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be broken, and "all that sleep in their graves shall awake, and stand up from the dead," before thee. Not some one angel shall descend, but thou, "the great angel of the covenant," attended with thousand thousands of those mighty spirits. And if these stout soldiers were so filled with terror, at the feeling of an earthquake, and the sight of an angel, that they had scarce breath left in them, for the time, to witness them alive; where shall thine enemies appear, O Lord, in the day of thy terrible appearance, when the earth shall reel and vanish, and the elements shall be on a flame about their ears, and the heavens shall wrap up as a scroll?

O God, thou mightst have removed this stone by the force of thine earthquake, as well as rive other rocks; yet thou wouldst rather use the ministry of an angel; or thou, that gavest thyself life, and gavest being both to the stone, and to the earth, couldst more easily have removed the stone, than moved the earth: but it was thy pleasure to make use of an angel's hand. And now he, that would ask why thou wouldst do it rather by an angel than by thyself, may as well ask why thou didst not rather give thy law by thine own immediate hand, than by the ministration of angels; why by an angel thou struckst the Israelites with plagues, the Assyrians with the sword; why an angel appeared to comfort thee after thy temptation and agony, when thou wert able to comfort thyself; why thou usest the influences of heaven to fruiten the earth; why thou employest second causes in all events, when thou couldst do all things alone? It is good reason thou shouldst serve thyself of thine own; neither is there any ground to be required, whether of their motion or rest, besides thy will.

Thou didst raise thyself, the angels removed the stone. They that could have no hand in thy resurrection, yet shall have an hand in removing outward impediments; not because thou needst, but because thou wouldst: like as thou alone didst raise Lazarus, thou badst others let him loose. Works of omnipotency thou reservedst to thine own immediate performance, ordinary actions thou dost by subordinate

means.

Although this act of the angels was not merely with respect to thee; but partly to those devout women, to ease them of their care, to manifest unto them by resurrection. So officious are those glorious spirits, not only to thee their

Maker, but even to the meanest of thy servants, especially in the furtherance of all their spiritual designs. Let us bring our odours, they will be sure to roll away the stone. Why do not we imitate them in our forwardness to promote each other's salvation? we pray to do thy will here, as they do in heaven: if we do not act our wishes, we do but mock thee in our devotions.

How glorious did this angel of thine appear! the terrified soldiers saw his face like lightning, both they and the women saw his garments shining bright and white as snow; such a presence became his errand. It was fit, that as in thy passion the sun was darkened, and all creatures were clad with heaviness, so, in thy resurrection, the best of thy creatures should testify their joy and exultation in the brightness of their habit; that, as we on festival days put on our best clothes, so thine angels should celebrate this blessed festivity with a meet representation of glory. They could not but enjoy our joy, to see the work of man's redemption thus fully finished; and if there be "mirth in heaven at the conversion of one sinner," how much more when a world of sinners is perfectly ransomed from death, and restored to salvation? Certainly, if but one or two appeared, all rejoiced, all triumphed. Neither could they but be herein sensible of their own happy advantage, who by thy mediation are confirmed in their glorious estate; since thou, by the blood of thy cross, and power of thy resurrection, hast "reconciled things not in earth only, but in heaven."

But, above all other, the love of thee their God and Saviour, must needs heighten their joy, and make thy glory theirs. It is their perpetual work to praise thee; how much more now, when such an occasion was offered as never had been since the world began, never could be after! when thou the God of spirits hadst vanquished all the spiritual powers of darkness; when thou, the Lord of life, hadst conquered death for thee and all thine, so as they may now boldly insult over their last enemy, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"

Certainly, if heaven can be capable of an increase of joy and felicity, never had those blessed spirits so great a cause of triumph and gratulation as in this day of thy glorious resurrection. How much more, O dear Jesu, should we men, whose flesh thou didst assume, unite, revive; for whose

sake, and in whose stead, thou didst vouchsafe to suffer and die, whose arrearages thou paidst in death, and acquittedst in thy resurrection, whose souls are discharged, whose bodies shall be raised by the power of thy rising; how much more should we think we have cause to be overjoyed with the happy memory of this great work of thy divine power and inconceivable mercy?

Lo now, how weak soever I am in myself, yet, in the confidence of this victorious resurrection of my Saviour, I dare boldly challenge and defy you, O all ye adverse powers! Do the worst ye can to my soul; in despite of you it shall be safe.

Is it sin that threatens me? behold, this resurrection of my Redeemer publishes my discharge. My surety was arrested, and cast into the prison of his grave: had not the utmost farthing of mine arrearages been paid, he could not have come forth; he is come forth, the sum is fully satisfied. danger can there be of a discharged debt?

