Clause 5

And thus much of this clause, as also of the state of Christs humiliation. Nowe followeth his second estate, which is his exaltation into glorie, set down in these words, The third day he rose againe from the deade, &c. And of it we are first to speake in generall, then in particular according to the seuerall degrees thereof. In generall, the exaltation of Christ is, that glorious or happie estate, into which Christ entred after he had wrought the worke of our redemption vpon the crosse. And he was exalted according to both natures, in regard of his Godhead, and also of his manhood. The exaltation of the Godhead of Christ, was the manifestation of the glorie of his Godhead in the manhoode. Some will peraduenture demaunde, how Christs Godhead can be exalted, seeing it admits no alteration at all. Answer. In it selfe it cannot be exalted, yet beeing considered as it is ioyned with the manhood into one person, in this respect it may be said to be exalted: and therefore, I say, the exaltation of Christs Godhead is the manifestation of the glorie thereof in the manhood. For though Christ from his incarnation was both God and man, and his Godhead dwelt in his manhood; yet from his birth vnto his death, the same Godhead did little shew it selfe, and in the time of his suffering did as it were lie hid vnder the vaile of his flesh, as the soule doth in the bodie, when a man is sleeping, that thereby in his humane nature he might suffer the curse of the law, and accomplish the worke of redemption for vs, in the low and base estate of a seruant. But after this worke was finished, he began by degrees to make manifest the power of his Godhead in his manhood. And in this respect his Godhead may be saide to be exalted. The exaltation of Christs humanitie stoode in two things. The first that he laide downe all the infirmities of mans nature, which he carried about him so long as he was in the state of a seruant, in that he ceased to be wearie, hungrie, thirstie, &c. Here it may be demāded, whether the skarres & woūds remain in the bodie of Christ now after it is glorified. Ans. Some think that they doe remain as testimonies of that victorie which Christ obtained of his & our enemies,¹ & that they are no deformitie to the glorious bodie of our Lord, but are themselues also in him in some vnspeakable manner glorified. But indeede it rather seemes to be a truth, to say that they are quite abolished; because they were a part of that ignominious and base estate in which our Sauiour was vpon the crosse: which after his entrance into glorie he laid aside. And if it may be thought that the woundes in the hands and feete of Christ remaine to be seene, euen to the last iudgement, why may we not in the same manner thinke that the vaines of his bodie remaine emptied of their blood, because it was shed vpon the crosse.

The second thing required in the exaltation of Christs manhood is, that both his bodie and soule were beautified and adorned with all qualities of glorie. His minde was inriched with as much knowledge and vnderstanding as can possibly befall any creature, and more in measure then all men and angels haue: and the same is to be said of the graces of the spirit in his wil and affections: his bodie also was incorruptible, and it was made a shining bodie, a resemblance whereof some of his disciples sawe in the mount: and it was indued with agilitie, to mooue as well vpward as downeward, as may appeare by the ascension of his bodie into heauen, which was not caused by constraint or by any violent motion, but by a propertie agreeing to all bodies glorified. Yet in the exaltation of Christs manhood we must remember two caveats: first, that he did neuer lay aside the essentiall properties of a true bodie, as length, breadth, thicknes, visibilitie, locallitie which is to be in one place at once and no more, but keepeth all these still, because they serue for the beeing of his bodie. Secondly wee must remember that the gifts of glorie in Christs bodie are not infinite but finite: for his humane nature beeing but a creature, and therefore finite, could not receiue infinite graces and gifts of glorie. And hence it is more then manifest that the opinion of those men is false, which hold that Christs bodie glorified, is omnipotent and infinite, euery way able to doe whatsoeuer he will: for this is to make a creature to be the creator.

Thus much of Christs exaltation in generall. Now let vs come to the degrees thereof, as they are noted in the Creede, which are in number three: I. He rose againe the third day: II. He ascended vnto heauen: III. He sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie. In the handling of Christs resurrection, we must consider these points: I. why Christ ought to rise againe: II. the manner of his rising. III. the time when he rose: IV. the place where: V. the vses thereof. For the first, it was necessarie that Christ should rise againe, and that for three especiall causes. First, that hereby he might shew to all the people of God that he had fully ouercome death. For els, if Christ had not risen, how should we haue bin perswaded in our cōsciences, that he had made a full & perfect satisfactiō for vs: nay rather we should haue reasoned thus: Christ is not risen, & therefore he hath not ouercome death, but death hath ouercome him. Secondly, Christ Iesus which died was the sonne of God, therefore the author of life it selfe, and for this cause it was neither meet nor possible for him to be holdē of death, but he must needes rise from death to life. Thirdly, Christs priesthood hath 2. parts: one, to make satisfaction for sinne by his one onely sacrifice vpon the crosse: the other, to apply the vertue of this sacrifice vnto euery beleeuer. Now he offred the sacrifice for sinne vpon the crosse, before his death, and therefore beeing deade must needes rise againe to performe the second part of his priesthood, namely to applie the vertue thereof vnto all that shall beleeue in him, and to make intercession in heauen vnto his father for vs here on earth. And thus much of the first point.

Nowe to come to the manner of Christs resurrection: fiue things are to be considered in it. The first, that Christ rose againe not as euery priuate man doth, but as a publike person representing all men that are to come to life eternall. For as in his passion, so also in his resurrection, he stood in our roome and place: and therefore when he rose from death, we all, yea the whole Church rose in him,² and together with him. And this point not considered, we doe not conceiue aright of Christs resurrection, neither can we reap sound comfort by it.

The second is, that Christ himselfe and no other for him, did by his owne power raise himselfe to life. This was the thing which he meant, when he said, Destroy this temple, & in three daies I will build it vp againe:³ & more plainly, I haue (saith he) power to lay down my life, and I haue power to take it again. Frō whēce we learn diuers instructions. First wheras Christ raiseth himselfe from death to life, it serueth to proue that he was not only mā, but also true god. For the body being dead, could not bring again the soule & ioyn it self vnto the same, & make it selfe aliue againe; neither yet the soule that is departed from the bodie, can returne againe & quicken the bodie: and therefore there was some other nature in Christ, namely his Godhead, which did revnite soule and bodie together, and thereby quickned the manhoode. Secondly, if Christ giue life to himselfe being dead in the graue, then much more now being aliue and in heauen glorified, is he able to raise vp his members from death to life. We are all by nature starke dead in sinne, as the dead bodie rotten in the graue; and therfore our dutie is, to come to Christ our Lord by praier, intreating him that he would raise vs vp euery day more and more from the graue of our sinnes to newnes of life. He can of men dead in their sinnes make vs aliue vnto himselfe to liue in righteousnes and true holines all the daies of our life.

