the midst of them they have not knowne the Lord. But who vvith Iesus Christ whose actions are our instructions is grieved for the hardnes of their hearts Shall the sinnes of idolaters wring one teare out of our stony heads when our owne sinnes are increased above the haires of our head and are heavier than the sand of the sea and yet wee look on them with dry eyes as if all their muscles were withered and without sap Let us I pray you let us begin NOW to weepe because untill NOW we have not wept let us tune upon the strings of our hearts a dolefull song of heavie mourning because wee have not knowne in this peaceable Kingdome the things belonging to our peace CHAP. VII 1 THey that weep not for sinne are constrained to weep for the punishment of sinne 2 He that weepeth not in affliction is a desperate sinner 3 Godly men weep in affliction 4 In our afflictions wee must weep to God I. FOr x 1. Cor. 11.31 if we would iudge our selves we should not bee iudged If wee could once sorrow if sorrow wrought indignation in us indignation feare fear desire desire zeal zeale revenge by weeping for our sinnes and abstaining from sinne then wee should never weep for the punishmēt of sin but if wee weep not when wee should weep y Gen. 4.7 sinne lieth at the doore and the punishment thereof shall make us to weep when wee would not weep a Eph. 5.4 Let no man deceive you with vain words for because of these things because of fornication of uncleannesse of covetousnesse of filthy and foolish talking and other vices which are but too too common in our Churches commeth the wrath of GOD upon the childen of disobedience I am not a Prophet nor the sonne of a Prophet to say to you as Ezechiel writ to the Iews b Ezech. 7.5 6 7. An evill an onely evill behold is come An end is come the end is come it awaketh against thee behold it is come The morning is come unto thee O thou that dwellest in the land the time is come the day of trouble is neer Yee see it come upon your brethren for whom ye fast should weepe NOW Are they not as honest as godly as religious as ye are Therefore say not with the profane Iews c Esa 28.15 Wee have made a covenant with death with hell are we at agreement When the over-flowing scourge shal passe thorow it shall not come unto us for we have made lies our refuge under falshood have wee hid our selves Apply rather to your selves that which Christ who cannot lie said to the Iewes of d Luke 13.2 the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices and of those eighteene upon whom the Towre in Siloe fell that they were not sinners above all the rest of the people And therefore except ye repent yee shall all likewise perish II. When affliction is comne I need not exhort you to weep for it To that nature will be to you a most perswasive preacher The heart must bee harder than a Stithie if it sorrow not the eyes must be dryer than a potsheard if they weep not in affliction The Iewes were come to the height of sinne when the Lord checked them for hardnesse of heart in their oppression saying e Esay 22 12 13 14 In that day did the Lord GOD of Hostes call to weeping to mourning and to baldnes and to girding with sackcloth and behold ioy and gladnes slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine and ye say Let us eat and drink for to-morrow we shall die Such a sinner in that was their King Achaz who in the time of his distresse did trespasse yet more against the Lord. He was ever king Achaz ever like himselfe never better but rather worse This hardnesse of heart is a neere cousin to the irremissible sinne for God said to these stony-hearted sinners Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die III. I hope there is none so wickedly disposed amongst you all for I deeme there is none amongst you but hee will sorrow weep and mourne when the hand of God is heavie upon him we are all of one metall Iob saith that in his afflictions f Iob 3 24 his roarings were poured out like the waters hee g Iob 30.28 31. cried his harp was turned into mourning and his organe into the voice of them that weep The like wee haue heard of many others with the refutation of the indolence and unsensiblenes of the Stoicks IV. But if ye do nothing but roare but cry but weepe and mourne when yee are chastised what doe yee that your dogges will not doe will they not cry and howle when they are beaten Teares if they bee alone are no more regarded of God than the howling and yelling of beasts which will roare when they are hardly used Weepe then as the Saints have alwayes wept When your eyes run downe with teares and your eye-lids