wee must not saith the Apostle t 2. Cor. 4.18 Looke at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall for if wee did seeke our blessednesse in temporall things subiect to corruption they comming to decay to waxe old and to rot our blessednes should faile with them Thirdly reason it selfe teacheth us that to make up true perfect blessednes all good things must ioyne together for though a man be inriched with them all saving one so long as that one is lacking to his desire hee is not throughly blessed for in a blessed man there is nothing void no part emptie all his desires are satisfied and so full that he saith It is enough III. Now where shall we finde all good things where else but in God who as hee is the soveraigne God so hee is the soveraigne good as hee is u Deut. 10.17 the GOD of gods and x Psal 8.10 God alone so he is the good of goods and y Mat. 19.17 there is none good but he In him are all goods to satisfie all our desires the goods which are in him are like unto himselfe a Iam. 1.17 With him there is no variablenesse neither shadow of turning he is b Esa 57.15 the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternitie to whom David said with most humble supplication Thou wilt shew mee the path of life c Psal 16.11 In thy presence is fulnes of ioy at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore And againe d Psal 17.11 When I awake I will be satisfied with thy likenes IV. God who is all goodnesse it selfe is e Boêt 3. de Consolat Pros 10. also blessednesse it selfe he is blessednesse by his owne essence Per essentiam Mans blessednes commeth from his by participation Per participationem even so farre as according to our capablenesse wee are filled with his infinite goodnesse He borroweth nothing from any creature yea tho all creatures were brought to the first nothing whereout of they were taken as hee was from ever so hee should bee blessed for ever Wee borrow all from him and our blessednesse is nothing but the enioying of him which the Scripture calleth The vision of God according to the comfortable saying of our Saviour f Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the poore in heart for they shall see God O blessed blessednes when shall we see thee where shall wee enioy thee that wee may bee blessed in thee g Bâ—â—t ibid. Pros 3. Beatitudo est status omnium bonorum aggregatione perfectus Oh blessed blessednesse of them that see thee In thee they see all goodnesse in thee they enjoy all good things they are filled with thee and thou beeing with them they are fully consummated by thee who art to all thy Elect h Thom. 12a q. 2. art 8. Concl. Beatitudo est bonum perfectum quod totaliter quietat appetitum their perfect universall good satisfying all their desires O blessed blessednes which dwellest in them whom thou blessest without interruption and who art never weary of dwelling in them dwell in us who are heere before thee i Aug. Confess lib. 1. cap. 1. Quia fecisti not ad te Et inquietum est cornostrum domae requiesâ—at in to for thou hast made us to goe to thee and our heart findeth no rest till it rest in thee Let us all speake so to our God that hee hearing our prayers may fill us with his blessednesse and so we may be blessed in him V. Yee have heard what blessednesse is thereby yee may iudge who is blessed k Idem de morib Eccl. Cath. cap. 3. Hee who hath not that which he desireth whatsoever it be is not blessed neither is hee blessed who hath that which hee loveth if it bee hurtfull nor hee also who loveth not that which hee hath how good soever it be for hee who coveteth that which he cannot obtain is grieved Cruciatur and hee who hath obtained that which he should not covet Fallitur is deceived and hee who coveteth not that which should be obtained is sick Aegrotat None of these can have place in the soule of man without miserie now miserie and blessednesse cannot dwell together in one maÌ„ Therfore none of those men are blessed VI. Who then are blessed not they l Ciecro Aiunt esse beatos quil vivunt ut ipsi velint c. Velle enim quod non deceat id ipsum miserimum est who live at their owne will for to will that which is not decent is a most miserable thing Otherwaies many wicked meÌ„ should bee blessed For m Psal 10 3. the wicked boasteth of his harts desire and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth Hee onely is blessed n Aug. de Trinit lib. 13. cap. 5. Beatus non est nisi qui habet omnia qua vult nihil vuls malâ— who hath all that his heart can desire and desireth nothing amisse Such shall be they that weep and mourne now as Iesus Christ saith in my text CHAP. III. 1. WEeping is often put in the Scripture for fasting repentance and prayers 2. Of the naturall causes of weeping 3. What mourning is 4. Errour of those which condemne weeping and other naturall affections 5. Divers examples of courageous and godly men which did weepe namely of our Lord Iesus Christ 6. Too great moderation in the things of God is a sin excesse in them is laudable 7. Some teares are indifferent 8. Some are wicked 9. Some are good 10. First motive to weeping by the examples of godly men which wept through godly sorrow I. THerefore ye must learn with the assistance of Gods Spirit I will teach you what are the naturall causes of weeping and mourning what difference there is betweene them how weeping is not unworthy of men who thinke themselves the most worthiest of all men and is no unseemlinesse in a Christian man finally which is the weeping and mourning whereunto blessednes is promised This discourse is fit for this day which is a day of repentance of fasting of weeping and extraordinary prayers for where fasting is there weeping mourning should be as yee may learne of the exhortation which God made to his people by the Prophet Ioel saying a Ioel 2.12 Turne yee even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning Yea they are so inseparably conjoyned that weeping is put for fasting for the people did aske of the Prophet Zech. b Zech. 7 3. Should I weep in the fift month separating my selfe as I have done these so many yeares because there is no true fasting without weeping Ye read likewise that when the Disciples of Iohn came to Christ saying c Mat. 9.14 15. Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft
