to those plagues which the Lord doth threaten vpon the disobedient being alwaies hanging ouer the wicked as wee see by Lot that dwelling amongst the wicked Sodomites was taken prisoner with them in the ouerthrow Or else they are likely to be tainted with them dumspectant laesos oculilaeduntur ipsi they can hardly escape the wicked without receiuing some blemish of them Righteous Ioseph being amongst the prophaneseruants in Pharaohs court learning to sweare 〈◊〉 of Pharaoh if we then obserue the prophanesse of the place or the impâ—eâ—ie of the people of that place we shall finde their case miserable by reason of their habitation and so I come to the fourth circumstance of their commiseration that they did dwell by the bankesides if they had been receiued into their Cities or townes where they might had sâ—…er for their safegard then had they receiued some comfort but being expelled from their Cities and from thence to the Riuersides to remaine without shadow is a great miserie vnto them super slumina sedent they remaine by the riuer side in the countrey of Caldea there were sundry râ—…rs such as Euphrates Neâ—…rdâ—a Ahaua and Tigris which doth shew the place to bevery fruitfull to encrease their greife because they cannot be receiued into the Cities with them The Caldeans darenot receiue them into their fellowshippe Inimicis fidere cum illis habitare non tutum sentiunt to trust their enemies and to dwell with them they thinke it not safe enough therefore are they exposed into the Riuerside when the woman of Samaria came to lacobs well shee retained some comfort of her lourney for shee found the Messias the Sauiour of the world that was able to deliuer and did deliuer her from all her fornications but here they come to the riuers of Babâ—l where they haue no hope of deliuerer nor comforter to help them for the space of seuenty yeares Although Agar sit sorrowfull for a while by the Well in the wildernesse yet at last the Angell came to comfort her but here they sit a long space and haue no hope of Angell nor man to comfort nor releiue them These waters may be well called Massah or Meribah of strife or tentation Naturae enim repugnat for it is against their nature to be tied into such a barren place hauing had such goodly aspects of their owne before Their goodly Orchards gallant gardens delicate fine walkes beset with fruitfull trees and sweete bushes is now conuerted into a barren bankeside ouergrowne with willowes their pleasant parlors braue â—â—ls and costly hung chambers are now translated into a poore tent not able to defend them from the raine nor tempest hoc miseria plenum the more I do discend into their miserie the greater I findetheir greife to be aggrauated and so much of their affliction In their affection wee haue first set downe the cause of their conceiued sorrow which was the remembrance of their former happinesse Dura satis miseris memoratio prisca bonorâ—… Of all miseries it is the greatest to remember the ioâ—litie of our former life this torment doth father Abraham adde vnto the rich glutton lying in hell forments Râ—cardaremâ— sili remember my senne that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure which no doubt did afflict him more then all his former torments Whileman is in prosperitie hee neuer thinke of his future miserie which when it doth assault of all afflictions it is the greatest to remember his former happinesse inâ—…cissimum est in fortuny genus meminisse fuisse foelicem of all things it is the most vnhappie to remember that we were once happie King Cresus doth affirme this by that often repetition of Solon when he was going to the place of torment who did on a time bragge of his happinesse vnto Solon a Sage of Greece and said that hee thought himselfe the happiest man that liued vnto whom Solon replying said no man can be said to be happie before his death and being afterward taken in battell of King Cyrus did vtter nothing but Solon Solon shewing that the remembrance thereof did onely vexe and afflict him surely the greatest punishment that the damned shall receiue in hell torments wil be the remembrance of their former pleasure Plungent quia mundum dilexerunt plangent quia vitam non correxerunt plangent quia paenam incurserunt They shall weepe because they haue loued the world they shall mourne because they did not amend their life while they liued in the world They shall lament because they did deserue by their wickednesse to come to that place of torment when they departed out of the world the remembrance of their former losse will be their greatest griefe But to come to the height of their vnhappinesse and to take a veiw of the depth of their miserie it is no earthly thing that doth greiue them only the comfort which they wanted of Sâ—on is all that vexe them When we remembred Sion Mary sits very sorrowfull in a mournefull habite as long as Christ was absent from her but when her sister Martha came and told her that the Master was come and called for her O how speedily did she arise and embrace