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
immortalitie and shall not returne unto earth againe Our water shall be glorified with impassibilitie and shall not be subiect to any passion or sufferings which may hurt and grieve us Our aire shall have such agilitie and promptnesse * Aug de Civit. dei lib 22. cap. 30. Certe ubi volet Spiritus ibi protinus orit corpus that it shall quickly carry the body wheresoever the soule will have it to go Our fire shall be beautified with the most wonderfull light of all fairenesse If the x Exod. 34.29 30. skin of Moses face after he had beene fortie dayes with God in MouÌ„t Sinai shone so brightly that the people was afraid to come nigh him how brightly I pray you shal shine the bodies of the Saints when they shal be transported by the holy Angels unto Mount Sion and enlightened with the glorious light of the face of God shining upon them night and day world without end The Lord Iesus himself saith that y Mat. 13.43 the righteous shall shine foorth as the Sunne in the kingdome of their father And the holy Apostle saith that z Phil. 3.20 21. wee looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may bee fashioned like unto his glorious body In his transfiguration which was but a praeludium of his glorification a Mat. 17 2. his face did shine as the Sun his rayment was white as the light If such was the glory not onely of his body but of his raiment also when hee was upon earth how wonderfull and glorious is his body now in heaven And if our bodies are to be like unto his in glory what hart can conceive what speech can expresse the greatnes of that glory How radiaÌ„t glittring shall then be the beams of the glorious bodies of all the Saints together when each of us shall bee so glorious So then saith S. Bernard allegorizing the words of the psalm a Psalm 72.19 The whole earth shall bee filled with his glory b Bern. ibid. So will GOD fill our soules when in them shall bee perfect science perfect righteousnes perfect ioy So the whole earth shall bee filled with his glory when the bodie shall be incorruptible impassible nimble and fashioned like unto his glorious body VI. But what is all this that I have said or can say of eternall life It is as if I should paint the fair light of the Sun with the blackest coale O the last comfort of the Christian man how blessed art thou ô blessed life of them that hunger and thirst after thee how comfortable art thou for the thing which we shall enjoy in thee for the meanes for the measure for the time for the certainty for the place for the companions of that coÌ„fortable blessednes of that blessed comfort The thing shall bee God himselfe c Ber. Deus omne bonum summum bonum God who is all goodnes God who is the soveraigne good Now wee make our mone with David and say * Psalm 42.2 23. My soule thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appeare before GOD But as Lyranus saith upon the sixt chapter of S. Iohn Is status est vita aeterna ut faciat tuÌ„c Deus ut videamus quod credidimus manducemus quod esurivimus habeamus quod amavimus desideravimus Eternall life is a state wherein God will make us to see that which we beleeved to eat that for which wee were hungry to have that wch wee loved and desired The means shall be no means wee shall enjoy him by himselfe immediately As Saint Iohn saith that d Rev. 22 22 23 hee saw no Temple in the heavenly Ierusalem for the Lord God Almightie and the Lamb are the Temple of it and the City saith he also had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it the Lamb is the light thereof The measure shall bee e Luke 6 38. good measure pressed downe and shaken together and running over given into our bosome For f Bernard Deus futurus est intellectui plenitudo lucis voluntati multitudo pacis memoriae continuatio aeternitatis nam quicquid olim inchoavit praeparavit gratia tunc absolvet perficiet gloria God shall bee to our minde fulnesse of light to our will multitude of peace to our memory continuatioÌ„ of eternity then whatsoever grace hath begun in us glory will make it perfect The time shall not be g Aug. in Mat. sor 17Vbi sunt dies bow nec multi sed uâ—â—s Dies ille nescit ortum nescit occasum illi diâ—â— non succedit crastinus quia non pracedit tum besternus many daies but one A most wonderfull day A day which hath no rising no setting A day which is not followed by another because another day is not gone before it h Psalm 30.5 Weeping soiourneth in the evening but singing commeth in the morning We are now in the evening of our misery and therefore weeping sojournes journes with us wee shal be then in the morning of our felicity Then i Mal. 4.2 the Sunne of righteousnes shall arise unto us Sunne whereof the Prophet saith k Esay 60 20. Thy Sun shall no more goe downe neither shall the Moone withdraw it self for the Lord shall bee thine everlasting light the daies of thy mourning shall bee ended The place shall be new heavens and a new earth wherin dwelleth righteousnes If this heaven which we see enamelled with so many bright glistering starres be so glorious if this earth which is diapred with such a pleasant and profitable diversity of so many creatures and is inhabited by sinners be so faire how glorious will the new heavens bee how faire will the new earth be which are prepared to be the blessed habitation of righteous men The certainty shall be most certaine l Aug. do civ Doi l. 12 c. 13. Quomodo enim vera beatitudo est de cuius nunquam aeternitate confiditur for that cannot be true blessednes of the eternity whereof we are not assured The companions shall bee all the blessed Angels and all the Elect who then shall knowe one another even as in the transfiguration m Mat. 17 4 Peter knew Moses Elias whom before hee had never seen the n Luke 16 23 rich man being in hell knew Lazarus in Abraham's bosome VII O wonderfull dispensation of the justice and mercies of the Lord our God! o Chrysost in ep ist 3. ad Cyriac. Episc The tyrants and persecuters shall see know God's deare children whom they martyrized and p Sap. 5.4 5. whose life they accounted madnesse and their end disgrace infamy Seeing and knowing them they shall groane with anguish of spirit and say with the sobs of too too late repentance q Psal 144.15
