A Century of Sermons, Sermon 4
THE FOURTH SERMON UPON THE RESURRECTION.
JOHN XX. I.
The firſt day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the Sepulcher, and ſeeth the ſtone taken away from the Sepulcher.
THis is the day which the Lord hath made; and thus begins the Goſpel appointed for this great day of the Lord. A Goſpel of which I may ſay it is full, even to the brims, of Divine Meditations. For here are thoſe two Chriſtian Pillars that uphold the Church of God, ſuch as ſhall never be removed, Fides & Fidelis, the faith of the Elect, and relatively an elect Veſſel that receiv'd the faith; a principal Article of our Creed, that Chriſt roſe again the third day from the dead; and a very illuſtrious inſtance of Mary Magdalene, who was brought to believe in that Article. 1. The Faith which muſt be believ'd, to ſanctifie our contemplations; 2. The Faithful that did believe, to bring us to a godly practice. So the Spirit of God hath led Mary Magdalene to the Sepulcher, to ſee that Chriſt was riſen from the dead; and the ſelf-ſame Spirit hath led us, to ſee the love and piety of Mary Magdalene. And as this devout woman hath obtained a place of memorial for her name among the bleſſed of the New Teſtament, becauſe the example of her zeal did ſhine before us; So our names ſhall find a place among thoſe that are recorded in the Book of Life, ſuch honor ſhall they have that follow after.
My Text begins a ſtory concerning that firſt witneſs to whom our Lord and Saviour's Reſurrection was revealed. Now upon ſo much of the Story as is recorded in this verſe five things ſhall be handled, Firſt the Condition of that Witneſs before whom our Lord did firſt appear, after he came out of the Grave, Mary Magdalene. 2. You may note the Conſtancy of her love, that ſhe remembred him after death, and came unto his Sepulcher. 3. It is to be aſcribed to her Faith, that ſhe choſe the right ſeaſon, the firſt day of the week. 4. The Expedition which ſhe made, is a token of reſtleſs diligence, that ſhe came early, when it was yet dark. 5. An Accident of admiration encounters her, that ſhe ſeeth the ſtone taken away from the Sepulcher. No Witneſs more claſſical for Gods uſe, than Mary Magdalene a repentant Sinner: No love more expreſſive, than to ſhew affection even after death; no ſeaſon ſo fit to be watcht as the ſame which Chriſt foretold, how the third day he would riſe, which fell out on the firſt day of the week: no fruit that doth better become Faith and Love than vigilant diligence without ſloth; Repentance, Love, Faith, Diligence ſhall ever be thus requited, that God will ſhew them a ſign from Heaven beyond their expectation.
The condition of the perſon is the firſt thing that we encounter, Mary Magdalene, cometh unto the Sepulcher. She came not alone, but other Aſſociates did bear her company, ſuch as were devout women, and loved our Lord. But our Evangeliſt knew a reaſon that ſhe alone was worth the mentioning, inſtead of all beſides; and upon her name only his Narration runs, that Mary Magdalen came unto the Sepulcher. The Scripture hath not forgot ſome of thoſe that were her Aſſociates, in other Goſpels; St. Matthew ſays, Mary Magdalen went forth as it began to dawn, and the other Mary; St. Mark names three, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the Mother of James, and Salome; St. Luke ſpeaks of an indefinite number; but every Divine Writer begins with Mary Magdalen, ſhe and Joanna, and Mary the Mother of James, and other Women that were with them. But this Woman in my Text was more fervent and paſſionate in the cauſe, ſhe incited all the reſt to go with her to the Sepulcher, wherefore ſhe is remembred by our Evangeliſt in a kind of ſingularity above all the reſt; John himſelf was the Diſciple of Love, and was careful to eternize her name in this ſtory, which did abound in Love above all her Fellows. Some antient Writers knew not how ſo good a Work could be done, wherein many religious Women conſpired together, without the moſt Bleſſed Mary the mother of our Lord. Rather than it ſhould turn to her diſeſteem to ſtay behind, Sedulius, Nyſſen and Nicephorus were willing, I think, to miſtake, that the Woman whom St. Matthew calls the other Mary, was the Holy Virgin. The diſadvantages which this Opinion brings with it were not thought upon, that another name ſhould ſtand before hers, to be paſt over with ſuch an eaſie mention as the other Mary, and not the mother of our Lord, a thing which eſpecially St. Luke uſeth not to forget. And what an inſtance of moment were this, that among all others our Lord did firſt appear to Mary Magdalen, after he was riſen from the dead? Surely his mother had been partaker of that ſweet Viſion as ſoon as any, if ſhe had been in place to behold him.Lib. de Paſſ. Dom. Bernard invents a reaſon to ſatisfie himſelf (though perhaps it will not ſatisfie all men) why the Bleſſed Virgin did willingly abſent herſelf from coming to the Sepulcher the firſt day of the Week; becauſe her Faith abounded more than all the reſt. She was conſtantly perſuaded that Chriſt was riſen upon the third day, even as he had ſpoken before, and ſhe would not go to the Sepulcher to ſeek the living among the dead. But if any man ſhould caſt a doubt, that the Holy Scriptures would not have concealed ſuch a ſuperexcellent ſtrain of Faith in the Bleſſed Virgin, if ſhe had believed the Myſtery of the Reſurrection, when the Diſciples and all other were miſtaken: beſides that none of the Church did perfectly underſtand the Scriptures, until the Holy Ghoſt fell down upon them at the Feaſt of Pentecoſt; I ſay, if any ſhould caſt in ſuch a doubt, I know not how it would be reſolved. I have no Warrant to affirm any thing in this point, neither doth the Scripture expreſs when Chriſt did appear to his mother after his Reſurrection, to ſhew he was no accepter of perſons in way of carnal Affinity. He did appear to more than five hundred brethren at once, doubtleſs ſhe was one of them; he did appear to the eleven, and to them that were gathered together with them. Luk. xxiv. 33. I may ſuppoſe the Bleſſed Virgin was there, becauſe ſhe was John's charge to take her with him: but certainly ſhe was none of that Train, which came early in the morning with Mary Magdalen to the Sepulcher.
