too saith the Apostle say Abba Pater twise Father both according to the Hebrew Gréeke shewing that God is now Father of Iew and Gentile Hee saith If it be possible referring the graunt of his petition to the will of God if it may stand with the same wil and not otherwise Hee prayeth for the remouing of that Cup yet so that looking to obedience he goeth forward towards his suffering and saith Fâ—…at voluntas tua Thy will be fulfilled What of humane desire he before mentioned hee now in action procéedeth to relinquish as if he would say Let not that be done which I haue spoken according to humane affection but let that be done for which I was sent into the world and now am willing to suffer That which he required as man to wit the remouing of the Cup he now leaueth as resoluing whollie to procéede with the will of God But was the will of Christ any way differing from the will of his Father No verily for hee saith Non quaero voluntatem meam sed voluntatem eius qui misit me I séeke not my owne will but the will of him that sent me and this manner of conditionall prayer should be remembred of vs in praying not our wils but Lord thine be fulfilled 8 Hee prayeth the third time the same thing shewing that hee goeth to pray and to pray the selfe same thing too not of forgetfulnesse but of very feruencie Whereby wee may obserue that to pray and pray againe is a part of high deuotion The Doue went forth of the Arke the first time and returned sorrowfull as she went out still the waters were vp she goeth forth the second time then the flood is abated and shee brings a branch of Oliue a signe of quiet peace First a sorrowfull prayer goeth forth still the waters of aduersitie are vp the prayer goeth forth againe behold the waters are fallen prayer brings a crop of Oliue ioy and tranquillity of mind 9 At the end of Christs praying the Angels appeare comforting him they who at this time séeme to haue presented themselues in the presence of God the Father astonished at the agonie of his Sonne came foorth and pray for the remoouing of this Cup answer is made my sonne hath of méere loue and mercie vndertaken the redemption of man by the effusion of his blood which could be brought to passe by no other meanes which the Angels hearing they returned to Christ and in honouring they comfort him and in comforting they honour him And héere obserue wee three thinges First that our Sauiour prayeth long before hee receiueth an aunswere to shew wee must not by and by giue ouer Secondly that the greater his agonie was the longer his prayer was to shewe that in greatest agonies wee should continue long in prayer Thirdlie in that the Angels came and comforted him to signifie that if wee continue with constancie the Angels reioyce ouer vs In that the drops of blood came downe it shewed the greatnesse of our Sauiours conflict wherein hee seemed both to doe and to suffer his blood was true blood according to his naturall existence but yet myraculous and supernaturall if we respect the manner for it is aboue nature to poure out together water blood which Christ did both aliue and dead behold O Christian soule thy redéemer and Sauiour cast into sweate for thy sinnes In this it is manifest how bitter his passion was whose onely thought so much chaunged nature Of this our Sauiours sweating may be gathered these seuerall obseruations first the greatnes of his agonie secondly that this agonie caused sweate when it was a cold night thirdly this sweate falling vpon the earth wee may gather that the earth or men inhabiting the earth haue benefit héereby 2 Now was presented before the eyes of the Sonne of God on the one side Gods iust iudgment and wrath towards man yet vnappealed on the other side death and hell as yet not vanquished himselfe left as it were alone to enter the conflict putting forth his hand to receiue the cup and yet he beginneth to pull it in againe but after a little while goeth forward with full resolution to the worke well begun which hee brought to a most happie end Let the deuout man learne in all the pressure of aduersity to set before him Christes agonie in the garden be it that doubtfull obiects betwéene feare and sorrow doe much obscure our naturall delights héere haue wee for times of trouble a president to follow but chiefely in the aganie of death when sick man are panting and labouring for life they are said then especially to endure an agonie for then beginneth a conflict nature drawing one way and obedience to the will of God another the spirit goeth forward and the flesh draweth backward besides many thoughts occurre about leauing the world and going to answere for our time here spent with manie other things seldome before