such disciples of ryot are an ample Commentary u Eccles 3.12 There is nothing better for a man than to reioyce and to do good to himselfe in his life and also that every man should eat and drink and enioy the good of his labour it is the gift of God This was the Philosophie of another rich man in the Gospell x Luke 16 19 who was clothed in purple and fine linnen and fared sumptuously everie day and ere hee was aware was buried in the bottomelesse pit of hel where one drop of that sweet water wherein poore Lazarus doth swim would bee more welcom to him to cool his tongue than all the deceiving pleasures which hee enjoyed during the flying dayes of his short life That is the place ordained to all his school-fellows where then if not till then they shall condemne all their former courses and with Salomon y Eccles 2.2 say of laughter It is mad and of mirth what doth it VIII Oh that the force of reason could move them if they will not be moved with the authority of Scriptures How can riches bee mans blessednes a Aug. de mor. Eccles cathol Hominis optimū deterìus esse quà m ipsae homo non potest Mans blessednesse cannot bee worse than man himself Are not the best riches worse than the worst man What are they but b Hab. 2.6 thick clay as Habacuc cals thē which c Bern. Qua possessa onerant aemata inquinant amissa cruciant if ye possesse they are a heavy load unto you which if yee love they defile you which if yee lose they are a crosse unto you Surely if they could speake they would say d Thom. 12a q. 2. art 1. in conclus Man is not made for us but wee are made for man as it is written e Psal 8.6 Thou hast put all things under his feet Therefore man is our end and blessednesse but wee are not the end wee are not the blessednesse of man How can honour bee mans blessednes f Arist 1 Aethic c. 5 Blessednes is in him who is happy but honour is not in him who is honoured it is rather in him who doth honour Moreover g Thom. ib. art 2. in conclus honour is given to some excellencie there is no excellencie to be compared with blessednes whereof all kinde of excellencie is a part wherefore honor is a publike testimony rendred to blessednes is not so good as blessednesse is The same may bee saide of glory of good fame which follow mans blessednesse such as he may have in this world but are no part of it How can h Ibid. Art 4. Power and Authoritie bee mans blessednesse Is it not particular to some few And among all men are there any so vexed with troubles without with cares and griefe within as such men are In blessednesse there is no care no vexation of spirit but full content Who will say that i Ibid. 6. Conclus mans reasonable and immortall soule cannot come to blessednesse but by wallowing like a sow in the muddye pleasures of the mortal body They like Scorpions have stinging tailes as Salomon who knew them better than any man saith affirming that k Pro. 14.13 the end of mirth is heavines I might run through all the faculties and gifts both of body and soule and shew you that blessednesse is not in any of them apart nor in thē all together but that which I have said is sufficient to convince all them which hold for Principles and Maximes of their faith that blessed are they that are rich that are full that laugh c. and cry Woe woe woe unto them that are poore that are hungry that mourne c. CHAP. II. 1. Iesus Christ curseth them which laugh c and calleth them blessed which weepe 2. Three necessarie properties required in blessednes 3. They cannot be found but in God alone 4. Our blessednesse is the vision or fruition of God 5. What men are not blessed 6. Who are blessed I. SEe now iudge that God hath not said without a pregnant cause to such men 1 Esa 55.8 My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my wayes higher than your wayes and my thoughts than your thoughts For our Lord Iesus Christ in the Gospel of S. Luke curseth them whom they doe blesse and cryeth m Luk. 6.24 Woe unto you that are rich woe unto you that are full wo unto you that laugh now On the other part hee blesseth them whom they curse saying n Luk. 6.21 Blessed bee yee poore for yours is the kingdome of God blessed are ye that hunger now for ye shall be filled and in my text Blessed are ye that weepe now for ye shall laugh or as the words are in S. Matthew Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted These sentences are paradoxes and giddie conceits to the world but to the Church they are Maximes of truth and propositions more firme than the heaven which o Iob 37.18 is strong as a molten looking-glasse and more immoveable than the earth which p Psal 104 5. God hath founded upon her bases that it should not be remooved for ever For they were conceived in the breast of God the Father who is wisedome it selfe and were pronounced by the Sonne of God who is the substantiall word of the Father even q 1. Ioh. 5.20 the true God and eternall life Let us then be deaf to the hoggish sayings of men but let us I pray you let us this day and all the dayes of our lives listen seriously to our Lord Iesus Christ saying that those which weepe and mourne are blessed and shewing that their weeping shall be turned into joy because they shal be comforted O then give care to the wisedome of God teaching you by me this day what persons are blessed that thereafter he may cheere up your hearts with the most comfortable doctrine of the comforts wherein their blessednes consisteth II. Blessednesse is to bee considered eyther in the obiect or in the fruition and enioying of it The obiect of it is all good things that a godly mans heart can desire By good things understand not any of those visible creatures of God which we now enioy for r Rom. 14.17 the kingdome of God the possessing wherof is our blessednesse is not meat and drinke that is it consisteth not in any outward thing but is righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost proceeding from things more excellent as it is written ſ 1. Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him This then is their first propertie that they are not of this world Moreover they must be eternall and exempt from all alteration and corruption
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
