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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	divine_a	scripture_n	word_n	2,774	5	4.3976	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62911	The preaching of Christ and the prison of God, as the certain portion of them that reject Christ's word opened in several sermons on 1 Peter III. 19 / by Samuel Tomlyns ...	Tomlyns, Samuel, 1632 or 3-1700.	1694 (1694)	Wing T1862; ESTC R9741	60,054	138

Soul of Jesus Christ being separated from the Body did go and Preach to some of the Fathers of the Old Testament that were not as they say yet admitted into Heaven but were reserved in some out-rooms of Hell where they felt no pain but did not yet see the Glorious Face of God nor enjoy his Blessed Presence But this cannot be the true genuine sense of the words For 1. If Spirit signifies here the Soul of Christ and quickned imports his Resurrection then Jesus Christ must Preach to these Spirits not while his Body was dead but after his Resurrection which the Papists themselves will not own or admit 2. Spirit in the 18th Verse signifies Christ's Divine Nature and it was not in this or by this that he preached to the Spirits of the Old Testament after their Souls were separated from their Bodies 3. Those that Christ preached to lived and were disobedient in the days of Noah it is not said they did Repent of or break off from their sins but were hardned in their Unbelief and dyed in their Iniquities they went down uncircumcised in Heart into the Pit and so Eternal Death was their Wages and Hell was their own Place Now even Papists dare not say that Christ preached to the Damned their state is remediless the Sentence irrevocable their Loss irrecoverable there is no Year of Jubilee no Goal-delivery for imprisoned Spirits confined to and shut up in Hell Jesus Christ would not Preach to those that God had cast off for ever and doomed to Eternal Misery for their continued and obstinate Disobedience they whose Nature was not changed on Earth their Condition could not be altered in Hell 4. If the Soul of Christ had preached to Souls in the Prison of Hell what Reason can be assigned why he should Preach rather to those that were disobedient in the days of Noah than to those that were disobedient in the days of Abraham Moses or in the after-times of the Prophets This one Argument may shame this Notion and confute this ungrounded Exposition of the words that the Soul of Christ went down to Hell to Preach to Spirits there Before I come to the main Doctrines that the words afford I shall observe several other great Truths that the words do offer to us 1. That the Scripture is a most Excellent and Divine Book in that it gives us such a true Account and such sure Notions about a future and eternal state after Death As it tells us what is the Condition of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Holy Prophets that they are in the Palaces and Kingdom of God Luke 13.28 so it informs us what is become of the Sinners of the Old World that these are cast into the Prison of God He that appoints Portion in the Paradice above and assigns places in the Prison below and adjudges to each of these by an irrevocable Sentence can best tell what is become of Saints and Sinners now they are departed out of the World 2. This Evidences the Immortality of the Soul that the Spirits of wicked Men are said to subsist after Death and to abide in God's Prison though their Garments of Flesh were pluckt off their Houses of Clay thrown down to the Dust yet their Souls did not expire or sleep as a Man can live though his Garments are put off or his House be demolished or drop down So the Soul hath no such necessary dependance on the Body but can exist though this Garment be put off this House be pulled down This Candle will burn though taken out of the Lanthorn of the Flesh Death doth not blow out only it removes this Light into another World 3. We may observe the Mercy and Goodness of God that though he had threatned a Flood and adjudged all the World besides eight Persons to be drowned by it yet the Son of God Preaches to this degenerate and wicked World before he destroys them though God designed Severity against their Bodies yet he offers Mercy to their Souls that though they could not avoid the first yet that they might decline the second Death and though their baser part were cast away yet that their Souls might swim to and Land safely on the Shoars of a blessed Eternity and God's means do not use to be totally ineffectual and in vain The Word is seldom if ever preached but that some are to be drawn out of the dead Sea and called out of their Graves by it Peter seems to tell us that the Word was not wholly lost on the Old World but that some received saving Benefit by it 1 Pet. 4.6 For this cause was the Gospel preached also to them that were dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit This may be Vid. Piscal in locum and is expounded to relate to and point at the state of the Old World the Gospel was preached to them that though they were judged were drowned and perished in the Eye of Men as to their Flesh yet they might live to and with God in their Spirits Though God proclaimed War against their Bodies yet he tendred Peace to their Souls 4. We may further Observe that even those that the Son of God Preaches to may stop their Ears close their Eyes harden their Hearts and for their Unbelief and Impenitency may be cast into God's Prison and perish everlastingly The Gospel is to some the savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 They did shut Christ out of their Souls and for this are shut up under the wrath of God and are the Subjects of Eternal Vengeance 5. We may Observe what a hainous Evil Sin is and what a terrible Adversary God is He did not only sweep away the sinners of the World and drown their Bodies in a Flood of Waters but he imprisoned and punished their Souls God drowned their Spirits in Destruction and Perdition 1 Tim. 6.9 Sin is committed against an Infinite Majesty and cannot be sufficiently punished or satisfied for in a Finite Time by a Finite Creature It is an Axiom in the Civil Law Accusatio rei morte finitat An Accusation is finished by the death of the guilty Person all Process and Proceedings then cease against the Delinquent But it is otherwise here God's Accusation is not let fall his Actions are not withdrawn his Controversie doth not cease when sinners dye he pursues and overtakes them in another World there he meets them as one bereaved of his Authority Honour and Glory by them he resents the wrongs done to him he pours out the full Vials of his Wrath on them and fights against them for ever They are that they may be Miserables a bare Stock of Being is continued that God may graft Misery and Eternal Torments on it The words afford us two Doctrines First That the Son of God did Preach before he was Incarnate and doth as truly Preach by Instruments as he doth immediately in his

