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
Thy losse is great weep his advantage is greater He is gone to his heavenly Father hee is now his heir Thou couldst give him but earthly goods those which hee enjoyeth are celestiall Thine are perishable death would have constrained him to leave them to another those which hee now possesseth are everlasting and are not subject unto losse If thy son were in credit with the King I thinke thou shouldst laugh and not weep hee is in credit with the King of kings and in great felicity in his presence and if hee could send thee tidings from heaven he would admonish thee to leave thy goods to thy poore kinsmen and according to the commandement of the Apostle q 1. Tim. 5.3 first to shew pietie at home and next to strangers that are needy Therefore weep not He was a godly man and well-away I am bereft of his godly and fruitfull conversation That affliction is great to thee weep but thy crosse is his crown And therfore if thou lovedst him as much as thou lovest thy self thou wouldest rather rejoyce for him than weep for thy self Weep for wicked men for they are with the divell yea saith r Ad pop Antioch hom 69. NaÌ„ si lugendum est diabolum oporteret lugero c. Chrysostom If ye would weep yee should weep for the divell himselfe Rather let the divell weep for himselfe because he is damned let wicked men weepe for theÌ„selves because they are tormented But let us rejoyce for good and godly men because they are with God and are saved VII This hath ever been the doctrine of the Christian Church which to withdraw those of the Gentiles that beleeved from mourning crying at funerals was accustomed to celebrate the funerals of Christians with singing of psalms Å¿ Chrysost ibid. hom 70. and the words which they sung were t Psalm 23.4 I will feare no evill for thou art with mee Item u Psalm 32.7 Thou art my hiding-place thou shalt preserve me from trouble as also x Psalm 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my soule for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee CoÌ„sider now and behold God calls death a benefit why then dost thou weep Thou wilt weep for the welfare of thine enemy because thou hat'st him wilt thou make thy friend his companion and weepe also for his weale The Apostle forbidding us to weepe as the Gentiles doe biddeth us y 1. Thes 4.18 comfort one another with these words of the resurrection If notwithstanding we weepe as the Gentiles doe I say that weeping when we should we weepe not as we should VIII I say the same of all those which when they are rebuked of sinne will weepe and yet leave not off to sinne The Scripture saith that a 1. King 21.25 26 27. there was none like unto Achab which did sell himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord. Yet when he heard the judgments of God denounced against him he rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sackecloth and went softly O how bitterly hee wept O how dolefully hee mourned To looke on him yee would have said This is a penitent man But immediately after b 1. Kin. 22.6.27 he giveth heede to false Prophets he casteth Micaiah the Prophet of the Lord in prison and surceaseth not from sinning till God kill him Doubtlesse Cain wept mourned when hee saide to God c Gen 4.13 My iniquitie is greater than I can beare Neverthelesse he did not forbeare to sinne but waxed worse and worse Such men saith d Greg. Pastoralis Curae 1. parte Flendo inanitâ—r se muÌ„dant qui vivendo se nequiter inquinant Gregory Wash themselves in vaine with teares because they beray themselves by their naughtie lives and practise that which is said in a Proverbe e 2. Pet. 2.22 The dogge is turned to his own vomit againe and the sow which was washed to her wallowing in the mire what is such weeping but increasing of sinne Thou weepest for sinne because thou knowest that it is an evill thing And yet thou goest backe unto it againe as if thou soughtest to shed teares to steepe in them the dirt of thy sinnes that as a sow thou maist wallow with full content in myrie water As when Balaam wished with sighing f Numb 23.10 Let me dy the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his yet after that hee sought to curse the righteous and gave a pernicious counsell to the King of Moab against them what did he but heape sinne upon sinne and aggravate his owne condemnation CHAP. X. 1. OF them that weepe not when they should weepe for their owne sinnes 2. Nor for the sins of other men 3. Nor for the afflictions of the Church I. BUt how alas how are they increased that weepe not How many see wee before our eyes every day benummed with a spirit of slumber who g Cypr. de Laps Quando debuerant stare iacuerunt quando