of the Sonne of God wherein he washt by faith and was made cleane of the incurable leprosie of sinne So then if ye aske by whose satisfaction merits ye obtaine eternall life the Scripture answereth absolutely that it is by the onely satisfaction and merits of our Lord Iesus Christ o Act. 4.12 Neither is there Saluation in any other for there is none other Name vnder heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued VII But if we aske to whom this saluation is giuen That is another question where vnto the Scripture maketh another answere and faith as Elizabeth said to the Virgin Marie p Luk. 1.45 Blessed is she that beleeued q 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God in Christ are Yea and in Christ are Amen vnto the glory of God And r Gal. 3.14 we receiue the promise of the Spirit through faith Neither haue we any other hand to receiue Christ who is promised vnto vs but faith Therefore it is written that ſ Eph. 2.8 by grace ye are saued by faith And because our last and principall blessednesse is our saluation it is also written that they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham t Act. 15.9 The hearts are purified by faith Therefre it is written u Math. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart The heart by faith is broken and bruised with the sense of sinne and with x 2 Cor. 7.10 godly sorrow for sinne Therefore it is written y Math. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit Faith looketh vp to heaven with a weeping eye Faith calleth vpon God with prayers steeped in teares Faith stretcheth soorth to the throne of grace hands dipped in the bitter and salt waters of repentance And therefore it is written Blessed are they that mourne If faith did not repent sigh weepe pray repentēce weeping sighing prayer should be sinnes For a Rom. 14.23 whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne So the teares of Esau were sinnes So when David prayeth against the wicked man b Psal 109.7 Let his prayer become sinne he teacheth vs that prayers of wicked and vnbeleeuing men are sinnes for to such men c Tit. 1.15 nothing is pure but euen their mind and conscience is defiled And what can come from such a puddle but filth and stincking putrefaction h Gal. 5.6 Faith worketh by loue and is rich in good workes Therefore it is written l Psal 1.2 blessed is the man whose delight is the Law of the Lord m Psal 119.1 Blessed are the vndefiled in the way n Psal 128.1 Blessed is euery one that feareth the Lord c. Yee see what persons are blessed And what qualities are required in you if you desire to be partakers of blessednes The first must be faith For o Heb. 11.6 without faith it is impossible to please God From faith springs forrow for sin repentance weeping prayers good workes p Eph. 2.10 which God hath prepared that we should walke in them All those which are adorned and inriched with those good qualities are blessed but the cause wherfore they are blessed is the merite of Christ Iesus in whom they beleeue by whom they pray for whom they weepe and by whose spirit they are lead in the way of the Lord doe good workes For to them q Zech 12.10 that mourne in Ierusalem Zechariah saith that r Zech. 13.1 there shall be a fountaine opened for sinne and for vncleannesse what are not their eyes a fountaine To weepe for sinne they may be To blot out and abolish the slaine of sinne they cannot be The only side of Christ which was pierced in his death was made a fountain of bloud to wash in it the sinnes of all them which to weepe for their sinnes make of their heads a fountaine of teares VIII Therefore when ye read in the Homilies of the Doctors of the Church either auncient or moderne that teares are a satisfaction for sinne that they wash it away and blot it out and many such hyperbolicall speeches yee must vnderstand them f Cum graeno salis with a graine of salt as the Iurisconsults speake of some sayings of their Doctors and know that either they speake of satisfaction giuen to the Church or attribute to the effect that which is proper to the cause which is frequent amongst orators and in speeches gilt and beautified with Rhetoricke Consider that in my text blessednesse is attributed to them which weepe not to weeping to the tree not to the fruit to the worker not to the worke And when yee seeke the causes of your blessednesse looke not downeward to your selues but vpward to the mercie of God and with a sincere heart and true mouth follow the holy Apostle and say t Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs with al spirituall blessings in heauenly places in Christ u Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things To whom be glory for euer Amen If yee remember this distinctiō betweene the qualification of the persons which are to be saued the causes wherfore they are saued as also the chāging of attributions when the effects are honoured with the glorious titles which belong to their causes ye wil not easily be seduced with Papistry nor troubled with som speeches which the Doctors vttered hyperbolically which the Papists wrest vnlearnedly which ye must vnderstand x Rom. 12.6 according to the proportion of faith soundly CHAPTER II. I. ALl our comforts are called Life and wherefore II. Item wherefore that life which is our onely comfort is called euerlasting III. What eternall life is IV. T is imperfect in this world and perfect in the world to come V. He that hath not the beginnings of eternall life in this world shal neuer come to the perfection thereof in the world to come I. BVT to leaue of disputing against Papists which is not fit for this day wherin we are assembled to dispute against our owne sinnes and to let alone the hyperbolicall speeches of Doctors let vs come to Christs comforts wherin our blessednesse consisteth Our Blessednesse in holy Scripture is called Life Euerlasting T is called Life not because we shall act liue and moue by it as we doe now during our abode in the earthly tabernacles of our mortall bodies but because it is a most glorious happie and blessed estate our soueraigne good and felicitie the full perforformance of all our desires the longed-for wish of our vnsatiable hearts the center and last resting place of all the agitations of our stirring and vnquiet soules There is nothing that man loueth better then life For how can he loue what can he loue if he liue not Life is the spring of loue life is the enioyer life is the vser of all the things which we loue As we cannot loue without life So life
feast MARIVS himselfe could not have shewen a greater courage I could name women yet living who went stoutely to the skirmish against the enemies no wayes dreading the glistering of swords the brandishing of speares the hail of bullets falling thicke and whistling about their eares When men made head to men with their heeles they ran to the breach and catching the partizans that fleeing men had flung away laid their enemies heads where their feete were and saved the beleaguered towne The only sonnes of some of them being killed in that cause they buried them vvith dry eyes and laughing faces calling themselves happy that God had made them mothers of such children Neyther did they at any time weepe but when they saw men doe many things unbeseeming not onely Christians but men then through great displeasure they wept because men did neither blush for shame nor waxe pale for feare of eternall disgrace nor weepe for forrow that like IVDAS they had betrayed Iesus Christ or like REVBEN abode among the sheepfolds to heare the bleatings of the flockes Moreover the principall passions which provoke weeping are love anger sorrow If those passions bee more vehement in women than in men as men say then when they are sanctified in women as they are in all true Christian women we must confesse that in women there is greater anger against sinne greater sorrow for sinne and for the affliction of the Church greater love of God greater zeale of his glory than men and therefore that women weepe more than men Are they first in weeping they shall be first in comforts The more bitter their weeping is the greater shall their comfort be Women not men wept publiquely at the death of Christ therefore they vvere first comforted vvith the delightsome sight of his glorious resurrection and with the commission given unto them to bee the Apostles of the Apostles and to preach that their Lord and Master was risen againe S. Peter saith that women are the weaker vessell That speech may be turned to their praise for as a little cup of crystall though it be frayle and brittle is of more value than a thousand bowles of varnished tin so one godly and vertuous woman is more to bee esteemed when she weepeth to God in time of misery than ten thousand brutall men vvho can roare but cannot weepe I speake of brutall men for we finde in the Scriptures and I shew in this booke that the most courageous wise and godly men that ever had eyes in their heads did make of their heads living fountaines of tears of their eyes pipes to convey them to their cheekes and did weepe as much not only as women but as little children And indeed are vve not all Gods children why then shall we not weepe when vve