Then let us proceed and ſay from hence, that God hath done great honour to this Sex, to make them the firſt Inſtruments that ſhould know and declare his Reſurrection. Where were the Apoſtles at this time? Alas, they were terrified, and had …ielded like Men to the Paſſions of the Fleſh; they were ſhut up cloſe for fear of the Jews, and durſt not ſhew their heads; only a few Women which had followed Chriſt, were more adventurous than all the reſt; and as if it irked them to care for their Life any longer, ſince the Life of the World was put to death, una ſalus nullam ſperare ſalutem, they ſtep out boldly, let come what will. Wherefore to give you St. Auſtins words, Munus Apoſtolicum viris creptum ad breve tempus eis reſignat, the Apoſtolical Office was taken from the Diſciples for a time, and it was given to them to preach that wonderful work of God, Chriſt riſen from the dead. Audentes tu Chriſte juvas, you ſhall loſe nothing to be couragious in a good cauſe: that great glory, to ſee the Son of God in a viſion, now alive again, was given to them that did adventure to find him. Secondly, none wept ſo much for his death as theſe tenderhearted ſouls, the Daughters of Jeruſalem, they were the firſt that mourned, and they are the firſt that be comforted, the greateſt partakers of grief for his paſſion, are made the firſt partakers of joy for his Reſurrection. Bleſſed are they that mourn, for they ſhall be comforted. And if there be any that repine much at their own daily misfortunes, who ſay they have bu… …ttle joy in this world, let them ſtrike their hand upon their breſt, and ſay it is becauſe they have taken but little grief. Jeſus is our Paſſeover that was ſacrificed for us: but you heard the Ceremony read to day, which God appointed; the Lamb muſt be eaten with ſower herbs, or elſe you muſt not taſte of the Paſſeover. Chriſtian, whoſoever thou be, that art taught this day, what a victory thy Saviour obtained againſt the Grave, and againſt the nethermoſt Hell, if thy heart be not repleniſhed with joy upon the tidings, if it do not aſſure unto thee the ſeal of the Divine Promiſe, which is the earneſt of thine inheritance, it is becauſe thou haſt not eaten ſower herbs with the Paſſeover. Thou haſt not yet afflicted thy voluptuous heart ſufficiently as Mary Magdalen did, and the other women before they came unto the Sepulcher.
Thirdly, women are the firſt witneſſes in daily Childbirths how we are born into this world children of wrath, and God hath revealed to their knowledge in the firſt place, how we ſhall be made alive again, and become heirs of ſalvation. For Reſurrection is the birth of the duſt, and when the Grave had given up the dead body of Chriſt, theſe women came, as it were, unto the labour, much about the time that the Monument did groan, even when an Earthquake had gone juſt before it. Once it was their curſe to have a woe pronounced upon them, In dolore paries, In ſorrow ſhalt thou bring forth Children, Gen. iii. 16. Now they ſee another manner of travel, that God can quicken us to life again not miſerably, but triumphantly; and the earth ſhall give up the dead with joy and gladneſs. Fourthly, we may well know him to be the ſame Chriſt who was crucified, and roſe again the third day, becauſe he choſe no better witneſſes than theſe were for ſo great a myſtery. The world, it may be, will contemn ſuch ſimplicity of the Spirit, but, becauſe it ſo pleaſed our Saviour, Mary Magdalen, and the women are moſt authentick witneſſes; and beyond all exception. Shepherds addreſs unto his cratch where he was born. Women unto his Tomb where he was riſen from the dead, that you may ſee how Satans method of deceiving is quite contrary to Gods method of ſaving. The Devil dealt all by craft to tempt our firſt Parents in the ſhape of a Serpent, and Chriſt deals all by ſimplicity, and innocency, through the teſtimony of Shepherds, through the teſtimony of Women. If you be hard to believe the things which were very ſtrange at his Nativity, and at his Reſurrection, examine theſe perſons and ye ſhall have plain truth without tricks and turnings. A righteous cauſe needs not a ſupportance by Art and ſubtilty; a piercing wit may find a way to make a bad action ſeem good, but when the action is without controverſie good already, the devices of a ſharp wit will never make it ſeem better, for truth is leaſt ſuſpected when it is not varniſhed over with Policy. Laſtly, To end this Point, among all other women Mary Magdalen the great