The third thing is, that Christ rose againe with an earthquake. And this serueth to prooue that he lost nothing of his power by death, but still remained the absolute Lord of heauen and earth, to whome therefore the earth vnder his feete trembling doth him homage. This also prooueth vnto vs that Christ which lay dead in the graue, did raise himselfe againe by his owne almightie power. Lastly it serueth to conuince the keepers of the graue, the women which came to embaulme him, and the disciples which came to the sepulchre, & would not yet beleue that he was risen againe. But how came this earthquake? Answer. Saint Matthew saith, there was a great earthquake. For the angell of the Lord descended from heauen,⁴ &c. This shewes that the power of angels is great, in that they can mooue and stirre the earth. Three angels destroied Sodom & Gomorha.⁵ An angel destroied the first borne of Egypt in one night. In the host of Senacherib one angel slue in one night 14500 mē. Of like power is the deuil himself to shake the earth, and to destroy vs all, but that God of his goodnes limits & restrains him of his libertie. Well, if one angel be able to shake the earth, what then wil Christ himselfe do when he shal come to iudgemēt the secōd time, with many thousand thousāds of angels? oh how terrible will his comming be? Not without cause saith the holy Ghost that the wicked at that day shall cry out, wishing the hills to fall vpon them, and the mountains to couer them for feare of that great and terrible day of the Lord▪

The 4. thing is, that an angel ministred to Christ, being to rise again, in that he came to the graue & rolled away the stone, & sate vpō it. Where obserue, first how the angels of God minister vnto Christ; though dead & buried; whereby they acknowledge that his power, maiestie, & authoritie is not included within the bondes of the earth, but extends it selfe euen to the heauens themselues and the hosts thereof, and that according to his humanitie. Wicked men for their parts laboured to close him vp in the earth, as the basest of all creatures: but the angels of heauen most readily accept him as their soueraigne Lord and king:⁶ as in like manner they did in his temptation in the wildernes▪ and in his agonie in the garden. Secondly, that the opinion of the papists and others, which think that the bodie of Christ went through the graue-stone when he rose againe, is without warrant. For the ende, no doubt, why the angel rolled away the stone was, that Christ might come foorth. And indeede it is against the order of nature that one bodie should passe through another▪ without corruption or alteration of either; considering that euery bodie occupies a place, and two bodies at the same instāt cānot be in one proper place.

Furthermore it is said, that when the angel sate on the stone, his countenance was like lightening, and his rayment as white as snow: & this serued to shew what was the glory of Christ himselfe. For if the seruant and minister be so glorious, then endlesse is the glorie of the lord and master himselfe. Lastly it is said, that for feare of the angel, the watchmen were astonied, and became as dead men: which teacheth vs, that what God would haue come to passe, all the world can neuer hinder. For though the Iewes had closed vp the graue with a stone, and set a band of souldiours to watch, least Christ should by any meanes be taken away▪ yet all this auaileth nothing: by an angel from heauen the seale is broken, the stone is remooued, and the watchmen at their wittes ends. And this came to passe by the prouidence of God, that after the watchmen had testified these things to the Iewes, they might at length be conuicted that Christ whome they crucified was the Messias.

The fifth & last point is, that Christ rose not alone, but accompanied with others: as S. Matthew saith, that the graues opened, and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose, and came out of the graues,⁷ and went into the holy citie, and appeared vnto many after Christs resurrection. And this came to passe that the Church of God might know & consider that there is a reuiuing and quickening vertue in the resurrection of Christ, wherby he is able not only to raise our dead bodies vnto life, but also when wee are deade in sinne, to raise vs vp to newnes of life. And in this very point stands a maine difference between the resurrection of Christ, & the resurrection of any other man. For the resurrection of Peter nothing auailes to the raising of Dauid or Paul: but Christs resurrection auailes for all that haue beleeued in him: by the very same power whereby he raised himselfe, he raiseth all his members: & therefore he is called a quickening spirit. And let vs marke the order obserued in rising. First Christ riseth, & then the saints after him. And this came to passe to verifie the Scripture, which saith that Christ is the first borne of the dead.⁸ Now he is the first borne of the dead, in that hee hath this dignitie & priuiledge to rise to eternal life the first of all men. It is true indeede that Lazarus & sundrie others in time rose before Christ: but yet they rose to liue a mortall life, and to die againe: Christ he is the first of all that rose to life euerlasting and to glorie: neuer any rose before Christ in this maner. And the persōs that rose before with Christ are to be noted, they were the Saints of God, not wicked men: whereby we are put in minde that the elect children of God onely are partakers of Christs resurrection. Indeede both good and bad rise againe, but there is a great difference in their rising: for the godly rise by the vertue of Christs resurrection, and that to eternall glorie: but the vngodly rise by the vertue of Christ, not as he is a redeemer, but as he is a terrible iudge, and is to execute iustice on them. And they rise againe for this ende, that besides the first death of the bodie, they might suffer the second death, which is the powring forth of the wrath of God vpon bodie and soule eternally. This difference is prooued vnto vs by that which Paul saith,⁹ Christ is the first fruits of them that sleep. Among the Iewes such as had corne fields gathered some little quantitie therof, before they reaped the rest, & offred the same vnto God, signifying therby that they acknowledged him to be the author and giuer of all increase: & this offering was also an assurance vnto the owner, of the blessing of God vpō the rest, & this being but one handful did sāctify the whol crop. Now Christ to the dead is as the first fruits to the rest of the corne, because his resurrection is a pledge & an assurance of the resurrection of all the faithfulll. When a man is cast into the sea, and all his bodie is vnder the water, there is nothing to be looked for but present death, but if he carrie his heade aboue the water, there is good hope of a recouery. Christ himself is risen as a pledge that all the iust shall rise againe: he is the heade vnto his Church, & therfore all his members must needes followe in there time. It may be demāded what became of the Saints that rose againe after Christs resurrection. Ans. Some think they died againe, but seeing they rose for this ende to manifest the quickning vertue of Christs resurrection, it is as like that they were also glorified with Christ, and ascended with him to heauen.

Thus much of the manner of Christs resurrection. Now follows the time when he rose againe, and that is specified in the Creede, The third day he rose againe: Thus saith our Sauiour Christ vnto the Pharisies, As Ionas was three daies and three nights in the whales bellie: so shall the sonne of man be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth.¹⁰ And though Christ was but one day and two pieces of two daies in the graue: (for he was buried in the euening before the sabbath,¹¹ and rose in the morning the next day after the sabbath) yet is this sufficient to verifie this saying of Christ. For if the analogie had stoode in three whole daies▪ then Christ should haue risen the fourth day. And it was the pleasure of God that he should lie thus long in the graue▪ that it might be knowne that he was thoroughly dead: and he continued no longer, that he might not in his bodie see corruption.¹² Againe, it is said, Christ rose againe in the ende of the sabbath, when the first day of the weeke beganne to dawne. And this very time must be considered, as the reall beginning of the new spirituall world, in which we are made the sonnes of God. And as in the first day of the first world, light was commaunded to shine out of darknes vpon the deepes: so in the first day of this new world, the sonne of righteousnes riseth and giues light to them that sit in darknes, & dispells the darknes that was vnder the old testamēt. And here let vs mark the reason why the sabbath day was changed. For the first day of the weeke, which was the day following the Iewes sabbath, is our sabbath day, which day we keepe holy in memorie of the glorious resurrection of Christ: and therefore it is called the Lords day. And it may not vnfitly be tearmed¹³ Sunday,¹⁴ though the name came first from the heathen, because on this day the blessed sonne of righteousnes rose from death to life.

