word of God, wherein the word Hades, which we sometimes translate hell and sometimes grave, is used indiscriminately in these several bearings. Thus in Gen. xxxvii. 35, it is said by Jacob, "I will go down to the grave unto my son mourning :" so again xlii. 38, "then will ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to the grave." In Jonah ii. 2, it is rendered Hell, yet evidently signifies a place of burial: he cried unto the Lord "out of the belly of hell," or belly of the fish which was as his grave. In other parts of the sacred volume, it is used where it can only signify the place of positive punishment. Thus, Deut. xxxii. 22. "A fire shall burn to the lowest hell;" so Ps. ix. 17, "the wicked shall be turned into hell:" Matt. v. 22, Matt. v. 22, "shall be in danger of hell fire;" xxiii. 33, "how can ye escape the damnation of hell;" 2 Pet. ii. 4. "spared not the angels, but cast them into hell:" Luke xvi. 23, "and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment." In these passages, the context shows that the word describes the regions of woe and destruction, to which the righteous judgment of the Almighty condemns the transgressor. If this word is ever used, indiscriminately, to convey the idea of the place of separate spirits, either of those that are glorified and enjoy the beatific vision, or of such as are condemned under outer darkness, we are not to draw any conclusion from such an idea, that would intimate the existence of any other heaven

than that which is to be the eternal abode of all God's family, or of any other hell than that which is to be the prison of the condemned: the Scriptures reveal no other eternal worlds but heaven and hell yet there may be a particular region in these abodes, allotted for the dwelling of the righteous, or for the habitation of the wicked, during the period in which the souls of the departed wait the general resurrection of the body: though, unquestionably, wherever the released spirit of a Saint is placed, it is in the full enjoyment of the presence of the Saviour: and where ever the departed soul of a sinner is lodged, it is in the immediate endurance of the curse of torment, reserved, in both cases, for greater measure of the sentence, to be publicly proclaimed, when the grave shall yield up its prisoners, and the body shall be restored to life; Rev. xx 1315. vi. 9-11.

When this word is used in reference to our Lord, it is written, "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption, Ps. xvi. 10. It is affirmed by the Apostle Peter, Acts ii. 24-27, that this was a prophetical testimony to the person of Jesus; and when explaining the passage in ver. 31, he seems to make a clear distinction, between the soul and the body of our Lord; as suffering the weight of imputed sin, and as delivered from the arrest by the justifying act of the Father."He seeing this before spake of the resurrection

of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh did see corruption." No doubt these are the passages to which reference is made in the Creed, and in this Article; and from this part of the Scripture it is affirmed that Jesus went into hell. We have, however, to inquire, in what sense our Lord's circumstances, when standing before the Father as the surety for men, will justify this expression?

That Christ's body descended to the grave is not disputed: this is a fact established by the full testimony of the word, and forms one of the great points of doctrine universally received by Christians, 1 Cor. xv. 4. But the Article intends something more, for it is added, "so also it is to be believed," &c. and we are evidently directed to look to some part of the sentence which particularly rested upon the soul of Jesus, and which was of a suffering kind, for the deliverance mentioned is as an experience of rescue.

Some persons have supposed that it refers to the state of separate spirits in glory, and that the soul of Jesus, during the three days in which the body was laid in the tomb, went into that particular region, as having received its acquittal before the bar of judgment as a justified surety, and thus imparting the joyous accomplishment of the promises to those who had received Him in the promises, and that after this it returned to reassume the body, giving open and public demonstration of the acceptance of his work before

the Father this idea is founded upon such parts of revelation, as speak of the exulting strain used by our Triumphant High Priest, in consequence of his victory over the powers of darkness, and from the joy of his soul in the release of his ransomed people. In many of these testimonies, we find our Lord proclaiming His purpose to celebrate his triumph, and to publish the faithfulness of the father before all worlds, and especially “in the great congregation," supposed to be the general assembly of the first born, already in the glorious Mount Zion above; as Heb. xii. 22-24; and see Ps. xxii. 25. xxxv. 18. There appears to be no doubt upon the interesting fact, that this high song of exultation is the strain which our great Redeemer condescended to use: but how far it has any reference to this article, as to the circumstance of Christ's soul passing into hell appears to be not so clear; since in this case we necessarily dismiss from the event the idea of suffering, which is manifestly intimated in the Scripture passages.

We do not, however, suppose that Christ's soul literally descended into the place of torment, after his death on the tree. If he appeared in that dreadful region at all, it could only be as a triumphant conqueror passing through the subjugated dominions of darkness, and making a show openly of the victories he had won by the cross, when thus leading captivity captive, and spoiling principalities and powers: this it is pos

sible He might do; see Ps. lxviii. 18. Col. ii. 15. Rev. i. 18. Suffering was certainly concluded, when Jesus cried with a loud voice, "It is finished!" This was upon the bloody tree: and when He bowed His head and yielded up the ghost, He commended His spirit to the Father, as one who had done with conflict, desolation, and pain; John xix. 30.

What then are we to understand of this doctrine? That Jesus suffered the pains of hell is unquestionable. But when did he suffer them? We hear our blessed Lord during the last scenes of his blessed life, frequently expressing the nature of His conflict in such a way as will answer this inquiry. He testifies to His disciples, that the hour was now rapidly approaching, in which the Prince of darkness should come to Him,— "The Prince of this world cometh." The end for which he came was evident; it was to sift and try the Holy Surety, who could say, "He hath nothing in me,”—nothing of his own, nothing that should make his power to prevail. When Jesus surrendered Himself, to those who arrested His Person, He said, "this is your hour and the power of darkness ;"-the period, in which He as a Surety must suffer the effect of His Suretyship. The horrors of that hour are affectingly detailed, when the soul of Jesus began to be exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Yet this was not the full extent of the suffering. The hour came, when darkness was sent upon His