vpon the outcries and clapping of the hands of the people which fauour the course that we take in hand no more then a valiant Champion readie prepared in the lists to fight the combat doth but let it rather hasten vs to run the swiftlier vnto the goale garland of prize which attendeth our victorie and lift vp our soules with such a cogitation as that all our actions being referred to this end may be full of that ioy contentmeÌ„t wherein consisteth our whole blessednes Niether may we ne yet can we coÌ„tinually tie our selues vnto the affaires and businesse of this world for after labor ensueth rest which is in very deed the true operatioÌ„ of the soule and that is Meditation And in very truth most blessed are they whose vocation is wonderfully far â—hest off from the care of these worldly affaires and whom God hath withdrawn from the tempests and stormes of the world and placed them as it were in a calme peaceable hauen to behold a farre off the ship wrack of others And this me ditation consisteth only of the knowledge of the truth and glory of God which we must seeke after as wel by the contemplation and exact consideratioÌ„ of his works our of which shineth forth euery where his power incomparable goodnes as by the ordinary reading of his word by which he openeth vnto vs the treasure of his wisedome and draweth the curtaines of heauen to make vs see his maiestieâ— face to face as much as our infirmitieâ— is able to beare And the works of Goâ— vndoubtedly are as scaling ladders seâ— vp for vs euery where to climb vp vnto him For let vs turne our selues which way soeuer we will and we shall finde here in the world wonderfull things for if we looke downe into the deph of the bowels of the earth we shall see there such a number of veines of gold and siluer such a sort of pertious minerals and such spring heads of liuely waters as is wonderfull Again if we looke vpon the face of the earth we shal finâ— such varietie of hearbs floures fruits trees beasts of the fields and in then such vertues and secret properties 〈◊〉 that it would make vs altogether astonished And are the seas lesse admirable by reason of their ebbing flowing the multitude of fishes and the diuersitie of monsters which they feeâ— bring forth And will not the ayreâ— replenished with foules clouds raineâ— snowes hayles lightnings thundeâ— make vs wonder And when as we liâ—… vp our eyes far higher and behold the curtaines of heauen spread vpon the face of the earth behold the brightnesse of the Sunne the clearnesse of the Moone and the ruling of their course obserue marke the goodly beautifull order of the Starres their course effects influeÌ„ces must it not needs altogether amaze vs And yet al this geare together coÌ„sidered in grosse is nothing in respect of the matters which we haue now in hand wheÌ„ as we shall haue examined theÌ„ a part and by peecemeale for wheÌ„ as we shall haue seene that the very least things in the world haue in their constitution such a maruelous prudence wisedome we must of necessitie find out the author creator of them in heauen Let man but looke into himself consider with himselfe what maner a things he is and how so litle a moyst humor could make him grow vnto such a fashion to be framed a body of so many sundry parts with such proportion And let him not content himselfe to see himselfe stand vpright vppon his feete with his face vpward his eyes open and remouing all his members but let him a litle vncouer his skin and ghesse how the flesh and the bones are so workemanlike set together and vnderstand how many sinewes and muskleâ— are drawne downe euen from the neck vnto the most base outermoâ— parts of the body to bind loose and remoue to all the parts vnto all sort of mouings and let him behold hoâ—… so many veines are spread throughouâ— the body to carry the bloud and nourishing iuice vnto euery member Leâ— him also see what a number of arteries are guided from the heart and deuided to accompanie all the sineweâ— and veynes to hold in the vitall spirits in euery part as the messengers of his will to the end to commaund the siâ—newes to moue or not to moue Leâ— him then if he will lay open his stomacke and see how his life is mainteâ—ned how the meates sent downe into the stomacke are transformed by a secret and incomprehensible power how by laboring and stirring in the stomack they runne into the paunch how the good iuice floweth through the small vaines into the liuer whiâ—… is the shop of the bloud how the liue dischargeth her super fluities into the gall splene and kidneys how it distributeth the bloud into the veynes and how it is sent into the heart to be there made thin and subtilized euen vnto the confection of the vitall spirites If he behold the moouing and breathing