The Institution of Christian Religion

It followeth in the Creed, that he was dead and buried. Where ⟨p. 98⟩again it is to be seen, how he did every where put himself in our stead, to pay the price of our redemption. Death held us bound under his yoke, Christ in our stead did yield himself into the power of death,¹ to deliver us from it. This the Apostle meaneth where he writeth, that he tasted of death for all men. For he by dying brought to pass that we should not dye, or (which is all one) by his death he did redeem life for us. But in this he differed from us, that he gave himself to death as it were to be devoured, not that he should be swallowed up with the gulfs of it, but rather that he should swallow up it, of which we should have been presently swallowed: that he gave himself to death to be subdued, not that he should be oppressed with the power thereof, but rather that he should overthrow death which approached near us, yea and had already beaten us down and triumphed upon us.² Finally, that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil: and might deliver them that by fear of death were all their life long subject to bondage. This is the first fruit that his death did bring us. An other is, that by enterpartenyng of himself with us, he mortifieth our earthly members, that they should no more hereafter use their own works: and killeth our old man, that it should no more live and bear fruit. And to the same purpose pertaineth his burial, that we being partakers thereof, should also be buried to sin.³ For when the Apostle teacheth that we are grafted into the likeness of the death of Christ, and buried with him to the death of sin, that by his cross the world was crucified to us, and we to the world, that we are dead together with him: he doth not only exhort us to express the example of Christs death,⁴ but he declareth that there is such effectualness in it, as ought to appear in all Christians, unless they will make his death unprofitable and fruitless. Therefore in the death and burial of Christ, there is offered us a double benefit to be enjoyed, that is deliverance from death, whereunto we were become bond, and the mortifying of our flesh.