Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Exposition · Part 2 · Section 11
And was buried.
Teſtimonies out of the Prophetes and Apoſtles.
ISay 53. And he gaue his buriall, with the wicked, and with the rich in his death: albeit he had committed no iniquity, neither was there deceipt in his mouth. This propheſie was fulfilled, Ioh. 19. verſes 38.39.40. where the Lord is buried by Ioſeph of Arimathea. The figure of Ionas is applyed alſo to this by the Lord himſelfe. Mat. 12. verſ 39.40. And in the 13. of Marke, when Ieſus was at Bethania, in the houſe of Symon the leper, when he was ſet downe a woman came hauinge an alabaſter boxe of Spikenard very costly, and breakinge the boxe, ſhee powred it on his heade. Nowe many diſdained and were offended amongſt them ſelues ſaying, to what end is this wast of the ointment? For this might hauehave beene ſolde for more, then three hundred pence, and giuen to the poore; and they raged against her: But Ieſus ſaide, let her alone: why trouble you her, ſhee hath wrought a good worke on mee. For the poore you ſhall hauehave alwaies with you, & when you will you may do them good, but mee you ſhall not hauehave. Shee hath done that ſhee could. For ſhee came afore hand to anoint my body to the burying. Theſe thinges hath Marke. Where we ſee that the holy ghost by a ſecret inſtinct through that woman, hath in that ſame viſible ointment, ſet before the eies of all, as it were a viſible propheſie of the death and buriall of Christ.
To what ende the buriall of Christe tendeth: and which are the fruites of it.
BVrial is a part of the humiliation of Chriſt. For it is the proceeding of his death. The firſt fruit therefore of this article is the cō firmation of our faith, that wee doubte not, Chriſt being deade in deede and buried for vsus, that he was ſo farre foorth humbled, that neyther death nor buriall can hurte vsus, foraſmuch as the wrath of the father is truely and and indeede pacified. For euen like as Ionah, who was a figure of Chriſt, being once caſt into the ſea, the ſtorme ceaſed, and a great calme followed: euen ſo Chriſte foretolde that hee ſhoulde be cut of frō the number of thoſe that liued, and ſhould be placed in the heart of the earth, that he might reconcile the father vntounto vsus, being angrie for our ſinnes. Which thing foraſmuch as Chriſt the mediatour of the couenaunt, hath in deede fulfilled, as is contayned in this article, wee doe worthilie beleeue it. And this in deede is the firſte fruite of Chriſt his buriall. The ſeconde: This article alſo maketh to repentaunce and amendement of life. For like as Chriſt deade by ſinne, reſteth in the graue: ſo wee by the vertue of that communion, which wee hauehave with Chriſt deade and buried, wee ought altogether to eſteeme our olde man by the power of faith, and by the teſtimonie of Baptiſme, to be buried together with Chriſt, that true reſt being reſtored to our conſciences, wee maye reſt from our workes, that is from our ſinnes, and ſo beginne heere that euerlaſting Sabbaoth vntill by the vertue of Chriſte, it bee fully accompliſhed in vsus. So Paule when hee ſayde in the 6. to the Romanes, that wee are baptiſed into the death of Chriſt, hee by and by addeth, that wee are alſo buried with Chriſt by baptiſme into death: to witte, that hee might expreſſe, that by the vertue of that communion wee hauehave with Chriſte, it is brought to paſſe, in a continuall courſe and proceeding that wee mortifie our olde man. And beſides theſe principall endes and fruites whereof we hauehave ſpoken, this is alſo to be added, that buriall is an euident ſigne, that Chriſt was deade in deede. VponUpon his death depended ſatisfaction for ſinnes, and therefore it behoued that to be moſt certaine, and no place to be left of doubting. Nowe all doubtinge of his death is taken away, when he was buried as other dead men are, and that according to the ſcriptures. Iſay. 53. verſ. 9. Notwithſtanding the principall and proper endes, are thoſe wee hauehave before mentioned.