Sondaie Morninge

THIS daie (after thou hast made the signe of the Crosse, and prepared thy selfe hereunto,) thou hast to meditate vpon the misterie of the holie Resurrection: in which thou maist consider these fower principall pointes: to witt: of the descendinge of our Sauiour into that place of hell, which is commonly called by the Learned diuines: Limbus Patrum. Of the Resurrection of his holie bodie: Of his appearinge first to our blessed Ladie, and afterwardes to S. Marie Magdalene, and to the disciples.

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Meditations Vpon These Poyntes of the Text

THIS is the daie that our Lorde hath made, ¹ let vs reioyce, and be merie in it. ² Our Lorde who is the maker of all times, hath made euerie daie: but this daie, especiallie he is sayd to haue made; forsomuche as on this daye he finished the most excellente of all his workes, to wit, the worke of our redemption. Now as this worke is called (by waye of excellencie) the worke of God, by reason that it farre passeth all his other workes: euen so also this daie is called the daie of God, for that vpon this daie he finished this worke, which was the most excellente of all his workes.

It is also sayd that our Lorde made this daye, because whatsoeuer was done in it, was done onely by his owne hande. In other feastes and mysteries of our Sauiour, there is euer some thinge that we haue done our selues, because there is alwaies in them some thinge of payne, which payne grewe of our sinne, and therefore there is some thinge belonginge vnto vs. But this daye is not a daie of trauell, nor of paine, but a puttinge awaie, and bannishement of all paine, and a fulfillinge of all glorie,³ and therefore it is whollie and purelie the daie of God. Who is he then that will not reioyce vpon such a daye as this is? This daie all the humanitie of Christ reioyced: The blessed mother of Christ reioyced: the disciples of Christ reioyced: heauen and earthe reioyced: yea hell it selfe had his part of this ioye. This daie the sonne shyned more clearly than it did anie other daie, because it was meete that it shoulde serue our Lorde with his light on this daie of his reioycinge, as it had serued him before with his darkenes on the daie of his Passion. The heauens which before in the daie of his passion became darke, because they woulde not see their creator naked, doe now on this daie shyne with a singuler clearnes, to see him how he cōmeth fourthe as a conqueror out of the sepulchre. Let the heauens therefore reioyce, and thou ô earthe take part of this ioye: because this daie there shyneth a greater brightnes out of the sepulchre, than from the very sonne it selfe, that geueth light in the heauens. A certaine holie Father geuen muche to comtemplation sayth, that euerie Sondaie morninge when he rose to mattins, he tooke so great ioye by callinge to minde the misterie of this daie, that it seemed to him, that all creatures both of heauen, and earthe, did singe at that howre, with lowde voices, and saye: In thy resurrection ô Christ, Alleluia. The heauens and earthe reioyce, Alleluia.

Now to vnderstande somewhat of the misterie of this daye, consider first of all, howe our Sauiour hauinge finished that painfull iourneye of his passion, as he ascended with passinge great charitie vpon the crosse for our sakes, euen so did he descende downe into hell with the like loue and charitie, to finishe the worke of our reparation. For as he tooke death as a meane to deliuer vs from death: euen so did he likewise goe downe to hell, vsinge that as a meane to deliuer such as be his from hell.

Now therefore let vs consider, how this noble triumphant conqueror goeth downe into hell, clothed with brightnes and strēgthe, whose entrie Eusebius Emisenus describeth in these wordes. O beawtifull light, which shininge from the highest parte of heauen, diddest geaue light with a suddaine and vnwonted brightnes to them that were in darckenes, and in the shadowe of deathe. For at the verie instant, that our Sauiour descended thither, immediatlie that euerlastinge darke night shyned verie brightlie, and the noyse of them, that there lamented ceassed forthwith, and all that cruell route of tormentors trembled,⁴ to beholde our Sauiour Christ present. There were the princes of Edom troubled, and the mightie of Moab quaked for feare, and the inhabitantes of the lande of Canaan were sore amased, and astonied. Incontinently all those infernall tormētors beganne in the middest of theire obscure darkenes to murmure emō ge themselues, and to saye: Who is this, that is so terrible, so mightie, and withall so bright? There was neuer seene anie man like vnto this in oure quarters. There was neuer the like person sent into these dennes from the beginninge of the worlde vnto this daie. What? he loketh as one that woulde rather assault vs, than paie here anie dette: and as one that woulde soner geue vs an ouerthrowe, than be punnished as a sinner. He seemeth to be a Iudge, and no guiltie person. He cōmeth with great might to fight, and not to suffer anie payne. Where stoode our garde, and the porters of our gates, when this conqueror brake our stronge inclosures, and entered thus perforce vpon vs? What maie he be, that is of such a mightie puissance? If he were faultie, he woulde not haue bene so hardie? And if he had broughte with him anie obscuritie of synne, he coulde neuer haue thus geuen light to our darkenes with his brightnes? If he be God, what hath he to doe in hell? If he be a man, how is it that he is so bolde? If he be God, what hath he to doe in the sepulchre? If he be a man, how happeneth it, that he hath spoyled our stronge prison of Limbus?