thought vpon Our Sauiour was in an agonie when death approached whence Gregorie saith Appropinquante morte certamen adest nec immerito tune enim anima terretur cum post pusillum hoc inuenit quod in aeternum mutari non possit Death approaching an agonie is present and not without cause for then is the soule put in great feare when after a little while she findes that which neuer will be changed or altered 1 In this agonie of agonies and all other wee learne by our Sauiours example to haue recourse vnto prayer hee prayed in the Garden hee prayed on the Crosse to shewe that in times of distresse wee should principally apply our selues to prayer Moyses prayed at the Sea Daniell prayed sitting amongst the Lyons Iob on the dunghill Paule at midnight when hee was in the prison and héere Christ our Sauiour in his agonie when he not onely prayed but with great feruencie alone to shew that the minde is best eleuated vnto God when sometimes in our sorrowes wee goe aside to pray as hee himselfe heere prayeth hee withall exhorts his Disciples to pray that they enter not into temptation and surely no better remedie against temptation then prayer which prayer is the very whip scourge of euil motions When the théese heareth the good man of the house to cry and call for help he thinks there is no tarying for him if good friends be within hearing Cornelius Cornelius Thy prayers are come vp before God Wouldest thou exercise thy selfe in a spirituall life pray wouldest thou attaine the swéetnes of heauenly things pray wouldest thou haue God helpe thée in time of extremitie pray wouldest thou be deliuered from temptation pray Betwéene Babylon and Ierusalem there is a trustie messenger that often passeth thither which is well acquainted in the Kings Court and is very gracious with the King himselfe for hee shall haue audience and dispatch as soone as hee comes This messenger is prayer that euen in the silence of the night ascendeth into secret
other of most especial regard and worthy of the best obseruation it seêmeth the Apostle so accounted of the resurrection for what is there more necessarie for our christian meditation then héere to call to minde that it was hee who did redéeme Israel that as he rose powerfullie in himselfe so also did hee in those that beléeue on him that hee rose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according vnto the Scriptures that hee rose by way of equitie for first hee humbled himselfe then God exalted him giuing him a name aboue all names That hee rose by way of power for being without sinne death could not holde him for it was vnpossible he should be holden of death 5 He whom Iohn not long before had séene as a sacrifice offered vpon the Crosse when hee was as the Prophet speaketh without for me to looke vpon now hee séeth him after another manner then amongst théenes nowe walking amongst the seauen candlestickes then cloathed in purple by way of derision nowe cloathed as the Sunne then called a King by those that reproached him now called the King of Kings by them that honor him Wherefore as we haue séene him in his humility so with Iohn also let vs sée him in his glory As we haue séene him fighting for vs in his passion so let vs also beholde him tryumphing for vs in his resurrection for all was for vs. In the passion and resurrection of Christ our Sauiour consisteth the summe of all our happines he dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification vnlesse he had dyed we had not been deliuered from sinne and consequently from death vnlesse hee had rose from the dead wee had not receiued comfort of rysing againe from the dead his passion remoued away that which was euill his resurrection brought vnto vs that which was good As in these two wee haue a double benefit so haue wee a double example in his passion an example of suffering in his resurrection of hope when wee haue suffered Which doth shew in vs two liues the one in the flesh laborious which we must endure the other when wee are deliuered from the flesh which wee must hope 6 Now we must not onely acknowledge with the mouth or beleeue in the heart this sacred truth of the resurrection but we must also be raysed vp to newnes of life for thus much dooth the holy Ghost require of vs in beléeuing the resurrection Wee are sayeth the Apostle buried with him by Baptisme vnto his death that like as Christ was raysed from the dead by the glory of the Father so we also should walk in newnes of life And this is the similitude which wee doe carie of his resurrection This is to set our affection on heauenly things or thinges that are abaue where Christ fitteth at the right hand of God and this is the third thing that we should apply