Eighty Sermons, Easter · Sermon 25
SERMON XXV. Preached at S. Pauls, upon Eaſter-day. 1630.
MAT. 28.6.
He is not here, for he is riſen, as he ſaid; Come, See the place where the Lord lay.
THeſe are words ſpoken by an Angel of heaven, to certain devout Women, who, not yet conſidering the Reſurrection of Chriſt, came with a pious intention to do an office of reſpect, and civill honour to the body of their Maſter, which they meant to embalme in the Monument where they thought to finde it. How great a compaſſe God went in this act of the Reſurrection? Here was God, the God of life, dead in a grave, And here was man, a dead man, riſen out of the grave; Here are Angels of heaven imployed in ſo low an office, as to catechize Women, and Women imployed in ſo high an office, as to catechize the Apoſtles. I choſe this verſe out of the body of the Story of the Reſurrection, becauſe in this verſe the act of Chriſts riſing, (which we celebrate this day) is expreſly mentioned, Surrexit enim, for he is riſen: Which word ſtands as a Candle, that ſhews it ſelf, and all about it, and will miniſter occaſion of illuſtrating your underſtanding, of eſtabliſhing your faith, of exalting your devotion in ſome other things about the Reſurrection, then fall literally within the words of this verſe. For, from this verſe we muſt neceſſarily reflect, both upon the perſons (they to whom, and they by whom the words were ſpoken) and upon the occaſion given. I ſhall not therefore now ſtand to divide the words into their parts and branches, at my firſt entring into them, but handle them, as I ſhall meet them again anon, ſpringing out, and growing up from the body of the Story; for the Context is our Text, and the whole Reſurrection is the work of the day, though it be virtually, implicitely contracted into this verſe, He is not here, for he is riſen, as he ſaid; Come, and ſee the place where the Lord lay.
Our firſt conſideration is upon the perſons;Mulieres. and thoſe we finde to be Angelicall women, and Euangelicall Angels: Angels made Euangeliſts, to preach the Goſpell of the Reſurrection,Mal. 3.1. Apoc. 1.20. and Women made Angels, (ſo as Iohn Baptiſt is called an Angel, and ſo as the ſeven Biſhops are called Angels) that is, Inſtructers of the Church; And to recompence that obſervation, that never good Angel appeared in the likeneſſe of woman, here are good women made Angels, that is, Meſſengers, publiſhers of the greateſt myſteries of our Religion. For, howſoever ſome men out of a petulancy and wantonneſſe of wit, and out of the extravagancy of Paradoxes, and ſuch ſingularities, have called the faculties, and abilities of women in queſtion, even in the roote thereof, in the reaſonable and immortall ſoul, yet that one thing alone hath been enough to create a doubt, (almoſt an aſſurance in the negative) whether S. Ambroſes Commentaries upon the Epiſtles of S. Paul, be truly his or no, that in that book there is a doubt made, whether the woman were created according to Gods Image; Therefore, becauſe that doubt is made in that book, the book it ſelf is ſuſpected not to have had ſo great, ſo grave, ſo conſtant an author as S. Ambroſe was; No author of gravity, of piety, of converſation in the Scriptures could admit that doubt, whether woman were created in the Image of God, that is, in poſſeſſion of a reaſonable and an immortall ſoul.
The faculties and abilities of the ſoul appeare beſt in affaires of State, and in Eccleſiaſticall affaires; in matter of government, and in matter of religion; and in neither of theſe are we without examples of able women. For, for State affaires, and matter of government, our age hath given us ſuch a Queen, as ſcarce any former King hath equalled; And in the Venetian Story, I remember, that certain Matrons of that City were ſent by Commiſſion, in quality of Ambaſſadours, to an Empreſſe with whom that State had occaſion to treate; And in the Stories of the Eaſtern parts of the World, it is ſaid to be in ordinary practiſe to ſend women for Ambaſſadours. And then, in matters of Religion, women have evermore had a great hand, though ſometimes on the left, as well as on the right hand. Sometimes their abundant wealth, ſometimes their perſonall affections to ſome Church-men, ſometimes their irregular and indiſcreet zeale hath made them great aſſiſtants of great Heretiques; as S. Hierome tels us of Helena to Simon Magus, Hieror.and ſo was Lucilia to Donatus, ſo another to Mahomet, and others to others. But ſo have they been alſo great inſtruments for the advancing of true Religion, as S. Paul teſtifies in their behalf, at Theſſolonica, Of the chiefe women, not a few; Great, and Many. For,Acts 17.4. many times women have the proxies of greater perſons then themſelves, in their boſomes; many times women have voices, where they ſhould have none; many times the voices of great men, in the greateſt of Civill, or Eccleſiaſticall Aſſemblies, have been in the power and diſpoſition of women.
Hence is it, that in the old Epiſtles of the Biſhops of Rome, when they needed the Court, (as, at firſt they needed Courts as much, as they brought Courts to need them at laſt) we finde as many letters of thoſe Popes to the Emperours Wives, and the Emperours Mothers, and Siſters, and women of other names, and intereſts in the Emperours favours and affections, as to the Emperours themſelves. S. Hierome writ many letters to divers holy Ladies; for the moſt part, all of one ſtocke and kindred; and a ſtock and kindred ſo religious, as that I remember, the good old man ſaies, That if Iupiter were their Couſin, of their kindred, he beleeves Iupiter would be a Chriſtian; he would leave being ſuch a God as he was, to be their fellow-ſervant to the true God.
Now if women were brought up according to S. Hieromes inſtructions in thoſe letters, that by ſeaven yeares of age, they ſhould be able to ſay the Pſalmes without book; That as they grew in yeares, they ſhould proceed in the knowledge of Scriptures, That they ſhould love the Service of God at Church, but not ſine Matre, not goe to Church when they would, but when their Mother could goe with them, Nec quaererent celebritatem Eccleſiarum, They ſhould not alwaies goe to the greateſt Churches, and where the moſt famous Preachers drew moſt company; If women have ſubmitted themſelves to as good an education as men, God forbid their ſexe ſhould prejudice them, for being examples to others. Their ſexe? no, nor their ſins neither: for, it is S. Hieromes note, That of all thoſe women, that are named in Chriſts pedegree in the Goſpell, there is not one, (his onelyonly Bleſſed Virgin-Mother excepted) upon whom there is not ſome ſuſpitious note of incontinency. Of ſuch women did Chriſt vouchſafe to come; He came of woman ſo, as that he came of nothing but woman; of woman, and not of man. Neither doe we reade of any woman in the Goſpel, that aſſiſted the perſecutors of Chriſt, or furthered his afflictions; Even Pilats wife diſſwaded it. Woman, as well as man, was made after the Image of God, in the Creation; and in the Reſurrection, when we ſhall riſe ſuch as we were here, her ſexe ſhall not diminiſh her glory: Of which, ſhe receives one faire beame, and inchoation in this Text, that the purpoſe of God, is, even by the miniſtery of Angel s, communicated to women. But what women? for, their preparation, their diſpoſition is in this Text too; ſuch women, as were not only devout, but ſedulous, diligent, conſtant, perſeverant in their devotion; To ſuch women God communicated himſelf; which is another Conſideration in theſe perſons.