doe no better vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their filthy conversation and unlawfull deeds Is not Christendome as filthy as Sodome and shall we finde amongst us all one Lot whether out-lander or home-bred that is vexed therwith When David lived a private life and had not the power in his hand to represse wicked men what he might that hee did d Psal 119 53 136. Horror tooke hold upon him because of the wicked that had forsaken Gods law rivers of waters ran downe his eyes because they kept it not The forsaking of Gods Law is an indifferent thing unto us wee discourse wee eate wee drinke we take pleasure in wicked men that transgresse it O how was that holy man moved with blaspheming and cursing when hee said to his God The zeale of thine house hath eaten me up e Psal 69 9 11. the reproches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me Therefore I wept and chastened my soule with fasting and that was to my reproach The ayre is infected with blaspheming and cursing who is eaten up with the zeale of the house of God and of his glory to refraine it At the least who fasteth who weepeth when hee cannot refraine it If God should send his Angell through the middest of this City as he did f Ezech. 9.4 the man clothed with linnen through the midst of Ierusalem to set a marke upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof I doubt not but hee should finde some sighing and shedding teares abundātly For whersoever the visible Church is God hath there one or another that belongeth to his election but I feare that the number would be very scant and few Where justice hath erected her sea where Lawyers pleade at the barre there is prevarication and briberie where there is a crowd and many halls of trafficking men and of divers societies of tradesmen there must needes be Monopolies ingrossing cousenage forswearing and robbery Where there are so many Tavernes so many Ale-houses there is idlenes unnecessary wasting and lecherie where every where yee see nothing but pompe but sumptuousnesse but riot but gorgeousnesse and braverie yee shall not lye if yee say that there is too much pride and vanitie As a bigge and wel-fed body is full of ill humours so in a great Citie such as this is there are many irregular and carelesse Citizens And as standing waters turne into mud and breed frogges and toads so a long peace begets a crue of uglie and noysome vices and a packe of base and lewd fellowes If we could g Ezec. 8.8 9 10. digge in the wall as Ezechiel did how many creeping things how many abominable beastes should we see not purtrayed but living and mooving in the Temples of many mens hearts who have a fare shew in the flesh and seeme to our charitable judgement the honestest men that ever are bread Oh! if wee could know them we would or at least we should mourn NOW as h Ezra 9.3 Neh. 13.23 Ezra did once for the unlawfull marriages which they had contracted with the women of Ashdod even with strange and beastly affections Wee would NOW weepe in secret places for their pride as Ieremiah did and that which was commanded to Ezechiel i Ezech. 6.11 to smite with his hand to stampe with his foote and to say Alas for all the abominations of the house of Israel that would wee or should we doe NOW for al the enormous and most wicked sinnes of the reformed Churches The holy Apostle k 2. Cor. 12.21 Paul was humbled among the Corinthians bewayled many which had sinned and had not repented of the uncleannesse and fornication and lasciviousnesse which they had committed If this Church were but one Parish if we might know every mans and womans carriage in it I thinke that wee should rather want tears in our eyes than matter to provoke them to weep for such sinnes The same Apostle rebuked sharpely l 1. Cor. 5.2 the Corinthians because they mourned not that the incestuous man might be taken away from among them Alas alas what is riot what is pride what is taverning what is lasciviousnesse but committing of spirituall incest with the divell There was but one incestuous of that kinde in Corinth there are NOW too many of this kinde amongst us and we weep not Now. m 2 Cor. 2.7 That incestuous man sorrowed repented wept yea hee was almost swallowed up with over-much sorrow these incestuous persons will seeme honest men and weepe not for n Hosea 4.11 whoredome and wine yea the excellent wine take away the heart o Ier. 6.23 24. Iehoiakims Courtiers are threatned with great plagues because when the King had cut the roll wherein the word of God was written and cast it into the fire they were not afraid rent not their clothes wept not My heart quakes my soule shakes my flesh faints my haire stares my tongue cleaveth to my jawes and words are dryed up in my mouth whē I begin to cōplaine that not the word of God but his glorious body is most cruelly ignominiously dismēbred that no word is spokē by many without an oath and no oath without wounds passion body pockes c. that at each of those blasphemies God is most vilely named and none yea not one of those that stand by open their mouths to reprove it yea yea doe not so much as sigh as frowne as shiver as thrust one one drop of teares from their hornie eyes to condemne it VI. O sweet Iesus thou seeing the malice of the Iewes p Mark 3.5 lookedst round about on them with anger beeing grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts O most glorious Sonne of God! Thou who art q Rom. 9.5 over al God blessed for ever didst r Luk. 19.41.44 weep over Ierusalem because shee knew not the time of her visitation O zealous and blessed Apostle when thou wast at Athens ſ Acts 17.16 thy spirit was stirred in thee seeing the Citie wholly given to Idolatry If ye were beyond sea yea if ye could enter into a Recusants closet yee should see so manie Idols that yee vvould wonder that men men calling themselves Christians should be they of whom it is written that t Rev. 9.20 21. they repented not of the vvorkes of their hands that they should not vvorship Divels Idols of gold and silver brasse stone and of wood vvhich neyther can see nor heare nor vvalk More would ye wonder if ye did see them worshipping in stead of Iesus Christ a peece of dough rosted upon a paire of tongs But alas whose spirit would wex eager at it That which is written of the Priests People Princes of Israel is true of them u Hos 5.4 Their doings will not suffer them to turn unto their God for the spirit of whoredomes is in
