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..