ſinner is with the firſt that comes unto the Sepulchre, to refreſh our conſcience, which is oppreſt with the fore burden of iniquity, that our Redeemer liveth, to gratifie repentant ſinners in eſpecial wiſe that fly unto his mercy. If it were fit for Mary to bury her ſins in that Grave, it will be fit likewiſe for thee, and me. Repentance may be deſcribed to be the Reſurrection of the ſoul from the death of ſin. And this Reſurrection from ſin, which I may call Metaphorical, hath a faſt intereſt, none ſo ſure as it, in Chriſt as he comes forth from the darkneſs of the grave, and ſhines upon the world. All men ſhall be reſtored to life, juſt and unjuſt; for the Son of God redeemed the whole nature of man from the corruption of the Grave; and the Devil did utterly loſe jus mortis the whole dominion of death, becauſe our Saviour being an innocent was put to death, over whom he had no dominion: But the glory of our Saviours victory was to conquer two at once, Hell and Death: So the Prophet Hoſea cries out in form of an Epinicium, O death where is thy ſting? O hell where is thy victory? And from his own voice he declares his glory, Rev. i. 18. I am he that liveth, and was dead, behold I am alive for evermore, and have the keys of Hell and of Death. Therefore this great Feſtival is the penitent ſinners holy day, for whoſe ſakes both the Keys are turned, for whoſe ſakes both the Gates are opened, that the ſoul may paſs from the judgment of Hell, and the body from the rottenneſs of corruption. And thus it appears, why Chriſt was firſt ſeen of Women in his bodily manifeſtation after death. It was granted to their couragious attempt, that durſt come unto the Sepulcher, it was for the conſolation of their Antecedent grief. It was to ſhew them a difference between their bringing forth a child to life, and Gods reſuſcitating our dead bones. It was expedient to have a teſtimony from ſuch harmleſs Witneſſes. And Mary Magdalen is ſupereminently named above them all, for ſhe was a moſt contrite penitent and Chriſt died for their ſins, and roſe again for their Juſtification.
It is my courſe now according to the Propoſitions of my Text, to remove forward to the meditation of her love, which was ſo conſtant, even after death, that ſhe came unto the Sepulcher of our Lord. A faith, though it be never ſo weak, never ſo languiſhing, yet it will produce ſome effect which is worth the noting. For inſtance, as I cannot maintain but there was a defect in this womans faith, ſo according to that little faith, no man ſhall deny but there was a great deal of love. As concerning faith, it is apparent that ſhe miſtook the Scriptures in two things: Firſt, that ſhe thought to find Chriſt's body in the Sepulcher, as if it were poſſible he could be held of death longer than the third day. The Angel gave an item to the women that their coming was a vain labour,Luk. 24.6. Why ſeek ye the living among the dead? Remember what he ſpake unto you when he was yet in Galilee. He did foretel it ſo expreſſively how he would riſe from the Grave after three days, that all his enemies took notice of the ſaying, but thoſe women were hard of belief, or elſe they had forgot it. Secondly, It was Maries error, and common to all her Partners to bring Spices to anoint our Saviours body, the other Evangeliſts expreſs that they came with ſuch preparations, purpoſing to apply them to the Corps that it might not putrifie. It ſeems they underſtood not David, Thou ſhalt not ſuffer thine holy One to ſee corruption. It was not thought upon, as it fell out, that the fleſh of Jeſus was not like ours which is rank and ſinful, his was pure and undefiled, which had never deſerved to ſuffer rottenneſs and putrefaction: And they ignorantly come to the Sepulcher with Spices to embalm him,Calvin. Harmon. Mat. 28 that his body might not be polluted. But is there no way to excuſe this forgetful and deceived faith? It is a good mixture of praiſe and diſpraiſe which a certain Author puts together. It was an error not to be defended to think that Chriſt was held of death, and lay ſtill in the Sepulcher; but becauſe the cuſtom to anoint dead bodies was an aſſured hope that the fleſh ſhould riſe again to immortality, therefore ſetting their particular error aſide touching the perſon of Chriſt, in general their reſpect was full of faith, and honour, and devotion toward the Reſurrection of the body, which general notion of ſo good an Article of faith won them pardon for this particular incredulity.
