The mount of holy meditation: or a treatise shewing the nature and kinds of meditation the subject matter and ends of it; the necessity of meditation; together with the excellency and usefulnesse thereof. By William Gearing minister of the gospel at Lymington in the county of Southampton.

Sect. 7. Of the Resurrection of Christ.

Now it is requisite that we should meditate on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead:* 1.1 The Disciples of Christ before his Resurrection had not learnt their own Creed, which they were taught, not so much by our Saviour, as by his Sepulchre, whose opening mouth when it sent forth Christ the word of God, pronounced

his Resurrection which is the Epi∣taph of God: Joseph's devotion be∣stows a Tomb upon our Saviour, but our Saviour at his Resurrection bestows it upon death, which ever since hath been buried his Tomb: If the eye of our faith will adventure to see the active horrour of the grave, behold Jonas herein a type of Christ, and his quick Tomb made a Tomb of salvation to him; three or four days he lay in his new night of amazement, as if he had found an Egypt in the Whale, at last the grave by unacquainted instruction cast up the living; the Whale was no longer a Sepulchre, but a Fish, and Jonas no longer a Corse, but a Prophet; he had surely dyed, had he not been buried, and here was a resurrection, though not a reviving, a resurrection from disobedience and the Whale: Thus this rare Anchorer, and his Tomb were both alive; but the Tomb of our Saviour was as desperate as his death, what could be expcted from a grave, and a carkass, yet behold this carkass reviveth into a man, nay into a God, he arose when night ariseth

into morning, and at that season when Winter is quickned into a Spring; it was on the first day of the Jews week, a week well begun, and it was the first day of the Christian creation. The Angel made a little Earthquake in the grave when he re∣moved the mighty stone with which the vain Jew tried to oppress our Sa∣viour after his death, as if he would have sealed him up to an impossibi∣lity of a resurrection; but since the Angel hath opened the Tomb for us, shall we go and see the place whence Christ is risen, yet shall not we make such haste, but that the speedy devotion of the two Maries will be there before us, whose feet were as swift as their love, and their love as swift as time, nay more than time which hindred them by the de∣lay and command of their Sabbath, a Sabbath indeed only to their bo∣dies, which while our Saviour lay in his grave, were but the Sepulchres of their souls, which found no Sab∣bath till they found the Lord, they came with prepared spices and oynt∣ments for him whose Divinity p••••¦vented

balm, who esteemed their piety of more value than their oynt∣ments; but alas! they are no sooner at the Sepulchre, but they finde it as empty of our Saviour as full of won∣der, and instead of the body of the Lord they behold the Angel of the Lord sitting upon the stone which be had conquered to obedience, his rayment white as snow, his coun∣tenance like lightning; but that which was more wonderfull I the fearfull women were encouraged by the Angel, and their innocence, while the guilty Souldiers beholding the same sight with them, were full of faintness, being at once almost dis∣armed of their weapons and souls, they became as dead men, and were rather the prisoners than the keepers of the grave; but in the mean time the Angel comforteth and instruct∣••th the women, who are now his Dis∣••iples, and receiving a Commission ••o preach the Resurrection of our ••aviour, they hasten out of the ••omb with the confused expedition •• fear and joy was not this a strange ••grimage to run from the Sepulchre

of the Lord, whenas multitudes of Popish Votaries travell to his pre∣tended Sepulchre? but yet it was more strange, they seek the Disci∣ples and find Christ; here was a comfortable mistake, and indeed he comforted them with his presence and speech, when immediately they fall upon their knees, at his knee whose resurrection these female Evangelists are again sent to teach, and the first Scholars they must teach must be Christ's own Disciples, who shew their obedience as ready as their love, and speedily find Pe∣ter and Iohn for their hearers; here was zeal and tendernesse; the fierce∣est and mildest of the Apostles, and these no sooner hear their words, but they ran as fast to the Tomb, as the other ran from it: Iohn came first unto it, but Peter went first into it; love was swiftest, but zeal was boldest; where they were no soon∣er entered, but they find Christ's vi∣ctory, and his spoils of death.

