forced to quit our Lives that we may secure our Religion and our Consciences Blessed be God we can enjoy these here and carry them with us into another World afterwards But if ever the Divine Providence shall call us to lay down our Lives and spend our Bloud in the service of our Lord and Saviour let us not count our Lives dear unto us so that we may finish our course with joy and testifie the Gospel of the grace of God as our Apostle speaketh Let us like the Primitive Saints rejoyce that we are counted worthy to suffer shame and even Death for the Name of Christ. Let us chearfully sacrifice our Lives for the sake of him who Died for us let us drown our Affections to the world in our own Bloud thereby propagating our Holy Religion and therein following the Pattern of the Blessed Apostles and Primitive Saints who manfully and undauntedly died for the faith on whose account and by virtue of whose Example it was that Thousands of Converted persons flock'd to the Waters of Baptism and were ambitious to Assert that Cause for which they saw those Excellent Christians lay down their Lives The Death of an Eminent Saint made a great number of Disciples in those days the Bloud of a Holy Martyr baptized whole Cities This I conceive was to be baptized for the dead This I offer as the most Plain and Easie the most Natural and Genuine Meaning of the Text. The fourth TEXT Enquired into viz. 1 S t Peter III. 19 20. By which also he went and preached unto the Spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient c. THIS is another Difficult Text of Scripture and in order to the Clearing of it I will give you a brief account of the Chapter It begins with the Peculiar and Proper Duties of Man and Wife which take up the first 7 verses but the rest of the Chapter treats of the Common Vertues and Graces which are required in all Christians as Meekness Patience Mercifulness and all the obliging and indearing offices of Love The Apostle chiefly exhorts to Patience that is to suffer with submission and chearfulness what ever should be inflicted on them And here he shews particularly how they ought to behave themselves towards their Persecutors They must not be Revengeful and render evil for evil v. 9. and he subjoins the Reasons of it in the following verses Again They must not be afraid neither be troubled v. 14. They must take courage maugre all their distresses and strive to banish all Fear and Cowardice all Disorder and Perplexity of mind Moreover they are obliged to sanctifie the Lord God in their hearts and to be ready to give an answer to every one that asketh them a reason of the hope which is in them and that with meekness and fear v. 15. The meaning is that they were not to disguise their perswasion but to make open profession of their Religion even before their Persecutors Further the Apostle tells them that they must not only profess Christianity but lead Holy Lives that thereby they may shame their Adversaries who falsly accuse them as evil doers v. 16. Lastly therefore he bids them be sure that they look to their Lives and Conversations that they suffer for well-doing not for evil-doing v. 17. And that they may not be unwilling to suffer thus here is set before them the Example of Christ who suffered for them For Christ also hath once suffer'd for sins the just for the unjust v. 18. This highly commends the Sufferings of the Blessed Iesus that he was himself an Innocent person and that he suffer'd for those that were Guilty whereas no Christians that suffer can altogether plead Innocency they all in some measure deserve what they suffer And now the Apostle takes occasion to expatiate on Christs suffering and the Happy effects of it to the end of this Chapter and in part of the next He shews the Design of our Saviours Passion viz. that he might bring us to God v. 18. that he might make us Holy and Righteous and indue us with the Divine and Godlike nature and that he might at last lead us to Heaven and Eternal Glory And this He was effectually enabled to do because though he suffer'd death yet he soon rose from the dead as you read in that 18. v. Being put to death in the flesh but quickned by the Spirit To pass by the Notion of those men who think they find some ground here for their Aethereal or Spiritual Vehicles understanding the words thus Put to death in his Terrestrial body but quickned or enliven'd with a Spiritual one for Christs soul and the souls of all the Saints after death say they are clothed with Subtile and Aetherial bodies To let this pass the Plain Meaning of the place is this and it is confirmed by several of the Fathers that this Iesus though he suffer'd and was put to death for us in the flesh as a Man as he had a Humane Body yet he was quickned by the Spirit that is he rose from the dead by the vertue and power of the Holy Spirit who was ever with him Or thus he was put to death in the flesh i. e. crucified in his Humane Nature but he was quickned in the spirit i. e. he was raised from the Dead by his Divine Nature A Parallel place is that in 2 Cor. 13. 