DEerely beloued in our Sauiour Christ: In this first verse I find foure cheefe note [...] to bee well marked, and kept in memo­rie: [Page] First the person named, who it was, and of what condition: Se­condlie, the time, Thirdlie the place, and fourthly what was there seene and done. The person was Marie a woman, and one that had bin a great sinner, the time that she came, was the first day of the week in the morning earely, euen when it was yet darcke: the place shee went vn o, was the sepulcher, and the thin [...] that shee saw there was the stone rolled awaye from the Tombe: now touching Marie let vs note two especiall causes of her comming, loue and sorrow, loue that she bare him, and sorrow that shee had for him. I meane to liue without him: who of manie thou­sandes are ignorant, that the mista­ken loue indeed, which the wan­tons, and wretches of this worlde are to much troubled with; will keep their wits waking, watching [Page] and continuallie woorking for the accomplishment of a moste wilfull or rather woefull desire: and if then the deuill, by the permission of God, haue such power to blind the eyes, and charme the senses of humane creatures, with that lewd humor of mistearmed loue, how much more warie, effectuall, and continuall carefull watch dooth the loue of God keep in the soules of his seruantes, longi [...] and look­ing, both day and nig [...], and think­ing no time too earlie or long, be it neuer so long, so that at last they may come to the enioying of their souls comfort: Let vs therfore con­sider a little what may bee spoken of Maries loue: First that shee lo­ued we cannot doubt, for it was spoken by the mouth of Christ him­selfe vnto Simon. Luke, Chapter 7. Verse. 45. Many sinnes are forgiuen hir, for she loued much ▪ But marke [Page] now the nature of this good loue what it wroght in her▪ three excel­lent blessings, Constancy, Modesty, & Humility: Constancy in the hart, Modesty in the minde, and Humi­lity in the soule: but of these wee wil speake more hereafter in their due places, & therefore touching the first words from whence I ga­ther my first notes, marke here what is saide by the [...]olye Euange­list, whom [...] [...]ameth: Marie Mag­dalen, a vv [...]n, and one that had beene a great sinner: out of vvhom vvere cast out seuen deuills, but vvhen the foule spirits vvere gone, there came to her that good spirit, that in true penitence found espe­ciall grace with her liuing Lorde, not that she was then no longer a sinner, but being a penitent sinner, she had obteined mercie.

Now you see, how Marie had beene a great sinner, and receiued [Page] a great forgiuenes, which begat in her faith so great a Loue, as broght forth great fruits of repentance, & made of her as it were a new wo­man, turning her from a sinfull ser­uant to the world, to a louing ser­uant to Christ: as in these wordes following shall appeare.

Nowe earlie in the Morning the first day of the VVeeke, came Mary Magdalen, he sayeth not the Disci­ples, but Mary Mag [...]len: See here you blessed and welbeloued of God, both men and women: What a sweet example of care she hath left for your comfort that wil follow hir, it is saide heere, shee came the first day of the weeke: An excellent note for good hus­bandes and huswiues to obserue, not to ouerslippe their time, till the latter end of the Weeke, and then perhaps also be either idle, or worse exercised, as I feare too ma­nie [Page] are in these dayes: then ano­ther note of wisdome in the choo­sing of her worke to seeke Christ: for beginne the Weeke with him and thy worke will thriue the bet­ter, and continue the Weeke with him and thy wages wilbe the grea­ter, and neuer worke but with him, and thou shalt finde thy la­bour will bee the easier by the vn­speakable [...]mfort of thy reward. Manie are [...] earely, and downe late, as the [...]fe about his robery, the couetous about his misery, the adulterer about his villanie, and the Traytor about his [...]reason, but alas Mary had none of these thoughtes in her head, shee rose earely to seeke Christ, shee came earely while it was yet darke: for as Dauid the Psalmist saieth in his hundred and thirtie Psalme, and sixt verse. My soule waiteth on the Lord, more than the Morning watch [Page] watcheth for the Morning: who then wilcome to Christ must wait for him as Dauid did; and seeke for him as Marie did. Earely in the morning and the first day in the weeke and though it be dark, yet wee must watch till it be day, and then by Gods helpe wee shall see that wee looke for: Now let vs speake a little more of Mary, shee found her self a sinn [...]r, and there­fore vnwoorthy to see her Saui­our any more, but yet her sinnes were forgiuen her and she desired to sinne no more, and novv did grace so woork in her looue, that faine she would see her Lord a lit­tle more: but alas her Lord vvas dead, to other perhaps, but not to her, and see how faith vvrought in her affection, her heart had light before her eyes, shee vvent through the dark and came to the place ere it vvas day.

