Sonne of God and Sauiour among them and with him all goodnes eternall saluation and God himselfe yet they did not see him they would not knowe him they would not beleeue in him before Christ with the kingdome of God and all goodnes departed from them and all miseries ouerwhelmed them warres famine sword and pestilence which vtterly destroyed the citie and whole Nation as Iosephus who was present at that time in the citie during the siege reporteth that one million perished with the sword and famine and after the sacking of that goodly citie which was so ruinated and laide waste that there was not left one stone vpon an other so that all that beheld it euen to this day may say O quam periere ruinae How are the ruines ruinated there were solde for slaues by the Romanes 97000. which were dispersed and scattered into all Nations So seuerely did God punish this Natiō for their incredulitie ingratitude with blindnes that they could not enioy the graces and fauours which God offered them nor escape his punishments denounced against them So fearefull a thing is it to fall into the hands of the liuing God O how horrible a punishment is this Pôrosis Cardhias obduration hardnes of hart and blindnes when God taketh away his grace and light from men which they refuse and wlll not walke therein and giueth them ouer to Sathan to be blinded who so darkeneth their cogitations as the Apostle speaketh of the Gentiles that being past feeling they giue themselues to worke all vncleannes euen with greedines And the cause of this Analgesias and losse of feeling the Apostle teacheth to be obstinacie and perseuerance in sinne against conscience so that at length they begin obducere callum to growe to hardnes of heart that as if their conscience were seared with a hotte yron they are touched with no sence and feeling of their sinnes any more nay the wickednes they commit against the first or second table they feare not to iest at and defend as if it were well done calling good euill and euill good And this is the extreamest degree to perdition and may well be called not onely the most greeuous of all sinnes but also the cause of all sinnes and a punishment of sinne in this life This the Apostle calleth Spiritum Catanózeôs Spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare O fearefull estate And from whence is so great blindnes in the world at this day among such as professe christianitie that whoredomes murthers theft periuries horrible swearing and blasphemies vsurie and oppression fraude deceit and vndermining one of an other and all other sins against conscience are daily practised without shame or any feeling at all Surely these are manifest signes of Gods wrath pursuing vs for our ingratitude and contempt of his graces giuing vs ouer as incorrigible vnto the power of Sathan and hardnes of heart And is not this a miserable blindnes that these sins haue brought vs to the very brincke of the pit of destruction and without repentance must needs cast vs shortly therein and yet we will not see it that we might auoide the danger nor the snares the diuell layeth before vs that we might escape them but run on still in our wickednes to our irreuocable ruine refusing to knowe in this our day the things which pertaine vnto our peace but after the hardnes of our heart that cannot repent heape still vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath Surely it is to be feared that the Lords controuersie which he hath with this land is so great as that he had with that sinfull Nation because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land by swearing and lying stealing and whoring they breake forth and blood toucheth blood The Lord for his infinite mercy sake lighten the darkenes of our mindes and giue vs feeling and vnderstanding hearts Secondly we are here taught from whence warres famine scarcitie of all things the sword and strange diseases pestilence and all euills in the world spring and proceed namely for our ingratitude towards God because we will not knowe the time of our visitation nor the things that pertaine to our true peace This gratious visitation began when the sonne of God tooke our flesh vpon him and was borne in the world through the tender mercy of our God whereby the day spring from an high hath visited vs saith holy Zachariah which benefite was so great that all the wit of men and Angells is not able to expresse it sufficiently and this louing visitation as yet endureth he ceaseth not still to visite vs but how little doe we consider thereof what thankfulnesse haue we shewed how little are we bettered thereby how small is our care to serue him in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life yet to this very end our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ visited vs saith his Apostle who gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe zealous of good workes No maruell then that we haue had so many yeares of dearth vnseasonable weather horrible