As our Saviour Chriſt was pleaſed, that one of theſe women ſhould be celebrated by name, for another act upon him, Mary Magdalen, Maria.and that whereſoever his Goſpell was preached, her act ſhould be remembred, ſo the reſt, with her, are worthy to be known and celebrated by their names; Therfore we conſider, Quae, and quales; firſt who they were, and then what they were; their names firſt, and then their conditions.Bodin de repub. l. 6. c. 4. There is an Hiſtoricall relation, and obſervation, That though there be divers Kingdomes in Europe, in which the Crowns may fall upon women, yet, for ſome ages, they did not, and when they did, it was much at one time, and all upon women of one name, Mary. It was ſo with us in England, and in Scotland it was ſo; ſo in Denmark, and in Hungary it was ſo too; all foure, Maries. Though regularly women ſhould not preach, yet when theſe Legati à latere, theſe Angels from heaven did give Orders to women, and made them Apoſtles to the Apoſtles, the Commiſſion was to women of that name, Mary; for, though our Expoſitors diſpute whether the Bleſſed Virgin Mary were there then, when this paſſed at the Sepulchre, yet of Mary Magdalen, and Mary the Mother of Iames, there can be no doubt. Indeed it is a Noble, and a Comprehenſive name, Mary. It is the name of woman, in generall;Gen. 2.23. For, when Adam ſayes of Eve, She ſhall be called Woman, in the Arabique Tranſlation, there is this name, She ſhall be called Mary; and the Arabique is, perchance, a dialect of the Hebrew. But in pure, and Originall Hebrew, the word ſignifies Exaltation, and whatſoever is beſt in the kinde thereof. This is the name of that ſiſter of Aaron, Exod. 15.20.and Moſes, that with her Quire of women aſſiſted at that Euchariſticall ſacrifice, that Triumphant ſong of Thankſgiving, upon the deſtruction, the ſubverſion, the ſubmerſion of Aegypt, in the Red Sea. Her name was Miriam; and Miriam and Mary is the ſame name in women, as Ioſuah and Ieſus is the ſame name to men. The word denotes Greatneſſe, not only in Power, but in Wiſdome, and Learning too; and ſo ſignifies often Prophets, and Doctors; and ſo falls fitlieſt upon theſe bleſſed women, who, in that ſenſe, were all made Maries, Meſſengers, Apoſtles to the Apoſtles; in which ſenſe, even thoſe women were made Maries, (that is, Meſſengers of the Reſurrection) who, no doubt, had other names of their own. There was amongſt them, the wife of Chuſa, a great man in Herods Court,Luke 8.3. & 24.10. his Steward; and her name was Ioanna, Ioane. So that here was truly a Pope Ioane, a woman of that name, above the greateſt men in the Church. For the dignity of the Papacy, they venture to ſay, that whoſoever was S. Peters Succeſſor in the Biſhoprick of Rome, was above any of the Apoſtles, that over-lived Peter; as S. Iohn did; Here was a woman, a Pope Ioane, Superiour to S. Peter himſelf, and able to teach him. But though we found juſt reaſon to celebrate theſe women by name, we meant not to ſtay upon that circumſtance; we ſhut it up with this prayer, That that bleſſing which God gave to theſe Maries, which was, to know more of Chriſt, then their former teachers knew, he will alſo be pleaſed to give to the greateſt of that name amongſt us, That ſhe may know more of Chriſt, then her firſt teachers knew. And we paſſe on, from the Names, to the Conditions of theſe women.
And firſt we conſider their ſedulity; ſedulity, that admits no intermiſſion, no interruption, no diſcontinuance,Saeduls. no tepidity, no indifferency in religious offices. Conſider we therefore their ſedulity if we can. I ſay, if we can; becauſe if a man ſhould ſit down at a Bee-hive, or at an Ant-hill, and determine to watch ſuch an Ant, or ſuch a Bee, in the working thereof, he would finde that Bee, or that Ant ſo ſedulous, ſo ſerious, ſo various, ſo concurrent with others, ſo contributary to others, as that he would quickly loſe his marks, and his ſight of that Ant, or that Bee; So if we fixe our conſideration upon theſe devout women, and the ſedulity of their devotion, ſo as the ſeverall Euangeliſts preſent it unto us, we may eaſily loſe our ſight, and hardly know which was which, or, at what time ſhe or ſhe came to the Sepulchre. They came in the end of the Sabbath, as it begun to dawne, Mat. 28.1.towards the firſt day of the week, ſayes S. Mathew; They came very early in the morning, upon the firſt day of the week, Mark 16.1. Luke 24.1. John 20.1.the Sun being then riſen, ſayes S. Mark; They prepared their Spices, and reſted the Sabbath, and came early the next day, ſayes S. Luke; They came the firſt day, when it was yet dark, ſayes S. Iohn. From Friday Evening, till Sunday morning they were ſedulous,Ath…naſ. buſie upon this ſervice; ſo ſedulous, as that Athanaſius thinks theſe women came foure ſeverall times to the Sepulchre, and that the foure Euangeliſts have relation to their foure commings;Hierome. and S. Hierome argues upon this ſeeming variety in the Euangeliſts, thus, Non mendacii ſignum, ſed ſedulae viſitationis officium, This variety argues no uncertainty in the Euangeliſts, but teſtifies the ſedulity of thoſe women they ſpeak of; Dum crebrò abeunt & recurrunt, ſayes he, whilſt they make many acceſſes, and returnes, Nec patiuntur à Sepulchro diu, aut longiùs abeſſe, and cannot indure to be farre diſtant, or long abſent from their devout exerciſe.
Beloved, true devotion is a ſerious, a ſedulous, an impatient thing. He that ſaid in the Goſpell,Luke 18.11. I faſt twice a week, was but a Phariſee; He that can reckon his devout actions, is no better; He that can tell how often he hath thought upon God to day, hath not thought upon him often enough. It is S. Auguſtines holy Circle, to pray, that we may heare Sermons profitably, and to heare Sermons that we learn to pray acceptably. Devotion is no Marginall note, no interlineary gloſſe, no Parentheſis that may be left out; It is no occaſionall thing, no conditionall thing; I will goe, if I like the Preacher, if the place, if the company, if the weather; but it is of the body of the Text, and layes upon us an Obligation of fervour and of continuance. This we have in this example of theſe, not only Euangelicall, but Euangeliſticall (preaching) women; And thus much more, that as they were ſedulous and diligent after, ſo they were early, and begun betimes; for, howſoever the Euangeliſts may ſeeme to vary, in the point of time, when they came, they all agree they came early, which is another exaltation of Devotion.