4. Though he was crucified through weakness his body being but Weak and Frail and subject to death as all Humane bodies are yet he liveth by the power of God he reassumed his soul and lived again and still liveth by vertue of his Divine Power He died as Man but restored himself to life as he was God It was by Christs Divine Spirit that his separated soul and body were reunited which you find thus asserted by S t Paul Rom. ◠4. He was declared to be the son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead The humane spirit of Christ was joyned again to his body by his Eternal Spirit By Christs Divinity his Humanity was raised up and restored And now our Apostle inlarges here further upon this Quickning Power of Christs Spirit or Divinity in these words By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient c. The Greek which is here translated By which is rendred by others wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ideò saith Oecumenius and so t is thought that these words bring in the Reason of what was said before But there are few that follow this Interpretation Our own Translation is more Plain and more Probable for those that are acquainted with the stile of the New Testament know that By is the frequent signification of the Praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is most obvious and rational to refer the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the word
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
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
the dead three times which shews he means it in the true proper sense For it were tolerable to put the Plural for the Singular once but to â—epeat it is unusual much more to speak after the same manner a third time is not to be allowed Where you meet with the Change of Numbers in Scripture it is by the by and not frequent but this Reiterating of it is no where to be found which is an Argument that the dead here is no such kind of speech but that it is a way of speaking after the ordinary rate and consequently that one Number is not put for another 2. All along in this Chapter Christ is spoken of and represented as Risen how comes it to pass that the Character is here altered and that now by the Dead thrice named we must understand Christ 3. When we can satisfie ourselves very well with the Propriety of speech we have no reason to fancy Improprieties and then to flie to that meaning which is contain'd in them This is our present case the Apostle here speaks in the Plural and we can very well understand him Why must we imagine that he intends the Singular when he expresses himself Plurally Why must we make him speak Improperly when we can apprehend him as well nay better in his Proper way of speaking Thus we have no good ground to think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is another Interpretation yet remaining even of those who take Baptizing here in the Sacramental sense But That being the Interpretation which I shall fix upon as the most Probable and Accountable I will therefore reserve it for the Close of all Thus far we have examined those Expositions of the Text which make it to be understood of Sacramental Washing signally stiled Baptism II. There are a Second sort of Expositors who will have the words meant of the Washing of the dead bodies in order to Burial and of this opinion Beza is the chief Patron in his Annotations on the place and he is followed by Paraeus It was indeed an ordinary practice to wash the corps before their Interment and what S t Luke tells us of Tabitha in Acts 9. 37. is a Confirmation of it 'T is likely say these Authors that this was done in belief and expectation of the Rising again of those bodies and therefore it is probable the Apostle argues from the received rite and custom of Washing the bodies of the dead before they layd them in the grave for this Cleansing and Anointing too for that also was usual was a visible profession of the belief of a future Resurrection What shall they do that make use of this Sepulcral Washing to what purpose do they observe this rite if the flesh be never to rise again T 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what doth this action of theirs signifie to what end is it why are all nations sollicitous about the liveless carcass to what tends all this care of theirs if the body shall not experience the happiness of a Restauration The Reply to this is casie 1. The notion of baptizing according to this interpretation is forced and distorted for though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may and doth signifie Washing in the more General sense and is applied to Common Washings in Mark 7. 4. Heb. 9. 