Clause 4

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 haue 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 haue alwaies with you, & when you will you may do them good, but mee you shall not haue. 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 cōfirmation of our faith, that wee doubte not, Christ being deade in deede and buried for vs, that he was so farre foorth humbled, that neyther death nor buriall can hurte vs, 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 vnto vs, 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 haue 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 vs. 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 haue 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 haue spoken, this is also to be added, that buriall is an euident signe, that Christ was deade in deede. Vpon 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 haue before mentioned.