Third Sunday After Easter GOSPEL John 16:16 The Thursday Meditation


GOSPEL
John 16: 16-22
At that time Jesus said to His disciples: A little while, and now you shall not see Me: and again a little while, and you shall see Me: because I go to the Father. Then some of His disciples said one to another: What is this that He saith to us: A little while, and you shall not see Me: and again a little while, and you shall see Me, and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore: What is this that He saith, A little while? We know not what He speaketh. And Jesus knew that they had a mind to ask Him. And He said to them: Of this do you inquire among yourselves, because I said: A little while, and you shall not see Me: and again a little while, and you shall see Me? Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice: and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. So also you now indeed have sorrow: but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice: and your joy no man shall take from you.

Thursday

Hat tribulations and af- flićtions in this life, be the portions of the children of God, Chriſt told his diſci- ples as much here, and in them all other his diſciples & ſchol- É 3 ltrs

IO2 The III. Sonday kers in all enſuing ages, ſaying wnto them , the world ſhall re- ioyce and be merry, that is to ſay , worldly men ſhall liue in proſperity and floriſh, they ſhal liue at pleaſure, they ſhall laugh and be merry, but you ſhall mourne, you ſhall be in aduer- ſity and afflićtion, you ſhall be hated and howted at ; but with- all he gaue them this comfort that after a little while, that is to ſay, leſle then three dayes, & then after another little while, that is to ſay at Pentecoſt when the holy Ghoſt deſcended vpon them, and comforted their hear- tes, being ſorrowfull for their Maiſters aſcenſion from them, though he went to his Father; and then another little while , that is to ſay atter this life, their ſorrow ſhould be turned into ioy, and no man ſhould be able to take it from them . And how ſhall this ſorrow be tur- ned into ioy. By way of equall ProPortion, that is to ſay, ſo much

after Eaſter 1 of much ioy for ſo much ſorrow, and no more? That were but bare meaſure. Chriſt telleth vs in the Goſpell, that God doth vſe to giue to them that giue, or ſuffer any thing for his ſake good meaſure, heaped vp, thrift downe and running ouer, the ioy of the diſciples did far exceed their ſorrow both in quantity and quality, extenſiuely and in- tenſiuely, their grieſe laſted leſſe then three dayes after his death, their joy fourty, for ſo long Chriſt conuerſed with them till his aſcenſion. Agaiue their griefc after his aſcenſion laſted but ten dayes, till Pente- coſt, when the holy G' oſt came to them ,and comforted thern for the abſence of their Maiſter, and was with then all their li- ues, in ſo much that their very tribulations were ioyfull vnto them: one tyme when they had been whipped & ſuffered much reproach and ignominy, they went away, as the Scripture ſaith 4. rcioy- Luc. 6, v. 30. -

to 4 7%e III. Sonday A&, 3. W.49. reiopeing that they were accounted worthy to ſuffer any thing for the name of ſe/vi, their perſecutions and troubles laſted but a little while , that is to ſay, during their life, which was nothing in compariſon of eternity . though they had liued Neſtors yeares, two or three hundred, as they did but a ſhort tyme, being ſoone taken away by martyrdome , their ſoy euerla- ſting. Againe beſides the diffe- rence of time their ioy was ſo much greater in it ſelfe then their griefe, as the ioy of a wo- man is greater for her child when ſhe is deliuered, then the paines of her trauaile, be it ne- uer ſo ſharp, which is ſo great that it maketh her preſently forget her former paine; which example though a very good one ºvſed by Chriſt himſelfe, yet far ſhort to expreſle the ioy of the diſciples, for their Mai- ſters reſurrcótion , and much leſſe, after this life, where º: Or- after Eater. Hoy ſorrowes shalle turned into io9.com, for twer,and no man shall emertake * v-º it from them,nor, no eyehathſeew, tongwe can tell,or heart can ima- gins the greatne; thereof, all the ſorrowes of this life in compa- riſon of eternity are nothing. And as the children of God for a litle ſorrow and afflićtion in this preſent world, haue ſo great ioy, afterwardes in the world to come : ſo the children of the word for a litle modicam of ioy and pleaſure in this world (as all the ioyes of the world are in compariſon of eternity)haue euerlaſting ſorrow. That theſe alterations and counterchan- ges are, after this life, it appea- reth plainly by the holy Pa- triarch Abrahant ſpeach vnto Diwes, the rich glutton,, who when the glutton deſired him that Lakers’ might dip his fin- ger in cold water and coole his tongue, he anſwered him thus: Remember ſowne, that than is shyº is lifetymerseased good things.asa” E 5 Lºº.

A Plaine Path-Way To Heaven By Fr.Thomas Hill 1634
 

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