haue bene if he had absented himselfe three weekes Therefore saith Leo Ne r Deâ—â—â—ciatam tridui â—no â—am tam mira celeritate breuiauit vt dum ad integâ—â—uÌ„ secundum diem pars primi nouissima pars certij prima concurrit aliquantuluÌ„ de spacio teÌ„ poris decideret nihil de dieruÌ„ numero deperiret Leo de Resurr Dom. Serm. 1. turbatos Discipulorum animos long a moestitudo cruciaret c. That continuall sadnesse should not perpetuallie vexe the disciples hearts the Lord abbreuiated the appointed time of his being in the graue that whilest the latter part of the first day and the first part of the latter day be reputed as dayes no part of the number doth perish for falsifying the Scriptures and yet a great part of their leÌ„gth is cut off for the coÌ„fort of his disciples And whereas he was absent from them in the graue for the space of fortie houres he afterwards came and remained with theÌ„ in the world for the space of fortie dayes And mark with me further from hence a worthie point So earlie in the morning was Christ risen from the dead that thogh these women which came with oyntments and odors to embalme him were comming as Saint Iohn saith Å¿ Ioh. 20.1 while it was yet darke Ioh. 20.1 Yet such was the speedy vprising of our Sauiour that he was gone ere they came Shall wee thinke Christ scorned their good deuotion now hee was risen which hee accepted kindely ere hee was crucified Some of them had annoynted him liuing and he tooke it gratiously his feet with teares his head and feet both with spikenard Shall wee thinke hee now condemned what before he commended No saith Bern t Bern. super Cant. Serm. 12. Renuit vngi sed parcens non spernens hee refused indeed to be annoynted but sparing the annointed not desprising the annointers Shall we thinke then that he delighted to delude and beguile these simple women Not so neither saith Bernard u Id. ibid. Mulierum deuotioni non clusit sed instruxit This deuotion of theirs he intended not to delude but laboured to instruct What may it be then Take it in a word When they came with spices and oyntments to persume his dead bodie he refused it teaching them euer after how their deuotion should be pleasing vnto him that is to say not to spend anie thing vpon his dead bodie in the graue but to bestow all vpon his liuing bodie the Church x Bern. vt sup Ipsam vngi ipsam foueri desiderat The church the church I say his beloued Spouse that is it which Christ desires should be annointed The ministers her mouth and teeth which breake the bread of eternall life together with all other her feeble members would Christ haue to be sweetened with the perfumes of your most holie deuotions that so your liberalitie to the church may prooue like the Philippians benificence to Paul y Phil. 4.18 an odour that smelleth sweete a Sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God Phil. 4.18 Heerein besides the precept of Christ to informe and commaund vs haue wee also the practise of good Christians to reforme and amend vs. And that I may not goe any further then where we are the former benefactors to this present place call for after benefites of the succeeding age plentifullie to be bestowed to the good of the Church That worthie Ladie Elizabeth Countesse of Shrewsburie committed a great summe of money into the hands of that Reuerend father Iohn Ailmer sometime Bishop of this Sea for the better promision of those Preachers which are sent vnto this place O how right this fittes with my former assertion that women by grace equall men in vertue as by nature they come not behind them in wit Whose example so moued the Reuerend father that hee gaue out of his owne reuenues three other parts made of one hundred pouÌ„ds foure for the same end and purpose There in he proued himselfe a Iohn in that though he did not at first goe out with her yet afterwards hee did out goe her For who should outstrip all men in good example if not Bishops and who should shine forth to others but such as be the Lights of the world Afterwards one Thomas Russell a good Citizen added a yearely pension of ten pounds to the end abouesaid to teach you Citizens that as you haue euer bene reckoned with the forwardest in good works so you should be moued by his example both to reteine also to increase that good reputation that hath bin had of you that so neither the way-faring Prophet who formerly with Ezekiel hath bin forced to lodge among scorpions may from heÌ„ceforth want either a chamber or a bed or a table and candlestick nor the Papists any loÌ„ger accuse our religioÌ„ of barrennes saying we preach Faith but ouerthrow all good works that our religion is like the fig-tree hauing manie faire leaues of doctrine but little or no fruit of good life And thus much touching the second point The third part followes and that is the trueth of his Resurrection Behold the place where they put him A if he had said Si non creditis oraculo credite oculo