A GOLDEN TRVMPET TO ROWSE VP A DROWsie MAGISTRATE OR A PATTERNE FOR A GOVERNORS Practise drawne from CHRISTS comming to beholding of and weeping ouer Hierusalem As it was sounded at Pauls Crosse the 11. of Aprill 1624. By IOHN LAWRENCE Preacher of the Word of God in the Citie of LONDON ESA. 53.1 ROM 10.16 Lord who hath beleeued our report ESA. 58.1 Cry aloud spare not lift vp thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Iacob their sinnes Either reade all or leaue all Let not the Epistles be past ouer Left idle Readers you discouer LONDON Printed by IOHN HAVILAND 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR MARTIN LVMLEY Knight Lord Maior of the Honourable Citie of London and to the Right Worshipfull his Brethren the Aldermen and Sheriffes of the same AS ALSO TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull Knights Sr ALLEN APSLEY his MAIESTIES Lieutenant of the Tower Sr RICHARD MORISON Lieutenant of his MAIESTIES Ordnance and Sr BENIAMIN RIDDIARD one of his Maiesties Officers in the Court of Wards IOHN LAWRENCE wisheth increase of Grace in this life and Eternall happinesse in the life to come Right Honourable Right Worshipfull SIthence one profession of Religion towards God and Execution of Iustice towards man hath combined you together let me not seuer you in this my Dedication for my desire is to manifest my dutifull respect of you all therefore I craue your fauourable construction and acceptance of this my bold enterprise Your Honour and Worships by the prouidence of our good God are the Generall Captaines and Lieutenants of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Citie and chiefe Castle of this Renowned Kingdome vnder whose gouernment we the Inhabitants of the same enioy great peace and tranquillitie God might gouerne the whole Vniuerse if it pleased him immediatly by himselfe but out of his heauenly wisdome for causes best knowne to himselfe hath committed the guiding thereof to Magistrates and Rulers whom with an high stile he hath honored calling them Gods Psal 82.6 Psal 47.9 and the Shields of the earth to defend from wrongfull euils the children of men approue your selues therefore according to your titles and places Let the sound of this Trumpet enter not onely into the eares but also into the heart that you may the more bee incouraged to draw out the sword of Iustice and with boldnesse to ransacke the irrilegious corners of this Citie Follow the counsell of Cambyses which he gaue to all Citizens that desire the safetie of their Citie namely to be most vigilant when the eies most require rest that the hurtfull people may feare as well in darknesse as light night as day The Common-wealth is compared to a Musicall Instrument the strings whereof are the people you are the Musitioners therefore as the Musitian cannot abide the strings to iar nor his Instrument to be out of tune no more should you suffer the people to be without manners nor the Common-wealth without order Shew your selues carefull in this one thing that the world may see the longer the tree growes the better Offer vnto the Lord Primitias cordis oris tui the first fruits of your heart and mouth vpon this Altar Doubtlesse it will be an acceptable Sacrifice vnto him more pleasing then a Bullocke that hath hornes and hoofes I feare I detaine your Lordship and Worships too long therefore I conclude desiring Almightie God so to blesse your gouernment in this Citie that sinne may bee punished wickednesse banished the naked cloathed the hungry refreshed the feeble cherished Gods word maintained his Ministers rewarded and all the enemies of the truth suppressed which God of his mercy giue you hearts to performe for his Sonne Christ Iesus his sake AMEN Your Honours and Worships to command to the furthermost of his power I. L. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND TRVLY Religious Knight Sir ROBERT CARR Gentleman of his Highnesse Bed-chamber and Keeper of the Princes priuie Purse IOHN LAVVRENCE wisheth all health and happinesse WOrthy Sir when I call to minde the great fauours which you shewed to my father in his life time I cannot but reprehend my selfe of ingratitude in not performing that dutie whereunto for his sake I am so farre obliged but studying how I might best testifie my gratefull affection haue here presumed to present you with the first fruits of my poore studies I could finde no better flowers than those that spring from faithfull loue bound with the bond of dutie to make my labours gracious in your thoughts If I presume too farre pardon mee for this my loue is sprung from the root of your bountifull kindnesse towards my father which if euer I