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
sinnes Is it not time to begin NOVV if ye have not begun till NOVV II. Behold l Luk. 22.48 Iudas betraying him with a kisse behold m Ioh. 18 12. the Officers binding him as if hee had beene a male factor behold them in the high Priests house n Luk. 22 63 64 65. mocking him smiting him blindfolding him and aftervvards striking him on the face asking him Who is it that smote thee behold them speaking manie other things blasphemously against him o Mat. 26.59.65 66. behold the chief Priests Elders and all the Councell seeking false vvitnesses against him behold them all vvith the high Priest pronouÌ„cing against him their award and last sentence He is guilty of death Novv harts burst Novv eies weepe NOW Christians if there bee any love of Christ if there be any bowels of compassion in you mourne and lament The Sonne of God was bound for you who were slaves that ye might bee set at libertie The Lord of glory was mockt for you who were the divells mocking stocke that ye might bee honoured of God who is your glory The light of the world was blind-folded for you who were darknesse that ye might bee enlightened The righteous was outrageously beaten for you who were unrighteous that ye might be spared The Innocent was condemned for you who were guilty that ye might be absolved Christ suffered all this for you and yet ye weepe not III. Follow him into the Iudgement-Hall Canst thou with an unbroken heart and dry eyes see him p Ioh. 19.1 2. scourged there and his flesh mangled and torne in pieces for thy sake Behold his naked head begirt with a crowne of sharpe thornes O let us us I say who professe to bee members of his body q Pudeat membrum deliciarisub capite spinis coronato O let us be ashamed to sport and to make merry under a head crowned with thornes IV. Goe to the Crosse heed the souldiers nayling to the unfruitfull tree his hands and his feete behold them giving him vineger mingled with gall to drinke in stead of wine consider how they stript him ere he die that hee may dye with more shame listen to all those that passe by and looke on him yee shall see them wagging their heads ye shal hear them reviling him and rayling on him most outrageously There he yeelded up the ghost there his side was pierst there he was made a woefull spectacle and the principall actor of a bloodie and pitifull Tragedy r Mat. 27 45 51. The Sunne could not looke on it it covered it selfe with a black mourning weede and was darkened but our faces shine as if wee had no cause of mourning The earth did quake but we tremble not The rockes rent our hearts are harder than flint stones yea than the most hard Diamonds and cannot be broken The graves were opened our throates alas are open Sepulchers breathing out all filthinesse and rotten words but our soules are graves sealed and shut to all good The dead rose againe we lye dead in trespasses and sinnes without any spirituall motion any feeling of the wrath of God which Christ in the passion of his death suffered for us For Å¿ 1. Pet. 2.24 his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree There t Esa 53.5 he was wouÌ„ded for our transgressions there he was bruised for our iniquities there there the chastisement of our peace was upon him with his stripes which he received there wee are healed Hee whom the ignominious passion of Christ whom the shedding of his blood whom his cursed death will not wound with a pricking remorse and sting of sin he out of whose eyes the bruising and crushing of his body the sorrow and agony of his soule will not thrust a floud of teares shall never bee mooved by any other argument to mourne and to weep u Plin. hist nat l. 37. c. 4 I lla invicta vis duarum violentissimae naturae reruÌ„ ferri ignÃsque contemptrix hircino rumpitur sanguine The blood of a Hee-goat will beat in peeces the diamond which no heat of fire can melt no hammer of steele can breake What fire will melt what hammer will break our hearts of diamond if the blood of the Lamb of God will not doe it V. Iudas a Reprobate x Mat. 27 3 Iud is which had betraied him when hee saw that he was condemned repented and wept and wee who brag of our elation weep not The Centurion an ignorant Pagan when hee saw what was done when hee considered all the circumstances of his death glorified God saying y Luke 23 47 Certainly this was a righteous man wee that are called Christians wee that boast of the knowledge of God in Christ acknowledge not his righteousnes as wee should seeing wee weep not because hee z 1. Pet. 3 18 suffred for our unrighteousnesse a Luke 23 48 All the people that came together to that sight beholding the things which were done smote their breasts We know all the things that were done every day b Gal. 3.1 Christ is evidently set forth crucified among us by the preaching of the Gospell and yet none of us smiteth his breast c Ezech. 8.14 The idolatrous women of Ierusalem sate weeping for TAMMVS d Plut. de Iside Osiride called by the Greekes OSIRIS the false god of the Aegyptians whom Typhon slue and wee weep not for Iesus Christ who e 1 Iohn 5.20 is the true GOD and eternall life whom the Iewes slue f Plut de cessatione Oraculorum The Divells themselves which were in the Iles of Paxes did mourne at his death when Thamos the Pilot of the ship which was sayling by cried The great Pan is dead Who is the great Pan but hee who is all in all our Lord Iesus Christ The Divells mourned because g Heb. 2 14 through death hee destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Divell their master and them also we mourne not wee I say who were the causes of his death VI. It is written in the Revelat. that h Rev. 1.7 every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall wayle because of him Why shall they wayle because of him because they pierced him O God! have we pierced him are wee guiltie of his death was it not Iudas which betrayed him was it not the Councell of the State of the Church which sent to take him was it not the high-priest which accused him was it not Pilate which condemned him were they not Pilat's souldiers which scourged crowned nailed stript and pearced him What ye ask is true But why did hee suffer mortall men to exercise such cruelties on his innocent person He stood there in our room and what wee deserved that hee suffered Our covetousnesse betrayed him Our anger laide hold on him and tied him Our
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
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
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