beleeues most It vses no helpe of fence but the fence of hearing only Rom. 10.17 It comes by hearing only and what it heares was foreshewne in the typicall body and done and perform'd in the Naturall and reall body of Christ Iesus that it verily beleeues is communicated to His Mysticall body And what it so heares and beleeues it beleeues euidently though it see it not It tasts really though it chew it not It feeles and enioyes substantially though it touch it not nor finger it or els it is not simple but sensuall Another comfort therefore wee must finde for simple Faith in the third Day And S. Chrysostome giues it The comfort Loco sup sayth he that simple Faith in his friends expected and Deuillish malice in his enemies would haue hindered it was that vnseene comfort that S. Paul speakes of 1. Cor. 15.20 1. Cor. 15.20 That Christ rising the third day was manifested to be Primitiae dormientium The first fruits of them that sleepe in hope of Resurrection to life This was the comfort simple faith look't at and the Deuill had good cause not to abide He the first fruites of the mysticall body and therefore as He so all the rest of his kinde and generation with Him And He therefore the first fruites and no other that was raysed from the dead because He only and no other was rays'd the third day Heere was the cause of the Deuils watch and seale Iayrus daughter was rays'd but vpon the first day The widowes sonne was rays'd but vpon the second day the buriall day Lazarus was rays'd but vpon the fourth day The Deuill neither watch'd these nor seal'd their graues Only Christ was rays'd the third day and therefore Hee onely and no other the terrible and comfortable first fruites of them that sleepe Doe you question the reason yet and thinke the argument weake I le resolue you in a word First in the Legall and Typicall first fruites though we finde no expresse Law necessity nor mention of the third day for their offering Yet this Law we read Leuit 23.15 Leuit. 23.15 and a statute for euer that the sheafe of the fruites to be accepted for them was to be wau'd before the Lord the morrow after the Sabbath seuen Sabbaths complete before the feast of Pentecost And this morrow after that Sabbath was iust this third day and houre when Christ only no other was wau'd and lifted vp from the dead the first fruits of all his kinde So the type is sure for vs that He was onely the prefigured first fruits because Hee onely was rays'd vpon this morrow But if this will not serue In this Euangelicall and substantiall first fruits we finde an expresse necessity of this third day according to Gods Oeconomy and Dispensation of grace vnto vs. 1. Cor. 15.21.22 And S. Paul tenders it in the place before nam'd Almighty God of his meere mercy purposing to recouer mankinde from vnder the curse of death so sweetly disposed of it that as by man came death so by man also should come the Resurrection from the dead As by the first Adam whose flesh and bloud we are by generation Death So by the second Adam whose flesh and bone we are by Regeneration Resurrection to life As and So in due proportion and resemblance As therefore in the first Adam the first fruites of all liuing to the world all die and from him Ecclesia morientium a congregation of fallers into death were gathered so in the second Adam Christ the first fruites of all that die to the world all are made aliue and from him Ecclesia resurgentium a congregation of risers to God were gather'd As Adams congregation was gather'd by a rising to fall from life vnto death so Christs congregation was gather'd by a falling to rise from death vnto life As Adam rose and fell and gathered his congregation the third day after life so Christ rose and stood and gathered his congregation the third day after death And heere is Saint Pauls As and So. The full proportion betweene the two Adams whereupon simple Faith in hearing both determines her assent and to the conuiction of all malice gathers this comfort that Christ was indeede the Person in whose name He came Her second Adam her first fruites her perfect patterne and samplar of her nature estate and condition in that He onely and no other was raysed the third day and no other And this was Primitiue Diuinity what S. Paul cals the chaste virgin simplicity in Christ Iesus 2. 2. Cor. 11 3. Cor. 11.3 Nor in the second place The necessity of the third Day in respect of the Person wherein Christ rose does the schoole subtilty at all corrupt this virgin simplicity or obscure this light with any forc'd or false glosses It rather inlightens it more bringing more instruction with comfort to the touch of Faith in respect of the Person wherein Christ rose And thus they reason the third day to Faiths apprehension 1. Cor. 15. siō 14 to 20. Most certaine it is as Saint Paul sayes 1. Cor. 15. that were it not for the resurrection of the dead there is nothing so vaine as the assurance nothing so miserable as the preaching and preachers of Christ Iesus It is onely the hope of the resurrection that makes you serue Christ and vs serue you Now to hope for this it is fit we be fully instructed in it and to be instructed in it fully wee must first bee fully assured both of his Humane Nature that should rise but alone could not and of his Diuine Nature that could not but rise but alone would not without the other For to beleeue our resurrection we must first beleeue our selues to bee partakers of both these Natures Of both together or else no resurrection The Diuine without the Humane needs not the Humane without the Diuine cannot And to beleeue our selues