The harmony of the Gospels in the holy history of the humiliation and sufferings…

Sect. 3.

The sufferings of Christ after he was dead and buried.

The sufferings of Christ after he was dead and buryed.

AS the first part of the sufferings of Christ was before he was born, so the last part of his sufferings was after he was dead and buried, he lay in the grave, as Jonah in the whales belly, in a suffering condition until his Resurrection. After the Incarnation and birth of Jesus Christ, the whole conspiracy of Devils and wicked men was, to kill him and to conquer him by death: to remove him out of their way, after they had conquered and killed him by death, all their conspiracy was to keep him dead, to seal him up in his grave, that he should not rise again, we may see what the Jews (by Satan's instigation no doubt) did this way, Math. 27.62, ad 67. where see the time of this act, the morning after the preparation, or celebration of the Passover, which was upon the very Sabbath day, yea, though it was an high day, Joh. 19.31. being the morrow after the Passover. They pretended to be very zealous for the Sabbath, to pick up matter against Christ, when he did good works of charity upon the Sabbath day. But now they can go to Pilate and transact their envious business against Christ upon this high Sabbath day. The actors of this business were the chief Priests and Pharisees, who pretended to be most zealous for the Sabbath, but here we may see their hypocrisy. What did they upon this Sabbath? they came to Pilate, and first see the term they give to Christ, that deceiver or impostor, we see here that his blood and death could not quench their rancour of heart against him. They inform Pilate that he had said that he would rise again the third day, which they desired to prevent, using this Argument to persuade Pilate to assist them, least his Disciples should come in the night and steal away his body, and then tell the people that he was risen again, according as he hath said he would do. And the Effect of that would be worst of all, our last error would be worse then the first, if we let him rise again, it will make us more odious to the people, then our putting him to death hath done.