discharged my task this I am sure of that I have not wilfully made any false steps I have been very fair and have used no violence upon the words as it is the too common practice of Criticks They are people that rack their Fanciâ—s and the Texts together they stretch and serue the words they â—eaze and worry they torment and most unmercifully force and drag a Text to their side You may observe it an arrant Critick is a Resolate sort of man generally he is very Earnest in his work though in never so light a matter and pusheth it on to the â—tmost extremity I could mention several Professors of Critisism who are guilty of this miscarriage who make it their business to force their may You shall see them set downbefore a Text and raise their Batteries against it and play their Cannon and Mortars upon it If this will not do they come with greater force and make a fresh assault with stronger Detachments from Poets Orators Historians Philosophers c. and fall on with greater fury thinking by this means to bring it to a Parly and then a Surrender or rather by their furious attacks we may guess they intend no other thing then to take it by Storm And truly in this Imaginary Romantick Adventure they think they have done it they perswade themselves they have taken possession of the Fort and so the Campaigne is at an end and there is a period to their doughty attempts But I hate these Viâ—olent courses this besieging of a Chapter and Verse this investing of a Place of Scripture I abhor the common practice of raâ—aging and preying upon the Bible I do not like the Bombarding of Scripture I approve not of the Storming of a Text and taking it by force It is a very unchristian and unbecoming employment to extort a sense from any place of Holy Writ and by little Critical arts and fetches to bring over the words to a compliance with us i. e. to the meaning which we design Indeed this however it may be represented as a Mighty Work is easily done by the aides of a Ready Invention a Luxuriant Pen and a shew of some Reason and Argument espeoially if these be back'd with a strong Desire of venting some New Notion in the world But then I do not think that the man believes the thing himself after all his flippant Rhetorick and strained Logick which methinks should make him very uneasie and much dissatisfied for how can one offer that to others to be believed which he gives no credit to himself For my part I love first to satisfie my self about any Point before I design to expose it to others judgments and this I have done in the Present Vndertaking otherwise I should think I had dealt very uncivilly to say no worse with the world I have offer'd that upon These Texts which I conceived to be most Credible which I found to have the warranty of Reason or some Good Probability I am not conscious of any unhandsome and unjust dealing with the words which I have made the subject of my Discourses I have not set any of the Texts upon the Rack I have not put them to the Torture to confess what they never intended I have let them speak freely and unconstrainedly and then you may expect no other then Truth and Realities If Others have different conceptions concerning these places of Scripture I am not offended in the least I have offered the Reasons of my assertions let them shew theirs and then perhaps there will be no disagreement However my purpose is to be Friendly and Peaceable and I desire to treat all Writers with a due respect and deference though I cannot comply with them in every thing that they assert To conclude let all our Enquiries and Disputes about these Scripture Difficulties be unfeignedly designed and refer'd to the Glory of the Supreme Eternal Being to the advancement of our knowledge in the Inspired Writings to the enlightning our minds in the True Religion to the edification of the Church and the advantage of the Christian world The first TEXT Enquired into viz. S. Matthew II. 23. He shall be called a Nazarene THOUGH the Practical part of Christian Theology be infinitely more noble more excellent more usefull then either the mere Speculative or Polemical parts of it though the Easiest and Plainest matters of our Religion be of the greatest importance to us and consequently though those places of Holy Scripture which are most Intelligible and Practical and contain in them the necessary duties relating to Faith and Manners be our chiefest concern yet it is certain that the other parts of this Holy Book even those which are Obscure and Controverted are not unworthy of our thoughts and studies Yea These carrying some Difficulty with them may on that very account justly call for our more serious disquisitions and challenge our more intent enquiries Questionlesse the explaining the Difficult passages of Holy Writ is not only a very Entertaining and Delightfull undertaking but such a one as will prove extremely Advantageous to the Christian Church if it be performed aright By this means we shall first be