But I ſaid before concerning this little faith, no man muſt deny but ſhe ſhewed a great deal of love. As Thomas noted into what danger our Saviour imbarked himſelf, when he told his Diſciples Lazarus is dead, and we will go unto him; Let us alſo go and die with him, ſays Thomas. So there was Souldiers abroad to watch the Sepulcher, Spies in every corner from the High Prieſts to mark who did confeſs, and honour our Saviour, to go to his Tomb was in effect to ſay, let us go and die with him, we care not for our lives. True love eſteems it ſweet to ſuffer for his ſake, to whoſe memory their affection is conſtantly devoted. And why did ſhe addreſs unto the Sepulcher? A ſtone was rouled upon the mouth of the Grave, and it was ſealed with Pilates Seal, ſhe could ſee nothing; but ſhe drew near to that which ſhe loved to ſee, foreign, ſays St. Chryſoſtome. It did her good to walk in that Garden where the body of the Son of God was laid, ſuch a Garden which incloſed him who was the Flower of Jeſſai, ſaies the Prophet. This was a Paradiſe to overmatch that Garden, which was once in Eden, by how much the ſecond Adam riſen here from death to life, was better than the firſt Adam, who fell there from life to death. This was ſuch a place as could not chuſe but ſtrike her with reverence: as Moſes ſtood before the buſh which burnt with fire, and the buſh was not conſumed; ſo Mary came to ſtand before the Sepulcher, where that divine body lay, the firſt fruits of them that ever roſe from the dead, the Spear had entred his heart, the whips and thorns had torn his fleſh, yet by his own power he lived again, the buſh was not conſumed. Think with thy ſelf, if thou wert now kneeling by that Cave of the earth, where thy Saviours body lay, what abundance of tears it would make thee ſhed for thy ſins? What a deſire of heaven it would beget in thy ſoul? What a contempt of this loathſom earth? I do ever riſe up from thoſe relations which I read, or which Pilgrims make of thoſe places with a mortified heart. Certainly Helen the Mother of Conſtantine, St. Hierom, and Paula made an admirable uſe to enflame their zeal, by frequenting this very place which Mary did. And my knowledge and Religion are in a dream, or elſe Devotion without ſuperſtition is the moſt heavenly thing in the world. We come into the Capitol, ſayes Tully, only to pleaſe our eyes with looking upon that Bench in the Senate; where the renowned Orator Craſſus was wont to ſit. So Mary Magdalen came with a reſolved opinion, that it would give her great conſolation to come near that place where Joſeph had interred her Saviour.
St. John's Hiſtory is brief, and hath made him omit this clauſe of the Story, remembred in St. Luke, That they came with Spices which they had prepared; with ſweet ſpices that they might anoint him, ſays St. Mark. Why Joſeph and Nicodemus had bought an hundred pound weight of Myrrh, and Aloes, and wrapped them with the body of Jeſus, was not that enough? Pardon them if they over-do their part, Amor non credit ſatis eſſe factum niſi ipſe faciat, ſays one; cordial love thinks all is not done that ſhould be, unleſs it ſelf be at the doing. This chargeable ſpicing and anointing the dead was in uſe among the Gentiles, for ſo they interred their deceaſed friends, who are men of renown and Nobility. So the Greek Poet reckons this Ceremony in the Funerals of Patroclus, foreign, ſo Virgils Miſenus, Aen. lib. 6.Corpuſque lavant frigentis & ungunt. Donatus the Grammarian gave no other reaſon but this, Ut cadavera mortuorum citiù… flammam conciperent; To make the Carkaſſes conſume to aſhes the faſter when they were put upon a pile of wood to be burnt. Although others gather out of the Heathen, that they eſteemed it Piety to waſh away all filthineſs from the C…rpſes of the deceaſed; and the Officers that took the care of ſuch things were called Pollinctores quia pollutos ungerent. But, among divine Writers, all do embrace this as a ſtrong conjecture, and indeed not to be denied, that the Servants of God embalmed, and anointed the dead both in the Old and New Teſtament in honour of the Reſurrection. So Joſeph commanded the Phyſicians to embalm his Father: So certain devout Widows waſhed the body of Tabitha, and laid her forth in an upper Chamber, Acts ix. 37. Let me not omit how Chriſt himſelf did approve of that Ceremony while he was living: A woman broke a box of Oyntment of Spikenard very precious upon his head; and when ſome had indignation at it, he forbad his Diſciples to trouble her, ſaying, She is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying, Mar. xiv. 8. That woman ſpent her coſt upon him, when he was alive to give her thanks. Mary came to pour her Spices upon his Grave when ſhe thought he was dead; true Love is munificent to them who are dear unto it when they live, but more abundantly when they are deceaſed.