They were women of quality, and meanes. They came with Chriſt from Galilee,Mant. and they came upon their owne charges; and more then ſo; for, ſaies the text,Luke 8.3. They miniſtred to Chriſt of their ſubſtance. Women of quality may be up and ready early enough for Gods ſervice, if they will. If they be not, let them but ſeriouſly aske themſelves that queſtion, whether upon no other occaſion, no entertainment, no viſit, no letter to or from another, they could have made more haſte; And if they finde they could, I muſt ſay in that caſe, as Tertullian ſaid, They have put God and that man into the balance, and waighed them together, and found God too light. That Mighty, that waighty, that ponderous God, that blaſts a State with a breath, that melts a Church with a looke, that molders a world with a touch, that God is waighed downe with that man; That man, whoſe errand, if it be but converſation, is vanity, but, if it be ſin, is nothing, waighs downe God. The world will needs thinke one of theſe Maries, (Magdalen) to have been guilty of ſuch entertainments as theſe, of Incontinency, and of that in the loweſt (that is, the higheſt) kinde, Proſtitution; perchance ſhe was; But, I would there were that neceſſity of thinking ſo, that becauſe ſhe was a Woman, and is called a ſinner, therefore that muſt be her ſin, as though they were capable of no other ſin; Alas, it is not ſo. There may be women, whom even another ſin, the ſin of Pride, and over-valuation of themſelves may have kept from that ſin, and yet may well be called ſinners too; There may be found women, whom only their ſcorne of others, hath kept honeſt, and yet are ſinners, though not in that ſin. But yet, even this woman; Mary Magdalen, be her ſin what you will, came early to Chriſt; early, as ſoone as he afforded her any light. Chriſt ſaies, in the perſon of Wiſdome, I love them that love me, and they that ſeeke me early, Prov. 8.17.ſhall finde me; And a good ſoule will eccho back that returne of David, O God, thou art my God, Pſal. 63.1.early will I ſeeke thee; my ſoule thirſteth for thee, my fleſh longeth for thee; and double that eccho with Eſay, With my ſoule have I deſired thee in the night, with my ſpirit with in me, Eſay 26.9.will I ſeeke thee early.
Now, what is this early ſeeking of God. Firſt, there is a generall rule given by Salomon, Eccleſ. 12.1.Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth; ſubmit thy ſelfe to a religious diſcipline betimes. But then, in that there is a Now inſerted into that rule of Solomons, (Remember Now thy Creator, in the dayes of thy youth,) there is an intimation, that there is a youth in our age, and an earlineſſe acceptable to God, in every action; we ſeeke him early, if we ſeeke him at the beginning of every undertaking. If I awake at midnight, and embrace God in mine armes, that is, receive God into my thoughts, and purſue thoſe meditations, by ſuch a having had God in my company, I may have fruſtrated many tentations that would have attempted me, and perchance prevailed upon me, if I had beene alone, for ſolitude is one of the devils ſcenes; and, I am afraid there are perſons that ſin oftner alone, then in company; but that man is not alone that hath God in his ſight, in his thought. Thou preventedſt me with the bleſsings of goodneſſe, ſaies David to God.Pſal. 21.3. I come not early enough to God, if I ſtay till his bleſſings in a proſperous fortune prevent me, and lead me to God; I ſhould come before that. The dayes of affliction have prevented me, Iob 30.27.ſaies Iob. I come not early enough to God, if I ſtay till his Judgements prevent me, and whip me to him; I ſhould come before that. But, if I prevent the night watches, Pſal. 119.147.and the dawning of the morning, If in the morning my prayer prevent thee O God, Pſal. 88.13.(which is a high expreſſion of Davids, That I ſhould wake before God wakes, and even prevent his preventing grace, before it be declared in any outward act, that day) If before bleſſing or croſſe fall upon me, I ſurrender my ſelfe intirely unto thee, and ſay, Lord here I lye, make thou theſe ſheets my ſheets of penance, in inflicting a long ſickneſſe, or my winding ſheete, in delivering me over to preſent death, Here I lye, make thou this bed mine Altar, and binde me to it in the cords of decrepitneſſe, and bedridneſſe, or throw me off of it into the grave and duſt of expectation, Here I lye, doe thou chooſe whether I ſhall ſee any to morrow in this world, or begin my eternall day, this night, Thy Kingdome come, thy will be done; when I ſeeke God, meerely for love of him, and his glory, without relation to his benefits or to his corrections, this is that early ſeeking, which we conſider in thoſe bleſſed Women, whoſe ſedulity and earneſtneſſe, when they were come, and acceleration and earlineſſe, in their comming, having already conſidered, paſſe we now to the Ad quid, to what purpoſe, and with what intention they came, for in that alone, there are divers exaltations of their devotion.
In the firſt verſe of this Chapter it is ſaid,Ad quid. They came to ſee the Sepulchre; Even to ſee the Sepulchre was an act of love, and every act of love to Chriſt, is Devotion. There is a love that will make one kiſſe the caſe of a picture, though it be ſhut; There is a love that will melt ones bowels, if he do but paſſe over, or paſſe by the grave of his dead friend. But their end was not onelyonly to ſee the Sepulchre, but to ſee whether the Sepulchre were in ſuch ſtate, as that they might come to their end, which was, To embalme their Maſters body. But this was done before; and done to their knowledge; for, that all the Euangeliſts teſtifie;Luke 23.55. particularly, S. Luke, The women followed, and beheld the Sepulchre, and how the body was laid. How, that is, how abundantly it was embalmed by Nicodemus. How, that is, how decently and orderly it was wound and bound up, according to the manner of the Jews funerals. What then intended theſe women to doe more then was done already?
That cannot be well admitted,Theophy. Gen. 50.1. which Theophylact ſaies, That as Iacobs body was embalmed forty dayes in Egypt, ſo they intended to re-embalme our Saviours body, formerly embalmed by Nicodemus. For, that was onelyonly done upon ſuch bodies as were exenterated and embowelled, and then filled up, and plaſtered about with ſpices and gums, to preſerve them from putrifaction, when they were to be carried into remote parts; But of theſe re-embalmings and poſt-unctions after the body had beene laid in the Sepulchre, I know not, who may have read of them; I have not. Neither ſeemes it to have beene poſſible in this caſe; not poſſible for theſe women to have come to the body of Chrriſt. For, if that be the true winding ſheet of Chriſt which is kept in Savoy, it appeares, that that ſheet ſtuck ſo cloſe to his body, as that it did, and does ſtill retaine the dimenſions of his body, and the impreſſions and ſignatures of every wound that he had received in his body. So that it would have beene no eaſie matter for thoſe women to have pulled off that ſheet, if it had had no other glue, no other gumme, but his owne precious blood to hold it;Chiffletius de Linters Sepulchr. cap. 25. But, if (as their more wary Authors ſay) Chriſts body were carried looſe, in that ſheet, which is ſhewed in Savoy, from the Croſſe to the Sepulchre, and then taken out of that ſheet, and embalmed by Nicodemus, and wrapped up in other linnen, upon thoſe ſpices and gummes which he beſtowed upon it, and then buried according to the manner of the jews, whoſe manner it was to ſwathe the bodies of the dead,Iohn 11.44. juſt as we ſwathe the bodies of children, all over, (for, ſo Lazarus came out bound hand and foote with grave-cloathes) how could it fall into the imagination of theſe women, that they could come to embalme the body of Chriſt, ſo ſwathed, ſo wound, ſo bound up, as that body was; for, certainly, it was the body, and not the grave-cloathes that they meant to embalme.