[Page]The diuell watcheth in the light to lead his followers into darknes and shall not wee watch thorough darknes to seeke Christ in the light? Iudas watch all day to betraye his Master in the night, but Mary wat­cheth all night to come to her Ma­ster in the day: Oh sweete blessing of God where faith wrought loue and loue dutie, and all came toge­ther to bring Mary to Christ: and except with these we followe her, wee shall neuer come to him: but Mary was a woman, and shal men follow women? why her happines came from God, and shall not wee follow her to her happines? but Mary was a sinner, and what flesh is righteous? and Mary was repen­tant, and what more proofe of e­lection? and Mary loued Christe, and what more ioy in a Christian? now not offending men; let mee thus farre speake in the commen­dation [Page] of godly women: if the first spokē off in the scripture offended God; the last spoken off, looued Christ: If Heuah vvas an accursed vvife, Mary vvas a blessed virgine: If shee vvere full of sinne; Marie vvas ful of grace: If Eue vvas temp­ted by the diuel, Mary vvas saluted by the Angell: And if Eue bare a vvicked Son Cain, Mary brought a blessed Son Christ: novv though this vvas not that Mary that bare Christ, yet this vvas she that loued Christ, & for a vvorld of such god­ly women as are lest examples to their posterities & sex in all Ages: I would be loath to spend time in recounting their names, which truly set downe, might make a Ca­thalogue of worthy memorie: but I speake to all beloued men & wo­men, thinke it no scorne to follow Marie in her early rising to seeke Christ: for to rise early is holsome [Page] for the bodie, & to walke to Christ is comfortable to the soule, suche exercise is better than any physick, & such a trauail brings the best rest.

Now Mary came early in the mor­ning while it was yet darke: surely, sin dooth much darken our eyes, that wee cannot see the way to Christ yet repentaunce gaue Ma­ry such a light that shee found the way to his sepulchre, and surelye wee must haue our lampes fedde with the oyl [...] of her Lords grace, or we shall neuer finde the way to her soules comfort: when Peeter and Iames were taken vp into the heauens & saw Christ in his glory, standing betwixt Moses and Eliah he could say, Heer is good beeing Lord, but after hee was crucified, who sought him at his sepulchre? Mary: Many would perhaps bee glad to rise earely to go vp to hea­uen to him, but who will goe tho­rough [Page] the darke to seeke him at his graue? Mary did, and such as Ma­ry will: Oh blessed Mary, so may I well tearme thee, for as the Psal­mist saith in his Psalme. Blessed are they that seeke him with their whole heart: & in that was she surely bles­sed, for shee sought him with her whole heart, by the light of her soules loue, orels being in the dark she woulde haue hardlye hitte the way: but now, where sought she him? at his sepulchre where he was buryed: see heer the [...]trong effects of loue, liuing or dead, shee could not forget her Lord: dead she saw him, buryed shee knewe hee was; & why did she then seek for him? loue could not forget him, & sor­rowing to liue without him, aliue or dead she wold be glad to se him: Now stil note the force of loue in the elect. A woman in nature feareful was now valiant, the dark­nes [Page] vncomfortable, shee thorow the dark sought her comfort, and amongst the graues of the dead sought the comfort of her life: here was loue voide of feare, and faith void of doubt, broght a spiritful of sorrowe to seeke her light in the darke, and Mary full of griefe to seeke her Lord in his graue. Now Mary came early while it was darke, the first day of the weeke vnto the Sepulcher. Manie will rise earely to looke to their Chickens, their Geese, their Duckes, their Swine, or such other things, but al things must be looked ouer, ere Christ be thought vpon, and perhappes not then neyther: But as it is written in Luke, Chap. 10, vers. 41.42. Mar­tha was troubled much about her worke, but Mary tooke the good parte: so manye take earely iour­nies, but Mary here made the good walke: Now though she came to [Page] seeke him where hee was buried, yet in hir hart she beheld him cru­cified; for who sees not his death in the sorrow of his hart, I am per­swaded shall neuer find him liuing in the ioy of his soule: But he was crucified for Maries and our re­demption, and shall not wee with Mary mourne for his Passion? Yes let vs with Maries loue looke into his Mercie, and following hir sor­row, wee shall finde hir comfort; and though not at the first as wee wish, yet at the last as she did: For if we watch the darke night of sin that wee sleepe not in sensualitie, but rise early to repentance, and walke with a true faith to the find­ing of our soules felicitie, when we haue gone thorough the dark, and attended the day, wee shall see the stone rowled away, and somewhat lest for our comforte, when the hardnes is rowled from [Page] our hearts, we shall enioy the bles­sing of our soules: Which that we may the better attaine vnto, let vs watch with Mary, walke with Mary, and weepe with Mary, rise early, goe thorough the darke, and come to the Sepulcher to seeke Christ in his graue, ere wee looke for him in his glorie: and though it bee long ere wee see his Person, yet shall wee quickly be partakers of hir comforte: For shee, as you shall herea [...]r heare (Godwilling) sawe him, bu [...] knewe him not; so shall wee bee sure of his Mercy though we see him not: Will you then come to Christ? Learne to imitate Mary in hir course: Who hath many sinnes, and findeth much remission, let his loue bee great, and his sorrowe not little, to lacke the comforte of his loue: Christ is offended, Christ must for­giue; Christ must be loued, Christ [Page] must be sought, and that early, for feare wee come too late, and since wee cannot behold him with our eyes of corruption, let vs holde him in the heart of our regenera­tion; let the first day of the weeke be the first beginning of our youth lest when wee growe olde either our spirites be so dull, or our eyes so dimme, that we shall not be able to rise, or at least to walke to seeke Christ: Christ dwels a great way from the worlde, and [...]ee that is o­uerladen with sinne, must shake off his burthen, or hee will neuer come at heauen; and hee or shee that will not in the sorrow of their sinnes rise vp to repentance, and in Christ his Passion learne the pow­er of Mortification, they may per­haps heare much of him, and pray much to him, but I doubt whe­ther they shall euer come neere him.

