again. (2 Cr. 5, 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 them their re demption. (1 Pet. 3, 18. 19.)

2. Why were the souls of the just detained in Limbo? Because Heaven was closed through sin, and was first to be opened by Christ. (Hebr. 9, 6—8.)

3. Why did Christ descend into Limbo?

1. To comfort and set free the souls of the just; and 2. To show forth His power and majesty even there in the lower regions. (Phili. 2, 10.)

4. What means,

from the dead?"

"The third day He rose again

That, on the third day after His death, Christ reunited, by His own power, His soul to His body, as He had foretold, and rose again from the grave. (Eas ter day.)

"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. But He spoke of the temple of His body." (John 2, 19. 21. Comp. John 10, 18.)

5. How did Christ rise again?

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

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

He still retained in His hands, feet, and side, the marks of His wounds; therefore, He said to Thomas: "Put in thy finger hither (into the place of the nails), and see My hands; and bring hither thy hand, and put it into My side." (John 20, 27.)

7. Why has He still retained these marks?

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

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

From the testimony of His Apostles, and His Disciples, who often saw Him after His resurrection, touched Him, ate, spoke, and conversed with Him; and who everywhere loudly proclaimed His resurrection, even before the Chief Council who had condemned Him to death, although, by this conduct, they drew upon themselves nothing but mortal hatred and persecution.

It is true that the soldiers who guarded the grave, being bribed with a large sum of money, spread the report that, while they were asleep, the Disciples of Jesus came and stole His body. But, 1. If they were asleep, how could they see then that His Disciples stole the body? 2. Whence did the timid Disciples, who expected now nothing more from their deceased Master, get on a sudden that undaunted courage? 3. How did it happen, that not even one of the sleeping guards awoke at the rolling away of the heavy stone? 4. Why were the guards not punished for the neglect of their duty? (Comp. Acts 12, 19.)

If the evidence of the Apostles and the Disciples had not been so certain and quite unexceptionable, they would never have convinced the world, in opposition to the most powerful and crafty enemies of Jesus, that He who, like a malefactor, had been publicly executed and buried, had on the third day risen again glorious from the dead. They have nevertheless so

firmly convinced the world of this truth, that numberless persons have endured the most painful martyrdom for their firm belief in it.

9. What effect ought the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ to produce in us?

It ought, 1. To strengthen our belief in His Divinity, and our hope of our own future resurrection; and 2. To incite us to rise from the death of sin to a new and holy life.

(1

1. "God raised Him up from the dead, and hath given Him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God." Pet. 1, 21.)

2. "We are buried together with Him by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life." (Rom. 6, 4.)

Application. He who is still deeply buried in the grave of sin, i.e., in evil habits, or sinful desires, is not risen yet to a new life. All our thoughts, all our exertions should tend towards Heaven. "If you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above; where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth." (Col. 3, 1. 2.)

THE SIXTH ARTICLE.

"He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty."

(See Short Hist. of Religion §. 27.)

1. What is meant by "He ascended into Heaven ?" That Jesus Christ, by His own power, with soul and body went up into Heaven. (Feast of the Ascension of our Lord.)

2. Did Christ ascend alone into Heaven?

No; He took also with Him into Heaven the souls of the just, whom He had liberated from Limbo. "Ascending on high, He led captivity captive." (Eph. 4, 8.)

3. For what purpose did Christ ascend into Heaven?

1. To take possession of His glory as conqueror of death and hell; (Phili. 2, 8-11.) 2. To be our Mediator and Advocate with His Father; (Hebr. 9, 24.) 3. To send the Holy Ghost to His Disciples (John 16, 7.); and 4. To open Heaven, and to prepare a place for us also. (John 14, 2.)

4. What means, "Sitteth at the right hand of God ?" It means that Christ, as Man also, is exalted above all created things, and participates in the power and glory of the Divine Majesty.

"He hath raised Him up from the dead, and set Him on His right hand in the heavenly places, above all principality, and power, and virtue, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And He hath subjected all things under His feet, and hath made Him Head over all the Church." (Eph. 1, 20-22. 5. Is Christ then not present in all places ?

As God, He is everywhere; but as God-Man, He is only in Heaven, and in the Holy Eucharist.

Application.-Consider frequently, especially in your troubles and temptations, that we "are pilgrims and strangers on the earth," and that our true country is Heaven, whither Christ has gone to prepare a place for you also. "Be therefore not wearied, fainting in your minds," but "look on Jesus who endured the cross, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebr. 11, 13. and 12, 2. 3.)

THE SEVENTH ARTICLE.

"From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead."

1. What does the Seventh Article of the Creed teach us?

That Jesus Christ, at the end of the world, shall come again with great power and glory to judge all men, both the good and the wicked. (Acts 1, 11.)

2. What do you call this judgment?

The general judgment, the last judgment, or the judgment of the world.

3. When will the day of the judgment of the world come?

"Of that day and hour no one knoweth, no, not the Angels of Heaven." (Matt. 24, 36.)

Nevertheless, Christ and His Apostles have foretold us many things which shall come to pass on the earth before the end of the world (Matt. 24, Mark 13, and 2 Thess. 2.), that the faithful may be on their guard, and not be seduced to fall away. "For there will rise up false Christs and false Prophets, and they shall show signs and wonders, to seduce (if it were possible) even the elect." (Mark 13, 22.)

4. How shall we be judged?

We shall be judged according to all our thoughts, words, works, and omissions.

I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it in the day of judg ment." (Matt. 12, 36.)

5. How will the last judgment be held?

1. Christ will come in the clouds of heaven, and gather all nations together before His throne, placing the good on His right hand, and the wicked on His left. (Matt. 24 and 25.) 2. He will then make manifest the good and the evil that every man has done, even his most secret thoughts, and also the graces which He has given to each one; and finally He will pronounce judgment upon all. (2 Cor. 5, 10.)

"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the presence of the throne, and the books were opened; and the dead were judged by those things which were written in the books, according to their works." (Apoc. 20, 12.)-" For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; nor hidden, that shall not be known." (Luke 12, 2. and Mark 4, 22.)— "The Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." /1 Cor. 4, 5.)