such abūdance as he caused his bed to swim Psal 6.6 and watered his couch with his teares In both which places though there be an Hyperbolicall excesse of speech for it is not possible for men to fill buckets with teares Cura dolorque animi lacrymaeque alimenta fuere Ouid meta li. 10. nor to cause themselues to swimme in their beds yet it signifieth that there was an exceeding great measure of griefe Againe he saith that his teares were his meate Psal 42.3 Luk. 7.38 Ioel. 2.12 day and night And Mary as before was noted shed such plenty of teares as shee washed our Sauiours feete with them Let vs then I beseech you Weepe for your selues and for your children Luk. 23.28 A good saying of a prophane mouth Ille dolet verè qui sine teste dolet Martialis lib 1. Epigra 34. turne vnto the Lord with fasting and with weeping and with mourning both for the sinnes of others and for our owne sinnes O that I could obtaine thus much of you or rather of God for you that you would weepe for your sinnes though not at this time and in this place yet when you are at home and by your selues when ye consider of this ye haue heard this day that so God may regard your teares put them into his bottle and auert the iudgements which our sinnes haue iustly deserued We haue heard how our Lord Iesus wept ouer Ierusalem now let vs consider what Ierusalem did Ierusalem was secure she reioyced she was merry she feared no danger therefore her destruction came suddenly vpon her and she could not auoide it This was the state of the first age they ate they dranke they bought they sould they married and were giuen in marriage and sodainely the floud came and swept them all away This was the state of Pharaoh and his Hoast This was the state of the Sodomites they feared no danger and suddenly were consumed with fire and brimstone from heauen This was the state of Babilon Isa 47.7 who said I shall be a Lady for euer therefore she gaue her selfe to pleasure and dwelt carelesse she said I am and none else I shall not sit as a widow neither shall know the losse of children 8. But what said the Lord now heare 9. these two things shall come to thee suddenly in one day the losse of children and widowhood they shall come vpon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy diuinations and for the great abundance of thy Inchanters Saint Iohn likewise Reuel 18.7.8 Luk. 12.19.20 in the Reuelation prophesied in like manner of her This was the state of the rich man in the Gospell who promised to himselfe many dayes Of the rich Glutton Luk. 18. and yet the same night his soule was fetcht away This was the errour of Dauid who said in his prosperity he should neuer be remoued but he retracted it finding the contrary Now here we haue a true discription of the world and of the times wherein we liue we haue inioyed such a long peace as neither our Fathers nor our forefathers euer knew we haue had so long prosperitie we haue had so great plenty of all things but aboue all these we haue had the Gospell and word of God so plentifully and so sincerely preached among vs as scarce hath beene seene in any age heretofore Now these Halcion daies this long peace this great prosperitie makes men secure they thinke this will euer hold they feare no alteration they thinke they stand immoueable this was the state of former times and they smarted for their securitie and vaine confidence let vs then take heede and be wise Omnium rerum est vicissitudo let vs remember the change of all things is sudden if God enter into iudgement with vs if he hide his face from vs we shall be changed and our prosperitie may be turned into aduersity our ioy into mourning Mat. 24.37.38 Our Lord Iesus foretould the securitie of the world before his comming that it should be as it was in the time of Noah And Saint Paul saith When they shall say peace Thes 5.13 and safetie then shall suddow destruction come vpon them as the trauaile vpon a woman and they shall not escape Let vs not then flatter our selues with these goodly daies but let vs feare an alteration let vs like good Seruants be alwaies ready with our accompt in our hands and like wise Virgins with oyle in our Lampes that no sudden change may ouertake vs nor any aduersitie dismay vs but that we may say in any aduerse hap that may befall vs as Iob said that is come vpon me that I was affraid of Amen Saying O if thou hadst knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong vnto thy peace IN these words our Sauiour Christ doth complaine and vpbraide the blindenesse of Ierusalem His words are passionate therefore abrupt for we know in whom earnest affections meete being surprised with griefe they cannot vtter their whole minde but breake off abruptly Christ then doth not onely complaine and pitty the destruction of Ierusalem but doth also vpbraide this ingratefull people their great wickednesse in reiecting saluation offered and drawing wittingly the heauie iudgement of God vpon them For it is very like that this thought did disquiet the minde of our Lord Iesus Behold O daughter Sion and Ierusalem I come vnto thee thy King and thy Sauiour as the Prophet promised thee but poore and humble therefore thou despisest me from whose hand thou mightest receiue righteousnesse euerlasting life I would thou hadst