O Crosse that hast after this maner defeyted our hopes, and bene the cause of this our great losse,⁵ and dammage. Vpon a tree we gayned all our riches, and now vpon a tree we lose them all againe.

Suche wordes as these murmured those infernall feindes emonge themselues, at what time the noble triumphant conqueror our Sauiour Christe entered therein, to deliuer his prisoners. There stoode all the soules of the iust gathered together, that had from the beginninge of the worlde, vntill that howre departed out of this lyfe. There might yee haue seene, one Prophet sawed a sonder: an other stoned: an other hauinge his necke brokē with a barre of yron: and others that had with other kyndes of death glorified almightie God. O gloriouse companie? O most noble treasure of heauen? O most magnificent, and riche parte of the triumphe of our Sauiour Christe? There were those two first persons (to wit: Adam, and Eue) who in the beginninge peopled, and increased the worlde: whiche two, as they were the first in synne, so were they the first also in faith, and hope.⁶ There was that holie olde man Noë, who by buyldinge of the great Arke, preserued seede that the worlde might be replenished, and peopled againe, after the ceasinge of the waters of the floude. There was the Patriarke Abraham the first father of the beleeuynge people, who deserued before all others to receiue the testament of God, and the signe, and separation of his familye from others, by the marke of Circumcision in their fleashe.⁷ There was his obedient sonne Isacke, who in caryenge vpon his shoulders the woode wherewith he shoulde be sacrificed, represented the sacrifice, ād redēption of the worlde.⁸ There was Iacob the holie father of the twelue trybes, who by puttinge vpon him an others apparell, and straunge garmentes, gayned his fathers blessinge: which figured the misterie of the humanitie and incarnation of the euerlastinge worde.⁹ There was the holie S. Iohn Baptist also, as a guest, and newe inhabitor of that lande: and likewise the blessed olde man Simeon, who woulde not depart out of this worlde, vntill he had seene with his eies the redeemer of the worlde, and receyued him in his armes; and songe like a swanne before his death that sweete songe: Nunc dimittis: &c. ¹⁰ There had the poore seelie Lazarus mentioned in the gospell his place also, who by meanes of his soores, and patience, deserued to be partaker of that so noble companie, and hope.

All this quyer, and assemblie of holie soules were there mourninge, and sighinge for this daie. And in the middest of them (as maister of the chappell) was that holie kinge, and Prophet Dauid, who without ceassinge repeted his auncient lamentation. As the hart longethe after the fountaines of waters, ¹¹ euen so doth my soule longe after thee my God. My teares were bread vnto me daie, and night, whiles they saie vnto my soule, where is thy God? O holie kinge Dauid, if this be the cause of thy lamentation, now maist thou cease from singinge this songe: for here thy God is now present, and and here is thy Sauiour, whom thou maist now enioye. Chaunge this songe therefore, and singe that other songe which thou diddest singe longe before in spirite.¹² Thou hast blessed thy lande (ô Lorde,) thou hast deliuered Iacob out of captiuitie. Thou hast pardoned the iniquitie of thy people, and hast dissembled the multitude of theire sinnes. And thou holie Ieremie that wast stoned to death for the same Lorde, shut vp now thy booke of lamentations, which thou diddest wryte, when thou beheldest the destruction of Ierusalem, and the ruine of the temple of God. For euen within these three daies, thou shalt see an other temple builded vp, farre more beawtyfull than that was, and thou shalt see an other more goodlie Ierusalem renewed through out the worlde.

