For this I say, all Mens Spirits by Nature are shut up in the Prison of Spiritual Darkness in the Mind, and are lead Captive by the Ignorance of Truth; so that the Spirit or Soul of Man is shut up a Prisoner in the Body of Man, until the true God and Saviour hath been preached to them, as it was by Christ himself, when on Earth he was anointed to preach Glad-tidings of Salvation; and he anointed his Apostles to preach Glad-tidings of Peace to Men, and to open the Prison, and to deliver the Captive out of Captivity, and to set the Spirits of many that were in a Prison of Darkness in their own Minds go free: This Prophecy was fulfilled at that Time by Christ and his Apostles in their Commission.
But the same Captivity and Prison of Darkness is now upon the Spirits of all Men, as it was at that Time: For this I say, and many People can Witness, that their Spirits have been shut up Prisoners in Spiritual Darkness in their own Bodies, until the true God the Saviour hath been preached unto them by his last Messengers.
For this I declare, that those Words of the Prophet Isaiah, they were spoken with Relation to a Spiritual Liberty, and to a Spiritual Captivity, of the Mind or Spirit of Man, and not to a Natural Captivity. Neither was it meant the opening of the natural Prison Doors, to them that were bound by the Powers of the Nations; but the Doors of Mens Hearts were opened at the preaching of Christ and his Apostles, in that Light, and Life, and Salvation was preached unto them, that whoever Believed that this Jesus is the Christ, the Saviour of the World, should be saved and delivered from the Fear of Eternal Death: So that the Soul of Man that was lead Captive into Prison, and bound in Chains of Darkness, and strong Doors lockt fast to keep the Spirit of Men in Prison, by the Works of the Law, and the Expounders of the Law before Christ came, the Spirit of Reason in them did lead the Generality of People their Spirits into Spiritual Captivity, and shut them up in Prison, and tied their Spirits up in the Observation of the Ceremonial Law of Moses.
Which was as Chains of Darkness: and not only so, but shut the Door of Hope upon them, so that there was no Hope to be saved in them, but by observing the Law aforesaid, which Paul calls beggarly Rudiments, Gal. iii. So that this Spiritual Captivity and being bound in Prison, and the Doors being shut, it was the Spirits of People that were Captives and Prisoners in their own Bodies, kept by the Legal and Ceremonial Righteousness of the Law of Moses; and when Christ came to preach, and to give Power to his Apostles to preach the Gospel of Truth, both to Jew and Gentile, then was the Door of Hope opened in People's Hearts, and many that were bound in Prison, whose Spirits were led Captive, they were set at Liberty from that Bondage of the Ceremonial Law, wherein they were bound, and brought out of that Prison of Darkness in the Mind, into the glorious Light and Life of Faith, by the preaching of Christ and his Apostles.
Then was this Prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled in the Apostles Commission; then was Liberty preached to the Spirits of many that were bound and in Prison in their own Minds, the Word of Faith preached unto them, it opened a Door of Hope of Deliverance from the Bondage of the Law as aforesaid, wherewith they were bound; so that by Faith they had in Christ, their Chains fell off their Feet, and Darkness of their Understanding; so that they were at perfect Liberty, and delivered out of Prison, and the Prison-Door of Hope in Christ being opened, all true Believers in Christ were set at Liberty, free from Captivity, and out of that Spiritual Prison of Darkness into the glorious Liberty of the Sons and Daughters of God for ever and ever.
So is it now in this Commission of the Spirit, we the Witnesses of the Spirit have preached Glad-tidings of Salvation, and have opened the Prison-Doors of Mens Hearts, and have let many out of that Spiritual Prison, that were bound to the Righteousness set up by the Imagination of Reason now in these last Days, who were led Captive by their own Traditions, and kept in Prison in their own Bodies for many Years; but by the Declaration of Truth in all our Writings and our Speakings, many People have been delivered out of Captivity and out of Prison, their Spirits have been let loose out of the Chains of Darkness, because the Door of their Hearts hath been opened by the Word of Faith in the true God, which we have preached and written; this many can witness at this Day the Truth of it. So that now that Scripture is fulfilled again these last days; and this is the true Meaning of the Prophet Isaiah, in those Words concerning opening the Prison, and giving Liberty to the Captives that were imprisoned in their own Bodies by the Conceptions of the Imaginations of their own Hearts.
So that there is not the least Colour or Ground from those Words, for the Reason of Man to think that Spirits may be let out of Prison without Bodies, or that the Spirit of Christ did Preach to any Spirit in Prison without his Body.
CHAP. XIII.
And as for those Words of Peter aforenamed, where he saith, Christ was put to Death in the Flesh, but quickened by the Spirit; by which also he went and preached unto 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 a preparing, &c.
The Meaning of those Words are as followeth; that Christ was put to Death in the Body of his own Flesh, this is confessed by most People that profess the Scriptures of Truth, but very few do truly believe, that the Soul or Spirit of Christ did die, or was put to Death at all, notwithstanding the Scripture saith, that He poured out his Soul unto Death; and he himself saith, His Soul was heavy unto Death. Therefore that the Reader may understand what is meant in that Christ was put to Death in the Flesh but quickened by the Spirit; mind,