A most Godly and comfortoble ballad of the Glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, how he triumpheth over Death, Hell and Sin, whereby we are certainly perswaded of our rising againe from the dead.
The tune is, Rogero.
WHat fuithless froward sinfull man,
so far from grace is fled,
That doth not in his heart belive,
the rising of she dead.
Or why do wicked mor
[...]all men,
their lives so vainly frame,
Which being dead they do suppose,
they shall not rise againe.
For why if that the dead indéed,
which now consuming lyes.
Shall not by God be rais'd again,
then Christ did never rise.
And if so be our Saviour swéet,
did not rise from the death
Our preaching is of no efect
and vaine is hope on Earth.
If Christ rose not again I say,
then are we yet in sin,
And they that fall asléep in him
no part of joy shall win.
Of all the creatures living then,
which God on earth did frame,
Most wretched are the states of men,
which spend their daies in vaine.
But Christ is risen up from dead,
as it was right and meet,
And thereby trod down death and hel▪
and sin under his feet.
And that the same to simple men,
the plainer might appear.
The gracious rising of the Lord,
his word declareth cleare.
When he within the grave was laid,
the Iewes did watchmen set,
Lest by his friends his corps from thence
should secretly be sent.
A mighty stone likewise they did,
on his sepulchre role,
And all for fear his body should,
away from thence be stole.
But in the dead time of the night,
a mighty earth-quake came,
The which did shake both Sea and Land
and all within the same.
And then the Angel of the Lord,
came down from heaven so high,
And rol'd away the mighty stone,
which on the Grave did lye.
The second part of the same tune,
HIs face did shine like flaming fire,
his Clothes were white as snow,
Which put the watch men in great fear,
who ran away for wo.
And told unto the High Priest plain,
what I do now rehearse,
Who hired them for many streight,
that they would hold their peace.
And say quoth he his Servants came,
which he sometimes did kéep,
And secretly stole him away,
while we were found asléep.
And if that
Herod hear thereof,
we will perswade him so,
That you shall find no hurt at all,
where ever you do goe.
But faithful
Mary Magdalen,
and
James, his Mother too,
had brought great store of oyntment swéet
as Iesus were wont to do.
Who rose up early in the morne,
before that it was day,
The body of the Lord t'noynt.
in Grave whereas he lay.
And then unto the Grave they ran,
they were in wondrous fear,
They saw a Young-man in the same,
but Christ they saw not there,
Then said the Angel unto them
why are you so at
[...]aid,
The Lord whom you do séek I know,
is risen up he said.
Then went the women bo th away.
who told these tydings then,
To
John and
Peter who in hast,
to the sepulchre ran,
Who found it as the woman said,
and then away did go,
But
Mary stayed wéeping still,
whose tears declar'd her wo.
Who looking down into the Grave,
two Angees there did sée,
Quoth they why wéeps this women so,
even for my Lord quoth she.
And turning then her self aside,
as she stood wéeping so,
The Lord was standing at her back,
but him she did not know.
Why doth this woman wéep he said,
whom séekes shée in this place,
She thought he had a Gardner béen,
and thus she she wo her case.
If thou hast born him hence she said,
then tell me where he is,
And for to fetch him back againe,
besure I will not misse.
What
Mary then our Saviour said,
dost thou lament for me,
O Master livest thou againe,
my soul doth joy in thée,
O
Mary touch me not he said.
ere I have been above,
Even with my God the onely God,
and Father whom we love.
And often times did Christ appeare,
to his Disciples all,
But
Thomas would not it believe,
his Faith it was so small.
Except that he might thrust his hand
into the wound so wide,
And put his finger where the Speare,
did pierce his tender side.
Then Christ which knew all secrets,
to them againe came he.
Who said to
Thomas, here I am,
as plainly thou mayest sée.
Sée here the hands which nailes did pierce
and holes are in my side,
And be not faithless O thou man,
for whom these paines I bide,
Thus sundry times Christ shewd himself
when he did rise againe.
And then ascended into Heaven,
in Glory for to raigne,
Where he prepaires a place for those,
whom he shall raise likewise,
To live with him in heavenly bliss,
above the lofty Skeyes.
FINIS.
Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, and W. Gilbertson.