Let vs now in the next place proceede to the proofes of Christs resurrection, which are diligently to be obserued, because it is one of the most principall points of our religion. For as the Apostle saith, He died for our sinnes, and rose againe for our iustification ▪¹⁵ and againe, If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vaine,¹⁶ and our faith is also vaine ▪ The proofes are of two sorts: first, Christs appearances vnto men: secondly, the testimonies of men▪ Christs appearances were either on the first day▪ or on the daies following. The appearances of Christ the same day he rose againe are fiue. And first of all earely in the morning he appeared to Marie Magdalen.¹⁷ In this appearance diuerse things are to be considered. The first, of what note and qualitie the partie was, to whome Christ appeared. Answer. Mary Magdalen was one that had beene possessed with seuen deuils, but was deliuered and became a repentant sinner, and stoode by when Christ suffered, and came with sweete odours when he was dead to embaulme him. And therefore to hir is graunted this prerogatiue, that shee should be the first that should testifie his resurrection vnto men. And hence we learne, that Christ is readie and willing to receiue most miserable wretched sinners, euen such as haue beene vassails and bondslaues of the deuill, if they will come to him. Any man would thinke it a fearefull case, to be thus possessed with deuills as Marie was: but let all those that liue in ignorance, and by reason thereof liue in sinne without repentance, know this, that their case is a thousand times worse then Marie Magdalens was. For what is an impenitent sinner? Surely nothing els but the castle & hold of the deuill, both in bodie & soule. For looke as a captaine that hath taken some hold or skonse, doth rule & gouerne all therein, and disposeth of it at his wil & pleasure: euen so it is with all blinde and impenitent sinners; not one deuill alone, but euen legions of deuills possesse them, & rule their hearts▪ & therfore howsoeuer they may sooth themselues & say, all is well, for God is mercifull; yet their case is farre worse then Maries was. Now then▪ would any be freed from this feareful bondage? let them learne of Marie Magdalen to follow Christ, and to seeke vnto him, and then albeit the deuill and all his angels possesse their heatts, yet Christ beeing the strong man, will come and cast them all out, and dwell there himselfe.

The second is, what Christ in his appearance saide to Marie. Answ. He said, Touch me not: for I am not yet ascended to my father. Mary no doubt was glad to see Christ, & therfore looked to haue cōversed as familiarly with him as shee was wont before his death, but he forbids her to touch him, that is, not to look to inioy his corporal presence as before, but rather to seeke for his spirituall presence by faith, considering he was shortly to ascend to his father. For this cause when he appeared to his disciples, he staied not long with them at any time, but onely to manifest himselfe vnto thē, thereby to prooue the certentie of his resurrection. This prohibition shows first of all that it is but a fond thing to delight in the outward picture and portraiture of Christ, as the Iesuits doe, who stand much vpō his outward forme and lineaments. Secondly, it ouerthroweth the popish crucifixes, and all the carued and molten images of Christ, wherein the Papists worship him, for corporall presence is not now required: therefore spirituall worship onely must be giuen vnto him. Thirdly it ouerthroweth the reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament. Many are of minde that they cannot receiue Christ, except they eat & drink his bodie & blood corporally: but it is not much materiall whether we touch him with the bodily hand or no; so be it we apprehend him spiritually by faith. Lastly, as we must not haue earthly considerations of Christ: so must we on the cōtrarie labour for the spiritual hand of faith, which may reach vp it selfe to heauen, & there lay hold on him. This is the very thing which Christ insinuateth vnto Mary in saying, Touch me not. And S. Paul saith, Henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea though we had knowne Christ after the flesh, yet now know we him no more,¹⁸ that is, we know him no more as a man liuing among vs, & therfore he addes, If any mā be in Christ, he is a new creature: and this new creation is not by the bodily presence of Christ▪ but by the apprehēsiō of faith.

The second appearance was to Marie Magdalen & to the other Marie, as they were going from the graue to tell his disciples: at which time Christ meeteth them, & bids them go tell his brethrē that he is risen again.¹⁹ And wheras Christ sendeth womē to his disciples, he purposed hereby to check thē for their vnbeliefe. For these womē forsooke him not at his death, but stood by & saw him suffer, & whē he was buried they came to embalme him: but all this while what became of Christs disciples? Surely Peter denied him, & al the rest fled away, euē Iames & Iohn the sonnes of thūder, saue that Iohn stood a loofe to behold his death. Herupon Christ to make thē ashamed of their fault, sendeth these women unto them to publish that to them which they by their calling ought aboue all other to haue published. Secondly this teacheth, that whereas Christ buildeth his kingdome & publisheth his Gospell by Apostles, Euangelists, Pastors, teachers, hee can if it so please him, perfourme the same by other meanes. In this his second appearance, he used weak and silly women to publish his resurrection, and thereby shewes that he is not bound to the ordinarie means, which now hee useth. Thirdly, hee sent them to his disciples, to shew, that howsoeuer they had dealt unfaithfully with him by forsaking him and denying him, yet hee had not quite forsaken them, but if they would repent and beleeue, hee would receiue them into his loue and fauour againe, and therefore calleth them his brethren, saying, Goe and tell my brethren. This teacheth us a good lesson, that howsoeuer our sinnes past are to humble us in regard of our selues, yet must they not cut us off or dismay us from seeking to Christ, yea euen then when we are laden with the burdē of them, we must come unto him, & he will ease us. Fourthly whereas silly women are sent to teach Christes disciples,²⁰ which were schollers brought up in his owne schoole, wee are admonished, that superioritie in place and calling, must not hinder us▪ sometime to heare and to be taught of our inferiours. Iob saieth, he neuer refused the counsell of his seruant:²¹ And Naaman the Syrian obeyed the counsell of a silly maide which advised him to go to the Prophet of the Lorde in Samaria to be cured of his leprosie: and when he had beene with the Prophet, hee obeyed the counsell of his seruant, that perswaded him to doe all the Prophet had said: Wash and be cleane.