brought to admire and adore and then to apprehend the profound Mysteries of the Bible we shall learn by degrees to fathom its Vast Depths we shall be invited to search yet Farther into its hidden Treasures and so at last to arrive to Greater and Larger Measures of that Divine Knowledge which next unto the Practise of Religion is the most worthy accomplishment of a Christian mâ—ns life For these reasons I will attempt to make an Enquiry into and then to offer the Resolution of some Obscure and Difficult Texts which we meet with in the Writings of the New Testament I Begin first with this Notable passage in the Evangelist S Matthew with which he closeth his second Chapter He shall be called a Nazarene There were two ways of interpreting this of old First Tertullian and Ensebius and some other Ancient Fathers thought it was an allusion to the Nazarites a Religious and separate rank of persons among the Iews spoken of in the Old Testament And more particularly S t Ierom on the place tells us that a Nazarine heâ—e is to be interpreted a Holy person and that it is mentioned through out all the Writings of the Old Testament that the Messias our Lord Christ was to be such and consequently that it might well and truly be said that the Prophets foretold concerning him that he should be called a Nazarene i. e. a Holy Nazarite The second way of interpreting these words among the Antients was this that they have reference to those places where Christ is called Netzer a Branch as in Isai. 11. 1. 60. 21. yea S t Ierom himself who seem'd to have fixed on the former way of Interpretation is enclined to think that this Prophecy was taken out of the first verse of the Eleventh chapter of Isaiah and
Nov. 18. 91. Imprimatur Gabr. Quadring Procan Io. Beaumont Io. Mountagu Io. Spencer AN ENQUIRY INTO Four Remarkable TEXTS OF THE New Testament Which contain Some DIFFICULTY in them WITH A Probable Resolution Of them By Iohn Edwards B. D. sometime Fellow of S t Iohns College in Cambridge 1 Cor. 13. 9. We know in part and we prophesie in part CAMBRIDGE Printed by I. Hayes Printer to the University for W. Graves Bookseller there 1692. The TEXTS Enquired into and Resolved are S. Matth. II. 23. He shall be called a Nazarene 1 Corinth XI 14. Doth not even Nature it self teach you that if a man have long hair it is a shame unto him 1 Corinth XV. 29. Else what shall they do who are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all Why are they then baptized for the dead 1 S. Peter III. 19 20. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison who sometime were disobedient c. THE PREFACE THat there are Obscurities and Difficulties in Holy Writ is acknowledged by all persons that are conversant in this Sacred Volume And truly if we consider things aright we shall find that this is not unworthy either of God or of his Holy Word Not of God himself who endited the Sacred Scriptures for he hath most Wisely ordered that there should be some things Obscure and Mysterious in them to create a becoming Reverence and to let us know that these Writings are not penned after an ordinary manner These Clouds and Darkness are suitable to the Majesty of Heaven they are proper to beget in us Humility and Mean Thoughts of our selves to convince us of the Shallowness of our intellects to shew us how Short-sighted we are to give check to our Presumption to quash our towring Conceits of our knowledge to supersede our Vain Boasting to repel our Vaunting Pride and Insolence They are serviceable also to rebuke our Sloth and Negligence to provoke our Care and Study and to excite our utmost Diligence Thus it hath pleased God to exercise the Understandings of men and to make trial of their Industry by these Difficult passages which occurre in Scripture If all places were easy this Book would be liable to Contempt and there would be no room left for our Diligent Search and Enquiry But now at every reading of it we still find something to employ our understandings â—â—resh and to improve 〈◊〉 most iâ—quisitive faculties Here our minds may be perpetually busied here is enough to entertain our greatest leisure and most earnest study Here are many Mysteries to be unfolded many Depths to be fathomed many Abstrusities both in the things and in the words that convey the notice of them to our minds to be discovered so that to the Greatest Student and most Ambitious Enquirer that will happen which the Son of Sirach saith in another case When a man hath done then he beginneth Here are not only Foords and Shallows which we may easily wade through but here are unpassable Depths and Abysses It hath seemed good to the Wise Governor of the world that there should be in the Holy Scripture Some things hard to be unâ—derstood as S t Peter particularly pronounceth of S Pauls Epistles that â—ereby the Excellency of these Sacred Writings might appear that by this means it might be seen of what Vniversal use they are far those places which are plain and