Thes. 5. 5. Ye are the children of the day living in Gospel times As also that other prophetical Text Heb. 4. 7. To day if ye will hear his voice saith David speaking of the time of the Gospel as it is there expounded 3. Sometimes it denotes any special opportunity apt and proper season for any transaction So that forenamed Text may be understood Iohn 9. 4. I must work whilest it is day that is whilest I have opportunity And so that other To day if ye will hear his voice whilest the time and season of grace lasteth whilest salvation is offered 4. And lastly by Day sometimes we are to understand a set time determined and appointed by God for some special purpose In this sense we find the word frequently used by the Prophets And in these two last senses understand we the word here in the Text. Ierusalems Day was the time destinated and foreappointed by God and foretold by the Prophets wherein the light of the Gospel should shine forth unto her and that more clearly then ever heretofore and the offer of grace and mercy should be held forth unto her after a special manner Of this day this time the Prophets make frequent mention As the Prophet Isai. Chap. 60. 1. Arise shine or be enlightned for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee So Zachary 9. 9. Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Sion for thy King cometh unto thee Both which had their accomplishment in the coming of Christ in the flesh and particularly in his coming to Ierusalem at this time in this manner presenting himself to it as a King So he himself applies the latter of these Texts Matth. 21. 4 5. And hereupon is this here called Ierusalems day the day that had been so often foretold the time wherein God did offer grace and mercy to her after a more special manner then ever he had done heretofore Before he had often made offers of that kind unto her as to the whole Nation of the Jews by sending his Prophets to her But now he doeth it by his Son So our Saviour sets it forth in that known parable of the Vineyard Matth. 21. 33 c. A certain man planted a vineyard This vineyard was the Church of the Iews Isaiah 5. 1. whom God took to be a peculiar people to himself performing like offices thereunto that the Husbandman would do to his vineyard Being thus planted he let it forth to husbandmen and went himself into a far Countrey God seemed to leave that Church wholly to the care of the Priests In process of time he sends his servants to the husbandmen that they might receive the fruits thereof verse 34. God sends his Prophets to this Church whom by the Parable goeth on they beat and slew vers 35. So they did the former Prophets many of them Againe he sent other servants moe then the first and they did unto them likewise verse 36. Before the Captivity he sent more Prophets to them then formerly who found no better entertainment then the former But last of all he sent unto them his son verse 37. God the Father sends his Son Christ into the world with a special messuage unto the Jews to require from them the fruits of all that grace and favour which had been shewen to them And this was Ierusalems day The time of special grace and mercy offered unto them after a special manner and that by Christ himself wherein she had a special opportunity tendered unto her if she had but had the wisdome to accept it to lay hold of it and make use of it accordingly Even the time of her visitation as the 44th verse after the Text explains it But hinc illae lachrymae this was a matter of just lamentation The day was come and even now spent but Hierusalem had not an eye to see it a heart to make use of it And this it is which our Saviour here bewailes in them and exprobrates to them pities them for and upbraids them with O if thou even thou hadst known at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace At least There is yet a further Emphasis in that Interjection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et quidèm in hâc die tuâ saith the vulgar even in this thy day Hoc saltem tuo die saith Beza whom our Translations follow At least in this thy day That is though thou hast along time stood it out refusing and rejecting many offers of grace yet O that at the length thou wer 't wise◠Or If at least If after that thou hast slain so many Prophets so many servants of mine which have been sent unto thee with conditions of peace yet thou wouldest receive me their Master hearkning to the message which I bring Or at least If after all the unkinde and ungrateful repulses which my self hath hitherto met with by thy obstinate rejecting of my Person and Doctrine yet if now at the length in this my last Expedition the last journey that ever I shall make unto thee the last time of asking now at the day of grace and salvation as to thee is expiring If now at last thou mightest yet know c. Thus our Saviour here maketh use of this circumstance as a further aggravation both of his sorrow and their sin their stupidity and obstinacy that in this day of grace wherein God was pleased to make such a gracious offer of mercy to them they should yet stand it out to the last so neglecting and letting slip the present opportunity as they had done many other by the imbracing whereof they might yet have been happy So sad a thing it is for a people not to take notice of the seasons of grace and mercy vouchsafed unto them for their spiritual and temporal felicity and welfare so as to make a wise use and improvement of them This our Saviour here so sadly lamenteth in Ierusalem And this we shall finde the Lord elsewhere sadly complaining of in this people the people of the Jews As Ieremy 8. 