rich Joseph. While,
therefore, Jesus was executed in such a way that, but for the
intervention of the Jews and Pilate and Joseph, He would have been
buried with criminals, "he made his grave with the rich in his death."
Thus He who had humbled Himself in dying was honoured in His burial.
Joseph and Nicodemus were timid men. The one was a secret disciple and
the other, through fear of the Jews, came to Jesus by night. Though
members of the Sanhedrim, they had lacked courage to defend Jesus when
He was under trial; but now, grown bold, they identified themselves with
Him.

The sepulchre was carefully watched. The Jews, thinking that they might
hear something about the resurrection of Him whom they called "that
deceiver," went to Pilate and made known their fear that the disciples
would steal His body and say that He had risen from the dead.[115] The
Roman governor made light of their apprehension, and said to them,
perhaps sarcastically, "Ye have a watch: make it as sure as ye can." "So
they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a
watch,"[116]--proceedings which eventually furnished strong confirmation
of the reality of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.

* * * * *

ARTICLE 5

_He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead_

SECTION 1.--HE DESCENDED INTO HELL

It is somewhat startling to find in the Creed this statement regarding
our Lord, "He descended into hell." The clause, which was one of the
latest admitted into the Creed, was derived from another creed known as
that of Aquileia, compiled in the fourth century. It does not appear in
the Nicene Creed, but it has a place in the Thirty-nine Articles of the
Church of England, where we read, "As Christ died for us, and was
buried, so also it is to be believed that He went down into Hell." The
Westminster Divines, who gave the Creed a place at the close of their
Shorter Catechism, appended a note explanatory of the clause to this
effect, "That is, continued in the state of the dead, and under the
power of death, until the third day."

The word "hell" is used in various senses in the Old Testament.
Sometimes it means the grave, sometimes the abode of departed spirits
irrespective of character, sometimes the place in which the wicked are
punished.

In the English New Testament, also, the word "hell" has not in every
place the same meaning. It represents two different