What

Is it the wrath of God? wherefore is that but for sin? if my sin be defrayed, that quarrel is at an end: and if my Saviour suffered it for me, how can I fear to suffer it in myself? that infinite justice hates to be twice paid. He is risen, therefore he hath satisfied, "Who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died; yea, rather that is risen."

Is it death itself? Lo, my Saviour, that overcame death by dying, hath triumphed over him in his resurrection. How can I now fear a conquered enemy? what harm is there in the serpent, but for his sting? "The sting of death is sin:" that is pulled out by my powerful Redeemer, it cannot now hurt me; it may refresh me to carry this cool snake in my bosom.

O then, my dear Saviour, I bless thee for thy death; but I bless thee more for thy resurrection. That was a work of wonderful humility, of infinite mercy; this was a work of infinite power in that was human weakness; in this divine omnipotence: in that thou didst "die for sins;" in this thou didst "rise again for our justification."

And now how am I conformable to thee, if, when thou art risen, I lie still in the grave of my corruptions? How am I a limb of thy body, if, while thou hast that perfect dominion over death, death hath dominion over me; if while thou art alive and glorious, I lie rotting in the dust of death?

I know the locomotive faculty is in the head: by the power of the resurrection of thee our head, all we, thy members, cannot but be raised. As the earth cannot hold my body from thee, in the day of the second resurrection, so cannot sin withhold my soul from thee in the first. How am I thine, if I be not risen? and if I be risen with thee, why do I not seek the things above, where thou sittest at the right-hand of God?

The vault or cave, which Joseph had hewn out of the rock, was large, capable of no less than ten persons: upon the mouth of it, eastward, wast hat great stone rolled; within it, at the right-hand, in the north part of the cave, was hewn out of a receptacle for the body, three handfuls high from the pavement; and a stone was accordingly fitted for the cover of that grave.

Into this cave the good women, finding the stone rolled away, descended to seek the body of Christ, and in it saw the angels. This was the goal to which Peter and John ran, finding the spoils of death, the grave clothes wrapped up, and the napkin that was about the head folded up together, and laid in a place by itself: and as they came in haste, so they returned with wonder.

I marvel not at your speed, O ye blessed disciples, if, upon the report of the woman, ye ran, ye flew upon the wings of zeal, to see what was become of your Master. Ye had wont to walk familiarly together in the attendance of your Lord: now society is forgotten; and, as for a wager, each tries the speed of his legs, and, with neglect of other, vies who shall be first at the tomb.

Who would not but have tried masteries with you in this case, and have made light touches of the earth to have held paces with you. Your desire was equal; but John is the younger, his limbs are more nimble, his breath more free; he first looks into the sepulchre, but Peter goes down first. O happy competition, who shall be more zealous in the inquiry after Christ! Ye saw enough to amaze you, not enough to settle your faith. How well might you have thought, Our Master is not subduced, but risen. Had he been taken away by others' hands, this fine linen had not been left behind had he not himself risen from this bed of earth, he had not thus wrapped up his night-clothes, and had them sorted by themselves. What can we doubt, when he foretold us he would

rise? O blessed Jesu, how wilt thou pardon our errors? how should we pardon and pity the errors of each other in lesser occasions, when as yet thy prime and dearest disciples, after so much divine instruction, "knew not the Scriptures, that thou must rise again from the dead?" They went away more astonished than confident; more full of wonder, as yet than of belief.

There is more strength of zcal, where it takes, in the weaker sex. Those holy women, as they came first, so they staid last especially devout Mary Magdalene stands still at the mouth of the cave weeping. Well might those tears have been spared, if her knowledge had been answerable to her affection, her faith to her fervour. Withal as our eye will be where we love, she stoops, and looks down into that dear sepulchre.

Holy desires never but speed well. There she sees two glorious angels, the one sitting "at the head, the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain." Their shining brightness shewed them to be no mortal creatures: besides, that Peter and John had but newly come out of the sepulchre, and both found and left it empty in her sight, which was now suddenly filled with those celestial guests. That white linen wherewith Joseph had shrouded the sacred body of Jesus, was now shamed with a brighter whiteness.

Yet do I not find the good woman at all appalled with that inexpected glory. So was her heart taken up with the thought for her Saviour, that she seemed not sensible of whatsoever other objects. Those tears, which she did let drop into the sepulchre, send up back to her the voice of those angels, "Woman, why weepest thou?" God and his angels take notice of every tear of our devotion. The sudden wonder hath not dried her eyes, nor charmed her tongue: she freely confesseth the cause of her grief to be the missing of her Saviour; "They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him." Alas, good Mary, how dost thou lose thy tears! of whom dost thou complain, but of thy best friend? who hath removed thy Lord, but himself? who, but his own Deity, hath taken away that human body out of that region of death? neither is he now laid any more; he stands by thee, whose removal thou complainest of. Thus many a tender and humble soul afflicts itself with the want of that Saviour whom it hath, and feeleth not.

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