Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, resurrection · Commentary 3
Doctrine and fruite.
LOne is not idle, but diligent & zealous: which thing may well bee perceiued in theſe women, that ran againe to the ſepulchre, although they had found it empty afore. Gladly would they hauehave found the body, and done reuerence to their Lorde, whom they loued. This feruent zeale of the women confoundeth our coldnes & vnmercifulnes towards the poore. Oft times do they ſeeke him that is abſent, and that with great diligence: wee receiue him not, when (in the poore) he commeth vntounto vsus. No trauel, labour, nor coſt greeueth them: as for vsus, we pitie our ſubſtance, when wee ſhoulde diſtribute to the poore which are Chriſts. O that we could rightly conſider, how pretious a treaſure we gather vntounto our ſelues in heauen, when we giuegive of our goods into the hands of the poore, lending the ſame vntounto Chriſt! Then ſhould not wee garniſh and build timber and ſtone, but the liuing temples of God, keeping them from wind and raine, and from decay: namely, that they ſuffer no extreme pouertie, nor be deſtitute of helpe. Such a treaſure had Tabitha laid vp in ſtore,Acts 9. for when ſhe died, it was not ſtones and ſtockes that commended her benefits, but the bodies of the widows, they lamented her death, and declared how mercifull ſhe had beene.
Chriſt openeth and ſheweth himſelfe vntounto thoſe that earneſtly ſeeke him, and thoſe hee ſuffereth to touch him: to the intent that foraſmuch as they muſt declare his reſurrection to the Apoſtles, their weake faith muſt be ſtrengthned, to know and to be aſſured that hee was verily riſen againe. For not onelyonly the Angell, but Chriſt alſo himſelfe commandeth them ſo to do. He comforteth them, and taketh from them the fearfulnes and ſorrowe. Thus wee ought not to doubt, he ſhall in all aduerſitie and trouble meete vsus, he ſhall chearfully appeare vntounto vsus, and with his ioyfull preſence and reſurrection ſhall hee comfort and preſerue vsus.
But we lacke an earneſt and ſtrong faith: our harts are ſlow and cold: Diligent we be in ſeeking of temporall things, but godly things wee either deſpiſe or neglect. LoueLove hath no reſt, ſhe ceaſeth not to runne and ſeeke, till ſhe finde him whome ſhee loueth, and when ſhe findeth him, ſhe holdeth him faſt, that ſhee looſe him not againe: glad is ſhe alſo, to make others pertakers of the treaſure that ſhe hath found.
O God, kindle our colde heartes with the fire of faith and louelove, that we may earneſtly ſeeke thee: and that when we hauehave found thee, we may feruently receiue and keepe thee, and with a right ſpirit worſhip thee. Expell all hardnes and vngentlenes out of our hearts: make vsus louing and mercifull vntounto the poore ones. Take from vsus the terrour of all vndoubtfulnes, vnbeleefe, and feare of the world, and comfort vsus in all aduerſitie. Graunt vsus the faith of thy reſurrection, that we deſpiſing all tranſitory things, may ſet all our comfort and hope in the bleſſed reſurrection to come, Amen.
Heere alſo we learne, how exceeding weake and ignorant our fleſh is, to receiue and beleeue the truth … it of God giuegive not light and ſtrength. For a… … of the Apoſtles were illuminated and … the holy ghoſt, they eſteemed the truth … Reſurrection (opened vntounto them by the women) to be a fooliſh and fained thing. Neuertheleſſe Chriſt forſaketh not thoſe whom hee hath once imbraced, but ſtill openeth himſelfe vntounto them more and more, to expell out of them all dubitation & vnbeleefe.
ANd behold, two of them went that ſame day to a town called Emaus,Luk. 24. which was from Hieruſalem about a threeſcore furlongs, & they talked together of all theſe things that had happened. And it chaunced, that while they communed together and reaſoned, Ieſus himſelf drew neare and went with them: but their eies were holden, that they ſhould not know him. And he ſaide vntounto them: What manner of communications are theſe, that ye hauehave one to another as ye walke, and are ſad? And the one of them (whoſe name was Cleophas) anſwered and ſaid vntounto him: Art thou onelyonly a ſtraunger in Hieruſalem, & haſt not knowne the things which hauehave chanced there in theſe dais? He ſaid vntounto them; What things? And they ſaid vntounto him: Of Ieſus of Nazareth, which was a Prophet, mightie in deed and word before God & all the people, & how the high Priests & our rulers deliuered him to be condemned vntounto death, & hauehave crucified him. But we truſted, that it had been he which ſhuld hauehave redeemed Iſrael. And as touching all theſe thinges, to day is euen the third day that they were done. Yea and certain women alſo of our companie made vsus astonied, which came earlie to the ſepulchrt, and found not his bodie, and came ſaying: that they had ſeen a viſion of Angels, … that he was aliue. And certaine of them that … went to the ſepulchre, and found it euen ſo as the … ſaid, but him they ſaw not.