THE BITTER WATERS OF BABYLON OR THE MISERABLE Estate of the Citizens of SION Considered by the confusion of all things in this world PROV 22. 3. A prudent man seeth the plague and hideth himselfe but the foolish goe on still and are punished HIERON in lib. de hom perfecto Omnes sumus in minimis cauti in maximis negligentes hoc itaque fit quia vbi vera vita sit ignor amus LONDON Printed by Edw. Griffin for Ralph Mab and are to bee sold in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Grey-hound 1615. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE RIGHT Vertuous and truely Religious IOHN Lord RAMSEY Vicount Hadington and to the true Noble and very Industrious Ladie ELIZABETH the Vicountesse his most louing Wife All true happines in this life and eternall glorie in the life to come Right Honourable I Need not be in doubt as many men be to chuse a fit Personage to patronize this mine Embrio or my first Crude and vndigested meditations seeing that vnder God I haue from your Honours my present earthly being and therefore may iustly challenge as much interest in mee as Paul did in Philémon both my selfe and all my labours for it hath beene the gracious splendor of your Honourable kinde fauours that hath so bountifully shined vpon so base an obiect not through any deserts of mine obtained Alasse I am too priuy vnto mine owne wants qui rudis iners not worthy to bee named the same day with learned men but that the bright Rayes of your Honourable kinde fauour in this are like vnto the Royall Sun beames that shine as bright in the poore mans cottage as in the Kings pallace Your worthinesse in your Honorable attempts in promoting learning religion is an euident proofe of your godly religious disposition without flattery these I professe which haue had a more particular experience of your gracious fauors For they need not false praises that abound with true And I appeale vnto al those that haue had a triall of your Honorable fauours which freely haue beene found amongst a great number both of inborne forreiners wherby your honorable names may be well registred amongst the worthies in this age which no doubt will remaine in all ages neuer be blotted out in your honourable posterity And lest that I should incur the censure of ingratitude which is a monster by nature for all kindnesses receiued I haue cast this smal mite into your treasury that as I walke vnder the the safegard of your honorable roofe I may goe in safety heerein vnder your Honors tuition beseeching your Honors to accept of it as our Sauiour Christ did the poore widdowes gift because I giue all that I haue hoping that you will not regard the meannesse of the gift so much as the minde of the giuer which if I louingly find in your gracious acceptance I shall thinke my selfe most happy in all mine essaies shall daily pray as by duty obliged vnto the God of mercy for your Honors happinesse in this life and euerlasting happinesse in the life to come Your Honours most humble and dutifull Chaplaine and seruant in the Lord JAMES FORSYTH To the Christian Reader MAruell not gentle Reader that I haue diuulged these my mean meditations being preched in that Place from whence daily doth drop most sweet honny of diuine eloquence since that most of the learned that repaire thither are vnwilling to publish their workes by reason of the multiplicity of printed sermons that proceed from thence There be two reasons that induce me heereunto The one is the encouragement I had by the Audience that day whereon it was deliuered And secondly the vrgent entreaty of many of my especiall friends vnto whom I owe my selfe and all seruice Looke not for eloquence according to thine expectation proceeding from such an eminent place For I came not with eloquence of words but euidence of the spirit to perswade men and women to lament their lewd-led-life that by their vnfain dcontrition they may preuent Gods visitation in Iustice for their transgressions by the example of these Israelites beeing captiuated for their offences If any thing heerein contained in thy iudgement bee too tart and bitter Consider with what weapons I and all Gods faithfull Ministers doâ— come into the field to fight against Gods enemies the two-edged sword of Gods Spirit doth diuide betweene the Carnall and Spirituall man the stone that Dauid tooke vp against Goliah did sinke suddenly into his temples The diseases of these times wherein we liue require such corrasiues and bitter potions for we are like vnto Babel that will not be cured When thou readest those things gadde not abroad nor aime thou not at other men descend into thine owne Conscience and feeling thy selfe wounded apply these warily vnto thine own soule and so shalt thou be healed of thine infirmity That this consideration may work some zeale of Gods glory in thee and that thou mayst daily encrease more more in the knowledge of his waies I shall as by duty bound vnto all faithfull Christians daily pray for thy happinesse in this life and eternall glory in the life to come with Iesus Christ and his holy Angels Amen Thine in the Lord IAMES FORSYTH IT hath been the manner of most of the Anncient in former time and at this day is retained in the Church as a forme amongst the best Dâ—anes to chuse a text fitted for the time and to speake out of the Scripture appointed for the day Which order