iacere prosternere se Deo debent stare se opinantur when they should stand fall and when they should fall stand who when they should resist sinne and stand fast for their souls against the wiles of the divell fall into sinne and when they should fall on their faces with sad hearts and moist eyes before the throne of the mercy of God stand straight like Idols in Popish Churches are no more mooved than if they had done nothing amisse h Ibid. Ante admissum facinus improvidi post facinus obstinati nec prius stablles nec postmodum supplices neyther carefull to stand before they sinne nor to pray and weepe after they have sinned Ieremiah powred out his heart like water before the face of the Lord his teares did run downe like a river day and night he gave himselfe no rest the apples of his eyes ceased not to weepe for the ruine and destruction of the Temple builded with stones k Heb. 9.4 wherein was the Arke of the Covenant the golden Censor the golden pot that had Manna Aarons rod that budded and the Tables of the covenant l Chrysost ad Popul Antiochen homil 22. Si morientibus compaâ—imuâ— quis tam sine misericordia est qui animam suam morientem non deploret And they weepe not for their soules which are more holy and have dwelling in them the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost even the holy Trinitie They will weepe for a dead man though a fremme body if they know him And they are so desperate that they cannot weepe for the death of their best friend of the guest and companion of their body of their immortall soule which is dead in sinne m Rom. 8.22 Every creature groaneth and travelleth in paine together untill now for the vanity of man and man even hee that calleth himselfe a Christian man is a dullard and unsensible of his owne
mourned and wept and fasted untill even Made not Ieremiah lamentations for the desolation of Ierusalem and when his eyes were dryed up when his eye-lids were so withered that heavinesse and sorrow could find no water to squeese out of them did he not then wish did hee not theÌ„ cry q Ier. 9.1 O that my head were waters mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people III. Deare brethren there is no man beyond seas in those places where the warre was but he may say as truely as Ieremiah saide in his Lamentations r Lam. 3.1 I am the man that hath seene affliction by the rod of the Lords wrath who as Å¿ Ier. 15.3 he had appointed over his Churches their foure kinds the sword to slay the dogges to teare the fowles of the heaven to devoure and the beasts of the earth to destroy so hath hee brought those fierce and pitilesse executioners of his justice upon his people t Lam. 2.21 Hee hath slaine in the day of his anger he hath killed he hath not pitied Chast women and honest matrons were defiled and murthered shamefac't and pure virgins were most vilely deflowred the young men were put to death by the sword sucklings were pulled away from their mothers breasts and cast into the rivers or dasht against the stones the principall men of towns were hanged the faces of Elders were not honored their bodies which had beene Temples of the Holy Ghost were given to bee meate unto the fowles of the heaven and unto the beasts of the earth as if they had beene dead dogs Populous townes are now heapes of stones where defenced and strong cities were nothing is to be seen but ruines That which was thought impossible to be atchieved in fifty yeares by all the sleight and might of the enemies was begun and finished in fiftie dayes u Esa 4.26 The Lord hissed unto them and they came upoÌ„ the Churches with speed swiftly None was weary none stumbled amongst them their horses hoofes were like flint the wheeles of their charriots were like a whirle-wind Their roaring was like a Lyon they laid hold of the prey and carried it away safe and there was none to deliver So on them was accomplished that which Isaiah prophecyed once against the Iewes and which was fulfilled The head of those armies might have written about the Embleme of his unlooked-for victories the posie which Iulius Caesar carryed graven in the table of his triumph of the Parthians VENI VIDI VICI I came to them I saw them I overcame them Is there any head so frozen and hardned with unsensiblenesse but it will NOW melt and flowe over with teares at the naming only of the great breach which hath beene made in the Church of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ IV. There was never wound so weil healed but the cicature remained O how great is the scarre of this wound Alas alas when shall it bee closed up Behold and consider the present state of the Churches of the Palatinate of Bohemia and of many moe Is it not NOVV most miserable