of the lights which refresheth and moderateth the heat of the heart if he see the artificiall â—urnings and wreathings of the guts let him not thinke the same to be fallen out of the clouds neither yet that he seeth any other things within then he seeth without Howbeit when as he shall come to consider of the head which is the treasure of the sences and seat of reason let him dreame amongst other things what an especiall woâ—ke the eye is and with how many filmes and thin skinnes this lightsome spirit is garnished and defended which in very truth is the pleasure of the life he shall remaine as it were astonished and amazed but yet not so much as when he commeth to pierce the braine where he shall perceâ—ue the manner whereon the portracture and images of things are borne by the sences as faithfull messengers and interpreters to be receiued and exercised therein by the common sence and afterward to be ordered and placed within the custodie of the celles of the memorie But the thing that most astonisheth vs is this when as we desire to vnderstand what our soule is which manageth gouerneth all this whole workemanship what a power it is of that thus strangely moueth and worketh which awaketh when we sleepe comprehendeth so easily all things reacheth into the deepest matters and by discourse findeth out the cause and reason of the most secret things And we see and feele these effects in our selues and yet we can neither see not yet conceiue them Certainly when we in the contemplation of these things are lifted vp by faith we feele our selues forthwith led vnto the author of these workes And to say truly when as we see so many maruelous things dispersed throughout the whole face of the earth for what other purpose serue they but to be as a booke left wide open for vs to read out thereof the greatnesse and almightie power of God who
to haue done could no way haue turned the hand of God froÌ„ vs neither yet deferre our misery for all felt it yea fore felt it we also saw before the coÌ„ming of our mishap the very walls of our City as it were weepe and all the face of the City fall away and looke sadly and beare on her forehead a cloudy and darke wildernesse for after she had once receyued a strange shock she was straightwayes ouerturned and there was not left one stone vpon another Thet. O ye braue honorable Gates of Syon ye haue bene cast downe wide open your hooks and hengils puld out your locks broken vp and your iron barres beaten in pieces and in verie deed there was not a gate left for the Citie lay wide open in euery place and men might go in and out at the breaches where they pleased But for thy last vnhappie farewell before thou wert razed thou sawest thy Princes and worshipfull Citizens passe ouer thy thresholds led captiues into a strange land Thou sawest thy law abolished yea euen that law which the Lord thy God had geuen thee as a guage and earnest pennie of his couenant so as thou mightest haue iudged that thou haddest lost his friendship wheÌ„ as he tooke from thee these his pawnes And besides he neuer reuealed him selfe vnto thee for his spirit was neuer in thy Prophets they that came froÌ„ him had no mo visions by which he made them vnderstand his will he hath left vs without both counsell and conduct like strayed sheepe that goe bleating ouer the fields without Shepheard or guide Iod. And therefore the poore gray haired old men which could no way escape finding no more help in their God and seeing him deafe vnto their prayers being altogether out of heart layd them selues downe on the grouÌ„d and leaning vpon their elbowes pitifully lamented their miserie and taking ashes in their hands cast them â—poÌ„ their heads praying from the bottome of their hearts that their poore and miserable bodies might eftsoones be there changed They also were so trussed vp in sackcloth as that there could be nothing seene of them but their feet the place of their graue They carried also their haires on their backs that they might be either familiarly acquainted with the custome of their miserie or else make them not to feele it all And after this manner bewailed they their calamitie The poore and delicate maydens and desolate fatherlesse children followed them casting downe their eyes bedeawing their checkes holding downe their heads euen as the Lilly doth when it is fore beaten with rayne and wind Caph. And in very truth when I saw this so lamentable a Tragedy mine eyes melted into teares and I had almost lost my sight as it were with extreame weeping and mine heart heaued vp my body as if one had rent my bowel â—out of my belly when as I saw I say the poore children of Syon in this pitifull estate when I saw them lament so bitterly when I saw the greatest of them fall into swounds