state of the dead.* to the English reader, from its immediate connexion with the following phrase: "Neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One to corruption." The former part of the sentence informs us; that the soul of Christ should not continue in its state of separation from the body: the latter, that his body itself should not be so long separated from his soul, as to be reduced to a state of putrefaction.

This is sufficiently evident, even

As to the quotation from Peter, which now lies before us, it says nothing respecting the human soul of Christ, much less of its descent into hell. It speaks only of his preaching. Literally rendered indeed, it is, "he went and preached unto the spirits in prison." The phrase, however, does not imply local motion, but only the act of preaching. We have a similar mode of expression in Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians (ii. 17.) "He came and preached peace to you, who were afar off, and to them who were nigh." Does the apostle here mean to assert, that Christ actually went to the Ephesians, in order to preach to them? The case is too evident to admit an interpretation like this. The word which, in both these passages, literally denotes local and personal motion, is lost in that which expresses the act of preaching. "Many similar phrases," as Macknight observes, "might be produced from the best Greek authors." That the apostle Peter did not here intend to convey the idea of the actual descent of Christ's human soul into hell, is evident from the passage itself; for he speaks of his preaching, not personally, but

*See Parkhurst's Hebrew and Greek Lexicon. See also Ainsworth's Annotations on Genesis xxxvii. 35; and on Psalms xvi, 10.

by his Spirit; by that Spirit which, as the words immediately preceding express, quickened or raised him from the dead. This certainty was not his human soul, but the Holy Spirit himself. The notion respecting the descent of Christ's human soul into hell, immediately after its separation from the body by death, is evidently contradicted by our Lord's address to the dying. thief: "To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.” This declaration of Christ, so far as it related to himself, had respect to his soul in its separate state; and it informs us, that paradise, or heaven (hades, or the invisible world) was the place of its immediate reception and residence.

The sentiment to which I have adverted is not the only error that has been deduced from this passage. Some taking it for granted, that the apostle speaks of Christ's descent into hell, in order to preach there to the spirits in prison, have hence inferred the probability of the final salvation of the damned themselves. It appears, however, from what has been already said, that the passage does not contain the principle from whence they argue; consequently, their conclusion is groundless. It might be further urged, if the passage relates to the descent of Christ into hell, that he might preach unto the damned, in order to their salvation; why are the unbelievers in Noah's time only mentioned, and not those of other generations? And why does the apostle say nothing of the success of Christ's preaching to the spirits in prison? Surely, he would have spoken in a very different manner, if he had meant to inform us of the probable deliverance of those who are imprisoned in hell. To put this matter beyond

all doubt, many passages of Scripture expressly teach, that the misery of those who die in a state of unbelief and impenitence, is properly eternal; equal, in point of duration, to the blessedness of those who are saved.*

This controverted passage will be better understood by considering, a little more particularly, the persons to whom Christ is here said to have preached, the time when, and the medium through which he preached unto them. Respecting the persons, we observe, they were "disobedient in the days of Noah;" and, at the period when Peter wrote this epistle, they were disembodied spirits, confined for their disobedience in the prison of hell. The time of Christ's preaching unto them is not here expressly specified; but, by comparing Scripture with Scripture it will not be difficult to point out this period. From what has been already advanced, we may safely infer that it was not in the time of their imprisonment. The Analogy of Faith directs us to conclude rather, that it was during their life of disobedience, "when once the long-suffering of God waited, in the days of Noah while the ark was preparing." This interpretation exactly accords with the evident meaning of a parallel passage in this same epistle. If we turn to chap. iv. ver. 6, we find the following expression: "For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." The persons here spoken of, were certainly dead at the time when the apostle made this remark; but can any one suppose, for a moment, that he meant to say that the gospel was preach

* 2 Peter ii. 1--9. Jude v. 6, 7. Matthew xxv, 46.

ed unto them when they were dead? Does not the nature of the case direct us to conclude, without any hesitation, that the preaching unto them was while they were living? If we compare the two passages together, we shall find, that the same mode of interpretation applies with equal propriety to each. But we have another particular to notice, viz. The medium through which Christ preached to these antediluvians. "This," says the apostle, "was by his Spirit;" that is, by the warnings, the exhortations, the reproofs of his Spirit, in the ministry of his inspired servant Noah. This accords with what the apostle had suggested in the first chapter of this epistle, ver. 10, 11, 12, where he informs us, that the prophets, and, doubtless Noah among others, conceived and spake as the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify; and it also serves to explain the declaration of Jehovah, respecting those very persons to whom the passage before us refers: "The Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man.'

The above is no novel interpretation of the passage in question; it corresponds with the commentary of the venerable Bede. Paraphrasing on the words, as Fulke, in his notes on the Rhemish Testament observes, he expresses himself thus: "He, who in our time, coming in the flesh, preached the way of life to the world, even he himself came before the flood, and preached to them who were then unbelievers, and lived carnally; for even he, by his Holy Spirit, was in Noah, and the rest of the holy men, who were at that time; and, by their good conversation, preached to the wicked men of that age, that they might be converted to better manners.”

* Genesis vi. 3.

The passage thus interpreted, suggests some very interesting remarks. Hence we observe, First, That it is Christ himself who preaches by the ministry of his servants unto men. Thus he preached by his Spirit in Noah, in the prophets, and in the apostles. Thus also he preaches by his ministering servants in the present day. They are not indeed immediately inspired by Christ, so as to be rendered infallible, as the prophets and apostles were; but the office of a gospel-ministry is ordained by him: he qualifies and sends forth persons to engage in this office, he has given them his word as the rule of their ministry; and so far as their addresses accord with this rule, it may be truly said, that Christ himself preaches by them. They who disregard the instructions,the warnings,the exhortations, thus given unto them in the name of Christ, are chargeable with the rejection of Christ himself, and must account unto him for their conduct.

Another idea which this passage suggests is, that multitudes of those to whom Christ preaches by his ministering servants, are disobedient to his word. This is the character here given of the persons to whom he preached by Noah. Moses often complained of it in the Israelites, and so did the prophets in general. “All the day long," said Isaiah, "have I stretched out my hands to a gainsaying and disobedient people." We have sad evidences of the fact, even under the personal ministry of Christ himself, and that of his apostles. It is glaringly manifest in the present day. The word here rendered disobedient,properly signifies unpersuadable; and is not this descriptive of the generality of persons around us, to whom the gospel is sent? Neither warnings, ex