clear are fitted to ordinary capacities and those other portions which are deep and intricate are the proper entertainment of the Learned and thus the Whole Book is calculated for the general benefit of all S t Chrysostom â—ath summ'd it up thus very briefly All passages in Scripture are not plain and perspicuous lest we should be Lazy nor are all obscure lest we should Despond This Excellent Tempering of the Sacred Writ is a high commendation of it and is no other then the Wise Contrivance of Heavâ—n And as this Obscurity of some parts of Scripture is not unworthy of God himself so neither is it any disparagement to his Sacred Word For we must know that this Difficulty happens from the very nature of the things themselves which are here recorded It cannot be otherwise but that some portions of Scripture must be dark and obscure and consequently must labour under Different and Contrary Expositions because they were written so long ago and contain in them so many Old Customs and Usages so many Relations concerning Different People so many and various Idioms of Tongues such divâ—rsity of Antient Expressions Laws and Manners of all Nations in the world It is unreasonable to expect that we should exactly understand all these It is not to be wondred at that these occasion Doâ—bts Difficulties Mistakes And it is certain that the being ignorant of some of these is no blemish either to the Sacred Writings or to the persons who read and study theâ— Suppose I do not know what the house of Asuppim is 1 Chron. 26. 15. or what kind of trees the Almug or Algum-trees are 1 Kings 10. 12. 1 Chron. 20. 8. or who are meant by the Gammadim Ezek. 27. 11. What though I am not so well skill'd in the Iewish Modes and Fashions as to tell what kind of Womens-Ornament the houses of the soul are in Isai. 3. 20. or what particular Idols or Pagan Deities Gad and Meni are Isai. 65. 11. or which of the Heathen Gods is meant by Chiun or Remphan Amos 5. 26. Acts 7. 43. Some of the Learnedest Expositors and Criticks have confessed their ignorance as to these plaâ—es of Scripture particularly upon the last of them our Profound Antiquary hath these despairing words For my part I perceive my blindness to be such that I can see nothing at all and to the same purpose this Admirable Person speaks concerning several other passages in Scripture as of Nishroc Nergal and other Idols mentioned there the origine and meaning of which Names are hid from us Many other Reasons might be alledged of the real or seeming Difficulty of some places namely the Sublimity of the Matter the Ambiguity and Different Significations of the Words the Inadvertency of Expositors and sometimes their unskilfulness and oftentimes their Willful Designing to pervert the words in order to the maintaining some opinions or practises which they adhere to But no man of a sedate mind and reason can think that the Scriptures themselves are disparaged by these Difficulties and Mistakes for they are not arguments of the Scriptures Imperfection but of Man's Besides these Obscurities which are accompanied with the various ways of rendring some Expressions and determining the Sense are no proof of the Imperfection of this Holy Book because in matters of Faith and Manners which are the Main things we are concerned in and for which the Bible was chiefly writ these Writings are plain and intelligible All Necessary and Fundamental Points of Religion are set down here in such expressions as are suitable to the
capacities of the most simple and vulgar God hath graciously condescended to the infirmities of the meanest and most unlearned by speaking to them in these Writings after the manner of Men and by propounding the greatest Mysteries in a Familiar stile and way The Scripture so far as it relates to our belief and Practice is very easie and plain yea much plainer then the Glosses and Comments upon it oftentimes are In a word most of the places of Scripture call not for an Interpreter but a Practiser As for other passages which are Obscure and Intricate but which are very few in respect of those that are plain they were designed as hath been already suggested to employ our more inquisitive and elaborate thoughts and to whet our industry in the studying of this Holy Volume that at last when we have the happiness of retrieving the lost sense of the words and restoring them to their genuine meaning we may the more prize our acquest which hath cost us some pains Or if after all our attempts we cannot reach the true meaning we have reason to entertain reverend thoughts of those Difficult Texts of Scripture and to perswade ourselves that they are worthy of the Divine Enditer though our weak minds cannot comprehend them If Humane Authors delight to darken their writings sometimes and it is accounted no blemish surely we may conclude that the Mysteries of the Sacred and Inspired Stile are rather an inhansment then a diminution of its Excellency Shall we not think it fit to