Easter Sunday The Gospel Mark 16.v.1 Saturday 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.

SATURDAY

Mary Magdalen and the other two Marys went betimes in the morning, with the sweet ointments, to embalm the body of Jesus in the Sepulcher.

As they went, they took care how they should remove the stone of the Sepulcher.

When they came they found it removed, and an Angel sitting by who them Christ was risen, & bid them go quickly and tell the disciples, and Peter.

So many words and actions, as are here expressed, so many mysteries are there understood: Mary Magdalen is named particular of the three Maries, of the the Disciples St. Peter, the rest in general, St. Peter & St. Mary Magdalen two great sinners, thorough their great penance, & love of God, made two Principal Saints & favorites of Christ, remembered by name, to signify that penitent sinners, be their sins never so great, may prove by Gods grace the greatest Saints; & that (as St. Paul saith, and was verified in himself) where sin doth abound, there grace may super abound.

The women that came betimes in the morning with their sweet ointments, drawn by the much more sweeter ointment of the love of Christ, well understood, that those two noble men Joseph & Nicodemus had provided sweet ointment for the body of Christ good store, and that they would spare no cost, and that there was no need of theirs.

Yet love will shows itself where it is, though there be no need, they brought their ointment also, & if Christ had no need of them, yet had they need to show their love for their greater merit.

They were bid go, and tell the disciples quickly, because Christ would comfort them as soon as might be.

As they made haste in the morning to go to the Sepulcher, so no doubt they did to acquaint the disciples with their message: love will run, rather them go as St. Peter though an old man, did with St. John to the Sepulcher, when they heard of it.

That difficulty of removing the stone of the Sepulcher, which was the only thing the women feared (though there, were many things to be feared as well as that ) they found taken away, and an Angel to comfort them, to signify that almighty God, if we love him, honor him, seek him, serve him, trust in him, will remove all supposed difficulties and impediments, which the devil or the world layette in our way, and give us grace and strength to overcome them and to make of profit them.

In that the holy women went to anoint the dead body of Jesus, we are taught to anoint with the sweet ointments of charitable relief his members the poor, who are as it were dead to the world and of no reputation. Also to anoint the body Jesus with the sweet ointment of daily remembrance of his death and passion thereof, and especially of his five principal wounds, with five pater nosters, five Ave Maries and a creed, or such like devotion, especially upon Fridays, with sorrow and compassion of those, and all his other sufferings undeserved of his part, for that truly deserved it.


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