our selues vnto in beléeuing the resurrection from the dead that is first to rise with him from the death of sinne and consequently to be raysed by him vnto a hope of the resurrection vnto eternall life 7 It is wonderfull to consider with how many strange enemies Christ had to do at once with the world the Prince of the world with death and sinne the cause of death Who would haue thought that one shéepe should haue béene able to haue withstoode so manie Wolues but yet heare the triumphant voyce of the conquerour Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Lawe The Apostle like a valiant champion goes forth and offers challenge and combate to all these or anie of them Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen If Sathan say that will I because they haue followed the wayes of ungodlines If the world say I will lay to their charge the manie vanities they receiued of me if the Lawe say I will indite them because of transgression if death say I will arrest them by reason of sinns S. Paul answereth them all with a short reply Iesus Christus mortuus est imo resurrexit Iesus Christ is dead yea he is risen from the dead as if hee would say that same rising of Christ from the dead hath beâ—…t you all of all your force and nowe all your Pleas are frustrate Nay howe is the poore Captiue comforted when the Iudge himselfe shall say Who shall detaine this man I haue paâ—… his ransome 8 What a ioyous thing is it nowe to be strengthened in the faith of the Resurrection First in regard of the calamities of this life for what shall dismay vs séeing the members hope to be ioyned with their head Secondly though this life be transitory and troublesome yet Daniel shall be deliuered out of the Lyons den The Doue shall returne to the Arke with a braunch of Oliue when once the flood and waters are fallen Ieremie shal come out of the pit whereinto hee is cast of his enemies Our noble Dauid hauing gotten the victorie is gone triumphantly to raigne in Ierusalem we all his people and armie tracing and trayning after him wee were detayned and held as captiues of cruel enemies but by Christ the enemies are vanquished and wee deliuered how are we deliuered but by the sonne of God was it not his suffering onely that was as hath beene said the remouing of euill Him selfe saith what profit is there in my blood if I goedowne to corruption as if he would tell vs there were something adioyned héereunto to make his suffering glorious beneficial vnto others and this was his resurrection 9 Euery effect naturally doth shew his cause The resurrection was the effect of his deitie and therefore gaue euident Testimonie he was God Againe his resurrection confirmeth our faith for so doth S. Paul reason against the Pseudo-Apostoli if the dead rise not then is not Christ risen if Christ be not risen then where is our beléeuing but Christ is risen therefore there is a resurrection The head doth not rise without the body The head is risen the body therefore shall rise So the resurrection of Christ is the cause of our resurrection and he rising we all rise The Lord is King sayth the Prophet Let the earth reioyce end the â—…es be glad therof The first fruites being sanctified all the other fruits are hallowed vnto the Lord Thomas bring hiâ—…er thy hand and féele the print of the nailes Blessed are those that haue not seene and yet doe beléeue That which befell Christes body saith S. Austen the third day shall befall our bodies in the last day 10 Foure sortes were there which behelde heard the whole manner of our Sauiours passion and resurrection The first were a kind of men which onely were present as spectators hearing and séeing what was done without further obseruation and these were many of the common people which following their owne
branches cast it into the fire and so there is somewhat more then a cutting downe Daniel said vnto Nabuchodonozor which Iohn the Baptist in effect said to euery one who were fruitlesse This tree is thy selfe but for the good trée which our Sauiour saith bringeth forth good fruit it shal be like the gréen Oliue planted by the house of God Blessed is the man saith Ieremie that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is for he shall be as a tree that spreadeth out her rootes by the riuer and shall not feele when the heat commeth but her leafe shal be greene and shall not care for the yeere of drought neither shall cease from yeelding fruit And thus as the negligent are resembled vnto barrenheath or trees twise dead and plucked vp by the rootes as vaine professors are compared vnto trées which bare leaues or at least fruit goodlie and pleasant to the eye in shew like Apples of Gomorrah which are gone as