others which have no hope he forbiddeth you not to be waile your dead for it is impossible to fight against the motions of nature Did not u Gen. 23.2 Abraham the father of the faithfull mourne and weepe for Saâ—ra Did not x Gen. 50 1.10 Ioseph weepe upon his dead father and kisse him did not all his sonnes bury him with a very great and sore lamentation Did not y Num. 20.29 all the congregation of Israel mourne for Aaron thirty dayes Did a Deut. 34.8 they not weep for Moses as many dayes Did not David weepe for b v 2. Sam. 1.17 Saul for x 2. Sam. 3.32 Abner and for his sonne y 2. Sam. 18.33 Absalom and did not our Lord Iesus Christ a Ioh. 11.35 weep for Lazarus Did not b Act. 8.32 the devout men of Ierusalem make great lamentations over Steven Did not c Act. 9.39 the Christian widdowes of Lydda weepe for Dorcas when she was dead V. The thing which the Apostle forbiddeth is weeping such as is the weeping of the Gentiles which is immoderate because they have no hope One of them seeing hee must needes pay the last tribute to nature go the way of all the earth as he was dying made an heavy mone for his soul saying d Spartiani Adrianus Animula vagula blandula Hospes comesque corporis Quae nune abibis in loca Pallidula rigida nudula Nec ut soles dabis iocos O my restlesse my gentle my sweet soule soule which hast been a friendly guest and companion of my body O how wanne how cold how bare and empty is the place whither thou must now goe neyther shalt thou hereafter make me merry The rest had no better hope if they spake not so they thought no lesse But we know that e Ioh. 5.24 hee that beleeveth in Christ hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life therefore we must not weepe for our dead immoderately as Gentiles doe but moderately as Christians doe In f Ier 9.17 18. Ieremiah his time there was an heathnish custome among the Iewes Praficae mulieres to hire mourning women who were accustomed to take up a wailing for their dead and that g Chrysost ad Popul Antiochen homil 69. 70. profane custome was in the Church in S. Chrysostomes dayes It is now banished out of the Church But that w eh we doe is not much unlike unto it wee teare our faces with our nails we pull the haire out of our heads we rend our clothes wee yell wee roare wee howle like beasts and shew indeed that wee are without hope so great hypocrites or that we consisider not what wee are doing Chrysostome said that h Ex ostentatione potius ambitione inani gloria sunt c. there is more ostentation ambition and vaine glory than true sorrow in such weeping for a man may weep bitterly in his closet and not make such a shew Yea in such weeping there is great shame and great offence offered to our most holy religion For how shall we speak of the immortality of the soule to them which beleeve no such thing how shall wee perswade them to beleeve i Tertull. de Resurrect Carnis Fiducia Christianorum resurrectio mortuorum the rising again faith of Christians when by such yelling wee make them to beleeve that death is as horrible unto us as unto them for they heed not what we beleeve but what we doe And how shall we our selves contemne death if wee shew so great impatience when our friends die IV. Hearken then and learne how to weep for the dead doe yee consider death as it is k Rom 6.23 the wages of sin Weep Consider it also as it is through Christ l Ioh. 5.24 a passage to life and weep not Doe ye consider how your dear friend whom ye loved so tenderly is by death become so ugly and loathsome that ye are constrained with m Gen. 23.4 Abraham to bury him out of your sight lest he become suddenly a stinking carrion Weep CoÌ„sider also that through Christ his grave is made a Doctor unto him and weepe not Doth experieÌ„ce make you to say that by and by he shall bee dust and ashes Weepe But send for faith and it will tell you that though hee sleep now in the dust of the earth n Dan. 12.2 he shal awake to everlasting life according to the comfortable saying of Christ to Martha o Iohn 11 25 26 I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeveth in mee though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and beleeveth in me shall never dye For in that blessed day of the resurrection of the righteous Christ p Phil. 3.21 shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body Heer is the comfort of your faith The Pagans speaking of a dead man were wont to say q Scal. Castigat in Festum verbo AbitioneÌ„ FUIT He was because they were without hope for the time to come But your r Rom. 5 5. hope which maketh not ashamed teacheth you to say ERIT He shall be They said also m Tert. de testimonio animae adver Gent. c. 4. Abijt iam sed reverti debet Hee is gone but he will come again not shewing that they had any hope of the resurrection as Tertullian deemed but seeking Euphemisms fair words having a sense repugnaÌ„t to their mind to shew that they esteemed all dead men to be lost In that same sense they said VIXIT He did live and therefore they called him n Ibid. Cúm alicuius defuncti recordaris miselluÌ„ vocas cum miserable If yee consider your dead brother as departed out of this life because of sinne say He did live and weep but knowe ye not that o 1. Sam. 25.29 his soule is bound in the bundle of life with the Lord his God Therfore say VIVIT Hee liveth say Hee is blessed and weep not p Rev. 14 13 For blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Beleeve yee not that they are past from death to life Wherefore then weep ye Will ye bee injurious to our Lord Iesus Christ Will yee deny the vertue of his death Will ye forsake the merit thereof Knowe yee not that his death is to us which beleeve the death of our death and the life of our life Then weep not O but he was my loving husband she was my vertuous wife thou hast had some losse weep but thy losse is their gaine They are gone to the marriage-supper of the Sonne of God and it is written Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage-supper of the Lamb. These are the true sayings of God Therefore weep not Alas hee was mine onely sonne the heire of all my goods and now alas to whom shall I leave them