Truly I have often wondred, that amongſt our very many Expoſitors of the Goſpels, (which I can pronounce of ſome ſcores) no one hath touched upon this doubt. They all make good uſe of their piety, and devout officiouſneſſe towards their dead Maſter, but of the impoſſibility of comming to that body, and of the irregularity, and impertinency of undertaking that, and proceeding ſo far in that, which could not poſſibly be done, I find no mention.Chryſolog. What ſhal be ſaid of this? That may be ſaid, which Chryſologus ſaies, (though not of this, for of this none ſaies any thing) Saeva paſsionis procella turbaverat, That a bitter ſtorme of paſſion and conſternation, had ſo diſordered them, as that no faculty of theirs performed the right function;Calvin And that which Calvin ſaies, of the ſame caſe, which Chryſologus intends, Prae fervore caecutiebant, Vehemence and earneſtneſſe had diſcompoſed them, amazed them, amuzed them ſo, as that they diſcerned nothing clearely, did nothing orderly. This, theſe, and ſome other Authors ſay, of ſome other inconſiderations in theſe Women, particularly, of the removing of the ſtone of the Sepulchre. For, they had prepared their gumms, and they were come upon their way, before they ever thought of that.Marke 16.3. Then they ſtop, and ſay to one another, Who ſhall roll us away the ſtone from the doore of the Sepulchre; we never thought of that. So alſo did they fall under the rebuke and increpation of the Angell for another ſupine inconſideration;Luke 24.5. Mat 16.16. Acts 3.15. Iohn 5.26. Iohn 1.4. Iohn 6.35. Iohn 11.25. Quid quaeritis vivum? Why ſeeke yee the living amongst the dead? Why him, who is The Son of the living God? Why him, who is The Prince of life? Why him, Who hath life in himſelfe? Why him who is Life it ſelfe? Why him, who is The Bread of life to us? Why him, who is this life and the next too, (I am the life, and the Reſurrection) Why him, who by his death hath made you a path of life,Pſal. 16.11. (Thou wilt ſhew me the path of life) Why ſeek ye the living among the dead? What makes you think of arming him with your gummes againſt putrifaction, who had told you before, that he was not ſubject to putrifaction, but would riſe again. So alſo in ſuch another inconſideratiō we may deprehend one of theſe womē, Mary Magdalen; whē the Angel had told her at the Sepulchre, He is not here, for he is riſin, as he ſaid, yet when ſhe came to Peter, ſhe ſaid nothing of the Reſurrection,John 20.2 never thought of that, but poured her ſelf out in that lamentation, Tulerunt Dominū, They have taken away the Lord out of the Sepulchre, & we know not where they have laid him; Wheras if ſhe had cō ſidered it adviſedly, ſhe muſt neceſſarily have knowen from the Angels words, that no man had taken away the Lord, that no man had laid him any where elſe, but that by his own power he was riſen again. But as in this ſtorm of paſſion they left Chriſts promiſe, That he would riſe, unconſidered, & left the rolling of the ſtone frō the doore of the Sepulchre, unconſidered, ſo in this ſtorm they alſo left unconſidered the impoſſibility of comming to Chriſts body to do that office; Their devotion was awake, their conſideration was in a ſlumber. But what though? Did they therefore loſe all benefit of their plous and devout intention? That is another, and our next Conſideration.
As Luther ſayes, that if the marriage bed be kept undefiled, that is,Fructus bujus pietatis. from ſtrange perſons, and from ſuch ſins as are oppoſed againſt the very purpoſe of marriage, God pardons Maritales ineptias, ſome levities, and half-wantonneſſes in married folkes; ſo Calvin ſayes of our preſent caſe, Deus non impat at, Becauſe theſe good women were tranſported with a zealous piety towards Chriſt, God did not impure this in conſideration unto them. For, though zeal without diſcretion produce ill effects, yet not ſo ill as diſcretion without zeal, worldly wiſdome without Religion, for that is an evident preferring of thy worldly ſafety before the glory of God. When Moſes makes that prayer to God in a holy fury and exceſſe, Dele me, If thou wilt not forgive their ſin, blot me I pray thee, Exod. 32.32. Rom. 5.3.out of the book thou haſt written, (which was the exceſſe of S. Paul too, in his Anathema; I could wiſh that my ſelf were accurſed from Chriſt, for my brethren) God proceeds not to any ſharper rebuke toward Moſes, then this. Take heed what you ſay in your inconſiderate prayer, you may ſin in a prayer, and, Whoſoever hath ſinned againſt me, (ſayes God there) him will I blot out of my book; yet it concernes but others, take heed you draw it not upon your ſelves. And ſuch a charitable interpretation it becomes us to give of thoſe prayers for the dead, which we finde in the ancient Fathers;Auguſt. Anrbroſ. In S. Auguſtine for his mother Monica, in S. Anbroſe for his Maſter Theodoſius; They prayed inconſiderately, and upon conſideration they retracted their prayers; at leaſt, gave ſuch Expoſitions of them, as that then they were no prayers, but vehement, and indeed, exorbitant declarations of piety mixt with paſſion. And ſo beloved, behooves it thee to do in thine own behalf, if at any time having caſt thy ſelf into the poſture of prayer, upon thy knees, and entred into thy prayer thou have found thy ſelf withdrawn, tranſported, ſtrayed into ſome deviations, and by-thoughts; Thou muſt not think all that devotion loſt; much leſſe, that prayer to be turned into ſin; for, God, who hath put all thy tears into his Bottle, all thy words into his Regiſter, all thy ſighs into his boſome, will alſo ſpread that zeale with which thou entredſt into thy prayer, over thy whole prayer, and where that (thine own zeale) is too ſhort, Chriſt Jeſus himſelf will ſpread his prayer over thine, and ſay, Give him, O Father, that which he hath asked faithfully in my name, and, where he hath fallen into any deviations or negligences, Father forgive him, though he knew not what he ſaid.
In our caſe in hand, for all their inconſideration, their miſgovernment, their miſtaking, the Angel doth not forbeare to comfort them; Nolite timere, ſayes he, Do not ye feare. In illis perſeveret pavor, in quibus permanet incredulitas, ſayes S. Hierome, Hieron,in the perſon of this Angel to theſe women; I cannot blame ye, if ye feare; ſuch unexpected changes, ſuch violent earthquakes, ſuch unnaturall darkneſſes and eclipſes, ſuch rentings of the Temple, ſuch cleaving of grave-ſtones may well occaſion feare in you, but recollect your ſelves, In illis perſeveret, Let them continue in feare, who continue in unbeliefe, and have no God to comfort themſelves in. Cur vos pertimeſcitis, qui veſtros concives videtis, (ſayes S. Gregory alſo, in, and to the ſame perſons) Let thoſe mercenary ſouldiers,Greger who are hired to watch the Sepulchre, feare, and never recover, Cur vos, why ſhould you feare, who ſee none but us, Concives, your fellow-Citizens, in the City, and ſervice of God, if your converſation be in heaven, as it is, if ye do truly ſeek that Jeſus, who is riſen from hence, that he might go thither? And as though this comfort from the Angel were not enough, he multiplies this comfort in perſon unto them; he meets them, and ſayes,Ver. 9. Avete, firſt ſalutes them, and then inlarges himſelf unto them; as long as the roote of their actions was piety and zeale, he caſts no cloud of diſcouragement upon them,Hieron. he occaſions no jealouſie or ſuſpition of his good purpoſe towards them, in them, but he maintains and exalts their holy confidence. Peccata non nocent, ubi non placent; Even our ſins are forgiven, when we leave delighting in them; much more our inconſiderations, and miſtakings, when we recollect, and rectifie our ſelves. For, all this withholds not the Angel from proceeding to a farther eſtabliſhment of theſe devout, though weak women, in other particulars ariſing out of the very words, Non eſt hic, He is not here, for he is riſen.