gush our with waters let your prayers runne up to heaven with them to powre them out into the bosome of God Weepe as h 1. Sam. 1.10 Hannah wept who beeing in bitternesse of soule prayed unto the Lord and wept sore Weepe as the children of Israel wept for when the children of Beniamin had destroied of them fortie thousand men i Iudg. 20 23 26. they wept before the Lord. Weepe as Iob wept when k Iob 16.20 his eyes powred out teares unto God Weepe as David wept who when he was swimming in his teares said l Psal 55.17 Evening and morning and at noone will I pray and cry aloud and hee shall heare my voice Weepe as Hezekiah wept m 2. Kin. 20.2 3. He prayed unto the Lord and wept sore n Esa 38.84 Hee chattered like a crane or a swallow hee mourned as a dove his eyes failed with looking upward his praier was O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me CHAP. IIX 1. WE must weepe also for the desolation of the Church 2. As David and Ieremiah did 3. Great desolation of the Churches by the last troubles 4. Their present state most pitifull and lamentable 5. Examples to moove us to weepe for them I WHen yee have thus wept for your selves remember that ye are not for your selves onely consider that yee belong to the mysticall body of our Lord Iesus Christ the mēbers wherof are disperst through the whole world and print in your minds the most reasonable commandement of the holy Apostle o Rom. 12.15 Weepe with them that weepe Weepe for the Church as the holy men of God have wept for it They mourned for the evills past for the evills that were present and for the evills that were to come II. When David heard the tydings of the overthrow of Gods people by the Philistins p 2. Sam. 1.11 12. He and all the men that were with him
THE CHRISTIAN MANS TEARES AND Christs Comforts DELIVERED AT A FAST the seventh of Octob. Ano. 1624. By GILBERT PRIMEROSE Minister of the French Church of London HIERON ad Nepolit Lachrymae auditorū laudes tuae sint Let the Teares of thy Auditors be thy praise LONDON Printed for I. Bartlet at the gilt Cup in the Gold-Smiths Row in Cheape-side 1625. TO THE RIGHT Honourable and Religious Lady ELIZABETH Countesse of Anandale Viscountesse of ANAN c. MADAM COnsidering it is the custome of those which set out Bookes to stamp them with the glorious titles of some person of note and authority that they may bee received as currant money I have given to this little booke the silver wings of your right Honourable name that flying abroad like a mourning Dove it may finde a quiet resting-place in the favourable allowance of the Reader The matter wherewith it is stuffed is weeping laughing mourning and comforts The end wherefore it is made is to exhort all kinde of persons to shead teares of godly sorrow which God may put in his bottles the Lamb of God turne into the wine of heavenly comforts when they shall be called unto his marriage-Supper Such teares were never more necessary I will not say that they were never lesse heeded nor cared for than they are now because I am a stranger at home let every man speake to his owne conscience let every conscience aske of its own heart how it is touched with sinne how affected with the affliction of the Church let every heart iudge it selfe and if our heart condemne us let us all know that God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things One thing I know generally that men when they are exhorted to weep are accustomed to say that weeping is more womanish than manly for women are of a more weake and moyst constitution of body and more sensible of the passions which provoke weeping than men are Men blaspheme the glorious and dreadfull Name of the Lord our God Men are more frequent in the Tavernes than in the Church Men let flye all they have at Cards at Dyce at other unlawful games foolish sports Where is there deceit where robberie where oppression where but among men Who trouble the state Men. Who undermine who betray who dismember the Church by schismes by heresies by secret plots Men. Who persecute the Church Men. Who forsake it Men. The most part of the evill that is done in the world is done by men Not because they are moe but because they are worse than women and for the most part alas have neither wit nor courage but to doe ill For all this they weepe not because forsooth it becomes not men to weepe But when the hand of God is heavie upon them will they not curse will they not roare like wild beasts Is roaring more manly Is it nothing so womanish as weeping I know not what they call womanish for many women have beene many in this last age of the