10. yet there is no reason to relinquish the more Noted Acception of it in the stile of the New Testament and here to restrain it to the custom of Funeral Washing is very odd and unaccountable 2. Though the Christians used this sort of Sepulcral Washing yet how doth it appear that This was a Proof of the Resurrection of the dead Durandus in his Rationale tells you that the Christians washed the dead to shew that their Souls were cleansed from sin by Confession and Pennance 3. This Funeral Washing was in use among the Iews as well as those that professed Christianity Now 't is known that the Sadducets acknowledged no such thing as a Resurrection and therefore their Washing the dead could have no respect to the Rising again of the dead Again 4 lyâ— the Ablutio 〈◊〉 as Plautus calls it was used by the Pagans as well as Christians and it is not to be thought that These did it with regard to the Resurrection You may learn why they washed the dead bodies from Servius viz. that if the vital spirits in those that seem'd to be dead were only benum'd they might be revived and rouzed by the warm water and rubbing it on the body But it is more probable in my opinion that they Washed the dead bodies in order to Anointing them for the Romans and Grecians and other Nations used both these and one made way for the other for they first clear'd the Skin of its pollution and then made use of their Perfumed Ointments Virgil giving account of Misenus's Funeral Obsequies takes notice of this practice Post calidos latices ahena undantia flammis Expediunt corpusque lavant frigentis ungunt And Ennius doth the like speaking of deceased Tarquin Tarquinii corpus bona faemina lavit unxit And Homer describes Patroclus's funerals after the same manner And by the by I might insert that it is probable they Washed our Saviours body seeing we read that Mary Magdalen and other women Anointed it after his death as did also Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus S t Chrysostom is Positive that Christs body was Washed after he was taken down from the Cross. Thus Iews as well as Other people used this Funeral Ceremony of Washing the dead body it being in order to Anointing for it was proper first to wash off the filth of the body before they laid on their sweet Ointments Or what think you of another Reason of the Custom which I have framed to my self from what I meet with in the Pagan Antiquities There I find that Washing the Infants that were newly born was a constant practice not only Plautus but several Others take notice of it and the very Sacred Records expressly mention it Ezek. 16. 4. and thereby confirm the Antiquity of this custom Perhaps therefore Washing after death was an imitation of the Washing at the birth Their Entring into the world and their Leaving it had the like Names and they would have them resemble one another in the like Actions It is probable they agreed upon it to End as they Began at Coming into and Going out of the world to use the same Custom But if This Conjecture be not admitted then we must have recourse to the former Accounts given of This Usage or we may yet further add that the generality of the people who used the Lustral Washing did it either out of some Superstitious humour or barely to comply with Custom Take it in any of these Aspects it doth not look like an Argument that the Apostle would make use of for the proof of the Resurrection 5. To
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 spirits in prison it is no more then souls in bodies 4. This phrase might be made use of with more reason to prove the Platonick Praeexistence and the Detrusion of souls into bodies which they so much talk of I wonder the Platonists never took notice of this Text. Their Hypothesis cannot be expressed more fully then t is here If I were one that favour'd the Doctrine of Praeexistence I should prize this place exceedingly there is none like it For the spirits in prison are the souls which are thrust into these Bodies as into Prisons For the Body of man as they are wont to speak is but Eygastulum animâ— the Prison or Dungeon of the Soul here it is inclosed or imprison'd as a Sword in a Sheath And these Spirits which are thus immersed into Humane Bodies were sometime disobedient i. e. they sinn'd in the state of Praeexistence and therefore are sent into these bodies and there Imprisoned Thus this place may be alledg'd in favour of that Hypothesis but any man who duly weighs the scope of the words may see that they intend no such thing as this The Defenders of that opinion might as well make use of that place Psal. 142. 