if I had obserued my text should haue entreated of mirth and melodie both in respect of the season of the yeare and occasion of the feast for of all seasons this is most sweete pleasant and deliciouse Iam floridu aestas quae spicea serta gerit Now it is florishing summer which brings foorth the fragrant flowers Nay this the merry moneth of May if the occasion of the feast had ledde me to my text the matter had been me odious for by the reuolution of this time euery yeare is specified vnto vs the comfort which we receiue by that sweete Comforter sent downe by Iesus Christ vpon the Apostles in visible signes wherefore the Auncient in their Lythargie did tearme it a glorious time gloriosum hunc fecists diem was their Antheme And wee obseruing the same in our Church pray the Lord to grant that we may reioice in his holy comfort in the Collect for wâ—…muâ— the day either of which if I had regarded then my song had been solacious or a song of degrees But I considering the iniquities of the time and knowing that mâ—nare readie to enlarge their hearts too much with worldly mirth and especially about this time of the year wherfore I haue changed my note into an Elegiacall tune which sounds nothing but weeping mourning and lamentation for worldly mirth is like vnto pure wine which not being mingled with some other â—cour will draw drunkennesse vpon the receiuer in
like manner earthly melody not being tempered with a meditation of death or a consideration of a better life it will drowne the affecter with a greedie desire thereafter and ouerwhelme him with an obliuion of his Creator wherefore our Sauiour tooke vp a mournfull song in the midst of the peoples melodie in his iourney to Ierusalem and herefore it is that I haue chosen a dolefull ditty which I am by Gods assistance to read vnto your godly audience which may restraine our too much pleasure in worldly vanity PSALME 137. 1. By the riuers of Babylon we sate and wept when we remembred Syon ABrahams seruant receiuing a message from his Master to go into his fathers house and chuse a wife of his owne kindred for his sonne Isaacke did walke along diligently and staâ—ed no where vntill he came vnto the Well whereout the women came to draw water and there taken vp his rest found in that place his iourney prosperous to his Masters great comfort and Isaacâ—â— great profit as afterward did appeare Euen so I receiuing a commission from the Diocesan of this Sea to come to this place did passe along by the sweete waters of holy write willing to finde out a fit place to bathe your soules in tooke vp my rest no where vntill I came to the bitter waters of Babylon and there finding the children of God mourning vnder captiuitie for a remembrance of their former happinesse I haue addressed my selfe to finde out the cause of their great miserie in their mournefull behauiour that thereout I may draw some matter for our great comfort and consolation Nunquid fily sponsi lugerepossunt quamdiuest cum illis sponsus saith our Sauiour Christ in an other case can the children of the bride chamber mourne as long as the bride-groome is with them how can this text fit these times wherein we liue may some say seeing we haue peace within our borders there is no leading into captiuitie nor no complaining in our strectes can this text set forth the iniquities of the time wherein sinne doth abound euery where yes verely and that very fitly for although now we haue peace and tranquillitie yet it was the counsell of wise Ioseph vnto the King of Aegypt that in time of plentie he should prouide for the famine to come wee read of the Syrens that in faire weather they weepe and in storme they reioice thinking that after faire weather there wil be a turbulent tempest but after a full storme a still caline sic ut turgidum tran quillum mare sic pacem bellum sequitur as a boisterous sea followeth a smooth water so warre commonly succeedeth a long peace wherefore the Apostle Saint Peter warneth euery one that stands to take heede least he fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it is the opinion of some diuines that the Prophet Dauid doth write this Psalme many yeares before their captiuitie to giue them a sight of their future miserie Propheta enimres futuras praeteritas saepissime tanquam presentes narrat for a Prophet many times doth shew thinges past and to come as though they were present Againe wickednesse being the cause of their wretchednesse and sinae an occasion of their captiuity the consideration whereof will moue no doubt euery Christian mans heart with a Remorse for his former lewde led life least his impious and wicked behauiour draw vpon him a greater miserie And lastly if we will beleeue the auncient writers and some of the Moderne there is more mystically meant then is literally vnderstood Frange osliterae inuenies medullam intelligentâ—â— break the bone of the letter and within thou shall finde a marrow of spirituall matter Puta lamentationem Ecclesiae militant is in hac terra namely the lamentation of the Church militant afflicted in this world which mourning may be well specified by their reall weeping Super flumina Babilonis â—llic sedimus flâ—uimus c. By the riuers of Babylon we sate and wept when we remembred Sion The people of Israel being deliuered from vnder the bondage of Egipt and tyrannie of Pharaoh with a