forget I will not say with Dauid Let my right hand forget her cunning Psal 137.5 for that is nothing but let God himselfe forget to preuent me with any grace or to follow mee with any blessing Accept therefore most worthy Sir these mites graines drops teares cries as it was by me sounded forth in place of publike meeting I must confesse it hath lost what it then had for a dead letter cannot be so patheticall as a liuing voice neither can the pen so set it forth in writing as the tongue in speaking Papias who was a companion of Policarpus Eusch Eccles Hist lib. 3. cap. 39. thought that hee did not so much profit by the writings and bookes of the Apostles followers as by the authoritie of the persons and the liuely voice of the speakers Whereupon Aeschines when hee had read the Oration which Demosthenes had made against him and withall perceiued how the people wondred at the force and excellencie of it answered them thus Hier. Ibid. What would you haue thought if you had heard him pronounce it with his owne mouth q.d. If you are thus rauished with hearing it read how would you haue beene rauished if you had heard him speake and pronounce it Howsoeuer I hope you will looke more vpon my minde and honest purpose then vpon the worthinesse of the worke I durst not presume to shroud these vnpolished sprigs vnder so vertuous a patronage if I did not hope that as Dauid loued Mephibosheth for his good father Ionathans sake so you this lame worke of mine I humbly intreat you therefore that as Vlisses was defended vnder the shield of Aiax so these my vnworthy lines may by your fauour be patronized from the enuie of malicious detractors Our tribe oweth much to you both for louing and rewarding their labours for which cause I know many ioine with me to wish your whole man soule and body true perfect ioy in this life and full accomplishment of glory in the next for the which I doe and euer will pray Whilest I remaine IOHN LAVVRENCE TO ALL MY LOVING Friends and well-willers both in and without the Liberties of this City of LONDON Grace and Peace bee multiplied CHristian friends some known all desired in the Lord I cannot more fitly salute you then in the
the face take off the vaile and chase away the foggy mists of sinne and superstition from the heart Psal 19.7 Psal 119. Prou. 1.4 filling the ignorant with knowledge the simple with vnderstanding and all with grace 4. Consol Fourthly his presence is a Cities comfort and consolation and that because he is all things beneficiall and the end of our hopes hee is a Sword Water Milke Wine a Treasure a Salue a Garment a Shepherd a Bridegroome a Crowne a Pearle a King and a Key See what benefit these or any of these is to a Nation a Family or a priuate person the same benefit is Christ where his speciall presence remaines for he is a Sword to defend vs Water to wash vs Milke to nourish vs Wine to reioyce vs a Treasure to enrich vs a Salue to heale vs a Physician to cure vs a Garment to cloath vs a Shepherd to feede vs a Bridegroome to marry vs a Crowne to honour vs a Pearle to decke vs a King to gouerne vs and a Key to open and vnlocke Heauen gates vnto vs. What shall I say but onely as a man rauished cry from the bottome of my soule O happy and blessed be the people that haue the Lord for their God they shall be fed as a Flocke fostered as a Family dressed as a Vineyard decked as a Spouse and crowned as a Queene Contrariwise where Christs presence is departed to that people I may say O miserable and vnhappy men and women good had it beene for you you had neuer beene borne but as the vntimely fruit of the wombe had perished and been no more for better no man than a man without Christ and no City than a City destitute of his presence When Lot forsooke Sodome it was soone consumed and if Christs presence forsake our land it will soone be destroyed for that place which is destitute of the presence of Christ may complaine as sometimes Martha did to our Sauiour Joh. 11.21 Lord if thou hadst beene here our brother LaZarus had not beene dead So if thy presence had still remained with vs our Kingdome had not beene wasted Magistrates not corrupted Lawes not violated Lawyers not bribed Faith and Vertue not banished Ministers mouthes not stopped but all goodnes cherished all men amended To conclude I leaue this branch with a word of exhortation beseeching you so to entertaine Christ though not in himselfe for that is impossible seeing his body only remaines in Heauen yet in his members that hee neuer may finde any iust cause of departing from vs. I dare boldly say and that with a reioycing heart that England yet enioyes the speciall presence of the Lord to the great