"DEAD AND BURIED"] When explaining these words, the pastor will propose to the belief of the faithful, that Jesus Christ, after his crucifixion, was really dead and buried. It is not with out just reason that this is proposed as a separate and distinct object of belief; there were some who denied his death upon the cross. The apostles, therefore, were justly of opinion, that to such an error should be opposed the doctrine of faith contained in this Article of the Creed, the truth of which is placed beyond the possibilty of doubt, by the concurring testimony of all the Evangelists, who record that Jesus "yielded up the ghost." [1] Moreover, as Christ was true and perfect man, he of course, was, also, capable of dying, and death takes place by a sepation of the soul from the body. When, therefore, we say that Jesus died, Ave mean that his soul was disunited from his body; not that his divinity was so separated. On the contrary, we firmly believe and profess that, when his soul was dissociated from his body, his divinity continued always united both to his body in the sepulchre, and to his soul in Limbo. It became the Son of God to die, " that through death he might destroy him who had the empire of death, that is to say, the devil; and might deliver them, who through fear of death, were all their life time subject to servitude." [2]
It was the peculiar privilege of the Redeemer to have died when he himself decreed to die, and to have died, not so much by external violence, as by internal assent; not only his death, but also its time and place were ordained by him, as we learn from these words of Isaias: " He was offered, because it was his own will." [3] The Redeemer, before his passion, declared the same of himself: "I lay down my life," says he, "that I may take it again. No man taketh it away from me; but I lay it down of myself, and I have power to lay it down; and I have power to take it again." [4] As to time and place, when Herod insidiously sought the life of the Saviour, he said: " Go, and tell that fox: behold I cast out devils, and perform cures this day and to-morrow, and the third day I am consummate. But yet I must walk this day, and to-morrow, and the day fol lowing, because it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem." [5] He, therefore, offered himself not involuntarily or by external coaction; but of his own free will. Going to meet his enemies, he said, " I am he; [6] and all the punishments which in justice and cruelty inflicted on him he endured voluntarily.
When we meditate on the sufferings and torments of the Redeemer, nothing is better calculated to excite in our souls, sentiments of lively gratitude and love, than to reflect that he endured them voluntarily. Were any one to endure, by compulsion, every species of suffering, for our sake, we should deem his claims to our gratitude very doubtful; but were he to endure death freely, and for our sake only, having had it in his power
