The Handmaid to Private Devotion, Feast 16
THE FEAST OF OVR LORD'S RESVRRECTION, OR, Easter-dayes Deuotion.
The ground of this Feast
In the old Testamēt
Prophecies.
Types.
In the new, the History of our Lords rising from the dead.
PARALELL.
Prophecie.
Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell or (graue) nor suffer thine holy One to see corruption, Psal. 16. 11.
He spake of the Resurrection of Christ, that his soule should not be left in graue, neither his flesh see corruption, Acts 2. 31.
Historie.
The Angel said to the women Feare yee not, for I know that yee seeke Iesus that was crucified. Mat. 28. 5.
He is not here for he is risen, as hee said come see the place where the Lord lay. verse 6.
Thy dead men shall liue: with my body shall they rise:The Prophet speaketh in the person of Christ. Awake & sing yee that dwell in dust, for thy dew is the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out her dead. Isa. 26. 19.
And the graus did open thē selues, and many bodies of the Saints which slept, arose. Mat. 27▪ 52.
And came out of their graues after his resurrection, & went into the holy City, and appeared to many. v. 53.
O death I wil be thy death: ô graue I wil bee thy destruction. Hos. 13. 14.
Christ being raised from the dead, dyeth no more; death hath no more dominion ouer him. Rom. 6. 9.
Death is swallowed vp into victorie. 1. Cor. 11. 14.
O Death, where is thy sting? O graue, where is thy victorie? ver. 55.
Type.
And the Priest shall shake the sheafe of the first fruites before the Lord, that it may be acceptable to you the morrowe after the Sabbath, Leu. 23. 11.
Accomplishment.
Now in the end of the Sabboth, when the first day of the week began to dawn, MARY MAGDALEN came to see the Sepulcher Mat. 28.
And behold there was a great Earth-quake: for the Angell of the Lord descended from heauen, and came and rolled away the stone from the dore and sate vponupon it, &c. ver. 2.
He is not here, for hee is risen, &c. 6.
Christ is risen from the dead, the first fruites of them that sleepe, 1. Cor. 11. 20.
The first fruits is Christ, ver. 23.
And Ionah was in the belly of the Fish three dayes and three nights, Ion. 1. 17.
The Sonne of man, three daies & three nights in the heart of the earth; Mat. 12. 4.
The third day, God spake vntounto the Fish, & it cast out Ionah on the drye land. Ion: 2. 10.
Destroy this temple, and in three dayes I will reare it vp againe. Ioh. 2. 19.
Hee spake of the temple of his bodie; ver. 21.
As soone as he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembred, and belieued the Scriptures, and the word which he spake vntounto them. ver. 22.
For thine instruction meditate on the
Prophecie.
Types.
Storie.
of Christ's resurrection
For thy comfort apply to thy selfe the benefit thereof.
For thy correction examine thy spiritual resurrection from dead workes.
Quicken
Thy faith by the Hymne.
Thy repentance by the exhortation.
Thy Zeale and Deuotion by the prayer ensuing.
An Hymne for Easter day.
OPen mee the gates of righteousnesse, that I may goe into them, and giuegive thankes vntounto the Lord. Psal. 119. 19.
This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter into it. verse 20.
I will thanke thee, for thou hast heard me, and art become my saluation. verse 21.
Thou wilt shew me the paths of life, in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy: and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore. Psal. 16. 11.
The same stone which the builders refused, is become the head Stone in the corner. v. 22
This is the Lord's doing, and it is maruellous in our eyes. v. 23
This is the day which the Lord hath made; wee will reioyce and be glad in it. ver. 24.
Why doe the heathen rage continually, and the people imagin a vaine thing. Psal. 2. 1.
Then shall hee speake vntounto them in his wrath, and vexe them in his sore displeasure saying,
Euen I hauehave set my king vponupon Zion mine holy Mountaine. verse 5. 6.
The Lord vponupon thy right hand shall wound euen kings in the day of his wrath. Ps. 110. 5.
Hee shall iudge among the heathen; hee shall fill their places with the dead bodies, and smite in sunder heads ouer diuers countries. verse 6.
He shall drinke of the brooke in the way, therefore shall hee lift vp his head. verse 7:
Be wise now therefore ô yee kings; bee learned yee that are iudges of the earth. Ps. 2. 10.
Serue the Lord with feare; and reioyce vntounto him with reuerence. verse 11.
Kisse the sonne least hee bee angry, and so ye perish from the right way: if his wrath bee kindled, yea but a little, blessed are all they that put their trust in him. verse 12.
THE ADMONITION for Easter-day.
THE ANALYSIS.
Wee must pray and striue for repentāce from dead workes and newnes of life because
a 1. It is God's commandement.
b 2. It is the Saint's practise.
c 3. It is the euidence of our new-birth.
d 4. It is the end of our resurrection.
e 5. It is the end of our redemption.
f 6. It obtaineth remission of sinnes.
g 7. It auoideth GOD'S temporall iudgements.
h 8. It is the onelyonly means to shun eternal death.
i 9. It maketh vsus blessed euen in this life.
THE TEXTS.
a CAst off concerning the conuersation in times past that old man which is corrupt through deceaueable lusts. Eph. 4. 24.