and a sorrowfull subject of a tragicall lamentation and shall wee not weepe NOVV V. x Iob 30.25 Did I not weepe saith Iob for him that had evill dayes was not my soule grieved for the poore O how evill are Novv the daies of our distressed brethren and shall not wee weepe for them NOVV O how many rich men have beene turned into their shirts how many are now poore that were wont to relieve the poore and shall not our soules bee grieved for them NOVV y 1. Sam. 4.20 21 22. Phineas wife was not so gladded because she had borne a sonne as she was deadly wouÌ„ded with displeasure because the Arke of God was taken At that tydings shee called her sonne Ichabod that is to say Where is the glory and nothing at all regarding him shee saide in her mourning and lamentation The glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken So weeping so mourning so bemoning not so much the death of her beloved husband as the taking of the Arke shee gave up the ghost The true Ark of God is the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ Gospell which a Rom. 1.16 is the power to every one that beleeveth The Philistins have taken the Arke Antichrist hath againe smothered the Gospell the glory is departed from the Churches the abomination of desolation is alas alas set up again in the houses of the Lord swarms of drones humming and buzzing make an unknowne and most unpleasant noyse where the word of the Lord was wont to bee preached his Name to be taâ—â—ed upon his praises to be sung If men hearing NOW these wofull tidings will not weepe NOW shall not women who are more sensible of injuries and sooner pricked with sorrow mourne and weep NOW even NOW Nehemiah was more sorrowfull for the desolation of the City of Ierusalem than he was joyfull for all his credit and favour with the great King When hee heard that the people of God which was returned from the â—â—ptivity of Babylon b Neh. 1 3 4. was in great affliction and reproach that the wall of Ierusalem was broken down the gates thereof burnt with fire he sate down wept mourned certain daies and fasted and praied before the God of heaven The king wondred to see his countenance thinking his royall favour more than sufficient to cheer him up and to make his heart glad But hee answered c Neh. 2.3 Why should not my countenance bee sad when the Citie the place of my fathers sepulchres lieth waste and the gates thereof are consumed with fire This is the present state of many bretheren where they are suffred to live they live in so great affliction and reproach that death would bee welcomer unto them than life Their towns are dismantled their houses are turned into cotages they that had something are by the oppression of garrisons brought to little or nothing If there bee not at Artaxerxes Court a Nehemiah to weep a few daies let us who are no Courtiers weep this one day for them let us weep NOW David said of his enemies that d Psal 35 12 13 14. they rewarded him evill for good seeking to deprive him of his soule But as for me saith hee when they were sicke my clothing was sackcloth I humbled my soule with fasting and my praier returned into mine owne bosome I behaved my selfe as though hee had beene my friend and brother I bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother Was that holy mans charity so fervent that hee wept for his foes and shall ours bee so cold that wee cannot finde one teare to shead NOVV for our friends e Iohn 11 35 36 Iesus wept for his friend Lazarus vvho was dead and stinking Then said the Iewes Behold how hee loved him Our
others which have no hope he forbiddeth you not to be waile your dead for it is impossible to fight against the motions of nature Did not u Gen. 23.2 Abraham the father of the faithfull mourne and weepe for Saâ—ra Did not x Gen. 50 1.10 Ioseph weepe upon his dead father and kisse him did not all his sonnes bury him with a very great and sore lamentation Did not y Num. 20.29 all the congregation of Israel mourne for Aaron thirty dayes Did a Deut. 34.8 they not weep for Moses as many dayes Did not David weepe for b v 2. Sam. 1.17 Saul for x 2. Sam. 3.32 Abner and for his sonne y 2. Sam. 18.33 Absalom and did not our Lord Iesus Christ a Ioh. 11.35 weep for Lazarus Did not b Act. 8.32 the devout men of Ierusalem make great lamentations over Steven Did not c Act. 9.39 the Christian widdowes of Lydda weepe for Dorcas when she was dead V. The thing which the Apostle forbiddeth is weeping such as is the weeping of the Gentiles which is immoderate because they have no hope One of them seeing hee must needes pay the last tribute to nature go the way of all the earth as he was dying made an heavy mone for his soul saying d Spartiani Adrianus Animula