7. Bring my soul out of prison and thence prove that humane souls are thrust into the prisons of these bodies and that These are the spirits in prison meant by our Apostle But 5 ly that which unanswerably consounds This Opinion viz. that the words are to be understood of the Sinners before the Floud and of Christs preaching to them by his Spirit is this that the Text speaks not of something done by Christ before his Resurrection as his Descent into hell when he was dead but it speaks of something which Christ did after his Suffering and Resurrection when he was indued with an extraordinary power therefore it cannot be thus meant This is plain from the Context and the Words themselves and therefore nothing can more powerfully overthrow this Assertion then This doth this ruines that Opinion without remedy Besides it is said here of those spirits that they were sometime disobedient as much as to say they were not so then when Christ preached to them But because this is not a Necessary Consequence I will not urge it for they might be disobedient before and then too as I willingly grant and shall have occasion to say more of it afterwards Therefore Others seeing the Levity of this Opinion though they hold that by the spirits in prison are meant the sinners that lived before the General Deluge in Noahs days yet they understand their being in prison in another sense as thus Christ by his Spirit in Noah who is call'd a Preacher of righteousness did once preach to that generation of men who lived before the Floud whose spirits are now in prison i. e. in Hell for their former disobedience These spirits were imprisoned in Hell at the time when S t Peter wrote this Epistle but they were not in that Prison when Christ preached to them by the Spirit The short is Christ preached to these men in the days of Noah who were in this infernal Prison in the days of the Apostles and have been ever since S t Peter speaks of the spirits now in prison or then in prison when he wrote not of the spirits in prison when Christ preached to them This Interpretation is approved of by many but it is very Harsh and much Forced For if you understand the words fairly and without straining them they must necessarily signifie something which Christ did 〈◊〉 to the spirits in prison Now to say they were not in prison when he did it to them in prison is Absurd and Ridiculous at least it is Wresting the words and not taking them in their Genuine sense which they appear to us in And why we should abandon the Genuine and Plain sense for a Forced and â—ar-Fetched one I can see no reason at all therefore this sense must not have our Approbation though it be so generally received II. Others apply it to the Souls of the Dead And here there is a great Difference both among those of the Popish and Protestant perswasion 1. Some will have these spirits in prison to be the Souls of those Deceased sinners who lived before the Floud and perished in it and were sent to Purgatory 2. The Souls of all the Saints and Righteous men who had been from the beginning of the world till Christ are â—eem'd by others to be these spirits in prison and this Prison is 〈…〉 3. Some interpret it of the Damned Souls in Hell Nay 4 ly the spirits in prison are the souls of the Blessed in Heaven saith another First 〈◊〉 and some other Roman Catholicks understand this Text of Purgatory This is the Prison wherein the souls of the Antediluvian sinners were kept for these persons were Unâ—â—lievers and Iâ—penitent all the time before the Floud came but then they believed and repented S t Ierom Austin and Hilary lean this way interpreting the words to This purpose that Christ went to deliver those poor â—ouls who when Noah preached to them and God patiently expected their repentance a hundred years remain'd Incredulous and Disobedient but afterwards when they saw the Floud coming upon them became very Penitent and hated their former evil ways To these Christ being Dead went and preached So then in short the Prison of Purgatory is meant here by the Apostle and Christ went persoâ—â—lly down thither and preached to the people of that place But I answer 1. They must evidently prove that there is such a Place and State as Purgatory otherwise we have no ground to believe that This Text is meant of it For this being but an Obscure place of Scripture as all grant we cannot lay any stress on it And though some of the Fathers seem to understand it of Purgatory yet it is to be remembred that the Mystery of Iniquity began to work long before their time and it is no wonder that This and other Corrupt Opinions crept into the Church and that even some of the most Learned and Pious men were misled by them for they were but Men and so were liable to Mistake and Error 2. The Patrons of this Opinion hold that Christ went personally to Purgatory but no such thing is mention'd here yea another sort of Going is expresly named for it is said by which i. e. by the Spirit he went which seems to exclude a Local and Personal Going 3. How inconsistent is this opinion with their doctrine of Purgatory for they hold that those impure souls are sent to be purged in the other world who had some Punishment yet remaining to undergo and who were not sufficiently Purged in this world But this was not the case of the sinners who perished in the Floud Never was there such a Punishment and Judgment and never shall the like be again And therefore according to the notion of these men those persons were