tempests shipwrackes pestilence strange diseases c. God hath but now begun he doth in fatherly affection but shake the rodde ouer our heads our sinnes are the cause which except we remoue the effects will not cease patientia laesa fit furor except he see amendment his long patience shal be conuerted into the furie of his wrath Let then Ierusalem and the people of the Iewes be a warning vnto vs. Happie is he whom other mens harmes can cause to beware The vse is that we applie these things vnto our selues and learne to be wise by the punishments of others A long time now hath the Gospell bene purely preached vnto vs but with what fruite How fewe of vs doe acknowledge as we ought this gratious visitation of the Lord Where is our obedience reuerence and thankefulnes due vnto Gods holy word where is our zeale and loue we owe vnto Gods ministers where is our reformation of life How many scoffers are there among vs How many are there which thinke themselues in the arrogancie of their spirit to be wiser then their teachers How many are there which come rather as criticall carpers and censurers of the Preacher then fruitfull hearers What contempt and neglect of the holy exercise of publike prayer the chiefest dutie of a true Christian to which God hath made so many sweete promises and so earnestly commaundeth How many are there which holde that the whole dutie of a Christian consisteth in hearing onely without any care to conuert their hearing into knowledge and their knowledge into action How many swinish Epicures are there to be found de grege porci which liue rather like hogges then Christians Shall we thinke that God the iust reuenger of all impietie will
and all wretchednes But if thou hide thy face they are troubled saith the Prophet We ought therefore to pray vnto the Lord that he would vouchsafe to cast his mercifull eyes vpon vs and say with the Princely Prophet Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble He wept for it Here are laide open before vs these two attributes and perfections of God Mercie and Iustice which alwaies goe together coniunction and hand in hand in all his workes His Iustice appeared in that he tooke so district a reuenge vpon that nation for their grieuous sinnes against him It was his tender mercie in that he wept and bewailed a signe of his true humanitie their extreame miserie and finall desolation at hand for their wickednes the fire of Gods wrath alreadie kindled and the sword of his heauenly father readie drawne to strike them His mercie is ouer all his workes The experience hereof wee plainely see in this people How many blessings graces and benefits out of the inexhaust treasurie of his loue bestowed he on them he gaue them a lawe he miraculously protected them he raised vp Prophets Patriarks and Apostles among them the Messias was promised and sent vnto them they were his peculiar and chosen people of all nations in the world But see now brethren the seueritie of his iustice and with feeling hearts learne thereby the true feare of the Lord when they became vngratefull hard-hearted disobedient despised his word persecuted his Prophets polluted themselues with all wickednes God vtterly reiected them they finde now the heauens inclement towards them God to neglect them and whither soeuer they turne themselues they are exposed to the hissings reproaches and iniuries of all Nations Without faith without lawe without Religion without Prophet without Temple without God hauing not so much as a litle space of the earth alotted them to inhabite and fortifie themselues being destitute of all succour O the seueritie of Gods iudgement against sinne and why was all this Because they knewe not the time of their visitation As I shall God willing vnfold at large when I come to the handling of these words Whereby it plainely appeareth that the Lord did not so much bewaile the ruine of the strong walles the stately Towers the gorgeous buildings the rich ornaments and beautie of that goodly citie all which he foresawe should be vtterly ruinated for their sinnes their sinnes I say the cause of al misery which they made light of and least thought vpon did drawe these teares from the sacred eyes of our Sauiour We see sometimes a mad man the neerer he is to destruction the more he laugheth and sporteth but his deare friends knowing the danger he is in weepe and bewaile him the more This franticke citie when it was nearest to spoile vtter destruction most laughed and reioyced but Christ sheddeth compassionate teares for them which he would not haue done if they had lamented and mourned for their owne sinnes I here obserue if Christ the true estimator of things did bewaile the sinnes of others how much more ought euery true feeling Christian heart wish with holy Ieremie Oh that mine head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the maimes and wounds that sinne hath made in my soule whereby I haue prouoked the wrath of my louing God and stand in daunger of eternall