[Page]Learne then of Mary whom to loue, Christ: Why? for his good­nes in forgiuenes of hir sins, & the feeling of his Mercy; then louing Christ, learne hir sorrowe to bee without him; with hir sorrowe▪ hir labour to rise early to seeke him; the place where to finde him, at his Sepulchre: I meane in the Mortification of the flesh, that you may glorifie him in the spirite; who in forgiuenes of sinnes, and redemptio [...] of sinners; in comfor­ting the penitent, and blessing the faithfull in the perfection of loue, deserueth all honour, to whome sweete Iesu, the blessed sonne of the euerliuing God, with our hea­uenly father and the holy Ghost, bee all Glory, Honour and Prayse, both now and euer, Amen.

IN this Verse I take foure especiall notes: First, hir running; then to whom shee ranne; then how shee spake; and [Page] last what shee said.

In the former verse it is said, she came to the Sepulcher, nowe in this verse it is said, shee ranne from the Sepulcher. Shee came tho­rough the darke to seeke Christ in his deade Tombe; but nowe it is day, shee beginnes to runne to his Disciples, to tell what shee had seene, hoping perhaps of them to heare somewhat of [...]im: Se [...] here a notable token of true Constan­cie in her l [...]e, through the darke shee walke [...] [...]o seeke him at his graue; now in the light shee runs to his Disciples to enquire of him: So surely ought wee to doo, if in our owne cogitations wee finde him not as we desire, let vs runne to the Disciples to instruct our de­sires howe to seeke him: Searche the Scriptures saith Christ, and there you shall reade of mee.

So, the Scriptures wee must [Page] search, if we hope to finde Christ, but if wee bee so ignoraunt that wee cannot reade them, let vs then runne to his Ministers, that can and will deliuer his Worde vnto vs, that by them we may be instructed to finde the best way vnto him.

In this worde Then, is a notable sence to bee obserued: First shee came to the Sepulcher, and sawe the stone rowled away from the Tombe, and then shee ranne and tolde the Disciples; so wee must first looke into Christs buriall, by his buriall, I meane his whole Pas­sion; and then if wee finde not his Resurrection, wee must runne vnto his Ministers for our instru­ction.

[Page]Againe I note here an excellent token of Modesty in Mary to bee obserued of all Godly creatures, as well men as women; it is not saide heere, that so soone as shee came to the Sepulcher, shee went in, or looked into the Se­pulcher, but shee sawe the stone rowled away from the Tombe, and then shee ranne and tolde the Disciples: By a litle shee gathered more, the stone was rowled away, the graue [...]as open, and him shee saw not, and therefore either he was gone, or els finding hir vn­worthines to come so neere as his Tombe, shee would not looke in, but shee woulde first tell his Disci­ple: what shee had seene, to heare what they would say to her.

Howe excellent a note is this of Modesty, for all Godly women & men th [...]t are zealously giuen, to runne to Gods Ministers to en­quire [Page] of Christ, and to bee instru­cted in his will, ere they diue too deepe into the secretes of his holy Scriptures.

Then shee ranne, and came to Si­mon Peter, and the other Disciple whom Iesus loued, and saide vnto them: Heere are you to note an excellent point of Modesty in Ma­ry, to be carefully obserued thogh shee ranne from the Sepulcher, yet shee came to the Disciples: Though she ranne while she was out of sight, yet shee came when shee was in sight of the Disciples: shee ranne not hir selfe out of breath, to tell hir tale out of order; but after that shee had runne the time of hir loue, she came in good time for hir comfort; as (Godwil­ling) you shall heare hereafter.