Comments and thereby give you a perfect resolution of the Text. First then the Spirits are the same with Souls and Souls are as much as Men or Persons with bodies and souls so in the next verse eight â—souls are said to be saved i. e. eight persons who were in the Ark. This is an usual Synecdoche as Body is put for the whole man often so Soul or Spirit signifies the same Spirit is not always though most commonly applied to the Souls of the Deceased as some would perswade us Living men are call'd Spirits 1 Tim. 4. 1. 1 Iohn 4. 1 3. Seducing spirits are seducers or persons that seduce Or if you will not grant this interpretation in these places yet you must needs grant that persons may be meant by spirits as well as by souls which latter you cannot deny if you consult Rom. 13. 1. and several other places where by soul is meant a person i. e. a man consisting of body and soul or which is the same thing spirit Or if Spirits be meant of the Souls of Dead men properly then also there is reason to apply it here because they are Dead in sin and they are as it were destined to Eternal Death Those who are Spiritually dead are rightly call'd Spirits These spirits i. e. these Men are no other then the Gentile Idolaters say the above named Expositors who lived in the days of Christ and the Apostles And because it is said they were sometime disobedient Episcopius gives this account of it He reckons all the Gentiles from Noahs time as one and the same people which is a thing not unusual with the Holy Writâ—â—s and so when Christ preach'd to the Gentiles of his time and the Apostles times he may be said to preach to the Gentiles of Noahs time who were a part of the whole body of the Gentiles So that if you ask of him How could these people that lived in the Apostles times be said to be disobedient in the days of Noah his answer is that the whole race of wicked men is consfidered here as one Body and consequently what the first and chief of them did those that came after them may be said to have done These wicked Gentiles that lived in the Apostles times are justly said to have been disobedient in the days of Noah because they were a part of the whole and included in the main Body of sinners But I question whether this will be look'd upon by the Inquisitive as a Satisfactory Resolution For my part I cannot prevail with my self to think it such and therefore I shall anon offer another Interpretation Moreover I most add this why may we not understand these words who were sometime disobedient not only of the 〈◊〉 but of the Iews also The Text as I conceive speaks both of the Câ—â—version of Iews and Gentiles the Gospel being preached and Salvation offâ—red to both these I see therefore no reason why the Exposition should be confined to one only viz. to the Pâ—gan Infidels and such as were aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel Christ preached to both Iews and Heathens who were heretofore or sometime disobedient The former of these both under the Old and New Testament are noted to be such they are complain'd of as a 〈◊〉 people That forefathers even of those who we in the Apostles days were disobedient and therefore those may be said to be sometime disobedient because they are included in their forefathers Or rather this may be meant of the 〈◊〉 Lives and Manners of those individual persons who then lived And as the Iews had lived in Superstion and Ignorance and gross Rebellion against God so the Gentiles had been brought up in Idolatry and in most lewd and prophane practises Christ after his Resurrection and Ascension pitied the miserable condition of both these sorts of 〈◊〉 Sinneâ—s They had been disobedient but now Christ by his Apostles whom he sent forth to preach the Gospel effectually reminded them of it of which more 〈…〉 which we have hitherto suggested and which was the first thing to be done is this that these Iewish â—nd Pagan peoplâ— who had heretofore 〈◊〉 so â—â—gnally disobedient are the spirits or persons here spoken of who are also said to be in prison Of the Reasonableness and Consistency of which interpretation I will give you this following account They are called the spirits in prison 1. because they were shut up in Ignorance as in a spiritual Prison They refused the knowledge of God 〈◊〉 wilfully blinded themselves and so became like the Egyptians Prisoners of darkness and lay fetter'd in the bondâ— of nightâ— 2. Because they were not only shut up in the Dark Dungâ—â—n of wilful Ignorance but were as our Church expâ—esseth it tied and bound with the chain of their other grosser sins Whence you read of the cords or chains of sin Prov. 5. 