words of my Text, as they are cited out S ER M. of the Pfalm by the Apoftle St Peter, XIV. Acts ii. 27. Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell; the True and complete sense is plainly This; Thou wilt not relinquish me, thou wilt not fuffer me to continue, in the State of the Dead; but wilt certainly raise me up again, at thy appointed time. FROM This explication of all the Texts relating to This matter, 'tis very clear that the Scriptures no where teach, that our Lord, by defcending into Hell, ever entred into the Place appointed for the Final Punishment of the Wicked. Nor is there any thing in Reason, from whence it can by any just Confequence be inferred, that it was at all requifite for him fo to do. IT has been conceived by Some, that it was needful for our Lord to go down into the place of Torment, in order to render his Satisfaction complete, by undergoing himself the very fame Sufferings, which were due to Thofe for whom he made Satisfaction. But This notion is founded entirely upon a Mistake. For the Satisfaction of Chrift, does not depend upon the Same the SERM. Sameness of the Sufferings, but upon XIV. good pleasure of God who ruleth over all; who has been pleased to declare himself appeased by the voluntary condescension and Sufferings of our Lord, as a sufficient Vindication of his Supreme Authority; fo that he can, upon the Merit of That Sacrifice, confiftently with the Honour and Dignity of his Laws, accept the Repentance and Amendment of returning Sinners, and Freely forgive them their past Sins. But, befides This, Neither was it indeed poffible in the Nature of Things, that our Lord fhould at all undergo the Torments of the Wicked. For the Sting of their Punishment is the Worm that never dieth, and an endless Defpair of the Favour of God; Which are things altogether impoffible to have fallen upon Him. OTHERS therefore have fancied, that our Lord defcended into Hell, not indeed to Juffer any thing there himself, but to deliver Others out of That Place of Torment. But This alfo is plainly an erroneous opinion. For fince the Scripture every where teaches, that as the Tree falleth, fo it shall lie; and that, for those who die impenitent SER M. and unreformed, there is no Redemption; XIV. 'tis certain the Wicked, when once condemned, are no more capable of being delivered at all. And as to Virtuous and Good men ; 'tis no lefs certain that the Souls of the righteous are in the band of God, and there fhall no Torment touch them. They are in Scripture reprefented as being in Paradife, or in Abraham's Bofom ; but never as being in the place of Tor ment at all. LASTLY, therefore, it has been fuppofed by Others, that Christ descended into the place appointed for the final Punishment of the Wicked, to triumph There over Satan in his own Kingdom. But neither is This opinion, in any wife, agreeable to Scripture. For the Devil and his Angels are not yet confined to the Pit of Destruction, before the day of Judgment. And if they were, yet That is not their Kingdom, but their Place of Punishment. The Kingdom of the Devil, is the Prevalency and Dominion of Sin in this World: And here Christ triumphs over him, by con SER M. Converting men from their Sins and De- and Iniquities, which are the Works of the UPON the Whole therefore, there is no fufficient Foundation, either in the Reason of the Thing, or in the Declarations of Scripture, to fuppofe that our Lord ever descended at all into the Place of Torment, into the place appointed for the final Punishment of the Wicked. But the Full Meaning, both of those words in my Text, Thou shalt not leave my Soul in Hell; and of all the Other Paffages in Scripture, relating to That matter; is, that our Lord. continued in the State of the Dead, in the Invifible State of departed Souls, during the Time appointed; but that, it not being possible for him to be bolden of Death, he was raised again without feeing corruption. THE natural Inference from which Doctrine, both of our Lord's overcoming Death, Death, and of good mens being affured SER M. consequently that They fhall overcome it XIV. alfo; is That Hope and Comfort to virtuous and religious Minds under all Temporal afflictions whatsoever, of which the Pfalmift expreffes his Sense in the words whereof my Text are a part. I have fet the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my Heart is glad, and my Glory rejoiceth; my Flesh alfo fhall reft in Hope. For thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell, neither wilt thou fuffer thine Holy One to See corruption. Thou wilt Show me the path of Life; In thy prefence is Fulness of Joy, at thy right hand are Pleasures for ever more. THE Refurrection of Chrift, is the Great Evidence of the Truth of his Doctrine. And a Principal Part of his Doctrine, is, the bringing Life and Immortality to Light; or, the giving us an Affurance, that, as Chrift is rifen from the Dead, fo We also, if we imitate him in the Obedience of his Life, fhall, after Death, rife with him unto Glory. VOL V. Ꮓ The Con |