comfort of those that seeke his face but how long we shall enioy the same the wisdome of Salomon is not able to declare could we keepe from sin we should euer enioy a Sauiour but if sinne be harboured in the soule and rule in the life and conuersation it will proue as a mist or a darke cloud to obscure the speciall presence of Christ from our Kingdome I feare nay know that offence is giuen am not much vnsure that offence is taken for iniquity growes so fast that it hath couered the whole Land yet who doth seeke to cut it downe neither is there but few if any that stands in the gap to intreat the Lord for vs what shall I say Am I a Prophet Amos 7.14 No nor the Sonne of a Prophet yet this I dare boldly say Luc. 13. Vnlesse we suddenly repent we perish either we must forsake our sins or else the presence of Christ will forsake our soules I wonder we haue not lost him before this day had it not beene more of his goodnesse than of our kindnesse London had long since beene left as Sodome and rak't vp in Ashes like to Gomorra For how is his Name blasphemed his Sabbaths profaned his Word contemned his Sacraments neglected his Ministers despised his Children derided his holy Spirit grieued by many sinnes which I will not say are publikely maintained but am sure they are openly practised which drawes teares afresh from the eyes of the Sonne of God and makes him for want of a Ierusalem to weepe ouer London as though it would proue a second Ierusalem to crucifie his body againe but the Lord in mercy amend it and giue you hearts that beares the sword of Iustice to reforme it that Christ may not wilfully be banished but kindly receiued friendly welcommed louingly entertained to vs and our posterity to the end of the world The second roome of the first Tabernacle is Praesentia The second roome in our Tabernacle or Branch proceeding from our trees first bodie or bole is Praesentia yet not so much in person as in affection not by the people required but by Christ desired he longed to be present with them Christ drawes neere either therefore drew neere vnto them Christ may be said to draw neere a people either Corporally or Spiritually Corporally 1. in himselfe 2. in his members Corporally in himselfe or in his members In himselfe when he rides or goes to any place in his humane body and soule and thus he drew neere at this time to Hierusalem for his body was carried on the backe of a silly Asse which he sent his Disciples to borrow at the hand of a certaine Farmer Luke 19.35 And vpon this Asse he did take his progresse toward Hierusalem now drawing neere to the Citie but thus he neuer shall draw neere to any place againe his body remaining onely glorified in heauen Secondly he drawes neere Spiritually and that in loue or affection Or spiritually in loue and affection Thus also he may be said to draw neere to Hierusalem for this iourney was not onely pedibus sed affectibus not by the motion of the feet but of the affections or as Lira in locum hath it Lira in locum Non solum corporis gressu sed etiam compassionis affectu He came not onely with the feet of his body but also with the affection of his compassion When he begins to worke by his holy Spirit Faith Repentance and Sanctification in the hearts of a Nation he may bee said to draw neere that people For saies Christ Iohn 15.22 if I had come and spoken vnto them they had not had sinne but now they haue no cloake for their sinne that is if I had not come they neuer would haue knowne themselues to bee sinners whereas by my comming they now perceiue it so that we conclude if any Nation bee brought to a true sight and sense of sinne it is by Christ his drawing neere but in that he here is said to draw neere Hierusalem we note That the Lord will not absent himselfe for euer 2. Doctr. but at last will draw neere to the people of his pasture He is a God which cannot alwaies be chiding neither wil he forsake his
all in vaine for neither the world nor any thing in the world can free vs alwaies from sorrow especially if we belong to the Lord for Quid ad nos consolatio mundi Martia Epise What doe the pleasures of the world belong to vs for the world is but spuma fumus somnium a froth a smoake a dreame a froth because it puffeth vp a smoake because it maketh blinde a dreame because it vanisheth away Yea as a good Diuine saies it is Vices Nurse Natures step-mother Vertues murtherer Thefts refuge Woredomes pander Sodomes fruit Crocodils teares a Syrens song yea as Philo calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bitter sweet pleasure is a spurre riches a thorne honor a blast life a flower glory a feather beautie a fancy ioy a frenzy and all