If you cannot for ioy conceiue the meaning of my wordes or for sorrow belieue the truth of my words looke into the graue see the place emptie and him gone Behold the place where they put him In this point I trust I may be briefe Certainly I should doe you iniurie to vrge it much seeing you are all as I trust good ChristiaÌ„s belieue it to be most true And my much labour in prouing the truth thereof might insinuat a suspition of your want of faith therin a August is diâ—â—sanct â—â—ch Serm. 4. Qui nouit defendere fidem saith Saint Augustine titubartius est necessarius non credentibus He that knowes how to defend the saith is more necessarie for him that doubteth then profitable for him that beleeueth But put case there were some Iewe here or Pagan Is it possible that he shuld not belieue the truth of Christs Resurrection Let him with these women vse the henefite of his eyes Let him looke to the manifold Prophecies and figures concurrences that happened together with it and the often and vndoubted Apparitions that came to passe after it At the beginning euen GOD himselfe declared it by Prophecie b Gen. 3.15 Gen. 3 15. The seede of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head Dauid afterward is bold and saith c Psal 16.10 Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell nor suffer thine Holie one to see corruption Psalm 16.10 And what meant d Gen. 2.21 Adams sleepe till Euah was taken out of his side and his waking after to liue with her as a louing husband but that Christ also should sleepe in the graue that out of his pierced side the Spouse might be purchased to whom hee should euer after
Eue signifieth life and Marie importeth bitternesse but they were both coÌ„trarie to their names for Eue in stead of life brought death and Marie in steed of bitternesse brought sweetnes Now these women were the reporters and proclaimers of this benefite The gloriousest message that euer was was first committed to a woman because the woman first hasted to heare it As Marie was the meane betweene God and man to beare Christ and bring meanes of saluation so these women were the meane betweene the Angell and men to preach Christ and bring newes of the resurrection As there was a progresse in the denunciation of death from the diuell to the woman from the woman to the man so there was a processe in the anunciation of life from the Angell to the women from the women vnto men For a Missae ab angelo opus faciant Evangeli siae factaque Apostole apostoloruÌ„ festiuantad annunciandum mane miseritordiam dominâ— Bern. super Cant. Ser. 75. sent from a Angell they doe the worke of an Euangelist and being made Apostles to the Apostles they goe forth with speed to sing the mercies of the Lord betimes in the morning b Quae prima iuit ad culpam nuÌ„e prima currit ad veniam Ludolp de vit Chri. patt 2. cap. 71. The woman therefore which first fell to transgression doth now first fell to transgression doth now first bring newes of remission and she which at first brought death into paradise doth now first of all fetch life from the sepulchre c Id ibid. Contenders de morte rapere vitam quae offendens de vita rapuit mortem contending saith one out of death to fetch life which before offending out of life did bring death Thirdly it was decencie Decencie two waies First naturally which allowes it neither for customable nor commendable for matrons to goe alone And indeed in so heauy a case as death at so vnwoÌ„ted a season as night to so dismall a place as the graue if they had gone single they might haue fainted and fallen d Eccle. 4.7 vasoli saith the Preacher Eccl. 4.7 Woe be to him that is alone especially if he be alone in his woe Therefore as all had lost so all sought and happily blessedly all found Secondly spiritually which required that amidst so many enemies of the resurrection sufficient witnesse should be produced to confirme the truth thereof Now the scripture saith e Deu. 19.15 in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word shall stand Deu 19.15 Two then might haue serued but here were three and f Eccle. 4.12 a three-fold cord is not easily broken Eccle. 4 12. In a word then As deuotion stirred vp these women to seeke and finding incouraged their deuotion so let precept moue vs to be deuout that practise may bring vs to the like blessed finding A first we all shamed not to imitate woman in following the diuell to damnation let vs now much lesse shame to imitate these women in running to Christ for saluation Though they be women their example is notable Peter himselfe at their word ran out Iohn not onely runnes out with Peter but g Ioh. 20.4 out-runnes him Ioh. 20.4 Peter hath his name from Petra a rocke and yet he relented at the loue of Christ but h O grauiores saxo plumbo quos ta ti a noris vinculum non tâ—â—bit fâ—rsum ad deum ex quo prins tâ—aâ—it deum corsum ad homines â—nselme lib. de simil Oh harder and heauier than stone