of the Sonne of God wherein he washt by faith and was made cleane of the incurable leprosie of sinne So then if ye aske by whose satisfaction merits ye obtaine eternall life the Scripture answereth absolutely that it is by the onely satisfaction and merits of our Lord Iesus Christ o Act. 4.12 Neither is there Saluation in any other for there is none other Name vnder heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued VII But if we aske to whom this saluation is giuen That is another question where vnto the Scripture maketh another answere and faith as Elizabeth said to the Virgin Marie p Luk. 1.45 Blessed is she that beleeued q 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God in Christ are Yea and in Christ are Amen vnto the glory of God And r Gal. 3.14 we receiue the promise of the Spirit through faith Neither haue we any other hand to receiue Christ who is promised vnto vs but faith Therefore it is written that ſ Eph. 2.8 by grace ye are saued by faith And because our last and principall blessednesse is our saluation it is also written that they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham t Act. 15.9 The hearts are purified by faith Therefre it is written u Math. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart The heart by faith is broken and bruised with the sense of sinne and with x 2 Cor. 7.10 godly sorrow for sinne Therefore it is written y Math. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit Faith looketh vp to heaven with a weeping eye Faith calleth vpon God with prayers steeped in teares Faith stretcheth soorth to the throne of grace hands dipped in the bitter and salt waters of repentance And therefore it is written Blessed are they that mourne If faith did not repent sigh weepe pray repentēce weeping sighing prayer should be sinnes For a Rom. 14.23 whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne So the teares of Esau were sinnes So when David prayeth against the wicked man b Psal 109.7 Let his prayer become sinne he teacheth vs that prayers of wicked and vnbeleeuing men are sinnes for to such men c Tit. 1.15 nothing is pure but euen their mind and conscience is defiled And what can come from such a puddle but filth and stincking putrefaction h Gal. 5.6 Faith worketh by loue and is rich in good workes Therefore it is written l Psal 1.2 blessed is the man whose delight is the Law of the Lord m Psal 119.1 Blessed are the vndefiled in the way n Psal 128.1 Blessed is euery one that feareth the Lord c. Yee see what persons are blessed And what qualities are required in you if you desire to be partakers of blessednes The first must be faith For o Heb. 11.6 without faith it is impossible to please God From faith springs forrow for sin repentance weeping prayers good workes p Eph. 2.10 which God hath prepared that we should walke in them All those which are adorned and inriched with those good qualities are blessed but the cause wherfore they are blessed is the merite of Christ Iesus in whom they beleeue by whom they pray for whom they weepe and by whose spirit they are lead in the way of the Lord doe good workes For to them q Zech 12.10 that mourne in Ierusalem Zechariah saith that r Zech. 13.1 there shall be a fountaine opened for sinne and for vncleannesse what are not their eyes a fountaine To weepe for sinne they may be To blot out and abolish the slaine of sinne they cannot be The only side of Christ which was pierced in his death was made a fountain of bloud to wash in it the sinnes of all them which to weepe for their sinnes make of their heads a fountaine of teares VIII Therefore when ye read in the Homilies of the Doctors of the Church either auncient or moderne that teares are a satisfaction for sinne that they wash it away and blot it out and many such hyperbolicall speeches yee must vnderstand them f Cum graeno salis with a graine of salt as the Iurisconsults speake of some sayings of their Doctors and know that either they speake of satisfaction giuen to the Church or attribute to the effect that which is proper to the cause which is frequent amongst orators and in speeches gilt and beautified with Rhetoricke Consider that in my text blessednesse is attributed to them which weepe not to weeping to the tree not to the fruit to the worker not to the worke And when yee seeke the causes of your blessednesse looke not downeward to your selues but vpward to the mercie of God and with a sincere heart and true mouth follow the holy Apostle and say t Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs with al spirituall blessings in heauenly places in Christ u Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things To whom be glory for euer Amen If yee remember this distinctiō betweene the qualification of the persons which are to be saued the causes wherfore they are saued as also