17.  But again they say, “A corpse then lately dead was raised by the living; but shew us that one three days dead can possibly arise, and that a man should be buried, and rise after three days.”  If we seek for Scripture testimony in proof of such facts, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself supplies it in the Gospels, saying, For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth Matt. xii. 40..  And when we examine the story of Jonas, great is the force “ἐνέργεια [Forte ἐνάργεια, Edit.].”  This conjecture of the Benedictine Editor is recommended by the very appropriate sense “distinctness of the resemblance,” but seems to have no ms. authority. of the resemblance.  Jesus was sent to preach repentance; Jonas also was sent:  but whereas the one fled, not knowing what should come to pass; the other came willingly, to give repentance unto salvation.  Jonas was asleep in the ship, and snoring amidst the stormy sea; while Jesus also slept, the sea, according to God’s providence κατ᾽ οἰκονομίαν., began to rise, to shew in the sequel the might of Him who slept.  To the one they said, Why art thou snoring?  Arise, call upon thy God, that God may save us Jonah i. 6.; but in the other case they say unto the Master, Lord, save us Matt. viii. 25, 26..  Then they said, Call upon thy God; here they say, save Thou.  But the one says, Take me, and cast me into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you Jonah i. 12.; the other, Himself rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm Matt. viii. 25, 26..  The one was cast into a whale’s belly:  but the other of His own accord went down thither, where the invisible whale of death is.  And He went down of His own accord, that death might cast up those whom he had devoured, according to that which is written, I will ransom them from the power of the grave; and from the hand of death I will redeem them Hosea xiii. 14..