Thy losse is great weep his advantage is greater He is gone to his heavenly Father hee is now his heir Thou couldst give him but earthly goods those which hee enjoyeth are celestiall Thine are perishable death would have constrained him to leave them to another those which hee now possesseth are everlasting and are not subject unto losse If thy son were in credit with the King I thinke thou shouldst laugh and not weep hee is in credit with the King of kings and in great felicity in his presence and if hee could send thee tidings from heaven he would admonish thee to leave thy goods to thy poore kinsmen and according to the commandement of the Apostle q 1. Tim. 5.3 first to shew pietie at home and next to strangers that are needy Therefore weep not He was a godly man and well-away I am bereft of his godly and fruitfull conversation That affliction is great to thee weep but thy crosse is his crown And therfore if thou lovedst him as much as thou lovest thy self thou wouldest rather rejoyce for him than weep for thy self Weep for wicked men for they are with the divell yea saith r Ad pop Antioch hom 69. NaÌ„ si lugendum est diabolum oporteret lugero c. Chrysostom If ye would weep yee should weep for the divell himselfe Rather let the divell weep for himselfe because he is damned let wicked men weepe for theÌ„selves because they are tormented But let us rejoyce for good and godly men because they are with God and are saved VII This hath ever been the doctrine of the Christian Church which to withdraw those of the Gentiles that beleeved from mourning crying at funerals was accustomed to celebrate the funerals of Christians with singing of psalms Å¿ Chrysost ibid. hom 70. and the words which they sung were t Psalm 23.4 I will feare no evill for thou art with mee Item u Psalm 32.7 Thou art my hiding-place thou shalt preserve me from trouble as also x Psalm 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my soule for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee CoÌ„sider now and behold God calls death a benefit why then dost thou weep Thou wilt weep for the welfare of thine enemy because thou hat'st him wilt thou make thy friend his companion and weepe also for his weale The Apostle forbidding us to weepe as the Gentiles doe biddeth us y 1. Thes 4.18 comfort one another with these words of the resurrection If notwithstanding we weepe as the Gentiles doe I say that weeping when we should we weepe not as we should VIII I say the same of all those which when they are rebuked of sinne will weepe and yet leave not off to sinne The Scripture saith that a 1. King 21.25 26 27. there was none like unto Achab which did sell himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord. Yet when he heard the judgments of God denounced against him he rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sackecloth and went softly O how bitterly hee wept O how dolefully hee mourned To looke on him yee would have said This is a penitent man But immediately after b 1. Kin. 22.6.27 he giveth heede to false Prophets he casteth Micaiah the Prophet of the Lord in prison and surceaseth not from sinning till God kill him Doubtlesse Cain wept mourned when hee saide to God c Gen 4.13 My iniquitie is greater than I can beare Neverthelesse he did not forbeare to sinne but waxed worse and worse Such men saith d Greg. Pastoralis Curae 1. parte Flendo inanitâ—r se muÌ„dant qui vivendo se nequiter inquinant Gregory Wash themselves in vaine with teares because they beray themselves by their naughtie lives and practise that which is said in a Proverbe e 2. Pet. 2.22 The dogge is turned to his own vomit againe and the sow which was washed to her wallowing in the mire what is such weeping but increasing of sinne Thou weepest for sinne because thou knowest that it is an evill thing And yet thou goest backe unto it againe as if thou soughtest to shed teares to steepe in them the dirt of thy sinnes that as a sow thou maist wallow with full content in myrie water As when Balaam wished with sighing f Numb 23.10 Let me dy the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his yet after that hee sought to curse the righteous and gave a pernicious counsell to the King of Moab against them what did he but heape sinne upon sinne and aggravate his owne condemnation CHAP. X. 1. OF them that weepe not when they should weepe for their owne sinnes 2. Nor for the sins of other men 3. Nor for the afflictions of the Church I. BUt how alas how are they increased that weepe not How many see wee before our eyes every day benummed with a spirit of slumber who g Cypr. de Laps Quando debuerant stare iacuerunt quando iacere prosternere se Deo debent stare se opinantur when they should stand fall and when they should fall stand who when they should resist sinne and stand fast for their souls against the wiles of the divell fall into sinne and when they should fall on their faces with sad hearts and moist eyes before the throne of the mercy of God stand straight like Idols in Popish Churches are no more mooved than if they had done nothing amisse h Ibid. Ante admissum facinus improvidi post facinus obstinati nec prius stablles nec postmodum supplices neyther carefull to stand before they sinne nor to pray and weepe after they have sinned Ieremiah powred out his heart like water before the face of the Lord his teares did run downe like a river day and night he gave himselfe no rest the apples of his eyes ceased not to weepe for the ruine and destruction of the Temple builded with stones k Heb. 9.4 wherein was the Arke of the Covenant the golden Censor the golden pot that had Manna Aarons rod that budded and the Tables of the covenant l Chrysost ad Popul Antiochen homil 22. Si morientibus compaâ—imuâ— quis tam sine misericordia est qui animam suam morientem non deploret And they weepe not for their soules which are more holy and have dwelling in them the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost even the holy Trinitie They will weepe for a dead man though a fremme body if they know him And they are so desperate that they cannot weepe for the death of their best friend of the guest and companion of their body of their immortall soule which is dead in sinne m Rom. 8.22 Every creature groaneth and travelleth in paine together untill now for the vanity of man and man even hee that calleth himselfe a Christian man is a dullard and unsensible of his owne