the chāging of attributions when the effects are honoured with the glorious titles which belong to their causes ye wil not easily be seduced with Papistry nor troubled with som speeches which the Doctors vttered hyperbolically which the Papists wrest vnlearnedly which ye must vnderstand x Rom. 12.6 according to the proportion of faith soundly CHAPTER II. I. ALl our comforts are called Life and wherefore II. Item wherefore that life which is our onely comfort is called euerlasting III. What eternall life is IV. T is imperfect in this world and perfect in the world to come V. He that hath not the beginnings of eternall life in this world shal neuer come to the perfection thereof in the world to come I. BVT to leaue of disputing against Papists which is not fit for this day wherin we are assembled to dispute against our owne sinnes and to let alone the hyperbolicall speeches of Doctors let vs come to Christs comforts wherin our blessednesse consisteth Our Blessednesse in holy Scripture is called Life Euerlasting T is called Life not because we shall act liue and moue by it as we doe now during our abode in the earthly tabernacles of our mortall bodies but because it is a most glorious happie and blessed estate our soueraigne good and felicitie the full perforformance of all our desires the longed-for wish of our vnsatiable hearts the center and last resting place of all the agitations of our stirring and vnquiet soules There is nothing that man loueth better then life For how can he loue what can he loue if he liue not Life is the spring of loue life is the enioyer life is the vser of all the things which we loue As we cannot loue without life So life
good which wee love not we serve God in covered dishes yet wee sigh not O how sensible was sin to this holy Apostle when hee cried n Rom. 7 24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of death O how many teares dropping from his eyes washed his hands and blurred his paper when hee writ these words Hee with many sobbing tears desired to die that sinne might die in him o Rom. 6 7 for hee that is dead is freed from sinne We would not live if wee could not sinne for life without sinne is death unto us Wee walke as the Gentiles of whom the Apostle writeth that p Eph. 4 19 being past feeling they have given themselves over unto lasciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greedinesse Therefore being without sorrow in our hearts wee have no teares in our eyes and we weep not What token is this Surely that there is no love no respect to God in us for if wee loved his goodnes if wee respected his Majestie our hearts would cleave asunder for sorrow our eies would breake out into teares when we offend him CHAP. IV. 1 SEcond motive to weeping from the Iustice of God 2 Sinnes are debts whereby wee treasure up wrath to our selves 3 The sinner fighteth against God I. AS we love not his Goodnes as wee honour not his Majestie so we feare not his Iustice though wee be selfe-lovers though apparantly wee love our selves too much yet I may say that wee love not our selves enough because wee hate our owne soules q 2. Sam. 1.17 David wept lamentedâ— when Saul killed himselfe and when his best friend Ionathan was slaine by the Philistins The r Chap. 1 verse 11 author of the book of Wisedome saith that the mouth that belyeth slaieth the soule Say not that the booke is not Canonicall God himselfe saith that Å¿ Ezech. 18 7â— the soule that sinneth it shall dye Neyther is there any of you ignoraÌ„t of the scripture where S. Paul writeth that t Rom. 6 23 the wages of sinne is death Wherefore take heede to your sinnes for so many sins as yee commit against the eternall God so manie mortall blowes give yee to your immortall soules II. u Macrob. l. 2 Satur. c. 4 Habenda est inquit ad somnum mihi conciliandum illa culciâ—ra in qua ille tanto aere alieno obstrictuâ— somnum capere potuit Augustus Caesar wondred how a certain Knight of Rome vvho owed great summes of money farre beyond all his worth slept so securely that hee was no way disquieted with feare of the rigor of Iustice no way grieved with the overthrow of his family and would needes have the Quilt whereon that carelesse man could be at quiet thinking it should have more force to make him sleepe than all the Laudanum of the Apothe-caries shops Wee are that man our debts are our sinns which we pile up so mightily that as David said of his iniquities x Psalm 40.12 they are mo than the hayres of our head neverthelesse wee say with David but not in so good a cause y Psalm 4.8 I vvill lay me downe in peace sleepe neyther call wee to minde when wee are thus hoording and heaping sinnes upon sinnes as the Fables tel that the Gyants laide hills upon hills when they were to fight against God that a Rom. 2.5 through our hardnesse and impenitent heart we treasure up unto our selves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous iudgement of God This is no tale forged by a Poet but a most true saying come from Heaven for b Ro. 1.31 this is the iudgment of God that they which coÌ„mit such things are worthy of death III. What is it to sinne God saith it is to walke at all adventures with him or as the translation of the text hath contrary unto him that is as if yee should runne your head against a wall of marble stone Heare then what news he sendeth to such adventurers c Lev. 26.27 28. If ye walk at al adventures with me I will also walk at all adveÌ„tures with you in fury and I even I will chastise you seven times for your sins when we fight and bicker and tilt thus with