Election of grace which were like to be involved in the common calamity the righteous with the wicked Templum Domini the Temple of the Lord together with their seiled houses O God the Heathen are come into thine inheritance thy holy Temple have they defiled and made Hierusalem a heape of stones the dead bodyes of thy Saints have they given to bee meat unto the foules of the ayre and the flesh of thy Servants to the beasts of the land Ps 79.1.2 This made the Prophet Ieremy wish Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe night and day for the slaine of the daughter of my people Iâ—r 9.1 this made our Saviour here when he beheld the City to weepe over it saying if thou hadst knowne c. for the dayes shall come that thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee and lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee Beloved our Saviours example must be our direction all along he weepes for Hierusalem we must also weepe for the miseries and desolations of Hierusalem the Church and people of God abroad in the world and for the miseries that hang over our Hierusalem and threaten us with ruine unlesse God in mercy be pleased to open our eyes that wee may at last be able to know that is to take notice of the things that belong to our peace And first the miseries of the Church abroad call for our teares Hierusalems misery here was but a comming the dayes shall come Christ saw the cloud arising it was 40. yeares after before the storme fell and yet he could not forbeare weeping how can we look upon the ruines of Hierusalem and other famous Churches with look upon the ruines of Hierusalem and other famous Churches with dry eyes Thy Servants thinke upon her stones and it pittieth them to see her in the dust saith the Psalmist Ps 10â— 14 to see thornes come up in her palaces Nettles and Brambles in her fortresses that she is become an habitation of Dragons and a Court of Owles a most forlorne desolate place Es 34.13 the words which her enemies uttered in scorne Lam. 2.15 we should utter with teares is this the beauty of perfection the joy of the whole earth alas alas that great City And who can sufficiently bewaile the sad desolations of other Churches when we call to mind the inroades and incroachments that the wilde Bore of the Forrest the Turk hath made into Christendome and is daily threatning indevouring to swallow up more of it to devoure Iacob lay waste his dwelling place to root out the Church and people of God that the name of Israel may he no more in remembrance and when we consider how that Skarlet whore of Rome hath made her selfe drunk with the bloud of the Saints Rev. 17.6 Pitty the breaches of Bohemia the Palatinate Germany c. Whose f need Cities many of them are turned into â—â—inous heaps laid even with the ground and their fields watered with the bloud of Christians Their bloud have they shed like water on every side of Hâ—er sâ—em and there was no man to bury them Ps 79.3 Pitty the sad condit on of Irâ—an say with the Spouse Cant. 8.8 What shall we doe for our little Sister Lamentable are the scritches and complaints that have been heard out of that Kingdom by reason of the fury of the oppressour sparing neither Age nor Sex pillaging and firing and laying all even with the ground where ever they prevayle and is this nothing to you all ye that passe by have ye no fellow-feeling of their miseries can ye for all this stretch your selves upon your beds of ivory and eat the Lambs of the flock and the Calves out of the stall and drink your Wine in bowles and chaunte it to the sound of the Violl and never consider the afflictions of Joseph S. Paul commands us to weep with those that weep as N â—â—imiah did for the miseries of his Brethren at Hâ—erusalem when himselfe was in prosperity in the Court of Artaxerxes the Members of Christs mysticall Body should be like the members of a naturall body where if one Member suffer all the rest suffer with it 1 Cor. 12.26 Pitty then that bleedding Kingdom pitty and pray for them pitty and succour them first pitty and pray for them importune and wrastle with God in behalfe of that Kingdom by uncessant and earnest Prayer let teares run down like a River night and day give him no rest till the Vengeance of the Protestants bloud that is shed be openly shewed upon their barbarous and cruell Enemies Secondly pitty and succour them let your aboundance now be a supply for their want let England be to Ireland as a refuge from the storm as a shaddow from the heate untill this Tyranny be overpast there are a many poore distressed soules forced to forsake that Kingdom and to slee hither for reliefe and some that had faire estates till those Sabaeans feazed upon them it may be two bands with â—acob though they have brought nothing but a staffe over Jordan with them now if you will keep the fast aright that it may be an acceptable day unto the Lord you must observe the Lords own directions Es 58 7. Is not this the fast that the Lord hath chosen to deale thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poore that are cast out into thy house the poore that are cast out as many of them have been cast out of house and home and when thou seest the naked that thou cover them and for certain many of them have been stripped naked not so much as their clothes left to cover their nakednes or to defend them against the injuries of the weather