7. Yea the storke in the heavens knoweth her appointed times and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observes the time of their coming but my people know not the judgments of the Lord. Those poor creatures with many other meerly by a natural instinct they observe the times and seasons of the year and so order their going and coming accordingly but that people knew not the judgment of the Lord they tooke no notice of the seasons of mercy and judgment they saw not the judgements of God hovering over their heads that so they might use timely means for the diverting of them And this the Lord there chargeth upon them as gross stupidity And the like regardlesness of seasons and opportunities and the workings and dispensations of Providence he elsewhere complains of against them for by the same Prophet Ier. 5. 4. Surely these are poor they are foolish for they
that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Ioh. 3. 2. Like him in Glory When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in glory Col. 3. 4. Thus is Iesus Christ fitly resembled by the Sun in regard of his illuminating property being fons luminis the fountaine of all light inlightning all that are inlightned in what kind so ever 2 And inlightning hee also enliveneth quickneth This doth the Sun in a naturall way it quickneth vegetables hearbs and plantes and trees and some other creatures which seeme dead in the winter yet by the returne of the Sun they are quickned in the spring And the like doth Iesus Christ in a supernaturall way Hee quickneth men Thence called their life in that place last mentioned When Christ who is our life shall appeare Col. 3. 4. Quickning them and that both in their soules and Bodies Their soules The Son quickneth whome he will Ioh. 5. 21. This doth he here to the soules of men Finding them dead in trespasses and sins Chap. 2. 1. hee quickneth them Which he doth by sending his spirit into their hearts as the Sun quickneth the hearbs and plants by sending his warme beames into the bosome of the earth And as the soules so the Bodies of men Having quickned the soules of his elect here he shall quicken their Bodies hereafter This is the Fathers will who hath sent me saith our Saviour that of all that he hath given me I should loose nothing but should raise it up againe at the last day Ioh 6. 39. And this shall he doe by the same spirit So the Apostle tels his Romanes C. 8. 11. If the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodyes by his spirit that dwelleth in you That spirit of Christ which here quickneth the souls of his elect in the first resurrection shall by the like power also quicken their bodies in the second Upon which double account he is called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Quickning spirit 1. Cor. 15. 45. The last Adam was made a quickning spirit The last Adam Iesus Christ who is the head and roote of all his elect as the first Adam was of all mankind he is ordained by God to be the fountaine and Author both of a spirituall and Eternall life unto them quickning them by the Communication of his spirit unto them quickning their Souls here and Bodyes hereafter Thus is he as the Sun vivifiying quickning 3. Quickning he also cheareth and comforteth This doth the Sun which is as it were the Ioy and comfort of the world without which there is nothing but melancholie darkness and sadness Such is Iesus Christ the joy and comfort of his Church The Consolation of Israel as he is stiled Luk. 2. 25. refreshing chearing comforting the hearts of his people Even as the Sun by the warm beams of it cheereth and refresheth the herbes and plants making them lift up the head which drooped before Even thus doth this Sun of righteousnes arise with healing in his wings Mal. 4. 2. Comforting the hearts of his people chearing up their drooping and dejected spirits comforting them I even I am he that comforteth you saith the Lord Christ to his people Isai. 51. 1. This is the proper office of Iesus Christ as the same Prophet sets it forth Isai. 91. 1. 