Felices lachrymae quas benignae manus Conditoris abstergunt O blessed tears which the mercifull hands of the Creator wipe away Then r Rev. 20 14 death and hell shall bee cast into the lake of fire Then we shall with triumphing voices desie death and say Å¿ 1. Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory III. Our comfort our blessednesse now is our faith 'T is our blessednesse that Christ dwels in us and t Eph. 3.17 hee dwelleth in our hearts by faith Now by faith u Now n Aug. de verb. Apost ser 16. as long as wee are in the way now as long as wee are in our pilgrimage now x 2. Cor. 5.6 7 whiles wee are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord for wee walke by faith not by sight Now we are in the world besieged on all sides with Armies of enemies and y 1. Iohn 5.4 this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith Then we shall dwell a Cant. 8.14 in the mountaine of spices in the Countrey of Eden in the Paradise of felicity of glory and of joy b Greg. in 7. Psalm poenit Vbi est lux sine defectu gaudium sine gemitu desiderium sine poenâ amor sine tristitiâ satietas sine fastidio sospitas sine vitio vita sine morte salus sine languore Where there is light without any defect gladnesse without mourning desire without pain love without sorrow fulnesse without loathsomenesse safenesse without imperfection life without death salvation without any languishing feeblenesse where wee shall enjoy all felicity with c Heb. 12 22 23 the innumerable companie of the Angels with the generall Assembly Church of the first-borne with the spirits of iust men made perfect For then we shal be citizens of heaven fellows to all the Saints like unto the blessed Angels heires of God joint heirs with Christ Now our comfort our blessednesse is our hope Hope is necessary unto a wayfaring man hope comforteth him in the way A man who is on his journey endureth all kinde of travell so long as he hopeth to come to his journeyes end d Aug. de verb. Apost ser 16. Tâ—llâ— illi spem perveniendi continuò franguntur vires ambulandi Take from him that hope by and by ye shall see him discouraged his strength weakned his journey broken off Wee are all travellers all on our journey to heaven The staffe which upholdeth us the spurre which setteth us forward in the way is our hope e Rom 8.24 25. for we are saved by hope But hope that is seen is no hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for But if wee hope for that wee see not then do we with patience wait for it f Aug. ibid. In this patieÌ„ce the Martyrs were crowned * Desidorabant quod non videbaÌ„t contemâ—ebant quae forebant they desired the things which they suffred in this hope they said g Rom 8.35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword O the strength O the power of hope i 1. Ioh. 3.2 Beloved now we are the Sonnes of God now wee are predestinated called iustified adopted and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be therefore we hope for we know that when hee shall appeare we shall bee like him for we shall see him as he is i. e. we shall enioy him k Bern in fesâ—o omnium Sanctor serm 4. 1. in all his creatures 2. in our selves 3. in his owne selfe for then we shall know the blessed Trinity in its own selfe then with the pure eye of our heart wee shall behold that incomprehensible that unspeakeable glory not l 1. Cor 13.12 through a glasse in a riddle as now in his workes in his Word in his Sacraments but face to face Then we shall no more walk by faith but by sight And m Aug. eod Spes tam non erit quia erit res hope shal bee no more because wee shall enioy the thing hoped for Now m Col. 3.3 4. our life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall ye appeare with him also in glory O how glorious is that glory who shall give mee words to utter it aptly Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man what brightnesse what sweetnesse what pleasantnes what glory God hath prepared for them that lâ—ve him This is that n Phil. 4.7 peace of God which passeth all understanding o Bern. ibid. Quod ergo nulli datum est expertri nullus conetus affari wherefore that which no man is able to understand let no man go about to utter IV. Yet if yee will suffer me to fumble and to speake of such things as I can since I cannot speake of them as I would ' I le make to you a short description and draw rudely as it were with a coale or blacke inke the first lineaments of the bright-shining light of that glory Man as ye know is framed of two parts of a soule and of a body The wise men of the world say that in the soule there are three faculties or natures which they call reasonable sensuall and