IN the whole context from the first to the 18. verse, we have a description of the great love [Page 2] of Mary Magdalen, which she expressed unto Christ after his burial, and of the great ho­nor which Christ was pleased to confer upon her, as a testimony of his high esteem, & gracious acceptance of that her Love.

Her Love unto Christ she shews, 1. In her early seeking him when it was yet dark. 2. In her hasty calling of Pe­ter and Iohn to the Sepulchre. 3. In her staying behinde after they were gone away to their own home. They rested sa­tisfied with the evidence of the thing, their senses saw he was not there, and their Rea­son told them it would be in vaine there to seek longer for him. But she followed the Impetus of a strong affection, [Page 3] did not dispute nor consult with ordinary Reason, but where she had last seen him laid, there she hankers and lingers after him. His Honour to her appears in this that he hath more respect to the Love of Mary, then to the judgment and Reason of Peter and John; they gave over seeking him out of a dictate of reason; she conti­nued seeking him out of the impulsion of Love, though against reason. And Christ is much better pleased with the performance of duty out of Love then with the neglect of it out of pretence of Reason, and therefore as she first sought him, so she first findes him, and as before she called the Disciples to the Sepulchre, [Page 4] so she imployed to call them again, and to acquaint them with her finding of him.

In the whole context we may consider these two gene­ral parts,

1. Her continued attend­ance, affection and diligence in seeking and inquiring after Christ, when his Disciples had given it over.

2. Her successe in so doing, for first she meets with witnes­ses of her Lords Resurrection, and then with her Lord him­self.

For witnesses of the Resur­rection, here are, 1. The lin­nen cloathes which were left in the grave, for who would take away a dead man naked? who would in such a theft as [Page 5] this, when there were souldi­ers and a watch at the grave purposely to prevent it, trouble themselves to undo cloaths which were strongly fastned with balme and Odors to his Body? who would stay to wrap them up, and put them in order one from another? his friends could not for they were watched: his enemies would not for they had sealed up the monument. And this might have fomented the opinion of a resurrection, which they endeavoured to suppresse.

2. Here is a Vision of Angels filling the place where Christ had lien, and a confe­rence between her and them.

After these witnesses Christ [Page 6] is pleased himself to appeare unto her, and to confer with her. 1. Under a disguise and unknowne compassionating her tears, and enquiring after her desires, verse 14, 15. 2. Discovering himself to her as sometimes Joseph did to his brethren, verse 16. and presently imploying her in a Message to his Disciples, verse 17. which she, notwitstanding her geat desire to have stayed with Christ and to have en­joyed his presence, doth imme­diately obey, verse 18.

In the words of the Text observe, 1. The carriage and behaviour of Mary, and therein these three things. 1. Her Patience and unwearied at­tendance, She stood without at [Page 7] the Sepulchre. 2. Her Passion, she stood weeping. 3: Her di­ligence, she stooped down and looked into the Sepulchre.

2. The Consequent there­upon, wherein we may ob­serve, 1. Who they were whom she saw, Angels. 2. The description of them, by their number, two Angels; by their habit, in white; by their po­sture, sitting one at the head, the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lien.

In the carriage and behavi­our of Mary comes first to be considered her patience, her continued, unwearied, un­daunted attendance in seeking Christ, though the case seem­ed to wiser persons then she was desperate, But Mary stood [Page 8] without at the Spulchre. There had been set a watch of ene­mies, of Souldiers to secure the Sepulchre, she might have beene deterred from coming thither by them; when she was come and had called Pe­ter and John, they out of the evidence of the matter, and haply for fear of being obser­ved go away again to their own home: But neither their example, nor the Reve­rence she had of their persons doth alter her; nor the feare of being observed by the ene­my, afright her. Nor the dictate of her own sense, shew­ing the improbability of speeding, doth dishearten her, but when they are gone she stands to it still. There she [Page 9] was sure her Master had been laid, and from that place no Reason, no feare, no prejudice, no example could drawe her, but there she stood still. Here was great love indeed to out­strip and go beyond the ve­ry greatest Apostles. I do not know that Love of Christ is by name spoken of so par­ticularly of any of the Apo­stles, as of Peter and Iohn: Peter in the next chapter makes three solemn declarati­ons of his love to Christ, Thou knowest that I love thee, chap. 21.15, 16, 17. Iohn was not onely the beloved Disciple, but the loving Disciple, when all forsook Christ at his Crosse, he staid there with him; none of them wrote so much [Page 10] of Love as he.Beatus Joannes Evan­gelista cum Ephesi mora­retur usque ad ultimam senectutem, & vix inter Discipulorum manus ad ecclesiam deferretur, nec posset in plura vocem ver­ba contexere, nihil aliud per singulas solebat pro­ferre collectas, nisi hoc, filioli diligite alterutrum. Hieron. in Gal. 6. It is storied of him, that when he was by old age unable to make long Ser­mons, he would sit amongst his Audi­tors, and ingemi­nate over and over the duty of love: Yet there is a woman who even in that grace for which Peter and Iohn were more fa­mous then the rest of the Disciples, doth outstrip them. Though she knew their Ho­nour, and Graces, and Dig­nity above hers in the Church, yet in matter of love and duty to Christ, she is as ambitious to go beyond them, as they were to outrun one another [Page 11] towards the Sepulchre.