mighty hand led along by a safe conduct thorough the wildernes and at last by the prouidence of God brought into that blessed land that did flow with milke and honnie where being in rest they built vnto themselues strong holdes forts and citties for their safegard and habitation for the which benefits the Lord doth desire onely that they obserue his lawes and marke his statutes to keepe them that they might inherit that good land otherwise if by their negligence therein they did moue his wrath against them then would he vtterly destroy them as afterward came to passe and at this day doth appeare for being placed in prosperitie and hauing all things according to their hearts desire they following the perswaâ—ion of their wicked rulers such as Ieroboam Ahab Iehoâ—akim Zâ—dechiâ— and others spent their daies in vanâ—ie in working wickednesse and worshipping the workes of their owne hand their hearts being fat and grosse with â—atnesse forgot God that made them and the strong God of their saluation Wherefore the Lord did giue them ouer into the hands of their enemies many times to be ouercome of them Many times were they beset and some of their tribes taken as of Ephraim and Nepthalin the Citie of Samaria being by them inhabited was of the King of Syria enuironed and brought to a great famine the City of Ierusalem often besieged as once of Antiochus who did ransacke the Citie spoile the temple of her ornaments and brought many of the inhabitants to great miserie But for all this they did still continue in their crooked waies in working wickednesse following the steppes of Manasses and doing according to all that he did wherefore at last the Lord did suffer Nebukâ—dâ—noser the King of Babell with a great army of the Caldaeans to come vpon them and carrie them away captiues into Babylon where they did remaine for the space of seuentie yeares so that it is the opinion of the most Diuines that this Psalme was composed after their returning from captiuitie to put them in minde of their former miserie which they then did suffer although some are of the opinion that it was made long before as before hath been said In the Hebrew text wee haue no tide prefixed vnto his Psalme but in the Greeke copies there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in the old Latine Psalmaâ— Dauid proper â—…remiam Theodoret doth reiect this as too audacious to bee prefixed the reason he giues is because sereâ—… was neuer in Babylon but if yee marke the title aright you shall not finde any thing wherby he doth allo word â—aâ—low his being in Babylon but only in that this Psalme doth agree with the lamâ—â—nations which Ieremie made of their expâ—iuitâ—e by the spirit of prophesie therefore not to be so much reiected There is something found
similitude the Prophets threatnings did not afflict him the offence done against his God did only vexe him I haue sinned against the Lord. And in an other place In te solum peccaui Against thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight Holcoth maketh mention of a certaine bird that hath the face and visage of a man and yet is most fierce and cruell against man and doth only feede vpon mans flesh when it hath killed a man being dry goeth to the brooke to quench his thirst but looking down into the cleare water and beholding his owne countenance considering what it hath done that it hath destroied one of his owne likenesse and image returning presently from the water neither eates nor drinkes afterward but goeth into the wildernesse and their consumes himselfe in displeasure and so endes his daies in sorrow this is the behauiour of euery good and godly Christian considering that by sinne he hath destroied the image of God in him he doth consume away in displeasure what heart is so hardned considering how the sinne of man hath procured the death of the sonne of God would not end his daies in sorrow and lamentation The second cause of their weeping is for that woâ—dly punishment inflicted that now they are sent into banishment When the Lord cannot winne man by his mercies he will turne to his iustice to trie if by affliction hee can bring him to acknowledge his sâ—nne they being in prosperitie at home would neither hearken nor obey but being now in banishment and vnder captiuitie they are drawne to lament for their offences The heauie hand of Gods instice is able to breake and bruise the hardest heart and crush it in peeces nay bring the most wicked and impious man to acknowledgement of his sinne Kames heart is ouerqueld herewith wherefore he mournes grieuously and cries out my sinne is greater then can be forgiuen it was not his hypocrisie the murdering of his brother nor any other sinne that he had committed but onely the great punishment inflicted vpon him that did prouoke him hereunto Pharaoh tooke on greiuously and confessed his sinne it was not for a detestation thereof but because of the plagues that were sent vpon him and vpon his land Saul is very sorrowfull but it is because of Samuelâ— threatning Sunt quos peccasse paenâ—tet propter 〈…〉 displicet euim latroni peccatum quâ—…â—…t vindictareuertitur ad crimma saith Sâ—… Augustine There be many saith he that are greiued for their sinne because of the present affliction vpon them A theife is soâ—â—ie for his offence when he feeles the punishment but it being once ouer he fals