TIMES LAMENTATION or An exposition on the prophet IOEL in sundry Sermons or Meditations Ierem. 13. 17. But if you will not heare this my soule shall weepe in secret for your pride and my eies shall weepe and drop downe teares bicause the Lords flocke is carried away captiue Bernard sentent The whole race of mankinde may lament these three things their birth full of vncleannesse their life pressed with wickednesse and their death in woefull danger AT LONDON Printed by Edm. Bollifant for George Potter 1599 TO THE RIGHT Honorable Sir Charles Blunt Lord Mountioy Knight of the most noble order of the Garter c. all earthly and heauenly felicitie RIght Honorable Lord Time is the measure of all things and therefore to shewe the misertes thereof is the fittest noueltie for our daies To consider the ancient or first time of the world which God created and approoued to be good Gen. 1. 4 5. where of one speaketh thus Flumina iam lactis iam flumina nectaris ibant Flauaque de viridi stillabant illice mella And this was called the golden age of the world wherein were riuers of milke and nectar and the rocks dropped downe honie where in was no destroying sword or pining sicknesse or burning hatred or wearisome labour to molest or disquiet the life of man would make vs either to woonder like fooles or to weepe like wise men But time is changed it was golden it was good it is wooden it is euill short was that time for it continued not many or as some thinke not any daies for sinne followed the creation therefore time may well clad her selfe in mourning weede and say with Iacob Few and euill are her daies Zimri was a king yet it lasted but seuen daies and then he burned himselfe aliue so time was glorious but seuen daies and then he burned himselfe aliue so time was glorious but seuen daies and then it fell into flames of woe that euery childe of time may weepe with Ierusalem Lament 4. 16. and say The crowne of our head is fallen woe now vnto vs that we haue sinned If I may be so bold with your Lordship to stand a little on the miseries of the world and to picke out here and there a consideration or an example from ancient historie whereunto your Lordship as vnto all other good learning haue deuoted your selfe I knowe that you will easily say with that princely-wisest Salomon that all is but vanitie and vexation of spirite and much commend the sorrowes and teares of Heraclitus who neuer laughed and of Serapion who euer weeped the one for the world the other for his sinnes If now your Honour aske me of the state of the world or the whole life of man liuing in the world what opinion I euer hold concerning the same I must answer you that it is the house of mourning and not one commeth thither but in all the partes of his life and profession he may truly say Quisquis non causas mille doloris habet that he was borne in sorrow and liueth in sorrow and dieth in greefe and is buried in lamentation though afterward he liue in glorie for ante mortem nemo beatus The world consisteth of two sorts of men of good men and euill good men doe euer sorrow for the worlde is their hell and euill men shoulde euer sorrow because God is their enimie the one for the affliction which they feele the other for the iudgement which they feare yea verily weeping seemeth so naturall in our sinfull state that ioy constraineth men to weepe For so we reade of Ioseph when he saw his brethren and met with his father and of Ptolemaeus Philadelphus when the Seuentie interpreters had finished the Bible and deliuered it to him he wept for ioy abundantly If we turne our eies to pitie the estate of the distressed although our selues haue not tasted of aduersitie yet this pitie if it be true pitie will enforce vs to greefe When Xerxes had his infinite huge armie in the fielde before him and tooke a view thereof he could not refraine from weeping to see the miserie of mankinde When Scipio had set Carthage on fire and sawe the flames there of soaring vp to the cloudes although he was their enemie yet the teares trickled downe his cheekes to beholde their ruine When Titus besieged Ierusalem and sawe euery day the infinite number of dead bodies throwne ouer the wals into the ditches which famished in the citie whereby he knewe their surpassing calamitie whereof himselfe was the cause yet in compassion of their estate he could not behold them but with waterie eies To goe yet farther in the affections if men be angrie they will easily mourne as Christ did ouer Ierusalem and thus you may beholde how ioy and loue and hatred and pitie and anger and desire doe call men to mourning Mourning and lamentation are so needefull that God hath made euery creature fit for the same The heauens haue their cloudes the earth hath his riuers and fountaines the beastes haue their roarings and howlings and the hard marble stones send foorth their fountaine teares Againe if we looke into the causes as we haue