him ioyfully the want of the comfort of the word of God is the greatest griefe that can come to a godly soule Dauid accounts in his banishment this his greatest losse and the people there in captiuitie lament for the defect here of while they were in their owne countrey they did not account of it they dispised the Prophets quid nobiscuÌ„cum illis what haue we to do with such as prophesie euill vnto vs but now being depriued of it ô how they weepe for their want of it Demosthenes being banished Athens ô how he did weepe when he looked towards Athens the Israclites being banished into Babilon ô how they do weepe when they remember Sion Sion was an eminent place in Ierusalem where the Lord had set his name to be worshipped and where onely they did receiue comfort in the word Agar she weepes because she is thrust out of her Masters house they weepe because they are put out of Sion and debarred from their Masters presence in his house Diues being in prosperitie did not regard the word of God nor take any delight therein but in aduersity lying in hell torments he lamented his carelessenesse thereof wherefore he wished Abraham to send Lazarus to his fathers house to giue his brethren notice of their neglect herein least they should come into that place of torment Hauing spoken of the historicall sense according as it happened vnto these Israelites really may it please you right honorable right worshipfull and welbeloued that I speake of the my sticall meaning It is no allegorie which I handle but onely a moralitie drawne from the true historie according to the opinion of all the auncient as S. Augustine lerome Chrysostome Hugo Cardinalis Lyra and others as
like manner earthly melody not being tempered with a meditation of death or a consideration of a better life it will drowne the affecter with a greedie desire thereafter and ouerwhelme him with an obliuion of his Creator wherefore our Sauiour tooke vp a mournfull song in the midst of the peoples melodie in his iourney to Ierusalem and herefore it is that I haue chosen a dolefull ditty which I am by Gods assistance to read vnto your godly audience which may restraine our too much pleasure in worldly vanity PSALME 137. 1. By the riuers of Babylon we sate and wept when we remembred Syon ABrahams seruant receiuing a message from his Master to go into his fathers house and chuse a wife of his owne kindred for his sonne Isaacke did walke along diligently and staâ—ed no where vntill he came vnto the Well whereout the women came to draw water and there taken vp his rest found in that place his iourney prosperous to his Masters great comfort and Isaacâ—â— great profit as afterward did appeare Euen so I receiuing a commission from the Diocesan of this Sea to come to this place did passe along by the sweete waters of holy write willing to finde out a fit place to bathe your soules in tooke vp my rest no where vntill I came to the bitter waters of Babylon and there finding the children of God mourning vnder captiuitie for a remembrance of their former happinesse I haue addressed my selfe to finde out the cause of their great miserie in their mournefull behauiour that thereout I may draw some matter for our great comfort and consolation Nunquid fily sponsi lugerepossunt quamdiuest cum illis sponsus saith our Sauiour Christ in an other case can the children of the bride chamber mourne as long as the bride-groome is with them how can this text fit these times wherein we liue may some say seeing we haue peace within our borders there is no leading into captiuitie nor no complaining in our strectes can this text set forth the iniquities of the time wherein sinne doth abound euery where yes verely and that very fitly for although now we haue peace and tranquillitie yet it was the counsell of wise Ioseph vnto the King of Aegypt that in time of plentie he should prouide for the famine to come wee read of the Syrens that in faire weather they weepe and in storme they reioice thinking that after faire weather there wil be a turbulent tempest but after a full storme a still caline sic ut turgidum tran quillum mare sic pacem bellum sequitur as a boisterous sea followeth a smooth water so warre commonly succeedeth a long peace wherefore the Apostle Saint Peter warneth euery one that stands to take heede least he fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it is the opinion of some diuines that the Prophet Dauid doth write this Psalme many yeares before their captiuitie to giue them a sight of their future miserie Propheta enimres futuras praeteritas saepissime tanquam presentes narrat for a Prophet many times doth shew thinges past and to come as though they were present Againe wickednesse being the cause of their wretchednesse and sinae an occasion of their captiuity the consideration whereof will moue no doubt euery Christian mans heart with a Remorse for his former lewde led life least his impious and wicked behauiour draw vpon him a greater miserie And lastly if we will beleeue the auncient writers and