Here then are three ad­mirable Characters of a strong Love to Christ. 1. It suffers not it self to be stinted or limitted, no not by the greatest Examples, It hath an holy e­mulation and ambition, it knows no bounds, no mea­sure. The weakest woman, the meanest Christian, that truely loves Christ, may pi­ously strive with the greatest Apostle in this point. Though he be learneder, wiser, more eminent, more useful, more able then I, yet I will not be exceeded, if possible, by him or any in my love to Christ. Every Christian may strive to excell any one in grace to get first into the [Page 12] Kingdome. So our Saviour bids us strive to enter in at the strait gate, Luke 13.24. and the Apostle to Covet earnestly the best gifts, 1 Cor. 12.31. to seek that we may excell, 1 Cor. 14.12. to runne fastest in the race of salvation, 1 Cor. 9.24. as John and Peter here strove to out run one another. God loves spiritual emulation to see any of his servants vie with others who shall be most full of love, meeknesse, patience, perseverance in his service. In Davids Worthies this made Shammah one of the first three, The people fled from the Phili­stims, and he stood, 2 Sam. 23.11. he was not dismayed, nor led away by the example of the rest, nor Mary here by [Page 13] the Examples of the Apo­stles.

This is great wisdome and constancy, as well as Love, when we will not suffer the Reverence of persons, the ex­ample or Names of any, though farre beyond us in graces, to mislead us in matter of du­ty to Christ, to make us wea­ry or slack in his service; of all scandal and temptations this is one of the strongest: Peters example is a snare to Barnabas himself, Gal. 2.13.Isa. 3.12.9.16. when a great stone falls out in a building, thousands of lit­tle ones follow that miscarri­age. It is strange for common Souldiers to stand when their Leaders flie; yet this we see is the nature of true Love to [Page 14] Christ, non continetur terminis alienis. It suffers not any example to stint it; though Peter go, and Iohn go, Mary stays still. Love is like fire when the great wood refuseth it, and is not suddenly taken with it; The smallest will blaze and help kindle the greater.

There is great need of this Ballast and Constancy of our love to Christ in these incon­stant times, when many mea­sure duties by persons, by inte­rests, one for Paul, another for Apollo, one looks for Christ in this way to day, and to morrow in another; many with Peter and Iohn come and then goe, few with Mary stand still when they are in the Right. [Page 15] Now Love is a Root, a ground, a foundation, a remedy a­gainst being tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine, Ephes. 3.17. Ephes. 4.14, 15.

2. Strong love is Valiant and undaunted, will grapple and encounter with the stron­gest opposition; Mary feares neither souldiers, nor Jewes, nor any enemy in her seek­ing of her Lord;Plutarch de Amo­re prolis. a Hen will fight with a dogge in defence of her chicken. Love is strong as death, Aug. in Psal. 47. and the flames there­of are vehement, Cant. 8.6. Death encounters the greatest Giant, it fears neither Maje­sty nor might. Pauperum tabernas, Regumque turres, fire fears no materials if they be [Page 16] combustible, it will feed upon them; nay, Love is in this sense stronger then death, death could not hold Christ, Acts 2.24. Love can, and will not let him go, Cant. 3.4. Gen. 32.26. strange was the love of weak women in the time of the Primitive Per­secutions,Socrat. Hist. Eccl. l. 4. cap. 14. when they would runne with their children in their armes unto the places where Martyrs were to be burnt, fearing least the action should be over before they came, as we read in the Hi­stories of those times. There was an Errour,Discipli­ [...]a prohi­ [...]et ne quis se offerat. Cyprian apud Aug. contr. Gaudentium. lib. 1. cap. 31. Vid. Clem. Alexandr. Strom. lib. 4. pag. [...]67. D. E. Edit. Heins. I confesse, in this Love, for we should [Page 17] not rush upon sufferings, but stay Gods call. Yet in no­thing is errour lesse erroneous then in love, Prov. 5.19. The service we owe to God is to be done with all our heart, and minde, and soule, and strength, and love is the com­pendium of all this, Rom. 13.10.