22. In this respect very bad men are said to be in the bond of iniquity and to be 〈…〉 his will 3 ly This expresses the Misery they were in They were spirits in Prison that is unspeakably Distressed and Wretched This you will find to be the Stile of Scripture and accordingly the Psalmist saith The Lord despiseth not his Prisoners i. e. those that are in Distress and Misery Psal. 69. 33. And thus That in Ps. 79. 11. may be understood Let the sighing of the Prisoners come before thee And again he prays Bring my soul out of Prison Ps. 142. 8. Soul is to be taken here for the Person and Prison 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the very word used by the Septuagint for Calamity or Misery and so this is the like manner of speech with that in the Text The spirits or souls in prison We pity those poor wretches who are in Durance who can only look through the Grates but are denied the liberty of going abroad to help themselves we reckon their condition very sad and deplorable But it is certain that these poor â—ouls who are imprison'd and Fetter'd by their Sins are in a far worse case because Sin is the greatest Bondage They like Samson grind in the prison-house they are put to excessive Drudgery and Slavery which are so much the Worse because they are not Sensible of it 4. This shews their Inability to relieve themselves They are as it were in some Strâ—ng and Close Prison whence there is no delivery without Gods help and the special assistance of Divine Grace They are shut up in their Dark Cells and know not how to free themselves they are so fast in prison that they cannot get forth 5 ly and lastly As I have before suggested Hell is call'd a Prison in the Stile of Scripture Thus in Mat. 5. 25. to be cast into prison is to be cast into Hell and accordingly the Syriack Version of the word is Sheol which is the word used sometimes for Hell God cast the Angels down to hell saith S' Peter and immediately he adds that
he delivered them into Chains of darkness 2 Pet. 2. 4. and S t Iude v. 6. speaks after the same manner Hell implys Chains and that those who are in that place are Bound in the house of their prison So Satan is said to be bound with a great chain Rev. 20. 1 2. i. e. he was Confined to Hell and afterwards he was loosed out of that Prison v. 7. Now Wicked and Ungodly men are deservedly said to be in This prison even before they are actually cast into it because they are as sure to be there i. e. to be Damned as if they were actually so They are as certainly to be shut up in the Prison of Hell as if they were now in it In this sense Infidels and Unbelievers are said to be condemned already John 3. 18. All wilful sinners are clapt up in the Prison are consign'd as it were to Hell unless they hearken to the Preaching of the Gospel and Repent and be Converted and so escape the damnation of Hell From all these particulars you may be satisfied how Fit an expression this is how Appositely those Vnbelievers and Idolaters to whom the Gospel was preached are stiled spirits in Prison I will yet further observe to you how the Scripture delights in This way of expression As I have shewd you from thence how Sinners are Imprisoned persons so I have This likewise to take notice of from Scripture that the Converting of souls by Christs coming and preaching is expressly set forth to us by Freeing them from prison Which confirms This notion and the Use of this Phrase that â—inners whilst they are in their Unregenerate state whilst they are they are under the power of their sins are in prison for they cannot be taken out thence unless they had been in it To this purpose we may observe the prophet Isaiah's words ch 42. v. 7. where describing the Office of the Messias he makes this the summ of it to bring out the prisoners from the prison and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house And again speaking of the blessed design of the Messias he expresseth it thus ch 49. v. 9. That thou mayest say to the prisoners Go forth And further in ch 61. v. 1. he introduceth the Messias himself declaring with his own mouth that he was sent to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound Which as well as the former passages is meant of the Spiritual Loosing of men from their sins by the saving coming of Christ and preaching of the Gospel as is evident from what our Saviour said when he read these words of Isaiah This day saith he is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears Luke 4. 21. As much as if he had said This is the grand end and purpose of my appearing in the world and of all my undertakings for mankind namely to set them at liberty to save them from their sins This was long since foretold by the prophet Isaiah and now behold it is accomplished in me at this time who speak unto you and preach the Gospel of Salvation I came to seek and save that which was lost I came to bless you in turning you from your iniquities I came to rescue you from the bondage of sin and Satan This is the meaning of opening the prison to them that are bound of saying to the prisoners Go forth of bringing the prisoners out of the prison house We see then that from the stile of this Evangelical Prophet we are directed to a right understanding of S t Peters words we are informed that the spirits in prison are men in their sins Jesus by his Spirit in his Apostles went and preached to these Prisoners he proclaimed Liberty to these poor miserable Captives And these are the dead to whom the Gospel was preached 1 Pet. 4. 