with very sorrow and griefe and the sucking children forsaken of their mothers pine away most miserably Lamed Some crying vnto their mothers for the teat and others calling vppon them for bread But they had neyther milke nor bread to geue them and this was the greatest comfort that the poore mothers had euen to go as farre as they could from theyr poore children and turne away theyr faces from them vntill such time as the famine had consumed them and they themselues lay screeking out in other places dying of very faintnes as if they had bin wounded to death And some of them were of that stomacke as that they could abide to see their children dye between their armes and by little and little prolong their owne poore life dying soone after with very sorrow and griefe O what wounds felt these poore harts and how deepe did these blows pierse verely euen into the place of motherly pitie which is euen the very bottome of the heart And it is no maruell that they died so suddainly wheÌ„ as they were at once so piersed throughout all the vitall parts yea to the very wounding of the soule and the casting of it perforce out of the body Mem. O poore and miserable Ierusalem how shall I depaint and set foorth this thy so great misery what tearmes shall I deuise liuely to expresse so strange and suddaine a calamitie Whereunto shal I compare the greatnes of thine affliction The earth is not able to comprehend it and therfore the sea must for it is as large and infinit as the sea is a tormentrous field like to the sea a bottomlesse gulfe and a receptacle for great hidious monsters as the sea is one mischiefe driueth on another as the waus of the sea do But alasse the sea hath sometimes calme winds and thou ô Syon hast in thine affliction nothing but stormes and tempests the sea hath ports and hauens to come into and thou billowest continually in trauell and payne O poore Ierusalem who shall then be able to saue thee seeing thy misery is greater then either heauen or earth from whence then shalt thou finde remedy Nun. Shall thy Prophets do it which haue so long troubled thine head which haue deliuered vnto thee their dreames and old wiues tales and entertayned thee with vanities and leasings whereas they should haue boldly told thee of thy sinnes and so thereby haue called thee backe vnto repentance But they imagined and thought vpon Anticks and being sotted and in loue with their owne shadowes presumptuous opinioÌ„s vndid them selues in all their discourses and enterprises Samech Behold in what a case thou now standest ô poore desolate Syon for thou receyuest herein both losse and shame together for now all they that go by clap their hands and shake their heads at thee saying Is this that so braue and honorable Citie that was so full of all magnificence and more full of all delights and pleasures then 〈◊〉 the Cities of the earth beside Phe. There is not one that passeth 〈◊〉 thee which hath not a cast at thee 〈◊〉 bite and sting thee and who will 〈◊〉 after their groining manner thus say we wil now haue it we wil deuoure 〈◊〉 and nothing shall keepe vs from it this is the day which we haue so long â—oked for and now is the houre which â—e haue dayly hoped after Ain Behold Ierusalem the reason why God preserued thee so long is because thou wert worthie of it Thou thoughtest that his threats had bene â—ayne and friuolous and now thou â—eest â—hether he be a lyer or not and whether he be able to performe that which he promiseth yea or no. For he foretold thee that if thou obeyedst not his lawe that he would destroy thee make thee an heape of stones â—nd see now if he hath mist it Yea he hath ruined thee without remission and made thee a scorne vnto thine eâ—emies and
is heereby so gloriously expressed The onely beholding whereof is able to stay our sences and spirits and furnish them with an aboundant and sufficient contentment whereon bangeth our felicitie This is it whereon we should studie day and night and not content our selues with the bare looking of the couer onely but diligently to way the periodes yea euen to pluck out the sillabes and meanest points which containe excellent and holy secrets And this was a very good answer in my opinion which the good Heremite S. Anthonie as Socrates writeth made vnto a Philosopher who asked him how he could possiblie dwell in a solitarie place without hauing of bookes about him Surely quoth he I lacke not bookes for the world is my booke and my studie is the contemplation of nature wherein I reade day and night of the glory of my God howbeit I can neuer attaine to the end thereof O happie life voide of such a number of boiling sorrowes and greefes which vndermine and consume our yeares gladding and reioycing in this gratious rest and hauing good â—eaue to thrust our hands vp to the elbowes into the treasures of the Deitie which feedest the desires of the soule with the knowledge of immortalitie and swondest and diest within the burning flames of eternall wisdome These are the delights and these are the alluring baites which kept Acepsenas a recluse within his cell in the wildernesse full threescore years These are the allurements which stayed that Simeon all his life long vpon the top of a piller What a merueilous desire thinke you had those men who being lifted vp aboue the earth did swim in the ayre communicated with the Angels and beautified themselues before they dyed Without doubt our bloud is wonderfully congealed and grosse about our heart and we very dull and as it were in a swound if we admire not their blessednesse neither haue we compassion of our owne miseries our spirits are mightely mortified if so be we comprehend not that in this life in this contemplation and in the knowledge of this eternal verity our consolation contentation felicitie lieth consisteth and resteth Now God who loueth vs as his children meaneth not to leaue vs vnto the darknesse of this world and to make vs seeke after gropingly as it were amongst his workes for this his truth But hauing left his spirit with vs he hath also left vnto vs his owrde as an interpretor of his will where in we shall be sure to finde sure and faithfull directions to bring vs vnto this veritie and easily vnderstand his maruelous workes This is that voice which is called the burning worde this is that word which is called the light which as Euscbius saith is like vn to fier because it doth not only heate lighten and make ripe but also melteth softeneth and hardeneth And therefore we should follow those good Egiptian fathers whose liues Philo describeth who loosing their eyes to looke farre aboue the workes of God cast them forthwith into the reading of the Propherts and of the holy books as vpon the commentarie and interpretor of their meditations And these are they that haue most profoundly entred into the diuine wisedome and who for that occasion are in the scriptures called Seers for they are they by whom we haue had the mysteries of eternities reuealed and not by any humaine industrie but by the inspiration of the spirit of God haue communicated vnto vs the miracles of heauen and opened the entrie into wisdome with the which when as our soule is mixed and from thence hath receiued her forme and perfection she must then bring forth her fruite according as the same Philo hath taught vs That that is the propertie of euery perfect thing The fruite of a meditating soule or rather the infant thereof if we will speake as Eusebius doth is praier which being conceiued in the inward part of our thought discloseth it selfe betwixt our lips euen as the child is conceiued in the mothers wombe For the knowledge of God the effectuall feeling of his goodnesse which are imprinted in vs by an holy cogitation engendreth also in vs this motion of courage which Mercurie the great caleth The inward word which being well fashioned within and aided by the spirit the body thrusteth out it selfe and vttereth this outward word which we call praier we take not this onely for ordinary prayeâ— which proceedeth of our infirmity and should be the beginning of all our workes which we are not to keepe to be the last action of the soule but for that by which we expresse that affection which is borne in vs by perceiuing of that which we haue froÌ„ the goodnesse of God which after that we haue by holy thoughts prepared our tongues for it ruleth gouerneth the same and maketh it the instrumeÌ„t of his glory by which we try whether we conuerse therin hoâ—ily yea or no which is such a wonderfull contentment as that there remaineth not in our spirit to receiue any other cogitation at all into it For be it that we prostrate our selues before him to beseech him of his fauour grace or require his benefits or to giue him thaÌ„ks for his fauours daily shewed vnto vs our spirit is as it were rauished in a swond we feele his hand already coÌ„ming faster vpon vs then we are in calling vpoÌ„ him hauing assured our selues a long time together that whatsoeuer we should craue at his hand in a liuely faith he would graunt vs whether it be that we at al times as indeed we ought cause our voices resound his praifes preaching and setting forth his wonderous works singing as he hath commanded vs songs vnto his glorie and answering one another with hymnes spirituall songs our heart rebound and leape in vs and our spirit lifteâ— vp it selfe aboue the heauens and ioineth in thought with our creator And what houre nay what moment of aâ— houre ought we to cease turning the eyes of our soules towards him who continually