vs take heede that our Halcion-dayes doe not deceiue vs neither let vs thinke that we are priuiledged aboue others Rom. 11.21 For if God spared not the naturall branches when they did not repent will he spare vs that were wilde Oliues The Iewes in the time of Ieremiah who dwelled in Ierusalem liued in great securitie as we doe neither regarding Gods mercies nor fearing his iudgements therefore the Lord sent Ieremiah with this message vnto them Behold I begin to plague the Citie where my name is called vpon Ier. 25.29 and should you goe free yee shall not goe quite for I will call for a sword vpon all the inhabitants of the earth Euen so this example of Ierusalem yea and all the examples before mentioned doe preach vnto vs to turne vnto God not flattering our selues that we are better then they nay I feare that our sinnes are growne so great that we haue iustified Ierusalem yea Sodome and Gomorrha in their sinnes and therefore I say from the mouth of Christ vnto you except ye repent ye shall likewise perish Luke 13. Now out of this generall let vs obserue these particulars First that it is Gods great mercy without mans desert to admonish and warne sinners of their future punishments if they refuse his grace offered he hath mercie on whom he will When God then doth warne a Nation a Countrie a People or Citie he declareth his great mercie That he would not the death of a Sinner but rather that he should turne and liue This mercie of God should leade vs to repentance it should breake our stonie hearts and soften the hardnesse of them when God spreadeth out his hands vnto vs and offereth to gather vs together as a Henne doth her Chickens that wee perish not with the wicked Secondly all the Admonitions in the Scriptures are written for vs to warne vs to preuent the wrath of God and to escape the punishments of the wicked Therefore when either we reade or heare how God destroyed a Nation a People a Country yea or some particular person â—o despising his grace and reiecting his admonition let vs presently apply it vnto our selues in this manner I reade or I heare how Ierusalem and other Cities were destroyed for refusing the grace of God offered vnto them I heare how such men were seuerely punished when they would not be warned If I doe not make vse of this the same punishment will fall vpon me therefore I will pray vnto God to grant me his grace that I may take these warnings and speedily turne to God that the fall of others may be my rising Thirdly these Admonitions will leaue vs without excuse For what can we plead for our selues when so many examples and admonitions haue beene remembred vnto vs He that is once warned is halfe armed therefore there remaineth no excuse for vs if we despise these admonitions but a fearefull expectation of the iust iudgement of God Lastly these Examples and Admonitions in the Scriptures will be so many witnesses against vs and will rise vp in iudgement to condemne vs It shall be easier for Ierusalem Tire and Sidon and for Sodome and Gamorha in the day of Iudgement then for vs. God Almightie giue vs grace to make a good vse of these things Now I come to the words in particuler as they lie in order And when he was come neere vnto the Citie OVr Lord Iesus accompanied with his Disciples and much people reioycing with great triumph approacheth to Ierusalem And when he was come neere vnto the Citie he beheld it and wept for it He commeth to Ierusalem to an ingratefull and a rebellious Citie from which he had iust cause to depart for she neither would receiue his Doctrine nor beleeue his miracles His Doctrine she challenged not to be of God his miracles she ascribed to Sathan Math. 12. to Belzabub the chiefe of the Diuels his person she contemned is not this the Carpenters Sonne art thou not a Samaritan Math. 13. Yet our Lord Iesus passing by all these indignities commeth vnto her and leaueth nothing vnattempted to saue her as he himselfe by his owne words testified O Ierusalem Math. 23.37 Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent vnto thee how often would I haue gathered thee together as a Henne doth hir Chickens and thou wouldest not Behold here the loue of our Lord Iesus to an vnfaithfull and a rebellious people This example of Christ doth teach all his Ministers yea and all Christians to open their bowels of mercie euen towards the obstinate not rashly to forsake them and depart from them and to giue them ouer but rather to labour to winne them vnto Christ and to omit no time to spare no labour to effect it and to bring it to passe So did Noah labour with the old world Lot with the Sodomites Moses with Pharaoh and the Aegyptians Samuel with Saul the Prophets with the Israelites Paul with the Iewes But it may be obiected that it is in vaine and but labour lost to cast pearles before Swine Math. 6. and to giue that which is holy vnto Dogges I answer we ought not so to thinke by and by of such as