that the heavens, the earth, and Hades all finished their testimony to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. V. On the fifth head is to he noted, the devoted love of the women : S. Matt, xxviii. 5, “ Cometh Mary Magdalene “Ye seek Jesus.” These holy women teach us to seek Jesus according to His own promise, if we wish to find Him. Jesus is to be sought for in a threefold manner— firstly, in faith ; secondly, in hope; thirdly, in charity. (1) Reasonably he seeks Him by faith, who seeks the light of His truth. (2) Earnestly he seeks Him in hope, who looks for the glory of His Majesty. (3) Fervently they seek Him in charity, who long for the sweetness of His goodness. These are the three Marys who came to the sepulchre. O Lord Jesus! make us to seek Thee and to find Thee. Amen.
HOMILY III.
THE THREE WITNESSES OF CHRIST.
First Sunday after Easter.—(From the Epistle.)
“ There are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, the water, and the blood.”—1 S. John v. 8.
It is necessary that we should believe Christ to be the true God and true Man, and He therefore wished to furnish us with many testimonies that He was God and Man. We have both—i.e., the testimony of His Divinity, as above, “ There are three that bear record in Heaven.” Of the testimony of His humanity He says here, “ There are three that bear witness on earth.” The heavenly witnesses which Christ had to His Divinity are twelve—(1) The Father, (2) the Son, (3) the Holy Ghost, (4) the working of miracles, (5) the saints, (6) the angels, (7) the heavens, (8) the air, (9) the water, (10) the earth, (11) Hades, (12) the fire. The earthly witnesses which S. John gives here to His humanity, in which chiefly His love to us appears, are three —first, the effusion of blood; secondly, the emanation of water ; thirdly, the emission of the spirit. Of the first two: S. John xix. 34, “ Forthwith came there out blood and water.” Of the third: S. Matt, xxvii. 50, “ Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.”
I. On the first head it is to be noted,' that the Lord