things in the world but like the Booke in the Reuelation Ap. 10.9 sweet in the mouth bitter in the belly or like the reeds in Egypt which doth not onely breake in peeces when it is leaned on but in breaking flieth in splinters 2 King 18.21 to the piercing of the hands of him that trusted to it or like a draught of cold water drunke vp by him that is heated with the violence of a burning Feauer which allaieth the heat during the continuance of drinking but scarcely is the Cup gone from his mouth before he feeleth an increase of his boiling drought or like money taken vp from the chest of the Vsurer which will stop a gap for the present but afterwards make the wound the deeper 6. Cities are chiefly to be lamented Sixthly lastly in that He wept and ouer Hierusalem the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Iewes the same Citie that he drew neere vnto and euen now beheld We learne That Cities ought chiefly to be lamented These things we might handle at large but lest your patience should be vrged my weak body too much strained and all our memories ouer charged I cease the prosecution till some other occasion in the meane while I referre these heads to your godly meditations and for a conclusion will onely speake a word or two of the cause of these teares Causes of Christ weeping ouer Hierusalem which is two-fold First Propter mala culpae the euill of sinne committed by them Secondly Propter mala poenae the euill of punishment that was to be inflicted vpon them 1. Cause was propter mala culpae their sinnes First Propter mala culpae the euill of sinne committed by them This was the greatest cause that produceth our Sauiours teares Roy. Post for non ruinam lapidum sed hominum vanitatem saies Royard in his Postils He wept not so much for the ruine of the City as the vanitie of the people Neuer did the nailes so wound him nor the speares so gore him as their sinnes did pierce him Neuer was the gall so bitter to his taste nor the thornes so pricking to his touch as their sinnes was offensiue to his soule Neuer was their fists so smarting to his cheekes nor their spittle so loathsome to his face as their sinnes were hatefull to his heart Neuer was their flouts so hurtfull to his name nor the Crosse so tormenting to his narure as their sinnes were burdensome to his body and soule for so heauy a weight was their sinnes to him that it did not onely make him pray once Matth. 26.44 Luke 22.44 twice and thrice nor to sweat and that in a cold winters night water and bloud nor to complaine I thirst but to cry Iohn 19. and that with such a lamentable cry as made both heauen and earth to stand amazed the Sunne to hide his face as not daring to behold the Sonne of God in such a case as he was in when he cried Eli Eli lamasabachthani My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Blame not therefore our Sauiour to weepe since sinne is so tormenting to his soule Of old the Lord complaineth by the mouth of his holy Prophet Amos 2.13 That he was pressed vnder their sinnes as a Cart is pressed with sheaues which Saint Hierom thus glosseth As a Cart laden with hay or stubble maketh a noise soundeth out and howleth so I howle and cry vnder your sinnes saith the Lord euen shriking as sometimes a cart doth and no maruell for their sinnes were not few but many yea more then can bee numbred by any Arithmetician and greater then can be measured by any Geometrician 〈◊〉 1.4 〈◊〉 1.5 Ier. 5.7 Ieâ— 17.21 Ier. 6.14 Ier. 5.3 Jer. 6.13 Amos 6.6 Esay 3.16 c. Ier. 9 5. Ezâ—k 6.9 16. Esa 5. Iere. 17.25 I will not now stand to tell you of their Idolatry not of their swearing and forswearing nor of their profaning the Lords Saboath nor of their false teachers nor of their contempt of Gods word nor of their Couetousnesse nor of their sloth and drunkennesse nor of their pride nor of their deceit nor of their whoredome nor of their vnthankfulnesse nor of their waxing worse and worse with many moe All which I will not spend time about because I know you haue heard them and hope by frequent reading the Bible you know them but needs it must be granted that since their sinnes did so abound it was the cause that our Sauiours teares did much more abound Our sinnes as well aâ— Hierusalems draw teares from Christs eies And was it their sinnes alone that wrung these teares from our blessed Sauiours eies alas no sweet Iesus thou knowest it was ours as well as theirs for all thy labours thy troubles thy miseries thy griefes thy sweatings thy bleedings and thy torments which in the daies of thy flesh from the first houre of thy Natiuitie to the last moment of thy sufferings vpon the Crosse was for our sinnes and for our