Now after that the women are come to the disciples and make relation of Christes resurrection, the text saieth, Their words seemed as fained things unto them,²² neither beleeved they them. Hence wee learne two things: the first, that men of themselues can not beleeue the doctrine of Christiā religion: it is a harde matter for a man to beleeue sundrie things in the worke of creation. The temporall deliuerance of the children of Israell seemed to them as a dreame:²³ and the resurrection of Christ: euen to Christes owne disciples seemed a fained thing. The second, that it is an hard thing truly and vnfainedly to beleeue the points of religion: disciples brought up in the schoole of Christ, and often catechised in this very point of Christs resurrection, yet dull are they to beleeue it. This confuteth and condemneth our carnall gospellers that make it the lightest and easiest thing that can be to beleeue in Christ: and therefore they say their faith is so strong, that they would not for all the world doubt of Gods mercy: whereas indeede they are deceiued and haue no faith at all, but blind presumption.

The thirde appearance was on this manner. As two of Christes disciples were going from Ierusalem to Emmaus about threescore furlongs,²⁴ and talked togither of all the things that were done, Iesus drewe nere and talked with them, but their eyes were holden that they could not know him: and as they went he communed with them, & prooued out of the scripture his resurrection, expounding unto them all things that were written of him: then they made him stay with them, and their eyes were opened; & they knew him by breaking of bread, but he was taken out of their sight. In this notable appearance wee may obserue these foure points. The first, that Christ held their eyes that they could not know him: they saw a man indeed, but who he was, they could not tell. By this it is more then manifest, that the use of our outwarde senses, as seeing, feeling, smelling, &c. is supplied vnto us continually by the power of Christ, and therefore euen in these things we must acknowledge the continuall goodnes of God. Now if one man can not so much as discerne another but by the blessing of Christ, then shall we neuer be able to discerne the way of life from the way of death without him: & therfore we must pray unto God that he would giue us his holy spirite to enlighten the eyes of our understanding, wherby we may be able to see and know the way that leadeth unto life, and also to walke in the same. The second, that as Christ was in expounding the scriptures vnto them their heartes burned within them. By this we learne, that howsoeuer the ministers of God publish the gospell to the outward eares of men:²⁵ yet is it the proper worke of Christ alone to touch & inflame the heart by the fire of his holy spirit, & to quickē & raise men up to the life of righteousnes & true holines: it is he only that baptiseth with the holy ghost▪ & with fire▪ & it further admonisheth us,²⁶ that we should heare the worde preached frō the mouth of Gods ministers with burning & melting hearts: but alas, the ordinary practise is flat cōtrarie; mens eies are drowsie & heauie, & their hearts dead & frozen within them: & that is the cause why after much teaching there followes but litle profit.

The thirde thing is, that Christ did eate with the two disciples and was knowen of them in breaking of breade. It is verie like that our Sauiour Christ did in some speciall maner blesse the bread which he brake, wherby his disciples discerned him from others. And in like maner we must by blessing our meates and drinkes distinguish our selues, though not from such as are the seruants of God, yet from all ungodly & carelesse men. Many being silent themselues do make their children to giue thankes, and to blesse their meates. And indeede it is a cōmendable thing if it be done sometimes to nourture the childe, but for men to disburden themselues wholly of this duty is a fault. And it is a shame that that mouth which openeth it selfe to receiue the good creatures of God, should neuer opē it selfe to blesse & praise God for the same. Therfore in this actiō of eating and drinking, let us shewe our selues followers of Christ that as by blessing the same he was known from all other; so we may also hereby distinguish our selues from the profane and wicked of this world. Otherwise what difference shal there be betwene us & the very hog that eats mast on the groūd, but neuer lookes up to the tree from whence it falles. And as Christ reuealed himselfe unto his disciples, at that time whē they caused him to eate meat with thē; so let us suffer Christ to be our guest, and let us entertaine him in his mēbers, & no doubt he wil blesse us, & withal reueal himself unto us. The fourth thing is, that hauing eaten, hee is taken out of their sight. And this came to passe not because the bodie of Christ became spirituall, but because either he helde their eyes as before, or he departed with celeritie and speede according to the propertie of a bodie glorified.

The fourth appearance of Christ was to Peter alone, mentioned onely by S. Paul, He was seene of Cephas.

²⁷The fifth appearance was to all the disciples togither saue Thomas. In it we must consider three things, which are all effectuall arguments to prooue Christes resurrection.²⁸ The first, that hee came and stoode in the middest among them the dores being shut. Now it may be demanded how this could be. Ans. The Papists say, his body was glorified and so passed through the dore, but (as I haue said) it is against the nature of a bodie, that one should passe through another, as heate doeth through a peece of iron, both bodies remaining entire and sound: therefore we may rather thinke, that whereas Christ came in when the dores were shut, it was either because by his mightie power hee caused the dores to giue place, the disciples not knowing how: or else because he altered the verie substance of the dores, that his body might passe through, as hee thickened the waters to carrie his bodie when he walked upon the sea. Now if this be true, as very like it is, that these dumbe creatures gaue place to Christ, and became pliable unto his commandement, then much more ought we to carry hearts cōformable and pliant to the will of our Lord Iesus in all his commaundements. The second point is, that when as the disciples thought Christ to haue bene a spirit, he to prooue the truth of his manhood, sheweth unto them his handes and his feete, and the wound in his side, and calles for meat, and eates it among them. But it may be asked how this could be, cōsidering that a glorified body hath no blemish, and needes not to eate, but is supported by God without meate: if this be true in our bodies when they shal be glorified, then much more was it true in Christ. Ans. True it is, a glorified bodie hath no blemishes, but our Sauiour Christ had not yet entred into the fulnesse of gis glory. If he had bene fully glorified, he could not so sensibly and plainly haue made manifest the trueth of his resurrection vnto his disciples: and therefore for their sakes and ours hee is content after his entrance into glorie still to retaine in his bodie some remnantes of the ignominies and blemishes, which if it had pleased him, hee might haue laide aside: he is also content to eate, not for neede, but to prooue that his body was not a bodie in shew but a true bodie. This teacheth us two lessons: I. If Christ for our good and comfort be content to retaine these ignominious blemishes, then answerably euery one of us must as good followers of Christ referre the workes of our callings to the good of others, as Paul saith, He was free from all men, yet he was content to become all things vnto all men,²⁹ that by all meanes he might winne the moe. Secondly wee learne, that for the good of our neighbour, and for the maintaining of loue and charitie, we must be content to yeelde from our owne right, as in this place our Sauiour Christ yeeldes of his owne glorie for the good of his Church.