cholericke By the first wee reason and discourse by the second we couet meates drinkes all sorts of delights by the third we are angry In the first so long as we are in this world there is knowledge and ignorance for q 1. Cor. 13.9 we know in part In the second there is desire and disdaine In the third there is ioy and anger But in that day r Bern. ibid. implebit Deus rationale nostrum luce sapientiae implebit concupiscibile nostruÌ„ foÌ„te iustitiae c. God will fill our reasonable part with the light of wisedome our sensuall part with a fountaine of righteousnesse our cholericke part with perfect tranquillitie Then wee shall know God with all our minde as wee are knowne of him then beeing filled with his righteousnesse we shall ever love him with all our hearts and still desire him ever bee satisfied with his likenesse and still hunger after him ever rejoyce in his goodnesse and never be weary of rejoycing in him Nihil quippe aut deest semper videntibus aut superest semper volentibus For there nothing is wanting to them who see God alwayes nothing is overmuch to them who desire alwayes This is the blessed comfort wherewith Lazarus is comforted in Abrahams bosome as Abraham said t Luk. 16.25 Now he is comforted V. Mans body is made of the foure Elements of earth water ayre and fire u Ex Bern. ibid. Habebit Terra nostra immortalitatem Aqua impassibilitatem Aer agilitatem Ignis perfectissimam pulchritudineÌ„ Our earth shall receive
doe no better vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their filthy conversation and unlawfull deeds Is not Christendome as filthy as Sodome and shall we finde amongst us all one Lot whether out-lander or home-bred that is vexed therwith When David lived a private life and had not the power in his hand to represse wicked men what he might that hee did d Psal 119 53 136. Horror tooke hold upon him because of the wicked that had forsaken Gods law rivers of waters ran downe his eyes because they kept it not The forsaking of Gods Law is an indifferent thing unto us wee discourse wee eate wee drinke we take pleasure in wicked men that transgresse it O how was that holy man moved with blaspheming and cursing when hee said to his God The zeale of thine house hath eaten me up e Psal 69 9 11. the reproches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me Therefore I wept and chastened my soule with fasting and that was to my reproach The ayre is infected with blaspheming and cursing who is eaten up with the zeale of the house of God and of his glory to refraine it At the least who fasteth who weepeth when hee cannot refraine it If God should send his Angell through the middest of this City as he did f Ezech. 9.4 the man clothed with linnen through the midst of Ierusalem to set a marke upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof I doubt not but hee should finde some sighing and shedding teares abundātly For whersoever the visible Church is God hath there one or another that belongeth to his election but I feare that the number would be very scant and few Where justice hath erected her sea where Lawyers pleade at the barre there is prevarication and briberie where there is a crowd and many halls of trafficking men and of divers societies of tradesmen there must needes be Monopolies ingrossing cousenage forswearing and robbery Where there are so many Tavernes so many Ale-houses there is idlenes unnecessary wasting and lecherie where every where yee see nothing but pompe but sumptuousnesse but riot but gorgeousnesse and braverie yee shall not lye if yee say that there is too much pride and vanitie As a bigge and wel-fed body is full of ill humours so in a great Citie such as this is there are many irregular and carelesse Citizens And as standing waters turne into mud and breed frogges and toads so a long peace begets a crue of uglie and noysome vices and a packe of base and lewd fellowes If we could g Ezec. 8.8 9 10. digge in the wall as Ezechiel did how many creeping things how many abominable beastes should we see not purtrayed but living and mooving in the Temples of many mens hearts who have a fare shew in the flesh and seeme to our charitable judgement the honestest men that ever are bread Oh! if wee could know them we would or at least we should mourn NOW as h Ezra 9.3 Neh. 13.23 Ezra did once for the unlawfull marriages which they had contracted with the women of Ashdod even with strange and beastly affections Wee would NOW weepe in secret places for their pride as Ieremiah did and that which was commanded to Ezechiel i Ezech. 