And here let us meditate on the accidents that hapned at his resur∣rection, before his ascension into

Heaven: the Evangelist tells us, he came into the house where the Disciples were met, when the doors were shut, Joh. 20.19. We are not bound to believe it was at the beginning, or first shutting in of the evening, but the night might be well spent before he appeared to them; nor are we sure it was very late, for they might go to supper betimes, and the two Disciples going before to Emmaus, making hast might come to Jerusa∣lem before the dead time of the nigh•• and whereas it is said, Luk. 24 33. that they found the eleven, whenas it is evident Thomas was not among them; it's a Synecdoche, setting down all for the greater number, as Ioh. 20.12. Thomas one of the twelve; whereas they were then but eleven in all, for Judas had lest them, and hanged himself, and Matthias was not yet chosen, and added to the number Act. 1.

The main Question is about the manner of Christ's coming in, for St: Iohn* 1.2 tells us, he came in the doors being shut: Divers are the opinions of the learned about this point.

1. Some think it probable enough that some body within might unbolt or unbar the door, though the rest of the company took no notice thereof, nor the Evangelists mention it, so Marlorat:* 1.3 So he came in when the doors were shut, that is, very late, when it was time the doors should be shut, say others.

2. The Papists say, he came through the doors, as they also say, he came out of his mother's womb, clauso utero; that his body is really present at ••he Sacrament in an invisible manner; but they only say it, but prove it not:* 1.4 A learned man saith, Some in∣credulous Iew perhaps will not be perswa∣ded, that St. Peter's sword went be∣tween Malchus his ear and head, it wa•• so soon healed again: so some perhaps will not believe that the doors were at all opened, they were so soon shut again; but it's clear, though the•• were shut presently before and afte•• his passage, yet they were open 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the instant of his passage, else sha•• we grant a penetration, or th•• there were two solid bodies at 〈◊〉〈◊〉 same time in one place, which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not be; for so Austin saith even 〈◊〉〈◊〉

glorified bodies, Tolle spacia corpori∣bus, & corpora nòn erunt.

3. The soundest opinion is to ac∣knowledge, that he came in,* 1.5 in a most miraculous manner, clausis januis, but not per clausas januas, so that there was not penetratio sed cessio cor∣porum solidorum: he came not through the wood, iron and steel of the door, but the door opened to him of its own accord, or by his divine pow∣er, as Act. 5.19. Act. 12.10. the ••reature gave place to the Crea∣tour.

And that they might not doubt of his resurrection, he proveth it by an ••vident demonstration, bidding ••hem behold his hands and his feet, and ••ells them it was he, Luk. 24.29, 30. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 if he had said, a spirit hath not parts ••ad members and dimensions as I have; ••erefore you may assure yourselves, ••••at it's my very body which you •• that was buried, that is now risen •• in: We may observe further, ••t Christ bids them make use not ••y of their eyes to see, but also of ••r hands to feel him; and unlesse 〈◊〉〈◊〉 had done so, it had not given

satisfaction to incredulous Thomas, whose faith lay in his fingers, and will believe no more than he seeth and feeleth, to whose infirmity our Saviour condescendeth.

* 1.6Here then a Question may arise, whe∣ther the scars remained in Christ's body after his resurrection or not?

* 1.7I answer, It seemed they did, how else could Thomas see and feel them, as he is bid for his full satisfaction to do, Joh. 20.27. If it be demanded whe∣ther they be blemishes or not; I answer, they were no signs of defect,* 1.8 but ensigns of victory; but that it's not likely they now remain in Heaven, or shall be seen at the last day, M^r Perkins sheweth, saying, that we may as well think that the veins of his body shall be empty, and without bloud, because they were so upon the Cross, as that the scars in his body shall then appear, because he had them, when he appeared to Thomas.

* 1.9But how cometh it about that he ••¦loweth that to Thomas and the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which he will not afford to Mary M••¦dalen, sc. to touch him, notwithstand∣ing he loved her very well. Joh. 20.27 He said unto her, Touch me not; ••e bi••

Thomas not only touch him, but also to put his finger into his side, which is more than to touch him.

1. Some say,* 1.10 she believed the resurrecti∣on by seeing him, therefore needed not this further confirmation by feeling; but Thomas would not believe, unlesse he both saw and felt, Joh. 20.25. the rest are so affrighted, that they know not what to make of it.