deal as fairly with the Sacred Code â—s Socrates did with Heraclitus's writings that is not only pronounce so much as we understand of them to be Excellent and Admirable but believe also that what we do not understand is so too It is certainly an undeniable truth that neither the Wisdom of God nor the Credit of this Inspired Book are empaired by any Difficulties we find in it Therefore when the men of the Roman perswasion make use of these Hard places in the Bible to disparage and discredit it and to render the Scriptures useless as to the common people questionless they take a wrong course first they complain that these Writings are Obscure and then they make them more so by locking them up from the sight of the people whereas they should rather expose them to light and indeavoâ—r to remove the obscurity by expounding them This is that which I have done in this Critical Essay which I here venture into the world of which it may be expected I should give some brief Account therefore take it thus In my first Attempt viz. on those words He shall be called a Nazarene I reject but not without shewing my Reasons the most generally received Interpretations and offer another namely that by a Nazarene is meant one of the city Nazareth an Inhabitant of that place and by the Prophets that foretold this I understand some Inspired persons who predicted that our Saviour should dwell and converse at Nazareth and this their Prediction was delivered from one to another till it came to S t Matthew who here sets it down in writing Therefore let it not startle the Reader that I say in my Discourse on these words There was such a Report or Tradition in this Evangelist's days for though this is but a Conjecture yet it is a very Probable one I shewing that the Apostles S t Paul and S t Jude made use of the like Reports and Traditions and inserted them into their Writings Wherefore it is not unlikely that the Evangelist here refers to a Tradition which was at that time concerning Christ's being a Nazarene i. e. that he should be one of the city Nazareth But because this is only Probable I advance farther and prove that this was not only spoken by some Uncertain and Unknown Prophets and so conveyed to the Iews but that it was likewise foretold by those very Prophets who were the Penmen of the Holy Scripture and accordingly I proceed to prove that these Writers directly predicted Christ's being related to the place called Nazareth and his having his denomination thence for he was brought up there Luke 4. 16. and therefore it is called his Country 23 v. and lastly I make it evident that this was actually fulfilled and accomplished in the plain and obvious meaning of the words viz. that he was called a Nazarene i e. One of Nazareth he was reproached for being an Inhabitant of that place and that not only by the Gentiles but by the very Jews for the Galilaeans of whom the people of Nazareth were a part were of Pagan extraction as the Samaritans were they were both of them looked upon by the grand body of the Jews as no Jews properly a kind of barbarous people in comparison of themselves and other inhabitants of Judea In my Exposition of the Second Text which is this Doth not nature it â—elf teach you that if a man hath long hair it is a shame to him I take the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the largest extent i. e. I consider the former as it signifies Custom and the Law of Natural Reason and the Distinction of the Sexes and the latter as it denotes both the Length and the Decking of the hair and accordingly I make it my business first to prove that if a Man either indulgeth an Immoderate Length of hair or is sollicitous about the Composing and Adorning of it he acts contrary to the Custom of the soberest part of mankind whether they be Jews Egyptians Arabians Grecians Romans c. all whose practise in tâ—is case I have represented from those Authors who treat of the manners of those people If it shall be objected that there was a Different and Contrary Custom as to these things I grant it and yet this is no prejudice to what I maintain for the Apostle without doubt means the Custom and Vsage of the better and wiser part of mankind and not of the worst Then in the next place I demonstrate this to be disagreeable to the laws and rules of Reason which I explain in several Particulars Afterwards I shew it to be against the established Law of the Sexes whereby one of them is distinguished from the other So that taking the words in this Latitude the meaning of the Apostle in them is this That a Christian man should not do things repugnant to any of these three Rules viz. Laudable Custom Reason and the Law which is proper to each Sex and that he that wears his hair of an Immoderate Length or after the guise of Women offends against all these Rules If any one object against the Latitude of this Exposition I answer that I take this for an allowed Verity that when we meet with words in any place of Scripture which have different senses and those senses are not inconsistent with one another we may lawfully take them all into the meaning of the Text and that is it which I