The third point is, that hee then gaue the disciples their Apostolicall commissions, saying, Goe and teach all nations: of which three pointes are to be considered: the first, to whome it is giuen. Answ. To them all, as well to one as to another, and not to Peter onely. And this ouerthrowes the fond and forged opinion of the Papists concerning Peters supremacie. If his calling had bene aboue the rest, then hee should haue had a speciall commission aboue the rest: but one and the same commission is giuen alike to all. The second, that with the commission he giues his spirit; for whom hee appointeth to publish his will and worde, them he furnisheth with sufficient giftes of his holy spirit to discharge that great function: and therefore it is a defect that any are set a parte to be ministers of the gospell of Christ, which haue not receiued the spirit of knowledge, the spirit of wisdome, and the spirite of prophesie in some measure. The third point is, that in conferring of his spirit he useth an outwarde signe, for the text saith, He breathed on them, & said, receive the holy ghost. The reasons hereof may be these. First when God created Adam and put into him a liuing soule, it is said, he breathed in his face. And so our Sauiour Christ in giuing unto his disciples the holy ghost, doeth the same, to shewe unto them, that the same person that giueth life giueth grace: and also to signifie unto them that beeing to sende them ouer all the worlde to preach his gospell, he was as it were to make a second creation of man, by renuing the image of God in him which he had lost by the fall of Adam. Againe hee breathed on them in giuing his spirite, to put them in mind that their preaching of the gospell could not be effectuall in the hearts of their hearers, before the Lord doth breath into them his spirit, & therby draw them to beleeue: & therfore the spouse of Christ desireth the Lord to send forth his north and south wind to blowe on her garden,³⁰ that the spices thereof may flow out. This garden is the Church of God, which desireth Christ to comfort her, & to poure out the graces of his spirite on her, that the people of God which are the hearbs and trees of righteousnes, may bring forth sweet spices whose fruite may be for meate and their leaues for medicines.

Thus much for the fiue appearances of Christ the same day he rose againe: Now follow the rest of his appearances which were in the 40 daies following, which are in nūber sixe. The first is mentioned by S. Iohn in these words, Eight daies after when the disciples were within, & Thomas with thē, came Iesus when the dores were shut,³¹ & stood in the midst of thē, & said, Peace be unto you. In it we must consider two things: I. the occasion thereof. II. the dealing of Christ. The occasion was this: after Christ had appeared vnto the other disciples in Thomas his absence, they tolde him that they had seene the Lorde: but he made answere, Except I see in his body the print of his nailes, & put mine hand into his side, I will not beleeve. Now eight dayes after, our Sauiour Christ appeared againe unto all the disciples, especially for the curing of Thomas his unbeliefe, which was no small sinne, considering it containes in it three great sinnes. The first is blindnes of mind, for he had beene a hearer of our Sauiour Christ a long time, and had bene instructed touching resurrection diuers times: he was also with Christ and saw him when he raised Lazarus, and had seene, or at least wise had heard the miracles which he did: and also he had heard all the disciples say that they had seene the Lord, and yet will it not sinke into his head. The second is deadnesse of heart. When our Sauiour Christ went to raise Lazarus that was deade, Thomas spake verie confidently to him and saide, Let vs go, that we may die with him, yet when Christ was crucified he fledde away,³² and is the longest from Christ after his resurrection, and when he is certenly told thereof hee will not acknowledge it or yeeld unto it. The third is, willfulnesse: for when the disciples told him that they had seen the Lord, he said flatly, that unlesse he saw in his hands the print of the nailes, he would not beleeue, and that which is worse then all this, he continueth eight daies in this wilfull minde. Now in this exceeding measure of unbeleefe in Thomas, any man, euen hee that hath the most grace may see what a masse of unbeliefe is in himselfe, and what willfulnesse and untowardnesse to any good thing, in so much that we may truly say with Dauid, Lorde, what is man,³³ that thou so regardest him. And if such measure of unbeliefe was in such men, as the disciples were, then we may assure our selues, that it doth much more exceed in the common professours of religion in these daies, let them protest to the contrarie what they will.

Now the cause of his unbeliefe was this: he makes a law to himselfe that he will see and feele or else he will not beleeue: but this is flat against the nature of faith which consisteth neither in seeing nor feeling. Indeed in things natural a man must first haue experience in seeing and feeling, and then beleeue: but it is contrarie in diuinitie: a man must first haue faith and beleeue, and then comes experience afterward. But Thomas hauing not learned this, doth ouershoote himselfe: and herein also many deceiue themselues, which thinke they haue no faith because they haue no feeling. For the chiefest feeling that we must haue in this life, must be the feeling of our sinnes & the miseries of this life: & though we haue no other feeling at all, yet wee must not therefore cease to beleeue.

In Christs dealing with Thomas we may consider three actions.³⁴ The first, that he speakes to Thomas alone, and answeres him according to the verie wordes which hee had spoken of him in his absence, and that word for word. And by this he laboured to ouerthrow his unbeliefe, and to conuince him, that being absent he knew what he spake. And by this we learne, that though we want the bodily presence of Christ hee beeing now in heauen, yet hee knoweth well what we say, and if need were could repeate all our sayings word by worde: and if it were not so, how could it be true that we must giue an account of euery idle word. Now this must teach us, to looke that our speech be gratious according to the rule of gods holy word. Secondly this must make us willing and cherefull to direct our praiers to Christ, considering hee knoweth what we pray for, and heareth euerie word wee speake. The second action is, that Christ condescends to Thomas and giues him libertie to feele the printe of the nailes, and to put his finger into his side. Hee might haue reiected Thomas for his wilfulnesse, yet to helpe his unbeliefe, he yeeldeth unto his weakenesse. This sheweth, that Christ is most compassionate to all those that unfainedly repent them of their sinnes and cleaue unto him although they do it laden with manifold wants. Dauid saith, that the Lord hath compassion on all them that feare him,³⁵ as a father hath compassion on his children: and he addes the reason, For he knoweth of what we are made. And the Prophet Isai:³⁶ He will not breake the bruised reed, and smoking flax he will not quench. When a child is verie sicke, insomuch that it casteth up all the meate which it taketh, the mother will not be offended thereat but rather pitie it. Now our Sauiour Christ is ten thousande times more mercifull to them that beleeue in him, then any mother is or can be. The third action is, that when Thomas had seene and felte the wounds, Christ revived his faith, whereupon he brake forth and said,³⁷ My Lord and my God. In which wordes he doeth most notably bewaile his blindnesse and unbeliefe: and as a fire that hath bene smothered, so doth his faith burst foorth and shew it selfe. And in this example of Thomas we may see the state of Gods people in this life. First, God giueth them faith, yet afterward for a time he doth as it were, hide the same in some corner of their hearts, so as they haue no feeling thereof, but thinke them selues to be voide of all grace: and this hee doeth for no other end but to humble them: and yet againe after all this, the first grace is further renewed and reuiued. Thus dealt the Lorde with Dauid and Salomon (for whereas he was a pen-man of Scripture, and therefore an holy man of God, wee may not thinke that hee was wholly forsaken) with Peter, and in this place with Thomas. And the experience of this shall euerie seruant of God finde in himselfe.

