where souls sit deprived of the blissful light of thy countenance, deliver them, O Lord.

'From the evils to which their defective mortifications in this world have exposed them in the other, deliver them, O Lord.

'From thy anger, which now too late they grieve

to have provoked by their negligence and ingratitude, deliver them, O Lord.

'From the bonds of sin, wherein they remain entangled by the disorder of their affections, deliver them, O Lord.

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From the pains of purgatory, justly inflicted on them, as the proper effect of their sins, deliver them, O Lord.

'From that dreadful prison, whence there is no release, till they have paid the utmost farthing, deliver them, O Lord.

From all their torments, incomparably greater than the sharpest arrows of this life, deliver them, O Lord.

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That it would please thee to hasten the day of visiting thy faithful detained in the receptacle of sorrow, and transport them to the city of eternal peace, -We beseech thee, hear us.

'That it would please thee to shorten the time of expiation for their sins, and graciously admit them into thy holy sanctuary, where no unclean thing can enter,--We beseech thee, hear us.

That it would please thee through the prayers and alms of thy church, and especially the inestimable sacrifice of the holy altar, to receive them into the tabernacle of rest, and crown their long hopes with everlasting fruition,-We beseech thee, hear us-'

How different is the language of the Church of Rome from that of Scripture! According to the Romish doctrine, the souls of the faithful departed suffer the pains of purgatory in that receptacle of sor

row, that dreadful prison, whence there is no release till they have paid the utmost farthing. The torments of purgatory are incomparably greater than the sharpest arrows of this life, and are justly inflicted on them as the proper effect of their sins, and to make expiation for them. According to the Scriptural doctrine, they "rest from their labours; "absent from the

body," they are

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present with the Lord;" they are "with Christ in Paradise."

Not only does the Pope send the souls of the faithful departed into purgatory, but he makes their release from that doleful prison to depend upon the intercession of the blessed Virgin and all the saints, upon the prayers and alms of the Church and upon the offering of the Mass! Witness the following Prayer for the Dead,

'O God, the giver of pardon, and lover of human salvation, we beseech thy clemency, that, through the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary and all thy saints, thou wouldest be pleased to grant to the brethren, kinsfolks and benefactors of our congregation, who are departed this life, a joyful fruition of thy eternal happiness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"That it would please thee through the prayers and alms of thy church, and especially the inestimable sacrifice of the holy altar, to receive them into the tabernacle of rest, and crown their long hopes with everlasting fruition,-We beseech thee, hear us.'

We will close this chapter with a few prayers to

Y

saints and angels, extracted from the GARDEN OF

THE SOUL.

'O holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. O all ye blessed angels and saints of God, pray for me a poor sinner.' This prayer is to be used by a sick person; and the following prayer may be used every day in preparation for death.

Holy Virgin, Mother of my God, defend me from my enemies in my last hour, and present me to thy divine Son. Glorious St. Michael, prince of the heavenly host, and thou my angel guardian, and you my blessed patrons, intercede for me, and assist me last and dreadful passage.'

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my

The recommendation of a departing soul runs thus: 'LORD, have mercy on him (or her).

Christ, have mercy on him.

Lord, have mercy on him.

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