in his deth Therfore let vs not be wrapped with the businesse of this life lette vs not be defiled with worldly desires let vs run by patience in the battell which we haue set before vs hauing an eie to Iesus which is the capitaine of faith and finisher who setting before himselfe ioye suffred the crosse contemning reproches and rebukes let vs diligently consider that he suffred such gainsaying of synners that we beyng weried in our myndes should not faynt Let vs thinke how vile a thing it is to shrink away from such a capitayne or for vs to bee so sluggish when as he fighteth so strongly so valiauntly Let vs consider how euil it becommeth the members to be proud high minded and enuious when as the hed doth so huÌ„ble it selfe and is so feruent in charitie Let vs also weighe how great infamy it is for a capitaine to take vpon him so many woundes lastly of all death ii Tim. ii Act. xiiii Eccle. ii Iacob i. Ioan. xiii the souldiors to be a slepe and geue themselues to rioring whosoeuer therfore will liue godly in Christ Iesus must prepare themselues to suffer persecutions and by many tribulacions must striue to come to euerlasting life they must abyde in the feare of god and prepare their myndes to temptations and kepe theÌ„selues pure froÌ„ this world Christ hath geueÌ„ vs an exaÌ„ple that we shuld do euen as he hath done Luke 22. ¶ Now the feaste of vnleauened bread drew nighe which is called the Passeouer namely after two daies IT was commaunded vnto the Iewes that on the feaste daye of the Passeouer Exod. xii xiii xiiii when they did eat the lambe they should eate vnleauened cakes 7. dais after which figure Paul openeth in the 1. Cor 5 sheweth that we must purge the old leaueÌ„ for that a littel leaueÌ„ doth leaueÌ„ al that is mingled with It is meete for such as ar born of new by Christ to liue a new innoceÌ„t life that they may be as it wer a certain new dough vnleauened For our Passe ouer Christ saith he is offred vp a lamb without spot Let vs therfore celebrate this festiuall day not with old leauen neither with the leaueÌ„ of malice wickednesse but with bread wantyng leauen that is with sinceritie and truth The Passeouer of the Iewes hathe a figure of the libertye whiche should come by Christ for euen as in the old tyme god saued the children of Israel in Egipte froÌ„ the murther with which the Egiptians were punished namely whose doores were sprinckled with the bloud of the Lambe and after that he led them forth with a mightye arme safe and sound thorow the red sea and so deliuered theÌ„ from the most greuous yoke of Pharao So also he saueth those by Christ whiche beleue from euerlasting deth and hath deliuered theÌ„ froÌ„ the power of darkenesse traÌ„sferryng them into the kingdome of his beloued son Colo. i. by whoÌ„ they haue redemptioÌ„ namely remission of sinnes by his bloude Iohn i. and this is the cause why Christ would die at this time that we might vnderstand that is that lambe of god whiche should take away the sinnes of the world and they which are washed with his bloud shuld be safe froÌ„ the destroyer Iohn iii. for so God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne â—or it that euery one whiche beleued in hym might not perishe but haue life euerlastyng Iohn v for they which do beleue in Christe doe come vnto no iudgemeÌ„t or punishmeÌ„t but haue passed froÌ„ deth to life yea although thei wer dead yet shall they haue life in him which is the resurrection and life But where as Marke saieth it was Easter and Mathew Iohn â—â— after two daies shal be Easter Luke expoundeth it and saith the festiuall day of the Passeouer drewe â—ere or was at haÌ„d that is it should be shortly namely after ij dayes It is therfore a preueÌ„ting of the time But the feast of the Passeouer by Iohn doth seme to be the day followyng the eatyng of the Lambe So the daies of swete bread are put for the Passeouer bicause they came both togethers ¶ Then the highe priestes and the elders were gathered together in the house of the high priest whose name was called Caiphas consulting togethers howe they might take him and kill him by guile but they feared the people and therfore thei said amoÌ„gst themselues not on the feast day lest peradueÌ„ture there be a commotion made by the people THen this woorde then is not referred vnto the time in the whiche he speaketh these thinges but to the tyme wherein they were gathered together The audacitie of the flesh is here to be noted which wheÌ„ it goeth about to lye in wait against the truth it consulteth diuers wayes and in those counsels choseth and obserueth occasion and tyme for the purpose Wherfore then they lay theyr heds together when as the people were busily occupied in preparyng of the lambe They which resist the truth do assemble lay theyr wittes together Psal ii against their lord to destroy him bicause he was contrary to their works They inuente diuers causes to accuse hym withal knowing that as sone as he were takeÌ„ all the people woulde forsake him But howe impudent so euer the flesh is it feareth neuerthelesse where as nothing is to be feared For wheÌ„ they had agreed that he should not be takeÌ„ on the festiual day yet neuerthelesse by the ordinaÌ„ce of god he