partaker of both these our faith must first be confirmed in the truth of them both in our first fruits our second Adam with whose entire nature we participate by resurrection as with the first by generation Hee must haue both or we cannot if He haue both we want neither To confirme therfore our faith in the truth of Christs Diuine Nature that would die but should not it was necessary He should rise soone To confirme our faith in the truth of his Humane Nature that should rise but alone could not it was necessary He should not rise too soon And this soone for his Diuinity and not too soone for his Humanity was the third Day onely Soone sayes his Diuinity and not beyond the third Day not too soone saies his Humanity not before the third Day hastning his resurrection vpon the third Day it appear'd manifestly there was somthing in his flesh and that bodily that death might swallow with the flesh as a fish doth a hooke or a Hawke casting but death could not hold it
not digest it not conuert it into her substance of corruption and putrefaction which begins the third Day and especially in a wounded body She had snatch'd Christs body greedily vpon the Crosse But when shee came to endew it put it ouer and conuert it into her substance of corruption at her due time the third Day it would not doe shee could not chuse but restore him and with him all that by faith in him had any part of the Diuine Nature Could that holy one haue seene much lesse feele any corruption the Diuine nature that dwelt in him bodily had not beene there But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Saint Peter Act. 2.24 Act. 2.24 It was not possible that such a Person should be holden of the paines of death Of Death Hee might be and was for a while true flesh requir'd it true God will'd it But of the paines and penalties of Death the corruption and putrefaction of the third Day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was impossible that Diuinitie should be held by a'm So long it was possible but no longer and as so long and no longer was necessary to shew Diuinity was there so so long and no sooner was necessary to shew Humanity was there too A pawse did well for that The first or second day had beene too hasty Hee would not else haue appear'd Man and something that might die His death would haue beene suspected a swound a fit of an Apoplexie perhaps but fayn'd and so all faith vaine and hope comfortlesse Till the third Day therfore he stayes because so long to stay as it was necessary to shew his mortall nature so it was sufficient to shew it For in lesse then that time by many howres no man seemes dead and is aliue but either shewes some tokens of life or dies out right So that in a word To stay so long as the third Day was necessary to shew his Humanity which should not rise any sooner and it did shew it To stay no longer then the third Day was necessary to shew his Diuinity which might stay no longer and it did shew it It was the third Day onely that could giue faith assurance her head and first fruits was such a Person and rose in both the Natures of God and man Nor is it assurance only but Comfort too saies the schoole for in that this Diuine Humane Nature stay'd thus in the graue two whole nights and one whole day it is our consolation saith Thomas Thom. Aqu. q. 53. ar 2. con that Christ by his owne bodily death which in him was all light through the righteousnesse and innocence of his flesh has fully destroyd our two deaths both of soule and body which in vs are all darkenesse through sinne Hos 13.14 Ero mors tua O mors O death I will be thy death was fulfill'd in these two nights Death is now dead and has no more power ouer vs then it had ouer Him but in our death now wee are conformable and subiect to him onely Our head stay'd a while in death but was not detain'd by death as long as He thought it conuenient for our beliefe of His Humane Nature so long He stay'd when He thought it conuenient for our beliefe of His Diuine Nature He rose againe He both stay'd rose at his owne will hauing slaine death with the Diuine Nature for seazing vniustly vpon the innocent Humane Nature To shew that iust so the members partaking with that Head conformable in nature though not equall in vertue and power no more then my toe is to my head yet iust so they die and iust so they are detain'd in death In death they are detain'd but not by death at all or any power of hers but onely by the will of Christ their head so long as he pleases they shall rest in hope and no longer Before he was our head in time which was at the third Day Eph. 1.20.22 Eph. 1.20 22. Death was a darkenesse and a deepe prison and that to them that died in the hope of his first comming But since hee is risen the third Day and hath taken away the darkenes of our two nights the darkenesse of death is taken away Phil. 1.22 Mori mihi lucrum to die is gaine to be in her prison is to bee in liberty to be detain'd in death is to bee in light and life But to whom To those onely that communicate with that Head that rose the third Day because hee was God and could haue risen sooner and yet rose no sooner then the third Day because he was man and would shew that man has now power as to destroy so to dispose of death and as in himselfe so in all his members And thus far the light of schoole subtilty leads vs to the vertue of this Hemme in respect of the Person wherein Christ rose It prooues his Diuine Nature his Humane Nature his power ouer death our liberty in death at his dispose onely and not at deaths at all and so before wee are aware The necessity