A most Godly and Comfortable Ballad of the
Glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; how he Triumphed
over Death, Hell, and Sin, whereby we are certainly perswaded of
our Rising again from the Dead.
The Tune is, Rogero.
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WHat faithless, froward, sinful man
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so far from grace is fled,
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That doth not in his heart believe
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the Rising of the Dead?
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Or, why do wicked mortal men
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their lives so vainly frame,
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That being Dead, they do suppose
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they shall not rise again.
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For why, if that the Dead indeed,
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which now consuming lyes,
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Shall not by God be raisd again,
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then Christ did never rise;
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And if so he our Saviour sweet
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he did not rise from death,
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Our Preaching is of no effect,
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and vains our hope on Earth.
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If Christ rose not again I say,
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then are we yet in sin,
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And they that fall asleep in him,
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no part of joy shall win:
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Of all the Creatures living, then,
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which God on Earth did frame,
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Most wretched are the statess of men
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which spend their days in vain.
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But Christ is risen up from Death,
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as it was right and meet,
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And thereby trod down Death & Hell,
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and Sin, under his feet:
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And that the same to simple men,
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the plainer might appear,
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The glorious rising of the Lord,
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his word declareth clear.
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When he within the grave was laid,
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the Jews did Watch men set,
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Lest by his friends his corps thence
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should secretly be fet:
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A mighty Stone likewise they did
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on his Sepulchre role,
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And all for fear his body should
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away from thence be stole.
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But in the Dead time of the night,
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a mighty Earth-quake came,
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The which did shake both Sea & Land,
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and all within the same:
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And then the Angel of the Lord
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came down from Heaven so high,
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And rold away the mighty Stone
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which on the ground did lie.
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His face did shine like flaming fire,
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his Cloaths were white as snow,
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Which put the watch-men in great fear
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who ran away for woe:
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And told unto the High-Priest plain
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what I do now rehearse,
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Who hired them for money straight,
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that they would hold their peace.
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And say, quoth he, His Servants came,
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whom he sometimes did keep,
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And secretly stole him away
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while ye were fast asleep:
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And if that Herod hear thereof,
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we will perswade him so,
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That you shall find no hurt at all,
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where ever you do go.
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But faithful Mary Magdalen,
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and James her Brother too,
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They brought great store of Oyntment
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as Jesus were wont to do:
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Who rose up early in the morn
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before that it was day,
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The body of the Lord t annoint,
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in grace whereas he lay.
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And when unto the Grave they came,
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they were in wondrous fear,
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They saw a young man in the same,
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but Christ they saw not there:
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Then said the Angel unto them,
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why are you so afraid:
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The Lord whom you do seek I know
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is Risen up, he said.
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Then went these women both away,
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who told these tidings than
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To John and Peter, who in haste
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to the Sepulchre ran;
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Who found it as the woman said,
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and then away did go,
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But Mary staid weeping still,
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whose tears declard her woe.
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Who looking down into the grave,
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two Angels there did see;
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Quod they, Why weeps this woman so,
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even for my Lord, quod she:
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And turning then her self about
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as she stood weeping so,
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The Lord was standing at her back,
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but him she did not know.
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Why doth this woman weep, he said,
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whom seekst thou in this place?
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She thought it had the Gardner been,
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and thus she shews her case;
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If thou hast born him hence she said,
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then tell me where he is,
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And for to fetch him back again
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be sure I will not miss.
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What Mary! then our Saviour said,
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dost thou lament for me;
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O Master livest thou again,
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my soul doth joy in thee:
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O Mary touch me not, he said,
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ere I have been above
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Even with my God, the only God,
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and Father whom we love.
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And oftentimes did Christ appear
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to his Disciples all,
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Yet Thomas would not it believe,
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his faith it was so small,
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Except that he might thrust his hand
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into the wound so wide,
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And put his finger where the Spear
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did pierce his tender side.
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Then Christ, which knew all secrets
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to them again came he,
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Who said to Thomas, Here I am,
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as plainly thou mayst see:
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See here the hands which nails did pierce
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and holes are in my side;
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And be not faithless O thou man,
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for whom these pains I bide.
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Thus sundry times he shewd himself,
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when he did rise again,
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And then ascended into Heaven,
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in glory for to reign:
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Where he prepares a place for those
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whom he shall raise likewise,
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To live with him in Heavenly bliss
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above the lofty Skies.
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