standeth with his armes wide open to embrafe vs bendeth his fauourable eares vnto our praiers hearkeneth louingly vnto our vowes and is not iealous of the praises which we sing vnto him Is it meet then that there should be either businesse or sleepe to bereaue vs of this pleasure or rather that we our selues should bereaue our soules so bring our selues a sleepe euen then when the sweete songs earnest and feruent prayers should gather our spirits together assemble them to striue with the grace of God which worketh in vs. Is it fit that we should become deafe euen then when he toucheth the instrument of our soules to cause vs agree vnto the tune of his will and content our selues with the melodie of this sweet and perfect hermonie which soundeth from the coniunction of our vnderstanding of his deitie O immortall delights who shall seperate my soule from thee who shall pluck me from out of thine armes to drawe me out of
neuerthelesse because your voyce is abhominable before God and that with your threats ye blaspheme him vnto his face he will vtterly roote ye out and throw vpon you the mountaines which your ambition and couetousnesse haue heaped vp so hye thinking thereby to scale his Throne and to rob him of his glory 5 O Lord what a spectacle hast thou made for mine eyes to behold nay I am now so assured of thy mercie so comforted by reason of the care which I see thou hast of thy faithfull seruants as that although I should see the greatest armye that possibly could be yet would I not be afeard of it Let there an armye be brought against me composed of all the nations of the world and let there be placed in the vauntgard on the right hand a battell of Scythians and on the left hand a battell of Ethiopians and in the reregard the East India and America and all the rest of the world in the middest to serue for a battell and adde thereunto whatsoeuer Arte and skill for the killing of men was â—uer able to finde out or deuise aâ—… yet if my God be my conductor aâ—… leader I will passe through them 〈◊〉 without any feare Agayne if he bee angry with the world and shaâ— like him to serue him-selfe with 〈◊〉 hands to be aduenged of them fâ—… theyr vngodlynesse I my selfe 〈◊〉 cut them all in peeces not leauing so much as a tayle of any 〈◊〉 them 6 Nay I do now reioyce when 〈◊〉 I heare saye that the wicked baâ—… them-selues against mee and doo assure my selfe that it is God which â—…lend me matter wherein to glorie For be thou O Lord onely neeâ—… mee blesse my weapons and mine enemies are confounded But what weapons verely do thou but blowe onely vppon this people and thoâ— shalt scatter them all as a great winde driueth the dust too and fro neuerthelesse O Lord I beseech thee bloâ—… not vppon them the wind and blast 〈◊〉 thy curse but tarrie a little while 〈◊〉 thou please to see if thy patience will bring them backe to do their duties And as for my selfe although I â—e couered ouer with their wounds and defamed with their iniurious deaâ—ings yet had I rather haue them subâ—ect vnto thy mercie then vnto thy â—ustice and desire if thou thinke it good that their iniustice might rather â—erue to try me withall then for their condemnation 7 Thou knowest O Lord my desires thou readest them in mine hart neither haue I euer called vppon thee â—or vengeance my vowes coniure nothing but thy mercie and my thoughts â—re addressed vnto nothing but vnto â—eace Wouldest thou vnderstand the â—umme of my desires and the end of â—ll my prayers it is O Lord that I â—ay passe my dayes in seruing thee faithfully and that thou wouldest graunt me thine holie house to dwell â—…n and that all the while that I am â—eperated from thee and a great â—ay off from thine heauenly Taberâ—acle tyed vnto the earth by reason of the counterpoise of my boâ—ye I might vnite and tye all my â—houghtes vnto thee and conforme â—nd frame my selfe wholy vnto thy will O blessed habitation that is able to couer vs from all worthly passions from all the lusts of the flesh and to be short from all the assaults of the Deuill For there ô Lord thou art present with vs and commâ—… downe from the heauens to keepe companie with vs and fillest vs with thy selfe that we might be voyd oâ— sinne and conuertest our carnall 〈◊〉 into a liuing and quickning spirit that we might effectually feele thy maruellous works comprehend thy mercies and conceiue of thy power and almightinesse 8 Suffer therefore my God thaâ— I being incorporate into thee 〈◊〉 farre-forth as mine infirmitie aâ—… thine infinitenesse will permit I may be enlightened with the beames of thy wisedome to the end that mine vnderstanding being enlightened 〈◊〉 may learne mee to knowe thy wiâ—… For this is the thread ô Lord which may assuredly guide me through the windings and turnings