soone as you touch them so are the religious and deuoted to the worship of God most fitly likened to good fruitfull trées grafted vpon the true stocke Christ Iesus himselfe planted in that vineyard whose kéeper is the Lord of hosts and lookes for at their hands better then wild grapes 6 In the eleuenth of the Acts and sixe and twentieth were the Disciples first called by this name Christians a name of great sanctitie from annoynting a ceremonie vsed amongst the ancient people of God vpon none but those whom they accounted holy and had an holy calling as their Kings their Priests their Prophets and therefore should Christians be as Iohn the Baptist whose name was holy whose teaching was holy whose life was holy all agréeing in one He was a burning light not only burning saith Saint Bernard as zealous in seruencie but a light also as conspicuous in charity But whence saith Isidor haue we this title euen from Christ are we called christians surely a great prerogatiue he hath graced vs with his own name ciensed vs with his owne blood The Apostle saith wee are bought or redeemed with a price if it be so then are wee his who hath paid our ransome consequently are bound to doe his will willingly who hath bought out our freedome Wee are not debters saith he to the flesh as if he should haue said we are debters and owe dutifull seruice to another Lord and to liue after his will Sarah saw but Ismael playing with Isaacke and shee said vnto Abraham put away the bandwoman with her sonne it is not safe for the soule to be dallying with the flesh cast out the bond woman and her ofspring or desires the playing of Ismael with Isaack the holy ghost by the Apostles called a persecution One saith This body of ours will not let vs to be right Philosophers but sure it is this corrupt nature of ours vnlesse we did represse the affections thereof it would not permit vs to be right Christians There is a serpent within vs saith Macarius that will entire with an argument a iucundo the forbidden trée is most faire forbidden pleasures forbidden wayes are most delightfull Had we saith Saint Bernard stoode by when Adam was betwéene the perswasion of his wife and the precept of his God when the one said Adam eate and the other Adam Thou shalt not eate would we not haue cried out and said O Adam take héede what thou doest the woman is deceiued The counsel we would giue to Adam let vs apply to our selues and neuer harken to the counsel of the flesh séeing the condition of Christians is to walke not after the flesh but after the spirit The Apostle calleth the desires of the flesh deceiueable because they deceiue and whereas other sinnes are mentioned by one name this of the flesh is mentioned by many as adulterie fornication vncleanenes wantonnes all these shew how vile it is It is said flie from sinne as from a serpent but of all sinnes she fornication saith the holy Ghost for this serpent stingeth to death Hee that will eate so often as he is tempted by hunger hee that strikes so often as he is tempted by â—…re hee that will commit the sinne of fornication so often as he is tempted by ill motions what hath he I say not of a Christian man but of a man except the name 7 But is it credible that Christian profession should in anie age put on mâ—…sking attire and play her part vpon the stage or that those who bare the name of Christians should endeuour like cunning â—…uglers to cast a must before the sight of the simple worke dissimulation in so fine a web cast such glosse vpon all as if all were holy like hote Meteors in the aire which shoot shew like starres but are in deede nothing lesse for these deceiue men they may God they cannot nay they may one day find they deceiued themselues if they spend an houre or two now and then in godly exercises though all the wéeke after they liue in contention and eniue they thinke themselues good Christians In the Comedie of Menander there is a Hercules but not true Hercules in the course of the world there is a Herod that pretends worship but intends the life of an innocent babe there is an Ahab that proclaimes a fast thereby to compasse Naboathes vineyard but all is not gold that glisters He is not a Iew which is outwardly a Iew neyther is that circumcision which is outward in the shew but hee is a Iew which is one within and the circumcision is of the heart not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God One man discerneth another by his habit God by his hart The Arke saith Origen was it pitched without onely no but within and without The kings daughter saith the Psalmist was glorious was this glorie outward no she was glorious within The coat of Christ was without seame the conuersation of Christians