An Homily of the Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ. For Easter day.An Homilee of the Resurrection of our Sauiour Iesus Christe. For Easter day.

An Homily of the Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ. For Easter day.

An Homilee of the Resurrection of our Sauiour Iesus Christe. For Easter day.

IF ever at any time the greatness or excellency of any matter spiritual or temporal, hath stirred up your minds to give diligent ear (good Christian people, and well beloved in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ) I doubt not but that I shall have you now at this present season most diligent and ready hearers of the matter, which I have at this time to open unto you. For I come to declare that great and most comfortable article of ⟨p. 383⟩our Christian religion and faith, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. So great surely is the matter of this article, and of so great weight and importance, that it was thought worthy to keep our said Saviour still on earth forty days after he was risen from death to life, to the confirmation and stablishment thereof in the hearts of his disciples. So that (as Luke clearly testifieth in the first Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles) he was conversant with his disciples by the space of forty days continually together, to the intent he would in his person being now glorified, teach and instruct them, which should be the teachers of other, fully and in most absolute and perfect wise, the trueth of this most Christian article, which is the ground and foundation of our whole religion, before he would ascend up to his father into the heavens, there to receive the glory of his most triumphant conquest and victory. Assuredly, so highly comfortable is this article to our consciences, that it is even the very lock and key of all our Christian religion and faith. If it were not true (saith the holy Apostle Paul) that Christ rose again: then our preaching were in vain, ¹your faith which you have received were but void, ye were yet in the danger of your sins. If Christ be not risen again (saith the apostle) then are they in very evil case, and utterly perished, that be entered their sleep in Christ, then are we the most miserable of all men, which have our hope fixed in Christ, if he be yet under the power of death, & […] not restored to his bliss again.