Now it is not said, shee cryed, or sighed, or sobbed, and coulde not speake a worde, or as a body halfe [Page] destraught, laide holde on the Dis­ciples, to hale them to the place where shee had beene, but when shee came to them shee saide; which worde saide, encludeth a kinde of discreete deliuery of speeche: As wee commonly say in our Courtes, when a speech is well deliuered, if vpon any occa­sion of the hearers consideration the speaker be interrupted, when the cause is thought vppon hee is bidden say on: In speaking oft we heare added vnto this word speak, either lowd or softly, distinctly or plainely; but to saying I find none of these: but I finde written the sayings of the wise. Yea, Christ himselfe, in heauen and earth, the glory of all wisedome, vseth that worde in many places, as Verelie, verelie, I say vnto you, &c. Ma­ny places coulde I sette downe where this worde is vsed to beau­tefie [Page] the speeche, with the Mode­stie in the deliuery. But I will leaue them to the Readers ley­sure, and I woulde wish that all men and women woulde learne to imitate Mary in this manner of hir speaking, to talke as shee did of Christ and to his Ministers, to learne their instruction for their knowledge of him: Then would there not bee so many wicked men and women, Witches and Sorcerers, Glutto [...]s, Drun­kards, Adulterers, Thieues, Traytours, and Murtherers, besides other vayne and idle hea­ded people, and blasphemers of GODS most holy name, so daylie and howerlie exercised as they commonly are, in most vile and filthy talke, too intollerable to be heard of any Christian, leauing to thinke either of Christ his word or his Disciples, and wilfully runne [Page] headlong to the diuell and his fol­lowers, and will rather laugh at Mary, and runne to the diuel, than weepe with Mary to come to Christ: But God for his mercies sake, turne their heartes, and with them giue vs all grace to goe with Mary to Christs Tombe, to runne with Mary to his Disci­ples, and to returne with Mary to our comfort: But of that we will (by Gods grace) speak more here­after.

Nowe shee [...]ame to the Disciples and saide, they haue taken away my Lorde, and I knowe not where they haue laid him: Note here now the cause, that led Mary to the Disci­ples: Hir Lord she mist, & faine she would see him, but knowing not where to seeke him, shee thought it hir best way to goe to his Disci­ples to enquire of him: To seeke in the Heauens, alas shee was too [Page] great a sinner to looke so high for him; in the earth to seeke him were in vaine, for the stone was rowled away from the Toombe, and therefore he was surely stolne away; and in the worlde to seeke him, alas it is too base a place for so Royall a Presence, hauing before his death so vngratefully entertay­ned him. Nowe neither in the Heauens, the Earth, nor the World; alas, where s [...]oulde shee enquire after him? Is not of any of his Disciples: And therefore to them shee ranne, and to them she said, They haue taken away my Lord and I knowe not where they haue laid him. For many causes dooth the Lorde absent himselfe from vs, that wee may consider howe wee haue lost him, and seeke howe to finde him: If we loose him by sin, we must seeke him by repentance, and wee shall finde him by faith; [Page] but wee must seeke him as Mary did, runne to his Disciples to en­quire of him, and so shall wee the better come to him.

Nowe touching the Disciples shee came vnto; one thing I espe­cially note in the naming of them: Simon Peeter and the Disciple whom Iesus loued. Though all the Disciples were called by the espe­ciall grace and power of the holy Ghost, to the true seruice of GOD, in the administration of his holy worde, yet here I note them two especially named: For to which of his Disciples did hee say as hee said to Peter? when hee confessed him to bee the sonne of the liuing God? as it is written in the sixteenth Chapter of the Gos­pell of Saint Matthew, and six­teenth verse: Fleshe and bloode hath not reuealed this vnto thee, thou shalt be called Cephas, which [Page] is by interpretation a stone. And vppon this Rocke will I build my Church: Not vppon Peter, but Peters confession. And againe, to which of them did he say as hee saide to Peter three times; Dost thou loue mee Peter? Feede my flocke. Dost thou loue me Peter? Feede my Lambes, &c. Who though hee answered him to both his questions, with Lorde thou knowest I loue thee; yet hee trea­bled his question againe, asking him, Dost thou loue mee Peter? And when hee had receiued his answere, that Lorde thou know­est all thinges, and thou knowest I loue thee: Hee gaue him this commandement, Feed my Lambs nowe, if wee bee Lambes of Christes flocke, where shall wee looke for the milke of his mercie, but out of the booke of his most holy and sacred Scriptures, & who [Page] can interprete them vnto vs? But his learned and holy Ministers, and such as will shewe Christe their loue in instructing his flocke. Such a Disciple was Peter, and such a Lambe was Mary: God sende vs many such Lambs as Mary, to run to such Disciples as Peter, to talke of nothing but Christ.

