transiit Natura non defecit The body was adorned with refined qualities but not devested of its former Nature His corruptible here put on incorruption The Condition of glorified bodies his mortall immortality Totus surrexit gloriosus He is risen altogether a Body glorified Whose eminencies the Schoolmen are very busie with I confesse and write more of then even Saint Paul himselfe durst that had bin in the third Heaven I shall mention onely the most probable Claritas agilitas subtilitas impossibilitas The first Brightnesse and Angelick Beauty which was prefigured by shining Moses Exod. 34. and acknowledged in Christ by S. Jerom Stellatum splendorem Even a starry luster And if in his Transfiguration his face did shine as the Sun and his very rayment as the light Mat. 17.3 Matth. 17. How bright think you how much more radiant was his Resurrection Nay if as himselfe telleth us The just shall shine like the Sun Chap. 83.43 c. Matth. 13. with what resplendent Rayes think you arose this Sunne of Righteousnesse this Sun of Glory himself whereof all other lights whatsoever are but beams Agility Answerable to this the second is Agility and lightsomness of motion such a supernaturall Activity of Body as if we may beleeve the Schools giveth it an equal facility of either motion of Ascending or Descending such an imperceptible quicknesse as made Christ sometime seem invisible when he pleased to passe through or to appear in the midst of the company John 20.26 John 20. But for that which they term subtillity cui aliud non resistit as to which they say materiall things make no Resistance that seemeth so destructive to the properties of a naturall body that I passe it as a meer subtilty indeed Subtilty but ushering the way to a double Heresie both in Philosophy and Religion viz. penetration of bodies and transubstantion The last condition of a body Glorified is Impassibilitas that is an incapacity of any further sufferings Aquinas in locum or indigence of Natures sustenance after the Resurrection mans body shall not need the staffe of Bread to walk with nor any other Antidotes of humane frailty but did not Christ after his Arise Eat Luke 24. yes but non in Nutritionem sui sed discipulorum Fidei that was not to nourish himself but his Disciples Faith non ex Egestate sed ex potestate not out of want but power it not turning to Aliment but like drops of water sprinkled on fire evaporated vanished such bodies Hunger no more and thirst no more Rev. 21. Rev. 21. neither They need Sun or sheild for the Lamb to them is all in all These are some of the Transcendencies of a glorious body and to satisfie some other scruples of flesh and bloud How arise the dead and with what bodies shall they come whether of the same Age Sex forme or deformity they died in though these are rather Niceties then necessaries yet know it shall bee of the whole Compositum the whole person like Christ here both parts Re-united both have shared here in Good or Evill so shall they in the Retribution And for Deformity Tertullian telleth us All imperfections shall be done away Tertul. Rev. 21 from Rev. 21. There shal then be no more sorrow no more death and the lamenesse or deformity of any part is the grief as 't were and death thereof So that if death shall then be totally expelled then by fair consequence from each particular member To this some add that of S. Peter Act. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 3.21 till the Times of Restitution i.e. according to the perfection of Adam in his Innocence whereupon Saint Augustine saith of monsters that all defects shall be amended in that second moulding of the great Artificer Usual scruples answered And for the scars and wounds of Martyrs that those shall make more for their glory and then be in their bodies like stars in the Firmament the brighter parts of all about them there then so much more glorious as they here have been more dolorous Non sic impiis but as for the wicked 't is not so with them they shall arise with all their blemishes with all their imperfections whatsoever whatsoever may conduce to the improvement of their shame and punishment For the Sex Tertullian again biddeth us remember that the same bodies we lay down we shall take up Mat. 22.8 from that Matth. 