iniquitie II. They weepe not for their owne sinnes look not that they should weepe for the sinnes of other men What S. Cyprian said of the sinnes of the Churches of this time I may say truly of those of this time n Cypr. de Lapsis Studebant augendo patrimonio singuli non in sacerdotibus religio devota non in ministris fides integra non in operibus misericordia non in mori bus disciplina c. Every man is giveÌ„ to augmeÌ„t his patrimonie There is no devotion in Priests no fidelity in Ministers no mercy in our works no discipline in our manners Men have disguised beards womeÌ„ have painted faces the eyes disdaining to bee as God made theÌ„ are counterfeited the hayre is dyed with a lying colour To deceive the hearts of simple ones what see ye but crafty dealing To intrap oppresse the brethren but deceitfull desires For all that there is no weeping III. For such sinnes many plagues are come upon forrein Churches Yee see nothing there but remarkeable spectacles of calamitie of misery of the follie or rather furie of men of the vanitie of the world That toucheth not the hearts of a great many of us 'T is a great pittie that they should bee without pittie I have compassion on them that they should bee without compassioÌ„ Nothing can penetrate their hardnesse no commiseration no Christian charitie can sinke into their hearts Apply to them the words of the Prophet o Amos 6.3 4 5 6. They put far away the evill day they cause the seat of violence to come neere they lye upon beds of Ivory they stretch themselves upon their couches they eate the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall they chaunt to the sound of the violl invent to themselves instruments of musicke like David they drinke wine in bowles and anoint themselves with the chief oyntments but they are not grieved for the affliction of Ioseph I will not apply to them the words following because I hope God shall give them repentance CHAP. XI 1. EXcuses of those which weepe not 2. Men loaden with sorrow will not weepe 3. Difference betweene the weeping of Hypocrites and of sincere Christians 4. Exhortation to those which cannot weepe to imitate the example of Zacheus 5. If we can weepe for our worldly losses and not for our sinnes we are Hypocrites 6. Exhortation to ioyne weeping with fasting 7. Christian weeping is a a gift of God 8. Prayer for the gift of weeping I. I Heare their excuses they say that many honest and godly men cannot weepe That many Hypocrites will weepe that Zacheus dry repentaÌ„ce was as acceptable to Christ as the whores Peters weeping repeÌ„taÌ„ce II. I know that the heart is sometimes so loaden and overwhelmed with sorrow that it cannot ease it selfe by weeping A man will shed many teares for the death of his dear friend and shall not finde one teare in his eyes to weep for the death of his onely sonne p Lam. 3.28 29. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence hee putteth his mouth in the dust he is filled with sorrow q Mediocres dolores lugent ingentes stupent Meane griefes will make a man weepe and mourne but those which are exceeding great will drive him into a dump and make him senselesse As the Fables tell of Niobé the rich and faire mother of 6 sons and 6 daughters that after shee had lost them all in one day she was hardned into a stone because Å¿ Cicero 3. Tuscul Niobé fingitur in lapides propter aeternum credo in luctu silentium shee was so dismayed with that sudden heavie affliction that she could neither speak weep nor lament Those of whom I speak are not of this kinde As there are no teares in their eies so there is no sorrow in their hearts for there is no token of amazednesse in their countenaÌ„ce they have a laughing face the beautifull red of their cheekes is a cleer token of the joy of their hearts they are lustie they are merry their delight is to make good cheer although they are ashamed not to fast when the Church fasteth yet they like feasting better than fasting III. I knowe also that an hypocrite will easily weep namely at the preaching when he heares a patheticall and perswasive Preacher who can bow and turne the mindes of â—â—e hearers to any affection yea hee will rather rub his eyes with an onion than he should not weep when godly men weep and make art to do that which nature will not doe Such were the hypocrits of whom Christ said that t Mat. 6 16 they dis-figured their faces that they might appeare unto men to fast When they fasted at home they sought to make it known abroad Hypocrits weep before men but in their Closets in their Couches their eyes are drier than dry sticks they cannot say with David u Psal 6.6 All the night make I my bed to swim I water my couch with my tears nor with Ieremiah that x Ier. 13 17 they weep in secret places for the sinnes and affliction of the Church This is a sure marke of an hypocrite If thou canst weep abroad not at home in the Church not in thy Couch for another mans misery or for thine owne iniquitie thou art an hypocrite Image-makers Statuaries and Painters will draw with most lively and resembling colours the feature of the face the hands the feet and of other outward parts but they care not for the inward parts neither can their art and skil attaine to the resembling of them they will set out in quick colours a faire flowre but they cannot so much as delineate the vertue therof The hypocrite is such a cunning Painter 〈…〉 counterfeit true devotion by sighing by sobbing by weeping by such outward shewes of sorrow and set a mourning face on a glad heart the reformation whereof he heeds not But nature beginnes with the heart and first forms the inward parts which afterwards it begirdeth with bones tyeth together with sinews clotheth with flesh covereth with a faire skinne and fashioneth by little and little the outward parts So the blessed man y Psalm 32.2 in whose spirit there is no guile offereth first to his God a Psalm 51.17 the sacrifice of a contrite and broken hart which by and by and unawares bursts foorth into sighing sobbing weeping mourning and all externall shewes of sorrow because the body cannot chuse but sympathize and jump in all kinde of affections and passions with the soule by reason of the strait union that is between them IV. Now if there bee any of you whose eyes are of horne and cannot weepe is his heart of stone that it caÌ„not sorrow nor shew by outward tokens that it sorroweth indeed Yee say that b Luke 19.2 Zacheus wept not because yee reade not that he wept Then rejoyce as hee rejoyced He was little of stature