which immediately preceded it and that is the Spirit nor have we any reason to think that it relates to any thing else By this Spirit Christ did great and wonderful things after he was risen from the dead by this he went and preached But to whom To the spirits in prison and moreover it is added that these spirits were sometimes disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah c. This is differently understood by Expositors for 1. some apply it to those who were Alive before and at the time of the Floud 2. Others understand it of the Souls of the dead And what dead these are you shall hear when I come to inlarge on this head 3. Others apply it to the Preaching of the Gospel in the Apostles times I. It is applied to those who were alive before or at the Floud And here there are These two Opinions first Arias Montanus is singular and by himself who holds that the spirits in prison were those that were shut up and as it were Imprisoned in Noahs Ark. Those eight souls as they are called in the 20 th verse are these Prisoners they were kept by God in the Ark as in Safe Custody But this Notion was started merely because there is mention here of Noahs Ark and the eight souls saved by it This without doubt gave the rise to this wild fancy And besides there are several things which may hinder us from entertaining it for 1. it is said they were sometime disobedient which we cannot apply to any of these eight It is true we read that afterwards C ham proved a Wicked person and was justly Cursed for being so but this hath no reference to what was before 2. The Preaching to the spirits in prison here spoken of was whilst the Ark was preparing but they were not Imprison'd in the Ark till it was made and finished therefore this passage cannot be understood of the persons shut up in the Ark. 3. It appears from the Context that this Preaching of Christ was after his Resurrection and consequently can't be meant of any Preaching to those in the Ark. Secondly Others understand it of those sinners of the Old World who lived all the while the Ark was building which was a hundred and twenty years The long-suffering of God waited thus long on these Antediluvian sinners who are called the world of the ungodly 2 Pet. 2. 5. These are the spirits in prison say the Learned Grotius and D r Hammond And S t Augustin long before had this notion and the Venerable Bede and Aquinas and others borrowed it from him It is true Christ may be said to preach to these by the Spirit that is the Holy Spirit strove with these sinners whilst Noah preached to them This is plainly intimated in Gen. 6. 3. My Spirit shall not allways strive with man The Spirit then did strive with the men of that Age though at last the Allmighty declareth that he will put a period to his Spirits solliciting and striving with them But the forenamed Expositors understand these words not of the Spirit of God but of the spirit of man put into him by God And accordingly they think that this phrase of the spirits in prison alludes to those very words Because S t Peter was about using a Similitude boâ—rowed from Noahs time he makes use saith Grotius of the very words of that History But then you must note that he reads not the words as we do i. e. my Spirit shall not strive with man but according to the Septuagint and Vulgar Latin My Spirit shall not abide or rest with man or those men And because the Hebrew word Iadon comes from another that signifies a Sheath or Scabbard therefore he renders that place thus according to Xantes Pagninus who herein follows R. Kimchi My spirit shall not be detain'd in man as in a Scabbard And then the meaning of the words is that the spirit of soul which I gave and put into man shall not be useless and produce no effect as a Sword in a Scabbard which doth nothing of that it was made for A Scabbard is as it were a Prison to the Sword and the Body is as 't were a Sheath or Prison to the Soul So the Souls of the Antedilâ—vian sinners were immersed in their Bodies Imprisoned and Useless to any good purposes Or thus my Spirit shall not abide as a sword in a sheath it shall no longer be sheathed in man it shall not be Imprisoned and conâ—ined in him i. e. I will destroy him he shall not live any longer for so it follows v. 7 13. This is Grotius's Notion and he is of opinion that the spirits in prison refer to this And among the Fathers S t Ierom favours this Interpretation This Criticism is further confirmed some think by observing that the Chaldee word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a sheath signifies also a body as is evident from Dan. 7. 