water. And he that faw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he faith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done that the fcripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him fhall not be broken. And again, another fcripture faith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. G Eafter-Even. The Collect. Rant, O Lord, that as we are baptized into the death of thy bleffed Son our Saviour Jefus Chrift; fo by continual mortifying our corrupt affections, we may be buried with him, and that through the grave and gate of death, we may pafs to our joyful refurrection, for his merits, who died, and was buried, and iofe again for us, thy Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. IT The Epiftle. 1 S. Pet. 3. 17. T is better if the will of God be fo, that ye fuffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing. For Christ also hath once fuffered for fins, the juft for the unjuft; (that he might bring us to God) being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which alfo. he went and preached unto the spirits in prifon; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing; wherein few, that is, teight fouls were faved by water. The like figure whereunto, even baptifm doth alfo now fave us (not the putting away the filth of the flesh,, but the answer of a good confcience towards God) by Paraphrafe on the Collect for Eafter Even. Grant, O Lord, that as, by Baptifm, we are planted into the likeness of thy Son Jefus Chrift's Death, fo we may imitate his Burial alfo by continually killing and fubduing in ourselves all finful paflions and de The Spirits in Prifon Signify the Souls of thofe wicked Men who, in the time of Noah were difobe dient, and fhut up in the Prison of Sin and Senfuality. To thefe Chrift preached by his Spirit, through the Miniftry of Noah, when God of his Mercy, bore with their wickedness for the space of 120-Year, before he brought a Flood upon the Earth. + Eight Souls were faved by Water. The fame Water which defrayed the Ungodly, was a means of preferua fires; that, Death and the Grave may become to usa pallage to a bleffed Refurrection, through the Merits of that Saviour, who died, and was buried for our Sins, and rofe again for our Juftification. tion to Noah and his Family, by lifting up the Ark on high. In like manner Baptifm is a means of our Spiritual Salvation through Chrift, as the Water of the Flood, through the Ark, was of their corporal fafety. Only we mult take heed that we reft not in the outward fign; or fuppofe that we fhall be faved merely by the being washed, or fprinkled with Water: but muft add thereto an earnest defire to know the Will of God, and a diligent endeavour to perform it. the refurre&tion of Jefus Chrift: who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God, angels, and authorities, and powers being made fubject unto him. WHE The Gospel. S. Matth. 27. 57. Hen the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Jofeph, who also himself was Jefus disciple. He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jefus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great ftone to the door of the fepulcher, and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, fitting over against the fepulcher. Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, faying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver faid, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rife again. Command therefore that the fepulcher be made fure until the third day, *left his disciples come by night and steal him away, and fay unto the people, He is rifen from the dead: fo the laft error shall be worse than the firft. Pilate faid unto them, Ye have a watch, go your way, make it as fure as you can. So they went and made the fepulcher fure, fealing the stone, and fetting a watch. Eafter-day. At Morning Prayer, inftead of the Pfalm [O come, let us, &c.] thefe Anthems fhall be fung or faid: C Hrift our paffover is facrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast. Not with the old leaven, neither with the leaven of * Left bis Difciples should come by Night, &c. Tho' it was very unlikely that a company of poor difpirited Perfons fhould engage in fuch an undertaking as the carrying off the Body would not have been ferviceable to their intereft; yet the care which the Jews took to prevent it, afforded another strong proof of Christ's Refurrection; because under the cuftody of fuch a guard; it was improbable that his Difciples fhould attempt To remove the Body:-but as it was removed and the Sepulcher left empty, notwithstanding; it must have been done by a divine power. Thus God not only fruftrates the councels of the wicked; but makes them inftruments to his glory, Chrift our Paffover, &c. Chrift refembled the Lamb of the Paffover amongst the Jews. Because, as by the fprinkling of the Blood of the Pafchal Lamb upon the Doors of the Ifraelites, the deftroying Angel paffed over them: fo by the fhedding of the precious Blood malice and wickednefs: but with the unleavened bread of fincerity and truth.. 1 Cor. 537 Las Hrift being raised from the dead, dieth no more: death hath no more dominiom over him. For in that he died, he died unto fin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewife reckon ye alfo yourselves to be dead indeed unto fin: but alive unto God through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Rom. 6. 