Reverently and Meekly Now Christian Hymn

Rev’rently and meekly now,
Let thy head most humbly bow.
Think of me, thou ransomed one;
Think what I for thee have done.
With my blood that dripped like rain,
Sweat in agony of pain,
With my body on the tree
I have ransomed even thee.

In this bread now blest for thee,
Emblem of my body see;
In this water or this wine,
Emblem of my blood divine.
Oh, remember what was done
That the sinner might be won.
On the cross of Calvary
I have suffered death for thee.

Bid thine heart all strife to cease;
With thy brethren be at peace.
Oh, forgive as thou wouldst be
E’en forgiven now by me.
In the solemn faith of prayer
Cast upon me all thy care,
And my Spirit’s grace shall be
Like a fountain unto thee.

At the throne I intercede;
For thee ever do I plead.
I have loved thee as thy friend,
With a love that cannot end.
Be obedient, I implore,
Prayerful, watchful evermore,
And be constant unto me,
That thy Savior I may be.

Text: Joseph L. Townsend, 1849-1942

Gospel Preached to The Dead 1 Peter 3: 18-21 and 1 Peter 4:6

1 Peter 3: 18-21
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 4:6
For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

Commentary:
The Apostle Peter was teaching in his first Epistle about how Christ suffered for the sins of mankind, Christ being the just and mankind being the unjust. This suffering was for the express purpose of bringing us to God. He was put to death by the flesh but by the spirit of God quickened or brought back to life (the resurrection).

In verse 19 Peter speaks of by that same spirit that He was resurrected by, Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison. These spirits were liken to the people who lived in the past like in the days when Noah was on the earth before the flood.

Verse 21 talks about the figure of eight as in eight souls were saved by water or the Ark floating on the water. The verse goes on to say “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us” infers that the original Christians baptised children when they were eight years old.

In relation to Christ preaching to the Spirits in prison chapter four talks more about the gospel being preached to the Spirits in prison. So that they could be judged like men in the flesh while they lived in the spirit before the resurrection where they would again be reunited with their bodies, glorified and perfected.