15. And hence perhaps that Rabinical saying All bodies are Sheaths blessed is that which deserves to be the Sheath of the Law From all these things put together some infer that the Apostle here alludes to this Notion and that the spirits in prison are Souls sheathed shut up imprisoned in their bodies Christ came and preached to these souls viz. the sinners that lived in Noahs days and he preached unto them by the Preaching of Noah But this Interpretation is by no means to be admitted for 1. This quaint notion of the Sheath and the Body is a plain force upon that Text in Gen. 6. 3. which is truly and uncorruptly rendred according to the Hebrew My Spirit shall not strive that is I will no longer concern my self with these men I will give them up to their own lusts and lewd desires my Spirit shall not strive as formerly with them they shall not be convinced by Noahs Preaching nor wrought upon by the foresight of those Judgments which they cannot but see hang over their heads and when I have thus given them up to their own vile imaginations I will cut them off in their sins and bereave them of all hopes of mercy for the future This is the True import of those words and consequently all that the foresaid Criticks suggest is nothing to the Text but is a mere Distorting and Perverting of it 2. Suppose this place of Scripture might be rendred as they have done it yet who sees not that it is far from their purpose What likeness is there between a sheath and a Prison It must be strong fancy that perswades a man to think that the latter is put here for the former and consequently that the words I am now treating of have reference to those in Genesis Or 3 ly suppose it were so yet all we learn from this strange expression is that the sinners before the Floud had souls in their bodies for that is the English it seems of
the midst of death and at his Ascension victoriously carried away those first-fruits of his suffering into heaven At the solemn Coronaâ—ion of a Great Prince the Prison-doors are flung open This is the interpretation of D r Henry More But I am sorry this Worthy person hath given those men an occasion to think well of their doctrine of Purgatory and even Redemption from the pains of the Bottomless Pit those men I say whom he doth not use to gratifie at other times by his too lavish concessions He hath open'd the door here and All as well as those Antediluvian sinners may go forth If Hell be not a fixed place or state if it be not a Close-Prison then there is hope that Every man at length may be set free from it and walk at large And this is that which S t Augustin tells us some indeavour'd to prove from This Text viz. that All shall at last be freed from Hell-Torments But the Doctor declares he intends no such thing but is perswaded only that the words speak of a Singular and never to be Parallell'd Instance But in answer to what he and others before have asserted I will briefly make It good that the words speak not at all of Christs going down to Hell or of his Preaching there For 1. These words refeâ—ring to the souls of those who lived in Noahs time what was the reason that our Saviour went into Hell to preach to These rather then the rest how came these despisers of Noahs preaching to have this Priviledge above all other persons that Christ should descend to the Infernal Pit to relieve them particularly Why did not the Sodomitâ—s and others share in the like kindness 2 ly It is here intimated that the words are not meant of Christ's Local Descent into hell for 't is said he went by the spirit which signifies another thing and what that is I have told you But I have mention'd this before 3. It can't be spoken of Christs going to Hell because the words are of something that he did after his Resurrection as hath been before suggested The order of the Apostle's words is this first Christ was put to death then he was quickned or rose again and after that he went and preached therefore it is impossible that this Preaching should be meant of any sort of Preaching to those in Hell unless you will make Christs Descent into hell follow his Resurrection from the dead which was never dreamt of yet Let this therefore be remembred that the Text speaks of something which our Saviour did after he was risen from the dead and then it must be acknowledged that this is a plain conâ—utation of the Adversaries Opinion 4. This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoils their Interpretation for when 't is said they were sometime disobedient it is implied I do not say absolutely inferred that they are not so now Fourthly and which shews the vast Difference between the Judgements of men on this place whereas some Protestants and most Papists think Hell is meant here Calvin believes the contrary and vouches Heaven to be understood by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not a Prison according to him but a watch-tower and so indeed the word signifies sometimes The spirits or â—ouls of the faithful were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in specuâ—a on their watch-tower viz. in Heaven Thither Christ ascended and there he found the Saintâ— of