Now the other was hee whom my Text sayth Iesus loued: and Christ be [...]ng hir loue, of whome shoulde she [...] better enquire after him, than o [...] his beloued? See then, what is the cause that first leads vs vnto Christ? Loue: How shall we seeke him? but goe to his Ministers for our instruction; who by the true administration of his holy Worde, doo manifest them­selues to bee the beloued of his Mercie.

Learne then of Mary when to seeke Christe, the first day of the [Page] weeke, in the beginning of our daies, then thorough the darkenes of sinne, to breake out into the day light of Grace; then where to seeke him, in his Tombe; if there you finde him not, runne to his Disciples to enquire for him; and to which of them? those that by the discharge of their dueties, are most likely to be his beloued: and thus if you will bee guided by the line of hir loue, I doo not doubt, but you shall come to hir comsort; which as hirs was, let ours bee, in the onely sight of our most blessed Sauiour, sweete Iesus Christ, the light that will leade vs through the darke, the life that will raise vs vp from death, and the loue that will giue vs life for euer: to whome in his Redeemer, in his holy spirite our comforter, and all in one, our Lorde, King, and euerliuing, al­mighty GOD, bee ascribed [Page] and giuen all Honour, Prayse, Dominion, and Glory, both nowe and for euer, Amen.

DEarelie beloued in our Sauiour Christ, yee haue hearde be­fore of the Disciples comming to the Sepulcher, with Mary, yee haue heard of Iohns outrunning of Peter, and of Pe­ters first going in into the Sepul­cher; yee haue I hope, noted the fruites of faith, and loue in the e­lect children of God, in briefe to [Page] seeke Christ, either aliue, or dead; that learning to die with him, wee may bee assured to liue with him: Now ye see what is here said, The Disciples went home againe: when they had tried the truth of her re­port, and that their eyes were wit­nes of more, than Mary had yet in her wordes deliuerd, (for that she had not yet presumed either to goe in, or so much, as to looke in into the Sepulcher:) they returned home without hauing further conference with her, rather wil­ling to leaue her mourning for her loue, than to fill her head full of doubts, what might become of hir Lord: and therefore it is said, they returned to their owne home, nei­ther commending her for her truth, nor giuing her thankes for her report shee had made, nor ad­uising her to seeke further a [...]ter him, nor counsayling her to staye [Page] there longer for him: but, beeing them selues ignoraunt where to seeke him, they left her to Gods pleasure, to dispose eyther of her staie there, or her departure from thence: by this I gather, that if we shall enquire of the ministers of Gods holy worde, touching anye such point, as in the holie Scrip­tures is not laid downe, wee must not take it amisse, if we be left vnto the mercie of Gods holie spirit, for the reuelation of his holy will, ra­ther than to [...]ll our heades with such cogitations, as neyther the scriptures doe warrant, may per­happes please God, nor fall out to our comfort: but yet, let vs with Mary go to the Disciples of Christ, to enquire and learne of them, what wee may for our comforte, but if we can not be resolued, then let vs run to Christ with incessant praier, that wee may aske and re­ceiue [Page] at the handes of his mercie, that he shall in his sacred wisdome finde to bee most to his glorie and our comfort: And thus much of the Disciples returning againe to their own home: now it followes, but Marie stood without at the se­pulcher weeping, & as she wept, she bowed her selfe into the sepul­cher: See here, as I haue saide be­fore three excellent notes to bee obserued, in the loue of Mary to her Lord Christ: Constancie, Mo­destie, and Humil [...]ie: Constancie, in that, though the Disciples retur­ned home, shee stayed still; Mode­stie, in that she stood, (as it is saide) without at the Sepulcher; Humi­litie, that shee bowed her selfe to looke in; but would not presume to goe in, though the Disciples had beene there before her: how little is this first part of commendation, in Maries loue at these daies fol­lowed; [Page] Let them to whom God hath giuen Grace to finde it in them selues, in sorrowfull sighes consesse it to his mercie, and with teares of true repentance; amend it to his Glorie: Oh Constancie the true Testimonie of the harts loue, and the suerest token of the soules comforte, to loue Christ is a blessed gift of the holy Ghost, but to continue Constant to the end is an espeaciall fruite of Gods fauour.

Oh Constant loue of Mary, that hauing once washt his feet, would now fil his Tomb with her teares: Oh rare Modestie, that in his life would but lie at his feete vnder the Table, and now was so bash­full, as to stand without at the se­pulcher: And, Oh most excel­lente Humillitie, that woulde presume no further, but to looke in: See here the heauenlie loue of [Page] this blessed woman, how much it differs from the vile nature of our worldlings loue.