6. A place of Scripture which hath mightily puzzled Expositors D r Hammond and others understand by these dead the sinners of the Old World for these were dead say they when Peter wrote this Epistle though they were alive when they were preached to So that place Ruth 1. 8. is interpreted The Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead i. e. my sons and your husbands who are now dead when Naomi spoke this to her daughters in law but were alive when the kindness was shewd to them But I have observ'd before that this is a Strain'd sense and therefore where a more Natural one offers it self we ought to accept of it The most Plain and Proper meaning of the dead here is that they were dead at that very time when the Gospel was preached to them I understand it of Spiritual death which brings Eternal death with it without repentance The widow that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth 1 Tim. 5. 6. It is usual to call Sinners dead men because as the same Apostle saith they are dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2. 1. Yea it were easie to shew that this way of speaking was not unusual with the Gentile Moralists So the dead here to whom the Gospel was preached were such as were Spiritually dead Otherwise you can't make sense of the Reason or End of the Gospels being preached to them viz. that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit Castalio after his modest way in the like cases professes that he knows not what to make of these words Some tell us that they speak of Penitent sinners involved in a Common Ruine that though they were judg'd in the flesh i. e. in respect of their Bodies as far as Men can see yet in their Spirit or Soul they rest and live with God But it cannot be proved that the Apostle here refers to any such Common Calamity and therefore this Exposition is not to be admitted Others alter it a little thus These words say they are added to remove the scandal laid in the way of Religion by Infidels and Pagans who as you read v. 4. thought it strange that the Christians ran not with them to the same excess of riot and spake evil of them on that account They censured defamed and even condemned them because they were not like themselves But though they were condemned as to their flesh their outward man yet their spirits their in ward man obtain'd favour and even eternal life with God But how this is brought in as a Reason as it is here For for this cause c. no man can discover and therefoâ—e we cannot satisfie ourselves with this interpretation of the place Others would understand it thus That they might be judged according to men in the flesh i. e. that those who lived carnally and wickedly might be damned and live according to God in the spirit i. e. that those who lived godlily and righteously might be saved But this is a manifest perverting of the words turning the but into and
by means of the water viz. by the waves lifting up the Ark and carrying it aloft and so saving them from being overwhelmed The waters of the floud bore up the Ark and thereby kept the persons in it from drowning The like figure or Antitype whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us v. 21. That is the holy Ordinance of Baptism resembleth the Ark in the Floud for as This was the happy means of saving Noah and his family so That was appointed by Christ under the Gospel to be the blessed instrument of Salvation Unless you will take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here for a Contrary Figure as it signifies sometimes according to the different rendring of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then the sense is that Saving is now by water as heretofore it was by escaping it The Water of Baptism is now the means of our Safety as of old the water of the Deluge was the means of Destruction Thus the Comparison holds good in all these particulars It was without doubt design'd that one shold be a Representation of the other I had reason therefore to insert the Note of Similitude as to give you the true meaning of the words And you see there was ground for inserting it there being several Examples of the like nature in the Holy Scriptures Now then let us read the words Christ hath once suffer'd for sins being put to death in the flesh but quickned by the Spirit by which also he went and preach'd unto the spirits in prison who sometime were disobedient as when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the Ark was preparing wherein few that is eight