knowne those things which belong vnto thy peace and wert not blinde in thine owne euill and in this thy day wherein so many and such admirable things doe call thee to the knowledge of these things For now thou hast mee preaching vnto thee the kingdome of heauen the day of saluation and visitation is risen vpon thee which thou oughtest to know by my doctrine and miracles wrought before thy eyes in the middest of thee But O thrise and foure times vnhappy these things are hid from thee thou doest maliciously blinde thy selfe that thou mightest not see them therefore thou doest rage and art mad against me and seekest my bloud whom with an earnest affection thou shouldest receiue and embrace as thy Sauiour By this then it appeareth that our Lord Iesus complaineth against the blindnesse stubbornenesse and ingratitude of Ierusalem that by no admonitions no benefits nay not with teares she would not be mollified nor warned to auoide her future calamities Simile For euen as a good Father labouring to draw a stubborne and disobedient Sonne to grace and goodnesse by all good meanes but doth not preuaile hath the greater cause to complaine euen so our Lord Iesus had great cause to complaine against Ierusalem not considering the grace that was offered vnto her And this affection of so great mercy which we see was in
vs take heede that our Halcion-dayes doe not deceiue vs neither let vs thinke that we are priuiledged aboue others Rom. 11.21 For if God spared not the naturall branches when they did not repent will he spare vs that were wilde Oliues The Iewes in the time of Ieremiah who dwelled in Ierusalem liued in great securitie as we doe neither regarding Gods mercies nor fearing his iudgements therefore the Lord sent Ieremiah with this message vnto them Behold I begin to plague the Citie where my name is called vpon Ier. 25.29 and should you goe free yee shall not goe quite for I will call for a sword vpon all the inhabitants of the earth Euen so this example of Ierusalem yea and all the examples before mentioned doe preach vnto vs to turne vnto God not flattering our selues that we are better then they nay I feare that our sinnes are growne so great that we haue iustified Ierusalem yea Sodome and Gomorrha in their sinnes and therefore I say from the mouth of Christ vnto you except ye repent ye shall likewise perish Luke 13. Now out of this generall let vs obserue these particulars First that it is Gods great mercy without mans desert to admonish and warne sinners of their future punishments if they refuse his grace offered he hath mercie on whom he will When God then doth warne a Nation a Countrie a People or Citie he declareth his great mercie That he would not the death of a Sinner but rather that he should turne and liue This mercie of God should leade vs to repentance it should breake our stonie hearts and soften the hardnesse of them when God spreadeth out his hands vnto vs and offereth to gather vs together as a Henne doth her Chickens that wee perish not with the wicked Secondly all the Admonitions in the Scriptures are written for vs to warne vs to preuent the wrath of God and to escape the punishments of the wicked Therefore when either we reade or heare how God destroyed a Nation a People a Country yea or some particular person â—o despising his grace and reiecting his admonition let vs presently apply it vnto our selues in this manner I reade or I heare how Ierusalem and other Cities were destroyed for refusing the grace of God offered vnto them I heare how such men were seuerely punished when they would not be warned If I doe not make vse of this the same punishment will fall vpon me therefore I will pray vnto God to grant me his grace that I may take these warnings and speedily turne to God that the fall of others may be my rising Thirdly these Admonitions will leaue vs without excuse For what can we plead for our selues when so many examples and admonitions haue beene remembred vnto vs He that is once warned is halfe armed therefore there remaineth no excuse for vs if we despise these admonitions but a fearefull expectation of the iust iudgement of God Lastly these Examples and Admonitions in the Scriptures will be so many witnesses against vs and will rise vp in iudgement to condemne vs It shall be easier for Ierusalem Tire and Sidon and for Sodome and Gamorha in the day of Iudgement then for vs. God Almightie giue vs grace to make a good vse of these things Now I come to the words in particuler as they lie in order And when he was come neere vnto the Citie OVr Lord Iesus accompanied with his Disciples and much people reioycing with great triumph approacheth to Ierusalem And when he was come neere vnto the Citie he beheld it and wept for it He commeth to Ierusalem to an ingratefull and a rebellious Citie from which he had iust cause to depart for she neither would receiue his Doctrine nor beleeue his miracles His Doctrine she challenged not to be of God his miracles she ascribed to Sathan Math. 12. to Belzabub the chiefe of the Diuels his person she contemned is not this the Carpenters Sonne art thou not a Samaritan Math. 13. Yet our Lord Iesus passing by all these indignities commeth vnto her and leaueth nothing vnattempted to saue her as he himselfe by his owne words