We daylie see before our eyes, that the wisest Prince; the moste Godlie preacher; the most louing parents; the most bountifull Ma­ster; the most kinde kinsman; and the most faithfull friende; If they dye, howe soone are they forgot­ten? if they bee of anye account, I meane according to the worldes estimation; that their [...]eires maye bee the better for them, then per­haps they will take this order, and bee at this charge for them: the Lawyer shall make his Will, the Sexton hys graue, the Preacher shall make a Sermon for him, the parish shall haue a Feaste for him, the Minister shall bee paide for buriall of him, and a few weare Blacke weedes for him, and so there is no more adoe for him: [Page] But where are the teares of Loue all this while: alas there is no such cause, there is more gotten by his death, than by his life: rather weepe that hee liued so long, than that he died so soone: is it not too true that in manie places, it is day­lie seene, the childe is sicke of the Mother, and wisheth his Father in his graue, ere he can learne to bee a son, or leaue to be a Childe? are not many Subiects vnkinde, that will rathe [...] seeke the death of a Prince, than w [...]epe for his want: are not those kin too strange in na­ture, that are not onely continual­ly in lawe, but seeke one anothers life for their lands? are not those seruaunts most wicked, that had rather wish for a mourning coate for a dead Master, than a cogni­zaunce for the liuing, and will ra­ther betray him to his death, than weepe for him when hee is gone? [Page] And are not those friendes moste faithlesse, that will rather giue a Iudas kisse, than shedde Iosephs teares? I woulde there were no such people, but if there be, God of his goodnes giue them grace, with Mary to repent them of their wickednes, and with Mary to shed the teares of loue, that maye bee witnes of her faith: and continu­ing in her Constancie, with feare of presumption, they maye make proofe of such Humilitie as was her commendation, and may bee their comfort. How much this vertue of Constancie is commen­ded in diuers places of the holye Scriptures, yee may read, as in Ge­nesis the fift Chap. and fourteentl [...] verse. Henosh, for his long walking with God, was taken vppe in the heauens: Eliah for his constant faithfulnes was taken vpp into the heauens. Genesis, the two and [Page] twentie Chapter and seuenteenth verse. Abraham for his constant loue was called the Father of the faithfull, and had the promise of the Almightie, that of his blessed seede shuld come the blessed Mes­sias. Noah, Genesis, Chapter seuen, and thirteenth verse, for his Con­stancie was saued with all his Fa­milie, when all the worlde was drowned, that were not in the Arke: Dauid for his Constancie was left vnto vs a figure of Christ: the three Children in the fornace, for their Co [...]ancie, were preser­ued in the fire. Ier. the eight and thirtieth Chapter and tenth verse, Ieremie, for his Constancie, was deliuered from the Dungeon; Iob. the one and fortieth Chapter, and twelfth verse, for his Constancie, was restored to his health, & made more happie than euer hee was, Paul, for his Constancie, was rapt [Page] into the heauens, where hee sawe Christ in his glorie: Steuen the ho­ly Martir of God, did shine like an Angell at the time of Martirdome: and Mary here for her Constancie, comes to the sight of her Sauiour: but of this I will (God willing) speake more fitly anone: Now for Modestie, tedious it were to trou­ble you with many places of com­mendation, laid downe in [...] lie Scriptures touching that [...] though some of them I thinke it not good to omit: Sara was com­mended for her Modestie, in cal­ling hir husband sir: Rebeccha for couering her face, when shee saw Isaach: Hester, for her modesty was said to haue hir face shine, whose bashfull feare so pleased the King Assuerus, that he laid his scepter on hir necke, and kissed hir, and held her in his armes till her trance was [Page] ouer: And here you see her Mo­destie so pleased God, that he sent his Aungels to comfort her: for you see what followes. And shee bowed her selfe downe and sawe two Angels, the one sitting at the head, and the other at the feete; O would to God that all women woulde learne this Modestie of Mary! then wo [...]d they not so oftē fall into such p [...]ption, as is manie times, a [...] of their confusion, & in steed of laughing with Michol to see Da­uid daunce before the Arke of God, they [...]uld weep with Ma­ry at the Sepulcher of Christ: Mo­destie would teach them to come to the Church with more deuoti­on, and to heare the worde with more reuerence, than I feare too manie doe now a daies: how vn­comely a thing it is in a maiden, to be giggling and laughing, and how vngratious a thing it is for a wo­man, [Page] to be tighing and babling, in the Temple of God, at the time of the reading, or preaching of his holie Gospell: Alas what will they bee thought on among the wise? the one but an idle gossip, and the other a foolish girle: but here you see Ma­ry did none of these, and as I said be­fore, such as Mary will doe none of these: Learne then of Mary to loue Christ, to bee Constant in louing Christ, and to vse Mod [...]sty in your loue to Christ: so shall you surelye please Christ, and I am fully perswa­ded, bee most comm [...]nded of Chri­stians: Nowe for Humilitie, what is