sakes our sinnes I say was the cause of all Esay confessed it Es 53.4 5. saying Hee hath borne our griefes and carried our sorrowes hee was wounded for our transgression he was bruized for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed If there be euer an vnbeleeuing Iew amongst vs that should demand this vnseasonable question Why doth our Sauiour weepe for my sinnes Hee hath his answer from these short Arguments following First because it grieues the Father offends his Maiestie vexeth his holy Spirit of grace Christ weeps for sinnes because 1. they grieue God and his blessed Spirit 2. Procure punishment Rom. 6.23 Christ being one that loues the Father cannot chuse but weepe at that which grieues and offends the Father Secondly because it procureth punishment from the Father either temporall or eternall for the reward of sinne is death Death in this life and without a great repentance eternall death in the life to come Thirdly because it separates grace from the soule 3. Separate grace and God from man Esay 59.2 and the soule from grace God from
pray with Saint Augustine Domine da quod iubes August iube quod vis id est Lord giue vs abilitie to returne vnto thee and then command vs to returne or inable vs to doe what thou commandest then command what thou wilt Secondly if Christ weepe for our sinnes Seeing Christ weeps for ours wee should weepe for our owne we are taught to weepe for our owne Wee must not be like stockes and stones that haue no sense nor feeling of our owne miserie neither must wee be like men dead since wee make a shew of life for if Christ weepe for vs wee haue much more cause to weepe for our selues It may be the worldling thinkes hee need not weepe because Christ wept not for himselfe but for vs For saith the carelesse Carnalist If his bloud be sufficient for my soule without mine why not his teares for my sinnes without mine Thus to a desolute liuer the teares of Christ are like Mercuries still-pipe Mercuries still-pipe which plaied Argus his hundred eies asleepe at once But let me tell thee O thou traytour to thy owne soule though Christs bloud be sufficient without thine yet not his teares without thine For when he shed his bloud it was to redeeme thee from sinne but when he sheds his teares Our sins cost Christ both teares bloud therefore we must at least shed teares for them it is in seeing thee runne so fast to sinne therefore as it cost him both bloud and teares to come to thee so it must cost thee at the least many a shower of teares before thou canst come to him Hee sailed thorow the Sea of bloud to saue thy soule thou must saile thorow the Sea of teares to win his fauour If thou refuse to lanch forth into the Sea of Contrition in this world thou shalt be drowned in the Ocean of perdition in the world to come therefore to purge thy heart to free thy soule to winne Christs fauour be not backward to weepe but power forth teares with Dauid Psal 6. Ion. 3.6 Gen. 17. Esay 38.14 Iob 3.24 1 Sam. 1. Ioâ—l 2.13 Matth. 26.75 Luke 7.38 Act. 2.37 16 30. apparell thy selfe in sackcloth with Niniuy humble thy selfe to the ground with Abraham mourne like a Doue with Ezechia rore out thy griefe with Iob powre forth thy soule with Hanna rent thy heart with the penitent lament thy sinnes with Peter let sorrow bee thy feast with Mary and cry out with the Iewes and Iaylor Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saued It may be thou thinkes thou doest sorrow but delude not thy soule for euery groane and sigh and crying Lord haue mercy vpon me is no true sorrow but grant it be yet where are the teares Christ did not sigh Christ did not stay in sighing groning praying but also shed both teares bloud groane and pray for thee then resting himselfe contented as if he had done sufficient but as a man neuer satisfied in affection was not contented till he had shed teares from his eies nay bloud from his heart for the sinnes of thy body and soule therefore if thou thus truly sorrow Teares griefes chiefe testimonie shew mee thy teares for teares are griefes chiefe testimonies the sorrow of the minde will soone bewray it selfe by the countenance of the man Seneca Neither pleasure nor profit nor any thing in the world should hinder teares if thou canst not weepe then thou hast most reason to weepe for there is no greater cause of sorrow ministred then where teares are abolished Doth the worlds pleasure or profit stop or hinder thee from penitentiall teares Then call to minde Salomon and Christ Eccle. 1.2 Salomon who enioyed many things yet said of all things in this world Vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas Vanity of vanity all is but vanity Christ who enioyed no thing of this worlds good yet said Matth. 