are obstinate and ingratefull of such as are froward and stubborne for God can suddenly change them Paul was a Persecutor a Blasphemer 1 Tim. 1.13 and an oppressour but God tooke mercie vpon him Mathew and Zacheus were Publicans and Sinners when our Lord Iesus called them Therefore let vs doe our diligence and commit the successe vnto God If they continue in their disobedience they are without excuse and their condemnation is the more iust He that refuseth light is worthy to continue in darkenesse he that reiecteth grace deserueth to abide the sensure of Iustice If we with our admonitions and exhortations reclaime and winne them we saue so many soules from death Iames 5.19.20 and couer a multitude of sinnes and wee our selues shall in the day of the resurrection shine as the Starres in the firmament Dan. 12.3 He beheld the Citie AS our Sauiour Christ approached neere vnto Ierusalem so he beheld it he looked vpon it and reuoluing in his minde her blockishnesse and ingratitude neither seeing nor acknowledging Gods mercies nor yet fearing his iudgements he burst forth into weeping Now we may consider his kindnesse and loue towards Ierusalem that he looketh on her that he beheld her from whom he had iust cause to turne away his eyes yet he beholdeth her he doth not auert his face from her as men turne their eyes from their enemies Luk. 10.33 But he is that good Samaritan who seeing the wounded man is moued with great commiseration and compassion towards him pittying his distressed case and indeauouring to relieue it The vse This example is our instruction teaching vs to behold obstinate sinners to looke vpon them pittying their miserable estate which they themselues see not When therefore
such abūdance as he caused his bed to swim Psal 6.6 and watered his couch with his teares In both which places though there be an Hyperbolicall excesse of speech for it is not possible for men to fill buckets with teares Cura dolorque animi lacrymaeque alimenta fuere Ouid meta li. 10. nor to cause themselues to swimme in their beds yet it signifieth that there was an exceeding great measure of griefe Againe he saith that his teares were his meate Psal 42.3 Luk. 7.38 Ioel. 2.12 day and night And Mary as before was noted shed such plenty of teares as shee washed our Sauiours feete with them Let vs then I beseech you Weepe for your selues and for your children Luk. 23.28 A good saying of a prophane mouth Ille dolet verè qui sine teste dolet Martialis lib 1. Epigra 34. turne vnto the Lord with fasting and with weeping and with mourning both for the sinnes of others and for our owne sinnes O that I could obtaine thus much of you or rather of God for you that you would weepe for your sinnes though not at this time and in this place yet when you are at home and by your selues when ye consider of this ye haue heard this day that so God may regard your teares put them into his bottle and auert the iudgements which our sinnes haue iustly deserued We haue heard how our Lord Iesus wept ouer Ierusalem now let vs consider what Ierusalem did Ierusalem was secure she reioyced she was merry she feared no danger therefore her destruction came suddenly vpon her and she could not auoide it This was the state of the first age they ate they dranke they bought they sould they married and were giuen in marriage and sodainely the floud came and swept them all away This was the state of Pharaoh and his Hoast This was the state of the Sodomites they feared no danger and suddenly were consumed with fire and brimstone from heauen This was the state of Babilon Isa 47.7 who said I shall be a Lady for euer therefore she gaue her selfe to pleasure and dwelt carelesse she said I am and none else I shall not sit as a widow neither shall know the losse of children 8. But what said the Lord now heare 9. these two things shall come to thee suddenly in one day the losse of children and widowhood they shall come vpon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy diuinations and for the great abundance of thy Inchanters Saint Iohn likewise Reuel 18.7.8 Luk. 12.19.20 in the Reuelation prophesied in like manner of her This was the state of the rich man in the Gospell who promised to himselfe many dayes Of the rich Glutton Luk. 18. and yet the same night his soule was fetcht away This was the errour of Dauid who said in his prosperity he should neuer be remoued but he retracted it finding the contrary Now here we haue a true discription of the world and of the times wherein we liue we haue inioyed such a long peace as neither our Fathers nor our forefathers euer knew we haue had so long prosperitie we haue had so great plenty of all things but aboue all these we haue had the Gospell and word of God so plentifully and so sincerely preached among vs as scarce hath beene seene in any age heretofore Now these Halcion daies this long peace this great prosperitie makes men secure they thinke this