and lead are their hearts saith Anselme who are not drawne from earth to loue God in heauen by that band which drew God out of heauen to loue man on earth The graue of Christ is our hiding place As the beastes that are hunted by men flie into dennes and holes of the earth for safetie against the furie of dogges so let vs which are become like the beastes that perish when we are hunted by Sathan that mightie Nimrod flie hide our selues in the graue of Christ There and no where else i Et Reuera vb firma tutaque secutitas est oisi iâ— vulucribus Saluatoris Bern super Cant. Serm. is firme and safe securitie to be found It is his promise he will not shrinke froÌ„ it Trie him O feeble soule in thy greatest need k Psal 91.3 he shall preserue thee from the snare of the hunter Ps 91.3 Thus much touching the persoÌ„s The matter follows first of the Angells consolation Be not afraid At the first hearing whereof peraduenture some may be afraid that it is not the voice of a good Angell from heauen it sounds so like the rotten stay of securitie which the Diuell gaue our first parents to rest on earth wheÌ„ he said Ye shall not die at all l Gen. 3.5 Gen. 3.5 For doth not the Scripture by precept commaund Feare Do not all holie men by practise commend it Was it not at first created and framed a qualitie in the soule of man Was it not afterwardes an affection in the soule of him which was both God man Hearken deare Christians He saith not Feare not at all but he meaneth m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ne auonito stupore exterreamini Feare not too much And indeed in this dutie great discretion is to be vsed Therefore the scripture sometime saith Feare sometimes againe Be not afraid Feare for too little feare is want of grace Be not afraid too much feare is want of faith Feare too little feare is presumption Be not afraid too much feare is desperatioÌ„ And this very precept Be not afraid instructs vs in three points First who it is that ought to be feared Not men not Angells not diuels but God only The seruant feares not his fellowes in the familie but n Mal. 1.6 Mal. 1.6 God is Paterfamilias maister of the familie and the Angells be o Reu. 22 9 our fellow seruants Reu 22 9. Againe whom we must worship him must wee feare for feare is a speciall part of Gods worship But p Mat. 4 10. Thou must worship the Lord thy God onely and him alone serue Matth. 4.10 Therefore the Lord God must onely be feared Secondly who it is that ought to feare Not such as q Custodes quideÌ„ digni sunt qui â—erreâ—ntur vos autem discipulae domini ne terreâ—mini The op in Mat. 8. seek Christ like these blessed women but such as kill Christ like the cursed Iewes As there is a twofold composition of men that is of pride and humilitie so there is double disposition in God of Iustice mercie He which is r Lactant. Instâ—t lib. 1. cap. 1. ergâ—pios indulgentissimus Pater a most louing and gentle Father to the righteous the same is also aduersus impios rectissimus iudex A most seuere and iust iudge to the wicked And heere the verse same God by his Angel so frighted the wicked
wake as a most vigilant and carefull defender What was signified by e Gen. 22.11 Isaack laid as a Sacrifice on the Altar readie to be offred but presently losed and vnbound againe but that CHRIST IESVS the true Sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world should be offred to death on the Altar of the Crosse and the sorrows of death immediately losed againe whereof it was impossible that hee should be holden This glorious Resurrection of the SONNE OF GOD was further signified by Ioseph f Gen. 41.14 who a few dayes was imprisoned in the dungeen afterwards aduanced to the regiment of a Kingdome By g Iudg. 15 14. Sampson who while he slept was bound with ropes but when he awaked againe snapped them in sunder as threeds By Ionas h Ion. 2.10 who was swallowed of a fish but after three dayes cast vpon drie land againe Looke further on the concurrences happening together with it as the great Earth-quake e Mat. 28.2 which then was Matth. 28.2 Sure saith Hilarie it was the vertue of his Resurrection and signified that f Aquin. in Cate super Mat. 28. Resurgente virtutum coelestium domino inferorum trepidatio cōmouetur The Lord of the heauenly powers arising the weaknes of the infernall powers should be troubled Consider the huge stone rolled turned away frō the graue with the handsome folding of the cloathes and napkins left behin de him and weigh seriouslie that same transparent Lie of the keepers how euen then they proue Christs resurection to be true when they went about to make the world belieue it was false They being therevnto hyred with money gaue out that His disciples came by night g Mat. 28.13 and stole him away whilst they were sleeping Matth. 