Now carry your attention with you to the third part of the Text, that no ſeaſon was ſo fit to be watch'd as this, which the women laid hold of, The firſt day of the week cometh Mary Magdalen: This coming was upon the third day after Chriſt had been laid in the Grave; and it was upon the ſame day, which from thenceforth was called the Lords day, wherein our holy Aſſemblies every week do meet together; theſe two things are fit to be examined before I leave the Treatiſe of this Point. From the beginning of the world was there never any thing of ſo great expectation, as the ſucceſs of this day, whether that, which Chriſt had ſo often foretold ſhould come to paſs, that he ſhould die, and the third day he would riſe again. How buſie were the women to come abroad, and try what they could learn? And I verily think the waves of the Sea rowl not about ſo faſt in a Tempeſt as the thoughts of the Diſciples beat within their heart, and earned within them between fear and hope, whether the day were like to prove glorious, or uncomfortable; well, God did rather go beyond his own word than come a whit behind it. He made this third day the moſt memorable Feaſt that ever the Sun ſhined upon. It was a third day when Joſeph releaſed his brethren out of Priſon, Gen. xlii. 18. On the third day in the morning, after the people had come to Mount Sinai, the Law of God was delivered, Exod. xix. 16. On the third day Eſther put on her Royal Apparel, and ſtood before Ahaſuerus, and deſired him to be good to her Nation, Eſther v. 1. On the third day Abraham came to the place where his faith was tried, and Iſaac was reſtored back again alive, when the ſacrificing knife had been at his throat, Gen. xxii. 4. To come near to the mark, the third day Jonas was caſt ſafe upon the Land out of the belly of the Whale; and that was the ſign which Chriſt gave to the Jews, able to convince all infidelity, as Jonas was three days and three nights in the belly of the Whale, and then came forth alive, ſo Chriſt burſt open the Monument the third day, and appeared unto many.
Reaſon may be buſie to enquire why the Son of God prefix'd ſuch a ſpace of time for his Reſurrection, before he would quicken his fleſh, rather than any other. Certainly, there is but one modeſt conjecture, which is this, he would lie no longer, than ſome hours of a third day in the grave, leſt he ſhould keep the weak faith of his Diſciples too long in ſuſpenſe, yet ſooner he would not open his monument, leſt his enemies the Jews ſhould pretend, he was but caſt into a ſwoon by the ſharpneſs of pain, and not truly dead. Theſe following I will allow for ingenuous alluſions and no more; that our Redeemers body was bereaft of life unto the third day, to appeaſe the offended juſtice of every Perſon in Trinity, God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt; to ſignifie that we were dead in ſin by thought, word, and deed. To bring unto eternal life them that believed either under the Law of nature, under the Law of Moſes, or under the new Covenant of grace. To reſtore the three parts of ſpiritual life unto us Faith, hope, and charity. Tria ſunt omnia, ſays another, three days are the ſum of mans life both here and for ever. A day of labour in this World, a day of reſt in the Grave, a day of reward in the Reſurrection. If there be any Son of Adam that would have a fourth day Dies otii in hâc vitâ; A day of eaſe and pleaſure in this life, ſuch a one is Lazarus quatriduanus & putet. It may be ſaid of him as the two Siſters ſaid of Lazarus their Brother, He hath lain four days in the ground and begins to ſmell. Three days are all, labour, reſt, and reward, theſe are alluſions, I ſaid, to the Reſurrection of Chriſt upon the third day. One thing is very obſervable, to match this circumſtance of the New Teſtament, and an accident which fell out in the Old. Even this very day wherein Chriſt aroſe, and gate dominion over death, the ſame day, which was the third day after the eating of the Paſſeover, Moſes brought the Children of Iſrael through the Red Sea unto dry Land, certainly intimating that they went through death to life, and ſo did Chriſt.
St. Peter hath a Text, 1 Epiſt. 1.10. which doth authorize me yet to ſearch further, and more diligently about the time of this Reſurrection. Saies he, The Prophets have enquired, and ſearched diligently, what manner of time the Spirit of Chriſt did ſignifie, when it teſtified before hand the ſufferings of Chriſt, and the glory which ſhould follow. And ſurely, there is a great myſtery coucht in the circumſtance of time, that the Evangeliſts have differently ſet down other obſervations, that concurred upon the Reſurrection, but all of them in one phraſe do agree in theſe words, foreign, that this wonder was wrought upon the firſt day of the week; foreign, Ʋna Sabbati; The Jews gave ſuch honour to their Sabbath, that every day following had the denomination from it, the firſt, ſecond, and the third day after the Sabbath, and ſo unto the ſixth. The Latine Church in their Liturgies hath given the ſame honour to Eaſter Day, for Eaſter day by principallity being called Feria, the Holy Day; The Latines from it call the days of the week primam, ſecundam, tertiam Feriam, and ſo unto the ſixth. Our vulgar Engliſh calls the firſt day of the week Sunday, and all other days following are denominated from ſome of the Planets, we received ſuch Language in this Iſland from our Forefathers who were Paynims, and knew not God, but we differ from them in the intention; they did it out of Idolatry to the Sun and Moon, &c. we to ſignifie that God made the Hoſt of Heaven, and all the Stars thereof. Moreover, Ʋna Sabbati litterally rendred is not the firſt, but one day of the Week, becauſe one is the firſt ground to begin numbring; and Theophilact ſays the Lords day is called the one day of the Week, either becauſe it is the only day, from whence the bleſſing is procured for all the reſt; or beſides it is a figure of the life to come, Quando una tantum dies eſt nequaquam nocte interpolata; when there ſhall be but one day for ever, and no night of darkneſs to interrupt it. Thus much of the words.