16.26 What shal it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his owne soule Let not therefore the world nor any thing in the world withdraw thee from weeping for sinne but rather lament the more for the more thou weepest here the more thou shalt reioyce hereafter Peter wheÌ„ he came to Christ leapt into a Sea of waters but when he went from Christ leapt into a Sea of teares our sins deserue as much for a whole ocean of teares will hardly rince our soules Dauid though a man after Gods own heart yet complaineth that he was like a Pellican in the wildernesse whose nature is euer to haue teares trickling downe her bill For teares were his meat day and night Psal 6.6 yea he washed his bed and watred his couch nay made it to swim with the teares of his complaint Iosiah though he were a powerfull Prince ouer a great people yet his heart melted like wax and his eies weept bitterly 2 King 22.19 when he heard the words of the Law Looke vpon Iob that was the Mirror of patience yet vpon the dunghil he sits weeping night day crying out most pittiously My sighings come before I eat Ioh 3.24 and my rorings are powred out like water Looke vpon holy Ieremy you shall finde his eies casting forth riuers of teares Lam. 3.48 Looke vpon Iona Iona. 2.2 you shall finde him weeping at the bottome of the sea and in the belly of hell Looke vpon Mary Magdalen you shall finde her weeping Luke 7.38 and that in such excessiue manner that shee is able with teares to bathe the feet of Christ In a word view but any one of the Children of God and tell me whether you finde them backward in weeping for sinne None come to heauen with dry eies at least not hauing a sorrow for not weeping Reu. 21.4 yea or no Can we finde none that euer came to heauen with dry eies and shall wee thinke to come to heauen with a merry countenance Surely no for Christ is said in the Reuelation to wipe away all teares from his childrens eies But how can he wipe them away from those that neuer either did or sorrowed that they could not shed any Awake therefore O thou sinner weepe and howle for the sinnes thou hast committed against God against man and against thine owne soules conscience lest judgement ouertake thee and there be none to helpe thee Psal 50.22 but away thou must to the graue before thou hast repented Once there was a certaine King that neuer was seene to laugh or smile In all places amongst all persons at all times hee was very pensiue and sad His Queene being much grieued thereat came to his Brother requesting him to aske of the King what was the cause of his continuall sadnesse No sooner had this Noble man fulfilled this Princesse desire but the King his Brother replied I will tell thee next day so he departed for that time When the King perceiued he was gone he went presently and caused
a great deepe pit to be made commanding his seruants to fill it halfe full with firie-coles hauing so done hee causeth an old rotten boord to be laid vpon it and ouer the boord to hang a two-edged sword by a small threed with the point downewards and close by the pit to set a table full of all manner of dainty meats and delicious wines This being thus done he commanded his Brother to be placed vpon that rotten boord and foure men to stand round about him with drawne swords one before another behinde a third on his left hand a fourth on his right also he sent for Drums Trumpets and all other kinde of Musicke which his Country afforded to play sing and dance before his Brother Then the King called vnto him saying Reioyce and be merry O my Brother eat drinke and laugh for here is pleasant being but he replied and said O my Lord and King how can I be merry since I am in such danger on euery side looking vnder me I see coles of fire and if I stirre this rotten boord will breake then shall I fall into the pit and be consumed to ashes In looking vp I see a sword right ouer me which if it be but touched fals downe and slaies me In looking on either hand behinde and before me I see men stand with naked swords to take away my life Since therefore I am in the midst of so many dangers how can I eat drinke or be merry for these same sights doe turne my ioy into sorrow and my laughing into lamenting Then the King said Looke how it is now with thee so it is alwaies with me for if I looke aboue mee I see the great and dreadfull Iudge to whom I must giue an account of all my thoughts words and deeds good or euill If I looke vnder me I see the endlesse torments of hell wherein I shall be cast if I die in my sinnes If I looke behinde me I see all the sinnes that euer I haue committed