vagula blandula Hospes comesque corporis Quae nune abibis in loca Pallidula rigida nudula Nec ut soles dabis iocos O my restlesse my gentle my sweet soule soule which hast been a friendly guest and companion of my body O how wanne how cold how bare and empty is the place whither thou must now goe neyther shalt thou hereafter make me merry The rest had no better hope if they spake not so they thought no lesse But we know that e Ioh. 5.24 hee that beleeveth in Christ hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life therefore we must not weepe for our dead immoderately as Gentiles doe but moderately as Christians doe In f Ier 9.17 18. Ieremiah his time there was an heathnish custome among the Iewes Praficae mulieres to hire mourning women who were accustomed to take up a wailing for their dead and that g Chrysost ad Popul Antiochen homil 69. 70. profane custome was in the Church in S. Chrysostomes dayes It is now banished out of the Church But that w eh we doe is not much unlike unto it wee teare our faces with our nails we pull the haire out of our heads we rend our clothes wee yell wee roare wee howle like beasts and shew indeed that wee are without hope so great hypocrites or that we consisider not what wee are doing Chrysostome said that h Ex ostentatione potius ambitione inani gloria sunt c. there is more ostentation ambition and vaine glory than true sorrow in such weeping for a man may weep bitterly in his closet and not make such a shew Yea in such weeping there is great shame and great offence offered to our most holy religion For how shall we speak of the immortality of the soule to them which beleeve no such thing how shall wee perswade them to beleeve i Tertull. de Resurrect Carnis Fiducia Christianorum resurrectio mortuorum the rising again faith of Christians when by such yelling wee make them to beleeve that death is as horrible unto us as unto them for they heed not what we beleeve but what we doe And how shall we our selves contemne death if wee shew so great impatience when our friends die IV. Hearken then and learne how to weep for the dead doe yee consider death as it is k Rom 6.23 the wages of sin Weep Consider it also as it is through Christ l Ioh. 5.24 a passage to life and weep not Doe ye consider how your dear friend whom ye loved so tenderly is by death become so ugly and loathsome that ye are constrained with m Gen. 23.4 Abraham to bury him out of your sight lest he become suddenly a stinking carrion Weep CoÌ„sider also that through Christ his grave is made a Doctor unto him and weepe not Doth experieÌ„ce make you to say that by and by he shall bee dust and ashes Weepe But send for faith and it will tell you that though hee sleep now in the dust of the earth n Dan. 12.2 he shal awake to everlasting life according to the comfortable saying of Christ to Martha o Iohn 11 25 26 I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeveth in mee though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and beleeveth in me shall never dye For in that blessed day of the resurrection of the righteous Christ p Phil. 3.21 shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body Heer is the comfort of your faith The Pagans speaking of a dead man were wont to say q Scal. Castigat in Festum verbo AbitioneÌ„ FUIT He was because they were without hope for the time to come But your r Rom. 5 5. hope which maketh not ashamed teacheth you to say ERIT He shall be They said also m Tert. de testimonio animae adver Gent. c. 4. Abijt iam sed reverti debet Hee is gone but he will come again not shewing that they had any hope of the resurrection as Tertullian deemed but seeking Euphemisms fair words having a sense repugnaÌ„t to their mind to shew that they esteemed all dead men to be lost In that same sense they said VIXIT He did live and therefore they called him n Ibid. Cúm alicuius defuncti recordaris miselluÌ„ vocas cum miserable If yee consider your dead brother as departed out of this life because of sinne say He did live and weep but knowe ye not that o 1. Sam. 25.29 his soule is bound in the bundle of life with the Lord his God Therfore say VIVIT Hee liveth say Hee is blessed and weep not p Rev. 14 13 For blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Beleeve yee not that they are past from death to life Wherefore then weep ye Will ye bee injurious to our Lord Iesus Christ Will yee deny the vertue of his death Will ye forsake the merit thereof Knowe yee not that his death is to us which beleeve the death of our death and the life of our life Then weep not O but he was my loving husband she was my vertuous wife thou hast had some losse weep but thy losse is their gaine They are gone to the marriage-supper of the Sonne of God and it is written Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage-supper of the Lamb. These are the true sayings of God Therefore weep not Alas hee was mine onely sonne the heire of all my goods and now alas to whom shall I leave them