3. Love is not over­born with sense and Reason to give over seeking, what it de­sires to enjoy, though the eyes and the judgement dictate it to be sought, hic & nunc, in vaine. This satisfied Peter and John, their Reason, being prevalent in them more then their affection, caused them to give over seeking Christ where they saw plainly he was not. [Page 18] But no improbabilities, no arguments can make this wo­man give over seeking where she saw no likelihood at all of finding. Love is in this also like Death. It will take no denial, it will not be put off with any Arguments. This is great faith, great love, great patience, in holy duties, when we can ply them against Reason, and can break through temptations that work not upon passions, Vid. Chrysost. in Gen. Ser. 38. p. 309. Edit. Sa­vit. but upon ve­ry judgement it self. As the poor woman of Canaan did. She cryed unto Christ, and he did not answer her. She cried on, and he seemed to refuse her: She persists-still, comes to him, worships him, Implores his help, and she [Page 19] seems to be not only rejected but reproached; yet she breaks through all difficulties, digesteth all discouragements, Turnes repulses into Argu­ments, and by an holy Anti­peristasis, the colder her hopes, the hotter are her prayers, till at last she prevaileth for a gracious answer, Matth 15.21-28. for there is a kind of omnipotency in prayer,Bernard. vincit invincibilem, Ligat omnipoten­tem. This I say is great love, great faith to keep close to God, and leane upon his Name, when we walk in darknesse, and have no light, Isa 50.10. to believe with Abraham in hope against hope, Rom. 4.18. when we are cripled with Ja­cob to wrestle still, Gen. 32. [Page 20] 25.26. and when sense and reason bid us despaire, not only to believe, but to tri­umph, as the Prophet expres­seth it although the fig tree shall not blossome, neither shall fruit be in the Vines: The labour of the Olive shall fail, and the fields shall yeeld no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no heard in the stalls: yet I will rejoyce in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation, Hab 3.17, 18.

Si ratio contra divina­rum Scri­ptura­rum authoritatem redditur, quamvis acutae sit, fallit Aug. Epist. 7. & Ep. 56. [...], &c. Justin Martyr Exposit. fid. p. 375. A.It is never good for any man to dispute himself out of duty; to subject the great [Page 21] things of the Law unto car­nal and sensitive disquisitions: to say I cannot see Christ here or there, near me in this temptation, in this distresse, my Reason doubts whether he be in this Ordinance, or in that Ministry, therefore I will give over the Assemblies of Saints, the study of Scripture, the waiting upon him where I am sure I have seen him formerly. This is a destructive temptation to let our reason overcome our love to Christ.

The second thing consi­dered in her behaviour was, her Passion, she stood weeping, supposing that she had lost him both living and dead; that the grave had lost him as [Page 22] well as she, that the malice of his enemies had not only put him to a shameful death, but had envyed him the honour of such a Sepulchre, and pro­ceeded to rage upon his dead body; here are two things considerable, 1. The Piety. 2. The Errour of her teares.

1. The Piety, she weeps for the misse and losse of Christ, and for the feare of that further scorne and disho­nour which the Enemy might do to his dead body. The duties we learn from thence are two.

1. The Love and Honour which is due to the Bo­dies of Saints, though they have the seed of dishonour [Page 23] in themselves,Vid. Aug. de Civ. dei lib. 1. cap. 12, 13. Baron. A. 34. sect. 169. Gatak. in M. An [...]on. lib. 4. sect. 48. p. 174, —176. Raynold. de Eccles. Rom. Idololatr. l. 1. c. 9 Goulart. in Cyprian. de opere & Eleemosy­nis. sect. 12. they must not receive a­ny dishonour from us. The Piety of the children of Isra­el is commended, that they embalmed Joseph, and put him in a Coffin, Gen. 50.26. Christ in his dead body was pleased to re­ceive the usual honour from those that loved him, of lin­nen cloaths and spices, John 19.40. when Dorcas was dead they washed her, Acts 9.37. when Stephen was dead, devout men took care for his burial, and made great lamen­tation, Act. 8.2. and Christ esteemed it a good work in her that poured out a box of [Page 24] ointment on him because it was against his burying, Mar. 14.6. Those that honour God he doth honour, not onely in their souls with glo­ry, but his favour and care extendeth to their Names, to their graves, to their ashes, much more should our love extend to the comforting and refreshing of their bowels while they live amongst us, Philem 6.7.

2. The deepest and truest ground of sorrow unto any Christian soule that loves Christ, is to misse him, and lose him, to seek him and not be able to finde him. The presence of Christ is that which makes heaven; then shall we ever be with the [Page 25] Lord, 1 Thes. 4.17, 18. John. 17.24. and this is the Hell of hells; Depart from me, Mat. 7.23, 25, 41. and when ever Christ is to seek to a poore soul in his communion, in the comforts of his presence, the light of his countenance, the taste of his promises, the efficacy of his grace, this is the saddest eclipse that the soul of a Chri­stian can lie under. O there­fore, when thou hast Christ hold him fast, let him not go, straggle not by wantonnesse, by presumption, by any neg­lect, from him: It will cost thee many teares to recover him again, and when he hath withdrawn himself, never give over suspiring towards him, enquiring after him, en­deavouring [Page 26] to recover him; an eclipse would be perpetu­al if the Luminaries should not move, and continue their orderly courses: move on, do not stand still when thou art in darknesse, but carry thy heart on with obedience, though without present com­fort, in the course of duty, and thou shalt in due time recover light and joy a­gaine.

