Marie Magdalens loue

IN this Verse I take foure especiall notes: First, hir running; then to whom shee ranne; then how shee spake; and

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 tho∣rough 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 Constan∣cie 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 de∣sires howe to seeke him: Searche the Scriptures saith Christ, and there you shall reade of mee.

So, the Scriptures wee must

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.

Then shee ranne and told Simon Peter, and the other Disciple whom Iesus loued.

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 Pas∣sion; and then if wee finde not his Resurrection, wee must runne vnto his Ministers for our instru∣ction.

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 Se∣pulcher, 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 vn∣worthines to come so neere as his Tombe, shee would not looke in, but shee woulde first tell his Disci∣ple: 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 en∣quire

of Christ, and to bee instru∣cted in his will, ere they diue too deepe into the secretes of his holy Scriptures.

Then shee ranne, and came to Si∣mon Peter, and the other Disciple whom Iesus loued, and saide vnto them: Heere are you to note an excellent point of Modesty in Ma∣ry, 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 (Godwil∣ling) 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

destraught, laide holde on the Dis∣ciples, 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 occa∣sion 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. Ma∣ny places coulde I sette downe where this worde is vsed to beau∣tefie

the speeche, with the Mode∣stie in the deliuery. But I will leaue them to the Readers ley∣sure, 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, Drun∣kards, Adulterers, Thieues, Traytours, and Murtherers, besides other vayne and idle hea∣ded 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

headlong to the diuell and his fol∣lowers, 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 Disci∣ples, and to returne with Mary to our comfort: But of that we will (by Gods grace) speak more here∣after.

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 Disci∣ples: 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 Disci∣ples to enquire of him: To seeke in the Heauens, alas shee was too

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 entertay∣ned 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;

but wee must seeke him as Mary did, runne to his Disciples to en∣quire of him, and so shall wee the better come to him.

Nowe touching the Disciples shee came vnto; one thing I espe∣cially note in the naming of them: Simon Peeter and the Disciple whom Iesus loued. Though all the Disciples were called by the espe∣ciall 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 Gos∣pell of Saint Matthew, and six∣teenth verse: Fleshe and bloode hath not reuealed this vnto thee, thou shalt be called Cephas, which

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 trea∣bled his question againe, asking him, Dost thou loue mee Peter? And when hee had receiued his answere, that Lorde thou know∣est 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

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 them∣selues to bee the beloued of his Mercie.

Learne then of Mary when to seeke Christe, the first day of the

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, al∣mighty GOD, bee ascribed

and giuen all Honour, Prayse, Dominion, and Glory, both nowe and for euer, Amen.