world are better than manie men Had not SEMIRAMIS distaffe a sharper edge than NINVS her husbands sword Was not TAMYRIS as martiall as CYRVS did she not find out a more wittie stratagem to overthrow him who was a most craftie and cunning warrier and his armie of two hundred thousand men trained up in warres from the cradle than he did to intangle her Sonne who was a beardlesse Captain did not the AMAZONES fight when men fled did they not subdue their enemies who had overcome their husbands Had not ZENOBIA a lions heart in a womans breast How often did shee constraine the Romane armies to shew her a faire paire of heeles Neither was she overcome but wearied with the innumerable multitude of new armies sent against her by the Emperor VALERIVS AVRELIANNS who when he had triumphed of her was faine to be a suitor unto her for her daughter to be his wife Though she was a Syrian shee spake Greeke and Latin shee was instructed in all sciences she writ the Story of the Orient she had quick eyes and a mans voyce her teeth were so white that she seemed to have pearles and not teeth in her mouth in all the gifts of the body and of the spirit she went beyond all the men of her age Her owne husband ODENATVS vvas the most valiant man of those dayes He subdued all the Orient the Emperor GALLIENVS was fain to pray him to be partaker of the Empire with him but shee was better than he PHILE was so wise from her tender nayles that being yet a yong girle her father ANTIPATER that old and wise Counsellor of ALEXANDER THE GREAT that worthy King of Macedonia asked her counsaile and followed it when she was wife to DEMETRIVS a man given to many vices she could manage and governe his passions with such discretion that she made his government tolerable to his subiects his person respectable to all men his power fearefull to his enemies I forbeare to speake of CRATESICLEA the royall mother of CLEOMENES king of Sparte and of PORCIA the wise daughter of CATO and the courageous wife of BRVTVS who when she had received a great wound did not so much as shrinke To enter into the Church Was not DEBORAH more meete to bee Generall of an army than BARAK did not IAHEL with a hammer and a nail teach the great Captaine SISERA that he had a foolish head One woman in the Citie of ABEL was wiser than all the men therein There was no man in BETHVLIA to be compared in wisdome with IVDITH What courage shee and her hand-maid had OLOFERNES proud and cup-shotten head could best tell When IVDAS betrayed Christ when PETER denyed him when the Priests and Elders of the Iewes accused him women were faithfull unto him When Pilate condemned him when men mocked him and nailed him on the crosse women wept for him when his owne disciples through feare fled away from him women most courageously followed him PVLCHERIA faire indeed but more wise than faire was more worthie of the imperiall diadem than her brother THEODOSIVS II. who prospered when hee was guided by her was unfortunate and turned the empire topsie turvie when he neglected her counsell FERDINAND king of Spaine was a wise and valiant Prince But his roiall wife ISABELLA outreached him in all princely vertues He was hard and sparing She was liberall and honourable He was fitter to keep and maintain his own kingdom than to enlarge it She She I sal encreased it with the kingdome of Navarre with the Canarie Isles and with the new world which we call AMERICA She never drank wine When she was sicke when she was in travaile not onely shee cried not shee mourned not but shee did not so much as change her countenance as give one sigh On her daughters wedding day newes being brought unto her of the death of her only sonne shee suppresseth her griefe she keepes a merrie countenance lest she should marre the
THOV EXCELLEST THEM ALL. You are the last and most sure receiver of my Lords debts you are the most faithfull keeper of his treasures and Registers Let it please you then most vertuous and Noble LADY receive this obligatorie bill whereby I acknowledge my selfe indebted to my Lord for his favour and kindnesse and doe bind me by it as by a solemne contract to powre out my soule before the Lord of Lords day and night beseeching his divine Maiestie to powre downe upon your right honourable persons and hopefull issue all kind of blessings externall internall and eternall for Christ Iesus his Sons sake in whom I am and shall remaine for ever MADAM Your most humble and most affectionate servant Gilbert Primerose Errata pars primae Pag. 13 lin 13. d. the. p. 44. l. 19. when p. 56. l. 5. yexing p. 60. l. 10 sadnesse p. 130. l. 