was takeÌ„ on the feast day that without any vprore that hapneth ofteÌ„times vnto the wicked which they feare yea which they seke by al means possible to auoid This we may perceaue in the couÌ„sel of Caiphas who thought it better that one should be takeÌ„ away thaÌ„ that the whole natioÌ„ should perish and furthermore if Christ should be taken away to take hede that the Romanes shoulde not oppresse them But whilest these folishe men do auoyde one vice they runne into the contrary The Iewes hoped that if Christe were rid out of the way that then the people wuld forsake him but after the deth of Christ many more beleued came vnto Christe thaÌ„ there did before when as in one daye manye thousandes receaued the faithe They feared lest if Christ liued the Romanes would haue taken away their countrey and nation which hapned vnto them 40. yeares after So God derideth the counsels of the vngodly bryngeth to passe that they are snared and takeÌ„ in their owne counsels And the selfe same thing in our dayes doth the Pope the Cardinals the Bishoppes the Monkes and euill senators but they hide their counsels yea they adorne them with the title of honesty religioÌ„ ¶ And SathaÌ„ had entred into the hart of Iudas Iscariot which was one of the xii he weÌ„t his way to the chief priests magistrates eueÌ„ with this mind to betray him vnto theÌ„
Pet. ii but it is mete that they which be straūgers and pilgrimes in this world should abstaine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule hauing honest conuersation amongest the gentiles that they which speake euil of vs as euill doers may haue vs in estimation for our good workes and glorifye God in the day of visitatiō In his former talk he reproued ambition and couetousnesse now he reprehendeth selfe trust and desire of money of the which the one was in Peter and thother in Iudas the disciples Peter not weighing his own strength promiseth greater thinges than he can performe neither doth he beleue the lord who admonished him of it but despising all other boasteth himselfe only to be strong Iudas which had conceiued this horrible mischeuous acte in his harte dothe not heare the Lord which called hym backe from it So plaieth our fleshe when it is lefte to it selfe No man acknowledgeth his errour no man wil beleue him which admonisheth him Euery man hopeth that he can be hiddē whē as he is not called by name howsoeuer his cōscience withstand him inwardly Christ assayeth Iudas diuers wayes to withdrawe hym from his pretence in whiche the wonderfull gentlenesse and loue of Christ is to be marked who will not the death of a sinner but that he should be cōuerted and liue but the more that Christ sheweth and putteth forth his louyng kyndnes so much the more his vngodlines is hardened so that he dare most impudently say is it I Moreouer this most wicked varietie dareth thrust himself into the holy fellowship and table of the lorde not fearyng to lye vnto him which knoweth all thinges So greate a thing is hipocrisie and a harte possessed with couetousnesse So in lyke maner dare we somtimes com to the holy communion with Iudas boasting our selues to be godly when as inwardly we be most vngodly And althoughe both Peter and Iudas fell either of them yet great is the diuersitie betwene the deniall of Peter and the betrayeng of Iudas Peter being ouerwhelmed with a sodayne terror synned of feare and cowardnesse of mynde but Iudas sinned of a pretensed malice for the deuell had possessed his harte Christ therfore saith that Peters faithe was not altogether gone for althoughe he denied him outwardly with his mouth yet neuerthelesse his hearte fell not from Christ and god suffreth the godly sometymes to slippe that they may knowe themselues more throughly and humble thēselues in mind learne and acknowledge their infirmitie and after their fall they may rise agayne more strong and better couraged Thei may learn to put no confidence in themselues to be sory for other mens falles and to be more carefull and for that cause Christ saieth and thou after thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethern Sathan so stirred vp Iudas as we haue heard before that not onely he shroncke from Christ but besydes that he betraied him to his enemies to be destroied here it is said that the diuell entred into him after the sop which is thus to be vnderstanded that the diuell which before had possessed him did now more fully possesse him and more vrge him to bring to passe the mischiefe which he had conceiued For euen as in faithe there are certain degrees so also is there in infidelitie breach of faith No man is made most good vpon the sodayne so no man is moste wicked sodenly by littell and littell we slide into the pitfall if we watche not if we resist not the beginning and if we neglecte small matters Our foote muste be plucked by and by out of the clay of synnes least it fasten more depely in we must streight way resist the affections least they come to haue dominion ouer vs. Sathan slepeth not he neuer ceaseth but walketh about like a roaring Lyon seeking where to get his pray whom let vs resiste by faith and he wil flye from vs. The lord is strong to deliuer vs out of the mouth of the Lyon so