A most Godly and comfortable ballad of the Glo-
rious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, how he triumpheth over Death,
and Hell and Sin, whereby we are certainly perswaded of our rising againe from the dead
The tune is, Rogero.
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WHat faithless froward sinfull man,
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so far from grace is fled,
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That doth not in his heart belive,
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the rising of the dead.
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Or why wicked mortall men,
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their lives so vainly frame,
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Which being dead they do suppose,
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they shall not rise againe.
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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 be our Saviour sweet,
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did not rise from the death
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Our preaching is of no efect
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and vaine is 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 states of men,
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which spend their daies in vaine.
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But Christ is risen up from dead,
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as it was right and meet,
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And thereby trod down death and hel,
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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 gracious rising of the Lord,
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his word declareth cleare.
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When he within the grave was laid,
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the Jewes did watchmen set,
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Left by his friends his corps from thence
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should secretly be sent.
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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 and 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 Grave did lye.
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The second part to the same tune,
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His face did shine like flaming fire,
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his Clothes were white as snow,
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Which put the watch men in great fear,
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who ran away for wo.
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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 mony streight,
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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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which he sometimes did keep,
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And secretly stole him away,
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while we were sound 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 goe.
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But faithfull Mary Magdalen,
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and James, his Mother too,
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had brought great store of ointment sweet
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as Jesus were wont to do.
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Who rose up early in the morne,
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before that it was day,
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The body of the Lord tnoynt.
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in G[r]ave whereas he lay.
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And then unto the Grave they ran,
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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 as naid,
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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 the women bo th away,
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who told these tidings then,
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To John and Peter who in hast,
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to the sepulshre 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 stayed weeping still,
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whose tears decard her wo.
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Who looking down into the Grave,
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two Angees there did see,
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Quoth they why weeps this woman so,
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even for my Lord quoth she.
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And turning then herself aside,
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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 seekes shee in this place,
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She thought he had a Gardner been,
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and thus she ws 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 againe,
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besure I will not misse.
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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 againe,
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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 onely God,
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and Father whom we love.
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And often times did Christ appeare,
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to his Disciples all,
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But 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 Speare,
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did pierce his tender side.
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Then Christ which knew all secrets,
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to then againe came he,
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Who said to Thomas, here I am,
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as plainly thou mayest see.
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See here the hands which nailes 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 paines I bide,
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Thus sundry times Christ shewd himself
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when he did rise againe.
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And then ascended into Heaven,
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in Glory for to raigne,
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Where he prepaires 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 Skeyes.
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