6. election p. 213. l. 13. Dorter or sleeping place p 252. l. 1. his p. 241. l. 15. not Errata pars secundae Pag. 18. l. 15. d. in l. 18. the. p. 26. l. 6. his THE CHRISTIAN mans Teares AND Christs Comforts The first part of the Christian mans TEARES MATTH 5.4 Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted LUKE 6.21 Blessed are ye that weepe now for ye shall laugh CHAP. I. ALl men have a naturall knowledge and desire of blessednesse 2. But no man can tell without speciall revelation from God wherin it consisteth 3. Thence is the great diversitie of opinions concerning them who are blessed 4. As Kings 5. Courtiers 6. Rich men 7. Voluptuous men 8. There is no blessednesse in any worldly thing I. AS all men have a natural impression wherby they acknowledge that there is one Soueraigne and chiefe God who should bee worshipped with heart words and deedes so they have a naturall light whereby they know that there is a Soveraigne and chief good which should bee desired and sought with much endeavour and great might as the chief end of their lives and the onely blessednesse whereby they are to be perfected and wherein all their desires and affections must rest as in their centre For blessednesse is the perfection of man and no man can say that he is blessed till he say a August Confess lib. 10 cap. 20. Vita beata non est mihi donec dicam satest It is enough Thence it is that as all men worship God so they doe all desire to bee blessed by the enjoying of the Soveraigne good the onely naming whereof rejoyceth the heart and is unto it a restorative when it is sorrowfull and faint b Ibid. una voce fi interrogari possent utrum beati esse vellent fine ulla dubitatione veâ—le responderent Aske of all men together if it were possible aske of them a part whether they desire to be happy and blessed and doubt not but they shal all answer with one voice that is our desire whatsoever wee attempt whatsoever wee prosecute whatsoever we bestow our time in we do it for that end Blessednesse is our great businesse all our cogitations are of it all our cares are for it all our delight is in it T is not so in other things Take but two men and c Ibid. ca 21. aske of them if they will go to the warres it may be that one of them answers he will the other that hee will not Aske of them againe if they desire to bee happy foorthwith they shall answer what else neither will one of the two goe to the warres and the other lurke at home but to bee blessed So deepely is the sense and desire of blessednesse rooted in all mens hearts II. But alas d Ioh. 1.5 The light shined in darkenesse and the darknesse comprehended it not For what is the naturall knowledge which men have of God and of the soveraigne good wherin their blessednes consists but as a lightning which in the twinkling of an eye is extinguished and drowned in the dimme cloudinesse of a darke night To speake of blessednesse apart because it is the principall matter of my text all men know generally and in grosse that thereis such a thing which is called blessednesse and have a confused desire thereof but which of them all can tell what it is wherein it consists which is the way to attaine unto it In that knowledge they are as blind as Moles till they bee enlightned with a more excellent light than that which nature doth afford For e Aug. Confess lib. 10. ca. 23. Multos expertus sum qui velint fallere qui autem falli neminem though there bee many which like to deceive and cousen others and not one at all who can abide to be deceiv'd whatsoever they love besides that which is blessednesse indeede they call it their blessednesse and will have others to thinke so of it f Et quia falli nolunt noluÌ„t convinci quod falss sunt And because they shunne to be deceived they cannot suffer to be convinced of their error III. Whereof if yee desire to have a cleere tryall yee need not to drive your thoughts backward and to search g Idem de Civit. dei lib 19. cap. 1. â— into the reasons which distracted the ancient Philosophers into two hundred fourescore and eight opinions concerning this one and onely point of mans blessednesse in this miserable world Let us fixe them upon those things which our eyes see and our eares heare and aske of so many men which are much busied walking abroad going and comming thorow the streetes passing by the high wayes playing sporting eating drinking trading by sea by land sitting in their shops plotting musing meditating in their closets what they thinke of felicitie and which is the blessed end wherabout they spend so much time and take so great paines we shall find