before us as an object to be reached by human effort? And what necessity was there that Paul should inform his brethren that he had not yet attained such resurrection?

Though it was customary with the apostle to represent the Christian life by the state of perfection beyond the grave, yet he was conscious that the figure far exceeded the reality. He had not yet attained that high position; but he strove hard to reach it, or, at least, to make all possible approximation towards it.

The most obscure part of this passage is that where the following language occurs: "if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ." But this will not be difficult, if we consider the figure of a race, which seems to be had in view, and understand that the word "apprehend" means "to lay hold of."

The idea, therefore, seems to be, that Jesus had laid hold of the apostle and constrained him to engage in this race; and now he himself was striving hard to reach forward and seize the prize that lay before him. Or, may not the idea be, that, while Paul is engaged in this race, Jesus is by his side, and helping him onward with all possible speed? The particular thought, however, that might have suggested this phraseology, is not important to our present discussion. What kind of resurrection the apostle sought to attain, (the only important point,) must be obvious to every one.

(Heb. xii. 22, 23.) "Ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, and the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels; to the general assembly and church of the first born which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect."

That this passage, and much more in the same connection, relates to the Christian dispensation, as contrasted with the Jewish, does not admit of doubt. Yet I apprehend that much of its language was suggested by the practice of representing the new dispensation by the higher state of immortality. The new Jerusalem had not yet come down out of heaven. (Comp. Gal. iv. 26, and Rev. xxi. 2.) The general assembly and church of the first born were then in heaven; and so were the spirits of VOL. X.

16

just men made perfect. The subsequent use of heaven and earth, agrees well with this view.

The

(1 Pet. iii. 18-22; iv. 1-6.) "For Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit; by which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison, which sometime were disobedient, 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. like figure whereunto even baptism doth now save us, (not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God: angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind, for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of crime, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries, wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you; who shall give an account to him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For, 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."

This passage is so similar to passages already quoted, that I am constrained to place it in the same category. I will give some additional reasons for this opinion.

1. The case of Noah and the antediluvians is here referred to, as we understaud it, for the purpose of comparison. Is not this substantially asserted in the expression, "the like figure?" This is certainly so of one branch of the representation. Is not the same thing implied of the other? Hence, while the salvation of Noah and his family by water, is emblematic of the salvation of Christians by baptism, may we not conclude that the con

manner,

demnation of the "disobedient" antediluvians, is, in like an emblem of the sinful condition of men at the time our Saviour was upon earth? If it be said that the preaching of Christ was to the same persons that sinned in the days of Noah, we reply, that it is not uncommon, in the use of figurative language, to apply to the figure what can be affirmed only of the thing represented, and vice versa. So long, however, as the thing is understood as a figure, no one is misled by such usage.

2. The salvation that is placed in contrast with the condition of the spirits in prison, is represented as a present salvation. Baptism doth now save us, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are now saved, by being introduced with Christ into the immortal state. Others are not thus saved, but are still in the fleshly prison, from which we have been happily delivered. The use of baptism, in this passage, in connection with the resurrection of Christ, is so similar to other passages already noticed, that I think it will be at once recognized as expressing the same idea. 3. The latter part of the passage agrees well with the foregoing interpretation. "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God."

There is evidently something implied here. As the passage now stands, it seems to teach that Christ, before his death, had sinned and lived to the lusts of men; but that, after he had suffered in the flesh, he ceased from these things. Such language, we know, can not apply to the Saviour. I think the following expresses the true sentiment: Forasmuch as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, and passed into the resurrection state, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind, having by your baptism emblematically suffered with him, and with him passed to the spirit world. For he that hath suffered in the flesh, as you have done, hath ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

The rest is in harmony with this view. "For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of

the Gentiles, &c. Who shall give an account to him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead." Can any one doubt that the allusion is the same here, as in 2 Tim. iv. 1, and other passages, where the coming of Christ to judge the quick and dead, is well understood as relating to a judgement that he should execute on earth, and which he was about to commence? And if the quick and dead have here a moral reference, and express moral conditions in this world, we can see no necessity of referring any portion of this passage to the other state of existence, except as that state is made a figure of a present condition, in the manner we have explained. Hence the following, in the same connection, must be supposed to harmonize with the rest of the passage; "For, 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 dead here referred to, are the dead in tresspasses and sins; the spirits of men in prison, those that are in the lower world; (to keep up the figure,) in contrast with the quick, or those that are with Christ in a higher state. The gospel was preached to them, that they might be judged with a judgement fitting their condition, as men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. In other words, the design of preaching to them was to bring them, with others, into the resurrection world, where they could live a pure and holy life. This interpretation brings the passage into harmony with other similar passages, not to say into harmony with itself; while a literal interpretation finds no parallel, and is not in harmony with the spirit of the passage.

That those in prison are called spirits, does not conflict with this interpretation. On the contrary, does not the passage itself suggest this term? One class is regarded as spirits, having passed into the resurrection state what is more natural then, than that the other class should be spoken of in the same way?

4. If it be true, as this same passage asserts, that "he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin," is it not true of the antediluvians as well as others? and what object there could be in preaching to those who had not sinned for more than two thousand years, it will not be

easy to explain. If it be objected that we have interpreted the language "he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin,' as a figure, we reply that all the fitness and propriety of the figure depend on its verity as a literal statement. This has been made sufficiently obvious before, and need not be enlarged upon.

5. That the Saviour preached to any but the antediluvians, is not affirmed, though multitudes, as vile as they, had gone down to the grave. Besides, the common representation of the New Testament (and this passage asserts the same thing) is, that Jesus is now in heaven, seated at the right hand of God; and no intimation is ever given of his preaching to spirits in prison, since his ascension to that position. And that this one instance of his preaching in the other world, should have occurred, and no other; when the occasion for such preaching, if there ever was occasion for it, has never ceased, is a sentiment that should be sustained by the clearest testimony, or not proposed as an article of Christian faith.

The Saviour, as well as the apostles, has used the form of illustration which we have been explaining. The most important passage, perhaps, is that contained in John v. 21-30. "For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement unto the Son; that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgement also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. I can of