Now when those blessed fathers sawe their darkenes chaunged to a goodlie bright light:¹³ when they sawe the tyme of their bannishemēt expired, and their glorie now begonne, what tonge is able to expresse the passinge inwarde ioye that they felt? O how glad were they to see themselues now deliuered out of the captiuitie of Egipt, and their enemies drowned in the redde Sea? How hartelie did they singe altogether, and saie: Let vs singe vnto our Lorde, for he hath gloriouslie triumphed. He hath ouerthrowen both the horse, and the horsemen into the sea. With what inwarde affection (trowe ye) did the first father of all mankinde prostrate him selfe before the feete of his sonne, and Sauiour, and saie vnto him. Thou art now come my dearlie beloued Lorde, whome I haue so longe tyme loked for to redeeme my synne. Thou art come to fulfill thy promise, and hast not forgotten them that did put their trust in thee. The difficultie of the waie thou hast ouercome with thy great pittie and mercie: and with thy passinge great loue thou hast ouercome also the painfull trauailles, and tormentes of the Crosse.

No tonge is able to expresse the great ioye of these holie fathers. But the ioye that our Sauiour had to see such a multitude of soules redeemed by the merites of his passiō was farre greater without all comparison. O sweete Lorde, how well wouldest thou then accompt the greate labours, and paynes of thy crosse emploied, when thou sawest what goodly frute, that most blessed and sacred tree beganne to yeilde.¹⁴ The Patriarke Ioseph when he had two sonnes borne vnto him in the lande of Egipt, made none accompte of all his paines, and traueils past: and in signification thereof, he called the first sonne that was borne in th[…] countrie. Manasses, saye[…]e: God hath caused me to forget all my […] […]illes, and the howse also of […]er. […] […] seph reioyced so muche at the birthe of […]e sonne: What might our Sauiour now thinke, when he sawe him selfe be[…]et on euer[…]e syde, with such a nomber of sonnes, after the ende of his tormentes, and Martirdome vpon the crosse? What might that pretious o[…] thinke, when it sawe rownde abo[…]e her […]o many, and such goodly braunches shootinge out on euerie syde?

Of the Resvrrection of the Bodie of Ovr Saviovr. Christus Resurrexit a Mort •••, Pr •• Iti

BVT O my Sauiour what meanest thou, that thou geuest no parte of this thy glorie to thy most holie bodie, that lieth waytinge for thee in the sepulchre?¹⁵ Thou knowest well (ô Lorde) that the lawe, that was made concerninge the diuision of spoiles sayth, that there shoulde be geuen as great a portion to him, that remaineth in the tentes, as to him that entereth into the battell. Thy holie bodie hath remayned waytinge for thee in the sepulchre, whilest thy most holie soule entered into hell to geue the battell. Make therefore an equall diuision of thy glorie to thy bodie, forsomuch as thou hast now wonne the battell.

The holie bodie of our Sauiour laie in the sepulchre in such a pittiefull forme as he had left it, stretched out alonge vpon that colde stone; wounde vp in his wyndinge sheete: his face couered ouer with a napkin: and all the partes of his bodie whollie rent, and torne. It was now after midnight, and the dawninge of the daie approched neare at hande, when the sonne of iustice had determined to preuent the sonne of the morninge, and to be before him in this daies iourney. In this blessed tyme therefore entered that glorious soule into his sacred bodie. And how (thinke you) did it adorne the same? Suerly there is no tonge able to expresse it in wordes: Howbeit by an example we maie perceaue somewhat thereof. We see sometymes towardes the west a verie obscure, and darke clowde: and if happlye the sonne doe take it before his goinge downe, and beat vpon it, and couer it all ouer with his beames, it is wonte to cause it to appeare all beautifull, all goodly, and all glisteringe like golde: insomuche as it seemeth to be the verie sonne it selfe. Now in like maner did that glorious soule after it was inuestured in that holie bodie, and entered into the same. For it conuerted all the darkenes of the bodie into lighte, and all his filthines into beautie, and caused the bodie that was the fowlest of all bodies, to become the fairest, and most beautifull of all bodies. After this sorte our Sauiour riseth againe out of the sepulchre, altogether perfectlie glorious, as the first begotten of the deade, and the figure of our resurrection.

