Discourses, or, Sermons on several Scriptures

Others think that this Hell, into ⟨p. 109⟩which Christ descended, was one great Partition of it, called Lymbus Patrum, the Repository of the Souls of those Fathers who died in Obedience to God, and in Faith to the Messiah, before Christ came in the Flesh: And the Reason of his Descent thither was, that he might release those Souls from Chains, and carry them with him to Heaven; so that ever since, that Mansion in Hell hath been left void, without any Inhabitants. But this Opinion is not capable of any sufficient Proof; I shall therefore give you that Interpretation and Judgment which carries with it the strongest Current, both of Scripture and Reason. The Word Hades, that we translate Hell, is very often, by the Septuagint, in the Old Testament, used to signify the Grave, or the State of the Dead. So in Gen. 44. Ishades, ¹we translate it the ⟨p. 110⟩Grave, but it is the same Word that is used for Hell in the Text. And thus the Word is used in other places of Scripture, as also in other Authors, to signify the Place and State of the Dead, and of separate Souls. And for the leaving the Soul of Christ in Hades, or in Hell, we must know, that it is a thing that is not unusual in Scripture, to call a Man that is dead by the Name of Soul: So the Septuagint translate that place in Leviticus, ²They shall not be defiled with dead Souls, meaning dead Carcasses, neither shall they go into any dead Souls, the Word is dead Bodies. But not to detain you any longer on this Speculation, though of great use for the right understanding of this excellent place of Scripture: If we take Hell for the Grave, we must take the Soul for the Body; Thou wilt not leave my Body ⟨p. 111⟩in the Grave: But if by Hell be here understood the State of Death, that is, the State of Separation of Soul and Body, the Interpretation will be more easy and natural, Thou wilt not leave my Soul in a State of Separation from the Body, but wilt certainly unite them together again, and raise me up before I shall feel Corruption. Thus I have given you the Interpretation of the Prophecy of David, which, upon the Account of God's Truth and Veracity, was to take effect in the Resurrection of our Saviour; and therefore being foretold he should not see Corruption, the Faithfulness of God was obliged within that time inviolably to raise him up.