2. The Errour of her tears, all this disquietnesse was a wrong furmize. In the most holy and ardent affections of Gods children, there may be a mixture of errour and infir­mitie, when they follow their own conceits, and are not guided by the word and will [Page 27] of God; a sad example whereof we have in Uzzah, which made David stumble as well as the Kine, 2 Sam. 6.6, 7. It was love in the Midwives to the Church, when they preserved the male chil­dren alive, but there was sin mingled, Exod. 1.19, 20. It was love in Joshuah to Moses, when he would have Eldad and Medad forbidden to Pro­phecy, but there was errour in that love, Numb. 11.28, 29. It was love in the other Tribes when they gathered against Reuben and Gad, be­cause of the Altar which they had built, but there was errour in that love, Josh, 22. It was love of holinesse made Timothy drink water so much, [Page 28] but when it impaired his health, there was error in that love, 1 Tim. 5.23.

Therefore we should learn in our greatest zeal and en­deavours of expressing love to Christ to see that our rule and grounds be right: That Gods will, and not our owne prejudice or errour, be the principles whence our duties arise, that we be careful to have our zeale tempered with knowledge, and our love regu­lated by Truth, else we may create much unnecessary sor­row to our selves by duties which are very pious, when they be misplaced.

2. We may here further take notice of the goodnesse of Christ, that when the hearts [Page 29] of his servants are right and aime onely at him, he pas­seth by the errours and weak­nesses of their holy things, and rewardeth them according to the love and integrity of their hearts in his eye-sight.

The third thing was her di­ligence, as she wept she stooped down, and looked into the Se­pulchre; Her sorrowe and love is not lazy, but tries that a second time, which be­fore she had done in vaine: She would not trust her own eyes, nor Peters, nor Johns, but from weeping she returns unto seeking againe. Hence we learn two things:

1. True godly sorrow for the losse of Christ will beget uncessant diligence for finding [Page 30] him again. Faith is not right without Love, Love is not enough without Labour, Hope is not enough without patience, 1 Thes. 1.3. teares are not enough, Christ will have our sweat as well as our teares, our working as well as our weeping. Esau cryed for the blessing, but did not re­cover it, Gen. 27.38. Orpah wept after Naomi, but did not follow her, Ruth 1.14. the young man was sorrowfull, but he went away, Mark 10.22. Hannahs was right weep­ing, 1 Sam. 1.10. weeping and supplication, Jer. 3.21. Hosea 12.3. Peters right weeping, he went out and wept, weeping and returning, Mat. 26.75. Jerem. 31.8, 9. Maries here [Page 31] was right weeping, she wept and looked; weeping and seeking, Jer. 50.4. Never let us e­steeme our sorrow godly sor­row, till it set us on work; and stirre up in us practical affections, 2 Cor. 7.11. A wicked man may weep out of the feare of wrath, out of a pang of sudden devotion, may hang down his head as a Bull­rush, as Pharaoh, Judas, E­sau, Ahab, and others have done: But no man can e­ver weep out of Love, and sincerely bewaile his want of Christ, who doth not as ear­nestly set himself to finde, and to recover him again.

2. Love will make a man do those things over and over again, wherein yet he hath [Page 32] found no comfort nor success before: as faith made Israell compasse the Walls of Jeri­cho seven dayes together, Iosh. 6.13, 15. and obedience, the Prophets servants go out six times together, though he saw nothing, 1 Reg. 18.43, 44. So love makes Mary to look and look again, to see what issue God would send. It is a waiting grace, it will not give over without a blessing. Hopes beyond experience. So Paul, 2 Cor. 12.8. thrice besought the Lord. So the woman of Canaan ventured on, and at last she had as much mercy as she would, Matth. 15.22, 28.

Let us learne this wisdom to try once and againe, not [Page 33] to faint, or give over if we be not answered presently, Gal. 6 9. Hab. 2.2. Hold the beginning stedfast to the end, Heb. 3.14. Ply duty, though successe follow not. Sow in the morning, withold not thine hand in the evening, Eccles. [...].6. Light is seed, Psalme 97.11. we must wait as the Husbandman doth for its co­ming out, Iam. 5.7. So Ionah, I said I am cast out of thy sight, yet I will look againe toward thine holy Temple, Chap. 2.4. So David, he remembred God, even when he was afraid to do it, Psal. 77.3. they who thus wait shall not faile to meet with comfort at last.