22. where Christ answers the Pharisees not that there should be no women but no wives at the Resurrection no marrying or giving in marriage but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Angels natural relations cease there Sexes do not Lastly for the Age that all shall rise in St. Augustin and from him the whole Cry of the Schools proportion it unto the age of Christ that is as about 33 yeers asserting it from S. Paul's oracle Eph. 4.13 Eph. 4. and likewise from that forementioned Reduction Acts 3. that so as in Adam all die so by Christ say they even for the same age also shall all be made alive Yet S. John telleth us of a great multitude he saw before the throne both of small and great whether for stature or degrees of glory is not manifest and therefore these things I intrude not into the Articles of any ones Beleef but only present them modestly as Scholastick probabilities fully contented for mine own part gratefully to read That Christ will change our vile bodies 1 Cor. 19. and make them like unto His c. And therefore to turn Searches into Exhortations Let us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be wise unto sobriety and possess our vessels in holiness as those that are you see and shall be the Temples of the holy Ghost Each one therefore now rowse up his sluggish soul Surge mea anima surrexit Christus Awake arise O my slumbring soul for thy Saviour is already up Stand up from the dead for sin is the grave of the soul and that dead in trespasses and sins buryed in the customs of it yet Christ shall give thee life Ephes 2. Yea Eph. 2.1 he lendeth the same hand unto us as unto Lazarus reviving raising sweetning of us with his fragrant graces And this may be our confidence of the second Resurrection if we give but all diligence to be partakers of the first that is from sin then no fear of the second death Rev. 20.6 Beleeve Christs reason of it Joh 6.54 John 6. Whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day This is the true Nectar and Ambrosia the Poets did but feign such Fare for their Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to use Homers phrase the immortall bloud the true Nepenthe that shall make us forget worldly sorrows that will Renew our Age better then an Aesons Bath this the heavenly Manna the Living the
Psal 106. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Prayer praise saith the Jewish Proverb is the sum of all devotion If then a single Heart be too barren of Thankfulness borrow a Magnificat of Mary My Soul doth magnifie the Lord Jobs gratefull extasie Quid faciam as if all were too little what shal I do unto thee O thou Redeemer of Men. A Te Deum of all the Saints We praise Thee O God c. Joyn with that grateful Consort Rev. 5. Rev. 5.11 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Strength and Glory all outward and inward gratulation for ever and ever And because true Gratitude is Gratiarum actio not a Thanks-saying but Thanks-giving it must be evidenced in our Emendation our bettered Conversation Since Sin hath cost so deer as the dear Son of God O beware how we come ever so in debt again As 't was our sins that crucified Christ once so renewed sins will even crucifie him again Believe St. Paul else Heb. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 6.6 at least to themselves They crucifie and in his honour the Lord of Glory Every unrepented sinne is as a Thorn a Nail and Spear unto him In a word Those that are the Fleshes Souldiers crucifie Christ but those that are Christs crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Gal. 5.24 Gal. 4. And to close up with comfort as an effect of all Christs sufferings How can we but rejoyce to see our Reconciliation made with God of Enemies thus to become Friends Sons Heirs Coheirs with Christ and all this saith the Apostle 1 John 2.2 through the bloud of his Crosse 1 John 2. Oh what a comfort is it to Spirituall Israel to see the sinful Pharaoh and his numerous Hoast all drowned and overwhelmed in this same Red Sea St. Bernard Well may that Father invite here to a Feast of joy Jubilate Coeli plaudite Terra universitas Creaturae And let the Apostle English it unto the Readers Heart Phil. 4. Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and again I say Rejoyce Rejoyce inasmuch as ye are partakers of the sufferings of Christ 1 Pet. 4. that when his Glory shall appear you may rejoyce And now to shut up all shut up thy Saviour in thy Bosome go act the devout Arimathaean as thou hast alwayes beheld Christ on the Crosse now take him down from thence and bury him in a new Tomb that is in the Tomb of a new Heart embalming him with sweet odors that is of Faith Prayer and Good works and at least so far imitate the Jews that you do seal the Sepulcher and the Seals are his Word and Sacraments which if well impressed will hold him faster then the Grave and Death Thus as stout Luther said Who takes such care of the Good Friday of his Death need never doubt a joyfull Easter of his Resurrection The Resurrection mat 27 * mar 16 lu 24. Ioan 20 62 The high Preistes and Pharises assembled to Pilate 63 And saide etc. 64 comande therfore that the sepulchre be made sure untill the third day etc. 65 Then Pilate saide unto them ye haue a watch etc 66 And they went and made the sepulchre sure with the watch and sealed the stone Here the Plate POEM 15. IF great Sorrows be Dumb how shall this speak Which Heart-strings may as soon as Silence break Yet if a little vent may save the Cask From breaking I 'le adventure the sad Task But how shall I begin With words or Tears Informing