his way to execution, as alfo the foldier who pierced his fide: it could not mean merely his friends and followers, as they are separately mentioned in the very next verse. Although it appeared to the foldier that our Lord was actually dead, yet, to make sure, he pierced him in the fide with a fpear; and we are told that there issued from the wound blood and water. This I understand to have been a certain proof of death; but it may also be confidered as a type and emblem of the two facraments of baptism and the Lord's fupper. 66 38. And after this, Joseph of Arima"thea (being a disciple of Jefus, but secretly for fear of the Jews) befought "Pilate that he might take away the body "of Jefus ; and Pilate gave him leave. "He came, therefore, and took the body " of Jefus. 66 39. And there came alfo Nicodemus, (which at the first came to Jefus by night,) and brought a mixture of myrrh and weight. "40. Then took they the body of Jefus, and wound it in linen clothes, "with the fpices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. 66 41. Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden; and in "the garden a new fepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. 66 42. There laid they Jefus, therefore, "because of the Jews' Preparation-day; " for the fepulchre was nigh at hand.” Jofeph of Arimathea, as well as Nicodemus, was privately a difciple of our Lord; but fear of the Jews had induced them both to conceal their fentiments during his life-time. They now suffer their attachment to be publicly known; the former, by begging the body of Jefus ; which Pilate immmediately grants: the latter, by furnishing coftly spices for his burial. We may naturally fuppofe that the marvellous events which attended his execution, execution, added to the indignation they must have felt at the unheard-of cruelties exercised upon our bleffed Lord, produced this change in them. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, (chap. liii. ver. 9.): "And he made 66 his grave with the wicked, and with the "rich in his death; because he had done 66 no violence, neither was any deceit in "his mouth." Although Chrift was the only guiltless person on earth, yet having taken upon himself our fins, he submitted to the punishment due to them-the death of a malefactor, and to be laid in a grave, as if he had been mere finful man: but he also made his grave with the rich'; for his body was laid in the stone sepulchre of Jofeph, a man of rank and confequence, and the most costly spices were made use of at his burial. 6 Having now seen all the prophecies respecting our Lord's life and death completed, I shall beg my reader's indulgence whilft I offer a few observations on that part of our Creed which fays, " He defcended 4P " into " into Hell." On this fubject, divines have held different opinions; some asserting that the word made ufe of and which has been tranflated 'hell' means nothing more than 'the grave', or the place of the dead; and thus it certainly seems to have been understood by those who compofed the Creed, as it goes on to fay, "The third day he rose again from the dead" others are of opinion that the words fhould be understood in a literal fenfe, and that his foul did actually defcend into Hell. In the fixteenth Pfalm, (verse 10.) David, (speaking in the person of Christ,) says: "For thou wilt not leave my foul in Hell: "neither wilt thou fuffer thine Holy One "to see corruption." If we adopt the latter idea, we are not to fuppofe that he fuffered any of its torments, but that he went thither to manifeft his triumph over the grand enemy of mankind, whofe champion and redeemer he was: but -whatever it was which carried him thither, if he really did descend into Hell, of this we may be affured, that it was in his cha racter |