they which mourn shall be comforted III. Our comfort is our blessednesse and all blessednesse is of God to whose prayse we cry aloud with the holy Apostle f Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ So all our comforts are of God who g Isa 51.3 shall comfort Sion For he is h 2 Cor. 1.4 the God of all comfort who comforteth vs in all our tribulation He comforteth vs by his deare Sonne Iesus Christ who saith that the Lord hath sent him i Isa 61.2 to comfort all that mourn and as he came into the world for that end so he doth that wherefore he came as he said to his Disciples k Ioh. 14.18 I will not leaue you Orphanes that is comfortlesse I will come to you He cometh to vs by his Spirit who is the true Comforter For he ascended into heauen thence he l Tertull. de praescript cap. 11. Misit vicariam vim spiritus sancti qui credentes agat hath sent in stead of himselfe the power of the holy Spirit by whom the beleeuers are led according to his promise m Ioh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer IV. Here is the certaintie of our comforts God hath promised that we shall be comforted n Heb. 10.23 He is faithfull that promised and o 1 Thes 5.24 also will do it He giueth not that charge to another His owne selfe doth it p Isa 46.10.11 My counsell sayth he shall stand and I will doe all my pleasure I haue spoken it I will also bring it to passe I haue purposed it I will also doe it Hee doth it by his owno Spirit As q Ioh. 3.8 the wind so the Spirit bloweth where it listeth If he will comfort vs who can grieue vs Men will doe what they can to make vs weepe But saith Christ r Ioh. 16.25 Your heart shall reioyce and your ioy no man taketh from you If we hold our eyes vpon our selues we see our own weaknesse and we know we may loose our ioy But Christ hath prayed that ſ Ioh. 17.13 wee may haue his ioy full filled in our selues And the Comforter himselfe abideth in vs who then shall take the fruits of our teares from vs O most precious pearles of your eyes O teares most acceptable to God! The French Virgin is not so curious to keepe the teares of the vine wherwith a Plin. l. 23. cap. 1. Cutem in facie mulierum purgant Ibid. Vitia cutis in facie varosque lentignes emendant she takes away the speckes and pimples and other spots of her face and hands keepeth their skin soft and faire As God is carefull to keepe the teares which trill from the spiritual branches ingraffed into Iesus Christ who b Ioh. 15.1 is the true Vine c Psal 56.8 Hee putteth them into his bottle Are they not in his Booke d Ctesias in Indicis When the teares distilling from the Indian tree called Siptachora fall into the riuer Hyparchus they are congealed there and turned into most excellent Amber So when our teares fall into the riuer of the mercies of God they become there a most precious iewell And as the Sunne drawing salt vapours out of the Sea vp into the aire turneth them into pleasāt showers of raine e Isa 55.10 which watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may giue seed to the sower and bread to the eater So f Mala. 4.2 the Sunne of righteousness our Lord Iesus Christ draweth vp to heauen our sighs our groans the salt vapours of our deuotion the bitter teares of our godly sorrow which we poure out before him and keepeth them in his bottles till being all gathered together hee powre them downe vpon vs againe in a mos sweet and well-come shower of all kinde of heauenly comforts which are our blessednesse both in this world and in the world to come V. Be not deceiued with the errour of Papists Imagine not that there is any merit in teares as that word is taken by Papists that in them there is any satisfaction as Papists speake of satisfaction that they wash out the blots of the soule which are our sinnes as water cleanseth and taketh away the spots of the body as Papists dare too boldly and ignorantly affirme they haue not in themselues any such efficacy neither hath God made vnto thē any such promise Nothing can satisfie the wrath of God but the death of the son God Nothing is of worth and value before his eyes to be rewarded with glory but the obedience of the Lord of glory No water can purge and take away sinnes g Ioh. 1.29 It is the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world VI. If ye aske who hath satisfied the wrath of God I answere with Isaiah Christ h Isa 53.5 was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities iquities the