should be plaine and honest without dissimulation least their calling suffer indignitie amongst men Let vaine boasters talke of profession so long as they will and make religion as they doe a mere talke vnlesse they shew deuotion to God humble and charitable behauiour towards men are they right Christians no verily When one ill affected was now about to be saluing his sore fingers a certaine Phisitien perceiuing by his countenance his liuer was corrupt my friend quoth he séeke to salue that is amisse within 8 At the end of the day shall it be said call those discoursers no call the labourers giue them the pennie S. Iames saith shew me thy faith by thy works I am a mortall man and cannot search the hart Hast thou faith let me sée it by thy actions of life Is it a liuely faith Why where life is there motion is We are not sayeth Cyprian Philosophers in words but in works
so much enuie him but for his glorious workes for which they should haue loued him neuer did they pursue him more eagerly then when hee had nowe latelie raysed Lazarus from the dead Those who scorned him vppon the Crosse could out of their owne mouthes iudge themselues Hee saued others 6 For those myracles of our Sauiour they ceased not in him eyther aliue or dead Sée what his power did He was crowned with thornes now Kings and Emperours doe cast downe their Crownes at his feete What a death was that which did such things which all the liuing could not doe by weakenes hee ouercame power Twelue Fishermen in short time subdue the world vnto him by suffering and teaching men to suffer by dying and teaching men to die he wrought myracles in himselfe and as he before promised he wrought by his power myracles in his Apostles he cured a woman that touched the hemme of his vesture and Peter cured diuers by his very shadow Verily I say vnto you hee that beleeueth in me the workes that I doe shall hee doe also and greater then these shall hee doe Whence wee sée what was done in beléeuing on his name The Primitiue Church had manie myracles trées newly planted are wont to require watering but hauing once taken roole that labour ceaseth We reioyce saith Thomas Aquinas that wee are past the beginnings not to require signes againe Now the faith of Iesus Christ is established in our hearts dumbe and deafe flesh is not opened but the dumbe and deafe heart by the operation of his word neither is Christ still without myracles for he cured visibly and inuisibly the blindnes of the body and the blindnes of the vnderstanding he raysed thrée from the dead and so doth he still thrée sorts of dead sinners The first was the Rulers daughter whom hee raised putting foorth the multitude in the presence onely of her Parents these are those whom hee rayseth from secret sinnes knowne onely to God and themselues The second was the widowes Sonne which was now carrying forth of the Citie and Christ met him by the way and raysed him these are those who are going on in an euill course to the pit of destruction but Christ happily méetes them preuenting them with his grace being deliuered to their mother the Church they become new men and so liue The third was Lazarus who had béene foure dayes dead and Christ comes and wéepeth groneth and calleth at the Sepulcher Lazarus come forth These are those that haue layen long in their sinnes and begin to sauour for these Christ groneth and wéepeth and these he calleth by his grace at their dead hearts readie to restore them to life and at last they reuiue and when Christ rayseth these he workes a myracle indéede and yet blessed be his name for hee often workes this myracle In the time of Elias the childe neeled seauen times that was raysed from death they leaue seauen capitall sinnes that Christ thus rayseth to life In the Gospel by Saint Mathew the woman of Canaan sayes vnto him my daughter is distressed but wee say vnto him Sonne of Dauid thy daughter our redéemed soule is distressed In the Gospell by Saint Marke Christ saide vnto one that lay languishing Take vp thy bed and walke this doth hee say to many the bed may resemble the body wherein wee lie languishing while wee doe serue the desires of sinne wee walke when wee serue him in newnesse of lyfe wee goe to our owne house when wee prepare our selues towards heauen 7 By sixe workes of mercie Christ wrought myracles â—…an the bodie and by those sâ—…e also dooth hee worke myracles vppon the soule blindnesse is ignorance and error â—…menesse is infirmitie and wayâ—…rdnesse of the will Leprosie is concupiscence of the fleshe â—…eafenesse is obduration of the heart the separation of grace from the soule is death pouâ—…tie is the defect or want of the knowledge of God the poore receiue the Gospell