offend him and hee chasteneth us Are vve not in his Church as new borne babes vvhy then should we not weepe in our necessities till hee take us in his lap lay our mouthes to his breast still us with the sweet milke of his spiritual comforts Can man have a true feeling of his evils and not weep Can he know that his helpe is in the Name of the Lord vvho made heaven and earth and not run unto him and cry unto him as the woman of Canaan did LORD HELP ME Will such men need rules of weeping Masters or Preachers to teach them how they ought to weepe No no their unfained love to the Church of God their earnest affection to the glory of God their extreame and godly sorrow for the bruising and crushing of Ioseph their passionate hatred and grudge against sinne will be to them a most sufficient and learned Master in that Art Godly sorrow will be Aarone rodde to their hearts of rocke and make them an undrainable spring of sighes of groans of cryes of tears of lamentations of complaints of expostulations of deprecations Their fervent love will make them most eloquent in devoute praying The heart wounded to the quicke sendeth up to the eyes rivers of teares and to the mouth flouds of most pithy and signifying words and easeth it selfe by weeping and praying There all the Saints of God men and women have in all times found teares enow and words in aboundance to make their mone to God Not that God vvho seeth without eyes heareth without eares and before whom hell it selfe is naked and the deepe hath no covering hath need of our teares to know our wants but because vve stand in need of him he will have us to know to feel our own miseries and to acknowledge with sighing mourning and praying that we have no hope but in his helpe but in the exceeding riches of his grace but in the infinite treasures of his mercies For this cause doth he exhort us to fast to weepe and to pray for the same cause at a Fast solemnized those dayes by-past made I in substance and so far as two houres of time would permit and I thought fit for the time and the hearers this exhortation to weeping which now I present to you MADAM as a publick testimonie of the due account which I make of those excellent gifts both of nature and of grace vvherewith God hath with an open hand inriched your noble and honourable person ISABELLA the Queen of women of whom I have already spoken might have been called the PHOENIX of Queenes if there had not bin a ZENOBIA before her in the Orient and after her an ELIZABETH in England This Queene was to all women a glistering Mirrour of chastitie a rare example of sobriety a perfect president of modesty She could not abide Iesters Stage-players Fidlers but banished them all off her Court when shee was not distracted with matters of State she was ever in the middest of her Ladies sewing with her owne hands and instructing exhorting them by word and by example to godlinesse and vertue Every day twice she had her ordinary houres of private prayers Her daughter MARY Queene of Portugall like unto her was very grave in all her carriage was as milde as any might be to all persons was enemy to idlenesse and was wont to exhort all her Ladies to MODESTIE saying that MODESTY IS THE PRINCIPAL ORNAMENT OF A WOMAN The Chastitie and Modesty of a woman the gracious and courteous gravity of a Lady the zeale and piety of a Christian the wisdome and providēt care of a vertuous noble Matron are the vertues w ch I have observed in your Ladiship and which have moved me to beare witnesse unto them by this dedication Futhermore all who know your Ladiship and know the perpetuall attendance of my Lord your vvorthy and right honourable husband on his Maiesty at Court will beare you record that you indeed are the vertuous Woman of whom Salomon saith that THE HEART OF HER HVSBAND DOTH SAFELY TRVST IN HER that her children arise and call her blessed that her husband praiseth her and saith MANY DAVGHTERS HAVE DONE VERTVOVSLY BVT
