im that had the power of death, that is, the devil,” Heb. ii. 14. By the power of his death our old man is crucified with him, dead and buried, as it is said in the sixteenth Lord's day and forty third question, Christ's humble incarnation and his suffering on the cross having been spoken of in the fourteenth and fifteenth Lord's days, the three last degrees of his humiliation, to wit, his death, burial, and descent into hell, are now treated of for our information.

In order that we may avoid too many subdivisions, we will according to the number of the five questions in this Lord's day, attend also to five general heads.

I. The reasons of the necessity of Christ's death, Q. 40.

II. The reasons of his burial, Q. 41.

III. The refutation of a pretended reason from our death against the death of Christ, as a satisfaction, Q. 42.

IV. The benefits of Christ's death, Q. 43.

V. Why it is said that Christ descended into hell, Q. 44. 1. Our first general head contains the reasons why the death of Christ was necessary, for so it is asked in the fortieth question, "Why was it necessary for Christ to humble himself even unto death?" It is here supposed that he was dead; which we, since we have many other weighty matters to observe, and intend to abide here strictly by the instructor, do also presuppose; and partic ularly that Christ suffered a real, painful, and bloody death, although he died being guiltless, and willingly, and yet necessarily but that which is of the principal importance is, whether he was obliged to humble himself even to death, in order to make satisfaction, and whether a single drop of his blood was not sufficient to deliver all mankind, as the Papists imagine, that they may lay up whatever he suffered more than a drop of blood, as a treasure, out of which the pope may dispense so many indulgences. In opposition to which we teach that one drop of his blood was not sufficient to make satis faction, but that he was obliged to humble himself even unto death for this purpose. We might adduce many reasons for this, as that the covenant of grace, in which redemption and forgiveness of sins are promised, is a testament, which he was obliged to confirm by his death, Heb. ix. 15, 16, 17, that he was obliged to obey his Father, who had ordered him to die, Philip. ii. 8, that he had promised his Father this, Psalm xl. 6, 7, 8, that his ardent and supreme love to the elect urged him so far, Psalm Ixix. 9. John xv. 13, and that, if it had not been necessary, his Father would not have subjected him to death. But that we may abide by the instructor, we say that

he was obliged to humble himself to death in order to satisfy, for

two reasons:

1. Because the justice of God required it: for man had by sin in-. jured, and, as it were, corrupted the majesty of God; saying with his actions that he was not God, that he was not glorious, and that he ought not to be obeyed: now the justice of God demands, according to the law of retribution, that man should also be corrupted by death, and thus "receive in himself that recompence of his error. that was meet," Rom. i. 27. The law in which God has expressed his demand, declares him also to be guilty of death, Gen. ii. 17. Rom. vi. 23, as the Gentiles likewise know by the law written upon their hearts, "the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death," Rom. i. 32. Now since the Son of God was become the surety of the sinner, in order to satisfy for him, according to Job. xxxiii. 24. Psalm xl. 6, 7, 8. Heb. x. 4—9. Jer. xxx. 21; therefore sin could not be atoned for in any other way than by the death of the Son of God. Further, he was obliged to humble himself to death, in order to satisfy,

2. Because the truth of God required it: for it was foretold, that "For he was he should die for the sins of the elect, Isaiah liii. 8. cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken," vrs. 10. "It pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed," vrs. 12. "He poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bore the sins of many." It was also typified, and therefore sealed, that he should die, in order to make satisfaction, as well by the slaying of the paschal lamb: "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us," 1 Cor. v. 7, as by all the sacrifices of slain beasts: for he gave himself a sacrifice to God," Eph. v. 2. Now he could not do this, unless he humbled himself to death; for the scripture cannot be broken. And therefore he would not be rescued, either by Peter, or by the angels from death, saying, "How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be ?" Matt. xxvi. 54. And so we see in what sense the apostle saith, 1 Cor. xv. 3, "That Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures.

II. But Christ, after he had died on the cross, did not remain hanging on it, to be consumed by the air, or to be devoured by the fowls of heaven, or the wild beasts of the field, like other crucified persons, but he was buried. We show upon other occasions by whom, where, when, in what manner, and in whose presence he was buried, what are the consequences of his burial, and how long he re

mained in the grave.* We shall now treat only of the reasons, "why he was buried," according to the forty-first question. We need not inquire here why his friends buried him they did this from special affection, to preserve him from further improper treatment, and against the day of his resurrection, whether the last day, or the third day, agreeably to his prediction, in proportion to the weakness, or strength of their faith. But that which we must chiefly consider here, is, what was the reason and end proposed by God in this burial, why he appointed that his Son should be buried. The reason was not, that he might, like others, see corruption, since this was contrary to his steadfast hope, expressed in the sixteenth Psalm; neither can we think that he was buried, that he might as an antitype of the sabbath day, rest in the grave on the sabbath, and thus abolish the fourth commandment; for we cannot discover any proof of this opinion. But he was buried,