that we flye vnto him by and by with our whole hart and cast our selues all wholy vpō him with a soūd faith let vs take hede of the meate and of the baite which that moste subtill enemye layeth for vs lest when we haue deuoured it we fal with Iudas into the euerlasting night ¶ And when he was gone Iesus said now is the sonne of man glorifyed and God is glorified by hym and God shall glorify hym by hym self and shal glorify him by and by My littel children yet a littell while I am with you ye shall seeke me and as I haue saide to the Iewes whither I go ye cannot come so also I saye vnto you nowe I geue you a new commaundement that ye loue one an other euen as I haue loued you do ye also loue one an other by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples yf ye haue mutuall loue amongest your selues Simon Peter said vnto hym lord whither goest thou Iesus aunswered hym whither I go thou cāst not follow me now but thou shalt followe me hereafter Peter said vnto him lord why cannot I follow thee nowe I wil geue my life for thee Iesus aūswered wilte thou geue thy life for me Verely verely I say vnto thee the cocke shal not crow before thou hast denied me thrice WHen the betrayer was gone Christ maketh mention of his glorifieng not without o◠and reioysing of the spirite Now is the sonne of man glorified He speaketh of the thing to come and at hand as thoughe it were now past that we might see the certeintie of gods prouidence The time is now present that the sonne of man shal be made noble after a new sort that is to say by his deth crosse resurrection and ascension and other thinges which folowed after the sēdyng of the spirit as miracles and the conuersion of the Gentiles c. For that cause saith Paule in his Epistle to the Romanes that the son of God whiche was borne of the seede of Dauid as touching the flesh was declared to be the sonne of God with power as concernyng the spirite of sāctification in that he rose again from the dead And this power of the resurrectiō of the which Christ also speaketh here shuld follow within few daies after which was not done by an aungell or by any creature but by the power of the father as Paule witnesseth in the second of the Colossians where he saieth Who hath raised him vp c. Christ therfore sayeth and God shall glorifye hym He also by these wordes comforteth the harts of his disciples who were not a little troubled now bicause he had made mention vnto them of his death as though he woulde say The tyme is come that I shall accomplish the will of my father that is that I shall dye but by this my death my father shal be glorified Be ye not therfore troubled ye shall see and that by and by what great glory my father will geue me By these
deth wer al their life time subiect to bōdage Christs resurrectiō therfore is oure lyfe righteousnes which for this cause was diuers wayes proued by the apostles namely to cōfirme our faith For otherwise our flesh doth hardly beleue the resurrectiō of the fleshe which semeth to it self impossible absurd which may be sene in thapostles whose wauering doubtfulnes coulde scarce be taken away notwithstand so many most euidēt demōstratiōs god suffereth his sōetimes to be tēpted to fal that their weaknes might be made manifest to thē selues also to others but he ceaseth not to rayse vp confyrme thē by his powre till he fully performe take frō them al distrust So far is he from casting vs away for our weakenes that he also appeareth vnto womenne and maketh them Apostles of his resurrection For they came of loue to the sepulchre partly to see the Sepulchre partly to annoynte the bodye of Iesus The earth was moued at the death of Chryst to declare that it was heauy with his creator And it is in like case moued at the resurrection desiring gladlye to restore hym whome it had receaued and as it were reioysinge that Christe was risen agayne Moreouer the earthe was moued at the sēding of the holy Ghost to teach vs by this figure that by the death and resurrection of Christe thorough vertue of the holy Ghost the whole world shoulde not only be moued but also be renewed we learne furthermore that the councels of the vngodly agaynst the truth are vayne for howe soeuer they go aboute by lyes to extinguishe the truth yet doth God bryng to passe that by those things which they haue excercised to oppres the truth the truth shall more brightly shyne forth worthely therfore are the Iewes repudiated blinded which do abhor the truth so that they which could not abide to be saued by the truth should pearish beyng wrapped in lyes errors This gospell is chieflye declared vnto Peter who was in most great he uynes aswel for the deth of his lorde whome he offended by denyenge of hym as also for hys deniall that he might receyue comfort and knowe that his synne was forgeuē hym Furthermore christs resurrectiō to a new life doth stir vs vp to newnes of lyfe that we beyng dead to sins mighte henseforth liue to righteousnes They which doe still lye and rotte in the filthynesse of sinnes do declare that they haue not yet risen again with Christ For they which are risen truly in Christe doe shew forth the same in worthy fruites neither doth sinne reigne in their mortall bodye They