to stealing againe This no doubt is the second cause of their weeping because of the heauie crosse laid vpon them The third cause of their weeping is the want of grace both in that they could not preuent the danger before it did assault as also that now they cannot performe those duties which they ought vnto others in distresse for the former Peter doth weepe exceedingly being so forward a little before and so peremptory to stand to his owne strength that now should falter in the performance and become so weake he mournes abundantly Misit legatos pro suis doloribus lachrymas dolorem probantes commissi criminis dolorem Like Rachel that wept for her children because they were not euen so the children of God they weepe for their graces because they are not Dauid doth protest that teares were his meat and drink night and day because he knew the want in him that without his grace he could not stand And the Apostle Saint Peter doth crie out of this want in him The good that I would do that I do not but the euill that I would not do that I do Againe the defect of the duties which in performance they owe to their brethren in distresse is a great cause of their weeping for they seeing the citie spoiled the temple ransacked the people carried into captiuitie and they no waies able to help them they cannot remember these things without great greife flerâ—oportet of necessitie they weepe it is the greatest greife that can come to a kinde soule to see another man in miserie and not able to helpe him this was Iobs greife did not I weepe with those that were in trouble was not my soule in heauinesse for the poore This was Ieremies sorrow for the people being by the iudgement of God destroyed that I might weepe for the slaine of the daughters of Sion Whether it be for their sinnes committed their punishment inflicted or their graces ecclipsed weeping I finde them where I leaue them vntill I enquire after the place of their abiding and I finde it to be Babel The place is ominous for if they had been banished into some priuate place where they might haue had libertie to exercise the duties of Religion and to serue their God although they had been detained for a long space their exile had been the easier but being exposed to Babel that barbarous place their estate is more miserable Babel here doth signifie the prouince of Babilon or countrey of Caldea for the City of Babel stood vpon one riuer Euphrates onely but here there is mention of more then one By the riuers of Babilon The country was idolatrous the people sauage so that to dwell in such a place was dangerouse In this place was Bel and Dragon the two Idols of the Caldeans worshipped and the cheife metropolitan Citie Babel accursed His foundation was laide in pride Come let vs builde a tower whose top may reach vnto heauen to get vs a name It was finished by Nabucâ—…zzar that proud puissant in ambition Is not this great Babel which I haue built to the gloris of my maiestie by the might of my power And the end thereof was confusion for afterward it came to be an habitation of vncleane Diuels as before was prophesied of it To dwell in such a place is greiuous to the children of God Dauid â—â—ies out of this miserie Woe is me that dwell â—n Mesech or haue my habitation so long among the tents of Kedar A couetous worldling cares not where he dwelles omne solum est ills patria Euery dominion is a dwelling for him to serue the Market is all he lookes for in any place that he may gaine by his commodity although it bee to another mans great losse but of all greiâ—es it is the greatest to a godly man to dwell in a lewd place where there is no practice of religion no goodnesse exercised but altogether prophanesse and abhomination This doth much vexe the Prophets spirit being constrained hereunto Wo's mee that I dwell amongst a people of pollutea lippes for the Prouerbe most commonly comes to passe in this aliquid mali propter vicinum malum some euill doth happen by reason of a wicked neighbor either they are subiect
braies and weepes to him for releife and so is taken Which let euery Christian man learn to follow this example that seeing himselfe beset with innumerable enemies wearied with the burthen of sin let him turne to the man Iesiu who is able and will deliuer him from all dangers O that we had mindes to consider our misdeeds hearts truly touched with a greife for sinne that they might relent and eies of a spongie humor that by the distillation of our teares we might bedeaw our faces that as Naâ—… was clean sed from his leprosie by washing in the riuer Iordan so wee being bathed in the pure fountaine of teares of a contrite heart may be thoroughly purged from the filthinesse of sinne There is a certaine riuer in Cecilia that if blacke sheepe be bathed in it there wooll shall turne white immediately such surely is the true nature of the fountaine of teares for if thy sinnes were as red as scarlet in them if thou bath thy selfe they shal be as white as wooll When Pharaohs daughter did di'cent into the riuer she found a babe lying among the flagges if thou discend into the riuers of teares thou shalt finde the babe Iesus comfortable to thy soule Lachryma enim lauat quod peccatumpolluit Teares will wash that which our sinneâ— hath defiled Teare are silent praiers they craue not and yet they obtaine pardon they plead not