fit objects of your pitty And while we remember Ireland and other Churches wasted with misery we may not forget our selves as our blessed Saviour ad monished the Women that bewayled him Luc. 23.28 Weep for your selves ye Daughters of Hieruâ—alâ—m and for your Children for the dayes are comming wherein they shall say blessedare the barren and the Wombes that nover bare and the paps that never gave suck Beloved for my own part I am not privy to the decrees of Heaven neither am I willing to presage ruin to this â—urch either by the Sword famin or Pestilence long may she slourish and continue to he the joy and prayse of the whole Earth evâ—n so long as the Sun and Moone indureth till Shiloh come to judgment Yet I must tell you first that it is possible that this Church of ours may be dischurched our Hierusalem be made a heap of stones England may not say as David sometime did foolishly Psal 30.6 I sayd in my prosperity I shall never be removed he was deceived thou didst turn thy face from me and I was troubled and so may we nor with the malignant Church Reva 8.7 I fit as a Queen and shall see no sorrow no our Candle
HIERUSALEM BEDEWED WITH TEARES A Sermon preached at St. MARY WOOLNOTH London upon the Fast-day Martii 30. 1642. By John PIGOTT Curate of S. Sepulchers Vae mihi si non Evangelizavero 1 COR. 9.16 Rejoyce not over mee O mine enemy when I fall I shall rise when I sit in darkenesse the Lord shall be a light unto me Micah 7.8 LONDON Printed by E. Griffin and are to be sold by Iohn Wright in the old Bailey 1642. To my beloved Friends and Neighbours the Parishioners of S. Sepulchers London DEarely beloved and longed for Phil. 4. 1. Rom. 9.1 my joy and crown of rejoycing I speake the truth in Christ and lye not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my conscience also bearing me witnesse that my hearty desire for you all is that you may be saved Ch. 10. 1. Acts 20.20 and that to this end I have both publikely and from house to house testified both to small and great to all sorts of people repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ How weighty a burden hath layen upon my Shoulders and how long and with what cheerefulnesse I have borne it is not unknown to you neither doe I yet shrinke from it or sinke under it I have often said with S. Paul you are in my heart to live and to dye with you 2 Cor. 7.3 Though as the same Apostle in the same Epistle complaineth 2 Cor. 12.15 The more aboundantly I love you the lesse I be loved of some among you but I intend not to accuse my owne Nation neither is it equall that J should charge the petulant miscarriages of a few prejudicate Spirits upon a whole parish wherein I have found so much true hearted affection so many reall and royall expressions of love and wherein there are many J speake it with comfort and thankefulnesse that if it were possible would even pluck out their owne eyes to doe me good as S. Paul magnifieth the love of his Galatians 4.15 And now to testify unto the world that I am not insensible of so great love I have adventured to publish to dedicate unto you these indigested meditations provided for you but elsewhere delivered which though rude and unpolished I desire you to accept as a pledge of my thankfulnesse and an earnest of farther indevours if I may be permitted I weigh not any mans censure but rest satisfied in the sincerity of my own intentions it is not applause that I aime at I am no selfe-flatterer no man can have a meaner esteem of me or of my labours then I my selfe have Apostolorum minimus as S. Paul said I am the least of the Apostles nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lesse then the least Eph. 3.8 Yet am I not hereby discouraged from attempting to doe what good I can in that place and station which the great Shepheard and Bishop of our souls hath allotted to me and who knowes whether this Sermon read of many may not through the blessing of God rouze up some hard hearted sinner out of the sleepe of security cause him to bring a bucket of teares toward the quenching of Gods wrath and fiery indignation that is kindled against our Hierusalem this is my desire my hope wherein if I shal faile of my expectation I shall sit down and weep with my Saviour that after so much planting and so much watering with the dew of Gods heavenly word there followes so little watering with the teares of true repentance But I hope better things of you dearely beloved and things that accompany salvation the Lord in mercy open all our eyes that we may at length discern the miseries that hang over our heads by reason of our sins that we may weepe night and day for the manifold provocations wherewith we have provoked him to anger so prayeth Your faithfull servant in Christ zealous of your spirituall welfare JOHN PIGOTT LVC. 19.41 42 43 44. And when he was come neare he beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst knowne even thou in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes For the dayes shall come upon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and comp sse thee round and keepe thee in on every side And shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation BEfore I come to the particular handling of these words I shall crave leave briefly to premise something by way of introduction of the many engagements of this people unto God for mercies received and something