PART III. CHRIST'S TRIUMPH OVER DEATH. THE ARGUMENT. Christ's triumph over death on the cross, expressed, 1st, In general, by his joy to undergo it; singing before he went to the garden, Matt. xxvi. 30-by his grief in the undergoing it-by the obscure fables of the Gentiles typing it-by the cause of it in him, his love-by the effect it should have in us-by the instrument, the cursed tree-2d, Expressed in particular: 1st, By his fore-passion in the gardenby his passion itself amplified; 1st, From the general causes, parts, and effects of it-2d, From the particular causes, parts, and effects of it-in heaven-in the heavenly spirits-in the creatures sub-celestial-in the wicked Jews-in Judas-in the blessed saints, Joseph of Arimathea, &c. So down the silver streams of Eridan, But Eridan to Cedron must submit His flowery shore; nor can he envy it, That heavenly voice I more delight to hear, To chide the winds, or hiving bees, that fly About the laughing blooms of sallowy, Rocking asleep the idle grooms that lazy lie. And yet how can I hear thee singing go, When thou, inflam'd with love, their life dost get, While we sought thee to kill, and thou soughtst us to save. When I remember Christ our burden bears, I look for joy, but find a sea of tears; I look that we should live, and find Him die; Or rather, what I find I cannot tell, These banks so narrow are, those streams so highly swell. Christ suffers, and in this his tears begin; Go, giddy brains, whose wits are thought so fresh, Pluck all the flow'rs that nature forth doth throw; Go, stick them on the cheeks of wanton flesh; Your songs exceed your matter; this of mine The matter which it sings shall make divineAs stars dull puddles gild, in which their beauties shine. Who doth not see drown'd in Deucalion's name That taught the stones to melt for passion, The while the waves stood still to hear his song, And steady shore wav'd with the reeling throng Of thirsty souls, that hung upon his fluent tongue. What better friendship, than to cover shame ? Not with some common death, or easy pain, And yet the Son is humbled for the slave, Himself, and yet the creature hastes to run Who is it sees not that he nothing is, But he that nothing sees? What weaker breast, Since Adam's armour fail'd, dares warrant his ? That, made by God of all his creatures best, Straight made himself the worst of all the rest : If any strength we have, it is to ill; But all the good is God's, both power and will: The dead man cannot rise, though he himself may kill. A tree was first the instrument of strife, Though ill that trunk, and this fair body suit: That death to Him, this life to us doth give: vive, And the Physician dies to make the patient live. Sweet Eden was the arbour of delight, |