do mildly suffer it. But what constancy or stout courage were it for the Son of God to be astonished, and in a manner struck dead with the fear of it? For even that which among the common sort might be accounted miraculous, is reported of him, that for vehemency of grief, even drops of blood did fall from his face. Neither did he this to make a show to the eyes of others, but when in a secret corner, whither he was gone out of company, he groaned unto his Father. And this puts it out of all doubt, that it was needful that he should have angels to come down from heaven to relieve him with an unwonted manner of comforting. How shameful a tenderness, as I said, should this have been, to be so far tormented for fear of common death, as to melt in bloody sweat, and not to be able to be comforted, but by sight of angels? What? doth not that prayer thrice repeated, (Matt. xxvi. 29.) Father, if it be possible, let this cup depart from me,' proceeding from an incredible bitterness of heart, shew that Christ had a more cruel and harder battle than with com, mon death."

"This is our wisdom, well to understand how dear our salvation did cost the Son of God. Now if a man should ask me if Christ went down to hell, when he prayed to escape that death; I answer, that then was the beginning of it: whereby may be gathered, how grievous and terrible torments he suf fered when he knew himself to stand to be arraigned for our cause before the judgment-seat of God." Inst. B.2 ch. 16. sec. 12.

The doctrine that Christ locally descended to the souls of the fathers, confined in some subterraneous region, called Limbus, or purgatory, is explicitly condemned, by Calvin.

Inst. B. 2. ch. 16. sec. 12

The answer to the 44th question of the Heidelbergh Catechism says that these words, "he descended into hell," were added, "that in my greatest temptations, I may be assured, and wholly comfort myself in this, that my Lord Jesus Christ by his inexpressible anguish, pains, terrors, and hellish agonies, in which he was plunged during all his sufferings, but especially on the cross, hath delivered me from the anguish and torments of hell."

Witsius says, 66 although the article of Christ's descent to hell is found, in so many words, neither in the holy scriptures, nor in the most ancient Creeds; yet in some sense, it is religiously believed and asserted by us.".

Witsii Exercitationes sacræ in Symbolum, Exer. 18. cap. 8.

"When, therefore, we profess to believe that Christ descended to hell; we think that article has reference partly to his body, and partly to his soul." Ibid. cap. 9 "So far as it respects the body, it denotes his burial, or the retention of his body in the sepulchre, and in the state of death." Cap. 10. "But we have also signified that it can be applied to the soul: not however because it is written in Psalm xvi. 10th, thou wilt not leave my soul in hell' for it is not necessary to understand that passage as referring to that part of man which we call soul or mind. The Hebrew word w, which the Psalmist uses, sometimes signifies the animal, or the irrational, Gen. i. 20, 21. or the rational part." "What therefore prevents, that if we do not, with the venerable Beza, in his first edition of the New Testament, translate it, we at least expound it, non derelinques cadaver meum in sepulchro.' For that by NEPHES is sometimes denoted the mortal body, and by SCHEOL the sepulchre, I think is abundantly supported by what has been already said. Nevertheless, we profess to believe, that the soul also descended to hell: not however in that sense, in which it pleases the Romanists, after some of the ancients, to teach, as if the soul of Christ, after separated from the body by death, truly, properly and locally had visited certain subterraneous places; whether of Tartarus, that he might show to those whom eternal punishments detain, and even to the Devil himself, the potency of his reign and the triumph regained from transgression; or of I know not what Limbus, which is said to be situated on the margin of Tartarus, that he might announce to the spirits of the fathers, salvation procured by himself, and bring them back thence with him, to be borne to heaven." Cap. 13 et 14. This descent, says the same learned writer, into hell, is a figurative description of the pains of soul, which Christ endured before death. See the whole of Exercitatio XVIII,

ing. The first is an universal of God's almighty power and

grace, whereby (out of his free and special love to his elect, and from nothing in them moving him thereunto,) he doth, in his accepted time, invite and draw them to Jesus Christ, by his word and Spirit; savingly enlightening their minds, renewing and powerfully determining their wills, so as they (although in themselves dead

calling, by "the outward preaching of the word," which renders even reprobates inexcusable. The second is a special calling, given to the elect, which is a manifestation of their election, which consists in "the inward enlightening of his Spirit," by which "he maketh the word preached to be settled in their hearts." Inst. B. 3. ch. 24. sec. 1 and 8. in sin) are hereby made willing

"That general calling is common to the wicked; but this special calling bringeth with it the spirit of regeneration, which is the earnest and seal of the inheritance to come,

and able freely to answer his call, and to accept and embrace the grace offered and conveyed therein."

"All the elect, and they only are effectually called; although others may be, and often are,

* The expression, “effectual calling," has become almost obsolete, in the vocabulary of modern theology. The reason is obvious. The idea which was formerly expressed by it, is deemed Arminian heresy. Since men are not affected by the fall, in any thing but the will, and since that will is only to be changed by the creation of a new and holy volition, there can be no propriety in speaking of this creation, as of a calling, inviting, and effectually persuading the sinner. Dr. Hopkins' System contains one chap'on regeneration," and another on "divine illumination;" in both of which, he attempts to prove, that the scriptural " enlightening of the mind," consists in the bestowment of "a HEART to know God.”

ter "

Hop. Syst. Part 2. ch. 4. sec. would be unable to obey those

AND