unthankfulnesse and therfore a most detestable sinne The true moderation of the affections is to withdraw them from sinne and to apply them unto righteousnesse when they are once in the way lay the bridle on their neck put the spurs to their sides and make them to gallop till they runne with thee to the Kingdome of heaven In our discipline saith Saint Austin k Aug. de eiv Dei l. 9 c. 5. In disciplinâ nostrâ non tam quaeritur utrum pius animus itascatur sod quare irascatur c. wee ask not if a godlie soule bee angry but for what cause hee is angry neither whether hee bee sorrowfull but for what cause he is sorrowfull nor if he fear but what is the cause of his feare for to be angry against a sinner that he may be corrected to bee sorrowfull for him who is afflicted that hee may be delivered to fear for him who is in danger lest hee perish who that is in his right wits can blame it VII Let us apply this to weeping and mourning Wee must judge of all our affections not by their mediocrity or excesse but by the causes which set them on work and the end whereunto they incline as I have said this must bee the rule of our judgement concerning other mens weeping our owne For such as are the causes of our Teares such are they some causes are indifferent some ill some good All teares naturally come from ioy or sorrow These causes are indifferent in themselves When 1 Gen. 29 11 Iacob saw his cousin Rachel he lifted up his voice and wept when m Gen. 33.4 Iacob and Esau met together they wept when n Gen. 43.30 Ioseph saw his brother Beniamin his bowels did yerne upon him and hee wept When he made himself knowne to his brethren o Gen 45 1 2 he wept aloud when hee went to meet Israel his father p Gen. 46.29 he fell on his necke and wept on his necke a good-while Naturall love in them begat joy and joy opening all the pores of the eyes they could not chufe but weepe Such joy such love such teares are not commanded of God for he is not served by them Neither hath God forbidden them for they are no offense unto him so that they goe not beyond their due proportion and measure I say the like of teares which come from sorrow Agar neither served nor offended God when q Gen. 21.16 shee lift up her voice and wept being in distresse because shee had no water to give to her sonne to drinke It was naturall to r Ier. 31.25 Rachel to weepe for her children and in that shee sinned not but when she refused to bee comforted she sinned The ſ Act. 20.37 brethren of Ephesus and Miletus when Paul was going away wept sore and fell on his necke and kissed him So wee are accustomed to weepe when wee lacke things which are necessary to our subsistence as also when those whom we love die or go from us to some forreine place Where we love if wee see any miserie sorrow seiseth the heart the distressed hart sendeth a cold ayre to the eyes the eyes pressed with cold become like a foggie winter day and distill teares abundantly In such teares there is neither offence nor service don to God Therefore they are indifferent IIX But when t Gen. 37.38 41. Esau lift up his voice and wept because his brother had taken away his blessing he sinned for hee wept through despight proceeding from the pride of his uncircumcised heart from hatred against his brother Iacob whom hee vowed to slay u Num. 14.39 The people of Israel beeing deprived of entring into the land of Canaan mourned greatly not through repentance for their murmuring against God but through self-selfe-love which is no small sinne What were the teares of Cain Saul Achitophel Iudas but stinking waters flowing from the muddy puddle of discontent and despaire In anger a man will weep not only through displeasure for the offence received but also through joy for hope of revenge as the Crocodile weepeth when hee hath found his prey So o Spartioni Antonia Caracalla Bassianus wept for joy as often as hee saw the Images of his brother Geta whom he had murthered Manie Robbers Pyrats weepe so wo wo to such weepers IX The vveeping where of we speake and whereunto wee exhort you this day is good because it commeth from a good spring I may call it godly because it floweth from godlines I know that all reares in themselves are indifferent no part of Gods service but they take their denominatiō from the root whereout they grow and blossome If the root bee badde they are bad if good they are good all good and godly teares come from ioy or from sorrow As naturall joy made Iacob to weepe when he saw Rachel so a supernaturall joy p Neh. 8.9 made the Iewes to weepe when they heard the words of the Law The love of God made them to rejoyce in his Law that ioy turned their eyes into fountaines of teares which they shed in such abundance that Nehemiah and Ezra and the Levites were faine to exhort them not to bee grieved but to abstaine from mourning weeping The Church needeth not such exhorters because it hath but few such weepers Would to God that such a cause might bee unto us this day a cause of crying unto you as Ezra did then Mourne not nor weepe But what godly Ioy doth never or seldome amongst us will not q 2 Cor. 7.10 godly sorrow doe it Manie manie cannot perswade their eyes to weepe for joy whose eyes sorrow will plunge into a river of teares Let us then I pray you let us NOW