28.13 But ô Children of the diuell how absurdlie doe you speake For if you slept how can you tell hee was stollen away and if you were awake why doe you say you slept Againe recount the manie Apparitions that he made after his resurrection If I be not deceiued Paul the Euangelists reckon eleuen seuerall Apparitions of Christ after his Resurrection for more confirmation of the truth thereof Sometime he appeared to comfort the sorrowfull hearts of his Disciples sometime to conuince the obstinate hearts of his enemies Sometime hee eate meate with them shewed them his wounds which hee kept saith Augustine h August in die Sanct. Pasch Serm. 4. Non agestate sed potestate not for any weaknesse in himselfe but for the strengthening of others especially vt sanaret vulnus incredulitatis That the apparant woundes of his crucified bodie might heale the hidden sores of their vnbeleeuing soules Afterwards saith Paul i 1. Cor. 15.6 Hee was seene of more then fiue hundreth bretheren at once and lastly of mee as of one borne out of due time 1. Corinth 15.6 These things being thus cleare peraduēture now you will wonder why the Iewes belieue not Christs resurrection to be true Surely no other reason can be yeelded of it but this that partly obstinacie is come vpon Israel till the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in And certes euen wee which belieue the trueth thereof are not beholding to our selues for it It may be saide to euerie faithfull soule among vs as Christ saide to Peter k Matth. 16.17 Flesh and blood hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen Matth. 16.17 For though Paul demaunds l Act. 26.8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible vnto you that God should raise againe the dead Act. 26.8 And indeed as Augustine saith m Concidera autorem tolle dubitationem August in die San. Pas Ser. 4. There is no cause of doubting if we consider the authour yet such is our obstinate blindnesse by nature the the most easie plaine true things are hard harsh and false in our iudgement till n 1. Cor. 2.12 We haue receiued the spirit of God that we may knowe the things which be of God 1. Cor. 2.12 In this regard the faith of Christ generally embraced in the world is numbred amongst the most famous mysteries of our religion o 1. Tim. 3.10 Without controuersie saith Paul great is the mysterie of godlines God is manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit seene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles BELEEVED ON IN THE WORLD and receiued vp into glorie 1. Tim. 3.16 Hereupon Bern hath this obseruation p Bern in vigili Nat. dom Ser. 3. Tria opera tres mixturas c. That omnipotēt maiestie in the assumption of our flesh did three workes made three mixtures so singularly maruellous and so maruellously singular that as he neuer did them before so he was to doe them neuer after Coniuncta sunt quippe ad in vicem deus homo mater virgo fides cor humanum For there were ioyned together God and man a mother and a Virgin faith mans soule The like also hath Augustine obserued q August de ciuit de lib. 22. cap. 5. There are three incredible things saith he and yet haue they bin done It is incredible that Christ should arise in our flesh and that he should ascend vp to heauē in our flesh and thirdly incredible est mundum remtam incredibilem credidisse it is also incredible that the world should giue credit to so incredible a matter To conclude then As faith bids vs beleeue the truth hereof so r I am quippe illum inuenit fidei sed adhue eum quaerit spes Aug. in Psal 104. hope requires vs to expect the power hereof that is that Christ our head which once arose in his owne person shall in due time also quicken vs his members in our persons that so the head and the bodie being coupled together God may be all in all And let this hope be vnto vs an author in all the stormes of aduersitie to saue our soules from shipwracke What saith Paul ſ Rom. 8.34 Who shall condemne It is Christ which is dead Yea so the Iewes and Pagans beleeue saith Augustine therefore Paul addes yea or rather which is risen againe This none beleeues but a Christian And in a sound beleeuing hereof consisteth the verie saluation of our soules t Reu. 10.9 For if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeue in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued Rom. 10.9 Thus Iob comforted himselfe u Iob. 19.25 I know that my redeemer liueth and that he shall stand the last on the earth Iob. 19.25 It is our duetie then with patience to expect that in our selues which through power we beleeue God effected in him and when death shall approach vs as it were wholly to deuour vs then to cōfort our selues with the thought of this that y Iob. 19.16 Though after our decease wormes destroy this bodie yet in the appointed time we shall see God in our flesh Iob. 19.16 which God the Father with his deare Sonne our Sauiour and the holy Ghost our comforter three persons and one euerlasting God be all honour and glorie Maiestie and dominion ascribed for euer and euer Amen FINIS