The matter of the Point is of a more profitable uſe. And hence I begin, that as God the Father upon the firſt day did begin to make this viſible world of Creatures; ſo Chriſt roſe the ſame day from the dead, to ſignifie that a new Age was then begun.In Apol. 2. Reſurrectio eſt alterius mundi ſpiritualis creatio, ſays Juſtin Martyr, The Reſurrection is well called a creation of a new ſpiritual world. On the firſt day of the Week God ſaid, Let there be light, and he divided between the light and the darkneſs. Verily on that wiſe on the firſt day of the Week God brought the light of the world out of the darkneſs of the Grave, and the life, ſays St. John, was the light of men. Now this infinite work to tread death under feet, and to bring all fleſh out of corruption into the ſtate of immortality, being more eximious than to make man in a poſſibility at firſt to die, and periſh, therefore all Chriſtian Churches have deſiſted to meet together at holy exerciſes upon the Sabbath of the Jews, and the firſt day of the Week is the day appointed to ſanctifie out ſelves unto the Lord, for what reaſon I will now unfold, and it is a caſe of no ſmall perplexity.
And let me auſpicate from the Text and Authority of Holy Scripture, and theſe places following do conſpire to verifie the Truth. Acts xx. 7. Paul abode ſeven days at Troas, the ſeventh day of his abode was the firſt day of the Week, then (and not before it ſeems) upon the firſt day of the Week, when the Diſciples came together to break Bread, that is, to partake of the Lords Supper, Paul preacht unto them. This ſeems to approve, that in the Apoſtles time it was no more in uſe for their Diſciples to meet upon the Sabbath, but as well to honor the Reſurrection, as to ſeparate from the Rites and Cuſtoms of the Jews, in the Spirit of God they did convene together on the firſt day of the Week. From Preaching and Adminiſtring the Holy Communion, let us come to Collection of Alms. 1 Cor. xvi. 2. Ʋpon the firſt day of the week let every one of you lay by him in ſtore, as God hath proſpered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. How can this be expounded, but that diſtributions were made to the poor upon the firſt day of the Week in their moſt ſolemn Aſſemblies? For if the meaning were, that every man ſhould ſet apart a ſhare of his own gains upon that day in his private Coffers, and not in the publick Treaſury, when their Congregations were together, then Collections had been to be made from houſe to houſe, when Paul was to come, who deſires it might be laid up in readineſs, as it were in one ſtock, before. 'Tis pity we are faln from that good order, but in the moſt antient Church, I find that they never miſs'd to carry the Poors Box about every Lords Day, witneſs this place of St. Cyprian; De oper. & Elcem.Locuples es & dives, & Dominicam celebrare te credis, quae Corbanam omnino non reſpicis? Thou that art rich and wealthy, doſt thou imagin thou keepeſt the Lords Day as thou oughteſt, and doſt caſt nothing into the Treaſury? Thirdly, as the laſt day of the Week, when God reſted from his works, was called the Sabbath of the Lord, ſo it is of much moment to the point, that the firſt day of the Week is called the Day of the Lord or the Lords Day. Rev. i. 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day, as it appears, Rev. i. 13. John was walking on the Sea ſhore meditating upon holy things in the Iſle of Patmos: Very probable that there was no ſolemn meeting to praiſe God, as it ought to have been, among thoſe Pagan Iſlanders, otherwiſe John had not betaken himſelf to ſolitary Meditations; but ſee how he was recompenſed, Nactus eſt Doctorem ipſum Deum, quando fortaſſe deeſſent quos ipſe doceret, Bright. Revel. ca. 1.when he was diſconſolate, becauſe he wanted Auditors to teach, God preached unto him the Myſteries of the Age to come. But to enforce the Text forenamed for an Argument; we have but two things in the New Teſtament called the Lords, the Sacrament is called the Supper of the Lord, 1 Cor. xi. 20. and this day of Chriſtian Aſſemblies is called the Lords Day, (the Lords Prayer and the Lords Houſe are good Phraſes, but our own, not the Scriptures) but as we keep the Feaſt of Paſſeover no more, but inſtead thereof eat the Lords Supper; ſo neither do we obſerve the Jews Sabbath any more, but inſtead thereof we keep the Lords Day.