of the laberinth of this world and this is the passeport which must bring vs vnto that euerlasting life which we so incessantly gape and sigh for Reueale vnto me therefore this thy will and lay it vp in my soule that I may there keepe it most dearely and in the middest of thy Church I may set vp an Aulter in my mouth presenting the same dayly vnto thee for an offering vnder the holie vayle of thy most holie word 9 For seeing ô Lord thou hast morâ—…ized mee within thy holie Tabernacle shewing me the holie mysteries of thy diuinitie that in the hardest time of mine aduersitie thou hast gathered hid and drawne me vnder thine Aulter yet not content with that hast made me to enter into â—…e holie of holiest and bottomes of â—…y Sanctuarie where thou wast wont â—o reueale the greatest secrets of thy will graunt that I may so well coâ—â—eiue them as that I may cause thy faithfull seruants faithfully to vnderstand them 10 For sith thou hast aduaunced mee into so eminent and high 〈◊〉 place as one set vpon an hye rocke â—o be seene of the whole world and â—onored aboue all mine enemies let the foundation of my faith be aâ— firme as any stone and the grâ—… which thou shalt bestow vpon me 〈◊〉 be a testimonie of thy righteousneâ—… making me worthie and capable of 〈◊〉 benefits which it shall please thee 〈◊〉 vouchsafe me 11 As for my selfe O Lord I 〈◊〉 take paines reueâ—entlie to vse tâ—… ministerie which thou hast commâ—ted vnto mee Thou knowest how 〈◊〉 haue carried my selfe therein I haâ—… turned my selfe euery way reknoâ—ledge that which might best like thâ—… I haue most willingly offred vnto thâ—… calues and sheepe in sacrifice I haâ—… willingly bathed thine Aulter wiâ—… bloud but that was too too small an â—…fring for thee I haue ô Lord sacriâ—…ced mine hart consecrated mine affeâ—tion vowed my thoughts and hauing pluckt them from the verie bottom 〈◊〉 mine heart I haue offered them vâ—… thee with my voyce whereby thou hâ—… vnderstood whatsoeuer my soule haâ—… desired which was nothing else but 〈◊〉 please thee in all mine actions My crying out then hath bene my offring which thou diddest gratiously accepâ— opening the heauens to gather them together and to receiue them And therefore ô Lord I will all the dayes of my life sing thy prayse and recite an Hymne of thy glorie 12 Heare ô mercifull God my songs and receiue in good part the voyce which testifieth thy goodnesse and publisheth thy mercies Encrease my strength and courage that I may strayne my cryes and spirits to thee And sith thy mercie is neuer deafe vnto those which sincerely call vppon thee encline the same to me for all sorts of felicities follow her continually Incline the same I say ô Lord for thou hast promised it vnto all those that call vpon thee 13 How often hast thou heard mine heart I say mine heart and â—ot my mouth for I
horror and astonishment in their countenances For extreame famine hath dried vp their flesh cold hath bereaued them their ruddy and smooth checkes sorrow and griefe hath wrinkeled their faces and the flower of their chastitie by the souldier insolently defaced hath couered all their faces with shame and dishonor And these are now no more but euen so many dead liuing For they liue altogether in sorrow and griefe Neither is there any thing that encourageth them more to liue then the same dolor which killeth them with very heauinesse and awakeneth them out of their bitternesse He. A dolor truly too too bitter and in very deede more bitter then soote to see them-selues carried in triumph by their greatest enemies to see them braue by our spoyles ritch by our great pouertie and mightie by our ouerthrow Thou hast ô Lord poured out thy heauie wrath vppon vs and madest vs feele how heauie thy reuengefull hand is Thou hast I beleeue gathered together all our faults into a bundell once for all because that when thou sawest them to be so infinite and worthie the like payne and punishment thou awakenedst thy selfe and hast discharged the arrowes of thy seuere iustice against vs. But ô Lord oughtest not thou to stay the course of our punishment in our owne persons and consume all thy torments vpon vs but must we also be tormented in the persons of our children and for the making of our miserie the greater to cause vs also to see theirs For wee were spoyled of our goods put out of our houses and led away captiue Wee thought that there was nothing as it were to bee feared more then death and yet now wee feare it not for it is sweet to those that are in miserie But our speedie and quicke calamitie to our great payne and griefe hath now ouertaken vs with newe miseries For wee haue seene goe before vs whole bands of our children fettered and carried captiue into Babylon there to serue our enemyes as bond-slaues