them to be like unto the builders of Babel and their language so confounded that they understand not one anothers speech IV. Begin at Kings Aske of the great king Nebuchadnezzar wherin consists his beatitude Hee shall speake and say h Dan. 4.30 Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Maiestie But when his kingdome shall bee taken froÌ„ him when the heart of a beast shall be giuen him when hee shall bee driven from men when his Palace shall be changed into a denne his fare and dainties into grasse his wine into muddie water he shall say to God as David saide in the Psalms to another purpose When I spake so i Psal 73.22 I was a beast before thee Let k Herodot Clio. Solon come to Croesus the rich King and tell him that Tellus Cleobes Biton poore men but honest are more blessed than he he shall stand amazed and wonder how such a Philosopher can by any apparant reason bereave such riches as his of the glorious title of
a Feast of mourning let everie man NOW drinke to his brother every woman to her sister full cups of tears When the people of Israel were rebuked of Samuel for their sinnes t 1 Sam. 7.6 they gathered together to Mizpeh and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day said there Wee have sinned against the Lord. Lo how busy lo how forward they were to draw water for the clensing of their sacrifices and for the purifying and washing of their bodies or as some Doctors allegorize the words lo how contrite they were making of their harts wels of godly sorrow and going thither with the bucket of faith to draw up to the eyes tears of repentance for bewailing of their sinnes And what had they done They had worshipped strange gods and set up among them ASTAROTH u R. David Kimchi in lib. radicum which was the god of their sheep their fathers had done the like And when the Angell of the Lord rebuked them of that sinne x Iudg. 2 4 5 they lift up their voice and wept and called the name of that place Bokim i. weepers and they sacrificed there unto the Lord. O how many strange gods doe wee worship What are our self-love our ambition our filthy lusts our envie our hatred our pride but strāge gods to whō we offer most abominable sacrifices al the hours of the day Our covetousnes our insatiable desire of cattel of sheep of the Mammon of unrighteousnes is our Astaroth yea an Idoll so much worse than Astaroth in that wee worship it not openly but privately not in the face of the world but in the face of God not in temples of stone but in the temples of our hearts which God hath dedicated to his owne service How many Samuels how many Angels hath GOD sent unto us to reprove us of so many sinnes and wee are heer assembled as Israel in Mizpeh to acknowledge confesse our sinnes O then dear brethren and sisters let us first look up to the infinite Majestie of God whom wee have offended and let us afterwards looke downewards to our selves who are the offenders y Iob 4 19 Wee dwell in houses of clay our foundation is in the dust wee are crushed before the moth Houses of clay earth and dust wormes which are the meat of of wormes sin against God and shall wee not mourne shall wee not draw teares from our hearts shall wee not command our eyes to pour them out NOVV before the Lord shall wee not NOVV wash with them our reasonable sacrifices the calves of our lips which wee are come hither to offer up unto God shall not this House of God bee this day Bokim unto us shall wee not NOVV cry to heaven with weeping mourning Wee have sinned against the Lord David sinned but one night and b Psalm 6.6 hee was weary with his groning every night hee made his bed to swim hee watered his couch with his teares If I say of many of us that we sin every night and every day I thinke that I shall not lie Oh then shall we not weep this one day David when he wept cried to heaven c Psalm 51.1 2 3 Have mercie upon mee O God according to thy loving kindnesse according to thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash mee thorowly from mine iniquitie and clense mee from my sin What moved him to cry so loud and in crying to pray for mercie For saith hee I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me Because he acknowledged his sinne therfore he wept If wee knew how hatefull our sinnes are to God we would weep we knowe them not we feele them not wee cast them still behinde our backs wee never bring them before our eyes therefore we weep not Oh how horrible shall bee that day wherein shall bee fulfilled that which GOD saith d Psalm 50.21 I will reprove thee and set them in order before thy eyes The Lord in his mercy