chastisement of our peace was vpō him with his stripes we are healed If ye aske again by what means by what deserts ye obtaine eternall life Christ himself answereth i Ioh. 14.6 I am the Way the Truth and the Life i.e. The true way to eternall life And the Apostle faith that k 1 Cor. 1.30.31 of God ye are in Christ Iesus who of God is made vnto vs wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption That according as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. Finally if ye aske which is the riuer which is the poole wherein we are clensed of all our sinnes so perfectly that there remaineth no spot no blemish in vs The Disciple which lay in Christs bosome was priuie to all his secrets faith that l 1. Ioh. 1.7 the bloud of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God clenseth vs from all sinne He only is the riuer of Iordan wherein the leprosie of sin is cured m 2 Kings 5.14 The riuer Iordan in the land of Canaan did neuer clense any man of the leprosie of the body but Naamās the Syrian This Iordan of the heauenly Canaan clenseth perfectly all leprous sinners which wash and dippe themselues in it At n Ioh. 5.4 the poole of Bethesda he onely was made whole of his disease who first after the troubling of the water stepped in But when soeuer a sinner shal repent of his sinnes that he hath committed and cast himselfe into this vndraynable poole of the bloud of the sonne of God his sicknes shall be cured and his soule shal be healed Yee read in the Legendes that Constantine the great being leprous was councelled to wash in a bath made of the bloud of little children that he might be made cleane That bath was nothing else but the bloud
is loathsome vnto vs without the fruition of those things which we loue The Diuels and the damned liue in hell But that life is called Death because all the euils which they would gladly shake off fall thicke and lye close together vpon them and all the goods which they desire most earnestly with groanes and sighs flee away from them T is a liuing death a dying life Therefore Dauid asketh a Psal 34.12 what man is he that desireth life And loueth many dayes that he may see good Take good from life And men will chuse death to be freed of life In the state whereof we speake we see good because in it we see God b Psal 36.9 with whom is the fountaine of life and in whose light we see light c August de verbis Apostoli Serm. 6. Omnino non mesatiaret Deus nisi promitteret mihi seipsum Deum c. Certainely God could neuer satisfie me if hee promised not to giue himselfe vnto mee For whatso euer God promiseth vnto thee 't is of no value without himselfe what is the whole earth What is the whole Sea What is heauen What are all the starres What is the Sun what is the Moone what the Hostes of Angels without him I know him to be the creator of all those things Ipsum sitio Ipsum esurio Ipsi dico quoniam apud te est sons vitae I thirst after him I hunger after him To him I say with thee is the fountaine of life d Bernard deproemio patr coelest Esse cum deo esse in deo Viuere cum Deo viuero de Deo c. To be with God to be in God to liue with God to liue by God to haue God who is the soueraigne Good is soueraigne blessednesse is life it selfe II. This Life is called Euerlasting because as it cometh of God and is nothing but the enioying of him so it is like vnto him e Iam 1.17 with him there is no variablenesse neither shadow of turning T is so with their life It may grow better and shal be better in the resurrection It knoweth no interchangeable course of seasons T is al at once the spring time of most pleasant sights the Summer all kind of pleasures the haruest of al blessings which feare no withering by the biting frost of a cold mistie winter God is eternall by nature This life is eternall through his grace God is eternall without beginning without ending f Reu. 1.8 which is and which was and which is to come This life hath a beginning but shall neuer haue an end T is rather euerlasting then eternall So is the death of the wicked to whom the great Iudge shall say at the last day g Math. 25.41 depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuel and his Angels O happy would they thinke themselues if death could cut the thread of their life Woe woe be vnto them h Reu. 9 6. In those dayes men shall seeke death and shall not find it And shall desire to die and death shall flee from them This shall be the fulnesse of their misery that they shall disire to die and know that they shal neuer die But in this shall be the fulnesse of our felicitie that liuing in God we shall know that we shall liue with him for euer and euer * Barnard de modo bene viuendi Serm. 69. Atterna vitaest vitalis ista est