some of the Moderne there is more mystically meant then is literally vnderstood Frange osliterae inuenies medullam intelligentâ—â— break the bone of the letter and within thou shall finde a marrow of spirituall matter Puta lamentationem Ecclesiae militant is in hac terra namely the lamentation of the Church militant afflicted in this world which mourning may be well specified by their reall weeping Super flumina Babilonis â—llic sedimus flâ—uimus c. By the riuers of Babylon we sate and wept when we remembred Sion The people of Israel being deliuered from vnder the bondage of Egipt and tyrannie of Pharaoh with a mighty hand led along by a safe conduct thorough the wildernes and at last by the prouidence of God brought into that blessed land that did flow with milke and honnie where being in rest they built vnto themselues strong holdes forts and citties for their safegard and habitation for the which benefits the Lord doth desire onely that they obserue his lawes and marke his statutes to keepe them that they might inherit that good land otherwise if by their negligence therein they did moue his wrath against them then would he vtterly destroy them as afterward came to passe and at this day doth appeare for being placed in prosperitie and hauing all things according to their hearts desire they following the perswaâ—ion of their wicked rulers such as Ieroboam Ahab Iehoâ—akim Zâ—dechiâ— and others spent their daies in vanâ—ie in working wickednesse and worshipping the workes of their owne hand their hearts being fat and grosse with â—atnesse forgot God that made them and the strong God of their saluation Wherefore the Lord did giue them ouer into the hands of their enemies many times to be ouercome of them Many times were they beset and some of their tribes taken as of Ephraim and Nepthalin the Citie of Samaria being by them inhabited was of the King of Syria enuironed and brought to a great famine the City of Ierusalem often besieged as once of Antiochus who did ransacke the Citie spoile the temple of her ornaments and brought many of the inhabitants to great miserie But for all this they did still continue in their crooked waies in working wickednesse following the steppes of Manasses and doing according to all that he did wherefore at last the Lord did suffer Nebukâ—dâ—noser the King of Babell with a great army of the Caldaeans to come vpon them and carrie them away captiues into Babylon where they did remaine for the space of seuentie yeares so that it is the opinion of the most Diuines that this Psalme was composed after their returning from captiuitie to put them in minde of their former miserie which they then did suffer although some are of the opinion that it was made long before as before hath been said In the Hebrew text wee haue no tide prefixed vnto his Psalme but in the Greeke copies there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in the old Latine Psalmaâ— Dauid proper â—…remiam Theodoret doth reiect this as too audacious to bee prefixed the reason he giues is because sereâ—… was neuer in Babylon but if yee marke the title aright you shall not finde any thing wherby he doth allo word â—aâ—low his being in Babylon but only in that this Psalme doth agree with the lamâ—â—nations which Ieremie made of their expâ—iuitâ—e by the spirit of prophesie therefore not to be so much reiected There is something found
braies and weepes to him for releife and so is taken Which let euery Christian man learn to follow this example that seeing himselfe beset with innumerable enemies wearied with the burthen of sin let him turne to the man Iesiu who is able and will deliuer him from all dangers O that we had mindes to consider our misdeeds hearts truly touched with a greife for sinne that they might relent and eies of a spongie humor that by the distillation of our teares we might bedeaw our faces that as Naâ—… was clean sed from his leprosie by washing in the riuer Iordan so wee being bathed in the pure fountaine of teares of a contrite heart may be thoroughly purged from the filthinesse of sinne There is a certaine riuer in Cecilia that if blacke sheepe be bathed in it there wooll shall turne white immediately such surely is the true nature of the fountaine of teares for if thy sinnes were as red as scarlet in them if thou bath thy selfe they shal be as white as wooll When Pharaohs daughter did di'cent into the riuer she found a babe lying among the flagges if thou discend into the riuers of teares thou shalt finde the babe Iesus comfortable to thy soule Lachryma enim lauat quod peccatumpolluit Teares will wash that which our sinneâ— hath defiled Teare are silent praiers they craue not and yet they obtaine pardon they plead not a mans cause and yet they receiue mercy saith Saint Ambrose Peter by weeping was remitted Susanna by weeping was deliuered from the false accusation Ezechias by lamenting was restored to his former health and his life prolonged let vs weepe then with Peter lament with Mary Magdalene mourne with Manasses that our