souls were saved by water The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us The plain meaning of all which is This that Christ after his Crucifixion was raised from the dead by the Spirit of God and by the same Spirit communicated to the Apostles he preached the Gospel to the stubborn Jews and the Idolatrous Gentiles And upon this preaching to them most of those poor wretches who were Shut up in darkness and ignorance who were Imprisoned by Satan and Bound with the chain of their sins remain'd still in the same miserable condition rejecting the Gospel and in that were like unto the disobedient sinners in Noahs days who refused the preaching of Noah and of the Spirit by him But as there were some though a few in that age who attended to that Preacher of righteousness and found favour with God so was it likewise in the times of the Apostles Preaching a small company that is Small in respect of those who refused the tenders of Salvation but otherwise very Great and Numerous were so effectually wrought upon that they believed in Iesus and forsook their sins being washed from them by the waters of Baptism which was prefigured by Noahs Ark. This is that which the words present us with and it is no other then the Great Mystery of Godliness as it is set forth in 1 Tim. 3. 16. God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world This is the substance of the words which I have been treating of this is the High and Noble Theme which S t Peter here briefly handleth Though the Generality of men both then and since refuse the offers of Grace and Mercy in Christ Jesus yet the Preaching of the Gospel is not ineffectual and succesâ—ess both in those first ages of the world and in these of late there have continually been added unto the Church such as shall be Saved But because the Old World was the Greatest Example and Instance of Gods Long-suffering as well as of the Impenitence and Refractoriness of sinners therefore Gods sparing the Iews and Gentiles afterwards and sending the Apostles to Preach the Gospel to them are very fitly parallel'd with the Preaching of Noah and Gods Long-suffering towards the people of that time The Apostle here to give a Remarkable Instance of Gods Patience chooses out the days of Noah a most Polluted and Degenerate Age as you will find it decipher'd in Gen. 6. Hence among the Rabbins the Age of the Floud is used to express the most Wicked and Prophane generation of men for of all sinners those Antediluvians are reckoned to be the Worst and Vilest It is like the Age of the Giants noted among the Pagans especially their Poets For this reason S t Peter particularly mentions That Age and makes the Preaching of Noah to them to be a Figure and Representation of Christ and his Apostles Preaching to the sinners of their time They that in these days were disobedient and believed not the Gospel whilst the Christian Church was building up are represented by Those Sinners of old who believ'd not whilst the Ark was building And so likewise Those that believed in the Apostles times and were saved by Baptism were prefigured by those who in Noahs days were saved in the Ark by water Yea I am bold to say that Noahs Preaching to the sinners of that first age is a figure of the Preaching of the Gospel even to the end of the world which was intimated by S s Augustin who tells us that the Age of Noah was a Type of the Ages to come Let Vs then on whom the ends of the world are come think our selves concern'd here The Long-suffering of God hath waited in Our days calling us to repentance and Amendment of life O that we may not abuse this Patience of the Almighty but that we may before it is too late attend to the Preaching of Christ by his Holy Ministers and by his Sacred Spirit in our hearts and that we may be willing to come out of prison to leave our sins in which we have been Fetter'd to be set Free and to be Saved Thus I have finished the task I undertook which was to explain this Obsâ—ure Text. I know there are Other Solutions of the words but I cannot think that they will be of any weight with lntelligent Readers Some will read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thereby alter the sense but this is against all the Greek Copies and the Syriack Others tell us there is an Hyperbaton in the words that the Grammatical Order of them is transposed and thence they proceed to point them after another manner and then to raise a New Sense but this is generally exploded A late Author from Geneva would have the words read thus He went and preached with the spirits in prison Christ went with the Angels those Good Spirits c. and thence he frames a very odd interpretation of the Text. But these and some others I have forborn to trouble you with because I believe you would look upon them as very extravagant If any one shall entertain the same thought of that Exposition which I have offered I shall not be offended on condition he