Non hic per praeſentiam carnis, Non hic.qui, per praeſentiam Majeſtatis nuſquam abeſt; He is not here,Gregor. ſo as you thought to have found him here; ſo, as that you may anoint and embalme his body, he is not here: But, ſo as the ſecret ſinner would wiſh him away, God is away no where.Job 24.15. Pſal. 11.2. No adulterer that hath waited for the twilight, no whiſpering Calumniator that hath ſhot his arrow of ſlander In occulto, and wounded the righteous in ſecret, can ſay, Non eſt hic, God is not here, God ſees not this. For even in the wayes of death and hell (in all thy ſinfull courſes) though God be a God of pure eyes and cannot behold evill, he ſees thee.Pſal. 139.8. He ſees thee in thy way thither, and when thou ſhalt make thy bed in hell, that is, enter into that perpetuall priſon, there will he be, felt though not ſeen. But could the Angel intend this for a comfort to theſe women, Non eſt hic, He is not here? Alas, might theſe poore ſoules ſay, we ſee that well enough, He is not here, but, where is he? From this ariſes the occaſion of theirs, and all our comfort, Surrexit enim, He is not here, for he is riſen.
Firſt;Enim. this For, (for he is riſen) this particle of argumentation, the Angel oppoſes prophetically, and by way of prevention, both againſt that hereſie of Rome, That the body of Chriſt may be in divers places at once, by the way of Tranſubſtantiation, and againſt that dream of the Ubiquetaries, That the body of Chriſt muſt neceſſarily be in all places at once, by communication of the divine Nature. For, if the Angel argue fairely, logically, ſincerely, (He is not here, for he is riſen) then there is no neceſſity, there is no poſſibility of this omni-preſence, or this multi-preſence, for then the Angels argument might have been denied, and they might have replyed, What though he be riſen, he may be here too, for he may be in divers places; But the Angel concludes us in this for, He cannot be here, for he is riſen; Becauſe he is riſen, he cannot be here in the Sepulchre, ſo, as that you may embalm his body, Becauſe he is aſcended, he cannot be here, here in the Sacrament, ſo, as you may break or eat that body.
But is there ſuch a comfort exhibited in this Surrexit, Surrexit.he is riſen, as may recompence the diſcomfort that ariſes from the Non eſt hic, That he is not here? Abundantly, ſuperabundantly there is; in theſe two channels and derivations of comfort; Firſt, that hee in whom we had placed our comfort, and our hope, is, by this his riſing, declared to be the Son of God.Acts 13.33 God hath fulfilled his promiſe, in that he hath raiſed Ieſus from the dead, as it is written in the ſecond Pſalme, ſayes S. Paul in his Sermon at Antioch. Now, what is written in that Pſalme, which S. Paul cites there, to our preſent purpoſe? This; Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. But is not this Hodie genui, This this dayes begetting intended rather of the eternall filiation & generation of the Son of God, then of this daies work, the Reſurrection? Thoſe words of that Pſalm may well admit that interpretation,Hilar. and ſo many have taken them. But, with S. Hilary, moſt of the ancients have applied them to the Reſurrection, as the application of S. Paul himſelf directly binds us to do, That the Hodie genui, This dayes generation, is this dayes manifeſtation that Chriſt was the Son of God.Calvin. Calvin enlarges it farther; That every declaration of the Son by the Father, is a generation of the Son: So his baptiſme, and the voice then, ſo his Transfiguration, and the voice then,Mat. 3.17. Mat. 17.3. were each of them, a Hodie genui, a generation of the Son that day. But eſpecially (ſayes Calvin) do thoſe words of the Pſalm belong to this day, becauſe the Reſurrection was the moſt evident actuall declaration that Chriſt was the Son of God,Rom. 1.4. for, He was declared to be the Son of God by the Reſurrection from the dead, ſaies the Apoſtle expreſly. But how? wherein was he declared? There were others that were raiſed from the dead by Prophets in the old Teſtament, by Chriſt and his Apoſtles in the new, and yet not thereby declared to be ſuch Sons of God, Eſſentiall Sons; no nor any Sons of God, not Sons by adoption; for we are not ſure that all thoſe that were miraculouſly raiſed from the dead, were effectually ſaved at laſt. Therefore the comfort in our caſe is in that word of the Angel, Surrexit, He is riſen; For ſo all our Tranſlators, and Expoſitors do conſtantly carry it, not in a Suſcitatus (as all the reſt are) That he was raiſed, but in this Surrexit, He is riſen, riſen of himſelf. For ſo he teſtifies of himſelf, Deſtroy this Temple, and in three dayes Ego ſuſcitabo, I will raiſe it up again; John 2.19Not that the Father ſhould, but that he would; ſo alſo, Ego pono, and Ego ſumo, ſayes Chriſt, I lay down, and I take again my ſoul; Not that it is given, or taken by another.John 10.17. Nyſſen. And therefore Gregory Nyſſen ſuſpects, that for the infirmity of the then hearers, the Apoſtles thought it ſcarce ſafe, to expreſſe it often in that phraſe, He roſe, or He raiſed himſelf, and therefore, for the moſt part, return to the Suſcitatus eſt, that He was raiſed, leſt weak hearers might be ſcandalized with that, that a dead man had raiſed himſelf of his own power. And therefore the Angel in this place enlarges the comfort to theſe devout women, in a full meaſure, when he opens himſelfe in that word Surrexit, He is riſen, riſen of himſelfe.
This then is one piece of our evidence, and the foundation of all,Nos. that we cannot be deceived, becauſe he, in whom we truſt, is, by this his own riſing, declared to be the Son of God; And another, and a powerfull comfort is this,Rom. 4.25. 2 Cor. 4.14. That he being riſen for our juſtification, we are alſo riſen in him. He that raiſed the Lord Ieſus, ſhall raiſe us up alſo by the ſame Ieſus. He ſhall; there is our aſſurance; but that is not all; for there is a con-reſuſcitavit, Epheſ. 2.6.He hath quickned us together, and raiſed us together, and made us to ſit together in heavenly places; not together with one another, but together with Chriſt. There is our comfort collected from this ſurrexit, He is riſen, equivalent to the diſcomfort of the non eſt hîc, he is not here; That this his riſing declares him to be the Son of God, who therefore can, and will, and to be that Jeſus, an actuall Redeemer, and therefore hath already raiſed us. To what? To that renovation, to that new creation, which is ſo excellently expreſſed by Severianus, as makes us ſorry we have no more of his; Mutatur ordorerum, Severianus.The whole frame and courſe of nature is changed; Sepulchrum non mortuum, ſed mortem devorat, The grave, (now, ſince Chriſts Reſurrection, and ours in him) does not bury the dead man, but death himſelf; My Bell tolls for death, and my Bell rings out for death, and not for me that dye; for I live, even in death; but death dies in me, and hath no more power over me.