6.11 to smite with his hand to stampe with his foote and to say Alas for all the abominations of the house of Israel that would wee or should we doe NOW for al the enormous and most wicked sinnes of the reformed Churches The holy Apostle k 2. Cor. 12.21 Paul was humbled among the Corinthians bewayled many which had sinned and had not repented of the uncleannesse and fornication and lasciviousnesse which they had committed If this Church were but one Parish if we might know every mans and womans carriage in it I thinke that wee should rather want tears in our eyes than matter to provoke them to weep for such sinnes The same Apostle rebuked sharpely l 1. Cor. 5.2 the Corinthians because they mourned not that the incestuous man might be taken away from among them Alas alas what is riot what is pride what is taverning what is lasciviousnesse but committing of spirituall incest with the divell There was but one incestuous of that kinde in Corinth there are NOW too many of this kinde amongst us and we weep not Now. m 2 Cor. 2.7 That incestuous man sorrowed repented wept yea hee was almost swallowed up with over-much sorrow these incestuous persons will seeme honest men and weepe not for n Hosea 4.11 whoredome and wine yea the excellent wine take away the heart o Ier. 6.23 24. Iehoiakims Courtiers are threatned with great plagues because when the King had cut the roll wherein the word of God was written and cast it into the fire they were not afraid rent not their clothes wept not My heart quakes my soule shakes my flesh faints my haire stares my tongue cleaveth to my jawes and words are dryed up in my mouth whē I begin to cōplaine that not the word of God but his glorious body is most cruelly ignominiously dismēbred that no word is spokē by many without an oath and no oath without wounds passion body pockes c. that at each of those blasphemies God is most vilely named and none yea not one of those that stand by open their mouths to reprove it yea yea doe not so much as sigh as frowne as shiver as thrust one one drop of teares from their hornie eyes to condemne it VI. O sweet Iesus thou seeing the malice of the Iewes p Mark 3.5 lookedst round about on them with anger beeing grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts O most glorious Sonne of God! Thou who art q Rom. 9.5 over al God blessed for ever didst r Luk. 19.41.44 weep over Ierusalem because shee knew not the time of her visitation O zealous and blessed Apostle when thou wast at Athens ſ Acts 17.16 thy spirit was stirred in thee seeing the Citie wholly given to Idolatry If ye were beyond sea yea if ye could enter into a Recusants closet yee should see so manie Idols that yee vvould wonder that men men calling themselves Christians should be they of whom it is written that t Rev. 9.20 21. they repented not of the vvorkes of their hands that they should not vvorship Divels Idols of gold and silver brasse stone and of wood vvhich neyther can see nor heare nor vvalk More would ye wonder if ye did see them worshipping in stead of Iesus Christ a peece of dough rosted upon a paire of tongs But alas whose spirit would wex eager at it That which is written of the Priests People Princes of Israel is true of them u Hos 5.4 Their doings will not suffer them to turn unto their God for the spirit of whoredomes is in
they which mourn shall be comforted III. Our comfort is our blessednesse and all blessednesse is of God to whose prayse we cry aloud with the holy Apostle f Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ So all our comforts are of God who g Isa 51.3 shall comfort Sion For he is h 2 Cor. 1.4 the God of all comfort who comforteth vs in all our tribulation He comforteth vs by his deare Sonne Iesus Christ who saith that the Lord hath sent him i Isa 61.2 to comfort all that mourn and as he came into the world for that end so he doth that wherefore he came as he said to his Disciples k Ioh. 14.18 I will not leaue you Orphanes that is comfortlesse I will come to you He cometh to vs by his Spirit who is the true Comforter For he ascended into heauen thence he l Tertull. de praescript cap. 11. Misit vicariam vim spiritus sancti qui credentes agat hath sent in stead of himselfe the power of the holy Spirit by whom the beleeuers are led according to his promise m Ioh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer IV. Here is the certaintie of our comforts God hath promised that we shall be comforted n Heb. 10.23 He is faithfull that promised and o 1 Thes 5.24 also will do it He giueth not that charge to another His owne selfe doth it p Isa 46.10.11 My counsell sayth he shall stand and I will doe all my pleasure I haue spoken it I will also bring it to passe I haue purposed it I will also doe it Hee doth it by his owno Spirit