Thus we have seen the sin­gular and uncessant love of [Page 34] this woman to Christ, outvy­ing the love of those Disci­ples, whose love is more spe­cially taken notice of then any other of the Disciples. The Reason of which we may ga­ther out of what we reade, Mark 16.9. where it is said, that Jesus, when he was risen, appeared first to Mary Magda­len, Mira ita{que} Je suitae Maldonati audacia, qui primùm matri sua apparuisse asserit, non quod Evan­gelistae fa­ctum di­cant, sed quod fieri decuerit, in Mat. 28.16 ita Christo dictat quid ipsi facien­dum fuerit out of whom he had cast seven Devils: Whereof like­wise we read, Luke 8.2. The more sins any man hath had remitted, of the more devils he hath been possessed, the more admirable power and mercy he hath found in Christ towards his soul, the more will his heart be enlarged in love unto Christ againe; for we love him because he loved us, [Page 35] 1 John 4.19. Paul, who had sinned more then all the rest of the Apostles, did labour more abundantly then all, 1 Cor. 15.10. The more ser­vice we would do unto God, the more sensible we must be of our own wickednesse, and of his mercy. They to whom much is forgiven will love much, Luke 7.41, 42, 47.

We now proceed to the second general part observed in the words, viz. the successe of this her great love, and un­wearied attendance, she finds not the dead body of Christ, more reason had she had to weep, if she had found it; for if death could have held him, it would not have let [Page 36] us go, we should be still in our sinnes, 1 Cor. 15.17. The mercies of David were not sure, if he should not rise from the dead, Acts 13.34. but though she found not the Lord, she found more then they did who went away be­fore her, they saw onely the grave cloathes, but she seeth two of her Lords servants, and she may hope the Master is not farre off, when he sends two servants before him as his use was, Luke 10.1. Com­fort usually waits on the per­formance of duty: Peter and John look after Christ, and they see the linnen cloaths as evidences of his resurrection; more and more comfort waits on perseverance in duty. Mary [Page 37] continues, and she sees two Angels as witnesses of his Re­surrection, and she continues still there, and at last is her selfe become an eye and an eare witness that he was risen indeed: the promise is made to patient continuance in wel­doing. To them who by pa­tient continuance in well-doing seek for glory, Honour and Im­mortality, he will render eternal life, Rom. 2.6, 7. Let us not be weary of well-doing, in due season we shall reap if we faint not, Gal. 6.9. Be stedfast, unmoveable, alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your la­bour is not in vaine in the Lord, 1 Cor. 15.58. ye have need of patience, that after ye have [Page 38] done the will of God, ye may receive the promise, Heb. 10.36. If yee continue in my word, then are ye my Disciples indeed, John 8.31. Doubtlesse this good woman was well ac­quainted with that sweet pro­mise of Christ, and built upon it, John 14.21. He that loveth me, I will love him, and will manifest my self to him. Christ is much delighted to see his people outstand difficulties, to see his servants not discoura­ged with delayes. Of all affections there is none more patient of Labour, and withal none lesse patient of delay then love is, Prov. 13.12. we do not creep, but runne to the thing we love, because we love not to be long without [Page 39] it. As the Eagle hasteneth to the prey, Job 9.26. So doth the poore soule hasten to Christ: As soone as ever Mary heard that Christ was come, Iohn 11.31. She rose up hastily to go unto him; the prodigal sons necessity did not move so fast as his fathers love, he came, his father ranne, Luke 15.20. by how much the more impatient love is of delay, by so much the more is God pleased to see his servants wait till he will ma­nifest himself.

Well shee looked not in vaine, she sawe Angels.

Of all things in the world one would least have expected to finde an Angel in a grave, Spirits in the place [Page 40] of bodies, Glory in the place of dishonour, Immortality in the place of corruption; but as the Apostle sayes of Hos­pitality, Heb. 13.2. So may I say of waiting upon Christ, and constancy in duty, be not weary of it, let not sorrow nor despondency of minde discourage, for some have met with Angells unawares, where they least of all looked for them.

There are two things I would note from hence. Mary findes not the thing she looks after, the dead body of Christ (as she supposed it was) But she finds that which was more safe for her to finde, Angells to witnesse that he was a­live.

All sincere and unwearied seeking of the Lord, hath a certaine promise that it shall finde, though not ever the thing which it seeks, yet that which is much fitter and bet­ter for us. God deales with his servants as the Countrey man in the fable did with his sonnes, he bid them digge un­der the rootes of his Vines and there they sho [...]ld finde treasure; they did so but found none, yet the next year that opening of the roots did produce a plentiful Vintage, they digge for treasure at the roots, and by that meanes found it on the branches. So God tells us that in keeping his Commandments there is great reward, we try, and haply at [Page 42] first feel as much affliction as before. But yet at last we do receive the promises, and are able to say by experience God is good to Israel, to those that are of an upright heart, Psal. 73.1. The Lord deals with men in spirituals as with Saul in temporals; he sought Cattel and God gave him a Kingdom, 1 Sam. 9.20. Mary sought here a dead comfort, and God sent her a living comfort, Paul sought for ease from tempta­tion, and God gave him grace to sanctifie it unto him, 2 Cor. 12.9. This is a sweet comfort unto Gods children, God doth not always answer them in their will, but he doth al­wayes answer them in their wants. Maries will was to [Page 43] finde Christ in the grave, her want did require that he should be alive and out of his grave. We knowe not al­wayes what to pray, God knowes alwayes what to give.