1. "Thereby to prove that he was really dead." Christians have the greatest concern in knowing that he was really dead, because they cannot otherwise know whether he fully satisfied; and if they do not know this, they cannot become partakers of his satisfaction. Therefore his death and burial are delivered as two fundamental points of the doctrine of faith, 1 Cor. xv. 3, 4. There could not be

a stronger proof. that he was really dead, than that he was buried: for we do not bury the living, but the dead; at least in an ordinary judicial process, such as was holden with Christ, the living are not buried, but only the dead. His friends also loved him too well to thrust him into the grave alive. And his judge would not consent that he should be buried, before he was well assured that he was dead, Mark xv. 44, 45. He was buried also,

2. Because it was foretold, Isaiah liii. 9. "He made his grave with the wicked, and was with the rich in his death; his soul should not be left in hell," that is, the grave, "to see corruption," Psalm xvi. 10. See Acts xiii. 35, 36, 37. Therefore he should enter into the grave by a burial: the Saviour himself foretold it, Matt. xii. 40. *As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." The scriptures ought also to be fulfilled, and so "he was buried according to the scriptures," 1. Cor. xv. 4. He was buried also,

3. That he might be humbled to the lowest degree. The human

• The Author hath respect here to a custom of the Dutch church in Holland, of preaching, during certain weeks previous to Easter, on the histor of the passion, death, and burial of Christ,

body cannot be reduced to a humbler condition, than to be taken away from among men, and shut up in a dark pit of the earth: the lowest humiliation of Tyre is expressed by this figure, Ezek. xxvi. 20. And thus Jesus also "descended into the lower parts of the earth," Eph. iv. 9,

4. That he might wholly take away the curse, and hide it in the grave from the face of God and of his people, and stifle it, as those who were hanged, being accursed of God, were ordered to be buried the same day on which they were hanged, Deut. xxi. 23. So all things that were devoted to God, were to be taken away from among men, as Jericho was devoted by the edge of the sword, and by fire, and therefore might not be rebuilt, Joshua vi. 21, 24, 26. See also Joshua viii. 28, 29, for the guilt and uncleanness would have remained if he had not been buried, according to Deut. xxi. 23, but when he was buried, "the Lord removed the iniquity of the land in one day," Zech. iii. 9. And thus also the curse of returning to the dust, inflicted upon the sinner, Gen. iii. 19, was taken away, the graves were made agreeable restingplaces of the saints, Isaiah lvii. 2, and the old man was buried with him, Rom vi. 4.

III. But did Christ die to satisfy the divine justice, why must we then also die? thus asks the instructor in the forty-second question. For if Christ died to satisfy for the guilt, by which the elect deserv ed punishment and death, it would seem to follow, that they ought not then to die, or that God would demand the debt twice, which militates against the justice of God; from which the Socinians conclude that Christ did not satisfy by his death, and the Papists that he did not satisfy perfectly, but that we ourselves must still satisfy by our own death, as a proper punishment. Others justly condemn ed by the synods of our own country, say that death, and all the temporal afflictions of believers are proper punishments of their sins.*

In order to confute this pretended argument, and to show that our death detracts not from the perfect satisfaction of Christ by his death, we must know that a proper punishment of sin is not any misery inflicted upon believers, on occasion, and from a consideration of sin, for their chastisement, amendment, humiliation, and glorification; but misery inflicted upon the sinner for his destruction by God, as a judge for the satisfaction of his justice. Thus the instructor also understands this, when he saith to the proposed objection,

• The author hath respect here to Professor Roel, whom we have mentioned before.

"Our death is not a satisfaction for our sins," and thus also must those who oppose us consider it, as they verily do; but they disguise the matter, that their opinion may not be exposed and detested.

That the death of believers, and all their temporal misery is not a proper punishment of sins, and a compensation for them, appears,

1. From the reality and perfection of Christ's satisfaction, which we have proved on the foregoing Lord's day. For if he satisfied fully for all their sins, there cannot then remain any proper punishment for them, and they are not obliged to make satisfaction, nor to discharge their debt by their death and temporal afflictions.

2. The guilt of believers is removed from their afflictions, because God hath forgiven and taken away their sins, so that they cannot, properly speaking, be punished any more on account of them; for the Lord saith, " I have sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee," Isaiah liv. 9. "He is a God who forgiveth his people, but who still taketh vengeance of their inventions," Psalm xcix. 8. "Nathan said unto David, the Lord hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die, 2 Sam. xii. 13, 14. Afflictions are indeed called vengeance, after sins are forgiven and punishment is indeed inflicted on account of sins, yet they are not therefore a proper punishment for the satisfaction of sins, because these were taken away; but they are designed for chastisements, which are inflicted on believers upon account of sins, and so retain a semblance of vengeance for their advantage, humiliation and amendment. We see this in many passages of the word of God, Heb, xii. 6-11. Pslam xciv. 12, 13. cxix. 71.

3. Temporal afflictions and death are welcome to believers, for they glory and take pleasure in them, 2 Cor. xii. 9, 10. Death is their treasure, 1 Cor. iii. 22, their gain and they long for it, Philip. i. 21, 23. Could this be so, if it were a proper punishment? could a malefactor speak thus, when he was punished for his abominations?

4. Death delivers believers from every misery, and procures the greatest happiness to them: shame, loss, and pain may remain with then until death, but they must then depart: "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours," Rev. xiv. 15. By death they die also to their sins, which are their greatest afflictions: "For he that is dead is freed from sin," Rom. vi. 7. Yea, death is to them