I was crucified with Chriſt upon Friday, ſaies Chryſologus, Et hodiè reſurgo, Chryſologus.to day I roſe with him again; Et gloria reſurrection is ſepelivit injuriam morientis, The ingloriouſneſſe of having been buried in the duſt, is recompenced in the glory I riſe to, Liber inter mortuos; that which David ſayes, and, (by S. Auguſtines application) of Chriſt,Pſal. 88.5. Auguſt. is true of me too; Chriſt was, and I am Liber inter mortuos, free amongſt the dead, undetainable in the ſtate of death. For, ſayes S. Peter, It was not poſsible he ſhould be holden of it. Acts 2.24.Not poſſible for Chriſt, becauſe of the prediction of ſo many Prophets, whoſe words had an infallibility in them; not poſſible eſpecially, becauſe of the Union of the Divine Nature: Not poſſible for me neither, becauſe God hath afforded me the marks of his Election, and thereby made me partaker of the Divine Nature too. 2 Pet. 1.4.But yet theſe things might, perchance, not fall into the conſideration of theſe women; They did not; but they might, they ſhould have done; for, as the Angell tels them here, Chriſt had told them of this before; Sicut dixit, he is riſen, as he ſaid.
Even the Angell himſelf referres himſelf to the word; Sicut dixit; Sicut dixit.The Angell himſelf deſires not to be beleeved, but as he grounds himſelf upon the word, ſicut dixit. Let therefore no Angell of the Church, not that ſuper-Arch-angell of the Romane Church, proceed upon an ipſe dixit, upon his own pectorall word, and determination, for the Angell here referres us to the ſicut dixit, the former word. God will be content that we doubt, and ſuſpend our aſſent to any revelation, if it doe not concerne ſome duty delivered in Scripture before; And to any miracle, if it doe not conduce to the proofe of ſome thing commanded in Scripture before. Sicut dixit, is an Angelicall iſſue, As he ſaid.
But, how often ſoever Chriſt had ſpoken of this Reſurrection to others,Vobie. theſe women might be ignorant of it. For, all that is ſaid, even by Chriſt himſelf, is not ſaid to all; nor is all, written for all, that is written by the Holy Ghoſt. No man muſt ſuſpect that he knowes not enough for ſalvation, if he underſtand not all places of Scripture. But yet theſe women could not well be ignorant of this, becauſe being Diſciples and followers of Chriſt, though Chriſt had never ſpoken of the Reſurrection to them, they were likely to have heard of it from them, to whom Chriſt had ſpoken of it. It was Cleophas his queſtion to Chriſt, (though he knew him not then to be ſo, when they went together to Emaus) Art thou onelyonly a ſtranger in Ieruſalem? that is, haſt thou been at Jeruſalem, and is this, Luke 24.16.The death of Chriſt, ſtrange to thee? So may we ſay to any that profeſſes Chriſtianity; Art thou in the Chriſtian Church, and is this, The Reſurrection of Chriſt, ſtrange to thee? Are there any amongſt us, that thruſt to Fore-noones, and After-noones Sermons, that pant after high, and un-underſtandable Doctrines, of the ſecret purpoſes of God, and know not this, the fundamentall points of Doctrine? Even theſe womens ignorance, though they were in the number of the Diſciples of Chriſt, makes us affraid, that ſome ſuch there may be; and therefore bleſſed be they that have ſet on foote that bleſſed way of Catechizing, that after great profeſſions, we may not be ignorant of ſmall things. Theſe things theſe women might have learnt of others, who were to inſtruct them.Luke 24.…. But for their better aſſurance, the Angell tells them here, that Chriſt himſelf had told them of this before; Remember, ſayes he, how Chriſt ſpoke to you whilſt he was with you in Galile.
We obſerve, that Chriſt ſpoke to his Diſciples, of his Reſurrection, five times in the Goſpell; Now, theſe women could not be preſent at any of the five but one, which was the third;Mat. 17.22. And, before that, it is evident that they had applied themſelves to Chriſt, and miniſtred unto him. The Angell then remembers them, what Chriſt ſaid to them there.Luke 24.6. It was this; The Sonne of man muſt be delivered into the hands of ſinfull men, and Crucified, and the third day, riſe againe; And they remembred his words, ſayes the Text there; Then they remembred them, when they heard of them again; but not till then.
Which gives me juſt occaſion to note firſt the perverſe tenderneſſe, and the ſupercilious, and faſtidious delicacy of thoſe men, that can abide no repetitions, nor indure to heare any thing which they have heard before; when as even theſe things which Chriſt himſelf had preached to theſe women, in Galile, had been loſt, if this Angel had not preached them over again to them at Jeruſalem; Remember how he ſpake to you, ſayes he to them. And why ſhouldſt thou be loath to heare thoſe things which thou haſt heard before, when, till thou heardſt them again, thou didſt not know, that is, not conſider that ever thou hadſt heard them? So have we here alſo juſt occaſion to note their impertinent curioſity, who though the ſenſe be never ſo well obſerved, call every thing a ſalfification, if the place be not rightly cyphard, or the word exactly cited; and magnifie one another for great Text men, though they underſtand no Text, becauſe they cite Book, and Chapter, and Verſe, and Words aright; whereas in this place, the Angel referres the women to Chriſts words, and they remember that Chriſt ſpake thoſe words, and yet if we compare the places,Mat. 17.22. Luke 24.6. (that where Chriſt ſpeaks the words, and that where the Angell repeats them) though the ſenſe be intirely the ſame, yet the words are not altogether ſo. Thus the Angell erects them in the conſternation; Remember what was promiſed, that in three dayes he would riſe; The third day is come, and he is riſen, as he ſaid; and, that your ſenſes may be exerciſed as well as your faith, Come and ſee the place, where the Lord lay.
Even the Angell calls Chriſt Lord; Dominus Angeli. Heb. 1.6.and his Lord; for, the Lord, (and the Angell calls him ſo) is Lord of all, of men, and Angels. When God brings his Soninto the world, (ſayes the Apoſtle) he ſayes, let all the Angels of God worſhip him. And when God caries his Son out of the world, by the way of the Croſſe, they have juſt cauſe to worſhip him too,Col…. 1.20. for, By the blood of his Croſſe are all things reconciled to God, both things in earth, and things in heaven, Men and Angels. Therefore did an Angel miniſter to Chriſt before he was,Luke 1. Mat. 1. Luke 2. Mat. 4. Luke 22. Acts 1.10. in the Annunciation to his bleſſed Mother, that he ſhould be; And an Angel to his imaginary Father Ioſeph, before he was born; And a Quire of Angels to the Shepheards at his birth; An Angel after his tentation, And in his Agony, and Bloody-ſweat, more Angels; Angels at his laſt ſtep, at his Aſcenſion, and here, at his Reſurrection Angels miniſter unto him. The Angels of heaven acknowledged Chriſt to be their Lord. In the beginning ſome of the Angels would be Similes Altiſsimo, like to the moſt High; But what a tranſcendent, what a ſuper-diabolicall, what a prae-Luciferian pride is his, that will be ſupra Altiſsimum, 2 Theſ. 2.4.ſuperiour to God; That not only exalteth himſelfe above all that is called God, (Kings are called Gods, and this Arch-Monarch exalts himſelfe above all Kings) but above God literally, and in that wherein God hath eſpecially manifeſted himſelf to be God, to us, that is in preſcribing us a Law, how he will be obeyed; for, in diſpenſing with this Law, and adding to, and withdrawing from this law, he exalts himſelf above God, as our Law-giver. And, (as it is alſo ſaid there) He exalteth himſelf, and oppoſeth himſelfe againſt God. There is no truſting of ſuch neighbours, as are got above us in power. This man of ſin hath made himſelfe ſuperiour to God, and then, an enemy to God; for God is Truth, and he oppoſes him in that, for he is hereſie and falſhood; and God is Love, and he oppoſes him in that, for he is envy, and hatred, and malice, and ſedition, and invaſion, and rebellion.