God who shall have the upper hand and which of us shall triumph It were a safer course for us to d Gen. 32.24 wrestle with him as Iacob did e Hosea 12.4 Hee wept made supplication unto him Hee wrestled by weeping hee preuayled by praying it is sorrowing it is weeping for sinne it is praying for forgivenesse of sinnes which giveth us power over God Therefore if we desire to prevayle NOW let us weepe and pray NOW CHAP. V. 1. THird motive to weeping from the passion and death of Iesus Christ considered first in the Garden 2. Next in the High Priests house 3. Thirdly in the Iudgement-Hall 4. Fourthly upon the Crosse 5. Divers examples to moove us to weepe for his death 6. We have crucified him therefore we should weepe because of him 7. As the Iewes did 8. They that weepe not in this world shall weepe in hell I. BUt to leave this let us cast our eyes upon the passion and death of our Lord Iesus Christ f 2. Cor. 5.21 who knew no sinne and neverthelesse was of God made sinne for us Let us looke upon him in the garden there hee said that g Mat. 26 38. his soule was exceeding sorrowful even unto death He was thus sorrowfull for our sinnes and shall not we be sorrowfull for them There h Mark 14.33 he was sore amazed and very heavy And shal not we be amazed for his amazednesse and very heavy for his heavines who was thus amazed thus heavie for us There yee see him wallowing on the ground before the throne of the justice of God there i Luk. 22.44 he is in an agonie there in a cold aire the heate of the agonie openeth all the pores of his sacred body it melteth his flesh like waxe it changeth all his humors into a river of a bloody sweat which piercing and running through his garment imbued and dyed the ground with a crimson colour There yee heare him k Heb. 5.7 offering up prayers supplications with strong crying and teares unto him that was able to save him from death death which hee was to suffer not for himselfe but for us O hearts of steele when will the agonie of the Sonne of God for you cast you in an agony for your selves O eyes drier than the dryest bricke when will the bloodie sweate of your sweet Saviour which mollified the hard ground soften you when will the streames of teares running from the glorious and bright-shining eyes of the King of kings change you into fountaines of water when will weeping dig hollow furrowes and gutters in your faces O when will yee begin to shed one teare for your owne
God wil heare him Moses prayed often for the people and God remoued froÌ„ them temporall plagues But he did neuer forgiue sinne to any man who praied not for himselfe Yea Moses prayed for his sister MiriaÌ„ who for her sin was strucke with leprosie d Num. 12.13 He cryed vnto the Lord saying Heale her now O God I beseech thee and he was heard Did not Samuel mourne for Saul vnprofitably For God sayd vnto him e 1 Sam. 16.1 How long wilt thou mourne for Saul seeing I haue reiected him Did not Ieremiah pray and mourne incessantly for the people of Iuda and was not heard f Ierem. 11.14 Pray not thou for this people sayth God vnto him neither lift vp a crie or prayer for them For g Ierem 15.1 though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my mind could not be toward this people Cast them out of my sight and â—et them goe forth Doubtlesse Ezechiel prayed for Ierusalem when the Lord said vnto him h Ezech. 14.20 Though Noah Daniel Iob were in it as I liue they shall deliuer neither Sonne nor Daughter Thinkest thou thaâ— God will heare another weeping for thy sins so long as he heareth thee blaspheming his holy Name and seeth thee wallowing with delight and content in the mire of filthy pleasure But if thou weepest and prayest for thy selfe hee will heare thee although all other mens and Angels mouthes were dumble Though all hearts were merry though al cheekes were dry and no vapours ascended from the eyes no tongue darted prayers vp to heauen but thine For i Chrysost in Math. homil 5. tom 2. Namet Deus gratiam non tam alijs rogantibus pro nobis vult donare quam nobis God delightes to giue grace not so much to others which pray for vs as to our selues Take for example Dauid Manasseh the forlorne Son the woman of whom I haue spoken the Theefe on the Crosse and Peter who wept and prayed for themselues when no body that we reade of prayed for them yea saith k Idem homil deprofecta Euangelij tom 3. Chrysostome wilt thou learne that when we pray for our selues we come better speed with God then when others pray for vs. The woman of Canaan cryed l Matth 15.23 and the Disciples came and besought him saying Send her away for shee crieth after vs But he answered to them and said I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel But when she commeth her selfe and holds on her crying and saith Truth Lord yet the Dogs eate of the crummes which fall from their masters table then he gaue her a benefit and said Be it vnto thee euen as thou wilt Yee see how he reiects her when others pray for her and grants her requests when shee prayeth her selfe VII Beloued auditors retaine and keepe in your sanctified memories these three lessons and now euen now put them in practise I beseech you I pray you for Christs sake m Col. 3.12.13 put on as the elect of God holy and beloued the bowels of mercies kindnes humblenes of mind meeknes long suffering forbearing one another forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell against any Euen as Christ forgaue you so also doe yee n Eph. 6.18 Pray alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplication for all Saints