9. CF Hrift is rifen from the dead: and become the first-fruits of them that flept. For fince by man came death: by man came alfo the refurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die: even so in Christ fhall all be made alive. 1 Cor. 15. 20.1 Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. The Collect. Lmighty God, who through thine only begotten Son Jefus Christ, haft overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlafting life; We humbly befeech thee, that as by thy fpecial grace preventing us, thou doft put into our minds good defires; fo by thy continual help we may bring the fame to good effect, through Jefus Chrift our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghoft, ever one God, world without end. Amen. The Epiftle. Col. 3. 1, F ye then be risen with Chrift, feek thofe things which are above, where Chrift fitteth on the right hand of God. Set your Grace, produce in us good actions, through the fame Paraphrafe on the Collect for Eafter-Day. of Christ, we are faved from the wrath to come. As abftaining from the leaven of Sin, and by the practice of all Chriftian Purity. If ye then be rifen with Chrift, &c. The Doc trine of Chrift's Refurrection fhould be a continual mo. tive to Believers to rife from the death of Sin to a life of Righteoufnefs, to mortify and fubdue in themfelves all inordinate Affections to the Things of this World, and principally to defire, and endeavour to at- affection on things above, not on things on the earth: for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Chrift in God. When Chrift who is our life fhall appear, then fhall ye alfo appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupifcence, and covetoufness which is idolatry: for which things fake the wrath of God cometh on the children of difobedience. In the which ye also walked fome time, when ye lived in them. TH The Gospel. S. John 20. 1. HE firft day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the fepulcher, and feeth the ftone taken away from the fepulcher. Then the runneth and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jefus loved, and faith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other difciple, and came to the fepulcher. So they ran both together; and the other difciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the fepulcher: and he stooping down, and looking in, faw the linen clothes lying, yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the fepulcher, and feeth the linen clothes lie; and the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itfelf. Then went in also that other difciple which came first to the fepulcher, and he saw and believed. For as yet they knew not the fcripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the dif ciples went away again unto their own home. Monday in Eafter-week. The Collect. Almighty God, who through thy only begotten Son Jefus Chrift, haft overcome death, and opened unto us the gate It is worthy to be obferved in general concerning this portion of Scripture appointea for this day's Gof pel, that the Teftimonies of our Lord's Refurrection X contained in it, go on (to ufe David's Expreffion) fram Strngth to Streength, and fhine as it were more and more unto the perfect Day. of everlasting life; We humbly befeech thee, that as by thy fpecial grace preventing us, thou dost put into our minds good defires, fo by thy continual help we may bring the fame to good effect, through Jefus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghoft, ever one God world without end. Amen.. For the Epifle. Acts 10. 34. PE Eter opened his mouth, and faid, Of a truth I perceive that God is no refpecter of perfons; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteoufnefs, is accepted with him. The word which God fent unto the children of Ifrael, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, (he is Lord of all that word, (Ifay) you know which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptifm which John preached: how God anointed Jefus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghoft and with power, *who went about doing good and healing all that were oppreffed of the devil: for God was with him. And we are witneffes of all things which he did, both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerufalem, whom they flew, and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and fhewed him openly; not to all the people, but unto witneffes chofen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he arose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he who was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witnefs, that through his Name, whofoever believeth in him fhall receive remiffion of fins. BE The Gofpel. S. Luke 24. 13. Ehold, two of his difciples went that fame day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerufalem about §threescore Paraphrafe on the Collea for Monday in Eafter-Week. O all powerful God who through the Refurrection of thy Son our Lord haft triumphed over Death, and given us an Affurance of eternal life: grant, we befeech thee, that thofe good difpofitions, with which thou *Who went about doing good. The Life of Chrift was not folitary, but focial. And he certainly is the infpires us may produce in us good Works, through the fame thy Son Jefus Chrift, who reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. beft Chriftian who is moft actively employed in promoting the Welfare of his Fellow-Creatures. |