mortalis Idem in Psal Qui habitat Serm. 17. Est finis sine sine This life whereby we liue in in those houses of clay is mortall But eternall life is vitall and liuely T is an end without end III. For eternall life is a full and euerlasting possession and fruition of al things which God hath promised vnto vs in Iesus Christ his Son ye may reduce them all to this one i Reu. 21.3 Behold the Taber nacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people God himselfe shall be with them and be their God Or as S. Paul saith in fewer words k 1 Cor. 15.28 God shall be all in all l August de Verbis Apostoli Serm. 16. Quicquid hic quaerebas quicquid hic promagno habebas ipse tibi erit c What is that all in all Whatsoeuer thou didst seeke here whatsoeuer thou didst make great accompt of here his owne selfe shal it vnto thee m Idem concio 1. in Psal 36. That which is gold cannot be siluer vnto thee That which is wine cannot be bread vnto thee that which is light cānot be drinke vnto thee Thy God shall be all vnto thee Thou sha't eate him that thou hunger not thou shalt drinke him that thou thirst not thou shalt be inlightened by him that thou be not blind thousha't be holden vp by him that thou faint not Posssidebit te totum integrum totus integer He entire and whole shal possesse thee intire and whole he shall be al in thee all thou shalt be all in him all Totum habebis Totum ille habebit quia tu ille vnuus eritis Thou shalt haue him all he shall haue thee all because thou and hee shall be one IV. This eternall life which is the possession of all good in God through Iesus Christ and the onely comfort of them which weepe and mourne though it be alwayes one and the same and not of sundry sorts yet it hath some degrees we are now in this land of the dying Viatores Trauellers and way-faring men and in it wee haue the beginnings of eternall life In heauen which is the land of the liuing wee shall be Comprehensores Owners and peaceable possessors of the entire and whole felicitie which GOD hath prepared for his deare ones The Lord Iesus hath he not said in his prayer to his Father n Ioh. 17.3 This is life eternall that they might know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent If eternall life be in the knowledge of God as Christ saith And if o 1 Cor. 13.9.10 we know in part as the Apostle saith we haue alreadie eternall life but in part only till that which is perfect come and that which is in part may be done away or rather swallowed vp in that profound Ocean of perfect blessednesse Now we f Rom. 8.23 haue the first fruits of the Spirit Then we shall haue a most plentifull haruest Now we haue g 2 Cor. 1.2 the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts as a part and therefore a most assured pawne of the totall summe which shall be giuen vs then Now we say one to another h Psal 34.6 O taste and see that the Lord is good Then i Cyprian de Laude Martyrij Ibi non gustabunt quāsuanis sit Deus sed implebuntur et satiabuntur dalcedine mirificâ Nihil deerit nihil
oberit Omne desiderium eorum Christus praesens implebit we shall not onely taste how sweet God is but we shall be filled and satisfied with a wonderfull sweetnesse then nothing shall be wanting vnto vs nothing shall hurt vs because Christ by his presence shall fill all our desires V. Be not therefore deceiued for if ye haue not the beginnings of eternall life in this barren wildernesse of your pilgrimage ye shall neuer come to the compleatness thereof in the pleasant and fruitfull land of your rest wherof it is written k Ps 25.13 His soule shall lodge in goodness and his seed shall inherite the earth Obiect not the words which wee reade in the first Epistle of S. Iohn l Ioh. 3.2 It doth not yet appeare what we shall be for he speaketh of the full manifestation and fruition of our blessednesse of the beginnings whereof he writeth in that same Chapter m Vers 14. We know that we haue passed from death vnto life because we loue the brethren Euen as Christ affirmed * Ioh 5.24 Verily verily I say vnto you He that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death vnto life Consider and see how by faith in Christ by loue to our brethren for Christ we haue already eternall life and blesse God who hath giuen you faith and loue CHAP. III. I. OVr first comfort and blessednesse in this world is the forgiuenesse of our sinnes II. Which is declared by the example of David III. Who affirmeth that mans blessednesse is the forgiuenesse of his sinnes IV. The same is verified by the example of a woman which was a Sinner V. To obtaine this first degree of blessednes we must be reconciled with our brethren VI. Laudable custome of the Primitiue Church to end their publicke