CHRIST'S

TRIVMPH OVER DEATH.

THE ARGUMENT.

Christ's tryumph ouer death on the crosse, exprest. I. In generall by His ioy to vndergoe it, singing before He went to the garden: Matt. xxvi. 30, st. 1-3-by His griefe in the vndergoing it: st. 4—6—by the obscure fables of the Gentiles typing it st. 7, 8-by the cause of it in Him, His loue: st. 9-by the effect it should haue in us: st. 10-12-by the instrument, the cursed tree: st. 13.-II. Exprest in particular: 1. By His fore-passion in the garden : st. 14-25-by His passion it selfe amplified. (1.) From the general causes : st. 26, 27 parts, and effects of it: st. 28, 29. (2.) From the particular causes st. 30, 31 parts, and effects of it-in heauen: st. 32-36-in the heauenly spirits: st. 37-in the creatures sub-celestiall: st. 38-in the wicked Jewes st. 39-in Iudas: st. 40-51-in the blessed saints, Ioseph [of Arimathea,] &c., st. 52-67.

Christ's Triumph over Death.

I.

O downe the siluer streames of Eridan,1

On either side bank't with a lilly wall,
Whiter then both, rides the triumphant swan,
And sings his dirge, and prophesies his fall,
Diuing into his watrie funerall:

But Eridan to Cedron must submit

His flowry shore; nor can he enuie it,
If when Apollo sings, his swans doe silent sit.

2.

That heau'nly voice. I more delight to heare,
Then gentle ayres to breath, or swelling waues
Against the sounding rocks their bosomes teare,
Or whistling reeds, that rutty2 Iordan laues,

And with their verdure his white head embraues

1 The Po The Saviour as "He singing goes" (st. 3) over Cedron to His death, is likened to the "triumphant swan" sailing down the silver Po-whiter than the lilies on its banks, and singing its dirge before it dies.

G.

2 Query, 'course '-forming Jordan? Dr Richardson, as before, quotes under 'rut.' G.

N

To chide the windes, or hiuing bees, that flie About the laughing bloosms of sallowie,1 Rocking asleepe the idle groomes that lazie lie.

3

And yet, how can I heare Thee singing goe,
When men incens'd with hate Thy death foreset?
Or els, why doe I heare Thee sighing so,
When Thou inflam'd with loue, their life doest get,
That loue, and hate, and sighs, and songs are met;
But thus, and onely thus Thy loue did craue,

To sende Thee singing for vs to Thy graue,

While we sought Thee to kill, and Thou sought'st vs to

saue.

4.

When I remember Christ our burden beares,

I looke for glorie, but find miserie ;

I looke for ioy, but finde a sea of teares ;

I looke that we should liue, and finde Him die;
I looke for angels' songs, and heare Him crie:
Thus what I looke I cannot finde so well;
Or rather, what I finde, I cannot tell,

These bankes so narrowe are, those streames so highly

swell.

5.

Christ suffers, and in this His teares begin;
Suffers for vs-and our ioy springs in this;

1 Willows: Cf. Dr Richardson as before, s. v. G.