In his incarnation Christ was born precisely into the law place of his people, and sustained to the law precisely that relation which they did. He was born under the law, then, 1st, as a rule of duty ; 2d, as a covenant of life ; 3d, as a broken covenant, whose curse was already incurred. His voluntary assumption of such a position was preeminently an act of humiliation : 1st. His assumption of a human nature was voluntary, 2d. After his incarnation his person remained divine, and the claims of law ter- minating upon persons, and not upon natures, his submission to those claims was purely gratuitous. 3d. This condescension is immeasurably heightened by the fact that he accepted the curse of the law as of a covenant of life already broken, Gal. iii., 10-13; iv., 4, 5.
20. In what sense did Christ undergo the curse of the law, and how was that possible for God's well-beloved Son ?
In his own person, absolutely considered, Christ is often de- clared by the Father to be his " beloved Son, with whom he was well pleased," Matt, iii., 17 ; 2 Pet. i., 17 ; and he always did that which pleased Grod, John viii., 29. But in his office as me- diator he had assumed our place, and undertaken to bear the guilt of o.ur sin. The wrath of Grod, then, which Christ bore, was the infinite displeasure of Grod against our sins, which dis- pleasure terminated upon Christ's person vicariously, because of the iniquity of us all which was laid upon him, Matt, xxvi., 38 ; xxvii., 46 ; Luke xxii., 44.
21. What are the different interpretations of the phrase in the apostles' creed, "he descended into hell ?"
Our standards teach that the phrase in the creed, which is
328 MEDIATORIAL KINGSHIP OF CHRIST.
borrowed from Ps. xvi., 10; and Acts ii., 27, means Christ's con- tinuing in the state of the dead, and under the power of death till the third day, Larger Cat., question 50. <u(%, translated hell, appears to be used in its etymological and most general sense for the invisible state of the dead, presenting no definite idea of place, but rather of a state marked, 1st, as invisible, i. e., to the living ; 2d, by separation of soul and body. Compare Acts ii., 24-28 ; ii., 31 ; with Ps. xvi., 8-11.
The Komanists interpret " hell" in this phrase as signifying the "Limbus Patruin," or that region of the invisible world " into which the souls of the just who died before Christ were received, and where, without experiencing any sort of pain, and supported by the blessed-hope of redemption, they enjoyed peaceful repose. To liberate these souls, who, in the bosom of Abraham, were ex- pecting the Saviour Christ, the Lord descended into hell/' — Cate- chism of Coun. of Trent, Part L, Art. 5th.
Some have held the revolting opinion that Christ actually de- scended into the place of torments to triumph over the powers of darkness, which is evidently inconsistent with Luke xxiii., 43, 46.
22. What is the true meaning of 1 Pet. iii., 19-21 ?
This passage is very obscure. The Komish interpretation is shown in the answer to the preceding question, i. e., that Christ went to the Limbus Patrum and preached the gospel to those imprisoned spirits that were awaiting his advent.
The common Protestant interpretation is that Christ was put to death in the body, but quickened, or restored to life by the Spirit, by which Spirit, inspiring Noah as a preacher of righteous- ness, Christ many centuries previously had descended from heaven, and preached to the men of that generation, who in their sin and unbelief were the " spirits in prison." Only eight persons believed and were saved ; therefore, Christian professors and teachers ought not to faint because of the unbelief of mankind now.
Another interpretation, suggested by Archbishop Leighton in a note, as his last opinion, and expounded at large by the late Dr. John Brown, of Edinburgh, is, that Christ dying in the body as a vicarious sacrifice is quickened in the spirit, *. e., spiritually quickened, manifested as a complete Saviour in a higher degree
HIS ESTATE OF EXALTATION. 329
than was possible before, as a grain of wheat dying he began to bear much fruit ; and thus quickened, he now, through the inspi- ration of his Spirit, preached to " spirits in prison," *. e., prison- ers of sin and Satan, just as he had before done, though with less power, through Noah and all the prophets, when the spirits were disobedient ; under the ministry of Noah only eight souls being saved ; but since Christ was quickened in spirit, i. e., manifested as a complete Saviour, multitudes believed.
23. Wherein does Christ's exaltation consist? Shorter Cat., question 28, Larger Cat., questions 51-54.
24. In what sense was it possible for the coequal Son of God to be exalted?
As the coequal Son of God this was impossible, yet his person as God-man was capable of exaltation in several respects.