Vau. Euen so hath Syon lost the flower of her youth and all the honor of her City is cleane gone She hath bene miserably torne all to rags and there is no whole thing left in her but sorrow griefe For the greatest and ritchest of her inhabitants were caried away by troupes and led into strange Prouinces as flocks of sheepe are driuen by dayes iourneys from market to market without geuing them any leaue to feed as they go They go with their heads and their eyes looking downe to the ground sighing most piteously And the conqueror followeth them scourging them with rods and they which dwell by the hye wayes sides as they passe laugh at their affliction and most iniuriously cry out vpon them Zain And as a fresh wound openeth againe the old ones euen so were their harts throughly pierced whereby they remembred their old sinnes and the punishment which their fathers suffered because they had forsaken the true seruice of God and geuen them selues ouer vnto their foolish passions They called also to mind how often they were fallen into their enemies â—ands when as God had left them O â—hou too too ouer late remembrance â—hou shouldest haue come a great deale sooner to haue turned them from their wicked and abhominable â—ayes and if they would not haue done it for Gods sake yet they should â—aue done it at least for feare of his fury which they had so often felt O late repentance which commeth after punishment suffred They were very poreblind that could not foresee this great trayne of miseries which followed their offences But alasse ô blind sinne thou doest thus bleare the eyes of thy friends and wilt not put them in mind of their repentance but â—hen it is all past time For Ierusalem hath turned her back vpon God and followed her owne concupiscences she hath made her a God of her owne pleasure and worshipped her owne delights She neuer once turned her eyes towards heauen vntill such time as she sawe her magnificence cleane vnder foote the whole world laughing at her shame making a scorne of her Sabboths and translating and altering of her sacrifices wherein she had so great confidence which could in very deeâ— serue her to no purpose because they were done with such polluted hands Heth. For to say truly Ierusalem waâ— nothing else but a sinke of sinne and filthinesse for from the highest vnto the lowest they were all most abhominable for she began to forget her God that was so fauourable vnto her and thereupon as one that was blinde she stumbled fell into all maner of wickednesse And after that she had groped about here and there at all aduentures she fell into this strange calamitie and then as many as heretofore were wont to reuerence honor her began forthwith to disdaine and looke sourely vpoÌ„ her For her shame lay opeÌ„ vnto the eyes of al the world was seâ— before euery man as a laughing stocke some asking her what was become of all her wealth some what was become of all her honor and there was neuer an honest womaÌ„s child which had not a gird at her In so much that she could do nothing else but weepe and being all ashamed and comfortlesse she was driuen to goe hide her selfe Thet. And wheÌ„ she saw her self alone and in what estate she stood she found her self from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot to be most filthie and her garmeÌ„ts to be most beastly beâ—rayed with bloud and mire And as the Peacock when he hath spread abroad his tayle in looking at his feet letteth it fall downe agayne abating thereby his pride euen so hath she plucked downe her heart sorrowed within her selfe and cared no whit for death by reason that all things misliked her but chiefly and aboue all her poore and miserable life She was giuen to be altogether sad without hauing any bodie to comfort her For her friends had forsaken her or if they were neere about her it was to none other end but to afflict her Wherefore when as she found no help here vpon earth she lamentably lifted to her head vnto heauen with deep fighâ—s froÌ„ the bottome of her hart addressed her selfe vnto God and sayd O Lord hast thou not compassion vpon me in this my great affliction Seest thou not mine extreame misetie Surely there is none can saue me so well as thy selfe Come therefore if thou be the God of mercy and forsake not thine humble and old seruant for mine enemy setteth his foote vpon my throate and causeth me most shamefully to belch Come therefore ô Lord for my continuall iniury is thy shame and the outrage that is done vnto a seruant redoundeth to the mayster And therefore come ô Lord for mine enemy outrageth me beyond all measure and without all pitie Iod. He hath layd his bloudy hand vpon that which I accompted most deere and spared no whit of that which I made reckning off to be most