thincke not vpon earthlye thinges but their minde is vpon heuenlye thinges aboue where Christe their hed sytteth at the righte hande of the Father ☞ And they went out quickly and fled from the Sepulchre for they trembled and were amased neither sayd they any thing to any man for they were afraid And Mary Magdalene ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whome Iesus loued and saide vnto them They haue taken awaye my Lorde out of the graue and we can not tell where they haue laied him Peter thē went forth and that other disciple came to the sepulchre And they ran both together the other disciple did out runne Peter and came first to the sepulchre And when he had stowped downe he sawe the linnen clothes lyeng yet went he not in Thē came Simon Peter folowinge him and wente into the Sepulchre And he sawe the linnen clothes lye and the napkin that was about his hed not lyeng with the linnen clothes but wrapped vp in a place by it self Thē wēt in also that other disciple which came firste to the Sepulchre and he sawe and beleued For as yet they knew not the scripture that he shuld rise again from the deade Then the disciples went away again to theyr own howses Epanodus But Mary stode with out at the Sepulchre weping And as she was wepīg she bowed her self into the sepulchre saw two aūgels clothed in white sittinge the one at the heade and the other at the feete there where they hadde layed the body of Iesus They sayd vnto her woman why wepest thou She sayd vnto them They haue taken awaye my Lord neither wot I where they haue layde him When she had thus sayd she tourned her backe and saw Iesus standing and knew not that it was Iesus Iesus sayd vnto her woman why wepest thou Whome seakest thou She supposing hym to be a gardener sayed vnto him Syr if thou haste borne him hense tel me where thou haste layed him and I will fetch hym Iesus sayd vnto her Marye Shee tourned her selfe and sayed vnto hym Rabboni which is to saye Maister Iesus sayd vnto her touch me not for I am not yet ascended vnto my Father but goe to my brotherne and say vnto them I ascende vnto my Father and to youre Father to my God and to youre God Marye Magdalene came and tolde the disciples that she had sene the Lord had spoken such things vnto her Shee tolde I saye them which were with him as thei mourned wept And they although they hearde that he was on liue and that she had sene him beleued not THe Euangelistes do by many diuers wordes beate into our heddes the resurrection of Christe that we myghte see that Christe was exalted after death and beleue that we shall enter into lyfe by the death of Chryst and that also our fayth and hope myght be confirmed Christ could in dede haue illustrated the harts of his disciples with his sprite as sone as he was dead so that they should haue nothing douted of his resurrectiō but he loueth this doubt weaknes in thē to make them so much the more earnest in their supplications vnto God The more a sick man fealeth his woundes and diseases the more is he made desirus of medicine So lykewise the more we fele in our selues the weaknes of the flesh the more do we run vnto God for ayde the lesse do we bragge in our owne strengthe which can doe nothing without god when as therfore we feele oure fayth begin to fall then haue we occasion offred vs to call vpon God wyth continuall prayers The prouidēce therfore of God doth by litle and litle leade the disciples to the knowlege of the resurrection of his sonne till it hath fullye made them perfect Thei saw the stone rowled a wai thei foūd the sepulchre empty thep sawe the napkins the lynnen clothes layed aparte the place wherin he laye and finally the aungell testifyinge that he was truly risen And this is diligently to be marked that the Angell sayth that Christe of Nazareth whiche was crucified is not there by which wordes theyr opinion is plainly confuted which cōtēd to haue the body of Christ euery wher after his resurrectiō not in a place For what other thing do they then deny the verity of the humayne
rested on the Sabboth day according to the commaūdement But the nexte daye that followed the preparation of the passeouer the high priestes and Pharisees assembled vnto Pilate saying Syr we remēber that that deceauer said while he was yet aliue After three dayes I will ryse agayne Commaunde therefore that the sepulchre be made sure vntill the thyrde daye least his Disciples come steale him away and saye vnto the people He is rysen from the dead and so shall the last error be worse then the fyrst Pilate sayde vnto them ye haue a watch go and make it as sure as ye can And they went theyr waies and made the Sepulchre sure sealed the stone and set watche men to kepe it IN these women is an example of Godlynesse and diligente loue as they had followed the Lorde in hys lyfe tyme so doe they not forsake hym when he is dead They runne and watche with a Godlye pensiuenesse hauyng an earnest care to annoynte hys bodye This example ought we to followe for there is no let but that we may bestowe this godlines vpon Christ but yet in his membres for that he after this is no more with vs in his body Let not vs be ashamed to serue Christ to be liberall vnto the poore Let it not