Thus far I have preſt the Authorities of Sacred Scripture: The Authority of the Primitive Church, and ſo downward to this Age, will convince it clearly againſt any that is obſtinate. Ignatius was St. John's Scholar, Epiſt. ad Magnes.and as if he had learnt of his Teacher, he writes thus, Let every lover of Chriſt celebrate the Lords Day, which is dedicated to the honor of his Reſurrection, the Queen and Princeſs of all days. Juſtin Martyr commands the ſame day to be kept holy to the Lord every Week, in his 2. Apolog. So doth Tertullian more than once, and I cited St. Cyprian before. The Council of Laodicea ſpeaks thus reſolutely: Anathema to all thoſe that reſt upon the Sabbath; Canon. 29.let them keep the Lords Day, when they obſerve a vacancy of labor, and do as becometh Chriſtians. Canon. 20.The great Council of Nice doth not command the firſt day of the Week to be kept holy, but ſuppoſeth in the 20. Canon, all good Chriſtians would admit that without ſcruple, and then appoints other ſignificant Ceremonies to be kept upon the Lords Day from Eaſter to Whitſontide. I need not reckon downward after the Nicen Council, becauſe, in one word, I have not heard or read that it was oppoſed by any of the Fathers. They knew that an appointed time muſt be allotted for every neceſſary Duty; and certainly upon the abrogation of the Old Sabbath, not Man, but God did appoint a time for ſo neceſſary a thing as the religious Service of his Name. Chriſt made an end of all Sabbaths by his own Sabbath, lying all that day and night in the Grave; and to hold that the Sabbath, which is but a Shadow, is to continue, is to hold that Chriſt the Body is not yet come; yet that being laid apart, let us allow God a ſeventh day for ſanctification, ſo much is divine in the fourth Commandment: and what ſeventh day, but the ſame which Chriſt ſanctified in his Reſurrection, which is the new Creation of the World, the ſame which the Scriptures point at, the ſame which the Church hath conſtantly kept in all ſucceſſions. Salve feſta dies, toto venerabilis anno, ſays Lactantius; and Origen ſays that Manna did begin to fall down about the Tents of the Iſraelites the firſt day of the Week, and in the ſame day you are bound to bring your Omer to gather Spiritual Manna in your holy Aſſemblies, that your Soul may eat and be ſatisfied. When the Proconſuls of ſeveral Provinces enquired who were Chriſtians, to puniſh them; you ſhall find in the Acts of the Martyrs this was their Queſtion to deſcry them, Dominicam ſervâſti? What, do you keep the Lords Day? The good man being perſecuted anſwers, Chriſtianus ſum, intermittere non poſſum, I am a Chriſtian, and cannot intermit it.
Do we differ from the Jews then in nothing but exchanging day for day? Yes, Beloved; as in ſanctifying Gods name we are to go beyond them, becauſe the Spirit is given to us in more abundant meaſure than it was to them; ſo in nice Points of reſt and ceſſation from all bodily labour and exerciſe, we are not tied ſo ſtrictly as they were. I wonder from whom they had their Doctrine that teach the contrary. I know they will not ſay they had it from the Fathers, I know they cannot ſay it juſtly. I appeal to the beſt lights of this latter Age. Out of the French Reformed Churches I cite Beza. Beza in Apoc. 1.Thus he: The keeping of the Lords day is an Apoſtolical, and a divine Tradition; yet ſo, that we are not tied (he means by Gods Law) to obſerve the Judaical ceſſation from all kind of work, for to obſerve the Judaical reſt were to change the day,Euſeb. vit. Conſtant. lib 4. c. 16. and not the Judaiſm. Imperial Laws, made by Conſtantine and other godly Princes, did firſt interdict, that no open and uſual buying and ſelling, or other Merchandiſe ſhould be uſed; for it is fit for the better ſanctifying of the day that we ſhould ſequeſter worldly affairs, and be altogether vacant to God. Thus far he. Out of the German Reformed Churches I will cite Paraeus, This is his Argument; Who firſt approves that the Lords day is to be kept with a decent ceſſation from manual labours, and that it is very ſcandalous to pollute it with uſual ſecular affairs, but if any will run further, to impoſe upon Chriſtians the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jewiſh reſt in their Sabbath; thus he convinceth them. The obſervation of the Jewiſh reſt was figurative and typical; and all thoſe figures of truth were to be kept under pain of ſevere judgment, becauſe the figure was the pledge and Proteſtation of the truth which ſhould come to paſs; now there being no ſuch figurative dependence upon the ſanctification of the Lords day, we are tied only to ſuch reſt as ſhall adorn and beautifie our Worſhip of God upon that day, I mean both our Morning and Evening Sacrifice. Beware therefore to be a Jew in opinion, but beware to be a diſſolute Libertine in practice. Violate not this day, nor any the like in the whole year with Negligence, Idleneſs, Luxurious Paſtimes, or Riot; give thy body reſt,Baſil. Hex. homil. n. that the ſoul may be more buſie in the holy work; foreign, reſt which is not imployed in the fear of God is the Mother of all wickedneſs. I cannot end this Point better than with thoſe words of St. Baſil.