also of their great unthankfulnesse to him for the same There was never any Nation upon Earth more blessed with the influences of Heaven then this nation of the Jewes you onely have I knowne of all the families of the Earth Am. 3 2. What Nation is there that hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is nigh unto us in all that we call upon him for Deut. 4.7 Did ever people heare the voyce of God speaking out of the midst of the fire as thou hast heard and live or hath God ever assad to take unto him a Nation out of the midst of another Nation by wonders and signes by a mighty hand and stretched out arme as he did for you in Egypt Deut. 4 33.34 God did as it were single out this people from all the Families of the Earth all the Nations under Heaven that he might make them the ob ects of his love that he might shew kindnesse to them as David dealt by Mephibosheth Thou Israel art my servant Iacob whom I have chosen Es 41.8 A chosen generation a peculiar people Et quid ampl us potuit and what could God doe more for his Vineyard that he did not doe wherein could he have made a fuller expression of his love then he did how did he bemoane them in their misery I have seen I have seen the affliction of my people and I have heard their groanings How did he wrastle with a stubburn hard hearted Tyrant for their enlargement one that slighted his messages contemned his judgements would not let his people goe till at length by maine â—trength he wrested them out of his hands when he overthrew both the Horse and his Rider in the midst of the Sea how did he provide a table for them in the Wildernesse and feast them with delicious fare Angels food Manna from Heaven how did he dampe the hearts and strike through the loynes of all their enemies how did he drive out and dispossesse seven great and mighty-Nations gave their land a land flowing with milke and hony to be an heritage to Israel his people goodly Cities that they builded not and Vineyards that they planted not and Houses full of all good things which they filled not Deut. 6.11 Will you see some more priviledges and favours
great unthankfulnes and disobedience in the midst of so many binding mercies and you may justly wonder that Hierusalem was not long before this time made a heap of stones read over the Prophets and you shall find complaints in this kind without number doe ye thus requite the Lord Oh foolish people and unwise The faithfull City is become a harlot she was full of judgment righteousnesse lodged in her but now murderers Heare O Heavens and give eare O Earth I have nourished and brought up children but they have rebelled against me when I fed them to the fall then they assembled themselves by troupes in the harlots houses how shall I pardon thee for this As I live saith the Lord Sodom and her daughters have not done as thou hast done thou and thy daughters thou wast corrupted more then they in all thy wayes Ezech. 16.47 And when Christ came among them in person how did they entertaine him St. Iohn will tell you he came to his own but his own received him not Ioh. 1.11 Nolumus hunc regnare we will not have this man to raigne over us we have no King but Caesar nay not this man but Barabbas they preferre a publique notorious malefactour before him himself also will tell you Mat. 13.37 O Hierusalem Ierusalem howoften would I have gathered thy children together as a Hen doth her chickens under her wings but ye would not thus all the day long he stretched out his hand but it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a gainesaying people veluj noluistis how often would I but ye would not And yet how unwilling was God to unsheath his sword to powre out the full Vials of his fierce anger upon this rebellious Nation though their sins were so provoking that he knew not well how to pardon them How shall I pardon thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no gods and shall I allow this shall I give my glory to another how shall I pardon thee for this yet so infinite on the other side was his mercy that he was unwilling to punish them Why will ye dye Oye house of Israel As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner run thorough the streets of Hierusalem and seek for a man that executeth judgment that I may pardon iâ— and most pathetically in the 11. of Hos ver 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah and set thee as Zeboim my heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together see what a conflict there seemes to be in God between his mercy and his justice how shall I pardon thee for this and yet how shall I give thee up how shall I make thee as Admah c. faine would I spare thee but thy sins cry to Heaven for vengeance thou art incorrigible in thy wayes and therefore thy sin is unpardonable I am forced to give sentence against thee though it be with teares in my eyes when he came neare be beheld the City and wept over it c. Christ might have insulted over Herusalem when he foresaw the cup of trembling that she was to drink of as wisdom threatens her contemners Pro. 1.24 Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded therfore I will laugh at your calamity and mock when your feare commeth when your feare commeth as desolation and your destruction as a whirle-wind when distresse ang ish commeth upoÌ„ you so seeing Herusalem would not take warning by all former