will euer hold they feare no alteration they thinke they stand immoueable this was the state of former times and they smarted for their securitie and vaine confidence let vs then take heede and be wise Omnium rerum est vicissitudo let vs remember the change of all things is sudden if God enter into iudgement with vs if he hide his face from vs we shall be changed and our prosperitie may be turned into aduersity our ioy into mourning Mat. 24.37.38 Our Lord Iesus foretould the securitie of the world before his comming that it should be as it was in the time of Noah And Saint Paul saith When they shall say peace Thes 5.13 and safetie then shall suddow destruction come vpon them as the trauaile vpon a woman and they shall not escape Let vs not then flatter our selues with these goodly daies but let vs feare an alteration let vs like good Seruants be alwaies ready with our accompt in our hands and like wise Virgins with oyle in our Lampes that no sudden change may ouertake vs nor any aduersitie dismay vs but that we may say in any aduerse hap that may befall vs as Iob said that is come vpon me that I was affraid of Amen Saying O if thou hadst knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong vnto thy peace IN these words our Sauiour Christ doth complaine and vpbraide the blindenesse of Ierusalem His words are passionate therefore abrupt for we know in whom earnest affections meete being surprised with griefe they cannot vtter their whole minde but breake off abruptly Christ then doth not onely complaine and pitty the destruction of Ierusalem but doth also vpbraide this ingratefull people their great wickednesse in reiecting saluation offered and drawing wittingly the heauie iudgement of God vpon them For it is very like that this thought did disquiet the minde of our Lord Iesus Behold O daughter Sion and Ierusalem I come vnto thee thy King and thy Sauiour as the Prophet promised thee but poore and humble therefore thou despisest me from whose hand thou mightest receiue righteousnesse euerlasting life I would thou hadst knowne those things which belong vnto thy peace and wert not blinde in thine owne euill and in this thy day wherein so many and such admirable things doe call thee to the knowledge of these things For now thou hast mee preaching vnto thee the kingdome of heauen the day of saluation and visitation is risen vpon thee which thou oughtest to know by my doctrine and miracles wrought before thy eyes in the middest of thee But O thrise and foure times vnhappy these things are hid from thee thou doest maliciously blinde thy selfe that thou mightest not see them therefore thou doest rage and art mad against me and seekest my bloud whom with an earnest affection thou shouldest receiue and embrace as thy Sauiour By this then it appeareth that our Lord Iesus complaineth against the blindnesse stubbornenesse and ingratitude of Ierusalem that by no admonitions no benefits nay not with teares she would not be mollified nor warned to auoide her future calamities Simile For euen as a good Father labouring to draw a stubborne and disobedient Sonne to grace and goodnesse by all good meanes but doth not preuaile hath the greater cause to complaine euen so our Lord Iesus had great cause to complaine against Ierusalem not considering the grace that was offered vnto her And this affection of so great mercy which we see was in
This example teacheth vs to weepe for the sinnes of others Righteous Lot had his soule vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the wicked Sodomites Isa 24.16 Isaiah crieth out My leanenesse my leanenesse woe is me the transgressours haue offended yea the transgressours haue grieuously offended He did so grieue at the transgressions of the people that he became exceeding leane withall as the doubling of the word importeth The Prophet Ieremie likewise is full of passion in this behalfe Ier. 4.19 sometimes he crieth out as if he were in great perplexitie My belly my belly I am pained euen at the very heart my heart is troubled within me I cannot be still Sometimes he wisheth that his head were full of water and his eyes a fountaine of teares that he might weepe day and night for the sinnes of the people and he told them that his soule should weepe in secret for their Pride Ier. 9.1 and his eyes should weepe and drop downe teares How did Samuel weepe for the sinnes of Saul Ier. 13.17 1 Sam. 16.2 Psal 119.139 And Dauid saith that his eyes did gush out with riuers of water because men kept not the Law of God How did Saint Paul weepe for them that did walke inordinately among the Philippians Phil. 3.18 Ezra 10.1 How did Ezra and other good men weepe for the sinnes of the people in his time If then these good men beholding the sinnes of the people of their times and considering the calamities and punishments that would fall vpon them did weepe abundantly How can we passe by our brethren sinning with an high