of your Mournfull Eyes or Ears Or both Oh where shall I begin this Act Plenty doth stifle Copiousnesse distract Shall I forthwith as with an Onslate scale The Mount Mount Calvary and give you all His sufferings at once or shall my Pen Take sharp Revenge on those accursed men That so despighted Him as this might fit Sad Subjects and a Grief-distracted wit Though Sorrow 's an ill Methodist yet we Like Him we treat will grieve more orderly And with a needfull contemplation Glance at his first view his last Passion Both which speak his whole life one crimson thred From Circumcision to his Crosse dy'd red His stable flight and Travels touch'd before His Dangers and long hardships I passe o're Hast'ning to th' Garden but what a sight there Our dear Lord turn'd all agony and fear A sad Transfiguration oppos'd quite To that of cheerfull Tabors glorious light Yet Cure Eccho's our curse a Garden-plot 'T was kild our sins you see as 't was begot But what strange Fountains in this Garden run Of Sweat of Tears of Blood stream'd all in one Christ is a Triple-Island in all these And in cold night without Sin or disease Oh may that threefold Juice of his prest soule Purge sloath melt hardnesse cleanse in us what 's foule But see an Armed crew as ' gainst a Thiefe To ceise him comes and who commands in chiefe But ev'n his own deer Judas heightning this With the dissembled badge of love a Kisse Of treacherous enemies there 's none to those Of our own House take heed of Bosome foes Their Lanthorns heer their Swords and Clubs of wood Discry them sons of Darknesse men of Bloud Yet Christ accoasts his danger scorns to flee Dares answer I as ask them Whom seek yee And if his vailed presence strike to ground How shall his Reveal'd Glory such confound But coming to themselves they transport him For all 's kind miracle to Malchus Lim To th' High Priests Hall that Forge of all his woes Where he the Wit of Malice undergoes He 's harras'd up and down from place to place 'Twixt Herod Pilat Annas Cajaphas Some Jews some Gentiles He 's their Tennis-ball Tost to and fro and hazard runs for all There quite forsaken of his own they strive Who shall the most ingenious snares contrive Which they begin with Accusations high Treason ' gainst Caesar ' gainst God blasphemy As He so His traduc'd though both act this Giving to God his own and Caesar his No matter 't is so constru'd and He 's try'd 'T is voted He must needs be crucify'd He that had kild the Living must be spar'd But he that rais'd the Dead no mercy shar'd Nor is their wrath so kind as soon to ease Him of a burdenous life but Themselves please With varying his reproach his lingring smart And fain would crucifie Him in every part When er'e you would annumerate his woes Add to our Sins his multitude of Foes Right Sampsons Antitype here in full Court Brought forth to exercise their spleens and sport They blindfold him that to all giveth Light And spit on him whose spittle restor'd sight And then who buffets him they make demands It needs no prophesie our wicked hands While their Soules naked or but rag'd in sin They doubly strip him next of clothes and skin With barb'rous whips and stripes Jews think ynough Making long Furrows with the Prophets Plough
reigneth c. MErcifull GOD who hast made all Men and hatest nothing that thou hast made nor wouldest the death of a Sinner but rather that he should be converted and live have mercy upon all Jewes Turkes Infidels and Hereticks and take from them all Ignorance Hardnesse of Heart and contempt of thy Word and so fetch them home blessed Lord to thy Flock that they may be saved among the remnant of the true Israelites and bee made one Fold under one Shepheard JESUS CHRIST our Lord who liveth and reigneth c. EASTER DAY DISQUISITION 13. THis Festivall is as ancient as the Resurrection of our blessed Lord himselfe and therefore ought to be proportionably sacred to its subject as it was highly venerable to the Primitive Fathers of the Church witnesse their innumerable Sermons on it and most solemne Acts even of both Sacraments reserved for the same however this stolid disobedient Age contemn the devotions of Antiquity Christiani sine Christo as though they would be Christians by passing Acts of Oblivion upon the Records of Christianity But God hath still his thousands in our Israel whom I shall here greet with the old Christian salutation * The Eastern and Greek Churches salutation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is risen desiring the Reader but to Eccho with joy and gratitude that same usuall Response The Lord is risen indeed or to Paraphrase it with that good Christian who meeting his enemy said Surrexit Christus Christ is risen the Reconciler and therefore let us be friends again The first stone of Christian Faith was laid in this Article of the Resurrection in this was the first promise performed Ipse conteret He shall bruise