repente vs if any thyng depart frō our goods whē as we may see that he hath geuen his life for vs which doth so much commend the poore vnto vs when as we may see also these women honest mē to haue spared no coste for to bury the body of Christe moste honourablye For we learne here what great griefe sorowe they had which dare not cōfesse Christ openly for feare yet neuerthelesse they cease not to runne priuily to watch to admonishe and to helpe that they might doe Christ seruice at the leaste by some waye We which may professe the doctrine of Christ frely without feare daūger ought to pray for these to helpe thē with our seruice succour thē with our benefites to chearish thē in cōforting thē exhorting c. Cōtrarilie in the priestes Pharisees is set forth an example of enuie for they wer not yet fatisfied with the putting of Christ to death but also they muste persecute him being now dead shadowe his glorye They are tossed with infernall madnes with enuie feare curiositie The vngodly are inwardly vexed fearefull how so euer outwardlye they set a face on the matter We remēber say they that that deceauer c. Such bitter words doth enuie vse til it come to destruction The Pharisaicall infidelitie had perswaded to it selfe that the light sauior of the world was a deceauer They be like vnto those which crye also nowe of dayes that the doctrine of the Gospel is heresie And if so be that Christ be a seducer and a deceauer what nede these wicked mē to be affeard of him Doth God raise vp deceauers frō death Wil god assiste those which cleaue vnto lies No truly What are they affrayed of thē This feare declareth that they beleued otherwise thē they confessed by mouth thei cal him a deceauer but yet thei iudge hī to be somwhat more noble their conscience putteth thē in remembrāce that he was the sonne of God or at the least greater thē a man And if it so be that thei were persuaded that he was the Sonne of God why then did they crucifie him So the vngodlye do alwaies shew forth in some parte that they knowe and beleue that thyng to bee true which thei impugne persecute pursue So Herode feared least Iohn wer risen again So also an other Herode feared leaste a childe new borne should possesse the kingdome Thei make safe seale the sepulchre but what they brought to passe by all these things the honourable Resurrection of Christ doth ynough declare Vaine therfore ar the enterprises of the vngodly which labour to oppresse to quenche the truth For there is no councell against the Lord the truth cā not be oppressed but it appeareth alwayes more bright Let no mā therfore be affeard of the power of the world though it be neuer so great the Lord is strōger mightier he which cleaueth vnto him shal neuer be put to shame Here followeth the historye of the Resurrection and Ascention of Christe ANd whē the sabboth day was past in the euen of the Sabboth Marye Magdalene Mary the mother of Iames Salome bought odours that thei mighte come embaulme him And vpō an euening of the sabboths which dawneth of one of the sabboths namely the fyrste daye of the Sabbothes when it was yet darke they came to see the Sepulchre And they came very early in the morning vpō the first day of the Sabbothes when the sōne was risen And beholde there was a great earthquake for the Aungel of the Lorde descended from heauen came and rolled backe the stone frō the dore and sat vpon it and hys countenaunce was like lyghtening and hys raymente whyte as snowe for feare of whom the kepers were astonyshed became as deade men And behold some of the kepers came into the cytie shewed vnto the high priests all the thyngs that had happened And they gathered thē together with the elders and tooke coūsel gaue money largely to the soldiers saying Say ye that hys disciples came by night and stole him awaye when ye were a sleape And if this come to the presidēts eares we will perswade him saue you harmles So they tooke the money and did as they were taughte and this sayeng is noysed amōgst the Iewes vnto thys daye Then the women when they were on theyr way sayd amongest thēselues who shall role away the stone from the dore of the sepulchre For it was a verye great one and when they looked they saw how the stone was rolled awaye frō the dore of the sepulchre And they wēt into the sepulchre but found not the body of Iesus but they saw a yonge mā sytting on the right hād clothed in a white garmēt and they were afrayed And the aungell aunsweared and said vnto the women Feare ye not I know that ye seke Iesus of Nazareth which was crucified he is risē he is not here he is risen I say euen as he tolde you come see the place where they layed him But go your waies tel his disciples Peter that he goth before you into Galiley there shal ye se him as he sayd vnto you THe history of the resurrectiō of our sauior Iesu christ is painfully most diligētly writē theuangelists namely for the vse of the church Wherin is prīcipally declared how that hūble despised Iesus beīg crucified betwene thieues is glorified after his death to what renowm he is exalted vnto For neyther could deth hold him Heb. 3. which hath abolished both deth also him which hath dōiniō ouer deth hath made thē free as many as throgh feare