As q Ioh. 3.8 the wind so the Spirit bloweth where it listeth If he will comfort vs who can grieue vs Men will doe what they can to make vs weepe But saith Christ r Ioh. 16.25 Your heart shall reioyce and your ioy no man taketh from you If we hold our eyes vpon our selues we see our own weaknesse and we know we may loose our ioy But Christ hath prayed that ſ Ioh. 17.13 wee may haue his ioy full filled in our selues And the Comforter himselfe abideth in vs who then shall take the fruits of our teares from vs O most precious pearles of your eyes O teares most acceptable to God! The French Virgin is not so curious to keepe the teares of the vine wherwith a Plin. l. 23. cap. 1. Cutem in facie mulierum purgant Ibid. Vitia cutis in facie varosque lentignes emendant she takes away the speckes and pimples and other spots of her face and hands keepeth their skin soft and faire As God is carefull to keepe the teares which trill from the spiritual branches ingraffed into Iesus Christ who b Ioh. 15.1 is the true Vine c Psal 56.8 Hee putteth them into his bottle Are they not in his Booke d Ctesias in Indicis When the teares distilling from the Indian tree called Siptachora fall into the riuer Hyparchus they are congealed there and turned into most excellent Amber So when our teares fall into the riuer of the mercies of God they become there a most precious iewell And as the Sunne drawing salt vapours out of the Sea vp into the aire turneth them into pleasāt showers of raine e Isa 55.10 which watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may giue seed to the sower and bread to the eater So f Mala. 4.2 the Sunne of righteousness our Lord Iesus Christ draweth vp to heauen our sighs our groans the salt vapours of our deuotion the bitter teares of our godly sorrow which we poure out before him and keepeth them in his bottles till being all gathered together hee powre them downe vpon vs againe in a mos sweet and well-come shower of all kinde of heauenly comforts which are our blessednesse both in this world and in the world to come V. Be not deceiued with the errour of Papists Imagine not that there is any merit in teares as that word is taken by Papists that in them there is any satisfaction as Papists speake of satisfaction that they wash out the blots of the soule which are our sinnes as water cleanseth and taketh away the spots of the body as Papists dare too boldly and ignorantly affirme they haue not in themselues any such efficacy neither hath God made vnto thē any such promise Nothing can satisfie the wrath of God but the death of the son God Nothing is of worth and value before his eyes to be rewarded with glory but the obedience of the Lord of glory No water can purge and take away sinnes g Ioh. 1.29 It is the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world VI. If ye aske who hath satisfied the wrath of God I answere with Isaiah Christ h Isa 53.5 was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities iquities the chastisement of our peace was vpō him with his stripes we are healed If ye aske again by what means by what deserts ye obtaine eternall life Christ himself answereth i Ioh. 14.6 I am the Way the Truth and the Life i.e. The true way to eternall life And the Apostle faith that k 1 Cor. 1.30.31 of God ye are in Christ Iesus who of God is made vnto vs wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption That according as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. Finally if ye aske which is the riuer which is the poole wherein we are clensed of all our sinnes so perfectly that there remaineth no spot no blemish in vs The Disciple which lay in Christs bosome was priuie to all his secrets faith that l 1. Ioh. 1.7 the bloud of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God clenseth vs from all sinne He only is the riuer of Iordan wherein the leprosie of sin is cured m 2 Kings 5.14 The riuer Iordan in the land of Canaan did neuer clense any man of the leprosie of the body but Naamās the Syrian This Iordan of the heauenly Canaan clenseth perfectly all leprous sinners which wash and dippe themselues in it At n Ioh. 5.4 the poole of Bethesda he onely was made whole of his disease who first after the troubling of the water stepped in But when soeuer a sinner shal repent of his sinnes that he hath committed and cast himselfe into this vndraynable poole of the bloud of the sonne of God his sicknes shall be cured and his soule shal be healed Yee read in the Legendes that Constantine the great being leprous was councelled to wash in a bath made of the bloud of little children that he might be made cleane That bath was nothing else but the bloud