This is that holie Patriarke Ioseph,¹⁶ who is nowe deliuered out of prison, the heare of his mortalitie beinge cut of, and apparailed with the garmentes of immortalitie, and made Lorde of the lande of Egipt.¹⁷ This is that holie Moyses, who was taken out of the waters, and out of the poore rushe basket, and is now come to destroie all the power, and chariottes of kinge Pharao.¹⁸ This is that holie Mardocheus, who after he had put of his sackeclothe, and asshes, and was apparailed with roiall garmentes ouercame his enemie, and crucified him vpon his owne crosse, and deliuered all his people from deathe.¹⁹ This is that holie Daniell, who is now come forthe out of the lyons denne, and hath not receyued anie dammage at all of the furious, hongrie, and rauenous beastes. This is that strōge Sampson,²⁰ who beinge enuironed abowt with his enemies, and enclosed within the citie ryseth vp at midnight, and breaketh vp their stronge gates, and lockes, and so defeyteth the malicious purposes, and designementes of his aduersaries.²¹ This is that holie Ionas, that was allotted to die, to deliuer his companions from deathe, who entrynge into the belly of that great beast, is the thirde daie cast vp againe vpon the coast of Ninyue.

Who is this, that beynge betweene the hongrie Iawes of the deuowringe beast, coulde not be eaten of her? Who is this, that was swallowed downe into the bothom of the waters, and enioyed neuerthelesse the aire of lyfe? Who is this, that beinge sonke downe into the deapth of perdition, caused euen death it selfe to serue him? This is our glorious Sauiour, who was snatched awaye by that cruell beast, which is neuer satisfied (to wit, by death) which after she had him in her mouthe, and perceaued the worthines of the praie, trembled, and quaked for feare, and coulde not holde it. For althoughe the earthe swallowed him after he was dead, yet findinge him free from all faulte, and synne, she was not able to detaine him in her howse. For it is not the paine, that maketh a man guiltie, but the cawse, which coulde not be founde in him.

HOW OVR SAVIOVR CHRIST AFTER HIS RESVRRECTION appeared to the holie virgin his blessed mother. § III

NOW hast thou ô lorde glorified, and reioyced thy most holie fleashe, that suffered with thee vpon the crosse. Remember likewise, that the fleashe of thy mother is also thy fleashe, and that she also suffered with thee, when she sawe thee suffer vpon the crosse. She was crucified with thee, it is reason therefore that she also rise againe with thee.²² It is a sayeinge of thy Apostle,²³ that whosoeuer haue bene thy companions in thy paines, shalbe thy cō panions likewise in thy glorie. Forsomuche therefore, as this blessed Ladie hath bene thy faithfull companion in all thy paines, euen frome the maunger, to the crosse, reason it is, that she shoulde be now partaker of thy ioyes also. Wherefore clarifie that heauen, that is now obscured: discouer that moone, that is now eclipsed: dissolue those cloudes of her heauie soule: drie vp the teares of her maidenly eies: and now after the stormy winter of so manie floudes, commaunde the florishinge springe to retourne againe.

At this tyme of the resurrection of our Sauiour, the holie virgin had withdrawen her selfe into her oratorie, expectinge there the comminge of this newe lighte. She cried inwardly in her harte, and called like a pittiefull liones the therde daie vnto her dead sonne,²⁴ sayenge: Arise vp my glorie, arise my harpe and my vyole. Retourne (ô triumphant conqueror) vnto the worlde. Gather together ô good pastor) thy dispersed flocke. Geue eare (ô my deare sonne) vnto the clamours of thy heauie ād afflicted mother. And seinge by these clamours thou wast moued to descende downe from heauen into the earthe, let the same moue the now also to ascende vp againe from hell into the worlde. In the middest of these clamours, and cries of the blessed virgin, beholde that poore cotage of hers was sodainly brightened all ouer with a heauenly lighte, and her sonne being now gloriouslie rysen againe from deathe to lyfe, presenteth him selfe to the sight of his holie mother. The morninge sterre appeareth not so beautifull, the brighte sonne at noone daie shineth not so cleare, as did that face full of all graces, and that vnspotted glasse of diuine glorie in the eies of his holie mother. She beholdeth the bodie of her sweete sonne, rysen vp agayne from death and glorified, all the disfigures of the former deformitie beinge cleane wyped awaie, the comely grace of those diuine eies retourned, and his former beautie was restored againe, and increased.