soules may be cleared from Satans false accusation and our liues prolonged in that celestiall kingdome euerlastingly And lastly I come to the last obseruation betweene the behauiour of the godly and wicked The Citizens of Sion mourne for the want of it but the Citizens of Babilon neither remember Sion nor regard The wordly man may perhaps somtime weep but his â—e the tears of Esau only for want of the blessing because he cannot get some great bargaine to the vndoing of his poore brother The carnall man may sometimes be sorrie but it is the greife of Ammon because he cannot fulfill his lust with his sister Thamar The Enuious man may perhaps greiue but it is because of his brothers prosperous estate inuidus alteriâ—s rebus macrescit opimis the griefe of the wicked is only that they cannot do mischeife but the sorrow of a godly soule is when he wants some peaceable comfort to his soule Sion is his solace The remembrance of Sion in respect of the depriuation thereof is a great vexation vnto them The comfort that a godly man receiues by the word of God preached vnto him cannot be expressed of which when he is depriued like these Iewes in captiuitie what a heauinesse brings it to his tender heart Dauid being in banishment accounts this his greatest losse therefore he esteemes the sparrow and swallow happie because they had libertie to lay their young neere vnto the altar of God not that hee thought the birds did receiue any benefit hereby but that he out of his compassionate affection being rauished with a desire thereafter doth vtter this patheticall depriuation that he did want that which the birds did inioy when the minde of man by an heauenly contemplation is rapt into the heauen of peace to consider mans miserable estate in Babel and his ioyfull and happie estate in Sion he cannot expresse his greife without great lamentation herefore wee sigh and groane desiring to be dissolued and be with Christ Iesus da amantem sensit quod loquer euery soule that sighes for Sion and hath his cogitation there doth conceiue what I say O sancta Sion vbitotum stat nihil defluit O blessed Sion where there is no penurie no leading into captiuity nor no complaining in her streetes but peace and plenty within her borders for euermore happie shall he be that shal be admitted into her gates to pertake of her solace that hee may sing Halelutah vnto the lambe that sits vpon the throne for euer and euer Hauing ended my text right honorable right worshipfull and welbeloued it followes in the next place to speake of their iniquitie which was the cause of their miserie and to paralell them with the sinnes of these times wherein wee liue such as Idolatrie shedding of innocent blood pride drunkennesse lasciniousnesse and want of charity as the scripture doth set them downe vnto us but because the time hath preuented me I will only leaue them to your godly consideration first because I know these things haue been spoken against out of this place many times and therefore you are not ignorant of the heinousnes of them As also I speake vnto Christians that haue the word of God daily preached vnto them to diswade them from those and the like sinnes and therefore a shame for such to bee tainted with them it shal be easier for Sodome and Gomorah nay and Babel in the day of the Lords appearance then for this Citie because the word of God is so plentifully preached in it You right Honorable and worshipfull Magistrates of this Citie qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cooperatores dei estis Gods vicegerents or assisters vpon earth weigh diligently the charge that is committed vnto you remember that you are exalted to that place of dignitie to represse iniquitie let not your too mild meek spirit encourage the wicked to do euill for foolish pittie may mar the City Consider that the sword is not giuen vnto you in vaine but to take vengeance on them that do euill the daies are dangerous the people impious they will hardly obey but by constraint let sin be your subiect to suppresse it and the glorie of Sion the obiect of all your labors knowing that you stand alwaies in Gods sight from whose presence nothing can be hid I would to God that you had the spirit of Elias and zeale of Phineas to suppresse sinne in the action I would to God that the Magistrates of this City were like vnto the watchmen of Israel to search about the Corners thereof and finde out the abhominations therein to the oppressed be mercifull to the wicked fierce and terrible that you being faithfull in a little when your Lord and Master doth appeare he may make you rulers ouer great and exalt you to that blessed Sion to remaine with him for euermore And you honorable Iudges that are ordeined to determine the cause of the oppressed and to releiue the poore from wrong let not the greatnes of the person nor superiority of place cause you to haue any regard but only to the sinceritie of the cause But let all iust iudges that wish to inhabite blessed Sion haue only a respect vnto the truth of iustice quia non