let us in this day of godly sorrow weepe after a godly maner let that sorrow which springeth from the love of God NOW in this day of teares furnish unto us teares of repentance to God and teares of charity both to our selves to others who should be to us for Gods sake as our selves X. If there bee no sinne among us let joy enlarge our hearts let laughing cleere our faces let us say to sorrow Get thee hence but if that which is written in the Book of Iob of the natural sensuall man that r Iob 15 16 he is abominable filthy and drinketh iniquity like water bee true of us if we sin NOVV then let sorrow presse our hearts and make of them a spring of teares NOVV let heaviness cover our faces as a cloud let our eyes become rivers and for so much water of iniquity or rather for so much wine of sinne wine which is ſ Deut. 32.33 the poison of dragons and the cruell venome of aspes wherewith we are every day drunken let us this day let us NOW cry Avant to joy let us NOW welcome weeping let us NOW run to our eyes and draw water let us make of this Fasting
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
sinnes Is it not time to begin NOVV if ye have not begun till NOVV II. Behold l Luk. 22.48 Iudas betraying him with a kisse behold m Ioh. 18 12. the Officers binding him as if hee had beene a male factor behold them in the high Priests house n Luk. 22 63 64 65. mocking him smiting him blindfolding him and aftervvards striking him on the face asking him Who is it that smote thee behold them speaking manie other things blasphemously against him o Mat. 26.59.65 66. behold the chief Priests Elders and all the Councell seeking false vvitnesses against him behold them all vvith the high Priest pronouÌ„cing against him their award and last sentence He is guilty of death Novv harts burst Novv eies weepe NOW Christians if there bee any love of Christ if there be any bowels of compassion in you mourne and lament The Sonne of God was bound for you who were slaves that ye might bee set at libertie The Lord of glory was mockt for you who were the divells mocking stocke that ye might bee honoured of God who is your glory The light of the world was blind-folded for you who were darknesse that ye might bee enlightened The righteous was outrageously beaten for you who were unrighteous that ye might be spared The Innocent was condemned for you who were guilty that ye might be absolved Christ suffered all this for you and yet ye weepe not III. Follow him into the Iudgement-Hall Canst thou with an unbroken heart and dry eyes see him p Ioh. 19.1 2. scourged there and his flesh mangled and torne in pieces for thy sake Behold his naked head begirt with a crowne of sharpe thornes O let us us I say who professe to bee members of his body q Pudeat membrum deliciarisub capite spinis coronato O let us be ashamed to sport and to make merry under a head crowned with thornes IV. Goe to the Crosse heed the souldiers nayling to the unfruitfull tree his hands and his feete behold them giving him vineger mingled with gall to drinke in stead of wine consider how they stript him ere he die that hee may dye with more shame listen to all those that passe by and looke on him yee shall see them wagging their heads ye shal hear them reviling him and rayling on him most outrageously There he yeelded up the ghost there his side was pierst there he was made a woefull spectacle and the principall actor of a bloodie and pitifull Tragedy r Mat. 27 45 51. The Sunne could not looke on it it covered it selfe with a black mourning weede and was darkened but our faces shine as if wee had no cause of mourning The earth did quake but we tremble not The rockes rent our hearts are harder than flint stones yea than the most hard Diamonds and cannot be broken The graves were opened our throates alas are open Sepulchers breathing out all filthinesse and rotten words but our soules are graves sealed and shut to all good The dead rose againe we lye dead in trespasses and sinnes without any spirituall motion any feeling of the wrath of God which Christ in the passion of his death suffered for us For Å¿ 1. Pet. 2.24 his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree There t Esa 53.5 he was wouÌ„ded for our transgressions there he was bruised for our iniquities there there the chastisement of our peace was upon him with his stripes which he received there wee are healed Hee whom the ignominious passion of Christ whom the shedding of his blood whom his cursed death will not wound with a pricking remorse and sting of sin he out of whose eyes the bruising and crushing of his body the