invitations admonitions judgments mercies Christ might justly have laughed at her calamity when he saw her feare comming as desolation and her destruction as a whirl-wind but our blessed Saviour came not to destroy mens lives but to save them and therefore when he came neare he beheld the City and wept over it In the words we have Christ melting into teares for hardhearted Hierusalem Nihil miserius misero non misâ—rante seipsum there is not a more sad lamentable spectacle in the world then to see a man or a City or a Nation like Simon Magus in the gall of bitternesse in the depth of misery in regard of a wilfull persisting in heynous and crying sins yet themselves insensible of their own misery sleeping securely in their sins with Balaam driving o still in their wonted course of sinning and never take notice of the Sword that is drawen against them hugging and embracing sporting and delighting themselves with those Delilahs those lusts and corruptions which will prove their bane and destruction Quis talta fando temperâ—t a â—lachrymis who can behold all this with dry-Eyes The Poet hath a conceit that Heaven it selfe weeps for such Creatures Dic rogo cur toties descendit ab aethere nimbus Grandoque de coeso sic fine fine ruit What may be the reason why there fals such store of Rayne one shower after another Mortales quoniam nolum sua crimina flere Calum pro nobis solvitur in lachrymas Because hard hearted sinners will not bewayle their own faults H aven it selfe is dissolved into teares for them it is so in my Text Heaven it selfe or the heire of Heaven sals a weeping for Hierusalem and is not here a strange alteration when Hierusalem sometime the joy of the whole Earth Ps 48.2 shall not only make the Earth sad but even darken the Heavens cause him that was anoynted with the oyle of gladnes above his Fellowes to melt into teares And when he came neate he beheld the City and wept over it c. The parts are two the mourner and the causes of his mourning the Mourner is Christ and that in the middest of his jollity too as I may so speake as he was riding in state in triumph towards Hierusalem To shew that even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull that there is no worldly happinesse without a mixture of discontent when he came neare he beheld the City and wept over it The causes of his mourning are two two heavy spectacles for eaâ—h Eye one and either of them able to command a fountain of teares as the Propher speakes the one seen namely malum culpe the evill of sin If thou hadst knowen even thou in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes thou knewest not the time of thy visitation the other foreseen namely malum poenae the evill of punishment For the dayes shal come that thy Enemies shall cast a trench abour thee and keep thee in on every side and shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee c. Or if you please we have heer Hierusalems funerall where we have first the chiefe Mourner Christ he beâ—eld the City and wept over it saying if thou hadst knowen even thou in this thy day a broken speech a passionate expression the right Dialect of
Mourners Si cognovisses if thou hadst known or ô si cognovisse would to God thou hadst knowen the things that belong to thy peace methinks I heare him lamenting over Hierusalem as David over his friend Jonathan 2 Sam. 1.26 I am distressed for thee my brother Ionathan very pleasant hast thou been unto me or as the same David lamented over Absalom oh Absolom my Son would God I had died for thee c. O Hierusalem Herusalem would God I had died for thee as afterwards you know he did dye for her and in her and by her when he came neare he beheld the City and wept over it saying c. Secondly we have here the malady or cause of Hierusalems death blindnes security If thou hadst knowen even thou in this thy day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that belong to thy peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but now they are did from thine Eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou knewest not the time of thy visitation Thirdly we have here the kind or manner of Death 't is a strong death a terrible death by the Sword which David so earnestly prayed against Let me fall into the hands of God for his mercies are great but let me not fall into the hands of men whose tender mercies are cruell For the dayes shall come wherein thine Enemies shall cast a trench about thee and lay thee even with the ground A love principium we are to begin with Christ the Mourner in my Text when he came neare he beheld the City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he wept It was not without a cause that Christ was stiled by the Prophet Vir Dolorum Es 53.3 A man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefe survey his whole pilgrimage from the Cratch to the Crosse from the Womb to the Tombe and you shall find it like Ezechiels rowle written upon within and without lamentation and mourning and woe in the dayes of his flesh he offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and Teares Heb. 5.7 At Lazarus his grave he groaned in the Spirit and wept Ioh. 11.35 Here when he came neare he beheld the City and wept All his joy was inward Luc. 10.21 At that time Iesus rejoyced in Spirit and said I thank thee Father Lord of Heaven and Earth c. Some inward joy he rejoyced in the spirit in the