The second appearance of Christ was to seuen of the disciples as they went on fishing,³⁸ in which hee giues three testimonies of his godheade, and that by death his power was nothing diminished. The first, that when the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing, afterward by his direction they catch fish in abundance, and that presently. This teacheth vs, that Christ is a soueraigne Lorde ouer all creatures, and hath the disposing of them in his owne handes: and that if good successe follow not when men are painefull in their callings, it is because God will prepare and make them fitte for a further blessing. Christ comes in the morning and giues his disciples a great draught of fish: yet before this can be, they must labour all night in vaine. Ioseph must be made ruler ouer all Egypt, but first he must be cast into a dungeon where he can see no sunne nor light, to prepare him to that honour. And Dauid must be king ouer Israell, but the Lorde will first prepare him hereunto by raising up Saul to persecute him. Therefore when God sendeth any hinderances vnto us in our callings, we must not despaire nor be discouraged, for they are the meanes whereby God maketh us fitte to receiue greater blessings at his hand either in this life or in the life to come. The second is, that the nette was unbroke though it had in it great fishes to the number of an hundred fifty three. The third, that when the disciples came to lande they sawe hotte coles and fish laide thereon and bread. Now some may aske, whence was this foode. Answer: The same Lorde that was able to prouide a Whale to swallow up Ionas, and so to saue him: and he that was able to prouide a fish for Peters angle with a piece of twentie pence in the mouth: and to make a little bread and a fewe fishes to feede so many thousands in the wildernesse: the same also doeth of himselfe prouide bread and fishes for his disciples. This teacheth us, that not onely the blessing, but also the verie hauing of meate, drinke, apparell is from Christ: and hereupon all states of men, euen the kings of the earth are taught to pray that God would giue them their daily bread. Againe, when we sit downe to eate and drinke, this must put us in minde that we are the guests of Christ himselfe: our food which wee haue comes of his meere gift; and hee it is that entertaines us if we could see it. And for this cause we must soberly and with great reuerence in feare and trembling use all Gods creatures as in his presence. And when we eate and drinke, wee must alwaies looke that all our speech be such as may beseeme the guestes of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. Vsually the common practise of men is farre otherwise, for in feasting many take libertie to surfette, and to be drunke, to sweare, and to blaspheme: but if wee serue the Lorde, let us remember whose guestes wee are, and who is our entertainer, and so behaue our selues as being in his presence, that all our actions and wordes may tend to his glorie.

The thirde appearance was to Iames, as Saint Paul recordeth,³⁹ although the same be not mentioned in any of the Euangelistes.

The fourth was to all his disciples in a mountaine, whither he had appointed them to come.⁴⁰

The fift and last appearance was in the mount of Olives,⁴¹ when hee ascended into heauen. Of these three last appearances because the holy Ghost hath only mentioned them, I omit to speake, and with the repeating of them I let them passe.

Thus much of the appearances of Christ after his resurrection: the witnesses thereof are of three sortes: I. angels: II. women that came to the graue to embalme him: III. Christs owne disciples who did publish and preach the same againe according as they had seene and heard of our Sauiour Christ: and of these likewise I omit to speake, because there is not any speciall thing mentioned of them by the Evangelistes.

Now follow the uses, which are twofold: some respect Christ, and some respect ourselues. Vses which concerne Christ are three: I. whereas Christ Iesus being starke deade rose againe to life by his owne power, it serueth to prooue unto us, that he was the sonne of God. Thus Paul speaking of Christ saieth, that he was declared mightily to be the sonne of God, touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead.⁴² And by the mouth of Dauid God saide, Thou art my sonne, this day I have begot thee. Which place must be understood not so much of the eternall generation of Christ before all worlds,⁴³ as of the manifestation therof in time after this maner. This day, that is, at the time of thine incarnation, but especially at the day of thy resurrection, have I begotten thee, that is, I haue made manifest that thou art my sonne: so is this place expoūded by S. Paul in the Acts.⁴⁴ Secondly Christs resurrection by his own power prooues unto us euidently, that he is Lord ouerall things that are: & this use S. Paul makes hereof, for saith he, Christ therefore died that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the quicke. And indeed wheras he rose againe thus,⁴⁵ he did hereby shew himselfe most plainely to be a mightie prince ouer the graue, ouer death, hell, & condemnation, in that he had power to ouercome them. Thirdly it proues unto us, that he was a perfit priest, & that his death and passion was a perfit satisfaction to the iustice of God for the sins of mankind. For whereas Christ died, he died for our sins, now if he had not fully satisfied for them all (though there had remained but one sin for which he had made no satisfaction) he had not risen againe: but death which came into the worlde by sinne, and is strengthned by it, woulde haue helde him in bondage: and therefore, whereas hee rose againe, it is more then manifest that he hath made so full a satisfaction so as the merite thereof doth and shall countervaile the iustice of God for all our offences. To this purpose Paul saith, If Christ be not risen againe, your faith is vaine, and you are yet in your sins,⁴⁶ that is, Christ had not satisfied for your sinnes, or at least you could not possibly haue knowen that he had made satisfaction for any of them, if he had not risen againe.

The uses which concerne our selues are of two sortes: comforts to the children of God, and duties that are to be learned and practised of us all. The comforts are especially three: First Christs resurrrection serueth for the iustification of all that beleeue in him, euen before God the father: as Paul saith, Christ was given to death for our sinnes, and is risen againe for our iustification:⁴⁷ which wordes haue this meaning: when Christ died, as we haue shewed before, we must not consider him as a priuate man, but as one that stood in the stead and roome of all the elect: in his death he bare our sinnes and suffered all that we should haue suffered in our own persons for euer, & the guilt of our offences was laid upon him: & therfore Esai saith: he was nūbred among the wicked. Now in his rising againe he freed & disburdened himselfe not from any sinnes of his own, because he was without sin, but from the guilt & punishment of our sins imputed unto him. And hence it comes to passe that all those which put their trust & affiance in the merit of Christ, at the very first instant of their beleeuing haue their owne sins not imputed unto them, & his righteousnes imputed.