sorrow and agony of his soule will not thrust a floud of teares shall never bee mooved by any other argument to mourne and to weep u Plin. hist nat l. 37. c. 4 I lla invicta vis duarum violentissimae naturae reruÌ„ ferri ignÃsque contemptrix hircino rumpitur sanguine The blood of a Hee-goat will beat in peeces the diamond which no heat of fire can melt no hammer of steele can breake What fire will melt what hammer will break our hearts of diamond if the blood of the Lamb of God will not doe it V. Iudas a Reprobate x Mat. 27 3 Iud is which had betraied him when hee saw that he was condemned repented and wept and wee who brag of our elation weep not The Centurion an ignorant Pagan when hee saw what was done when hee considered all the circumstances of his death glorified God saying y Luke 23 47 Certainly this was a righteous man wee that are called Christians wee that boast of the knowledge of God in Christ acknowledge not his righteousnes as wee should seeing wee weep not because hee z 1. Pet. 3 18 suffred for our unrighteousnesse a Luke 23 48 All the people that came together to that sight beholding the things which were done smote their breasts We know all the things that were done every day b Gal. 3.1 Christ is evidently set forth crucified among us by the preaching of the Gospell and yet none of us smiteth his breast c Ezech. 8.14 The idolatrous women of Ierusalem sate weeping for TAMMVS d Plut. de Iside Osiride called by the Greekes OSIRIS the false god of the Aegyptians whom Typhon slue and wee weep not for Iesus Christ who e 1 Iohn 5.20 is the true GOD and eternall life whom the Iewes slue f Plut de cessatione Oraculorum The Divells themselves which were in the Iles of Paxes did mourne at his death when Thamos the Pilot of the ship which was sayling by cried The great Pan is dead Who is the great Pan but hee who is all in all our Lord Iesus Christ The Divells mourned because g Heb. 2 14 through death hee destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Divell their master and them also we mourne not wee I say who were the causes of his death VI. It is written in the Revelat. that h Rev. 1.7 every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall wayle because of him Why shall they wayle because of him because they pierced him O God! have we pierced him are wee guiltie of his death was it not Iudas which betrayed him was it not the Councell of the State of the Church which sent to take him was it not the high-priest which accused him was it not Pilate which condemned him were they not Pilat's souldiers which scourged crowned nailed stript and pearced him What ye ask is true But why did hee suffer mortall men to exercise such cruelties on his innocent person He stood there in our room and what wee deserved that hee suffered Our covetousnesse betrayed him Our anger laide hold on him and tied him Our
God wil heare him Moses prayed often for the people and God remoued froÌ„ them temporall plagues But he did neuer forgiue sinne to any man who praied not for himselfe Yea Moses prayed for his sister MiriaÌ„ who for her sin was strucke with leprosie d Num. 12.13 He cryed vnto the Lord saying Heale her now O God I beseech thee and he was heard Did not Samuel mourne for Saul vnprofitably For God sayd vnto him e 1 Sam. 16.1 How long wilt thou mourne for Saul seeing I haue reiected him Did not Ieremiah pray and mourne incessantly for the people of Iuda and was not heard f Ierem. 11.14 Pray not thou for this people sayth God vnto him neither lift vp a crie or prayer for them For g Ierem 15.1 though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my mind could not be toward this people Cast them out of my sight and â—et them goe forth Doubtlesse Ezechiel prayed for Ierusalem when the Lord said vnto him h Ezech. 14.20 Though Noah Daniel Iob were in it as I liue they shall deliuer neither Sonne nor Daughter Thinkest thou thaâ— God will heare another weeping for thy sins so long as he heareth thee blaspheming his holy Name and seeth thee wallowing with delight and content in the mire of filthy pleasure But if thou weepest and prayest for thy selfe hee will heare thee although all other mens and Angels mouthes were dumble Though all hearts were merry though al cheekes were dry and no vapours ascended from the eyes no tongue darted prayers vp to heauen but thine For i Chrysost in Math. homil 5. tom 2. Namet Deus gratiam non tam alijs rogantibus pro nobis vult donare quam nobis God delightes to giue grace not so much to others which pray for vs as to our selues Take for example Dauid Manasseh the forlorne Son the woman