own Person when he appeared here in the World The Second Doctrine that rises from the latter words is this That the Souls of wicked Men after they are departed out of the Body are confined to and shut up in God's Prison 1. Doctrine The Son of God preached before he was Incarnate and doth as truly Preach by Instruments as he doth immediately in his own Person We may here distinguish three Preachings of Jesus Christ 1. He preached before his Incarnation So in the Text the Son of God is said to Preach to those that were disobedient in the days of Noah The Gospel was preached to them that formerly lived but were dead in the days of Peter 1 Pet. 4.6 And who did then Preach it It was the Son of God He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not John 1.10 He was in the World and that to Teach and Instruct the Souls of Men. His being in the World relates to the time before his Incarnation then he treated with and revealed a way of Salvation to the perishing Souls of Men. He was in the World to give light to straying Sinners to awaken sleepy to apprehend flying to rescue and save sinning Souls He was in the World before Abraham was chosen and his Seed was taken as a Peculiar People or the Son came to them as his own 2. The Son of God preached when he was manifested in the Flesh At Nazareth where he was brought up Luke 4.26 he seems to Preach his first Sermon and then he chose that Text Isa 61.1 This Scripture evidences his Mission and contains his Commission As Ambassadors first shew their Credentials before they enter into a Treaty with those to whom they are sent So Christ as the Father's Ambassador produces his Credentials he saith The Spirit of the Lord was upon him for he anointed him to Preach glad tidings unto the meek And Christ in pursuance of his Commission and Instructions went about preaching the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God Luke 8.1 Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom Matth. 4.23 Jesus was not idle did not loyter or trifle away his time but was daily casting his Net to take Souls and calling Men from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to God * When the Son of God was Incarnate then Wisdom cried without Prov. 1.20 And the first-born of Gods new Family declared his Name to his Brethren Ps 22.22 Then the Church found him without Cant. 8.1 That is come forth into our Nature And where he did not Convert Men yet he did convince and somewhat awaken and terrifie sinners with the fear of Hell In this sense he is said To smite the Earth with the Rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips to slay the wicked Isa 11.4 3. Now Christ is in Heaven he still continues to Preach Take heed saith the Apostle Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh we shall not escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven It was foretold that our Lord Jesus should speak Peace to the Heathen Zech. 9.10 So it was fulfilled by our Lord Jesus Paul saith That Christ came to Ephesus Preaching Peace to them that were afar off Ephes 2.17 Jesus Christ was then ascended to Heaven yet even then he came to Ephesus and preached Peace As he went to the Old World and preached before his Incarnation so he came to Ephesus after his Ascension and proclaimed Peace though he came into the World to wage War with Satan and to destroy his works yet he daily comes and preaches Peace to Sinners and wooes and beseeches them to be reconciled to God * 2 Cor. 5.20 Thus you see that the Son of God preached by Instruments and by his Ambassadors before and since his Incarnation as he preached immediately when he was here in the World For the prosecuting of the Doctrine I shall insist upon these three things 1. How fit the Son of God was to Preach 2. What it was he did Preach 3. To whom he did Preach 1. I shall shew you how fit the Son of God is to Preach and that in respect 1. To the Divine Nature he possesses 2. As to the Office he is cloathed with 1. As to the Divine Nature he hath 1. As he is God he knows all things as he was in the bosom of the Father from Eternity John 1.18 He is conscious to all his Secrets he is privy to all his Thoughts of Grace and Counsels of Peace that did spring up in his Heart from Eternity concerning the Sons of Men. None knows the Father but the Son and he to whom he will reveal him Mat. 11.27 The Son knows the Father immediately perfectly and infallibly As the Wisdom of God he hath a full Acquaintance with the Father nothing is hid or concealed from him what he hath seen with and heard from the Father that he testifieth John 3.32 A Witness that reports what he hath heard and seen is surely to be credited and such a Witness is Jesus Christ Isa 55.4 Rev. 3.14 He was to bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles Isa 42.1 The Doctrine of the Gospel is God's Judgment concerning a way of Relief Reconciliation and Salvation for Sinners This Doctrine Christ was to bring forth and that out of the bosom of the Father * Vid. Piscal in loc These great Secrets he was to reveal to the World 2. None but the Son of God can give sufficient Authority and Efficacy to the Word 1. The Son gives Authority to the Gospel he that Preaches out of the bosom of the Father John 1.18 He that speaks from the Throne of Majesty and Glory * Heb. 12.25 is to be regarded The Word ought and is to be received as the Word of God 1 Thess 2.13 It is to be entertained as a Law from his Mouth Job 22.22 What the Son Preaches is stamped with a Divine Authority All should tremble at and stand in awe of his Word 2. The Son of God only can give Efficacy to the Word He that brought forth the Gospel out of his Father's Bosom can bring it into our Hearts He can sow cause the Seed to take Root and change the Soil he can write in the Tables of our Hearts 2 Cor. 3.3 Jesus Christ did not write the Gospel with his own Hand in any Paper or Book he intended and reserved a more Noble Writing to himself which is most becoming of him and peculiar to him He writes in the Minds Consciences and Wills of Men and he writes not Letters Syllables bare Words or Sentences but he writes Divine Truths Supernatural Mysteries Spiritual Principles Dispositions and Inclinations in the Souls of Men. The Son can come at and write in that Table that no other can reach or make impressions on And the Son of God can write so effectually as to change a