damnation If the Israelites in the captiuitie of Babell sate and wept by the riuers side when they remembred Sion their beloued countrey so that neither the pleasant riuers nor the melodious chirping birds or any other worldly delight might cheare vp their drooping spirits How much greater matter of sorrow is ministred vnto all impenitent sinners if they would but call to minde their infinite and grieuous sinnes wherby they haue kindled the fire of Gods wrath against them and are holden vnder the miserable captiuitie of Sathan Exiles Not from the Earthly Ierusalem but from the Heauenly not builded with insensible but with liuing stones by the hand of the omnipotent God This blessed Countrey of Gods elect from which though all Infidells Atheists and wicked liuers are banished yet can it suffer no detriment nor euer be destroyed against which neither Chaldean Babilonian nor Persian nor all the wicked rable are able to cast a darte or shoot an Arrow where is heard no sound of Hostilitie no crackling of Armour but the inhabitants shall reioyce in most secure peace and pleasure for euermore Shall the Sonne of God himselfe weepe foreseeing the extreame miserie that sinne bringeth vppon the wicked and shall the heart of Man whome this onely concerneth bee so hard and insensible as not to shead one teare of contrition for his sinnes Oh that wee would consider the grieuousnes of sinne and the plagues which God hath in store for the same we would then tremble and feare and seeke by repentance to be reconciled vnto God we would then chose rather to be an other Heraclitus in weeping and lamenting for our sinnes then Democritus in vaine laughter and reioycing in our sinnes Oh that men would remember and with a feeling heart consider the torments that God hath reserued for the wicked I then perswade my self that vaine delights would haue no place in your hearts Surely beloued when in the secrete silence of my soule I meditate hereupon I muse with my selfe and think it to be a wonder of all wonders to see an Adulterer Blasphemer c. to laugh sing and sporte being in that state wherein nothing but eternall damnation is to be expected without speedy repētance If Dionisius the Tyrant of Siracusa could take no delight in his glorie stately pallace purple Robes costly fare c because as hee shewed Damocles his flatterer he stood euer in feare of the Sword How is it possible that a wicked man or woman can carry a serene countenance or a light hart hauing so many swordes from Heauen drawne against them This may well bee called according to the Greek Adage Bardónios yélos the laughter of a mad man or Aiánteos yélos Aiax his deadly laughter But truely it is to be lamented yea with a Torrent of teares to be bewailed that the subiect of our sorrowe is commonly the losse of temporal things Many bewaile the losse of the Creature but fewe of the Creator of all One lamenteth the losse of his transitorie goods like prophane Esau for his birth-right Another sorroweth at the losse of his Honour Fame and worldly credit as Saul who mourned not so much for his transgression in disobeying the voyce of the Lord the cause of all his miseries as for the loue of his worldly honor and reputation and therefore saide to Samuell Honour me I pray thee before the Elders of my people and before Israel But all this sorrowe is vaine and vnprofitable For though wee powre
a learned Diuine excellently obserueth I would here haue ended but I cannot forget an obseruation of an ancieÌ„t Schooleman vpon these words in this thy day He calles this their day wherein the Sauiour of the world offered them so louingly his grace and saluation their true and eternall peace which if they had embraced then had not the Romanes sacked their citie Here obserue that the day of this life is giuen vs to make prouision for our true and eternall peace but there is an other day wherein Christ will come in iudgement seuerely to punish the contempt and abuse of his proffered grace and saluation in this our day which we haue so vnkindly reiected These two dayes are diligently to be pondered and thought vpon in our mindes the one of these daies is Gods day the other if so I may tearme it is mans day because he abuseth the benefite of this time of grace not to the will of God but to serue his owne pleasures and vanities In this day the wicked will serue their owne lustes and doe as they please now may Zedekiah persecute the Lords Prophet and cast him into a Dungeon But in the day of Gods Iustice Zedekiah shall be taken depriued of his kingdome and his eyes thrust out Betwixt the godly and the wicked this is the difference all the daies of a godly mans life is the day of God for he vseth it to Gods glory and worketh the worke of the Lord. But the wicked maketh it his owne day for he abuseth the whole time of his life to pleasure lust gluttonie c and why Because these things are hidden from thine eyes Here is now the cause of all euill the wicked securely wallowe in their