Some are blinde by ignorance these hee â—…inateth by the light of faith some are same by unperfection these hee enableth by the strength of hope some are Leaâ—…ers by contagion of sinne these hee cleanseth by the merites of his death some are hardned by the obduration of heart these hee wakeneth by the calling of his word some are dead by reason of sinfull life these hee raiseth in the inward man to a spirituall life some are néedle and destitute of helpe these hee adorneth and cloatheth with grace Christ as was before shewed reproueth those Cities for their vnbeléefe wherein his myracles were done by a woe woe be vnto thée Chorazin woe be vnto thée Bethsaida by Chorazin may be vnderstoode the state of rich men by Capernaum of carnall men by Bethsaida the wise men of the world some of these myracles doth Christ worke in Bethsaida in Chorazin in Caparnaum these should haue beléeued but did not these ought to beléeue but doe not The men of the olde world were ouerwhelmed in the flood for their sinnes when they had no other law nature was a law vnto them and of the Heathen the Apostle saith that the inuisible thinges of him that is his eternall power and godhead are séene by the creation of the world being considered in his works to the intent they should be without excuse because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God But what should we speake of myracles if wee open our eyes and looke abroad into the world there we sée them If we enter into a consideration of our selues there wee finde them The Iewes required a signe of Christ when they saw nothing but signes froÌ„ him Paulus Sergius in the Acts saw but one myracle of Paul the Apostle wrought vpon another and by and by he receiued Paules preaching Wee sée not one but many myracles wrought not on others but vpon our selues Christ began to vpbraid the Cities wherein his myracles were 〈◊〉 Incepit hee begâ—…n as if he doth still the same but to the use 8. A diligent consideration of Christes myracles doth offer vp unto our religious thoughts manie thinges worthy of obseruation as first they moue to giue prayse and glorie vnto God so did the Israelites when they sawe themselues deliuered by a myracle in the red Sea so did the people in the Gospell when with astonishment they cryed out Wee neuer saw it on this fashion hee hath done all thinges well hee hath made the blinde to see and the lame to goe When tenacitie is brought to be liberall then a withered hand is restored when the meanes of beléeuing is giuen the blinde and the dumbe in soule are cured when a sinner is brought from going astray and now called froÌ„ an euill custome of life then the deafe heare when a sinner is conuerted one dead is raysed and for these myracles wee giue glory vnto God Secondarily they reach vs to haue recourse vnto him in
vs his righteousnesse hee gaue himselfe a sacrifice to saue vs and wee giue our selues a sacrifice to serue him Chap. 28. Of Christs resurrection from the dead and how the veritie hereof doth much strengthen our Christian faith LOue saith Salomon is as strong as death wee shall see in the resurrection of our Lord this verified whom we haue considered in his passion dying for our sinnes for héere we find that loue which was stronger then death Now behold we him as a Champion returning from thâ—… spoiles after so many labours and trauailes now méete we him with gratulation Our Dauid hath slaine his ten thousand our Eagle is renued our Phenix is reuiued our Ionas is come safe and sound from the belly of the Whale Our Sunne that went downe in a ruddy cloude is risen againe with glorious beames of light our graine of corne that was cast into the earth is sprung up and flourisheth our Ioseph is deliuered out of prison our Sampson hath caried away the gates 〈◊〉 his enemies our spouse is 〈◊〉 the voyce of the Turtle is â—…ard in our land Christ our reâ—…er is risen from the dead He is risen early that was late in the euening layde in the Sepulâ—…r after his dolefull passion hee is risen hee is risen whereâ—… with the Prophet wee say Sorrowe may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning Christ hastened his resurrecâ—…n that his disciples might not 〈◊〉 long dwel in sorrow he would â—…t their mournful harts should 〈◊〉 reciue comfort Christ rose â—…ly the third day to haue layen â—…ger might haue bred doubt of 〈◊〉 rising to haue rose sooner of 〈◊〉 dying Had only the sorrowâ—… Apostles or those women â—…at came mourning vnto the â—…epalcher the ioy of the resurâ—…ion No this was the ioy of thousand thousandes which may say with Dauid This is the day of the Lord wee will reioyce and be glad in it Looke we vnto the passion before mentioned there wee