love and complacency of his Father I thank thee Father Lord of Heaven and Earth I am sure he had little matter of outward joy of re joycing in the world many times he complaines of the hatred of the world if the world hate you ye know it hated me before it hated you Ioh. 14.18 How did the unthankfull world slight and neglect him The Foxes have holes and the Fowles of the Ayre have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head how was he scorned and derided in the world Is not this the Carpenters son Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth few acknowledged him to be the Messias the Lord of glory the Prince of life the Saviour of the world the King of the Iewes the Son of God the brightnes of his Fathers glory the expresse image of his person as he was indeed how was he slandered and scandalized by his malignant adversaries none of them could convince him of the least sin yet they traduce him up and down as if he were as St. Paul sometimes confessed of himself Peccatorum maximus the chiefest of sinners a gluttonous person a Wine-hibber a friend a companion of Publicans and sinners a Sabbath-breaker a Blasphemer a deceiver of the people a conjurer casting out Devils through Belzebub a Traytor forbidding to pay tribute to Caesar and what not and surely had he not been more then a man such usage was able not only to set open the floudgates of his Eyes but even to break his heart woe is me my Mother saith the Prophet Jeremy that thou hast born me I have neither lent upon usury nor borrowed upon usury yet all the people curse me Jer. 15.10 They cannot justly tax me with any unjust action and yet are continually reviling me yet here is not all neither to the persecution of the Tongue they ad the persecution of the hand no sooner were tidings of his birth spread in Herods Court but presently he seeks to destroy him and with him a number of young innocents that knew not their right hand from their left there began the weeping Mat. 2.18 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the Prophet Jeremy saving In Ramah was there a voyce heard Lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children because they were not as soon as he began to preach the Scribes and Pharises consult how they may destroy him one time they were going to throw him headlong from the top of a high hill Luke 4.29 As the Devill sometime would have had him throwen himselfe down rom the Pinacle of the Temple another time they had like to have stoned him Joh. 10.31 Many good works have I shewen you from my Father for which of these do ye stone me another time they sent their Disciples to intangle him in his Talk Mat. 22 â—6 Another time their Officers to apprehend him Joh. 7.32 And at last they find Iudas to betray him and sent a multitude with swords and slaves to take him as a Thiefe or a Malefactour who hurry him from the Garden to the high Priests Pallace from thence to Pilate from Pilat to Herod from Herod after a deale of scornfull usage back again to Pilat where they maliciously arraigne him falsely accuse him unjustly condemn him buffet him scourge him make long furrowes upon his back besmeare that face of which the Psalmist Thou art fayrer then the children of men with their filthy spittle environ his sacred Head with a Crown of Thornes lead him foorth to be crucified load him with his Crosse fasten him to the Crosse peirce his Hands and his Feet insult over him in his sufferings Fixuris clavorum addentes tela â—nâ—â—â—rum saith Leo to the piercing of the Nayles adding the rankling arrowes of their venemous tongues Ah thou that destroy'st the Temple and buildest it again in three dayes save thy selfe If he be the King of Israel let him come down from the Crosse c. Behold now see if ever sorrow were like unto this sorrow the women could not forbeare weeping who had only a compassionate fellow feeling of it I. u. 23 27. No marvaile if Christ himselfe wept that felt it Well if Christ be a Mourner then woe to them that are at ease in Sion that spend their days in mirth and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ and the Tabret and the Harp go not out of their Feasts Christ did not so Christians have no warrant to expect it the members must be in some measure conformaâ—le to their head Ioh. 16.20 Our blessed Saviour tels his Diciples you shall weep and
lament but the world shall rejoyce worldlings may let loose the reynes and seek for a Paradise a Heaven upon Earth in the pleasures of sin for a season t is their portion but Christs Disciples must expect Teares for meate and plenteousnes of Teares for drink Mine Eye mine Eye runs down with Rivers of water saith the Church Lam. 3.48 Mine Eye trickleth down and ceaseth not without any intermission David will tell you of watering his couch and making his bed to swimme with teares and that night after night Every night wash I my bed with the teares of my complaint Ps 6.6 You shall find St. Peter weeping bitterly and Mary Magdalen pumping out teares enough to wash her Saviours Feet beloved as Christ was so are we in this world 1 Joh. 4.17 that is pilgrims and strangers here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come I am a stranger with thee a so journer as all my Fathers were now the condition of a pilgrim is a weeping conditioÌ„ By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept when we remembred thee O Sion