looked into the affections we shall perceiue that the same causes haue caused much mourning which pretended much reioycing Some will thinke that men hauing fine wits and hauing attained great knowledge being good Polititians the world will neuer frowne on them time shal neuer lament them but you know it is far otherwise for one saith too truly that the best clerks haue the worst fortunes For Socrates died in prison another by swallowing of a raw fish Aeschilus was brained with a tile Sophocles perished with a bunch of grapes the dogs tore Euripides in peeces Homer was famished Aristotle drowned and Glaucus an excellent Phisitian was put to death by Alexander and as Plutarch saith was crucified would not this make a man to mourne to see such rare wits haue such hard haps and may not Time well lament her vnwoorthinesse because she may not nurse such children Surely the Prophets haue for the most part tasted of this cup and violence hath brought them to their latter ende But peraduenture although the world doe frowne vpon schollers yet it laugheth vpon other for kings and souldiers liue in the world without all want But they are much deceiued Saul was a king yet he slew himselfe Caesar was a king but he was slaine in the Senate Valens was an Emperour yet flying to a shepherds cottage was burned therin Vigellius lost his eies Claudius Herminianus was eaten with woormes as Herod was Seuerus for very griefe did poyson himselfe as Annibal did and one said well if the people knew but the least part of a Princes cares they would thinke the cloth of state woorse then a russet coate And for soldiers or men most excellent in armes they are destinated to labour while they conquer and get fame and
put thee in minde of the maker Because thou art forgetfull let thine inheritance remember thee of heauen let thy purchase remember thee of regeneration let thy fruites remember thee of thy life let thy haruest remember thee of thy death let thy store remember thy soule and let all remember thy poore brother The reasons of this doctrine are these first because the most prophane and wicked idolaters Iere. 4. 17 18 19. thinke that the onely cause of multiplying the fruites of the earth is for the worship of God and therefore who but Atheists can denie the same vnto him for he onely it is that maketh them to growe and blesseth all our stores and therefore most vnthankfull wretches are wee if for all we should render him none againe And this is much to be feared that the little regard which is had hereof in our land is the onely cause why our former yeeres haue brought forth no greater plentie for if we generally regarde the multitude we shall finde that those which haue the greatest fieldes the largest barnes the widest patrimonies and most store of riches haue and do make most bolde with the Lord and come least into his presence Another reason of this doctrine may be this because these benefites are the promised blessings to them that loue him Deut. 28. 1 2 3. which ought euermore to put vs in minde of our loue to God that we might loue him more and more and so receiue of him more and more abundantly let vs I beseech you consider our estate and not fall away from our first loue for seeing we haue had in former times greater plentie then now we haue let vs knowe for certaintie that our store is lesse because our loue is lesse When the Gospell came first among vs how ioyfully did we followe it and how diligently heare it in so much as the preachers being but few we would haue giuen them our owne eies if it had beene possible to doe them good but now we are as wearie of them as the Israelites were of Moses when they would haue stoned him and therefore then were we filled with loue and with plentie but now we are emptied of godly care and plagued with mortall want The vses which arise from the consideration of this point are these first that we desire of the Lorde to haue pitie and care for our lande which is wasted and to cast his eies to our poore and penurious time offamine and dearth Deut. 11. 12. For alas our miserie groweth so great and incurable euery day more more that we haue great cause to feare least his long suffering turne into wrath and our pinching famine into death Who hath beene cast downe throughly not for a day but for a yeere in this occasion surely few or none and therefore is the Lorde as a stranger among vs and as one that tarrieth but for a night O my deere brethren let vs at the length yet learne the true and right way to remedie our euill and to encrease againe the fruites of the earth how haue our pastures beene drowned our medowes ouerflowed our corne blasted and our tilled lande made barren insomuch as we may see or might not long since haue seene how the hils and mountaines wept foorth whole streames of water for their barrennesse Let vs followe their example and be ruled by their line to doe the like for it as it hath