Let me adventure with your patience upon the next Point, and I will defer the handling of the laſt. That which I mean only to ſpeak of is Mary Magdalens expedition, her reſtleſs diligence, her watchfulneſs without all ſloath, She came early, when it was yet dark. Every hour ſeemed ſeven to this pious Matron, till ſhe came to the body of Chriſt, the Sabbath of the Jews was but now ended, and ſhe had much ado to refrain coming before it was done. The Stars of the night had not yet run their courſes when ſhe ſet forth toward the Monument, for it is probable ſhe kept the Sabbath at her own Town, and ſhe dwelt at Bethany two miles from Jeruſalem, yet by Sun-riſing, when it was yet dark, ſhe was come to the Sepulcher, a journey of two miles, and had brought her Spices with her. She had no ſleep I believe fell upon her eyes for thinking of her Saviour. I am ſure ſhe had no leiſure to paint her face, to powder her hair, or to dreſs her ſelf with finical curioſity. We had divers, I confeſs, that came early this morning to the holy Sacrament, when it was yet dark, I praiſe them for it. We have others that ſeldom or never find the way to Church till the Afternoon, you may know by their vain Attire, trickt up in Print, what they were doing all the Morning. At laſt we have their company ſcarce with half a thought to pleaſe God, but with their whole heart to be praiſed of fools, and to pleaſe ſuch wanton and adulterous eyes that gaze upon them. What a coil is here with this carion fleſh? Ye are but painted Sepulchers, full of rotten bones, and not worthy to come with Mary to the Sepulcher of Chriſt, much leſs to come to the Communion of his body and bloud. O proud mortality, they that make their Looking-glaſs all the Text which they take out in the Morning, little think that the Grave may be the Pew in the Church wherein they ſhall be placed before Evening. Now they walk abroad ſo ſtrong with ſweet ſmells, that they are able to perfume a Sepulcher with Spices; in leſs than four days all this delicacy may turn to ſtink and rottenneſs. Come early to the Sepulcher, that is, think of death in your young bloſſoming years, how ſuddenly ye may be cut off, then leave to faſhion your ſelves after this French, or that Italian dreſſing, and ſpin a poor ſhrowding ſheet which may wrap you up in the earth againſt the day of the Reſurrection.
I haſten. Was it yet dark when Mary came, when St. Mark ſays punctually it was at the riſing of the Sun? What an intricate caſe ſome have made of this objection, which is nothing in it ſelf! For the Evangeliſt doth not mean, it was ſo dark that the women could not ſee about them, for then all they reported would be taken to be fancy, and not a known truth: But the Sun newly riſing ſome obſcurity of darkneſs remains in ſome places, eſpecially it might be ſo about a Monument which was cut of a Rock in the Earth, and the Monument in a Garden where ſhady trees do not ſuddenly admit light, and the Garden perhaps lying under an Hill, and compaſſed about with a Wall, ſome dusky darkneſs may incloud ſuch a place early in the Morning. They ſhoot wide therefore that expound the darkneſs figuratively, that the Scriptures were not opened as yet how Chriſt ſhould riſe the third day, and all the World was benighted in the darkneſs of incredulity. There is no need to ſtrain the Text ſo mightily;Serm. 82. and yet Chryſologus hath invented a more forced Interpretation. Thus he. As the day was ſhortned at our Saviours Paſſion, and the Sun did ſet in an Eclipſe a long time before the natural Evening of that ſeaſon, ſo at his Reſurrection the Sun rejoyced, and was ſo officious to attend him that he roſe certain hours before the natural ſeaſon of the day. Therefore according to the natural riſing of the Sun it was very early when Mary Magdalen came, but if you conſider the extraordinary appearance of that glorious Lamp upon the Earth before the time, ſo the Sun was riſen, and yet it was the time of darkneſs. This is more ſubtil than ſolid, my firſt interpretation was the ſure reſolution.
I will ask but one queſtion more to clear a doubt, and ſo conclude. All the Evangeliſts, no doubt, do purpoſe to ſet out the diligence and watchfulneſs of Mary, that none have omitted to deſcribe what an early Pilgrim ſhe was. Had they no other end in it? Yes ſurely, to expreſs the timely Reſurrection of our Lord. As David ſings it, Exurgam diluculo; Awake my glory, awake Lute and Harp, I my ſelf will awake right early. But how can you then inch out the time to ſay reſolvedly, that he lay three days in the belly of the Grave? Beloved, you muſt meaſure the days by a Synechdoche. He was buried toward Evening upon the Jews day of preparation, and ſo lay interred ſome part of the Afternoon, and all the night. Upon the Jews Sabbath he reſted in the Sepulcher all day and night, upon the firſt day of the week he continued in the ſtate of death ſome hours of the Morning, and very early he came forth an eternal Triumpher; he fulfilled the Scriptures therefore, and withal made haſte to fulfil his Promiſe, to riſe the third day. Euthymius expreſſeth it more elegantly than I can. Quod citius quàm ſit conſtitutum efficitur potentiae eſt, quod tardius imbecillitatis. Chriſtus non ſolùm promiſſum explevit, ſed etiam gratiam velocitatis addidit. To be eardier than our promiſe is a ſign of ſome let and infirmity:Euthy…n. in Mat. 28. To be beforehand with a Promiſe, is a ſign of power and efficacy. The Promiſe of the Son of God was that in three days he would build up the Temple of his body again: He did ſo, and more than ſo, ſoon after the third day was begun. Behold the preſtation of his Promiſe, and the acceleration of his favour joyned unto it; ſo we have ſeen both his truth in the Promiſe, and his love in the ſpeedineſs, doing even above his Promiſe, To whom be honour, praiſe, and glory for ever. AMEN.