Genesis 23:9

That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which [is] in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.

Ver. 9. For a possession of a burying place.] It is remarkable that the first purchase of possession mentioned in Scripture, was a place to bury in, not to build in. The Jews also had their sepulchres hewn out long before their deaths, to mind them of their mortality. Joseph of Arimathea had his tomb in his garden, to season his delights with the meditation of his end. The Egyptians had a death's head carried about the table at their feasts. The emperors of Constantinople had a mason who came to them on their Coronation Day with choice of tomb stones, and these verses in his mouth -

“ Elige ab his saxis ex quo (invictissime Caesar)

Ipse tibi tumulum me fabricare velis .”

Our first parents, saith one, a made them garments of fig leaves; but God, misliking that, gave them garments of skins. So in the gospel he cursed the fig tree, which did bear only leaves to cover our sin, but commended the Baptist who did wear skins to discover our mortality.

a Dr Playfair.