An Advertisement Concerning Paschal Time

Summary

Paschal Time is a Time of Joy, in which our Blessed Savior stayd upon Earth after His Resurrection, to Comfort and strengthen His Disciples, against His Departure ; and kept in Memory of His Conquest over Sin Hell and the Grave, and of the Comforts He gave His Apostles and prepared for all his Church, in being with them so long time and with us to the End of the World. In memory also of His Gracious Promises of Comforts in the H. Ghost ; and of His past Goodness and Mercy to Strengthen the Drooping Spirits of His Infant Church then fainting, and His Establishment of the same.

We Spend this Time therfore with Joy and Praises, in Songs and Thanksgivings, in Acts of Mercy, in Comforting the Afflicted, in visiting the Sick, in strengthening the Weak, in Relieving the Poor, in Doing Good to all. That so our Light might shine unto Men, that they may Glorify our Father which is in Heaven.

And tho for the aforesaid reasons, no Fasting Day is commanded between the Resurrection and Ascention, yet let none think this a Time of Excess ; neither Libertine nor Seperatist. For tho by Balls, Revellings, Morris Dances and other Abuses of this Holy Time, it is (with all other Good things else) abused : yet neither is it appointed for that purpose nor so allowed by Holy Church, but that all our Joys and Rejoycings should be in Gods Mercies for the Greatness of His Lov, in this our Victorious Savior, which to commemorat Worthily, requires as much Piety and Devotion as our Lent fasts did in all their Severity, Strictness, and Mortification.

As Almighty God was pleased to giv our Gracious Savior a Victorious Resurrection after His Death, and a Life of Joy after His Life of Woe ; so His Holy Church inspired by Him, gives us a Paschal Feast after our Lenten Fast, Joy after Sorrow, Triumph over our Sins, when once truly Humbled for them : and a Jubilee of Delights in Communion with our Savior, as well as the Shadow of Death in Compassion of His Sufferings. And by these Holy Interchanges hav we all our Passions Consecrated, all our Contradictions of Joy and Sorrow Lov and Fear, &c. reconciled, our whole Lives filled with Heavenly Employment and all our Times Dedicated to Him.