Christ's Tears over Jerusalem.  
OR, A Caveat for England, to call to GOD for Mercy, lest we be plagued for our contempt and wickedness.  
To the tune of The Merchant.  

 

When Christ our Lord drew nigh 
 unto Jerusalem,  
Foreseeing all the miseries  
the which should fall on them:  
And casting of his looks,  
upon that beauteous Town,  
For very grief the bitter tears  
from his fair eyes fell d●wne.  
Repent fair England now,  
repent while thou hast space,  
And do not like Jerusalem  
despise God's proffered grace.   

Alas Jerusalem,  
Jerusalem (quoth he)  
Which killed the Prophets of the Lord,  
when they were sent to thee:  
How often times would I  
have kept thee from all ill  
Even as the Hen her Chickens keeps,  
but thou wert stubborn still?   

Oh that thou hadst but known,  
at least in that thy day,  
The things which did concern thy peace,  
but now 'tis hid away:  
Yea from thine eyes 'tis hid,  
thou shalt not see the same,  
And for thy sorrows coming on,  
thyself do only blame.   

Therefore the days shall come,  
thy enemies shall rise,  
And trench thee in on every side,  
regarding not thy cries:  
Thy strong and stately Towers,  
in wrath they shall confound,  
And make thy sumptuous buildings all,  
lie equal with the ground.   

And such shall be their rage,  
they shall not leave in thee  
One stone upon another stone,  
which shall not spoiled be:  
Because thou knewest not  
the seasonable day,  
Wherein the Lord did visit thee,  
to wash thy sins away.   

Thus Christ without the Town  
did weep for their distress,  
While they within triumph in sin,  
and use all wickedness;  
No whit they would believe  
the words that he did say,  
But enviously did practise still  
to take his life away.   

He mourned and wept full sore,  
to think upon their smart,  
While they full stout did go about  
to pierce his tender heart;  
And for his pains they stripped him,  
and whipped him thorough the Town,  
And with a wreath of pricking thorns,  
his holy head did crown.   

Th●y scoffed and laughed at him,  
they dashed him on the face:  
They called him gracious Lord and King  
in flouting and disgrace:  
And thorough his hands and feet  
they nailed him to the Cross,  
Between two lewd and wicked théeves;  
but few lament his loss.   

They gave him for to drink,  
sharp vinegar and gall,  
And with a Spear they pierced his side,  
till his heart blood did fall:  
Yet patiently and mild,  
he suffered every thing,  
And prayed his Father not to charge  
them with this grievous sin.    

The second part,  
To the same tune.  
 

When thus they had dispatched  
the living Lord of life,  
Full safely than they thought themselves  
from sorrow, care and strife:  
But within few year's space,  
as Christ before had told;  
The mighty Emperor of Rome,  
came there with courage bold.   

And with a mighty host,  
he did besiege them round,  
By Sword and Famine ere he went,  
he did them quite confound:  
Yea, Dogs and Cats they eaten,  
Mice, Rats and every thing:  
For want of food, their Infants young,  
unto the Pot they bring.   

No pity could they find,  
at this their enemy's hand,  
But Fire, Sword, and cruel death,  
before them still did stand:  
Their famous City fair,  
he set upon a flame.  
And burned their Temple unto dust,  
that stood within the same.   

And those that scaped the Sword,  
and fury of his hand,  
He made them slaves and bondmen all  
within a foreign Land.  
Thus fair Jerusalem,  
was cast unto the ground,  
For their great sin and wickedness  
the Lord did it confound.   

Awake, England, I say,  
rise from the sleep of sin,  
Cast off the great security,  
which thou hast lived in:  
Thy God hath often called,  
and offered thee his grace,  
His messengers have shown his will  
to thee in every place.   

Great wonders hath he shown,  
to thee by Sea and Land,  
And sent strange tokens in the air,  
to make thee understand:  
He is offended sore  
at thy great wickedness,  
And that except thou dost repent,  
thy plagues shall he express.   

Remember how of late  
the Spaniard thee assailed,  
And how of God's especial power  
they ne'er a whit prevailed:  
And all was for to try  
if thou wouldst sinne forsake,  
And to an upright holy life,  
thyself at last betake.   

But soon hast thou forgot  
his favour in the same,  
Which afterwards most grievously  
his wrath did so inflame,  
That then he plagued thee  
with pestilence and death,  
Whereby in Country and in Town  
a number lost their breath.   

Yet wilt thou not forsake  
thy wickedness and ill,  
But in thy pride and covetousness,  
thou dost continue still.  
Provoke not God to wrath,  
with thy most loathsome sin,  
But speedily t'amend thy life,  
by prayers now begin.   

And therefore now England,  
at last for mercy cry,  
And grieve the Lord thy God no more,  
through thine iniquity,  
Lest he forsake thee quite,  
and turn away his face,  
Because like to Jerusalem,  
thou dost despise his grace.  
Repent therefore O England,  
repent while thou hast space,  
And do not like Jerusalem,  
despise God's proffered grace.    
FINIS.   

Printed at London for Henry Gosson, living upon London Bridge.