A MOST EXCELLENT AND HEAVENLY SERMON: Upon the 23. Chapter of the Gospel by Saint Luke. THE TEXT.  LUKE 23. 28. 
Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves.  
AT LONDON Printed, for Andrew Wise. 1595.   
LUKE. 23. 28. Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves. 
RIght Honourable, right Worshipful, and well-beloved: 4. sorts of people were about Christ, when Christ was about his passion: The first were executioners, which tormented him: the second sort were jews, which mocked him: the third were lookers on, who marked him: the fourth were well-willers, who lamented him. Now, although it is like, that amongst these his well-willers, divers godly men wept for him, as joseph of Arimathea, Gamaliel, Nicodemus, and such like, yet it is certain that more women wept then men. More women wept then men, partly by the permission of men, who thought that the women's weeping, came rather from weakness in themselves, then for love towards Christ; and partly by the providence of God, who suffered more women to weep then men, that the women who bewailed Christ his death, might condemn the cruelty of the men that procured it. Now the women wept also more than the men, either of a natural affection, or else of a voluntary disposition, naturally subject to many either affectionate passions, or passionate affections. But touching these women, that which otherwise was natural in them was here voluntary: for the sin of a woman was the ruin of a man. Therefore these women willingly wept the more, that though a woman did most in the second death of the first Adam; so she may do least in the first death of the second Adam: For it was Eve a woman, who betrayed the first Adam with an apple, and caused him to sin: but it was judas a man, who betrayed the second Adam with a kiss, and caused him to die. Wherefore principally indeed, Christ speaketh to the women, because both more women wept then men, & the women also wept more than the men, more women more weeping: yet indifferently he speaketh to all his dear friends, Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves. At the first the woman began in disobedience, and tempted Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit: yet since, women (as Mary Magdalene, and Mary the Virgin, and the women here with divers others) have far exceeded men in all obedience, unto them rather than unto men he turneth his speech, and yet saith generally, Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves. In which sentence we may observe as many parts as there be words, eight words eight parts. The first is, Weep not, (that is) weep not too much. The second, but weep, (that is) weep not too little. The third, weep not but weep, both together. Fourthly, for me, not too much for my death. Fiftly, for yourselves, (that is) not too little for your own lives. Sixtly, for me for yourselves, both together. Seventhly, Weep not for me. Eightly, Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves. God grant that our hearts may be so affected with the consideration of these excellent matters, as they may be most to the increase of our comfort in him, and his glory in us.  
1. Weep not, etc. When jairus (ruler of the Synagogue) wept bitterly for the death of his daughter, Luk. 8. 52. Christ said unto him, Weep not. When Rachel wept and would not be comforted for the loss of her son Benjamin, seeing so few of her children left, jere. 31. 16. the Lord said unto her, Weep not. When a poor widow wept for the death of her only son, Luk. 7. 3. Christ said unto her, Weep not. And so Christ here seeing many jairus, many Rachel's, many widows, weeping for the son of God, said unto them, Weep not. Forbidding thereby immoderate weeping, which is condemned in nature, in reason, 
Psalm. 65. 12.  and in religion: In nature, the earth when it rejoiceth in harvest, than it is covered with corn: but when it hath to too sorrowful a countenance, & forlorn in the winter, than it is fruitless and barren. The water when it is quiet and calm, bringeth in all manner of Merchandise: but when the sea storms and rores too much, 
Esay 23. 1.  than the very ships do howl and cry. The air looking brightly and cheerfully, refresheth all things: but weeping too much, that is, raining too much, as in Noah's his flood, 
Gen. 7. 12.  it drowneth the whole world. The fire being sprinkled with a little water, burneth more clearly: but if we cast too much water into the fire, it will neither give heat nor light. The eye itself hath twice as many dry skins, like sluices to stop up the course of tears, as it hath moist humours like channels to let them flow forth. If all the body were an eye, and there were not ears in it, where were then the hearing? If all the eye were a moist humour, and there were no dry skins in it, where were then the seeing? Seeing then too much weeping is in the earth, barrenness; in the water, shipwreck; in the air, an inundation; and too much water putteth out the fire, and in the eye blindness; certainly if the earth could speak, and the water speak, and the air speak, and the fire speak, and the eye speak, they would all sing a song of five parts, and say together, We must not weep too much. Mulsi nimium ingratum est: 
2.  which is thus translated in Prover. 20 27. It is not good to eat too much honey: and if it be not good to eat too much honey, it is nought to eat too much wormwood. One saith, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, tears are like precious stones: and as the Egyptian pearls which we commonly call unions, which grow but one by one, not one upon another; so tears must be like these unions, shed easily one by one, not one upon another. Seneca saith, that that which we must do daily, we must do it moderately: so that, if we cannot quite stop the issue of our tears, as she in the Gospel could not of her blood: yet we must weep so to day as we may weep to morrow, and keep tears always in store, for some other occasion. For we know that Heraclitus when he had wept, and soused himself in sorrow all his life time, at length died of a dropsy: and so (as I may say) drowned himself in his own tears: and Niobe by overmuch weeping, was turned into a stone, even as Lot's wife by looking back unto Sodom, was turned into a pillar of salt. It was one of Pythagoras his poesies, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: not to eat the heart, but too much heaviness eateth the heart of man: which is thus expounded, Prover. 25. 20. As a moth fretteth a garment, and the worm eateth the wood, so heaviness hurteth man's heart. Now, if we must not eat up the heart of any other thing with our teeth, much less must we eat up our own heart with our tears. Therefore even blind reason, such as the heathen have had, doth yet clearly see this, that we must not weep too much.  