of the third Day in respect of the persons to whom and for whom Christ rose wee are gotten into the third respect To our selues and those persons to whom and for whom hee rose But wee are but entred only to shew it more fully the light of reformed wisedome remaines now which as in this point it neither opposes nor departs from either primitiue subtilty or schoole subtilty so it is a third witnesse to establish the vertue of this third Day all together will make vp the wise mans triple twisted cord that cannot easily bee broken Our first reason of the third Day for I must make haste as in all points else is that the Scriptures might bee fulfill'd and the word of God be cleare in our eyes and hearts nor is it ours first but S. Pauls first 1. Cor. 15.4 1. Cor. 15.4 And that hee rose againe the third Day according to the Scriptures And when S. Paul names Scriptures as when our Sauiour names a'm hee meanes either the prophesies of the third Day or the types and figures of the third Day or both together and both together I beleeue he meanes for both there were of it and according to both and to fulfill both Christ rose againe the third Day The prophesie we find This prophesie is commended by S. Paul Eph. 2.5.6 which with the whole passage I was forced to cut of for Breuity verba Pauli Conuiuificauit Conresuscitauit Tertul. loc sup Osee 6.2 After two daies he will reuiue vs in the third Day he will raise vs vp and we shall liue in his sight It is not him only but vs and for vs sure and not for himselfe only both the Prophet bespoke it and Christ did it And as it is spoken of the long expected Messias so Tertul. vrges it so strongly against the Iewes as if Christ had risen only the third Day to fulfill this prophesie
further comfort yet in this third Day The time of the member of Christ is redeemed and is abbreuiated into three Dayes onely and but two of those Dayes haue nights belonging to a'm The third Day has no night but is euer day as Christs was In these three Dayes His state and condition is by succession first trouble with the Crosse then rest in death then happinesse in Heauen First trouble with the Crosse for which hee has the Grace of Faith both begun and perfited heere to lead and defend him all his first day But faith has a night and dies with him and his Crosse Then comes his rest for which hee has the grace of hope begunne heere to assist faith but perfited in death to establish him in comfort all his second day But hope has a night too and leaues him when hee leaues to rest in death Then comes his happinesse for which he has the grace of loue begunne heere to make faith and hope actiue continued in death to sweeten hopes rest but perfited in eternall life with God that is loue in esse with whom there is no night but alwayes day without either end or change And then time is redeem'd into eternity And now you most Honourable and blessed order of Risers may it please you value your order with the honour and rule of it as you are regenerated in Christ members of his body Saints by Communion students of faith hope and charity and of the order of the Resurrection to life The bloud that runnes in your veins is Sanguis Dei the bloud of God And then S. Peters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is your Charter of Priuiledge against all power of death You die not when you die but onely to end your troubles and shew you are of a mortall nature you shall rest in peace as Christ did Impossible it is but the bloud of God should rise But ah the misery The seruant is not aboue his Lord the Disciple is not aboue his Master the member is not aboue the Head And rise we cannot possibly but as our Head did vpon a third Day And to rise vpon a third Day it is impossible vnlesse two dayes goe before it Nay nor rest can we possibly vpon a second day vnlesse the first day goe before it So it is ordered now and there is no breaking of it No skipping to the Resurrection day without both the Sabbath and preparation No nor any getting to the Sabbath without wee take our rise at the preparation The rise both to rest and rising is heere onely Is there no rise heere at combat with the crosse Why then no rest in death and then no happinesse in the resurrection Is there no fighting faith with base and dishonourable temptations why then no resting hope and then no rising loue Had not Christ resisted vnto death Hee had not died in conquest and had He not died so Hee had not risen in triumph and glory But all this our Prince and President must doe and did for vs and all this wee must doe for him And if all this wee doe and in this order If faith feele a good Friday and haue so fought with the Crosse as at the houre of death though faith die yet hope and loue stand conquerours aboue all temptations Then as sure as Christ our head conquer'd vpon the preparation rested vpon the Sabbath and rose againe vpon the third day so sure shall our hope rest secure and sweetly in death our second day and after death our loue shall rise in triumph vpon the third Day to enioy that happinesse that faith fought for heere hope rested in in death and loue onely enioyes without night or faile To which happinesse He bring vs that to purchase it as deerely as gloriously for vs was crucified dead buried and rose againe the third Day Iesus Christ the righteous To whom with God the Father and God the Holy Ghost one true eternall euer-liuing onely wise God be ascribed as is most due all honour prayse power glory dominion and thankesgiuing the first second and third Day and for euer FINIS LONDON ¶ Printed by IOHN BILL M.DC.XXII