prayers with a kisse VII We must weepe and pray to God one for another for our ownselues VIII Exhortation I. Our first comfort therfore the first degree of eternall life or of our blessednesse in this world is forgiuenesse of sinne Because our first misery is sinne Ye haue heard that eternall life is in God ye heare Isaiah saying a Isa 59.2 Your iniquities haue separated between you and your God And your sinnes haue hid his face from you that he will not heare If then a man be separated from God as he is by sinne his life is gone his blessednesse is lost misery is become his portion and death his inheritance wherfore he cannot be restored to his blessednesse but by forgiuenesse of sin wherby he is reconciled with God receiued againe into his fauour inlightned with the brightnes of his countenance quickned with his life blessed with his grace graced with all his blessings This is the first gate of heauen This is the first entrance into the kingdome of glory Blessed should we be if we could be without sinne Seeing that cannot be because b Iam. 3.2 in many things wee offend all blessed are wee if our sinnes be forgiuen vs. This is known of them onely that know what sinne is and whose eyes godly sorrow changeth into fountains of teares making their hearts to sigh their eyes to weep their tongues to cry incessantly for forgiuenes of sinne which was neuer refused to any that did aske it with a contrite and broken heart Can yee name me one among so many millions of sinners who did weepe before God and lost his teares Who did offer his supplication to the Father of mercies with a sound and single spirit and was reiected Saith he not that c Isa 66.2 He will looke to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit He hath said it and who wil say that he must not or will not doe it II. Which of you is ignorant of Davids sin Was it not most hainous in it selfe Was it not exceeding sinfull horrible aboue measure in such a man who was so many wayes beholden vnto his God Who can tell vs better then himselfe how hatefull it was He confesseth in the fiftie and one Psalme that by it he had lost the fauour of his Sauiour and fallen from the heauen of all felicitie into the hell of all misery and therefore feeling the damnation wherein he was ingulsed and desiring to recouer the saluation which he had lost he maketh with moaning and mourning this true confession to Nathan whom the Lord had sent to rebuke him d 2 Sam. 12.13 I haue sinned against the Lord. And knowing that a confession made to a mortall man was not sufficient to repaire one offence committed against the immortall God he rūneth straight to the throne of grace he couereth his bodie with sackcloth hee sprinckleth dust and ashes vpon his head hee taketh the apparell the countenance the words of a prisoner at the Bar of a malefactor condemned to die He cryeth with many teares to his Iudge e Psal 51.1 Haue mercie vpon me O God Scarcely is the word out of his mouth when God who knew the desire of his heart blessed him with this comfortable answer vttered by a man but proceeding from the bowels of mercie from mercies owne selfe The Lord also hath put away thy sin Thou shalt not die Then his heart was filled with ioy then his bruised bones were healed and moistned with the marrow of gladnesse then his face shined then his eyes were two glistering diamonds between his browes Then he leapt then hee triumphed then he sang When I sinned I was miserable Now my sinnes are forgiuen me and I am blessed III. Then f Rom 4.6.7.8 he described the blessednesse of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnes without workes saying g Psal 32.1.2 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sinne h August in Psal 31. Conc. 2. He saith not blessed are they in whom no sinnes are found but whose sinnes are couered Sinnes are they couered They are abolished If God hath couered our sinnes noluit aduertere he would not behold them Si noluit aduertere noluit animaduertere If he would not be hold them he would not take notice of them Si noluit animaduertere noluit punire if he would not take notice of them he would not punish them Noluit agnoscere maluit ignoscere Hee would not know them he choosed rather to forgiue them Oh consider I pray you this example and this saying of David He had great store of riches he was mightie in force he ouerpeered all men in wisedome God had put on his head a crowne of fine gold he was peaceable at home victorious and triumphant abroad he had wise Captaines valiant Souldiers faith full Serjeants obedient Subjects His children were like Oliue plants round about his Table no worldly Commodities were wanting to his desires and loe they are dung vnto him Loe he