hand and committing sinne with greedinesse and not weepe for their sinnes Before I begin to relate vnto you the sinnes of this age and of our Land I cannot but tremble How doe men and women young and old rich and poore generally take the holy name of God in vaine how commonly is Gods holy Sabaoth prophaned how many murthers in this land haue beene committed and the murtherers haue escaped how is adulterie and fornication committed and is not punished how is theft boulstered how doth drunkennesse raigne in this land and is made but a sport and pastime Are not these sinnes like the sinnes of the first age Haue not the sinnes of our Land exceeded the sinnes of the Sodomites and shall we not now weepe for the sinnes of the people of this land yes let vs not onely weepe but let vs houle and cry for them Ioel. 2.17 as Ioel exhorted the people of his time Now if this be required of vs for other mens sinnes much more should we sorrow and weepe for our owne sinnes our sinnes should be our greatest sorrow nothing in the world should come so neere our hearts as they and therefore the Lord saith that when men are once brought to a true sight of their sinnes they shall mourne for them Zacha. 12.10 euen as one that mourneth for his onely sonne and be sorry as one is sorry for his first borne As nothing more woundeth the heart of a tender Father then to loose his onely Sonne the image of his name and the hope of his house so nothing should pierce the heart of a man so deepely as the consideration of his sinnes Many weepe in the world but not for their sinnes but for worldly respects such abuse their teares as Chrysostome vpon the Colossians doth at large declare Many weepe because they cannot haue that which they vniustly desire 1 King 21.4 So mourned Achab for Naboths Vineyard Some weepe because they cannot be reuenged on their enemies so did Esau weepe because he could not hurt his brother Iacob Many weepe because their Parents die not that they might be their heires and enioy their goods Many weepe because they cannot be rich nor haue the world at wil as some haue But how few among vs doe weepe for our sins Psal 6.6 Psal 102.10 Math. 26. Dauid euery night washed his bed and watered his couch with his teares Peter when he had denied his Maister went out and wept bitterly Mary shed such plenty of teares Luk. 7.38 as she washed our Sauiour Christs feete with them And haue not we thinke you as great cause to weepe for our owne sinnes yes verily and if we would but enter into our owne consciences and call our sinnes to remembrance and iudge our selues euery one of vs humbly bowing the knees of our heart should thus say vnto the Lord O my God how haue I bestowed all those Talents of gold which thou hast giuen me how haue I requited thee for all thy kindnesse towards me what hath my whole life beene else but a continuall warring against thee O Lord Iesus what hath my life beene else but a daily renewing of all thy bloudy torments and of all thy passions Ah vile wretch that I am how often haue I betrayed thee and sould thee for a little worldly pleasure or for a little luker and gaine How often haue I bound thine hands and euen most despitefully spitefully spit in thy face by refusing those gifts which thou wouldest haue giuen thee how often haue I quenched the good motions of thy spirit put into me For this should I weepe day and night In fontem frontem atque in flumina â—umina vertam Lachrimae nobis deerunt ante quam causae dolendi Senec. de breui vitae It is no small measure of sorrow that is sufficient in respect of the greatnesse of our sinnes For if we had an hundreth eyes and should weepe them all out and if we had a thousand hearts and they should all breake asunder with remorse and sorrow for our sinnes it were too little and we should sooner want teares then matter of mourning If we thinke that we should be such vile wretches as by our sins to crucifie Christ so often and to put him to so many deaths who hath beene to vs so kinde a Lord and so louing a Sauiour For we must not thinke that a little sorrow or a few teares will serue the turne but we must haue great measure of griefe looke how grieuously we haue sinned so grieuously should we bewaile our sinnes A deepe wound must haue a large plaister and our repentance must not be lesse then our fault It is true it is no matter of merit for a man to weepe more or lesse we may say in this case 1 Cor. 8.8 as the Apostle saith of meates it is not our teares that makes vs acceptable to God but yet much sorrow and much weeping in a token of great repentance and on the other side where there is a little sorrow and a little weeping there is but a little repentance Peter when he had denied his Maister went out and wept bitterly The people of Israel 1 Sam. 7.27 that lamented after the Lord for their sin are said to haue poured out buckets of teares as it were vnto the Lord and Dauid saith that he wept in