the Old World very Incent on the Salvation promised by Christ they confidently hoped for it and his Coming and as it were Look'd for these as from some Watch tower But I confess I do not see what reason that Learned Writer had to alter the ordinary Translation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to render it here a Watch-tower He might have retain'd the Other Translation and yet have kept his Interpretation entire For what better word could there be to express Heaven then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it signifies a 〈◊〉 a Hold a place of Safety like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some render Abraham's Port or Haven Christ being raisd from the grave went and preached to the spirits in safe custody 〈◊〉 in Heaven there he declar'd to them what Great things he had done and how he had finished the work of mans Redemption As the words before spoke of Christs Death and Resurrection so these of his Ascension and Exaltation This is the sense of that Learned Man and if he had not alter'd the usual version of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it would have done as well But against his interpretation I alledg first his Wavering in the solution of this Text for in his Institutions 〈…〉 and upon the Place he expounds it of the souls of the Faithful but in his Psychopannychia he tells us that Christ went and preach'd not only Remission of sins to the spirits of the Godly but also Confusion to the spirits of the ungodly thus he takes in both Heaven and Hell Secondly to what purpose did Christ go and preach to the Saints in heaven when they could not but know the certainty of their Salvation by Their being in that place It was needless to preach to them what they knew already Therefore I can't see how this word can be applied to Heaven But the main thing which hinders my Assent to his Interpretation is This that the words have relation to Noahs days and the particular people of that time Now 1. It is probable that the greatest numbers of them perished everlastingly as the Scripture when it speaks of the sinners of the Old World doth more then intimate These were so far from being placed in a High Watch-tower a place whence they might look for and espie a Saviour that they were plunged into the Lowest Abyss of misery and despair 2. Supposing that people were Saved and in Heaven yet wherefore did Christ when he ascended thither preach to These rather then others And why were These separate souls above all the rest continually upon their Watch in hopes of the promised salvation I do not apprehend any ground for this and consequently I cannot admit of this Exposition These are the several Judgments of those Expositors who understand the words concerning the souls of the deceased Now I proceed to the Last Claâ—â—is of Interpreters III. Others apply the words to the Preaching of the Gospel to unbelievers in the Apostles times understanding by the spirits in prison the Heathens and by Christs Preaching to them his Sending his Disciples and Apostles to preach to them Episcopius and Limborch are the men who offer this Interpretation and I take it to be the Fairest of all those which have been named But yet as it is delivered by those persons I cannot wholly subscribe to it therefore I shall only proceed on the main and general ground which they have laid and I shall make bold to add several things which I find wholly wanting in those Aâ—thors
and making this place speak of two sorts of persons when it is most apparent that it speaks but of one But now according to the Sense I have before propounded the Reason in these words is plain viz. thus For for this cause viz. that they might be judged according to men in the flesh i. e. that they might pass a severe Judgement upon themselves and mortifie all their sinful lusts but live according to God in the spirit i. e. live new and holy lives was the Gospel preached to those that are dead Here you may observe a clear Antithesis in the words being judged or condemned is opposed to living and flesh to spirit and according to men to according to God For this cause the Gospel was preach'd to them that are dead in sin viz. that being once Converted they may judge and condemn themselves and mortisie the flesh and die to sin as Judging and passing Sentence are in order to Execution and putting to Death among men or according to men but be Alive to the spirit and walk according to Gods holy laws So then these two places mutually explain each other the dead to whom the Gospel was preached are the same with the spirits in prison to whom Christ went and preach'd In both places are meant the Spiritually dead those that are under the power and dominion of their sins Thus I hope I have fully shew'd who are the spirits in prison Now it remains that I explain how Christ went and preached to these spirits The Preaching here is not Christ Personal Preaching but his preaching by his Apostles after his