Namely take heede that euery one of you pray and weepe this day euery day for your ownselues Which if ye doe with with an vnfained repentance doubt not of the forgiuenesse of your sins for God hath saith that o Esa 1.18 though yâ—ur sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool And I am sent to you of God this day as Paul was to the Iewes of Antioche p Act. 13.38.39 To preach vnto you through Christ the forgiuenesse of sinnes And that by him all that beleeue are iustified from all things from which ye could not be iustified by the Law of Moses CHAPTER IV. I THe second comfort and blessednesse promised to them which weepe is deliuerance from the punishment of sinne II. If they suffer for righteousnesse sake the cause of their sufferings is a comfort vnto them III. God deliuereth them in a conuenient time IV. Till that time come he strengtheneth vs with his holy Spirit IV. Apostates which fall away are no true members of Christs Church I Bâ—essed are we if God hath blessed vs with this first and most necessarie blessing forgiuenesse of sinnes for to whom hee forgiueth sinnes he giueth all other necessary comforts And therefore our second comfort is that putting away from before his eyes the iniquitie of our sinnes he will also take away from our backes the punishment of them For when the cause is gone the effect must cease If ye desire a proofe of this truth hearken to David saying in the 32. Psalme q Psal 32.5 I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee and mine iniquity haue I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord And thou hast taken away the punishment of my sinne Did not the Lord say to Hezekiah who had wept and prayed vnto him r 2 Kings 20.3.5 I haue heard thy prayer I haue seene thy teares Behold I will heale thee This healing of the body was an effect of the healing of the soule as the good King confessed in his song of thankesgiuing when he said to his God Å¿ Esa 38.17 Thou hast in loue to my soule deliuered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy backe So yee reade in the Gospell of Matthew that Christ when hee was to cure one sicke of the Palsie said first vnto him t Matth. 9.2.6 Sonne be of good cheare thy sinnes be forgiuen thee And consequeÌ„tly Arise take vp thy bed and goe vnto thine owne house This is the order of Gods blessings the first is the forgiuenesse of sinne The second is the remouing of the punishment of sinne But we put the Plough before the Oxen we weepe and cry desiring to be deliuered of the punishment of sinne are not heard because we haue not sought with teares the forgiuenesse of sinne II. If we be persecuted for Righteousnes sake as many of our deare breathren are now wee haue subiect of comfort in the middest of our sufferings because we know that the cause of our sufferings is not only good and honest but also most honorable So saith Christ bidding vs u Matth. 5.21 reioyce and be exceeding glad when we are persecuted for righteousnes sake and reuiled for his sake So thought his Apostles when x Act. 5.41 they departed from the presence of the Councell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name Such brands are rather glorious then disgracefull wherefore then should we
omnesque corum fibras c. The Pelagians sowed those tares in the field of the church teaching that all affections yea their smallest fillets may bee taken from man Now r Lact. Inst l. 6. c. 15. Laetitiae affectus in splene est irae in fells libidinis in iecore timoris in corde ioy is in the spleen choler in the gall lust in the liver feare in the heart wherfore ye cannot pull those affections from man except yee pluck from him the milt the gall the liver the heart transform him into another nature yea forbid him to be vertuous and honest for vertue is nothing but an ordering tempering of the affections to that which is honest and good take them away way and vertue is gon Without anger there is no fortitude without feare no prudence and advisednesse without lust no temperance without joy no love no sense feeling of vertue Therefore other Philosophers said better that affections are like unto good plants growing in a fertile soil which if yee neglect they wex wilde but if they bee carefully husbanded they bring foorth most pleasant and excellent fruit Which doctrine is true for wee must weed our affections and snip from them whatsoever is irregular and vicious To pluck them out by the root is as if when yee have killed a man ye should cōmand him to stand on his feet and live Yet ſ Plato de Repub. lib. 3. in principio the same philosophers who gave so excellēt precepts for the keeping of the affections in a due proportion measure thought weeping and mourning to bee tolerable in base fellows and meane women but uncomely in all men of note and in women also which are of the right stamp and desire to bee esteemed vertuous V. Consider now what difference there is between the wise men of the world and God Philosophers say that there is much unmanlinesse and faint-heartednesse but no generousnesse in weeping therfore they condemne it as childish rather than man-like many men are still of that opinion GOD is of a far other minde for hee giveth most earnest commandements to his people to weep and rebuketh them sharpely when they weep not Christ in my Text blesseth them that weep and the Scripture ministers unto us many examples of the most courageous men that have been at any time under the vault of heaven which did both weep and mourn Was not t Hos 12.4 Iacob so stout and hardie that he wrestled with God and prevailed yet then even then hee wept and he mourned so bitterly for Ioseph whom hee deemed to be dead that u Gen. 37.35 he refused to be comforted for said he I will go down into the grave unto my sonne mourning Did not x 1 Sam. 17.35 David kill a Lion and a Bear Slew hee not with a sling and a stone the monstrous Giant Goliath Was there ever in battell a more valiant man in an Armie a more courageous Captain in a Kingdome a more royall King yet how did hee weep for Absalom hee was not ashamed to tell that when God's hand was heavie upon him y Psalm 32.3 hee roared all the day long If I should produce for an example of bitter weeping a Ier. 31 15. Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted ye would peradventure say that shee was a woman and that women are not so courageous But what can yee say to Iacob to Ioseph to David ye must needs confess that they mourned not through want of courage but through abundance of love Zechariah speaking in typicall words of the death of Christ and of Christians faith b Zech. 12 11 12 13 14 In that day shall there bee a great mourning in Ierusalem as the morning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon and the land shall mourne every familie apart the family of the house of David apart their wives apart the familie of the house of Nathan apart and their wives apart the familie of the house of Levi apart and their wives apart the familie of Shemei apart their wives apart ALL the families that remaine every familie apart and their wives apart See the mean in mourning it shal be without mean such as was the mourning at Megiddo where the good King Iosiah was slain for c 2 Chro. 35.24 all Iuda and Ierusalem mourned for him See the persons that shall mourn Men and women of all qualities and conditions First Kings and their wives secondly Princes and their wives thirdly all ecclesiastical persons their wives finally all the rest of true Christians their wives Where is courage rage where generosity where constancy if it bee not in Christians who wrestle against the divell and overcome him Was there ever in the world any man or in heaven any Angell to be compared with Iesus Christ did hee not d Iohn 11 33.35 grone in the spirit did hee not trouble himself did he not weep for Lazarus If ye seek a President of weeping who may bee to you a true President heer ye have one who is better and e Psalm 45.2 fairer than all the children of men Shall wee refuse to follow such a Ring-leader and seeing the Sonne of God did weep because f Heb. 2 17 in all things it behooved him to bee like unto his brethren shall wee think it a disgrace unto us to weep and to be like unto him VI. Surely his holy Spirit sanctifieth in us our naturall affections but abolishes them not And wheras many Philosophers take them for vices when they exceed mediocrity God gives them full libertie when they come from a good cause and aspire unto a good end g Lact. Inst l. 6. c. 16. Potest et qui graditur errare qui currit rectam viam tenere For as hee that walketh softly may stray and hee that runneth keep the high way so a man may be moderate in his affections sin and let them growe to the highest measure and not sinne yea if he should restrain them he should sinne No mediocrity is to bee praised in ill-doing If thou be but tickled with joy for the death of thine enemie thou sinnest but h 2 Sam. 6 14 20 23 David leaping for joy and dancing before the Lord with all his might when hee brought the Ark into Sion sinned not Contrariwise Michol his wife reproving him for the excesse of his joy sinned and was punished In things which are truely good no excesse is vicious for God liketh a man who dooth good things with all his minde all his soule all his heart and all the strength of his affections Who will say that to leap for joy for the deliverance of the Church is a sin i Lact. ibid. Nemo dubitat quin in illo exiguū laetari in hoc parum laetari sit maximum crimen The Church saith that not to leap for joy in such a case is
unthankfulnesse and therfore a most detestable sinne The true moderation of the affections is to withdraw them from sinne and to apply them unto righteousnesse when they are once in the way lay the bridle on their neck put the spurs to their sides and make them to gallop till they runne with thee to the Kingdome of heaven In our discipline saith Saint Austin k Aug. de eiv Dei l. 9 c. 5. In disciplinâ nostrâ non tam quaeritur utrum pius animus itascatur sod quare irascatur c. wee ask not if a godlie soule bee angry but for what cause hee is angry neither whether hee bee sorrowfull but for what cause he is sorrowfull nor if he fear but what is the cause of his feare for to be angry against a sinner that he may be corrected to bee sorrowfull for him who is afflicted that hee may be delivered to fear for him who is in danger lest hee perish who that is in his right wits can blame it VII Let us apply this to weeping and mourning Wee must judge of all our affections not by their mediocrity or excesse but by the causes which set them on work and the end whereunto they incline as I have said this must bee the rule of our judgement concerning other mens weeping our owne For such as are the causes of our Teares such are they some causes are indifferent some ill some good All teares naturally come from ioy or sorrow These causes are indifferent in themselves When 1 Gen. 29 11 Iacob saw his cousin Rachel he lifted up his voice and wept when m Gen. 33.4 Iacob and Esau met together they wept when n Gen. 43.30 Ioseph saw his brother Beniamin his