a mans cause and yet they receiue mercy saith Saint Ambrose Peter by weeping was remitted Susanna by weeping was deliuered from the false accusation Ezechias by lamenting was restored to his former health and his life prolonged let vs weepe then with Peter lament with Mary Magdalene mourne with Manasses that our soules may be cleared from Satans false accusation and our liues prolonged in that celestiall kingdome euerlastingly And lastly I come to the last obseruation betweene the behauiour of the godly and wicked The Citizens of Sion mourne for the want of it but the Citizens of Babilon neither remember Sion nor regard The wordly man may perhaps somtime weep but his â—e the tears of Esau only for want of the blessing because he cannot get some great bargaine to the vndoing of his poore brother The carnall man may sometimes be sorrie but it is the greife of Ammon because he cannot fulfill his lust with his sister Thamar The Enuious man may perhaps greiue but it is because of his brothers prosperous estate inuidus alteriâ—s rebus macrescit opimis the griefe of the wicked is only that they cannot do mischeife but the sorrow of a godly soule is when he wants some peaceable comfort to his soule Sion is his solace The remembrance of Sion in respect of the depriuation thereof is a great vexation vnto them The comfort that a godly man receiues by the word of God preached vnto him cannot be expressed of which when he is depriued like these Iewes in captiuitie what a heauinesse brings it to his tender heart Dauid being in banishment accounts this his greatest losse therefore he esteemes the sparrow and swallow happie because they had libertie to lay their young neere vnto the altar of God not that hee thought the birds did receiue any benefit hereby but that he out of his compassionate affection being rauished with a desire thereafter doth vtter this patheticall depriuation that he did want that which the birds did inioy when the minde of man by an heauenly contemplation is rapt into the heauen of peace to consider mans miserable estate in Babel and his ioyfull and happie estate in Sion he cannot expresse his greife without great lamentation herefore wee sigh and groane desiring to be dissolued and be with Christ Iesus da amantem sensit quod loquer euery soule that sighes for Sion and hath his cogitation there doth conceiue what I say O sancta Sion vbitotum stat nihil defluit O blessed Sion where there is no penurie no leading into captiuity nor no complaining in her streetes but peace and plenty within her borders for euermore happie shall he be that shal be admitted into her gates to pertake of her solace that hee may sing Halelutah vnto the lambe that sits vpon the throne for euer and euer Hauing ended my text right honorable right worshipfull and welbeloued it followes in the next place to speake of their iniquitie which was the cause of their miserie and to paralell them with the sinnes of these times wherein wee liue such as Idolatrie shedding of innocent blood pride drunkennesse lasciniousnesse and want of charity as the scripture doth set them downe vnto us but because the time hath preuented me I will only leaue them to your godly consideration first because I know these things haue been spoken against out of this place many times and therefore you are not ignorant of the heinousnes of them As also I speake vnto Christians that haue the word of God daily preached vnto them to diswade them from those and the like sinnes and therefore a shame for such to bee tainted with them it shal be easier for Sodome and Gomorah nay and Babel in the day of the Lords appearance then for this Citie because the word of God is so plentifully preached in it You right Honorable and worshipfull Magistrates of this Citie qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cooperatores dei estis Gods vicegerents or assisters vpon earth weigh diligently the charge that is committed vnto you remember that you are exalted to that place of dignitie to represse iniquitie let not your too mild meek spirit encourage the wicked to do euill for foolish pittie may mar the City Consider that the sword is not giuen vnto you in vaine but to take vengeance on them that do euill the daies are dangerous the people impious they will hardly obey but by constraint let sin be your subiect to suppresse it and the glorie of Sion the obiect of all your labors knowing that you stand alwaies in Gods sight from whose presence nothing can be hid I would to God that you had the spirit of Elias and zeale of Phineas to suppresse sinne in the action I would to God that the Magistrates of this City were like vnto the watchmen of Israel to search about the Corners thereof and finde out the abhominations therein to the oppressed be mercifull to the wicked fierce and terrible that you being faithfull in a little when your Lord and Master doth appeare he may make you rulers ouer great and exalt you to that blessed Sion to remaine with him for euermore And you honorable Iudges that are ordeined to determine the cause of the oppressed and to releiue the poore from wrong let not the greatnes of the person nor superiority of place cause you to haue any regard but only to the sinceritie of the cause But let all iust iudges that wish to inhabite blessed Sion haue only a respect vnto the truth of iustice quia non