She also beholdeth those gappes of his woundes, which as they were before verie swoordes of sorrowe to her heauie, and tender harte, so are they now become fountaines of loue. Whom she sawe before to suffer betwene two thieues, she seeth now accompanied with Sainctes and Angells. Whom she sawe before to commende her from the crosse vnto his disciple, she seeth now stretchinge forthe his louinge armes, and geuinge vnto her the sweete kisse of peace. Whom she helde before dead in her armes, she seeth now rysen vp againe before her eies. The blessed mother now holdethe him, and will not leaue him, she embracethe him, she desireth and prayeth him most instantly, not to departe awaie from her. Heretofore she was made speecheles for sorrowe, and knewe not what to saye: But now she is become speecheles for verie ioye, and cannot vtter her inwarde gladnes vnto him.

Now what tongue can tell, or what vnderstandinge is able to comprehende, the exceedinge ioye that this blessed virgin conceyued inwardlie in her minde? We cannot vnderstande the thinges that doe exceede our capacitie, vnlesse we compare them to other lesse thinges, and frame by them as it were a ladder, to ascende by degries from the lower vnto the higher, and so make a coniecture of the one, by the other. Now that we maye vnderstande somewhat of this her exceedinge ioye, consider what a greate ioye the Patriarke Iacob felte, when after he had bewailed his dearly beloued sonne Iosephe with so great abundance of teares, supposinge him to be dead, tydinges were browghte him, that he was aliue, and Lorde ouer all the lande of Egipt. The holie scripture saieth,²⁵ that when these newes were tolde him, he cōceyued so great ioye, and astonishement therewith, that as a man newlie awaked out of a heauie sliepe, he coulde not call his wittes perfectlie together, nor yet beleue the newes that his sonnes had tolde him, no more than if it had bene a verie dreame. But afterwardes, when he was fullie resolued, that it was true: the holie scripture saith, that his spirite reuyued againe, and that he spake these wordes folowinge. It is enoughe for me, if my sonne Ioseph be yet a liue: I will goe, and see him, before I die: Now then, tell me I praye you, if Iacob that had eleuen other sonnes in his howse, conceyued yet so great a ioye in his harte to vnderstande that euen one onely, whom he supposed to be dead, was yet aliue, what an exceedinge great ioye conceyued the blessed virgin, who hauinge no more but one sonne, and that one such a sonne as our blessed Sauiour was, so notable, and so dearly beloued, as he was vnto her, after she had seene him with her eies bothe dead, ād buried, sawe him now againe rysen vp from deathe, and withall glorified, and made Lorde not onely of all the lande of Egipt, but also of all thinges created? Is there anie vnderstandinge able to comprehende this? Vndowtedly her ioye was inwardelie so great, that her harte had not bene able to susteine the force thereof, had it not receyued some supernaturall strēgth, and comforte, by speciall miracle of almightie God for that ende. O blessed virgin, this benefit alone maie suffice thee. It is enoughe for thee, that thy deare sonne is aliue, and that thou hast him in thy presence, and seest him before thy death: so as now there remayneth nothinge els for thee to desire. O Lorde how well knowest thou how to comforte them, that suffer for thy sake? The former paine of thy blessed mother seemeth not now to be great, beinge compared with this passinge great ioye. If thou ô Lorde, doest comforte such as suffer for thee after this sorte, blessed and happie are their persecutions and troubles, seinge they shalbe thus rewarded.

In like maner we haue to consider, how our Sauiour appeared vnto his disciples, and especially to S. Marie Magdalen, whereof presently we doe not intreat, because we woulde not make this meditation ouer longe.

Psalm. 117. ↩
why the daye of Christes resurrectiō is speciallie called our Lordes daye. ↩
The ioyefull daye of Christes Resurrection. ↩
Exod. 25. ↩
Genes. 3. ↩
Genes. 6. ↩
Genes. 22. ↩
Genes. 27. ↩
Luc. 2. ↩
Luc. 15. ↩
Psalm. 41. ↩
Psal. 84. ↩
The greate ioye of the olde fathers, in Limbo patrū at the descendinge of our Sauiour thither, to deliuer them frō thence. Exod. 14. Exod. 15. ↩
Genes. 42. ↩
1. Reg. 30.
↩
Genes. 41. ↩
Exod. 2. ↩
Hester. 6. ↩
Daniell. 14. ↩
Iudic. 16. ↩
Ionas. 2. ↩
Rom. 6.8. ↩
1. Tim. 2.
↩
Psalm. 56. ↩
Genes. 45. ↩

Chapter 14 of 29