Secondly the resurrection of Christ serueth as a notable meanes to worke inward sanctification, as S. Peter saith, We are regenerate to a lively hope by the resurrectiō of Iesus Christ from the dead.⁴⁸ And S. Paul, Wee are then (saith hee) buried with him by baptisme into his death,⁴⁹ that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of his father, so wee also should walke in newnesse of life. For if we be grafted with him to the similitude of his death, wee shall be also to the similitude of his resurrection. Which wordes import thus much, that as Christ by the power of his owne godheade, freed his manhood from death and from the guilt of our sinnes, so doth he free those that are knit unto him by the bond of one spirite, from the corruption of their natures in which they are dead, that they may liue unto God. In the naturall body, the head is the fountaine of all the senses and of motion: and therefore by sundry nerves dispersed through the body, the power of moouing and of sense is deriued euen to the least partes; so as the hands and the feete moue by meanes of that power which comes from the head: and so it is in the spirituall body of Christ, namely the Church: he is the head & the fountain of life, & therfore he cōveieth spirituall life to euery one of his members: and that very power of his godhead whereby he raised up himselfe when he was dead, he conveieth from himselfe to his members, & thereby raiseth them up from the death of sinne to newnesse of life. And looke as in a perfect body, when the head hath sence and motion, the hand that is of the same bodie hath also sense and motion conuenient for it: So likewise Christ beeing the resurrection and the life, as there is spirituall life in him, so euery member of his shall feele in it selfe spirituall sence and motion whereby it is raised up frō sinne and liueth unto God. For the better conceiuing of this, we must consider two things: the outward meanes of this spirituall life; and the measure of it. For the meanes, if we will haue common water we must goe to the well: and if wee would haue water of life, we must goe unto Christ, who saith, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drinke.⁵⁰ Now this well of the water of life is very deepe & we haue nothing to draw with, therefore we must haue our pipes & conduits to convey the same unto us, which are the word of God preached, and the administration of the sacramēts. Christ saith, The dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God,⁵¹ & they that heare it shall live: where, by dead is meant, not the dead in the graue, but those that are dead in sinne. And againe Christ saith,⁵² the wordes which I speake are spirite and life, because the word of God is the pipe whereby he conveieth into our dead hearts spirit and life. As Christ when he raised up dead men did onely speake the word & they were made aliue: and at the day of iudgement at his voice when the trump shall blowe, all that are dead shall rise againe. So it is in the first resurrectiō: they that are dead in their sinnes, at his voice uttered in the ministerie of the worde shall rise againe. To goe further, Christ raised three from the deade. Iairus daughter newly dead: the widowes sonne dead and wound up and lying on the hearse: Lazarus dead and buried & stinking in the graue: and all this he did by his very voice: so also by the preaching of his word, he raiseth all sortes of sinners euen such as haue lien long in their sinnes, as rotting and stinking carrion.

The Sacraments also are the pipes and conduits wherby God conveigheth grace into the heart if they be rightly used, that is, if they be receiued in unfained repentance for all our sinnes, and with a true and liuely faith in Christ for the pardon of the same sinnes: and so, I take it, they are compared to flagons of wine, which reuiue the Church being sicke and fallen into a sownd.⁵³

As for the measure of life derived from Christ, it is but small in this life and giuen by little and little, as Ose saieth, The Lorde hath spoiled vs, and he will heale us, hee hath wounded us and he will bind us up.⁵⁴ After two daies he will revive us, and in the third he will raise us vp, and we shall live in his sight. The Prophet Ezechiel in a vision is caried into the middest of a field, full of dead bones, and hee is caused to Prophesie ouer them, and say, O ye drie bones, heare the worde of the Lord:⁵⁵ and at the first there was a shaking, and the bones came togither bone to bone, and then sinewes and flesh grew upon them, and upon the flesh grewe a skinne. Then he prophesied vnto the windes the second time, and they liued and stood upon their feete, for the breath came upon them, and they were an exceeding great armie of men. Hereby is signified not only the state of the Iewes after their captivitie, but in them the state of the whole Church of God. For these temporall deliverances signified further a spirituall deliuerance. And we may here see most plainely, that God worketh in the heartes of his children the giftes and graces of regeneration by little and little. First he giueth no more then flesh, sinewes, and skin: then after he giueth them further graces of his spirite, which quickeneth them and maketh them aliue unto God.⁵⁶ The same also wee may see in the vision of the waters that ranne out of the Temple: First, a man must wade to the ancles, then after to the knees, and so to the loines: then after the waters growe to a riuer that can not be passed ouer: and so the Lord conueieth his graces by little and little, till at the last men haue a full measure thereof.

Thirdly the resurrection of Christ serueth as an argument to proue unto us our resurrection at the day of iudgement. Paul saieth,⁵⁷ If the spirite of Christ that raised up Iesus from the deade dwell in you: hee that raised Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortall bodies. Some will say, that this is no benefite, for all must rise againe, as well the wicked as the godly. Answer: True indeede: but yet the wicked rise not againe by the same cause that the godly doe. They rise againe by the power of Christ, not as hee is a saviour but as hee is a iudge to condemne them: For God had saide to Adam, that at what time he should eate of the forbidden fruite he should die the death, meaning a double death, both the first and the second death. Nowe then the ungodly rise againe that God may inflict upon them the punishment of the second death, which is the rewarde of sinne, that so Gods iustice may be satisfied: but the godly rise againe by the power of Christ their heade and redeemer, who raiseth them up that they may bee partakers of the benefite of his death, which is to enioy both in bodie and soule the kingdome of heauen, which he harh so dearely bought for them.

Thus much for the comfortes: Now follow the duties, and they are also three. First as Christ Iesus when he was deade rose againe from death to life by his owne power, so we by his grace in imitation of Christ must endeauour our selues to rise up from all our sinnes both originall and actuall vnto newenesse of life. This is worthily set downe by the Apostle, saying, We are buried by baptisme into his death,⁵⁸ that as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the father, so we also should walke in newnesse of life: and therefore we must endeauour our selues to shewe the same power to be in us euery day by rising up from our owne personall sinnes to a reformed life. This ought to be remembred of us, because howsoeuer many heare & know it▪ yet very fewe doe practise the same. For (to speake plainly) as dead men buried would neuer heare though a man shoulde speake neuet so loude: so undoubtedly among us there be also many living men, which are almost in the same case. The ministers of God may cry unto them daily, and iterate the same thing a thousand times, and tell them that they must rise up from their sinnes and lead a new life, but they heare no more then the deade carkasse that lieth in the graue. Indeede men heare with their outward eares, but they are so farre from practising this dutie, that they iudge it to be a matter of reproch and ignominie. And those which make any cōscience of this duty, how they are laden with nicknames & taunts, who knoweth not? I need not to rehearse thē: so odious a thing now a daies is the rising frō sinne to newnes of life. Sound a trumpet in a dead mans eares, he stirres not: and let us crie for amendment of life till breath goe out of our bodies, no man almost saieth, what haue I done. And for this cause undoubtedly if it were not for conscience of that dutie which men owe unto God, we should haue but fewe ministers in England. For it is the ioy of a minister to see his people rise from sinne and to lead a new life: whereas alas men generally lie snurting in their corruptions, and rather goe forwarde in them still, then come to any amendment, such is the woonderfull hardnes & untowardnes that hath possessed the heartes of most men. He which hath but halfe an eie may see this to be true. Oh how exceedes atheisme in all places, contempt of Gods worshippe, profanation of the Sabbath: the whordomes and fornications, the crueltie and oppression of this age, it cryes euen to heauen for vengeance. By these & such like sins the world crucifies Christ againe. For look as Pilates souldiours with the wicked Iewes tooke Christ and stripped him of his garments, buffetted him, and slue him; so doe vngodly men by their wicked behauiour strip him of all honour, and slay him againe. If an infidell should come among vs, and yeelde himselfe to be of our religion, after hee had seene the behauiour of men, hee would peraduenture leaue all religiō: for he might say; surely it seemes this god whome these men worship, is not the true God, but a god of licentious libertie; and that which is more, whereas at all times we ought to shew our selues new creatures, and to walke worthie of our Sauiour and redeemer, and therefore also ought to rise out of our sinnes, and to liue in righteousnes and true holines, yet we for the most part goe on still forward in sinne, and euery day goe deeper then other to hel-ward. This hath beene heretofore the cōmon practise, but let vs now learne after the example of Christ, being quickned and reuiued by his grace, to endeauor our selues especially to come out of the graue of sinne, and learne to make conscience of euery badde action. True it is, a Christian man may vse the creatures of God for his delight, in a moderate and godly manner, but Christ neuer gaue libertie to any to liue licentiously:⁵⁹ for he that is free, is yet seruant vnto Christ, as Paul saith: and therefore we must doe nothing but that which may be a worke of some good dutie vnto God, to which ende the Apostle saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and stand vp from the deade, and Christ shall giue thee life. If this will not mooue vs,⁶⁰ yet let the iudgements of God draw vs hereunto, Blessed is he (saith the holy Ghost) that hath part in the first resurrection:⁶¹ for on such the second death hath no power: where mention is made of a double death: the first is the separation of soule & bodie, the second is the eternall condemnation of soule and bodie in hell fire. Would we now escape the second death after this life? we must then labour in this life to be partakers of the first resurrection, & that on this manner: Looke what sinnes we haue liued in hertofore, we must endeauour to come out of them all, and leade a better life according to all the commandements of God: but if ye will haue no care of your owne soules, goe on hardly, and so ye shall be sure to enter into the second death, which is eternal damnation.