bowels did yerne upon him and hee wept When he made himself knowne to his brethren o Gen 45 1 2 he wept aloud when hee went to meet Israel his father p Gen. 46.29 he fell on his necke and wept on his necke a good-while Naturall love in them begat joy and joy opening all the pores of the eyes they could not chufe but weepe Such joy such love such teares are not commanded of God for he is not served by them Neither hath God forbidden them for they are no offense unto him so that they goe not beyond their due proportion and measure I say the like of teares which come from sorrow Agar neither served nor offended God when q Gen. 21.16 shee lift up her voice and wept being in distresse because shee had no water to give to her sonne to drinke It was naturall to r Ier. 31.25 Rachel to weepe for her children and in that shee sinned not but when she refused to bee comforted she sinned The ſ Act. 20.37 brethren of Ephesus and Miletus when Paul was going away wept sore and fell on his necke and kissed him So wee are accustomed to weepe when wee lacke things which are necessary to our subsistence as also when those whom we love die or go from us to some forreine place Where we love if wee see any miserie sorrow seiseth the heart the distressed hart sendeth a cold ayre to the eyes the eyes pressed with cold become like a foggie winter day and distill teares abundantly In such teares there is neither offence nor service don to God Therefore they are indifferent IIX But when t Gen. 37.38 41. Esau lift up his voice and wept because his brother had taken away his blessing he sinned for hee wept through despight proceeding from the pride of his uncircumcised heart from hatred against his brother Iacob whom hee vowed to slay u Num. 14.39 The people of Israel beeing deprived of entring into the land of Canaan mourned greatly not through repentance for their murmuring against God but through selfe-love which is no small sinne What were the teares of Cain Saul Achitophel Iudas but stinking waters flowing from the muddy puddle of discontent and despaire In anger a man will weep not only through displeasure for the offence received but also through joy for hope of revenge as the Crocodile weepeth when hee hath found his prey So o Spartioni Antonia Caracalla Bassianus wept for joy as often as hee saw the Images of his brother Geta whom he had murthered Manie Robbers Pyrats weepe so wo wo to such weepers IX The vveeping where of we speake and whereunto wee exhort you this day is good because it commeth from a good spring I may call it godly because it floweth from godlines I know that all reares in themselves are indifferent no part of Gods service but they take their denominatiō from the root whereout they grow and blossome If the root bee badde they are bad if good they are good all good and godly teares come from ioy or from sorrow As naturall joy made Iacob to weepe when he saw Rachel so a supernaturall joy p Neh. 8.9 made the Iewes to weepe when they heard the words of the Law The love of God made them to rejoyce in his Law that ioy turned their eyes into fountaines of teares which they shed in such abundance that Nehemiah and Ezra and the Levites were faine to exhort them not to bee grieved but to abstaine from mourning weeping The Church needeth not such exhorters because it hath but few such weepers Would to God that such a cause might bee unto us this day a cause of crying unto you as Ezra did then Mourne not nor weepe But what godly Ioy doth never or seldome amongst us will not q 2 Cor. 7.10 godly sorrow doe it Manie manie cannot perswade their eyes to weepe for joy whose eyes sorrow will plunge into a river of teares Let us then I pray you let us NOW let us in this day of godly sorrow weepe after a godly maner let that sorrow which springeth from the love of God NOW in this day of teares furnish unto us teares of repentance to God and teares of charity both to our selves to others who should be to us for Gods sake as our selves X. If there bee no sinne among us let joy enlarge our hearts let laughing cleere our faces let us say to sorrow Get thee hence but if that which is written in the Book of Iob of the natural sensuall man that r Iob 15 16 he is abominable filthy and drinketh iniquity like water bee true of us if we sin NOVV then let sorrow presse our hearts and make of them a spring of teares NOVV let heaviness cover our faces as a cloud let our eyes become rivers and for so much water of iniquity or rather for so much wine of sinne wine which is ſ Deut. 32.33 the poison of dragons and the cruell venome of aspes wherewith we are every day drunken let us this day let us NOW cry Avant to joy let us NOW welcome weeping let us NOW run to our eyes and draw water let us make of this Fasting
