Easter Sunday The Gospel Mark 16.v.1 Friday Meditation: A Plaine Path-way To Heaven Thomas Hill 1634


St. Mark, 16. 1-7. 
At that time, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought sweet spices, that coming they might anoint Jesus. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen. And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe, and they were astonished. Who saith to them: Be not affrighted; ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: He is risen, He is not here; behold the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples, and Peter, that He goeth before you into Galilee; there you shall see Him, as He told you.
FRIDAY

Besides the comfort of our own resurrection in glory after this life in the resurrection of Christ, whom we, being his members, shall undoubtedly follow of we be true members of him: Christ reddish us also a lesson by his resurrection of another resurrection of our, to wit a resurrection to joy and comfort, after he hath as it were crucified us, or killed us with afflictions and tribulations; and this he would exemplify in his own blessed mother, making her the teacher thereof, that we might learn it so much the better, by how much the more we love and honor the teacher as commonly learners will.

O how sorrowful and afflicted was the blessed mother of Christ at his afflictions! Well might St. Simon Prophecy of her as he did, that a sword of sorrow should pierce her soul: for so it did in deed, as a spear of iron priced her dear songs side.

Well might her name be a sea of bitterness ( for so her name Maria doth signify) for she was even drowned in an Ocean Sea of sorrows and afflictions, when Christ suffered his bitter death and passion.

But did this sorrow last long? No: but whereas Christ was according to the Prophecies of him to reminded in his grave three days and three nights, as is aforesaid, he abreviated the time so much as he could, and would stand with the verity of the Prophecy, reducing the three days & three nights, by a subtile, (but instisiable computation) unto part of three days & nights: & all to comfort his sorrowful mother & Disciples, but principally his mother, as soon as might be unto whom we must needs suppose he first appeared, as an observance so necessary for a son to his mother, and especially such a son to such a mother, that to have it expressed in the gospel, had need an imputation unto them both, as though there could be any doubt thereof.

And as little doubt there is, but that he appeared unto her in that glory and comfortable manner with his Angels attending upon him, that she was then, a thousands times more ravished with joy, then swallowed up with sorrow, before.

Neither Abraham when is sone Isaac was spared from being slain in sacrifice, nor Jacob when he heard his son Joseph was alive whom he though to have nee devoured bu wild beasts; nor St. Peter, john and James at the transfiguration of Christ, nor our blessed Lady herself when her son was born, or when she lost him and found him again in the Temple, ever felt such joy and comfort, as this of his resurrection.

Thus doth God also comfort his servants after their afflictions, even in this life,yea and not only after them, but in the midst of them: in so much that the Prophet David saith in the person of himself and such as he was, to wit, servants of God, According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart thy consolations have cleared my soul: but yet we must consider that in this God, doth but nurse us up with papp, or milk, like children, & little hours; the food for such as are men & strong in the Service of God, is tribulation, and affliction in this life, reserving the comfort for the next; as Christ did deprive himself of all comfort, upon the cross, crying out to his father, O God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? that his glory right be the greater in heaven.


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