testified O Ierusalem Math. 23.37 Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent vnto thee how often would I haue gathered thee together as a Henne doth hir Chickens and thou wouldest not Behold here the loue of our Lord Iesus to an vnfaithfull and a rebellious people This example of Christ doth teach all his Ministers yea and all Christians to open their bowels of mercie euen towards the obstinate not rashly to forsake them and depart from them and to giue them ouer but rather to labour to winne them vnto Christ and to omit no time to spare no labour to effect it and to bring it to passe So did Noah labour with the old world Lot with the Sodomites Moses with Pharaoh and the Aegyptians Samuel with Saul the Prophets with the Israelites Paul with the Iewes But it may be obiected that it is in vaine and but labour lost to cast pearles before Swine Math. 6. and to giue that which is holy vnto Dogges I answer we ought not so to thinke by and by of such as are obstinate and ingratefull of such as are froward and stubborne for God can suddenly change them Paul was a Persecutor a Blasphemer 1 Tim. 1.13 and an oppressour but God tooke mercie vpon him Mathew and Zacheus were Publicans and Sinners when our Lord Iesus called them Therefore let vs doe our diligence and commit the successe vnto God If they continue in their disobedience they are without excuse and their condemnation is the more iust He that refuseth light is worthy to continue in darkenesse he that reiecteth grace deserueth to abide the sensure of Iustice If we with our admonitions and exhortations reclaime and winne them we saue so many soules from death Iames 5.19.20 and couer a multitude of sinnes and wee our selues shall in the day of the resurrection shine as the Starres in the firmament Dan. 12.3 He beheld the Citie AS our Sauiour Christ approached neere vnto Ierusalem so he beheld it he looked vpon it and reuoluing in his minde her blockishnesse and ingratitude neither seeing nor acknowledging Gods mercies nor yet fearing his iudgements he burst forth into weeping Now we may consider his kindnesse and loue towards Ierusalem that he looketh on her that he beheld her from whom he had iust cause to turne away his eyes yet he beholdeth her he doth not auert his face from her as men turne their eyes from their enemies Luk. 10.33 But he is that good Samaritan who seeing the wounded man is moued with great commiseration and compassion towards him pittying his distressed case and indeauouring to relieue it The vse This example is our instruction teaching vs to behold obstinate sinners to looke vpon them pittying their miserable estate which they themselues see not When therefore
wee behold the common Swearer breaking forth into outragious oathes When we see some prophane the holy Sabaoth of the Lord When we looke vpon the common Drunkard or vpon any other notorious sinner committing sinne with a high hand and acting it with greedinesse making no conscience of sinning let vs be moued with compassion towards them that know not what they doe they little thinke of the iudgements that hang ouer their heads if they repent not Now as the beholding of a man in some sharpe fit of sicknesse or the looking vpon some grieuous sore or festered wound extreamely payning the patient doth draw compassion from vs euen so should wee be moued to pittie the miserable estate of grieuous sinners who are sicke and wounded with sinne and yet doe not feele it And if we should and ought to be moued with compassion towards the obstinate for their great miseries that shall befall them how much more ought we to pittie the godly in their distresses crosses and afflictions Dilige iure bonos miseresce malis Boetius whereof we are many times eye-witnesses Here then the Stoikes and all that are without naturall affection are to be reproued Colos 3.12 Rom. 12.15 They that are Gods elect haue put vpon them the bowels of mercy they weepe with them that weepe they remember them that are in bonds Heb. 13.3 Pro. 12.10 as if they were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if they were afflicted in the body But the wicked haue cruell hearts they giue themselues to case and pleasure as Amos teacheth Amos 6.6 and remember not the affliction of Ioseph And wept AS our Lord Iesus approached vnto Ierusalem so he beheld the Citie and beholding it he wept for it We reade that Christ wept thrise First when he raised vp Lazarus for when he came to the place where they had laid him Saint Iohn saith And he wept Ioh. 11.35 Secondly he wept ouer Ierusalem as here we reade Thirdly in his Passion as the Apostle saith which in the dayes of his flesh did offer vp Prayers and Supplications with strong cryings and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death Christs loue and was also heard in that which he feared Heb. 5.7 The teares of Christ expresse the affection of his loue as doth a Father weeping ouer his disobedient and dissolute sonne for the miserie that he fore-seeth will come vpon him for his inordinate life He delighteth in mercie rather then in iudgement He delighteth not simply no not in the destruction of the wicked he would haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of his truth 1 Tim. 2.4 Ezek. 18.32 The vse He desireth not