But religion goeth yet a step further: For when God had placed man in the garden of Eden, which is the garden of pleasure, he did indeed provide all things therein which might pleasure him, his wife who was equal to him, to accompany him, all other creatures far inferior unto him, the earth to tread on, and to yield him increase, the trees that did stand about him, the rivers that did run besides him, gold to trample on, pearls to look on, the beasts to name them▪ the herbs which he did feed on, and the flowers which he did smell to, all these served for his delight and joy: but afterward when sentence was proceeded against the man, that he should live in sorrow about the fruits of the earth: and against the woman, that she should have sorrow about the fruit of her womb: yet it pleased God to assuage and sweeten our sorrows with divers singular comforts. As first, we have the Holy ghost, who is our only comforrer: next, a good conscience, which is a continual feast: next, the holy scriptures, which are as it were another paradise▪ lastly, an unfeigned faith, by which we have peace with God. Therefore Athanagoras saith well, I account that many have no spirit, no conscience, no scripture, no faith in God, that yield too much to grief And Jerome yet more plainly, I do in mine heart abhor all excessive sorrow, seeing it is a very hell upon earth, and an entrance even in this life into that woeful place where there is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth. So that immoderate weeping is condemned in nature, which teacheth all things; in reason, which teacheth all men; in religion, which teacheth all Christians, that we must not weep too much. Thus much of weeping too much, which is the first part, Weep not.  
Now a little of weeping too little, which is the second part, but weep. They to whom Christ spoke at first offended in the excess, therefore he beginneth thus, weep not, but I might well shift the words and begin thus, but weep, for we offend altogether in the want of weeping, seldom in the excess. The reason is, because we lack charity, which being three fold, the greatest work of true charity towards ourselves, is repentance: towards our neighbours, is preaching: towards God, is prayer, and all these require tears: so that if we weep so little as that we weep not at all, we weep too little, which we must not do. For the first, touching repentance, one saith plainly, Lavandum est cor interdum in lachrymis poenit entiae: The lesser our sorrows are, the greater are our sins: but on the other side, 
Psal. 74. 13.  The heads of dragons are broken in the waters: that is, very strong and vile sins are weakened and washed away with tears. That obligation that was against us, 
Coloss. 2. 14  before it was fastened to the cross of Christ, it was written in parchment, now it is written in paper: so that, if we blur it with daily weeping upon it, our tears will be like aqua fortis to take out the handwriting quite, that God shall neither read, nor see our sins. Therefore saith one, we must wash our hearts in the troubled pool of Bethesda, in the troubled tears of repentance: for as in a well (except there be some water in it) we cannot easily see the baggish that lieth in the bottom, so in the depth of our heart we cannot see our sins without tears. Tears make our sins seen, and not seen; not seen to God, and seen to us: God not seeing them, forgives them; we seeing them, amend them. Austin in the beginning of his 25. book, writeth that the tears of the vine branch do cure the leprosy: and so the tears of these vine branches which are grafted into the true vine, do cure the leprosy of sin. That sinful woman, because she loved much, she washed Christ his feet with her tears: a strange sight. I have oftentimes seen the heavens wash the earth: I understand that well enough, but I never saw the earth wash the heaven, yet here I see it, an earthly and a sinful woman, washed the heavenly feet of Christ. But because she washed Christ his feet with her tears, therefore Christ crowned her head with his mercies. The prodigal son had no sooner turned home by weeping cross, and cried peccavi, but strait way he was received. Ambrose saith, see what force there is in three syllables. Chrysoftome saith, God hearing a sinner in true contrition utter but this one word peccavi, I have sinned, is in a manner so charmed and enchanted with it, that he hath no power over himself, he cannot but grant remission. Saint Peter likewise (saith Chrysostome) did recover that place by bemoaning his offence, which he had lost by denying his master. For saith Nazianzen, God is more merciful than man can be sinful, if man will be sorrowful. Wherefore we may see by this example of Saint