bosom: but we cannot hence infer the same concerning the ancient meaning of the word sheol; especially considering how the Jews, after the prophetical days, in their dispersions becoming acquainted with the world, did somewhat improve in knowledge, and borrowed both notions and expressions from elsewhere; which expressions our Saviour and his apostles would not depart from, when they were agreeable or accommodable to truth. But however it be determined concerning the proper sense in general of this principal word in the proposition, and of the rest depending thereupon, as to their importance here; as to the present case, and the last main question propounded about the meaning, whereof the words are truly capable here; I answer briefly, 1. That if we interpret this descent into hell of our Saviour's interment, or being laid in the bosom of that general grave we speak of; or if (which little differs from that) we take these words for a phrase (taking its ground thence in a manner forementioned) importing no otherwise than when it was spoken of Jacob and others, that our Saviour did really pass into the state of death; we shall be sure therein not to err; the proposition being most certainly true, so understood: we shall also hereby be able fairly to satisfy the first and best (if not the only) reason of this proposition being commended to our belief: for that place of scripture, or rather one place, being the same application of a place in the Psalms, (which seems to have been the occasion, and is the main ground of its assertion,) doth not refuse, but rather most commodiously admits this interpretation: for our Saviour's soul not being left in hell, and not seeing corruption, is plainly by St. Peter himself in xiii. 34. Acts ii. 31. terpreted of his resurrection; he (David) foreseeing this, spake of Christ's resurrection, Acts ii. 31. and, in the like manner, by St. Paul, As concerning that he raised him from the dead, now no more to see corruption, he said on this wise, (Acts xiii. 34.) that speech, I say, Our Saviour's soul not being left in hell, and not seeing corruption, is by the apostles interpreted by our Saviour's resurrection, (that is, by his being freed from the bands of death, and raised from the grave, before his flesh had seen corruption;) and is opposed by them to David's continuing in death and seeing corruption, (his body being corrupted and consumed in the grave;) the apostles not designing to assert or prove more than our Saviour's resurrection: David, argue they, fell on sleep, and hath continued till now in that state; David remained unto this day in the grave, and so his body Acts ii. 29. being reduced to dust saw corruption; ÉTEλEÚTYσe, Kai éτáp, saith St. Peter; he died and was buried, without reversion: therefore that speech of his in the Psalm must not fully and ultimately be understood of him, (to whom they did not so exactly agree;) but of such an one, who did not abide in that deadly sleep : whose flesh, by being opportunely raised up, did avoid the sight (or undergoing) of corruption. And whereas it is said, Thou shalt not leave Thν чux (or my life,) nothing can be thence drawn greatly prejudicial to this exposition; for (to omit that bolder exposition of Beza, who by the soul understood the cadaver, or dead body, sometime translating the words, Non derelinques cadaver meum in sepulchro, (nothing is more usual in the Hebrew than both for the flesh and for the soul, each of them synecdochically, to signify the person, (considered as sometime μov, my soul, 14. V. Ps. xxxiii. endued with life,) and in propriety of speech to stand for the body or for the soul; Every one that sinneth Exod. xxxi. shall be put to death, and, That soul shall be cut Lev.vii. 25, off, are terms equivalent in the law: The soul that 27. 2, eateth, The soul that toucheth, and the like phrases, 19. xlix. 15. often occur in fine, To deliver their soul from lxxxix. 48. death, as the Psalmist speaks; God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; What man is he that shall not see death? that shall deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? do seem expressions parallel to this, Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell; which yet seem to import no more, than the persons there spoken of respectively to be preserved from death. It is also observable, that St. Paul, in the 13th of the Acts, neglecting the former part, Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell, contents himself with the latter, Thou wilt not yield thy Holy One to see corruption; intimating both parts to signify the same thing. If it be objected as an inconvenience to this explication of the words here in the Creed, that, admitting it, they signify no more, than what was before expressed in plain words, dead and buried; and so contain only a needless repetition; I answer, 1. That this objection concerns them who inserted the words here, who yet (even supposing the truth of this exposition) might be excusable, as suspecting it possible, that our Saviour's being ev ay, according to St. Peter, might imply more than this, although they knew not what distinctly; who might also perhaps intend somewhat by these words different from this sense, but not so truly applicable to them, or agreeable to the truth of the thing: I answer, 2. That a greater inconvenience seems to arise from expounding them otherwise; it reflecting upon the BARROW, VOL. VI. more ancient compilers both of this and most other Creeds, who left them out, which they should not have done, if they contain any thing considerable and different from what is here otherwise expressed; whose credit is more, I conceive, to be tendered, than that of their juniors and followers; and so much the more, for that defect and omission in matters of this kind is less tolerable, than any redundance in expression. Which inconvenience may seem in a manner to reach higher, even to St. Paul himself, who (in the place forecited) declaring the sum of what he both learned and taught concerning our Saviour's last grand performances, only mentions his Cor. xv.4. death, burial, and resurrection; I delivered unto you first, that Christ died according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day; which enumeration of his, it seems, we may well acquiesce in, as sufficient and complete; and may thence with great probability infer, that no other descent of our Saviour into hell, (beside his death and burial) was by him understood, or delivered in his catechetical discourses and preachings as a point of faith: so that what is objected as an inconvenience, proves no small advantage to this exposition. But I say, further, 2. To the main question, that, interpreting hell for the mansion, or habitation of souls, (to omit, that sheol, as I before noted, seems to signify otherwise in the Old Testament, and thence consequently the places in the Acts applied out of the Psalms not so proper to this purpose; whereby the main ground and support of the assertion itself, taken according to this sense, is removed; waving, I say, that consideration, and taking ans according to the meaning which we must confess it sometime to bear in the New Testament, yet) there seems to follow some inconvenience thereupon: for then we must either take it for the place of damned spirits shut up in torment and despair, (according to which acception the proposition itself would be most certainly uncertain, as having no good ground for it; and most probably false, for that it is affirmed, our Saviour's soul, the same day he died, did go into paradise,) or we must take it for a place common to all souls, as well good and blessed, as bad and miserable; (for that it comprehends the place of torment, in the New Testament sense, is evident by the parable of Dives forecited.) But I think St. Augustin had reason to doubt, whether it were consonant to the style of the New Testament, that hades there should be ever taken in a good or middle sense, at least; whereas it is said in the Revelation, that those two inseparable companions, death and hades, (that hades, which is Rev.xx.14. there said to render up its dead to judgment,) were cast into the lake of fire, it is hard to suppose paradise was cast in there; yea, hard to say hades was cast in there, supposing that word did then in its usual latitude of signification (as Christians understood it) comprehend paradise. Yea further, this explication forces us upon this inconvenience, that we must suppose paradise to be seated in a place beneath us, (or within the earth;) that paradise, which is either the same with the third heavens, in St. 2 Cor. xii. Paul, or confining thereto; it is hard, I say, to be forced by an interpretation of these words to consent that paradise (that locus divinæ amœnitatis recipiendis sanctorum spiritibus destinatus; the place of divine comfort and amenity, destinated to receive |