2. The spirit of the Lord is upon me and hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meeke He hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to comfort all that mourn To appoint unto them that mourn in Sion to give unto them beauty for asshes and the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of gladness for the spirit of heavines Even as the Sun arising upon the earth putteth a new garment upon it instead of that sable mantle of darkness wherewith it was covered it put on it a robe of â—ight and so alters the habit of it making all things chearfull and comfortable So doth Iesus Christ coming to a dejected soule he causeth light to shine forth into it even the light of spirituall joy and comfort so changing and altering the state of it Which also he doth by his spirit Even as the sun whilst the body of it is in heaven yet by sending downe its beames it cheareth and comforteth those creatures which are here below Thus doth the Lord Iesus though he be in person in heaven yet by sending his spirit he comforteth the hearts of his people That is the Promise which he maketh unto his Apostles when he was to take his leave of them as to his bodily presence yet he would not leave them comfortles Ioh. 14. 18. I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you viz. by his spirit Even as the Sun though at a vast distance from the earth yet daily cometh to it viâ—iteth it by sending down his beams upon it Thus â—he Lord Iesus though keeping his residence in heaven yet he cometh to his people upon earth by sending his Spirit to them which is their Comforter When the Comforter is come whom I wil send unto you even the spirit of truth c. Ioh. 15. 26. 4. Againe Thus chearing the hearts of his people he also maketh them to fructifie So doth the Sun to the earth to trees and plants by â—hining upon them it maketh them beare fruit which otherwise standing in the shade would be barren What ever fruites the earth bringeth forth it may thanke the Sun for it And thus the Lord Iesus by sending his spirit into the hearts of his people he maketh them fruitful who otherwise without him would be barren as he himself setteth it forth fully Ioh. 15. 4 c. By this meanes they who of themselves are not sufficient so much as to thinke a good thought as the Apostle hath it 2 Cor. 3. 9. come to abound in good workes and to be filled with the fruites of righteousness which are by Iesus Christ to the Praise and Glory of God as the same Apostle prayeth for his Philippians Phil. 1. 11. Which fruits are the fruites of the spirit so called Gal. 5. 22. 5. To which I might yet add As he causeth them to fructifie so also he purifieth them Thiâ— doth the Sun rising upon the earth it clarifieth purifieth the ayre freeing it from those annoyances which in the night season had fallen upon it And this doth the Lord Iesus rising upon the heart of his people by his spirit he purifieth them Thence compared to a refiners fire Mat. 3. 2 3. But I shall not give way to further inlargments Thus you see how Iesus Christ is as the Sun to his Church performing the like office to his people that the Sun doth to the world I might yet goe on and shew you how he is
it who had all an adventure in that bottome nay were themselves imbarqued in it And so were like to swim or sink with it As it was with Babylon being the head City of the Persian Monarchy the peace of the whole Kingdome and all the subjects in it depended upon that And therefore the Prophet adviseth the Jewish captives to seek the peace of that City and to pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace Jer. 29. 7. Even thus was it with Ierusalem Yet again in the fifth place This City it was the City of the great King so called by the Psalmist 48. 2. The great King but what king why not onely the City of David as it is sometimes called Luk. 2. 4. 11. the Emperial City where David and his successours had sate upon the throne for many Generations almost five hundred years together before the Captivity of Babylon There are set thrones of judgement saith the Psalmist the throne of the house of David Psal. 122. 5. Not onely so but it was the City of the great King of the King of heaven the City of God So our Saviour meaneth it Matth. 5. 35. where forbidding to swear by Hierusalem he giveth this reason for it for it is the City of the great King i.e. of God So the Psalmist explains himself in the 8. verse of that psalme Psal. 48. As we have heard so have we seen in the City of the Lord of Hosts in the City of God As also in the first verse God is greatly to be praised in the City of our God So was Hierusalem There God dwelt The Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell Psal. 132. 13 14. This was the place the onely place upon earth where God manifested his presence in a fixed and constant way Here formerly was the Ark of the Covenant the pledge and token of Gods presence The glory of Israel and of the world and therefore called The glory Rom. 9. 4. Here was the Sanctuary where God dwelt betwixt the Cherubins and from whence the light of salvation went forth unto all the world This was urbs sacris dicata as Grotius saith of it a place dedicated to the worship and service of God a place which God had chosen to put his name there the place whither the tribes came up to worship Psal. 122. 