more commended in the holy Scrip­tures? Abells sacrifice was best accep­ted for his Humilitie, Moses beloued for his Humility, Abrahams faith best regarded in his Humility, Dauids pa­tience best considered in his Humili­ty, Salomons request granted for his Humility, Nabuchadnezer restored to Babell for his Humility, Iob best [Page] tried, beloued, and made happie in his Humility, Mary the virgin, recei­ued the saluation of the Angell, and the abundance of Grace in her bles­sed wombe for her Humilitie, and Christ himselfe for his Humilite to his Father, is glorified with his father: many places I omit, that shininglie set out the brightnes of this vertue, but indeed so manie are the rare and excellent properties of this most ex­cellent vertue, as I thinke it past the capacity of man, to giue it halfe suf­ficient comm [...]dation; yet thus much giuen [...]aue to speake mine opinion of it: It pleaseth God aboue all thinges, it pleaseth man in manye thinges, and displeaseth the Godlye in nothing; at lest wherin it ought to be showen: It graceth the Prince to be humble towards God, it aduaun­ceth the Subiecte in seruice to the Prince, it draweth loue from the pa­rents, in the Childrens obedience, it maketh the wife alone with her hus­band, [Page] it bindeth friends in Amity, & perswadeth enemies to peace, it winneth Christ vnto his Church, and here you see, it bringeth the Angels to Mary: before shee ran to the Dis­ciples, & talked with them of Christ, telling them what she had seen, now when they had seene what shee had reported, and were said to beleeue, yet they left her, and [...]ent home a­gaine: but what followed of her stay? Now the Disciples had left her, the Aungels came to her: was not here a speciall blessing of God? vnto so great a sinner, tha [...] [...]od regarding her sorrow, sent his Aungels for her comfort: Now let me a little touch one pointe that I haue ouerslipt, touching Maries weeping, for it is said: But Marie staid weeping at the Sepulcher: and she bowed her selfe; now in weeping I note fiue sundrye kinds of teares: of anger, of subtilty, of sorrow, of ioy, and of loue: some are saide to weepe for curst hart, I [Page] feare too manie know the nature of those teares, but such are saide to crie, not to weepe; for teares com­ming from the heart, doe so distill from the eyes, that they make no sound on the tongue; Nowe Marie it is saide, stood weeping not crying: now there are teares of subtilty, cal­led crocodi [...]es teares, which are said to mourne and weepe, till they can bring their praier within the com­passe of their calles, and then they o­uerthrow them, sting them to death and then feede [...]pon them: so may I say, are the te [...]s of a harlot, who in her pouerty will seeme to weep for affection, far enough from her hart, til she hath caught a sole in her snare, and then shee will feede vpon him at her pleasure: thus did not Mary, for the body was dead as shee thought, that shee wept for, the earth had no eyes to behold her teares, nor did she see any man, that she could think to deceiue with her weeping: no, no, [Page] her hart was too full of sorrowe for the dead, to thinke to deceiue any li­uing: Now there are teares of sor­rowe, as when Peter had denied Christ, it was said hee wept bitterly, for sorrowe that hee had denied the knowledge of so good & deare be­loued a Master: So it is saide Iesus wept ouer Ierusalem, to thinke on the destruction of the Cittie that shoulde after ensue: manie are the causes of sorrowe, tha [...] may bring teares out of the eyes of the moste wise and valiant that euer were; but the greatest cause that shoulde melt the heart of a Christian, should bee the sorrow of the soule for the deny­ing of Christ: now there are teares of Ioy, as were those of Ioseph, when hee saw his Father and his Brethren: But so it should not seeme were Ma­rie [...], who lookt for none but hir Ma­ster that shee could not see: Nowe there are teares of Loue, and those proceed of the kinde nature of the [Page] hart, as Christ wept when hee sawe Lazarus dead, whom he loued, and now Mary wept when she saw her Lord dead, or at least, could not see him dead, or aliue when shee liued: Mary was said to wash his feete with her teares, and wipe them with her haire when she was liuing: an excel­lent note of true loue, she borowed no water but her owne teares, nor any Towell but her owne haires: Now looke againe on her Humility, she vsed no towell I say but her haire and went no higher than his feete: and for her Humility and Loue, see what befell her: [...] shee bowed her­selfe into the Sepulcher, and sawe two Aungels sitting one at the head, and an other at the feete where the bodie of Ie­sus had layne: Nowe marke the de­grees of comfort, that came vnto this humble louing Mary, Shee came f [...]st to the Sepulcher to the Dis­ciple [...], from the Disciples to the Aun­gels: and except Christ she could goe [Page] no higher: Now a worde or two of the Aungels: and they said vnto her, woman, why weepest thou? and she saide vnto them, They haue taken a­way my Lord, and I know not where they haue laide him: Now some per­haps will haue a Ierk at this peece of Scripture, to pray to the Saintes ere they come to Christ: because she tal­ked with the Aungels ere shee came to Christ himselfe; but let those ouer­seene wittes looke a little better into the