This then is the ground of our comfort, the Lord is nigh to all that call on him in truth, Psalme 145.18. Jer. 29.13. he doth ever answer such men either ad votum, or ad profe­ctum, either ad voluntatem, or ad utilitatem; if not to the minde of the man which prays, yet alwayes to the minde of the Spirit whereby he prayes. If in sickness I pray for health, and God give patience to beare, and grace to sanctifie his visitation to me: if in [Page 44] temptation, for comfort, and he give fear to offend h [...], and faith to lean upon [...]im this seeking findes that which is better for my want, thoug [...] not that which is consonant to my Will. This should mightily encourage us to seek the Lord, we shall never do it in vaine, Esay 45.19. we shall ever finde either our wishes answered, or our wants supplied.

And it should teach us al­wayes to adore the dispositi­on and wayes of God towards us, and submit our Reason to his Providence; If we seek this or that and be crossed in it, to conclude God hath some better thing in store for us. It is against a mans will that [Page 45] he misseth his way,Possidius de vita Aug. cap. 12. yet Saint Austin by missing his way once escaped the lying in wait of the Donatists who intended to kill him. God crossed his will that he might save his life. Sometimes God can make the breaking of the ship to be the saving of the Pas­sengers, Acts 27.44. that a man may say as Themistocles did, periissem nisi periissem; as Jonah had been drowned, if he had not beene devoured; Manasseh in probability had perished if he had not beene afflicted, 2 Chron. 33.11, 12, 13.

II. We may hence observe, when the soul of a poore be­liever weeps, and sinks, and [Page 46] desponds, and is at the brink of a grave, ready to drop in and be swallowed up, there usually at the last as it were in Acie Novaculae, it meetes with comfort, and in monte Vi­debitur, God is seen in the mount, when Isaac is in the very point of being offered up. Mary is here weeping, and sadly con­versing with nothing but a grave, and in the house of darknesse she meetes with light. David was even at the graves mouth, and then he received a message of mer­cy, Psalm 6.5, 8, 9. Hezeki­ah under the sentence of death, and then received news of comfort, Isa. 28.10, 11, 20. Jonah in a double grave, in the sea and in the Whale, [Page 47] and then brought to shore, Jonah 2.6. Israel in Babylon as in a grave, and thence deli­vered, Ezek. 37.11. the earth is never neerer fruitfulnesse then when torne and harrow­ed. A man is never neerer pity in Gods eye, then when he is most desperate and de­solate in his own.

It should teach us amidst our greatest discomforts to trust in God under this relati­on, as a God that raiseth the dead, that calleth things which are not as if they were, that can sowe light in a grave, and cause those which are in the dust to awake and sing, 2 Cor. 1.9. Psal. 97 11. Isa. 26 19. Moses had not been sonne to a Princesse, if he had not been [Page 48] cast out on the waters, nor Josph the second in the King­dome, if he had not been cast into a Prison; God can make afflictions the harbingers of joy, as the sorrow of a woman in travel is the preparation to her comfort, Joh. 16.21.

3. In that Mary meeteth with Angels at Christs grave, we might observe how the glorious Angels of heaven did Minister unto Christ when he was at lowest, at his Birth, in his temptation, in his Agony, in his grave, they rolled away the stone, and as it were held back the hangings while their Lord came out of his bed-cham­ber.

Which is matter of great comfort unto all his Members. [Page 49] The Angels are Ministring spi­rits sent forth by him for the good of such as shall be saved, Heb. 1.14.

1. To beare them in all their wayes, Psal. 91.11. and to pitch their tents about them, 34.7. as the Camp was round about the Tabernacle, Numb. 2. or the Cherubims about the Walls of the Temple, 2 Chron. 3.7. so Iacob called them Gods Host, Gen. 32.1, 2.

2. To protect them in any special distresse, as, 1. In dan­gers, to guard them from the rage of enemies, as they did the Prophet Elisha, as Horses and Charets of fire against the Hoste of the King of Syria, 2 Reg. 6.17, &c. Daniel by stop­ping the mouths of the lyons that [Page 50] they could not touch him, Dan. 6.22. 2. In death to at­tend upon them, and to con­vey their souls into heaven, Luke 16.22. 3. In their graves to gather them together at the last from the four windes, Mat. 24.31. It is ill despising any of the least of Christs little ones; though they be little in them­selves, yet they have great Angels in the presence of God to take care of them, Mat. 18.10.