Psal 137.1 Every Dog will be barking at strangers and you know how imperiously the Sodomites insulted over â—â—ot because he was a stranger This fellow say they came in to so journe amongst us and he will needs be a judge over us Now though Christ our head met with stronger oppositions and greater afflictions in his pilgrimage then we are like to meet with for God is faithfull who will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able yet we must look to drink of the same cup that he drank of though not so deep as he drank and to fill up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the after sufferings that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ Col. 1.24 Beside we have teares to shed that Christ was not capable of teares of repentance he was a Lamb without spot and without blemish there was no guile found in his mouth we are loaden with sins there is not a day passeth over our heads wherein we doe not contract unto our selves the guilt of many many sins What our Lord and Saviour speaks of the evill of punishment Mat. 6.34 is true also of the evill of sin su ficient for the day is the evill thereof every day brings sin enough with it to over cast it to make it a wet day a day of weeping for as the Father speaks seeing after we are baptized and washed from the guilt of originall sin we doe dayly fowle our selves a new by the commission of actuall sins we should also dayly re-baptize our selves in the bitter waters of Marah the teares of true Repentance what is wanting in innocency we should Prive to make up in penitency â—aâ—th quod possum p ango quod non possum as St. Bernard I doe what I am able and what cannot doe I am sorry for it but especially upon dayes of solemn humiliation dayes set apart for this very purpose for the bewailing both of our personall and of our nationall sins when God by his judgments threatned or inflicted cals to weeping and to mourning and to baldnes and to putting on of sack-cloth if then the voyce of the turtle be not heard in our Land if the Mourners doe not goe about the streets as the Preacher speaks if there be not a renting of the heart as well as a hanging down the head like a bulrush what shall I say surely we are in Hierusalems case neare to destruction we doe not know the day of our visitation we know not the things that belong to our peace So that Christ is seasonably brought in weeping to teach us what we must doe as at all times while we so journ here in this valley of teares so especially upon dayes of mourning and humiliation blessed are those that mourne saith Christ they shall be comforted Though they sow in teares they shall reape in joy heavines may endure for a night joy will come in the morning When the times of refreshing shall come all teares shall be wiped from their Eyes and they shall enter into the joy of their Master receive the oyle of gladnesse for the spirit of heavines lay aside their black mourning weeds and attend the Lambe in white robes with palmes in their hands Rev. 7.9 And so much briefly of the Mourner in the next place we are to take notice of the causes of his mourning he beheld the City and wept over it His teares are teares of compassion teares of love Behold how he loved him said the Iewes when he wept at Lazarus his grave lo. 11.36 Behold how he loved this unthankefull City in that he shed not teares only as here but his precious bloud also afterwards for it Vâ—dens civitatâ—nt he beheld the City and wept over it We have a proverbe Vbi amor ibi oculus where we love there will our Eye be gazing where Christs love was we may see by his Eye too Vidit civitatem he beheld the City but what cause he had to love it or to six his Eye upon it we see not for what doth he behold there but matter of griefe and discontent he looked for judgment but behold oppression for righteousnes but behold a cry Hierusalem like Babylon is become a cage of uncleane Birds Deviarunt omnes they are all gone out of the way fallen off from the purity sincerity and religious integrity of their forefathers there was a time indeed when God behold no iniquity in â—acob nor saw perversenes in Israel Num 23.21 But now he beholds nothing else but iniquity but perversenes A sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evill doers a rebellious house a stiff necked people of uncircumcised Heart and Eares which causeth him to behold it with watery Eyes he beheld the â—ity and wept over it c. There is a twofold cause of Christs mourning here as I told you Hierusalems n and Hierusalems misery by reason of sin as they two are never long asunder we are to begin with her sin as the cause of her misery and the chiefe cause of Christs mourning he beheld the City and wept over it saying â—f thou hadst known even thou in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation If thou â—adst known even thou c. It is no single sin but a willfull senselesse secure obstinate sleeping in sin they will not be convinced of much lesse averted from their erroneous courses God hath sent his Prophets rising early an calling to them O doe not this abominable sin that I hate he hath commanded them to cry alowd against their crying sins their idolatry oppression swearing lying killing stealing neighing after their Neighbours wives like fed Horses and what was their answer As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord we will not