Resurrection yea his Ascension at which time he sent his Holy Spirit to them by which they were enabled to preach the Gospel to Iews and Gentiles By which spirit for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poured forth on his Apostles he preached i. e. he caused them to preach to the Unconverted world Jews and Gentiles who were yet in their sins It is rightly said that He preached because what was done by the Apostles Christs Ministers is said to be done by Christ himself And this which is here inserted he went though if is thought by D r Hammond to be a mere Expletive yet it is not so but hath its particular weight and import These two things I conceive are suggested to us by it 1. the Deputation of his Apostles Christ went not in his own person but he may be truly said to have gone by his Delegates and Ministers These went and that from place to place to preach the Gospel I look upon Eph. 2. 17. to be a parallel Text with this which I am insisting on He came or he went and preached peace to you who were afar off viz. to the Ephesians who were Gentiles and Idolaters He came not to these in person but he came or went by those whom he sent to preach to them Thus he went and preached to these spirits in prison So more signally he went to the Iews yea to them indeed first as S t Peter speaks Acts 3. 26. Vnto you first God having raised up his son Iesus sent him to bless you God sent him after his Ascension not him in person but Others in his name to preach repentance to turn every one of them from their iniquities as it follows in that place Thus Christ went he sent those who went 2. This speaks the Freeness of the act Neither Christ nor his Apostles staied till the Gentiles and Iews sought for the Gospel and Salvation by it but they went to them them they freely offer'd these to them The word then is not redundant and superfluous but very Pregnant and Emphatical God offers his grace freely God the Father sends God the Son goes With what Courtship and Unparallel'd Address did he seek and woe the love of Sinners whilst he was here on earth With what Concernedness and Passion did he beseech and sollicit the degenerate race of mankind And when he left this world and went to his Father behold he sent his Spirit to actuate his Church especially his Apostles whom he appointed to instruct and convert souls throughout the whole world He inspired them with extraordinary Gifts and Graces to make them able to discharge their office And accordingly they did discharge it with great power and vigour with marvellous and unexpected success They preached to the spirits in prison and that so effectually that they set them free from their Imprisonment But here it will be Objected what is this to the purpose what reason have you to assert that These words speak of Christ preaching by his Apostles to the Unbelievers both Jews and Gentiles in those times when as the Text plainly refers to the days of the Old World only for the preaching to the spirits in prison is said to have been when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was preparing How then can this belong to the times of the Apostles and their preaching to unbelieving Iews and Gentiles To solve this I have told you already that the words do not altogether refer to those Antediluvian Transgressors but in a Latitude and by way of Analogy they comprehend all that have sometime been disobedient But because what the Learned Episcopius hath offer'd viz. that the several generations of the Wicked are look'd upon as One Body of men and in this Large consideration the Preaching to those who lived in the days of Noah may reach even to them in the Apostles times because I say this may seem Unsatisfactory I will offer That which will abundantly satisfie all persons It is this that in these words there is an Ellipsis which is a Figure that is commonly made use of in the Scripture and therefore it ought not to seem strange in this place That this Ellipsis or Leaving out of a word is very frequent you may satisfie yourselves from those Writers who have made it their bufiness to treat of the Stile and Phraseology of the Bible they will let you see at one view what a number of Defective speeches there are in the Holy Writ So it is here and there being a Defect a Supplement must be made And what is that The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be inserted before the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the words are to be read thus By which he went and preach'd to the spirits in prison who were sometime disobedient as when once the long-suffring or patience of God waited in the days of Noah This word as which is a note of Similitude or Comparison being left out in the Greek ought to be supplied in the Translation That it ought to be so to make the sense entire will appear by setting before you some places of Scripture for I will not trouble you with instances of the Ellipsis of this particle in Prophane Writers