matter: First the Aungels came but to the graue, & seeing her there weeping, they asked her but a questi­on in these word [...], woman? VVhy weepest thou? she saide they haue ta­ken away my Lorde, and I knowe not where they haue laid him: Here is no praier made vnto them, though they were Aungels, but she onelie answe­red their question, & so ended their talke; so if the Saints will come and speake to them; l [...]t them aunswere their questions and haue no more to [Page] doe with them: for surely God will better appeare vnto them in his mer­cie, then aunswere them by his Saintes, if they could deliuer him a­ny message; but let these blinded people take heede that these mista­ken Saints proue not Diuels that by illusions lead them not from God, & his mercie, to their vtter confusion both of body and soule; but let mee come againe to my text: And shee bowed her selfe, and saw two Aungels sitting, one at the head, and an other at the feete: where the bodie of Iesus had la [...]ne, and the [...] [...] vnto her woman, why weepest thou▪ [...] shee saide they haue taken away my Lord, & I knowe not where they haue laide him: See n [...]w how much did her comfort ex­ceed the Disciples, they sawe but the li [...]nen clothes, and departed home againe; but she staid and was spoken to by the Aungels: but marke with­all the care of her speech, and sub­stance of her talke, she continues one [Page] tale, shee hath no minde but of one matter, no thought but of her loue, nor any loue but of her Lorde: no ioy but in him, no talke but of him, nor sorrow but to bee without him: goe to whom shee would, come to her who wold, Disciples or Angels, al was one for hir speech, they could get nothing of her, but they haue ta­ken away my Lord, and I know no [...] where they haue laid him: See here nowe what a property, the faithfull claime in Christ, that they call him their Lord, as one would say, my Fa­ther, my sonne, m [...] [...]ends, my house or my landes, so [...]ere sayes Mary my Lord: who was more deare to her, than either Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, kin, or friend, or all the houses and landes of the world, and therefore with teares she continues her sorrow with these wordes: They haue taken away my Lord, and I know not where they haue laide him. But now see I pray you, what presentlie [Page] follows. Immediatelie in a moment she turnes her selfe backe, and sawe Iesus, but knew not that it was Iesus: Nowe marke I say the glorious re­warde of her Humilitie, from the Disciples to the Aungels, from the Aungels to Christ him selfe; Now it is said shee turned backe, as though shee was afraid, that shee had presu­med too farre, eyther in looking in­to the Sepulcher, or at lest in talking to the Aung [...]ls: Oh Lord, how few will learne! I would many woulde followe this vertue of Humilitie in Mary; not to [...] too farre, nor to speake till they be [...]ken to, & then to bee afraide to speake too much: yea though it bee the best thing they can speake off, I meane their true loue to Christ: but to drawe to­wards an end; marke what followes: Now she comes neare her comfort; shee sees her Sauiour, and knowes him not: for when he said vnto her, VVoman why weepest thou? whome [Page] seekest thou? she supposing it had bin the gardner, said, Sir if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away: Thus in one word she aunswereth to both his questions, why she wept & what she sought: she sought her Lorde, in sorrow she could not finde him: Ie­sus said vnto hir, Mary, shee turned her selfe and saide vnto him Rabboni: which is to say, Master. Now when Christ made him selfe knowen vnto her, see what wordes she vseth: but onely one, to expresse as much as she was able to speake, Master: For a faithfull seruan [...]hat loueth his Ma­ster, if after a long mi [...]e of him, hee come to the sight of him againe, can he forbeare teares of loue to shewe his dutie? and say with Mary, Master; confesse all yee that loue your Ma­sters, for the rest God amend yee: Now was there euer so good a Ma­ster, as for onely louing him, nay ra­ther of his own meere loue giues vs [Page] life euerlasting; forgiues vs all our offences, payes vs our wages in his mercies, and our debts for vs in the blood of his owne heart; when by reason of sinne, wee bee long absent from this so good a Master, if euer his Grace bring vs againe to his mer­cie, with the teares of sorrowe shall we not weepe, to haue been so long from him, and so reioyce in his sight? that we shall bee able with Mary to say no more but Master: which one word so spoken, may make more pr [...] [...] our [...]ue, than a longer tale of our ser [...] for he knoweth our hearts, loue [...] [...]r Humility, and so regardeth our loue, that though wee fee him not as Marie did, yet we shall enioy such part of her comfort, as if we but thinke vpon his mercie, wee shall say in heart Master, when the friends of our ioy will not suffer vs to say any more: but it is enough and so much enough, as I beseech God to graunt vs all Crace, so to sor­row [Page] for our sinnes, and to long for his comming, that seeking him as Mary did with teares, wee way see him with ioy, and say with Mary, Ma­ster: which Master, Lord, King and God, be loued serued, honoured praised and glorified, of all his seruaunts here present, and all his faithfull whereso­euer: Amen.