assigneth not blessednes vnto them but vnto the forgiuenesse of sins Therefore let vs cry after him with sweet Bernard i Bernard in Cantica Ser. 23. O solus vere beatus cui non imputauit Dominus peccatum O the onely O the true blessed man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne For who is without sinne None no not one ALL haue sinned and come short of the glory of God Neuerthelesse who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect T is sufficient to me in stead of all righteousnesse to haue God alone propitious vnto me because to him alone I haue sinned What 's oeuer he hath decreed not to impute vnto men is as if it had neuer beene non peccare Dei iustitia est Hominis iustitia indulgentia Dei Not to sinne is the righteousness of God The righteousness of man is Gods indulgence Gods mercifull fauour whereby hee forgiueth sinne is my blessedness IV. This was the iudgement of a man who had beene an adulterer and a murtherer Such also was the iudgement of a woman whom the Scripture calleth k Luk. 7.37 A Sinner She came to the Pharisees house where Christ was The Pharisees of all men were most affectionate to the Law l Gal. 3.24 The Law is a pedagogue to Christ m Rom. 10.4 who is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth See the wisedome of the woman when shee is in the Pharisees house shee goeth not to him who taught who beleeued that man is saued by the righteousness of the Law She said in her heart with David n Psal 51.3 I acknowledg my transgression my sinne is euer before mee I haue transgressed the Law I find no good workes in my life which hath bin so lewd that I dare not trust in it Therefore O Pharisee I am come to thy house but not to thee Thou speakest of perfection of righteousnesse thou preachest of rewards thou bragst of merites I cry to my God o Psal 130.3.4 If thou Lord shouldest marke iniquitie O Lord who shall stand But there is forgiuenesse with thee that thou mayest he feared My misery is my sinne my blessedness is his mercy I haue need of forgiuenesse I come to craue mercy I haue hoised the sailes of my faith towards the only haven which God hath ordained for sinners I flie to the port of Salvation where the stormie windes of the law tearing asunder the mountaines and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord blow not where the still and small voice of the Gospel refresheth the conscience which thirsteth after thee O my God like a drie land I am come ô Pharisee to him who p 1 Tim. 1.15 is come into the world to saue sinners of whom I am chiefe He is in thy house He is not of thy house So she thought so hâ—â— hart spake Out of hand she runneth to her Sauiour And to apply to her with the alteratioÌ„ of two words that which S. Chrysostome hath written of the woman of Canaan * Chrysost tom 2. Ex varijs in Matthaum locis homil 16. See the wisedome of the woman Shee intreats not Iames shee prayeth not to Iohn shee goeth not to Peter shee looketh not to the company of the Apostles shee sought not a Mediatour In stead of them all she tooke repentance with her for companion which was to her in stead of an aduocate and so she goeth straight to the Soueraigne Spring for this saith she is he come downe from heauen for this hath hee taken our flesh for this was he made man that I may be bold to goe vnto him In the heauens aboue the Cherubims tremble before him the Seraphims feare him and here below a Whoore goeth vnto him She speaketh not she cryeth not with her mouth as the Woman of Canaan did q Mat. 15 22. Haue mercy on mee O Lord thou sonne of David Her humility spake for her She stood at his feet behind him Her godly sorrow for sinne cryed aloud vnto him She washt his feet with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head Her loue was a most ardent prayer She kissed them she anointed them with oyntment each of those actions was a sensible prayer O Lord O sweet Iesus haue mercy on mee Thou art come into the world to haue mercy on sinners O sonne of God haue mercy on me Thou hast taken our flesh thou art become that which I am to haue mercy on sinners O sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon mee Thou art still that which thou wast thou art become that which thou wast not Now thou art both in one person O Immanuel O God and man haue mercy on me Woman what ayles thee What cause hast thou to weepe Iudge by Christs answer to her weeping prayers what was the cause of her praying teares r Luk. 7.48.50 Thy sinnes saith he are forgiuen For her sinne she wept because her sinne was her misery Her sin was forgiuen her because forgiuenesse of sinne was her felicitie Simon the Pharisee made vnto him a feast of flâ—sh filled vnto him cups of wine The Lord had no stomacke for Simons meate no thirst for his drinke This woman like vnto Å¿ Gen. 27.9 Rebecca who could make sauourie meat to Isaac such as he loved knowing that t Ioh 4.34 his meat and drinke was to comfort and to saue repenting sinners filleth vnto him a bowle of teares mingled with faith and he pledgeth her in u Psal 116.13 the cup of salvation saying vnto her Thy faith hath saued thee Goe in peace Deare brethren if this day wee weepe as this sinner did our fasting will bee feasting to Christ our teares will be his drinke If we cry to God as David did x Psal 6.1.4.8 O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger Returne O Lord deliver my soule oh saue me for thy mercies sake The Lord will come and speake to our soules and wee shall returne home saying with David Depart from mee all ye workers of iniquity for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping V. I say if ye pray so the Lord will heare you If ye weepe so the Lord will comfort you If yee trust not in the prayers one of another If ye rely not vpon the prayers of the Church but if euery one pray for himselfe Heed what I say I doe not forbid you to pray and to weepe one for another for I haue taught you that the Saints did weepe and pray when their brethren sinned did not God say to Iobs friends y Iob. 42.8 Goe to my servant Iob and offer vp for your selues a burnt offering and my servant Iob shall pray for you for him will I accept He commanded them to goe to Iob whom they had offended and to require his prayers He commanded them also to offer vp for themselues a burnt offering to teach vs three most profitable lessons The first that