The Angell confeſſes Chriſt to be The Lord, his Lord, Dominus mortuus.and he confeſſes him to be ſo then when he lay dead in the grave, Come, ſeethe place where the Lord lay. A Weſt Indian King having beene well wrought upon for his Converſion to the Chriſtian Religion, and having digeſted the former Articles, when he came to that, He was crucified, dead, and buried, had no longer patience, but ſaid, If your God be dead and buried, leave me to my old god, the Sunne, for the Sunne will not dye. But if he would have proceeded to the Article of the Reſurrection, hee ſhould have ſeene, that even then, when hee lay dead, hee was GOD ſtill; Then, when hee was no Man, hee was GOD ſtill; Nay, then when hee was no man, hee was God, and Man, in this true ſenſe, That though the body and ſoule were divorced from one another, and that during that divorce, he were no man, (for it is the union of body and ſoule that makes a man) yet the Godhead was not divided from either of theſe conſtitutive parts of man, body or ſoule.Pſal. 22.7. 1 Cor. 4.13. Ier. 19.8. Even then, when a man is no man, he may be a Chriſtian; when I am a worme and no man, when I am the off-ſcouring of the world, when I am the reproach, the proverb, the hiſſing of men, yet, as my Saviour, when he lay in the grave, was the ſame Chriſt, ſo in this grave of oppreſſion and perſecution, I am the ſame Chriſtian, as in my Baptiſme.
Let nothing therefore that can fall upon thee, diſpoyle thee of the dignity and conſtancy of a Chriſtian; howſoever thou be ſevered from thoſe things, which thou makeſt account do make thee up, ſevered from a wife by divorce, from a child by death, from goods by fire, or water, from an office by juſt, or by unjuſt diſpleaſure, (which is the heavier but the happier caſe) yet never think thy ſelf ſevered from thy Head Chriſt Jeſus, nor from being a lively member of his body.Iob 30.29. Though thou be a brother of Dragons and a companion of Owles, Though thy Harpe be turned into mourning, and thine Organ into the voyce of them that weepe, nay, Though the Lord kill thee, yet truſt in him. Iob 13.15.Thy Saviour when he lay dead in the grave, was ſtill the ſame Lord, Thou, when thou art enwrapped, and enterred in confuſion, art ſtill the ſame Chriſtian. To this meditation the Angell carries us, in keeping up Chriſts ſtyle at the higheſt, then when he was at the loweſt, And to ſome other particulars he carries theſe Women, in that which remaines, Come and ſee the place.
It is not nothing, certainly not meerely nothing,Locus Sacer. that God does ſo often direct us to frequent his Sanctuary, and his holy places. Not nothing, that Solomon, into that Inſtrument which paſſed betweene God and him, for the Conſecration of the Temple, inſerted that Covenant, That not onelyonly they which came to that Temple, but they, 1 King. 8.who being neceſſarily abſent, prayed towards the Temple, might be heard; which is, (not inconveniently) aſſigned for a reaſon of Ezechias his turning to the wall to pray, in his ſick bed,Eſay 38.2. Dan. 6.12. and of Daniels opening of his windows, when he prayed in his private chamber, becauſe, in ſo doing, they looked towards Jeruſalem, where the Temple was. When Naaman being recovered from his bodily leproſie, recovered from his ſpirituall leproſie too, and reſolved to worſhip none but the true God, he was loath to worſhip the true God,2 King. 5.17. in an unholy place, and therefore deſired ſome of that earth to build an Altar upon. Pharaoh was come to be content that Moſes and his people ſhould ſacrifice to their true God,Exod. 8.25. ſo they would ſacrifice in Egypt; But, Moſes durſt not accept of thoſe conditions. Pharaoh grew content that they ſhould go out of Egypt to Sacrifice, ſo they would not go far,Ver. 28. but keepe within his limits; but Moſes durſt not accept thoſe conditions; nor any conditions leſſe then thoſe, in which God had determined him, which was,Exod. 3.18. To go three dayes iourney into the Wilderneſſe. We know that God is alike in all places, but he does not worke in all places alike; God works otherwiſe in the Church, then in an Army; and diverſly in his divers Ordinances in the Church; God works otherwiſe in Prayer then in Preaching, and otherwiſe in the Sacraments then in either; and otherwiſe in the later, then in the firſt Sacrament. The power is the ſame, and the end is the ſame, but the way is not ſo. Athanaſius, ſcarce three hundred yeares after Chriſt, found the Church in poſſeſſion of that Cuſtome (and he takes knowledge of it,A hanaſ. 9.37. as of a precept from the Apoſtles themſelves) That the Congregation ſhould pray towards the Eaſt, to teſtifie (ſaies that Father) their deſire of returning to the Country, which they had loſt, Paradiſe. Places of prophane and ſecular uſe ſhould not be made equall with holy places; nor ſhould holy actions, and motions, and geſtures, and poſitions of the body in divine ſervice, be ſubmitted to ſcorne and deriſion. They have their uſe; either in a reall exaltation of Devotion, or for a peaceable conſervation of uniformity, and decency, or for a reverentiall obedience to lawfull Authority; and any of theſe is enough, to authorize things in their uſe, which in themſelves and in their owne nature are indifferent. And though the principall purpoſe of the Angell, in ſhewing theſe women the place, were to aſſure them, that Chriſt was riſen, yet may there alſo be an intimation of the helpe and aſſiſtance that we receive from holy places, in this their Ecce locus, Come, and ſee the place.
But this is farre,Perogrinationes. very very far from that ſuperſtitious fixing of God to the free-hold, which they have induced in the Roman Church, and upon which, they have ſuper-induced their meritorious Pilgrimages to certaine places. Conſider a little the Pilgrimage of theſe Pilgrimages, how they have gone on. Innocent the third, in the Lateran Councell, about foure hundred yeares ſince, gave free pardon of all ſins to all men, that went or contributed to the recovery of the holy land. Now theſe expeditions were not with any hope of recovering that land, but principally to carry the powerfulleſt perſons, and the activeſt ſpirits into thoſe remote parts, that ſo theſe parts might be left the more open to the Inundation of that Sea of Rome, and the invaſions of that Biſhop. After this, theſe Indulgences were enlarged, and communicated to all that went to Jeruſalem, not onelyonly as Soldiers, but as Pilgrims. And, after that by Boniface the eighths liberality the way was ſhortned, and they had as much that came but to Rome, as they that went to Jeruſalem. As, a little before, by Clement the ſixt, there was a power given to every man, that went ſuch a Pilgrimage, to deliver foure ſoules out of Purgatory, which he would, and a commandment given to the Angels of Heaven, to carry their ſoules that dyed in that Pilgrimage, immediately to Heaven, without touching upon Purgatory.