sinnes abuse Gods patience growe dayly worse and worse and become more obdurate in their sinnes because Gods iudgements for sinne and his imminent vengeance is hidden from their eyes as the Prophet saith They put farre from them the euill day and approach to the seate of iniquitie This reason also Salomon giueth Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set to doe euill But let vs my deare brethren betime remember the euill day and knowe the things that pertaine vnto our peace Seeke the Lord while he may be found call vpon him while he is nigh The time was when Esau had a birth-right Diues pleasure Ierusalem peace and the foolish Virgins might haue entered Now is the time that peace is offered repentance preached heaueÌ„ gates are opened The time wil come if we despise the patience of the Lord that we shall pray with Diues and not be heard weepe with Esau not be pittied knocke with the fiue Virgins the doore not opened The Storke the Crane the Turtle the Swallow knowe their appointed time And shall we be more ignorant in the things that pertaine to our peace then the very foules A traueller being being tolde of a Lyon in the way will stay his iourney a blinde man hauing notice of a Serpent in the path will refraine his walking Sathan is a roaring Lyon and shall we goe forward in vngodlines sinne is a stinging Serpent and shall we goe on still in wickednes O then while this our day lasteth while Christs hands are opened and the doore of mercy not shut let vs aske and he will giue vs let vs goe to him and he will saue vs in futuro salum remuneratio condemnatio after this life there is either reward or punishment saluation to the godly destruction to the wicked Thus much for the first impulsiue cause of Christs weeping ouer Ierusalem Namely the present euill which he sawe among them which concerned their mindes and was the cause of all their miserie the blindnes of their mindes because they would not knowe in this their day those things which belonged vnto their peace The other as I said before was the future euill which pertained vnto their bodies Namely their finall destruction by famine fire and sword which our Sauiour foresawe to be at hand for their grieuous sinnes committed against God and his ministers And lastly against the sonne of God himselfe Which destruction he excellently delineateth by the parts thereof For the daies shal come vpon thee that thine enemies shall cast 〈◊〉 trench about thee and compasse thee round â—nd keepe thee in on euery side Lastly he declareth the same by the impulsiue cause which mooued the Lord thereunto nameâ—y their ingratitude towards the gratious visitation of God because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation There was neuer any Nation vnder the sunne whose misery calamitie destruction was so great and horrible as this of the Iewish Nation as Iosephus himselfe being a Iewe and in the citie at that very time and therefore testis oculatus an eye witnes of all their miseries doth affirme And also Egesippus who liued in the Apostles time hath committed to writing and to this very day the wrath of God pursueth them as their miserable dispertion and persecution through the whole world doth manifest in the time of the siege the famine was so great that dogges cattes and mise were eaten yea one deuoured an others vomit and which I tremble to speake women did kill dresse and greedily deuour their owne children the extremitie of famine vtterly abolishing all motherly compassion and nature eleuen hundred thousand perished by famine sword and pestilence and ninetie seuen thousand after the destruction of the citie were carried away into miserable captiuitie Was euer the like masacrie heard of since the vniuersall flood wherein the whole world Noah and his company onely excepted perished by water What a fearefull example of his iustice hatred and seueritie against sinne did God shew in this horrible vastation of that citie But how great also was his pietie and mercy in that so long before he foretolde and bewailed with bitter teares this memorable desolation We reade that Christ wept for three causes and at three seuerall times First he wept for to confirme our hope and confidence in his mercy when we consider that these compassionate teares of our Sauiour flowed from his intire mercy and loue Secondly he wept that he might mollifie our stonie hearts to relent for our sinnes and to teach vs to bewaile our owne miseries Thirdly he wept to instruct vs when is the due time of weeping which is when we feele our conscience most secure in our sinnes litle thinking vpon Gods vengeance as did the Iewes at this time At three sundrie times also we reade that he wept 1 First at the raising vp of Lazarus where he bewailed mans incredulitie and conscience dead in sinne which custome hath brought to such an obstinate habite that neither his threatnings may awake nor his sweete promises rowse them vp out of this deadly lethargie 2 Secondly vpon the