the death of a sinner If then Christ weepe for the misery and destruction of the wicked much more will his eares be open vnto the sighes and groanes to the Prayers and Supplications of his poore members who turne vnto him with true contrition and sorrow of heart and call vpon him with a liuely faith This should be remembred of vs that it may comfort and incourage vs to approach vnto the throne of his grace in time of necessitie that we may receiue mercy and finde grace Againe if the teares of Christ doe not moisten and mollifie our dry and hard hearts if they doe not moue vs and draw vs vnto Repentance he in the end will punish our obstinacie and hardnesse of heart and though we cry then hee will not regard our weeping because we despised his teares Let vs in the feare of God meditate on this godly motion that it may leade vs vnto true and speedy Repentance Doest thou not know that this loue of Christ should leade thee to repentance The teares of Christ also expresse vnto vs the dolour and griefe of Christ Christs dolor For being sent of his Father to gather the lost sheepe of the house of Israel and seeing their obstinacie and stubbornenesse despising his word reproaching his miracles and reiecting his grace he could not refraine from weeping he burst forth into teares This was the cause why he being touched with compassion shewed his loue and his griefe weeping for the imminent destruction of Ierusalem For when he considered that Ierusalem was ordained of God to be the holy seate in the which the couenant of euerlasting saluation should abide the sanctuary from whence saluation should come to the whole world it could not be but that he must needes greatly lament the destruction thereof when also he saw the people to perish miserably by their owne ingratitude and malice which was adopted to the hope of eternall life it is no maruell if he could not refraine from teares Now this affection in Christ was not counterfeit it was not fained farre be it from vs to admit any such thought but it was true Heb. 4.15 for we haue not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but he was in all things tempted in like sort as we yet without sinne wherefore in all things it became him to be made like vnto his brethren for he tooke the seede of Abraham that he might be mercifull and a faithfull high Priest in things concerning God that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people for in that he suffered and was tempted Heb. 2.17.18 he is able to succour them that are tempted This affection then of true sorrow in Christ for Ierusalem is a notable testimony and a sure proofe of his humanitie and manhood and is sufficient to conuince and confute Marcion and other Heretiques denying that he was a true and naturall man And in this sorrow of our Lord Iesus Christ expressed by his weeping for Ierusalem we haue a true patterne of naturall affections weeping for Ierusalem a stubborne Citie a disobedient Citie an vnfaithfull Citie O should not this moue vs O should not this draw vs to compunction O should not this pull vp the sluces and floodgates of our eies giue them free passage to gush out with teares Our Lord Iesus wept and can our eyes be dry to heare it Quis talia fandoi temperet à lacrimis Virgill the Heathen Poet describing the lamentable destruction of Troy that was sacked by the Graecians after ten yeares Seege saith who speaking of these things can refraine from teares So say I who is it that readeth or heareth how our Lord Iesus wept and can passe away with dry eyes Now these teares of Christ did intimate that the sinnes of Ierusalem were greater and the calamities and punishments imminent and hanging ouer her head were more grieuous then Ierusalem did thinke or vnderstand for it is a great matter that good men speake with teares The sequell did verifie this in the destruction of Ierusalem Our Lord Iesus weepeth for the sinnes of Ierusalem and for the punishments and calamities that should come vpon her The vse 2 Pet. 2.7.8
present all other thing necessary for man doe accompany it and follow Our Lord and God therefore who is the onely giuer of wise and perfect counsell doth briefely and shortly knit all these things together in the Gospell and his holy word First Seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and all other things shall be administred vnto you Mat. 6. Therefore our Lord Iesus said thus to his Disciples Luk. 10. Blessed are your eyes which see the things that you see for I say vnto you that many Kings and Prophets haue desired to see the things which you see and haue not seene them and to heare the things which you heare and haue not heard them Againe Luk. 11. Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it And this one thing aboue all other things is most necessary Mary hath chosen the better part which shall not be taken from her I dare therefore confidently affirme out of the word of God that those Kings shall flourish and inioy a happy estate which doe wholy giue and submit themselues and their kingdomes vnto Iesus Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords acknowledging him to be the most mighty Prince and greatest Monarch of all and themselues to be his seruants and subiects in all their affaires and businesses not following their owne minde and iudgements nor the traditions and lawes of men contrary to the statutes of God nor good intentions hauing no good warrant out of the word of God but in all things submitting themselues vnto Christ the king of the Church and endeuouring to subdue all their people to the lawes of this king and so doing they their people and their kingdomes shall flourish For so the Lord himselfe hath spoken Deut. 17.18 When the King shall sit in the throne of his kingdome and shall set before him the example of this Law in this booke let it be with him and let him reade in it all the dayes of his life Vers 20. And let him not depart from this commandement either to the right hand or to the left that he may prolong his dayes in his kingdome he and his sonnes in the middest of Israel So likewise Deut. 28. from vers 1. vnto the sixt Againe Let not this booke of the Law depart out of thy mouth but meditate in it day and night that thou mayst carefully doe as it is written therein then shalt thou prosper in thy waies and all shall goe well with thee Iosu 1.8 Whereby it appeareth that the felicitie and prosperitie of Kings Princes People and kingdomes doe depend vpon the word of God and haue promises of blessings both in this life and in the life to come And now we will proue it by examples Saul the first King of Israel was so long happy and a conquerour of his enemies as he obeyed the word of God but when he yeelded to his good intentions contrary to Gods word and commandement Samuel said vnto him Thou hast plaid the foole thou hast forsaken the word of the Lord and the Lord hath forsaken thee that thou shouldest not be King of Israel 1 Sam. 15.26 Now how great the misery of Saul was afterward the storie doth euidently declare Dauid succeeded him next in the Kingdome who was most happy in his kingdome But how greatly he esteemed the word of God it may appeare in the booke of the Psalmes especially in the 119. Psalme for from his priuate euils from his euill actions committed against the word of God and from the vnnaturall insurrection of his Son Absolon against him he had learned how great a sinne and how pernicious an euill it was to decline from the word of God Salomon the Sonne of Dauid the most wise and most excellent King of all the world did so long inioy prosperitie and was commended of the Lord as he did reuerently obey the word of God but when he once began to reiect the word of God the Lord by and by said vnto him Because this was in thy heart that thou hast not kept my couenant and my statutes which I haue commanded thee I will rent thy Kingdome from thee and giue it to thy Seruant 1 King 11.11 And this presently came to passe after the death of Salomon The kingdome was rent into two parts ten Tribes followed Ieroboam the Seruant of Salomon and two Tribes onely cleaued to Roboam the Sonne of Salomon who for the contempt of Gods word and following strangers was ouerwhelmed with many euils 2 Chron. 12.5 Therefore Shemaiaeh the Prophet said vnto Roboam and to the Princes of Iudah Thus saith the Lord You haue forsaken me therefore I doe also forsake you leauing you to the hands of Shishacke Likewise Abia the Sonne of Roboam ouercame the armie of Israel though more in number and greater in strength because he trusted in the word of the Lord. 2 Chro. 13.15 So Asa prospered in peace and tranquility forty yeares because he suppressed Idolatry and superstition and restored the sincere religion of God 2 Chro. 14. So Iehosaphat 2 Chron. 17. This is also diligently noted in the liues of the rest of the Kings as in Ioram in Ochosia 4 King 9. In Ioas 2 Chro. 23.24 In Amasia 2 Chro. 25. In Osia 2 Chro. 26. In Iothan 2 Chro. 27. In Achaz ibidem In Ezechiah In Manasses and the rest vntill the carying away into captiuitie both of the house of Israel and of Iuda for so long did they flourish and prosper as they did cleaue to the word of the Lord but when they contemned and forsooke the word of the Lord they fell into great misery and ruine Therefore hence we may collect that the ground foundation and continuance of all happinesse peace and prosperitie of Kings and Kingdomes doth consist in the word of God and the obedience thereunto and on the other side the ruine and confusion of Kings and Kingdomes is in the contempt and forsaking of the word of God And why so because the Lord saith They that honour me I will honour but they that despise me I will despise 1 Sam. 2.30 But leauing these examples which doe abundantly confirme this truth Let vs consider of some moderne and late examples whereof we haue beene eye-witnesses How did God blesse our late noble Queene Elizabeth that againe he might seale the truth of this doctrine to all the world Blessed is that Prince whose God is the Lord. Psal 144.15 How plentifully did God blesse her and her people aboue all Kings and Nations with peace and plenty according to the Prayer in the Psalme for Ierusalem Psal 122. For she and we her people did inioy such peace and such plenty as our forefathers neuer knew nor Chronicles doe record to haue beene in the time of our auncestours in times past Our Land did yeelde abundance of all things which grew at home and forraigne Nations did minister plenty of other commodities growing abroad So that