Theſe abuſes made that learned and devout Man,Gerſon. Gerſon, the Chancelor of Paris, in his time, (as, let them deny it with what ſtifneſſe they will, nothing is more demonſtrable, nor more evidently demonſtrated, Then that in all times, ſome great men amongſt themſelves have oppoſed their Superſtitions) This, I ſay, made Gerſon ſay, (though he durſt ſay no more) Abnegare non poſſumus, None of us all can deny, but that many things are induced upon colour of Religion, quorum ſanctior eſſet omiſsio, which he ſhall be more holy that forbeares, then he that performes them. In deteſtation of this locall and ſtationary ſalvation of theſe meritorious pilgrimages to certaine places, ſome of the bleſſed Fathers ſpoke much, long before they were come to that enormous abuſe, in which the later times exceeded. S. Hierom had occaſion to ſay much of it, by a ſolicitation from Polinus, Epiſt. 13.and he ſaies this, Quanti hodieportant funera ſua? How many men carry Sepulchres to the Sepulchre, when they carry themſelves to Jeruſalem? Non Hieroſolymis vixiſſe, ſaies he, To have lived well at Jeruſalem is praiſe-worthy, but not to have lived there. Non audeo concludere, I dare not ſhut up that God, whom the Heavens cannot containe, in a corner of the earth; and Jeruſalem is but ſo. Et de Britannia, & de Hieroſolymis aequaliter patet aula coeleſtis, Heaven is as neare England, (ſaies S. Hierom) as it is to Jeruſalem. And Chriſt, (ſaies he) was then in Jeruſalem, in that holy place, when he ſaid, Abeamus hinc, Iohn 14.31.Let us go from hence; as holy as the place was, he made haſte out of it; for, (as that Father adds) it is a place full of mutinous Souldiers, of licentious proſtitutes, of Players and Jeſters; and theſe are the elements of the holineſſe of that place.
Gregory Nyſſen (in the ſame time with Hierom) had a particular occaſion to deliver his opinion of theſe pilgrimages to Jeruſalem;Nyſſen. for he had beene there himſelfe, though not as a Pilgrim. Sunt aliqui, There are ſome that make it a part of Religion, to have beene at Jeruſalem, Sin praeter praeceptum Domini, But, ſaies he, if Chriſt never commanded it, (that is his Rule) I know not what can juſtifie that man, that makes himſelfe the Rule of his Religion. Chriſt never called that, Bleſſedneſſe, ſaies he, to have beene at Jeruſalem, nor ever called this Jeruſalem the way to Heaven; why any man ſhould do ſo, when Chriſt did not, Qui mentem habet, conſideret, (ſaies that Father) Let him that is not diſtracted, conſider. Nay, ſaies he, there is not only no certaine profit, but evident danger to a chaſte ſoule, in the unchaſte converſation of thoſe Pilgrims, and he exemplifies, and particularizes wherein; but we forbeare that. Shall I be asked then, why I went to Jeruſalem? ſayes that Father; I went into thoſe parts out of neceſſity, ſayes he, being called to a Councell held in thoſe parts; And, being ſo neare, I was choſen as an Arbitrator between ſome Churches, which were then at variance, which differences were to be compoſed at Jeruſalem, and ſo I went thither. Howſoever, let no man be encouraged to go thither for my being there, (for I was never the better Chriſtian for having been there) but let every man think and beleeve me to be the more competent witneſſe, and judge of the dangers, becauſe I ſaw them. I beleeved that Chriſt was riſen, before I ſaw the empty Sepulchre; And though (I thank God for it) I loſt none of my faith at Jeruſalem, yet I encreaſed it not there. Si perverſè vivas; live Chriſtianly, or thou art as far from Chriſt in the Sepulchre, and from all benefit of his Reſurrection, as they that were hired to watch the Sepulchre, and to ſeale the Sepulchre to prevent the Reſurrection, or as if he that lay in the Sepulchre had never dyed.Chryſoſt. When we have remembred you of that which S. Chryſoſtome (of the ſame time with Ierome and Nyſſen) ſayes, That there were ſome ſo vain, as to go to Arabia to kiſſe that dunghill where Iob ſate to be viſited by his impertinent friends, you have teſtimony enough, concurrence enough for the deteſtation of theſe hypocriticall Pilgrimages, and the manifold ſuperſtitions that grow from this tree; and grew to a far greater inexcuſableneſſe, when all was transferred to Rome, where, both the Indulgences were larger, and the peſtilent infections of the place more contagious then at Jeruſalem.
Now, to binde up our ſheafe, and lay it ſo upon you, that you may eaſily carry it,Concluſio. you have ſeen, That women, though weak, are capable of religious offices; No underſtanding ſo weak, but it may beleeve, no body ſo weak, but it may do ſomething in ſome calling. You have ſeen too, that theſe women were early in their religious work, they begun betimes; we have but one Parable that tels us, that they that came late to the labour were as well rewarded as the earlieſt. So have you alſo ſeen, that as they were early and forward, ſo were they earneſt, and ſedulous; Curſed be he that doth the work of God (that is, any godly work) negligently. You have likewiſe ſeen upon what their devotion was carried; upon things which could not intirely be done; yet God accepted their devotion; where the roote and ſubſtance of the work is piety, God pretermits many times errours in circumſtance. You have heard the Angels information to them, Non hîc, that Chriſt was not there, and yet comfort in that; God raiſes comfort out of all things, even out of diſcomfort it ſelf to the godly. You have heard the reaſon added, Quia ſurrexit, for he is riſen; And if this be a good reaſon, there is no Tranſubſtantiation, no Ubiquitiſme, for then Chriſt might have been there, though he were riſen. He is riſen, not only raiſed, and therefore the Son of God; and riſen for our Inſtification, therefere we are riſen in him. And this, Sicut dixit, As he had ſaid before; No word is certain, not in the mouth of an Angel, but as it is referred to the former word of God. And it is Sicut dixit vobis, As he had ſaid to you; Though all Scriptures be not propoſed to all, and Gods ſecret purpoſes propoſed to none, yet the fundamentall doctrines of the Chriſtian faith are propoſed to all, the weakeſt of all, Theſe women had heard Chriſt. Him, this Angel calls The Lord, His Lord; How rebellious is that man of ſin, that makes Chriſt his ſervant, and pretence of religion his inſtrument? He avows him to be the Lord, then when he lay dead in the grave; Be truly a Chriſtian, and in the grave of perſecution, in the grave of putrifaction thou ſhalt retain the ſame name, and even thy duſt ſhall be Chriſtian duſt. And laſtly, for the eſtabliſhment of their comfort, the Angel directs them to conſider the place, Ecce locus, not to incline them to ſuperſtitious pilgrimages, but yet to a holy reverence, and eſtimation of places conſecrated to Gods ſervice. And if theſe Meditations have raiſed you from the bed of ſin, in any holy purpoſe, this is one of your Reſurrections, and you have kept your Eaſter-day well. To which, he, whoſe name is Amen, ſay Amen, our bleſſed Saviour Chriſt Jeſus, in the power of his Father, and in the operation of his Spirit.