of whom I haue spoken the Theefe on the Crosse and Peter who wept and prayed for themselues when no body that we reade of prayed for them yea saith k Idem homil deprofecta Euangelij tom 3. Chrysostome wilt thou learne that when we pray for our selues we come better speed with God then when others pray for vs. The woman of Canaan cryed l Matth 15.23 and the Disciples came and besought him saying Send her away for shee crieth after vs But he answered to them and said I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel But when she commeth her selfe and holds on her crying and saith Truth Lord yet the Dogs eate of the crummes which fall from their masters table then he gaue her a benefit and said Be it vnto thee euen as thou wilt Yee see how he reiects her when others pray for her and grants her requests when shee prayeth her selfe VII Beloued auditors retaine and keepe in your sanctified memories these three lessons and now euen now put them in practise I beseech you I pray you for Christs sake m Col. 3.12.13 put on as the elect of God holy and beloued the bowels of mercies kindnes humblenes of mind meeknes long suffering forbearing one another forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell against any Euen as Christ forgaue you so also doe yee n Eph. 6.18 Pray alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplication for all Saints Namely take heede that euery one of you pray and weepe this day euery day for your ownselues Which if ye doe with with an vnfained repentance doubt not of the forgiuenesse of your sins for God hath saith that o Esa 1.18 though yâ—ur sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool And I am sent to you of God this day as Paul was to the Iewes of Antioche p Act. 13.38.39 To preach vnto you through Christ the forgiuenesse of sinnes And that by him all that beleeue are iustified from all things from which ye could not be iustified by the Law of Moses CHAPTER IV. I THe second comfort and blessednesse promised to them which weepe is deliuerance from the punishment of sinne II. If they suffer for righteousnesse sake the cause of their sufferings is a comfort vnto them III. God deliuereth them in a conuenient time IV. Till that time come he strengtheneth vs with his holy Spirit IV. Apostates which fall away are no true members of Christs Church I Bâ—essed are we if God hath blessed vs with this first and most necessarie blessing forgiuenesse of sinnes for to whom hee forgiueth sinnes he giueth all other necessary comforts And therefore our second comfort is that putting away from before his eyes the iniquitie of our sinnes he will also take away from our backes the punishment of them For when the cause is gone the effect must cease If ye desire a proofe of this truth hearken to David saying in the 32. Psalme q Psal 32.5 I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee and mine iniquity haue I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord And thou hast taken away the punishment of my sinne Did not the Lord say to Hezekiah who had wept and prayed vnto him r 2 Kings 20.3.5 I haue heard thy prayer I haue seene thy teares Behold I will heale thee This healing of the body was an effect of the healing of the soule as the good King confessed in his song of thankesgiuing when he said to his God Å¿ Esa 38.17 Thou hast in loue to my soule deliuered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy backe So yee reade in the Gospell of Matthew that Christ when hee was to cure one sicke of the Palsie said first vnto him t Matth. 9.2.6 Sonne be of good cheare thy sinnes be forgiuen thee And consequeÌ„tly Arise take vp thy bed and goe vnto thine owne house This is the order of Gods blessings the first is the forgiuenesse of sinne The second is the remouing of the punishment of sinne But we put the Plough before the Oxen we weepe and cry desiring to be deliuered of the punishment of sinne are not heard because we haue not sought with teares the forgiuenesse of sinne II. If we be persecuted for Righteousnes sake as many of our deare breathren are now wee haue subiect of comfort in the middest of our sufferings because we know that the cause of our sufferings is not only good and honest but also most honorable So saith Christ bidding vs u Matth. 5.21 reioyce and be exceeding glad when we are persecuted for righteousnes sake and reuiled for his sake So thought his Apostles when x Act. 5.41 they departed from the presence of the Councell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name Such brands are rather glorious then disgracefull wherefore then should we