divine revelation. There is a numerous and powerful priesthood who to a man argue against the existence of this law. They endeavour to quell the fears of the sinner by providing a way for his escape a way which is not only unknown in divine revelation; but which is altogether repugnant thereto-a way of their own devising for "filthy lucre's sake." They teach that those persons who die in what they are pleased to term "venial sins," do not go to hell, but go into a place which they term "purgatory;" and which they represent to be a place of scorching and searching fire, in the flames of which the soul must undergo a process of purgation and purification from sin, and after they have suffered therein a certain length of time, and after a certain number of prayers and masses have been offered up for them, they shall be permitted to escape therefrom and enter into happiness! Concerning this doctrine the "Council of Trent" decreed at its twenty-fifth and last Session, when Pope Pius the IV presided, in an article headed, "DECREE CONCERNING PURGATORY ;" Since the Catholick Church, taught by the Holy Spirit from the sacred writings, and ancient tradition of the fathers in sacred councils, and last of all in this œcumenical Synod hath taught that there is a purgatory; and that the souls there detained are assisted by the suffrages of the faithful, but most powerfully by the acceptable sacrifice of the altar; the holy Synod directs all Bishops to take diligent heed, that the sound doctrine concerning Purgatory, handed down by holy fathers and sacred councils, be believed and held by the faithful of Christ, and be everywhere taught and preached." And in the creed of Pope Pius the IV, to which every Romish priest subscribes, and which every Roman Catholic must believe under pain of eternal damnation, we have the following article— "I constantly hold, that there is a purgatory, and that the souls detained therein, are helped by the suffrages of the faithful." We need scarcely observe to those who have read the Bible for themselves that the above articles of the Church of Rome are unscriptural-they are directly opposed "to the law and to the testimony"-as contrary to the teachings of Christ and his apostles, as the writings of an atheist. The reader may remember that on one occasion, when Christ addressed the Jews, he said, "If ye believe not that I am he," (the Christ) "ye shall die in your sins;" and then, as consequent upon their dying in their sins, he added, "whither I go, ye cannot come." John viii, 21-24. But the Romish doctrine contradicts the Saviour, and its authors assume to be wiser than "the only wise God." God says to the sinner dying in his sins, "whither I go ye cannot come." -" cannot come" by any means-"ye cannot come" at any future time; but the Romish priest says to the sinner, 6 : "If ye die in your sins, and leave me a certain sum of money, or if your relatives or any friends will furnish a certain sum of money, I will offer up masses for your soul, and deliver you from the torment' of purgatory; and whither Christ is, thither ye shall go !" go!" Thus the poor Roman Catholic is deceived and sent into eternity with a lie in his hand! In that most affecting parable concerning the rich man and Lazarus, the state of the soul immediately after death is clearly taught of Lazarus, the righteous man, it is said, "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into "Abraham's bosom," a Jewish phrase for heaven. Of "the rich man," the wicked man, it is said, "The rich man also died, and was buried, and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments." Luke xvi. 19 —31. Here then there is not the most distant intimation of purgatory for the purification of Lazarus's soul preparatory to his reception into heaven; but on the contrary, a convoy of angels waited his exit from the body, and then immediately wafted hisspirit to brighter and purer climes above. "The rich man died, and" immediately, "in hell he lifted up his eyes;" and so will every one that dies in their sins; therefore let the sinner take timely warning, and secure on earth the pardon of his sins, and the sanctification of his soul. 5. Those irrevocable laws, handed down from heaven, and taught in the sacred Scriptures for man's guidance to the eternal world, clearly and pointedly teach that no one, dying in his sins, can possibly be relieved from torments, though prayers and masses innumerable were offered for him. They all with one divine voice proclaim, Life is the time to serve the Lord, The time to ensure the great reward." They simultaneously and constantly cry aloud to careless sinwedded man, "Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke; then a great ransom cannot deliver thee." Job. xxxvi. 18. They declare that, "the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward;-neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun:" and consequently can have no "portion for ever" in the prayers and masses offered "under the sun:" therefore they urge, "whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Eccl. ix. 5, 6, 10. If after death "there is no work nor device," then it is evident there can be no purification of the soul by any means after death. The following question of the Saviour is a most astounding one, "What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" And Elihu asked, "Will he esteem thy riches?" and answers the question in the negative, "No, not gold, nor all the forces of strength." Matt. xvi. 26. Job. xxxvi. 19. Job. xxxvi. 19. By these scriptures we learn the folly and deception of expecting either pardon or purification after death, and also the daring impiety of teaching the doctrine of purgatory. Should these pages ever be perused by a Roman Catholic, we would entreat him not to think the writer his enemy because he has told him the truth; but let him read and think for himself; let him lay aside all prejudice, and take his Bible prayerfully and attentively to read it-read it with his soul open and ready for the reception of the truth wherever he may find it-let him carefully study the passages of scripture quoted in this discourse against purgatorial cleansing, and heed the divine voice rather than the human -the voice of God speaking through his word, more than he heeds the voice of man speaking from the altar. It is high time for him to "inquire what God the Lord will speak concerning him:" Yet a little while and the gracious voice of heaven that would now fain win him from error to truth, from darkness to light, from slavery to liberty, from sin to holiness, from misery to happiness, from death to life, and from hell to heaven, will offer him mercy no more!