but he was great in faith By faith he ran by faith hee climbed up into a tree to see Iesus by faith he made haste by humility hee came downe by charity hee received Christ into his house joyfully Rejoice after that manner and receive Christ into thy house that rejoycing will be as acceptable to Christ as weeping By true charity he gave half his goods to the poore yea if hee wept not hee sorrowed to repentance after a godly maner he gave fourefold to them whom he had cousened If thou wilt not doe as much as he did do as he did restore unto thy neighbour that wherein thou hast deceived him in this day of thy devotion give a charitable devotion to the poore make that their feasting which thou hast spared by fasting and seeing thou canst not weepe for thy selfe make them which weep for themselves laugh that they rejoycing for theÌ„selves may weep and pray for thee Almes excels weeping V. But I fear this is a shift If wee can shead tears enow for the losse of our goods let us not excuse the constitution of our bodies rather let us accuse the corruption of our soules if we caÌ„not also weep for offending God For he that forroweth indeed to repentance will bee more deeply feelingly troubled with the loss of the favour of his good God than of all the world besides VI. Now what grief and vexation a worldly loss is unto us we know all Let us lay aside all frivolous excuses and let us now in the face of the blessed Angels and of this holy Assembly pray and sigh to GOD with tears and lamentations of true repentaÌ„ce let us not seeke to asswage our mourning let us seek to increase it that this day our hearts may grone and our eies weep sore run down with teares for the distressed members of the Church of Christ Iesus Let us joyne our hearts with their hearts our eies with their eies our tongues with their tongues that all together with one heart and one mouth wee may sigh weep mourn pray for their deliverance for the continuation of this happy and long peace amongst us VII Such weeping is a gift of God As waters came not out of the hard rocke c Numb 20.10 til Moses with his rod smote it twice so the rivers of teares will never flow from our hearts of stone till the Lord Iesus smite them often with the rod of his mouth soften them with the mightie and powerfull blowes of his holy Spirit 'T is the spirit that bruiseth our rocky harts 't is the heat of the spirit that melteth the yce of our frozen eyes maketh the waters flow 'T is the Spirit of Christ Iesus d Rom. 8 15 whereby wee cry Abba Father e Rom. 8.26 'T is the Spirit it selfe which maketh intercession for us with gronings which cannot be uttered f Ambros in Lucam c. 22. v. 61 62. Quos Iesus respicit plorant c. He hee onely upon whoÌ„ Christ looketh weepeth Peter denyed him once wept not because the Lord looked not He deny'd him the second time and he wept not because the Lord looked not He denyed him the third time the Lord looked upon him and hee wept bitterly VIII O Lord Iesus O sweet Iesus we have once twice thrice denyed thee Look now upon us O Savior of mankind now the cock croweth now look upon us g Veni Creator Spiritus insunde coelitus lucis tuae radium O holy Spirit Creator reformer of mankind come and create in us a new heart send from heaven into our congealed hearts an hote beam of thy comfortable light to breake and melt them that now at least now we may know our sins and the afflictions of our brethren that knovving them we may feele them that feeling them wee may weep to thee for them that weeping to thee vve may be comforted by thee according to thy promise vv ch thou hast made to us by thy dear Son Iesus Christ FINIS The second part OF THE CHRISTIAN MANS TEARES Containing CHRISTS Comforts CHAPTER I. The Argument of the first Chapter I. AS there is a time of weeping and of mourning so there is a time of comfort and of ioy II. Our comfort is spirituall N III. Gods owne selfe is our comforter IV. Thence is the certaintie of our salvation V. The cause of our comforts are not in the merits of our teares VI. There is no merit nor satisfaction but in our Lord Iesus Christ VII Blessednes is giuen to godly men but not for their godlinesse VIII How we must vnderstand some spâ—â—ches of the Doctors concerning Teares MATH 5. 5. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted LVK. 6.21 Blessed are ye that weepe now for ye shall laugh I. EXperience teacheth vs the scripture ioyning hands with experience saith that a Eccles 3.1.4 To euery thing there is a season and a time to euery purpose vnder the heaueÌ„s Amongst orther things that there is a time to weepe and a time to laugh a time to maurne and a time to dance A time to weepe as Christ hath said Blessed are yee that weepe now A time to laugh For saith he ye shall laugh A time to mourne because Christ saith Blessed are they that mourn A time to dance because he saith also that they shall be comforted I know not where b Cicero 4. Tuscul HERACLITVS could find such abundance of teares and what could moue him to weepe alwayes was there no blessing of God in the world to make him laugh Was not DEMOCRITVS a vaine man to laugh perpetually at the vanitie of the world and neuer to weepe for it CATONS heart was made of steele and could neither be moued to laugh for ioy when God blessed the State nor to weepe for sorrow when it was afflicted But DAVID who was better then any of them c 2 Sam. 6.14 danced for ioy when the Arke of the Lord entred into his house and wept for sorrow when he sinned against the Lord. IESVS who was the best of all d Luk. 10.21 reioyced in spirit when he considered the wise dispensations of the blessings of God He was also sorry and wept when he saw mens incredulity and obstinacie in their sinnes And he saith to all Christians that they shall weep for the causes whereof we haue spoken as also that they shall laugh for the causes whereof we are to speake II. Laughing is an effect of ioy Such as the ioy is such is the laughing Our ioy is such as we are or should be Inward celestiall spirituall for it cometh from the faith and hope of heauenly things as Christ said to them which are persecuted e Mat 5.12 Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen For our laughing is spirituall heauenly and inward flowing from an inward and spirituall ioy The Spring of our ioy is comfort whereof Christ sayth that
