497 / 808
VIER
.
9.
6phefians,
Chap. 4.
4.77
defcending, yea locali defcending
to the
nether parts
of
the
earth
:
afcending muff be
fo taken
as
defcending,
to
which it
is
oppofed
:
but the
defcending was
to
the
nether parts
of
the
earth locally,therfore
afcending mull be fo likewife conceived.
2.
He that being God defcended,
he
itis
that afcendeth,but
Chrifl
onely defcended,
Erge,
Vic.
Now
for
opening
of
the words
:
wee mull know,
z.
What
is
meant
by
De
[tending.
z.
What
is
meant by the
nether
parts
of
the
earth.
3.
What,
by
Afcending
above all
heavens.
4.
What
byfilling all things.
r.
There
is
a
threefold defcending which may be afcribed
to ChrifI.
z.
His
Incarnation
and
manifefling
in
the
flefh, in
regard where-
of Chrift God
is
faid
to defcend,
becaufe he manifefled
his
pretence here below with
us,
not that he
came where
he
was
not before; but
this
is
not
chiefely here
meant,
becaufe this
is no
proper defcending,
and
therefore
not
fo anfwerable
to
the
afcending here fpoken
of;
becaufe he fpeaketh
of
Chrifl,
not
as
to take
flcfh,
but
as
being already made manifeft
in
the
flefh.
z.
A
fecond Defcending, which
is
the abafing himfelfe
in
con-
dition.
3.
A
third,
which
is
the yeelding
of
his
body
to the
grave
:
this
laft
is
here principally
meant, yet
fo
as
the
'late
of
abafement
is
to
be
conceived with it.
The
lower
parts
of
the
earth.]
Thefc words have
a
double
conftruEli-
on, from
a double confideration
of
the earth,
as
it
is
confidered
with
the
heavens,
or
as
the
parts
of
it arc
confidered
with
it
felfe.
The
fIrfl
fenfe
is
the lower
parts
of
the earth,or
parts
of
the earth,which
are
the
lowefl parts
of
the
world.
But this
is
not here fo good
a
conflrullion,
becaufe it
doth not
anfwere
to
above
all
theft
heavens,
in
the
verfe
fol.
lowing, where the
terminus
of
his afcenfion
is
not limply made
to
be
heaven,butthe
highefi
heavens,compared
with thefe lower
and vifible
heavens.
Another
then
and
the truc
fenfe is, the
lower
parts
oft
he
earth,
that
is,
the
grave,
which
was
lower then
the
other earth, for
though
it
was
a
rocke,
yet
it
waswithin the earth
hewen, Mat.
27. 6o.
So that
they were
glad
to floope that looked into
it;
this
is
that
our Saviour
calleth
the
heartof
the
earth. Every thing betweene the
top
and
the
bottome,by
that Hebrew
phrafe
is
called
the heart
or
more inward
part
of
a
thing,
and thus
Pfal.
63.9.
this phrafe may
be
taken, Theft
that
fieke
my
fault
to deflrey
it,
fhallgee
into the lower
parts
of
the
earth:
this
is
the
true
conftrudion.
Some confler
it
of
Limbo,fome of Chrifls
defcent
to hell, but
theft
are
things without authority
of
Scripture.
2.The
defcent
of
hell,is
a
thing not
neceffary,as Bellarmineconfeffeth;
a thing held by tradition,
as
cAvdradius,
3. Thence Chrift
afcended
whither he defcended:but the Gofpell
hath not atittle
of
his
afcending
our
of
hell.
_
T
t
3
For
Aihreefold de-
fending may
be
afcribed
to
Chrill.
Chrillsdefcen-
ding into the
lower
parts
of
the
earth, is
his lying
in
the
grave.
Iohnno.
f.
Matt
x.
40.
Pfal.
63.9.
Agáinll
Chrills
defcen-
ding
into hell.