4. It was no strange sight to see thieves at a Crosse, but a wonderful sight to see Angels in a Grave: Certainly we may learne by this, that. Christ by his Resurrection hath made great changes and alterations in the grave: It is not now the thing it was before; he [Page 51] hath the Keys of hell and death, Rev. 1.18. The grave hath two doors, a fore-door to let out of the world, and a trap­door to let down into hell; he hath the Keys of both for his servants; he hath opened the fore-door, and rolled away the stone to give them a resurre­ction, and shut the trap-doore, the mouth of the pit, that it shall not swallow them up. So that to the godly it is now become Domus viventium, as the Jews were wont to call it, Mat. 22.32. Ioh. 11.25. he bore our curse on the crosse, and left his blessing in the grave. Blessed are they that die in the Lord, they rest, &c. Rev. 14.13.

But before these changes [Page 52] in this grave, there must be changes in another grave with­in us first. Wicked men are nothing else but living Se­pulchres; their conscience a pit for dead works, Heb. 9.14. their mouth full of rotten communication, Ephes. 4.29. their throat an open Sepulchre, Psalme 5.9. their heart deep and profound, Psalm. 64.6. the father calls it Abyssus hu­manae conscientiae. Aug. Confess. We are na­turally altogether become a­bominable, Psal. 14.3. Thi [...] grave must be first changed before that other. Mary Magdalen never saw two An­gels in a grave, till her own seven devils had been cast out; so long as the heart holds fast sinne, death holds fast her sting, [Page 53] and the horror and darkness of the grave remaines in it still: None can stoop and look boldly into a grave, but they that love Christ. If e­ver thou wilt have thy death comfortable, thou must have thy life fruitful. Live by faith, labour in love, and thou shalt rest in hope. If thou be a true member of Christ, though but a foot, the mean­est and lowest in his bodie, the Angels have a charge over thee both in life and death, in thy wayes, and in thy grave.

Now next these Angells are described, 1. By their number, they are two to make up a legal competent num­ber of witnesses, Deut. 19.15. [Page 54] So they testifie his second coming, Act 1.10. the Jews got two false witnesses to ac­cuse him, Matth. 26.60, 61. and between two base male­lefactors crucified him, Mat. 27.38. Now God to glo­rifie his Sonne, provided at his Funeral two Honourable persons, Joseph and Nicode­mus, John. 19.38, 40. to take off the shame of his Crosse, and here two blessed Angels to testifie that the curse of the grave was abolished.

Hence we learne, that Christ and the truth of his Gospel, how low soever by the persecution of men it may be brought, never did, never shall want a sufficient number of Honourable witnesses to [Page 55] maintaine it. Christ sent the seventy two by two before him, Luke 10.1. and we read of two witnesses; a sufficient number of Professors, Rev. 11.3. and when Satan rai­seth the most malicious oppo­sition, God affordeth the most glorious confirmation, Act. 17.12. where there is an E­lymas to resist, there is a Pau­lus Sergius to embrace the Gospel, Acts 13.7. when Saul persecutes the Gospel, the Honourable Eunuch is con­verted unto it, Act. 8.37. when there are four horns to push the Church there are foure Carpenters to fray them away, Zach. 1.19, 21. when there are bulls against it, he makes Kings bring Presents [Page 56] unto it, Psalm. 68.29, 30. when men and Nations abhor Christ, Kings and Princes arise and worship him, Isa. 49.7. God never leaves his Gospel either without evidence or without honour, we have Catalogum Testium in the worst ages, of good men, who by their pens and their blood justified oppressed truth against prevai­ling error, and owned Christ under the tyrāny of Antichrist

Blessed therefore is he who is not offended in Christ, who doth not stumble at the scan­dal of the Crosse, nor feare the malice and opposition of wicked men. The Jewes think theeves companions good enough for him on ei­ther side of his Crosse, and [Page 57] God sends blessed Angels to be servants unto him at either end of his grave. Let us follow Christ in a holy con­versation, no matter though the wicked of the world abhor and disdain us. God will always provide an oyntment for our Name, and make it precious in the eys of the truly honorable; and he will provide an Angel for our graves, to lay us down there in rest and ease. And it is much more comfortable to carry a Crosse in our life­time, and finde an Angel in our grave, then to glister in the applause of the evil world, and to find our grave, just as Adam left it to us, without life, or rest, or hope in it.

2. By their Habit, they were [Page 58] in white, men use to attend Sepulchres in black and mour­ning habits. Nigros efferre Maritos; they called such as were to be buried nigri; and [...] the Poets call it, black death.

Tombes were dwellings for devils and uncleane spirits, Mark 5.2, 3 but now in Christs Tomb here are Angels of light in white garments. Garments of praise, Esay 61.3. tokens of joy, Eccl. 9.8. Emblems of victory and triumph, Rev. 3.5. great reason of joy at this harvest, when the earth gave up her first fruits from the dead, Esay 26.19. Hence hap­ly it was that they who were anciently baptized, were bap­tized in white garments, as we [Page 59] read in Lactantius, Ambrose, and others. Candius egredi­tur nitidis exercitus undis; to note that they were Candidati Resurrectionis & aeternitatis. This is certaine there were no ground of joy, no assu­rance to us of victory against hell and death, but by the resurrection of Christ. Fiducia Christianorum resurrectio mortu­orum, as Tertullian speaks. The Resurrection from the dead is the confidence and comfort of Christians.

