your young blossoming years, how suddenly ye may be cut off, then leave to fashi∣on your selves after this French, or that Italian dressing, and spin a poor shrowding sheet which may wrap you up in the earth against the day of the Resurrection.I hasten. Was it yet dark when Mary came, when St. Mark says punctually it was at the rising of the Sun? What an intricate case some have made of this objecti∣on, which is nothing in it self! For the Evangelist doth not mean, it was so dark that the women could not see about them, for then all they reported would be ta∣ken to be fancy, and not a known truth: But the Sun newly rising some obscurity of darkness remains in some places, especially it might be so about a Monument which was cut of a Rock in the Earth, and the Monument in a Garden where sha∣dy trees do not suddenly admit light, and the Garden perhaps lying under an Hill, and compassed about with a Wall, some dusky darkness may incloud such a place early in the Morning. They shoot wide therefore that expound the darkness figu∣ratively, that the Scriptures were not opened as yet how Christ should rise the third day, and all the World was benighted in the darkness of incredulity. There is no need to strain the Text so mightily;Serm. 82. and yet Chrysologus hath invented a more forced Interpretation. Thus he. As the day was shortned at our Saviours Passion, and the Sun did set in an Eclipse a long time before the natural Evening of that season, so at his Resurrection the Sun rejoyced, and was so officious to attend him that he rose certain hours before the natural season of the day. Therefore according to the na∣tural rising of the Sun it was very early when Mary Magdalen came, but if you con∣sider the extraordinary appearance of that glorious Lamp upon the Earth before the time, so the Sun was risen, and yet it was the time of darkness. This is more subtil than solid, my first interpretation was the sure resolution.I will ask but one question more to clear a doubt, and so conclude. All the Evangelists, no doubt, do purpose to set out the diligence and watchfulness of Mary, that none have omitted to describe what an early Pilgrim she was. Had they no other end in it? Yes surely, to express the timely Resurrection of our Lord. As David sings it, Exurgam diluculo; Awake my glory, awake Lute and Harp, I my self will awake right early. But how can you then inch out the time to say resolvedly, that he lay three days in the belly of the Grave? Beloved, you must measure the days by a Synechdoche. He was buried toward Evening upon the Jews day of preparation, and so lay interred some part of the Afternoon, and all the night. Upon the Jews Sabbath he rested in the Sepulcher all day and night, upon the first day of the week he continued in the state of death some hours of the Morning, and very early he came forth an eternal Triumpher; he fulfilled the Scriptures therefore, and withal made haste to fulfil his Promise, to rise the third day. Euthymius expresseth it more ele∣gantly than I can. Quod citius quàm sit constitutum efficitur potentiae est, quod tardius imbe∣cillitatis. Christus non solùm promissum explevit, sed etiam gratiam velocitatis addidit. To be eardier than our promise is a sign of some let and infirmity:Euthyn. in Mat. 28. To be beforehand with a Promise, is a sign of power and efficacy. The Promise of the Son of God was that in three days he would build up the Temple of his body again: He did so, and more than so, soon after the third day was begun. Behold the prestation of his Promise, and the acceleration of his favour joyned unto it; so we have seen both his truth in the Promise, and his love in the speediness, doing even above his Promise, To whom be honour, praise, and glory for ever. AMEN.0