And be renewed in the spirit of your mindes. verse 23.
And put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse ver. 24.
b Yee hauehave put of the old man with his workes. Colos. 3 9.
And hauehave put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge, after the Image of him that created him. verse 10.
c Being borne anew, not of mortall seede, but of immortall 1 Pet. 12. 2.
As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word, that ye may grow thereby. 1 Pet. 2. 2.
New wine must bee put into new bottells. Mat. 9. 17.
d As Christ was raised from the dead to the glory of the father: So also wee should walke in newnesse of life. Rom. 6. 4.
e We are deliuered from the Law being dead to it, wherewith we were holden that wee should serue in newnesse of spirit. Rom. 7. 6.
Purge out the old leuen, that ye may be a new lumpe. 1 Cor. 5. 7
If any man be in Christ let him bee a new creature. Old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. 1 Cor. 5. 17.
In Christ neither circumcision auaileth any thing, nor vncircumcision, but a new creature. Gal. 6. 15.
According to his mercy hee hath saued vsus, by the washing of the new birth, and renewing of the holy Ghost. Tit. 3. 5.
f Returne and liue. Eze. 19.
Cease to doe euill, learne to do well, &c. Isa. 1. 16.
Though your sinnes were as crimson they shall bee made white as snow. verse 18.
g Vnlesse yee repent, yee shall all likewise perish. Luke 12. 3.
h Repent and doe the first workes. Reu. 2. 5. Repentance vntounto life. Acts 11. 18.
i Blessed is he that hath part in the first resurrection, for the second death shall hauehave no power ouer him. Reu. 10. 5.
A Prayer for Easter-day.
GLorious Sonne of righteousnesse who this morning didst preuent the dawning of the day, by sending forth the beames of thy glorified body out of the pit… of darknesse and A shadow of death, shine vponupon my soule by the light of thy grace. Inlighten my darke apprehension of the misteries of thy resurrection: Inflame my cold affections and reuiue my heart euen deaded with pensiue thoughts vponupon thy bitter passion. O how did the surest ground of faith shake the fastest Anker of hope, loosen' at the earthquake at thy death? what smiting together of knees, what wringing of hands, what knocking of brests, what fainting of hearts, what hanging downe of heads, were there at giuing vp of the Ghost when thy head hung downe on the Crosse? with thee the faith, with thee the hope, with thee the ioy, with thee the life of thy dearest Disciples expired. What should or could the prisoners of death euer expect, when they saw him, whom they thought to hauehave bin their redeemer, the Lord of life arrested by death, and kept close prisoner in the graue so long? O death how sharpe was then thy sting? O graue how fearefull was thy seeming victory? But blessed bee the angell which remoued the stone, and thereby made way that the stone which the builders refused might be preferred to bee the head stone in the corner. Blessed be the right hand of thy Father, who in raising thee out of the graue, raised our hope out of the dust. For where is our hope? Our hope is euen in thee ô Christ, and thy resurrection. Thou art the life and the resurrection of all that belieue in thee. Death (like a Hornet) by stinging thee hath lost his sting, and now may make a buzzing noise to affright me; but can thrust out no sting to hurt mee. The graue by thy lying in it is turned to a bedde, and a withdrawing roome to retire my selfe a while, to put off this ragged flesh, and attire my selfe with robes of glory. Now I dare insult ouer death and hell, since thy triumph ouer them. O death where is thy sting? O graue where is thy victory? O my soule where is all thy comfort? If in this life, thou art most miserable; if thy life bee hid with Christ in God, then when Christ which is thy life shall appeare, thou shalt also appeare in glory. What though I mourne here? I shall be comforted. What though I fast here? I shall bee satisfied. What though I am disgraced here? I shall bee glorified. What though I am here trampled vnderunder feete? I shall there be crowned. What though my flesh be eaten with wormes, and these wormes turned into dust, and that dust blowed by the winde ouer the face of the earth? Yet after thou turnedst man to destruction; againe thou sayest: Come againe yee children of men, I know thou my Redeemer liuest, and shall stand vp at the last day, and I shall see them in my flesh with these eyes, and no other. Lord establish this beliefe in me: beate downe all the forts that naturall reason reareth against it. Grant that I may eueryevery day more and more feele as the power of thy birth in my regeneration, and of thy death in my mortification; so also of thy resurrection in my rising from the death of sinne to the life of Grace. Lord thou restoredst life to three men: to one in his bed, to another on the beare, to the third in the graue. They who conceiue sinne in their hearts, are like him that was dead in his bed; they who bring it forth into action, are like him that was brought forth dead on his beare; but they that continue in sinne and all impurity and putrifie in the custome thereof, are like him that was foure dayes dead and stanke in the graue. Such a one, or worse am I; for I hauehave layen not foure dayes, but scores of yeeres in this loathsome graue, and am euen deuoured of the worme of conscience. Yet Lord this day of thy glorious resurrection, say vntounto mee as thou didst to him, Come forth, awake thou that sleepest, and stand vp from the dead, and I will giuegive thee light. Make this day of thy resurrection from the death of nature, the day of my rising from the death of sinne and corruption first to the life of grace, and after to the life of glory Amen.