sée wéeping and wayling sorrowe and suffering on euery side The blessed virgine the Disciples full of heauines now all is turned into ioy The Angell appeareth in white the women runne and tell the Disciples they scarce beléeue either the Angels or one another for ioy A little before the stone is refused of the builders Deliuer vnto vs Barrabas nowe is this stone the head of the corner which ioynes together the building of two nations both Iewes and Gentiles A little before we haue no other King but Caesar now is hee a King aboue all Caesars A little before he trusted in God let him deliuer him if he wil haue him Now is he deliuered and God is with him hee with God A little before is he a lamb â—…ed vnto the slaughter but now a Lion of the tribe of Iuda A little before he was in humility and â—…ged of others now is he risen to appeare the Iudge both of quick dead at the right hand of God aboue in glory 2 Wherfore O faithfull Christian man reioyce in the Lorde yea saith the Apostle againe I say reioyce reioyce in the resurrection of thy Sauiour for manie are the benfites that hence â—…rise Nowe is thy Lorde returned from the battaile nay from the conquest ouer the deuill sinne hell and death thanks be vnto God that hath giuen vs the victorie by Iesus Christ our Lord. Beléeue that his resurâ—…ion was the cause of thy resurrection for hee which raysed Christ from the dead shall also rayse these our mortall bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in vs. If thou consider this thou shalt haue consolation agaynst all feare and dread of death for thou mayst say I knowe that my Redeemer liueth Againe I will lay me downe to sleepe and take my rest for the Lord maketh me to dwell in safety Because this was so behâ—…uefull a poynt for the stay of our christian faith Christ appeared so often vnto his Apostles after his resurrection communed with them as at other times so then especially when their hearts did burne within them as hee opened the Scriptures shewing them the veritie of his resurrection The Apostles whose charge was to teach glad tydings vnto the world the first tydings they taught was the doctrine of the resurrection The Euangelists doe most diligently set foorth vnto vs the resurrection of Christ as a thing profitable and ioyfull to all faithfull beléeuers for in the resurrection wee sée how Christ is exalted and what hope wee haue in him This they lay downe with many circumstances both by testimonies before and after before that hee had told his Disciples he must die and rise againe after in that he was conuersant amongst them forty dayes walked in the way with two of them communing of the thinges that â—…re done at Ierusalem and surely in time of sorrow to comâ—…ne of Christ and talke of him in our wearisome iourney of this life shall much comfort vs at this time Christ walketh with them their vnderstanding is opened 3 The women come vnto the Sepulcher and view euery place throughly they finde the stone â—…ed away the linnen cloathes â—…aining a signe his body was not taken away but risen for these were together laid with his body in the Sepulcher the body â—…ne the Angels testifie he is risen what say the Souldiours to this First they confesse a truth afterward corrupted with mony they giue out his Disciples had stolen away his body while they were a sleepe If they were a sleepe howe saw they the Disciples steale away the body If they were not a sléepe how could a fewe weake fishers take away the body from a band or company of armed Souldiours but let them confesse the truth as they did before vnto the high Priests and after when they were charged that they had séene a vision of Angels that he was risen indéede So the veritie is inuincible and the ioy great of the resurrection Wee see a desire and loue to Christ in Peter and Iohn for why they runne to the Sepulcher affection makes vs diligent the women come with sweet odors to annoint the body we haue no swéet odors but manie vnsauorie sins to bring vnto the resurrection there to offer vp the incense of our praise which is the swéetest offering our harts can yéeld Mary commeth néere her Lord Christ saith vnto her Woman touch me not not but that Christ had a body tangible after his resurrection but Mary touch me not doe not so much affect my presence héere on earth as my presence in heauen By this we learne to know and honour Christ as he is risen sitteth at the right hand of God aboue S. Paul writing to Timoâ—…e saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember that Iesus Christ is risen from the â—…ad When the Teacher giues his Scholler many lessons if he giue him one amongst that rest with 〈◊〉 Momento Remember this he thinks that of all