done for vs. It is not we see in the planter or in the waterer but in the Lorde that giueth encrease of him let vs entreate this blessing that his hande may bee staied in time before all bee left destitute and the face of our countrey like the lande of Sodom let vs labour in praier as we haue done in tillage let vs bestowe as much cost in supplication to pacifie our glorious God as we haue done in husbandrie to amende our barren lande if he say but the worde all shall bee remedied Oh let vs powre foorth wordes and liues and harts and soules that this may bee remooued Another vse heereof seeing these creatures as great crops of corne large fieldes and other things must onely serue vs that wee may serue God then how fearefull a thing is it to abuse any of these whereby both the worship and workmanship of God are defaced therfore the holy Ghost admonisheth Rom. 14. 20. that we destroy not the work of God for meates sake Some surfet in their abundance to their death other disfigure the good shape of their bodies through pride and vanitie such as are yoong gallants and gentlewomen and the more they haue receiued the more they haue abused some in their ease and idlenes are growne like tunnes in compasse being vnfit for labour vnprofitable to any goodnes and vnwoorthy of any blessinges The labouring mans estate is much to be commended though it be poore yet it is happie he is an image of Adam created to worke he is an image of God created in righteousnes and the image of Christ created for calamitie his health is maintained by labour his bodie is refreshed with rest his minde is renewed with religion and his life is studious of the Lordes worship his hungry morsels make him more thankefull to God then the great delicates of the rich his bare bread and water or small drinke giue him more healthie nourishment then the fowles and dainties of the other his life is wearied with labour his minde is prepared for God and his soule is readie for rest Let vs all liue in this trauaile that we may die in this manner let vs keepe vnder our bodies and lustes as we refraine a yoong colte and let moe bridles of abstinencie and sinceritie curbe shorter all our pleasure and vanitie Another doctrine which we may gather out of this verse may be this that seeing the creatures of God do call vpon vs to worship him and therefore they be helpers vnto vs therein wee gather that our worship of God in this life cannot possiblie bee absolute and perfect that wee shoulde bee alway like affected and obserue time place order and zeale in our religion for heere wee see that the worship of God was violated bicause the fruites of the earth ceased our knowledge is obscured by naturall ignorance our time is omitted through sorrow sickenes care and worldly busines our harts are hindered through feare loue ioy pleasure vanitie and temptation and a thousand other waies shall wee finde that all we can doe in the Lordes seruice is but in part as Paul prooueth 1. Cor. 13. 9 10. How wicked are the bragges of them that boast of their vprightnes whereby they serue the Lorde thinking that there is nothing but of themselues they bee able to performe it But wee must know that the greatest doctor the learnedest preacher and the painfullest hearer cannot comprehende or teach or learne whatsoeuer is requisite to our saluation no not the whole church of God togither so
worthie learning not knowen to many learned kings and princes and this is true felicitie not felt of euerie one therefore Paul said I esteeme to know nothing but Christ and him crucified It maketh no matter to be ignorant of thy owne death if thou knowe the death of Christ it skilleth not to know what shall bee if thou know that he died for thee if thou know him his death will mortifie thee his wounds will wash thee and his stripes will saue thee He died wilt not thou repent He was condemned wilt not thou be saued He was crucified wilt not thou be sorrowful Study not to liue but to be leeue care not what shal be after thee in this world so thou be assured of the world to come Thou knowest not what shall be to morrow therefore repent to day thou knowest not whether God will hereafter therfore do it now learne this lesson speedily for as the Israelites could not gather Manna after the sunne was risen so thou canst not haue repentance after time is ouerpassed Seeing God concealeth many things from vs therefore let not vs curiously enquire after secret and hid things the which fault our Sauiour reprooueth in his disciples Act. 1. 