4. where the Ordinances of God were set up in their glory majesty and held forth in a publick way So as this place miscarrying it could not but go ill with the Churches of God and with the Religion of God And this it was as Gualter and Calvin note it upon the Text which above all other things our blessed Saviour took to heart The other considerations might move him but this above all to think that that place which God had made choice of to put his name in where he had dwelt where his Temple the place of his publick worship was that that should be brought to such a miserable desolation as he by the eye of his divinitie saw to hang over the head of it this this it was that pierced his heart and stirred up his compassions in him drawing tears from his eies When he beheld the City he wept over it Wept over it There is the expression of his compassion Let me touch upon that also and I shall put the application of both these together He wept This Passion some look upon as unsutable to the person of Christ. And thereupon as both Beza and Grotius take notice of it from Epiphanus in divers of the ancient Copies this passage was left out But without any just cause To hear of Christs weeping is not such a rarity that any should boggle at it Four several times saith one Writing upon the Text we read hereof The first at his Nativity his Birth For this he citeth that Apochryphal Text Wisd. 7. 3. Where wisedome whereby he understandeth Christ who is so called Prov. 8. saith that she was Borne crying and weeping as all other do Thus Infants are commonly born crying whether weeping or no I will not say And thus that pretended Solomon is conceived to set forth the birth of Christ who was therein conformed to the rest of the sons of men But that being Apocryphal I leave it as I find it uncertain so as it may be believed or rejected without any prejudice to the faith The three other are clear The first at the raising up of Lazarus where we read Joh. 11. 53. And Iesus wept The second here in this his Procession to Hierusalem as he calleth it He wept over it The third and last in his Passion in the Garden concerning which the Author to the Hebrews tels us that he offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryings and tears Heb. 5. 7. Thus saith he did our blessed Saviour who was the fountain of life water the world with his tears which he compareth to the four Rivers which went out of Paradise to water the earth But letting that passe as more witty then weightie Weeping we see was no new or strange thing with our Saviour That ever he laughed that we read not that he wept we meet with it more then once Q. But it may be said Wherefore should our Saviour here weep over Hierusalem what ever calamities he saw impending hanging over the head of it he could have prevented them if he had pleased And why then doth he lament that which with a word he was able to have remedied A. To this it is answered First This he did to shew the truth of his humanity Taking upon him our nature he took upon him also all Passions and Affections common to that nature Being made like unto us in all things sin onely excepted as the Apostle hath it Heb. 4. 15. subjected to all our not sinful infirmities Thus he slept eat and drank which the nature of man requireth And thus we read that he was weary hungry thirsty and thus he wept All to shew himself truly man and that together with our nature he had also taken our Infirmities as the Evangelist Saint Mathew hath it Matth. 8. 17. But secondly Hereby he testified his affection towards those for whom he was made man and for whose sake he came into the world This he did first for the Jew I am not sent save onely to the Lost â—â—eepe of the house of Israel so he tells the woman of Canaan Matth. 15. 24. His arrand was first to the Iewes to seek and save them And hereby he expressed his indeared affection unto them This was the contrition which the Jewes made of his weeping over Lazarus his grave Behold how he loved him say they Ioh. 11. 36. And the same construction may we make of this his weeping over Hierusalem Hereby he shewed that tender affection which he bare unto them
so long as the Sun and Moon endureth Thus I have done with the substance of this Complaint come we now to the circumstances the Aggravations of this Evil. Which as I shewed you are two the Persons and Time Begin with the former If thou hadst known even thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si vel tu nosses Si cognovisses tu Not If thou hadst even known as the former Translation renders it putting the Emphasis upon the word Known but if even thou hadst known with reference to the Persons or Place Even thou Thou also say some thou Ierusalem as well as others as well as this poor troop of my Apostles and Disciples or as divers other lesser Cities and Villages have done or as this company now doth which acknowledgeth me to be what I am crying Hosanna or as some other places heretofore have done some of which have been so happy as timely to take notice of what belonged to their peace So did that great City Nineveh at the preaching of Ionah they repented John 3. 5. whose example elsewhere we finde propounded by our Saviour to the Jews Mat. 12. 41. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment against this generation and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Ionah And the like had some other places and persons done And O that Ierusalem had also done the like If thou also hadst known Thou as well as others Or Secondly Thou rather then others So Calvin and divers other Expositors here conceive of it As if our Saviour did here compare Ierusalem with other Cities of Iudea Yea with all other Cities of the whole world All which Ierusalem excelled in respect of many priviledges This was the City of David the Emperial City yea the City of the great King the City of God a City beloved of God above all other places upon the earth Coeleste in terris Sacrarium as Calvin saith of it a heavenly Sanctuary upon earth where God had betrusted his Oracles his Ordinances where he had manifested his presence after a special manner dwelling between the Cherubins according to that of the Psalmist Psal. 132. 13 14. For the Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell Such was Ierusalem Heavens favorite Earths Non-such a City paramount preferred and advanced above all other Cities and places upon earth in respect of spiritual priviledges And this our Saviour here taketh up as an Aggravation both of his Sorrow and her Sin Of his Sorrow Even thou As for other places other Cities suppose Chorazin Bethsaida Capernaum the Gadarenes or Samaria or the like for any of these to perish and miscarry as they did this were no other but a sad thing deserving to be lamented over But that Ierusalem should do so this went nearer our Saviours heart then any other Even as Brutus his stab did to Caesars which made him cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tu Brute what thou my son thou Brutus Even so did Ierusalems obstinacy and ingratitude here to our Saviour And thereupon he crieth out after the same manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even thou Like as it is with a natural parent he cannot but be offended with the miscarriage of any of his children but that his darling the son of his delights whom he hath set his love upon and shewen most affection to that he should miscarry this goeth near him So was it with Iacob when he apprehended some sad disaster to have befallen his son Ioseph his dear son the son of his age to whom he had expressed more affection then the rest of his Brethren as appeared by his party coloured garment this went near his heart insomuch that he refused to be comforted resolving to go down to the grave to him mourning as we have the story Gen. 37. 3. 35. And so was David affected with his Absolon He being his darling whom he had tendered and cockered when he understood what a fatal end he by his Rebellion had brought himself unto this makes David break forth into that passionate Lamentation O Absolon my son my son c. 2 Sam. 19. 4. Thus did Ierusalems carriage and miscarriage her sin and punishment which our Saviour saw and foresaw affect him more then if it had been any other place O if even thou hadst known This was an Aggravation of his Sorrow 2. And so secondly of their Sin This also our Saviour may well be conceived to insinuate in this passionate expression If Even thou Thou which hast enjoyed such means so many mercies that hast been lifted up to heaven preferred before al places in the world in respect of spiritual favours and Gospel priviledges that thou shouldest be thus stupid thus blinde as not to see not to regard the things which belonged to thy peace and happiness this renders thee of all others most miserable and maketh thy ingratitude most superlative So he here chargeth this upon them as a heinous aggravation of their Sin calling for an answerable Iudgment And so indeed it is as Calvin maketh the observation the more means the greater mercies a people enjoy the greater is their sin and the greater shall their punishment be in case they do not walk answerably to them and in some measure worthy of them Mark it this is the Observation which this passage naturally yieldeth Means and Mercies not regarded not improved not answered are dreadful aggravations both of Sin and Judgment For this express and full is that obvious Text Mat. 11. 20. where our Saviour breaketh forth into a like Exprobration against those Cities which he had honoured with his presence and doctrine as here he doth against Ierusalem Then saith the Text began he to upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not verse 20. In the verses foregoing he had taxed the general morosity and frowardness of that people upon whom no means could work neither Iohns austerity nor his own Comitie this he doth vers 16 17 18 19. But now he cometh more specially to deal with those particular places where he had been most conversant taxing them as being most faulty of all the rest Their sin was greater and so should their punishment be So it followeth vers 21. Woe unto thee Chorazin woe unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloath and ashes Chorazin and Bethsaida two Cities upon the Lake of Gennezareth where Christ conversed much taught often wrought many miracles yet they repented not they were not thereby wrought upon to imbrace the Gospel What followeth you have it in the next verse v. 22. I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment then for you At the day of general