2. Others say,* 1.11 he would not then be toucht of her, to intimate to her, that she came with too much a car∣nall mind to touch him, a mind too low in regard of this glorious occasi∣on, Christ being now risen and glo∣rified, for his resurrection was the first degree of his glorification: it did not satisfie her to answer, Rabboni, but she runs to him, and claspeth him, and clingeth about him, as the affection of love did dictate to her: but saith Christ, Touch me not in ••uch a manner;* 1.12 this is not a fit man∣••r for thee to touch me in, now I ••m risen again: She thought to con∣••erse with him in that familiar man∣ner, as she did, while he was on earth, when she powred ointment

upon his head; though he were the same person, yet his condition was changed; he was before in the state of abasement, now in a state of glo∣rification; and that she must not touch him carnally,* 1.13 nor any longer expect his bodily presence upon earth, but follow him in her heart and af∣fections to Heaven, but touch him by the hand of faith, when he was ascended to his Father, as Austin saith, Mitte fidem in coelum, & teti∣gisti, Send up thy faith to Heaven, and then thou touchest Christ.

* 1.143. Others say, it was not an ab∣solute peremptory prohibition of touching him at all, but only of im∣moderate embraceing, for both she and other holy women afterwards took him, and held him by the feet, Mat. 28.9. Oh how glorious are the feet of the Lord of the Gospel?

4. Cardinall Bellarmine* 1.15 hath a conceit, that perhaps may be sound enough, that it was not a perpetuall prohibition, but only to be in forc•• for the present time, which he con∣jectureth from the reason, for I am not yet ascended, or ascending; I

am not yet leaving you, but have yet many dayes wherein I am to be conversant with you, during which you shall have time and leisure enough to touch me, and therefore forbear now at this time, and do that first which is most needfull, Go to my brethren, and tell them that I am risen, and that I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.

1. The meditation on the Resur∣rection of Christ, may teach us that Christ arose as a publick person, and therefore all the faithfull shall rise again; the Resurrection of Christ is a certain pledge of their resurrection; as in the first fruits all the rest were sanctified, so by Christ all the harvest of the faithfull is consecrated to a joyfull resurrection, 1 Cor. 15.20. Hence Christ is said to be the first be∣gotten from the dead, because he is the cause of the resurrection of all the faithfull, Joh. 11.25. Col: 1.18.

That God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, doth testifie to all the children of God, that the guilt of their sins is taken away; for if there had been any sin that Christ had not

satisfied for, he should have lyen in the grave to this day, 1 Cor. 15.17.

3. That the vertue and power of our Regeneration in this life, cometh from the power and vertue of Christ's Resurrection, Eph. 4.8, 10. This con∣futeth the Socinians, that hold Christs Resurrection onely exemplary, and the Pelagians that say we have power to raise our selves, therefore every one of us should labour to know the vertue of his Resurrecti∣on, by an experimental and practi∣cal knowledge, according to that of the Apostle, Phil. 3.8, 10. and be∣cause we cannot have this know∣ledge of our selves, let us pray to the Lord to give it us, Eph. 1.19.

1. Let us labour to know the power of God in raising up Christ from the dead, our faith and hope is grounded upon the power of God, 1 Pet. 1.21. that raised him from the dead, that therefore he will bestow all good things upon us: And here we must consider the will of God, for his power is effectual when it is according to his will, Joh. 6.39, 40.

God hath promised to be our God, and to bestow all good upon us; thus considering of the power of God, as it is an effectual and working power joyned with his will, it is a means whereby our faith and hope cometh to be in God.

2. Let us meditate on the good∣ness of God in raising Christ from the dead; we call him our Father, and Almighty Father, for otherwise if we consider the power of God without his goodness, it will make us to flye from him, rather than to trust in him; this goodness of God is manifest in that God raised him up, and gave him glory, and all for us, and our glory.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The seventh subject of me∣ditation is the Resurrection of Christ.
• * 1.2

  Joh. 20.19.
• * 1.3

  Marlorat. ad loc. Aretius. Boetius.
• * 1.4

  D^r Fulk.
• * 1.5

  Creatura ces∣sit Creatori, Beza. Calvin. Cyril. Polan. Synt. p. 419. Calv. Instit. l. 4. c. 17. Sect. 19.
• * 1.6

  Quest.
• * 1.7

  Resp.
• * 1.8

  Vulnerum sig∣na, virtutum insignia. Aquin. Euseb. Emiss. Perkins in Symbol.
• * 1.9

  Object.
• * 1.10

  Resp.
• * 1.11

  Marlorat. ad loc.
• * 1.12

  D^r Sibs Serm. on Ioh. 20.16. Vide B^p An∣drews Serm. in loc.
• * 1.13

  Aretius ad loc.
• * 1.14

  Calv. ad loc.
• * 1.15

  Bellarm.