the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 Augustine for in this Trophaeum de morte excitavit He triumphed over Death and Hell And the last stone of our Faith is laid in the same that is the Day of Judgement of which God hath given assurance unto all men saith St. Paul at Athens in that he hath raised Christ Jesus from the Dead Acts 17.3 In this Christ makes up his Circle in this he is truly Alpha and Omega His coming in Paradice in a promise and his coming to judgement in the clouds are tied together in the Resurrection and therefore all the Gospel all our Preaching our Believing and endeavour are all contracted into this one Article of the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15.14 1 Cor 15. and that being all the signe Christ would at any time afford the Jews the Pharises Saduces or any that importuned him the signe of Jonas and the destroyed Temple still turning upon the Resurrection Matth. 12.35 And so true is that of Tertullian Resurrectio mortuorum est summa consolatio vivorum The Resurrection of the dead John 4.18 is the main Consolation of the living as without which all Christs former Actions and Passions had been fruitlesse 1 Cor. 15. But by which we hold our hopes of Immortality 1 Cor. 15.17 from whence all the Sundays of the year cheerfully borrow new Denomination and are as 't were new Christned The Lords Day in memoriall of this happy Reparation So that Ludolphus out of Nazianzen and others may well call this day Solennitas solennitatum the Festivall of all Festivities Most of the Learned applying that of David to it Psalm 118. Haec est Dies quam fecit Dominus Ludolph de vita Christi in Locum Psal 118.24 This is the Day which the Lord hath made c. And not onely for our gladnesse but also inverting it for his Honour Haec est Dies quae fecit Dominum So St. Cyril in locum This is the Day which in a sense made the Lord i.e. declared For hereby saith the Apostle was he wonderfully declared to be the Sonne of God Wonderfully indeed the wonder of all Miracles wrought by a God testified by Angels seen of Men of Men not onely as witnesses but partakers and yet a no lesse Benefit then Miracle a benefit both Corporall and Spirituall extending to both parts of Man And whereas Christs former Miracles for the most part tended but to the Bodies good as Restitution of Limbs Eyes to the Blind Ears to the Deaf Tongue to the Dumb and Feet to the Lame or else for Restauration of health as Healing diseases casting out Devils raising the Dead This an extensive benefit to both parts of man or for human sustenance as feeding many thousands with few Fishes multiplying the Loaves metamorphosing of Water into Wine c. But this miraculous benefit and beneficiall Miracle of Christs Resurrection extendeth it self both unto Soul and Body And first it cheereth up the Drooping body comfortably telling it That shall not alwayes sleep in Dust not ever be the Food of worms and companion of creeping things but shall be one day raised raised to incorruption to the society of Angels and vision of the blessed Trinity that even Flesh and Bloud though not as yet a while shall one day inherit the Kingdom of God So that the Body now the Body of every faithfull penitent may be as confident as ever Job was Scio quod Redemptor vivit I know that my Redeemer liveth John 19.25 c. and that he shal stand at the latter day upon the earth And though after my skin Worms destroy my Body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see c. And that not onely in Calvins sense Calvin in locum of a Temporall Restitution but even in Jobs own sense and the Fathers Exposition of a literal and numerical Reinvestion Again This likewise secures the Soul that she is Christs holy One whom he will never suffer to see corruption assureth Her that she neither hopeth nor beleeveth in vain 1 Cor. 15. This is the Foundation Article But happy Time This happy Day for us whereon Christ became the eldest child of the Grave the First born of the Dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 15.20 The first fruits of them that sleep all comfortable Relatives First still implying the later Christs Resurrection altogether as sure as Death Rom. 4. Rom. 4.25 Who died for our sins and rose again for our Justification For us you see Both not for Himselfe but us and that for both parts of us Souls and Bodies As if your meditation please to draw neer the Sepulcher Luke 24.6 Luke 24. you shall there meet with two Angels that will witnesse the Surrexit and tell you Non est hic Why seek you the living among the Dead He is not here but is risen But er'e with Peter and John we enter the Sepulcher Luke 24.6 't will be no uncivill Digression to take notice of the Company we meet with there that were the first Evangelists of these glad tidings and those were no lesse then Angels v. 4. to no greater then Women v. 10. Some mention but one yet St. John expressly telleth us of two Angels Duo propter