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
Felices lachrymae quas benignae manus Conditoris abstergunt O blessed tears which the mercifull hands of the Creator wipe away Then r Rev. 20 14 death and hell shall bee cast into the lake of fire Then we shall with triumphing voices desie death and say Å¿ 1. Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory III. Our comfort our blessednesse now is our faith 'T is our blessednesse that Christ dwels in us and t Eph. 3.17 hee dwelleth in our hearts by faith Now by faith u Now n Aug. de verb. Apost ser 16. as long as wee are in the way now as long as wee are in our pilgrimage now x 2. Cor. 5.6 7 whiles wee are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord for wee walke by faith not by sight Now we are in the world besieged on all sides with Armies of enemies and y 1. Iohn 5.4 this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith Then we shall dwell a Cant. 8.14 in the mountaine of spices in the Countrey of Eden in the Paradise of felicity of glory and of joy b Greg. in 7. Psalm poenit Vbi est lux sine defectu gaudium sine gemitu desiderium sine poenâ amor sine tristitiâ satietas sine fastidio sospitas sine vitio vita sine morte salus sine languore Where there is light without any defect gladnesse without mourning desire without pain love without sorrow fulnesse without loathsomenesse safenesse without imperfection life without death salvation without any languishing feeblenesse where wee shall enjoy all felicity with c Heb. 12 22 23 the innumerable companie of the Angels with the generall Assembly Church of the first-borne with the spirits of iust men made perfect For then we shal be citizens of heaven fellows to all the Saints like unto the blessed Angels heires of God joint heirs with Christ Now our comfort our blessednesse is our hope Hope is necessary unto a wayfaring man hope comforteth him in the way A man who is on his journey endureth all kinde of travell so long as he hopeth to come to his journeyes end d Aug. de verb. Apost ser 16. Tâ—llâ— illi spem perveniendi continuò franguntur vires ambulandi Take from him that hope by and by ye shall see him discouraged his strength weakned his journey broken off Wee are all travellers all on our journey to heaven The staffe which upholdeth us the spurre which setteth us forward in the way is our hope e Rom 8.24 25. for we are saved by hope But hope that is seen is no hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for But if wee hope for that wee see not then do we with patience wait for it f Aug. ibid. In this patieÌ„ce the Martyrs were crowned * Desidorabant quod non videbaÌ„t contemâ—ebant quae forebant they desired the things which they suffred in this hope they said g Rom 8.35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword O the strength O the power of hope i 1. Ioh. 3.2 Beloved now we are the Sonnes of God now wee are predestinated called iustified adopted and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be therefore we hope for we know that when hee shall appeare we shall bee like him for we shall see him as he is i. e. we shall enioy him k Bern in fesâ—o omnium Sanctor serm 4. 1. in all his creatures 2. in our selves 3. in his owne selfe for then we shall know the blessed Trinity in its own selfe then with the pure eye of our heart wee shall behold that incomprehensible that unspeakeable glory not l 1. Cor 13.12 through a glasse in a riddle as now in his workes in his Word in his Sacraments but face to face Then we shall no more walk by faith but by sight And m Aug. eod Spes tam non erit quia erit res hope shal bee no more because wee shall enioy the thing hoped for Now m Col. 3.3 4. our life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall ye appeare with him also in glory O how glorious is that glory who shall give mee words to utter it aptly Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man what brightnesse what sweetnesse what pleasantnes what glory God hath prepared for them that lâ—ve him This is that n Phil. 4.7 peace of God which passeth all understanding o Bern. ibid. Quod ergo nulli datum est expertri nullus conetus affari wherefore that which no man is able to understand let no man go about to utter IV. Yet if yee will suffer me to fumble and to speake of such things as I can since I cannot speake of them as I would ' I le make to you a short description and draw rudely as it were with a coale or blacke inke the first lineaments of the bright-shining light of that glory Man as ye know is framed of two parts of a soule and of a body The wise men of the world say that in the soule there are three faculties or natures which they call reasonable sensuall and cholericke By the first wee reason and discourse by the second we couet meates drinkes all sorts of delights by the third we are angry In the first so long as we are in this world there is knowledge and ignorance for q 1. Cor. 13.9 we know in part In the second there is desire and disdaine In the third there is ioy and anger But in that day r Bern. ibid. implebit Deus rationale nostrum luce sapientiae implebit concupiscibile nostruÌ„ foÌ„te iustitiae c. God will fill our reasonable part with the light of wisedome our sensuall part with a fountaine of righteousnesse our cholericke part with perfect tranquillitie Then wee shall know God with all our minde as wee are knowne of him then beeing filled with his righteousnesse we shall ever love him with all our hearts and still desire him ever bee satisfied with his likenesse and still hunger after him ever rejoyce in his goodnesse and never be weary of rejoycing in him Nihil quippe aut deest semper videntibus aut superest semper volentibus For there nothing is wanting to them who see God alwayes nothing is overmuch to them who desire alwayes This is the blessed comfort wherewith Lazarus is comforted in Abrahams bosome as Abraham said t Luk. 16.25 Now he is comforted V. Mans body is made of the foure Elements of earth water ayre and fire u Ex Bern. ibid. Habebit Terra nostra immortalitatem Aqua impassibilitatem Aer agilitatem Ignis perfectissimam pulchritudineÌ„ Our earth shall receive