Secondly, we are taught by the example of Saint Paul to labour aboue all things,⁶² to know Christ and the vertue of his resurrection. And this we shall doe when we can say by experience, that our hearts are not content with a formall and drowsie profession of religion, but that wee feele the same power of Christ whereby he raised vp himselfe from death to life, to be effectuall and powerfull in vs, to worke in our hearts a conversion from all our sinnes, wherein we haue lien deade, to newnes of life, with care to liue godly in Christ Iesus. And that we may further attaine to all this, we must come to heare the word of God preached and taught with feare and trembling; hauing heard the word, we must meditate therein, and pray vnto God, not onely publikely but priuately also, intreating him that he would reach forth his hand, and pull vs out of the graue of sinne, wherein we haue lien dead so long. And in so doing the Lord of his mercie, according as he hath promised, will send his spirit of grace into our hearts to worke in vs an inward sense and feeling of the vertue of Christs resurrection. So dealt he with the two disciples that were going to Emmaus; they were occupied in the meditation of Christ his death and passion, and whiles they were in hearing of Christ who conferred with them, he gaue them such a measure of his spirite as made their hearts to burne within them. And Paul praieth for the Ephesians, that God would inlighten their eyes,⁶³ that they might see and feele in themselues the exceeding greatnes of the power of God, which he wrought in Christ Iesus, when he raised him from the dead.

Thirdly, as Saint Paul saith, If we be risen with Christ, then we must seeke the things that are aboue.⁶⁴ But how and by what meanes can we rise with Christ, seeing we did not die with him? Ans. We rise with Christ thus. The burgesse of a town in the parliament house beareth the person of the whole towne, & whatsoeuer he saith, that the whole town saith, & whatsoeuer is done to him, is also done to all the towne: so Christ vpon the crosse stood in our place, & bare our person, & what he suffred, we suffred, & when he died, all the faithfull died in him: and so likewise as he is risen againe, so are all the faithfull risen in him. The consideration whereof doth teach vs, that we must not haue our hearts wedded to this world. We may vse the things of this life, but yet so as though we vsed them not. For all our loue and care must be for things aboue, and specially we must seeke the kingdom of God & his righteousnes, peace of conscience, and ioy in the holy Ghost. We must therefore sue for the pardon of sinne, for reconciliation to God in Christ, & for sanctification. These are the pretious pearles which we must seeke, and when we haue found them, we must sell all that we haue to buie them, & hauing bought them, we must lay them vp in the secret corners of our hearts, valuing and esteeming of them as better then all things in the world beside.

Footnotes

1. Olev. lib. de subst. faed. Th. Bez. ↩

2. Eph. 2.6. ↩

3. Ioh. 10.18. ↩

4. Math. 28.2. ↩

5. Gen. 19.1, 13. Ezec. 12.29. 2. King. 19.35▪ ↩

6. Math. 4.11. ↩

7. Mat. 27.52. ↩

8. Col. 1.18. ↩

9. 1. Cor. 15.20.
   ↩

10. Mat. 12.39. ↩

11. His abode in the graue was about 38. houres. ↩

12. Matt. 28.1. ↩

13. Hierome. ↩

14. Apoc. 1.10. ↩

15. Rom. 4.25. ↩

16. 1. Cor. 15.14.
    ↩

17. Mark. 16.9. ↩

18. 2. Cor. 5.19.
    ↩

19. Mat. 28.9. ↩

20. Mar. 16.7. ↩

21. 2. Kin. 5.13.
    ↩

22. Luk. 24.11. ↩

23. Psal. 126.1. ↩

24. Luk. 23.13. ↩

25. Luk. 3.15. ↩

26. Mat. 3.15. ↩

27. 1. Cor. 15.5.
    ↩

28. Ioh. 20.19. ↩

29. 1. Cor. 9.19.
    ↩

30. Cant. 4.16. ↩

31. Ioh. 20.16. ↩

32. Ioh. 11. ↩

33. Psal. 8. ↩

34. Ioh. 20.27. ↩

35. Ps. 103.13. ↩

36. Isai. 42.3. ↩

37. Ioh. 20.28. ↩

38. Iohn. 21. ↩

39. 1. Cor. 15.7.
    ↩

40. Mat. 28.16. ↩

41. Actes. 5. ↩

42. Rom. 1.4. ↩

43. Psal. 2.7. ↩

44. Act. 13.32, 33. ↩

45. Rom. 14.9. ↩

46. 1. Cor. 15.6.
    ↩

47. Rom. 4.25. ↩

48. 1. Pet. 1.3.
    ↩

49. Rom. 6.3. ↩

50. Ioh. 7.37. ↩

51. Ioh. 5.25. ↩

52. Ioh. 6.63. ↩

53. Cant. 2.4. ↩

54. Ose. 6.1, 2. ↩

55. Eze. 37.4, 7, 8. ↩

56. Ezec. 47.3, 4, 5. ↩

57. Rom. 8.11. ↩

58. Rom. 6.4. ↩

59. 1. Cor. 7.22.
    ↩

60. Eph. 5.14. ↩

61. Rev. 20.6. ↩

62. Phil. 3.10. ↩

63. Eph. 1.19. ↩

64. Col. 3.1. ↩