takers of his Sufferings. For the difciple is not above his mafter, nor the fervant above his lord. It is enough for the difciple that he be as his mafter, and the fervant as his lord, Matth. x. 24, 25. And if Christ our Lord and Master, who was without Sin, endured fo many Afflictions for our Tranfgreffions; how much more are we to expect Stripes, who by our Sins have fo often deserved them? For the adopted Sons of God must not look to be preferred before the natural Son. But if Chrift himself entred by his Crofs into his Glory, then we must be content to endure Tribulation, that we may enter into the Kingdom of God, T CHAP. XIV. Of CHRIST'S BURIAL. the HE third Degree of Chrift's Humiliation was his Burial. Though fuch as were crucified had not by the Roman Law the Benefit of a Sepulchre; yet Magiftrate had power to grant it. And the Jews themselves befought Pilate, that the Legs of Jefus, and of the two Thieves who were crucified with him, might be broken to haften their Death, and that their Bodies might be taken away and buried before the Sun fet, according to the Law of Mofes, Job. xix. 31. Deut. xxi. 32. Then came the Soldiers and brake the Legs of the the two Thieves: But finding that Jesus was dead already, they brake not his Legs; but one of them with a Spear pierced his facred Side, and forthwith came thereout Blood and Water, which were fure Signs of his Death, Joh. xix. 32, 33, 34. AND after this Jofeph of Arimathaa, an honourable Counsellor, who was before a Difciple of Jefus, but fecretly, for fear of the Jews, took Courage, and went boldly to Pirate, and begged the Body of Jefus. And having obtained leave, he took the Body down from the Crofs. And Nicodemus alfo a Ruler of the Jews, who much admired and favoured Jefus, joined with Jofeph in performing the Funeral Rites. And when they had wrapt the Body in Linnen Clothes, with the Spices, according to the Custom of the Jews, they laid it in a Garden, near the Place where he was crucified, in a new Tomb hewn out of the Rock, wherein never any Man lay before. And to fecure the Body from outward Injuries, they rolled a great Stone to the Mouth of the Sepulchre, Joh. xix. 38, to 42. Matth. xxvii. 57, to 61. And thus was our Lord Jesus buried by two honourable Perfons; and fo he made his grave with the rich in his death, according to the Prophecy of Ifaiah, Ifa. liii. 9. And the Burial of Chrift ferved to confirm the Truth of his Death preceding, and of his Refurrection following. But the Chief Priefts and Pharifees continued ftill their Malice and Jealoufie against the dead Body of our Saviour, and befought Pilate that the Sepulchre might be made fure until the third Day, to prevent the Poffibility of a fictitious Refurrection; becaufe Jefus had foretold, that that after three Days he would rife again: And having obtained leave, they fealed the Sepulchre, and fet a Guard of Soldiers to watch it,, Matth. xxvii. 62, to end. And this Device of theirs was fo ordered by Providence, that it mightily confirmed the Truth of our Saviour's Refurrection. For the Soldiers, who watched the Sepulchre, faw Jefus rife out of it, and were terrified with the Wonders which happened, and teftified the fame to the Chief Priests. THE Duties, which the Burial of Chrift may excite us to perform, are two. First, THE Burial of Christ should move us to mortifie our Sins, that they may not again revive. For as Chrift died and was buried for us; fo fhould we die unto Sin, and bury our Corruptions. There must be a fpiritual Death and Burial of Sin, otherwife there cannot be a Conformity to Chrift. For we cannot be living Members of Chrift, unless we are buried unto Sin, that it may no more reign in us. Secondly, THE Burial of Chrift may serve to comfort us against the Terrors of Death and Corruption. For Chrift by his Death hath overcome Death; and by his Burial he hath, as it were, confecrated our Graves; and inftead of Houses of Perdition, hath made them Chambers of reft. Death in it felf is moft terrible, as being the Wages of Sin; and the Grave in its own Nature is the Prifon of Darkness: But Chrift by his Merit and Power hath gotten for us the Victory over both. CHAP. Of CHRIST's Defcent into HELL. HE fourth Degree of Chrift's Humi- THE first Opinion is, That the Defcent of Chrift into Hell fignifieth his Burial. And this Interpretation the Greek Phrafe will bear; and fo it is used in the Creed of Athanafius. But this cannot be here meant, because the Burial of Chrift is clearly expreffed before; and therefore it cannot, without Tautology, be again mentioned. THE Second Opinion is, That the Defcent of Chrift into Hell is a figurative Speech, fignifying that he fuffered the Torments of Hell in his Soul. But if the Torments of Hell be taken in a strict Senfe for all thofe which the Damned fuffer, then Chrift did not fuffer fuch Torments. For in Hell there is an abfolute Defpair of any better Condition, and Remorfe and Terror of Confcience; which Evils Chrift never fuffered. Or if the Torments of Hell be taken metaphorically for very grievous Sufferings, then Chrift may be faid to have fuffered fuch Torments, becaufe they exceeded all the Miseries of this Life, and were accompanied with the Senfe of God's Wrath against the Sins of Men. But this Inter pretation pretation is not pertinent to the present Article: For all thofe Torments, which Chrift felt in his Soul, are implied in the former Articles, and were antecedent to his Death. But evident it is, that the Descent of Chrift into Hell denoteth fomething done or fuffered after his Death, and immediately before his Refurrection. THE third Opinion concerning Chrift's Defcent into Hell is this, That the Soul of Chrift, between his Death and Refurrection, defcended really and locally into Hell, the Place of the Damned. And to confirm this, these two Texts of Scripture are ufually alledged, Act. ii. 27. Thou wilt not leave my foul in hell, 1 Pet. iii. 19. By which also he went, and preached unto the Spirits in prifon. But neither of thefe Texts prove Chrift's real Descent into Hell. The true Sense of Act. ii. 27. is this, That Chrift's Soul fhould not fo long continue in a feparate State, that his Body fhould be corrupted. And 'tis very probable that Text of 1 Pet. iii. 19. is to be expounded thus That Chrift, by his Spirit in Noah, (as the Spirit of Chrift is faid to speak by the Prophets) formerly preached, while the Ark was preparing, unto the Men of the Old World yet alive, who were fo vile and wicked, that their Souls, by Sin, were in fome fort imprisoned in their Bodies. BUT the real Defcent of Chrift into Hell, implies fome Abfurdity; and there can be no reasonable End affigned for it. If it be faid that he defcended into Hell to convert the Spirits there detained, and to release them upon their Repentance, this is very falfe and groundless. For they that are caft into Hell cannot be con verted, |