preserve us from the terror and horror of that day Hee will doe it if by the weeping of this day wee prevent the weeping of that day if as Daniel did e Dan. 9 3 c. wee set our face unto the Lord God to seek him by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes if as he did wee confesse that wee have sinned committed iniquity and done wickedly our Kings our Princes our fathers and all the people of the Land if wee acknowledge as hee did that if GOD should deale with us as hee dealt with his people of those daies righteousnesse should belong unto him unto us confusion of face if as hee did we joyne deprecation to the accusation of our owne sins and confession of our owne deserts crying f Ver. 19 O Lord heare O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and doe Where are the women of joy which through grief for their sin wash Christ's feet with their teares as g Luke 7 37 one woman of that kinde did once How many alas how many Publicanes yea worse than Publicanes doe swarme in the Church Shall ye finde one among a thousand who dare h Luke 18.13 not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven for shame who smiteth upon his breast which conceived sin in him who with words interrupted with sighes and carried into heaven with a swift flowing stream of teares cryeth to God God be mercifull to mee a sinner as the Publicane in the Gospell did Wee are all prodigall sonnes what do we all but feed swine but feed upon swines provender but cherish in our selves our filthie lusts but delight in sin Nevertheless which of us all commeth to himself returneth to his Father and saith Father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne i Luke 15 15 as once a prodigall sonne did k Mat. 26 75. Peter denied Christ but once and against his heart and yet he excused not his fault but wept for it bitterly Are wee not of the crue of those of whom the Apostle writes that l Tit. 1.16 they professe they knowe God but by their workes they deny him beeing abominable and disobedient and to every good worke reprobate Would to God we were not But we are and yet our hart is glad our faces shine our cheeks are dry our eyes are hardned like Pumice-stones and we weep not Think yee that Saint Paul could write to the Romanes without vehement sighing how m Rom. 7 19 the good that he would hee did not but the evill which he would not that he did We are of a disposition much disagreeing unto his The evill that we would we do not but the good which wee would not that wee doe Through feare of punishment wee abstaine often from the evill which wee like to doe and through love of praise or of some reward we do sometimes the
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
our prayers are not accepted of God till we be reconciled to our brethren This is Christs lesson saying z Mat. 5.23 24. If thou bring thy gift to the altar there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee Leaue there thy gift before the altar and goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift The second that we must forgiue them which trespasse against vs This Lesson also hath Christ our good Doctor taught vs not onely * Mat. 18.32 by the Parable of the wicked seruant who was punished because he shewed no mercy to his fellow but also in proper words when he giueth vs this warning * Luk. 17.3.4 Take heed to your selues If thy brother trespasse against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgiue him And if he trespasse against thee seauen times in a day and seuen times in a day turne againe to thee saying I repent Thou shalt forgiue him Protest wee not that we doe this when according to our Masters direction wee cry to God in our daily prayers Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs If we forgiue them from our heart we will pray to God for them as God said that Iob would pray for his friends Therefore St Iames sayth both to them who giue offence and to them which suffer it a Iam. 5.16 Confesse your faults one to another And pray one for another that yee may be healed for the effectuall feruent prayer of arighteous man avayleth much VI. In all the congregations of the Primitiue Church Iustin Apol. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Precibus finiâ—is mutuis nos inuicem osculis salutamus Tertull de Oratione cap. vlt. the brethren had a most vsefull and laudable custome to seale and close vp their prayers with mutuall imbracings and kisses which they called Orationis signaculum the seale of Prayer And so they went to the Table of the Lord. They kept this Custome principally in their fasting dayes as a publike testimony that they did forgiue one another were assured that God would heare their prayers which they had offered vp vnto him with single and meeke heart purified of all inward grudge and rankor and indued with brotherly charitie according to his holy and righteous commandement If any man withdrew this kisse from his brother he was rebuked and hissed of the whole congregation which being an assembly of holy true louers could not abide a brother who bewraied the ill-will and hatred of his heart when he refused the kisse of his mouth This custome was grounded vpon the custome of the Iewes who at their meetings did kisse one another and vpon the expresse commandement of the Apostles For S. Paul exhorteth the Romans Rom. 16.16 1 Cor. 16.20 2 Cor. 13.12 1 Thes 5.26 1 Pet. 5.14 the Corinthians the Thessalonians to greete one another with anâ—hâ—â— kisse And S. Peter exhorteth the brethren to greet one another with a kisse of charitie Not with the kisse of religious homage which is due to God alone and him whom he hath sent our Lord Iesus Christ Psal 2.12 as it is written Kisse the Sonne not with the kisse of superstitious homage to idoles as the Israelites kissed Baal 1 Kings 19 18. Hosea 13.2 and the calues Not with the kisse of naturall affection onely such as is vsual among those who are of kinred and nigh friends as when Isaac kissed his Sonne Iacob Gen. 27.27 and Iacob kissed his kinswoman Rachel Gen. 29.11 Not with the kisse of humanitie and ciuilitie such as were frequent among the Iewes when they did meet one another or when they invited a friend to their houses whereof Christ spake when he said to Simon the Pharisee who had invited him Luke 7.45 Thou gauest me no kisse Plin. lib. 14. c. 13. Ideo propinquos foeminis osculum dare vt scirent an â—emetumolerent Not with the kisse of triall such as was much vsed among the Romans who kissed their wiues and kinswomen to try if they had drunke wine nonnius ex Cicer. 3. de Repub. Carent remetâ— omnes mulieres Gellius lib. 10. cap. 23. and if they did sent of it killed them for amongst theÌ„ it was a crime in a woman to drinke wine Farre lesse with the kisse of treacherie and treason shadowed with the cloake of friendship loue as when Ioab kissing Amasa killed him 2 Sam. 20.9.10 Luke 22.48 and Iudas betrayed our Lord Iesus Christ with a kisse Pro. 27.6 Faithfull are the wounds of a friend but the kisses of an enemie are deceitfull In no case with the vncleane and vnchast kisse of wan tonnesse whereof it is written that the Harlot met a yong man Pro. 7.13 caught him Origen ad Roman cap. 16.16 Osculum fidele primum castum sit dâ—inde pacem simplicitatemque habeat in chari taâ—â— non ficta and kissed him but with an holy kisse wherein there is no vncleannesse and with a kisse of charitie wherein their is no dissembling but a cleare demonstration of a peaceable and loving heart Where such holy kisses were vsuall were there thinke ye any iarres any alterations any cousenage any contentions at law Or if any were they not presently smothered and extinguished in the very eyes of the congregation I know the precept of the Apostle is not vniuersall and that we are not tyed by it to the custome of kissing But this ye must all know that he thing signified thereby to wit coÌ„cord peace charitie is a law both vniuersal and perpetuall And therefore as our fasting giueth wings to our prayers that they may mount vp to the throne of grace swiftly so let vs this day by an vnfained reconciliation if there be any iarres amongst vs and with christian charity grace imbellish them that coÌ„ming there they may be welcome and accepted VII The third is that euery one weepe and pray for himselfe as Iobs friends were coÌ„manded to offer vp for themselues a burnt offering This lesson is implyed in my text For to whom doth Christ promise that they shall be comforted To them which mourne Salomon bids vs b Pro. 31.6.7 giue strong drinke vnto him that is ready to perish and wine vnto those that be of heauie hearts Let him drink and forget his pouertie and remember his misery no more This Christ doth He maketh glad with the wine of his comforts the hearts which are heauie for sinne for who that is not witlesse will giue wine to him who is already too merrie Let not any man be deceiued Though this whole Church though all the Churches of God Though all the Saints all the Angels of heauen should pray for one of you if that one weep not if he pray not for himself God wil not heare them to forgiue him his sins c Iam. 5.17 18. Eliah may fast and pray for raine when wicked Achab feastes