and the time which vnprofitably I haue spent If I looke before me I see my death euery day approaching neerer and neerer vnto my body If I looke on my right hand I see my conscience accusing me of all that I haue done and left vndone in this world And if I looke on my left hand I see the creatures crying vengeance against me because they groaned vnder my iniquities Rom. 8 21. Now therefore wonder not hence-forward why I cannot reioyce but still mourne and weepe O that all men could thus consider their estate then should they finde small cause to reioyce at the world or any thing in the world but imploiment for Argus his eies yet all little enough to weepe and shed teares for the miserable estate wherein wee stand by sinne for these things are hidden from the worlds eie they account their estate to be happy blessing themselues in the abundance of their riches and because they are not afflicted like vnto other men Psal 7.5 they thinke of no better heauen then that which they enioy vpon earth For the Prince of this world hath so blinded their minds that they cannot discerne what is good for their soules Many times I mourne as one who cannot otherwise chuse to see the folly of this world and what excuses the sonnes of men will make to free their eies from weeping and that not onely of the profaner sort but also of such as make great shew of Religion in so much that now a daies true penitentiall teares is as rare to finde or see as the Prouerbe is a blacke Swan Euery true teare in this age wherein wee liue is a pearle in price and a few of them is worth a Kings ransome But where shall we finde them In the Court Alas no there is pride and vanitie Teares for sin in this age scarce any where to be seene in any estate generally Hosea 4.2 Not in the Citie Inns of Court and hardly any roome for true penitentiall teares Are they in the Citie No for there is swearing lying stealing whoring and breaking out till bloud touch bloud therefore there is hardly any roome for these true teares Are they in the Innes of Court or Westminster Hall Alas no vnlesse it bee the poore Clients teares who weeps more for the losse of his money amongst Lawyers then for his soule by sinne for there is delaying of Iudgement demurring of Causes and selling of Iustice but no place for true teares Are they in the Countrey Surely no Country for there is nothing but labouring day by day weeke by weeke and yeare by yeare for the maintenance of the body but neuer once dreaming of the good of the soule Are they among the Gentry No neither Gentry vnlesse true teares consist in hawking hunting gaming or seasting which if they doe God shall haue enough of that but alas these cannot wash the soule from sinne or free the conscience of his burden but rather bespot their soule more with sin heaping fewell to the fire for their greater torments Where then shall I finde true teares Surely amongst the Clergie for they bee the Priests of the Lord Clergy and euer should be offering sacrifices not onely of praiers but also of teares and that both for their owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people but with griefe I speake it that few if any is there to be found for they are growne so fat that they can neither weepe for themselues nor speake to instruct the people What shall I now doe Or whither shall I trauell to finde one cloth bedued with true teares For since I finde them not in the Court nor in the Citie nor in Westminster Hall nor in the Countrey nor in the Gentry nor in the Clergie I meane the generalitie of all these whither will you then send me to finde this rare fountaine I will command my Muses once more to goe abroad to see if they can finde this cleansing riuer of Iordan or bring me any tidings of the true Fullers earth But whither I haue searched all places one onely excepted therefore if they remaine not there I boldly dare say they haue no being in this land and that place is Babylon Onely among the afflicted where the captiuated Israelites remaine I meane the afflicted oppressed and grieued seruants of the Lord whether it be in Court or Citie Westminster Hall or Countrey Gentry or Clergie or any place else there and onely there is this precious water to bee found and not else-where for these people weepe sore in the night when they should take their rest Lam. 1.2 and their teares cease not trickling downe their cheekes till the Lord returne with comfort to their soules Psal 137.1 These weepe at the remembrance of Sion and are wasted with sorrow when they call to minde the dew of Hermon distilling vpon the Watch-tower of the Lord therefore you that desire to drinke of these teares resort with speed