As for that Saying of the Prophet _Isaiah_, it was a Prophecy of Christ,
that he should be anointed to preach Glad-tidings, unto the Meek, and
that he was sent to bind up the Broken-hearted, to proclaim Liberty to
the Captives, and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound. This
Prophecy was fulfilled when he was upon Earth, as may plainly appear by
those Words in _Luke_ aforementioned.
Also the Reader may understand, that these Places of Scripture have no
Relation at all to the raising of Spirits without Bodies; nor of Spirits
being in Prison, nor delivered out of Prison by the Power of Christ
without Bodies.
But the Meaning is this, that the Spirit of the Lord Almighty was upon
Christ, and in him, and did anoint him to preach Glad-tidings of
Salvation to the Meek in Heart, who did believe in him and trusted in
his Words; all such as were broken-hearted, who were led Captive by the
Error, Ignorance, and Darkness of the Mind; he came to proclaim Liberty
to the Spirit of Man, who was in Captivity; and to open the Prison-door
of Mens Hearts.
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.