7. In our times there be many which busie themselues about idle and vnprofitable questions as whether they shall know one another in the next life what God did before he made the world whether Christ should haue beene borne if Adam had stoode in innocencie and when or what time of the yeere shal be the latter day of which questions the schoolmen abound Againe there be other that thinke themselues verie christianly busied if they let alone the studie for knowledge the practise of prayer and the keeping of the morall law yea they are ignorant of the order of saluation but they turne to fro to find plat-formes of gouernment to speake against authoritie to erect new states and to prie and enquire into the secret liues and sinnes of men vnto whom I say with our Sauiour it is not for you to know these things I might wearie you to tell the conceits of them which take themselues for wise men and the dreames of the simpler sort vnto whom I say you teach and learne the lighter points of the lawe but iudgement and knowledge and sanctification you let alone Amend this fault for it is good to be ignorant of some things and what the Lord saith not beleeue not what is not disclosed enquire not what cannot be prooued receiue not and what the Lord hath silenced know thou not A meate offering we haue declared in the former chapter that there was no sacrifice but there was a meat and drink offering annexed vnto it for as the sacrifice was for God so was this for man And herein the Prophet teacheth vs seeing his desire is not for continuance of plentie or restitution of aboundance but for a meate offering and a drinke offering which was a small portion of meale and oyle and wine vsed in the seruice of God that we must rather impart our goods to the Lords worship then to the maintenance of our owne liues as Dauid did with the water of Bethleem 2. Sam. 23. 16. 17. I say wee must haue more care to serue God then to liue at ease and we must rather want for our selues then let religion go to the wall This I may teach but I know there are few that haue any wealth but had rather to depart with their profession church temple ministerie sacrifice gospell and God then with the Sarephthian widow to giue their little to Elijah I know what I speake I see much taken frō the Lord but little giuen to him Woe worth these lamentable times wherein already wise men may see that if want shoulde encrease surely the name of God would be forgotten vnles it were to be blasphemed Do we not see that a feast hath more guests then a sermon and a dinner more eaters then a church hath hearers Doe you thinke that they would desire but a meate offering for the Lords seruice nay rather they will weepe if their bellies be not serued before the Lord would they which gaine their meate by the life and sweat of other men do as Dauid did offer it to the Lorde no no we haue them among vs which care not what paine and danger and trouble they procure to other so themselues may eat the flesh drinke the best The first reason because it is the Lords portion that is allotted thereto Numb 18. 8. The Lord for the rent of all our goodes and lands which we holde of him as our cheefe Lorde hath reserued but two partes the one for the church and the other for the poore if we pay not these we forfeit all yea more then all into the hands of his maiestie Grudge not therefore at the charges of the gospel for thouseest how good thy farme is how smal thy rent is how large thy lease is how few are thy couenants and how easie to be kept depart with it willingly it is the Lords shal not the maister be serued before the man and shall not the Lord be paid though our cofers say nay O my brethren pay him cheerefully for you are bound by blood you are in danger to loose all and that woorthily if you giue not that little Another reason because it is better to die in miserie then to liue in impietie therefore it is better to liue godly with want then wickedly with abundance Psal 37. 16. A little thing that the righteous hath is better then the great riches of the vngodly Therefore serue the Lord before thy life and preferre his worship before thy appetite let not distrust hinder it the Lorde hath ynough for thee let not pouertie stay thee for thou must liue by the worde as well as by bread doe not refraine because thou hast little for if thou hadst much he can scatter and hauing little he can multiplie it Feare not want in age doubt not of helpe in sicknesse and despaire not of a supply when all is spent as God commanded thee The first vse we must knowe that God loueth that most deerely which we offer to him with the hazard of our owne want for this cause did our Sauiour so much commend the action of the poore widow Luc. 21. 4. before all the abundant offerings of the wealthy saying that her two mites were more then all theirs because she did it of meere loue to the Lord but the other of superfluitie And we if we haue any minde to the like commendation let vs put on the like affection although wee labour with our hands watch aboue our howers and fast aboue our ordinarie to giue the bread of our liues into the treasurie of the Lorde Neither ought wee to thinke but that the Lord doth highly accept the willing and rich offerings of the wealthy especially if they reserue it from vaine and proud expences