3. By their posture, one at the head, another at the feet, sure no circumstance is ob­served in vain in this strange sight. I shall not wander in­to various conjectures, but rest in this, that it seems to be [Page 60] an allusion to the Cherubims at either end of the mercy-seat, Exod. 37.7, 8, 9. Gazing on this great Mystery, this riddle of Sampson, out of the eater meat, out of the strong sweet­nesse, out of the grave salva­tion. This is one great part of the Mystery of godlinesse, seene of Angels, 1 Tim. 3.16. 1 Pet. 1.12.

Three Uses we draw from it, and conclude, 1. It com­forts us, that being in Christ and dying in the Lord, we sleep in our graves as it were be­tween the Angels who have a speciall inspection over us there. 2. is It comfort for the meanest sincere believer in the body of Christ. That Angels do not onely waite [Page 61] upon the Head, but upon the feet. They do not only as­cend, but descend on the Sonne of Man, John 1.51. The top of the ladder reacheth to the glorious head; and the foot to the grave the meanest parts of his members. 3. If I might use an Allegory (where­in I confesse is fit to be spa­ring) I would note one thing more for our instruction, That we should herein imitate Christ to have an Angell not at our head onely, but at our feet too, many can be content to have an Angel at their head, nothing but light there, but they Care not for an Angel at their feet, to walk answerably to their Light and Knowledg. David caried his Light to his [Page 62] feet, Psal. 119.105. and the charge which God gives his Angels towards us is in order to our feet and our wayes, Psalme 91.11. It is a sad thing for a man to have all his Religion in his Brain and Tongue, nothing in his Heart and Conversation. Devils can transforme themselves into Angels of Light, not so easily into Angels of holinesse. In some diseases the head swells when the body wastes: It is, though too usual, yet a mon­strous thing to have the head onely of a man, and the dis­positions of a Beast, Horrendum monstrum corpus Ho­minis ca­put daemo­nis. Bern. Serm. 1. in capit. jeju­nii. to have an Angelical understanding, and a Diabolical conversation. The greater our knowledge, the deeper our disobedience, Joh. [Page 63] 15.22. because light doth both forbid it, and aggravate it, and discover it; much bet­ter the heart of David with the head of Rehoboam, then the head of Solomon with the heart of Nabal: better have a rich Diamond in a ring of brasse then a Bristow-stone in a ring of gold. And so I have done with the words.

And now though I have laid on my self a Law of wa­rinesse and caution in the busi­nesse of Funeral Elogies, as no way beneficiall to the dead, and sometimes by ac­cident or misapplication hurt­ful to the living: yet give me leave to say this little of [Page 64] our dear friend and sister de­parted. She was both in bodily resemblance, and in moral imitation the transcript of a gracious mother. One in so tender years of as so­lemne, grave, composed, and even matrone-like a carriage, as did give testimony that her heart was ballassed and poised with serious and weigh­ty cares.

She was of a lowly minde, and in special beautified with that grace which the Apostle calleth the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price. She lived for the space of an year in my family, with so much sweetnesse and inno­cency of conversation, that I [Page 65] believe never any could ob­serve in all that time the least appearance of any passion in her.

She was very watchful over those of her domesticall Re­lations which were younger then her selfe, and would with much love and tender­nesse, instruct, counsel, reprove, and minde them of what she observed to be any way amisse or defective in them, and seriously call upon them to make conscience of their duty to God and men.

She was exceeding faithful and prudent in discharge of the family trust which was committed unto her. And certainly would have made as good a wife, and true an [Page 66] helper (had the Lord not pur­posed a better condition for her) as most young women that I have had acquaintance with.

She was a great lover of privacy and retirement, not at all given to idlenesse or tatling, or wandring about from house to house, but very much conver­sant in her closet, reading and praying. It was mixed mat­ter of sorrow & comfort to her in her sicknesse, that when she was well, God enabled her unto some weak performance of duty (the weaknesse whereof she much complained of) to pray earnestly and large­ly for her own soul, and the souls of her relations: and that then when she most desired it [Page 67] she was least able to perform it, the acutenesse of her dis­ease something discompo­sing her from fixednesse of minde.

She had very little regard of any thing relating to her health, or recovery in the time of her sicknesse: but her whole thoughts were ta­ken up with this one care to clear the evidence of her be­ing the childe of God. Those thoughts heaven-ward had the chief possession of her, till the height of her disease disturbed her reason, and then hastened her end: Which I am verily perswaded was unto her an happy dissolution.

The Lord make us all wise unto salvation, and teach [Page 68] us so to number our dayes, that we may apply our hearts unto that Wisdome; that whether we live, we may live unto the Lord, or whether we die, we may die unto the Lord, that unto us to live may be Christ, and to die may be gaine.