-no more for ever! Let the sinner of every name rightly consider the danger to which he is exposing himself while he remains unchanged and unforgiven; and let him immediately "acquaint himself" with God, and be at peace with him, and "thereby good shall come" unto him. II. THAT THE DAMNATION OF ANY SOUL IS THE RESULT OF THAT SOUL'S TRANSGRESSION, AND NOT THE RESULT OF GOD'S WILL OR PLEASURE. 1. The great object of a wise and good earthly king and lawgiver, in enacting laws and putting them in force is, the comfort, peace, safety, prosperity, and the righteous government of his subjects; not their misery and death. In the event of any of his subjects violating those laws, and as a consequence being put to death, the death of that subject would have been the result of his transgression, and not the result of the King's will or pleasure. Even so in the event of a transgressor of God's most holy laws being subjected to "the second death," by the enforcement of these laws, his death would be the result of his transgression, and not the result of God's pleasure." "O, ye house of Israel! I will judge you every one after his ways-for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die." Ezek. xxxii. 13, 20. Again, a just judge passes the sentence of death upon a criminal found guilty for murder, not because he taketh "pleasure" in the death of a fellow mortal; but because the prisoner at the bar had been found guilty of a crime, the commission of which exposed him to death. No doubt the humane Judge would much "rather" that the prisoner had kept the law, and thereby saved himself from death, and the judge from the pain of passing the sentence of death upon him; but because the prisoner had been found guilty, the judge must pass the sentence of death upon him, or he would act unjustly: even so, "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live." If the sinner is lost, it is of his own choice! He chooses to live and die in his sin, despite all warning! He obstinately refuses to walk in obedience to God's law, and therefore dies! "Because I have called, and ye refused"-therefore "I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh." Prov. i. 25, 26. 2. The dealings of God with man ever since the creation of the world, are proof against his taking "pleasure" in the damnation of souls. Associated with the delivery of "the curse," was the promise of deliverance therefrom; "the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head," (Gen. iii. 14, 15.) was the spell from despair, the inspirer of hope, the dawn of the morning, and the vista through which the mind was carried away into a brighter and more glorious age. This promise was reiterated again and again by God to the Patriarchs. To Abraham he said, "And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed:" and Paul referring to this promise says, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." Gen. xii. 3. Gal. iii. 16. Such a promise as this is not likely to have come from a Being whose "pleasure" it is to inflict misery and eternal ruin upon deathless spirits, created by himself, and in his own image. The promise teaches the reverse. His name, his nature, his purposes, are all LOVE" and good will to man." Behold him on Sinai's gloomy mount, making himself known to Israel through Moses, under circumstances too the most provoking, and yet what do we hear him say of his name? "The LORD, the LORD GOD, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." Exod. xxxiv. 6. And the Psalmist says, "The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." Psal. cxlv. 9. His being good to ALL, and his TENDER MERCIES being "over all his works," is a proof that he takes "pleasure" in the happiness, not in the misery-in the salvation, not in the damnation -of any soul. Hence the question, "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the LORD GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?" Behold the divine Interrogator's negative answer, "I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the LORD GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." Ezek. xviii. 23, 32. Hence his compassionate lamentation over the state of the wicked; "O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" Deut. xxxii 29. “O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea." Isa. xlviii. 18. Hence his compassionate invitation, "Return thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.-O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved." Jer. iii. 12, iv. 14. But sinners harden their hearts with obduracy and unbelief, and stiffen their necks with obstinacy. They yield not to the melting influence of divine compassion-they regard not the pressing invitation of heaven-they reject the offered mercy and are lost; They court their bane, reject their cure, As if they long'd for endless pains, 3. God's design concerning the human race is further seen in the rich provision which he has made for all mankind. He has given His Son: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John iii. 16. In the gift of his Son, his will and "pleasure" stand forth more conspicuously than in any other act done on man's behalf. Here is seen everything that is good, gracious, lovely, and God-like-here his wisdom, condescension, compassion, mercy and love mingle in overwhelming grandeur their unparalleled beauties. Wild and roving must be the gaze of that eye which is not rivetted by this sight, and hard as marble must be that heart which is not melted thereby. O Bethlehem! O Gethsemane! O Calvary! who can read of you and not be moved? Who can meditate upon you without being struck with awe! Who can talk of the scenes that have taken place in your localities without being constrained to acknowledge that "God is love?" "God is love, I know, I feel, Jesus weeps, and loves me still." O my dear fellow traveller! as we hasten on towards the bor ders of eternity, let us constantly call to mind Calvary and its victim-the nails, the thorns, the wounds, the pain, the agony, the object, and the expiring cry, "Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do!" Luke xxiii. 34. In doing so what do we see? Can we find any evidence in the whole scene passing in review before our mind's eye that God takes "plea |