Peter, that weeping is the best saltpeter to relish our repentance, that we may get our pardon. Touching preaching, the voice of a Preacher should be the voice of a crier, which should not pipe to make the people dance: but mourn to make the people weep. Hence it is, that in the old law none which were blind or had any blemish in his eye, might serve at the Altar. And when they offered their first borne, who was ordinarily in every family, their Priest or their Preacher, they offered with him a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons: which doves did signify a pair of mournful eyes, and these two young pigeons did signify likewise two weeping eyes: and at their offering they prayed for their first borne, that afterwards he may have such eyes himself. For as pigeons fly to their windows, Esay 60▪ 8. So the godly preacher hath no other refuge to fly unto, but only to his windows: that is, to his eyes that are glazed with tears, when he weary for the sins of the people. Christ is much delighted in these kind of eyes, saying so often to his spouse, Thy eyes are like pigeons eyes. The holy Ghost also descending himself in for me of a dove, and the Prophets usually received their prophecies by rivers sides, as Ezechiel had his prophesy delivered him by the river Cobar, Daniel beside the river Tigris, john the Baptist besides the river jordan: yea also many preached their prophecies not so much in words as in rivers of tears: Mine eyes gushed with rivers of waters, (saith David) because men keep not thy law: Oh that my head were full of water (saith jeremy) and mine eyes a fountain of tears: I protest saith Paul, that for these three years, I have not ceased to warn every one of you with tears day and night: For indeed as Austin saith, There is more good to be done with sighing then with speaking, with weeping then with words, Prosper saith that a Preacher must seek non plausum sed planctum, not his own praise, but the people's profit in mourning for their fins: and Hierome saith, that the Preacher is most highly commended, not when the people clap their hands, but when they knock their bteasts: wherefore as that is an Idol and no GOD that hath eyes and seethe not, so he is an idle shepherd, and no loving Pastor, who hath eyes and weary nor sometimes in preaching to the people.  
3. Touching prayer Saint james saith, That the prayer of a just man prevaileth much if it be fervent, for a fervent prayer cometh from a fervent spirit, which is wholly inspired by the holy spirit, who maketh requests in us and for us, with sighs and groans which cannot be expressed: as it is Psalm. 147. 18. He sendeth out his word and melteth them, he breatheth out his spirit, and the waters flow: he breatheth out his spirit when the holy Ghost moveth us to prayer, and the waters flow, when the waters trickle down from our eyes: for as a seething pot runneth over, so is an holy heart in prayer. The Olive tree is most abundant in fruit when it is distilled, and a Christian is most plentiful and powerful in prayer when he weary: whereupon King David saith, I am as a green Olive tree in the house of the Lord: and our Saviour himself went often to the mount of Olives, where he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears: and therefore he willeth us also to have faith as a graint of mustered seed: now mustered seed you know makes the eyes weep, so that he which in prayer hath faith like a grain of mustered seed, hath his eyes also as the fishpools of Heshbone: and there Christ saith as it is in Cantic. 4. 9 
Cant. 7. 5.  Thou hast wounded my heart with one of thine eyes: it with one, then much more with both. For as Synesius saith in his 67. epistle, weeping is more flexible, more forcible to persuade God▪ and even to wound his heart, than all the eloquence, than all the Rhetoric in the world. Cyprian saith, quando spiritus hominis aspirat, spiritus Dei suspirat: When the spirit of man sendeth out sighs in prayer, than the spirit of God giveth grace. And Ambrose saith, God looks that we should power out our tears, that he might pour out his mercies: As Ezechias lying sick prayed, and praying turned himself towards the wall and wept: and so with weeping as with gun shot he battered down that partition wall which kept God's countenance from him: therefore GOD said to him, I have heard thy prayers and thy tears. A strange speech, I have heard thy prayers, that I understand well enough, but I have heard thy tears: what should be the meaning of this trow you? have tears tongues, or can they speak? yes indeed I dare be bold to speak it, the thunder of the Almighty cannot make such a mighty sound, such a noise in the ears of man, as the tears of man do in the ears of God, Psalm. 39 12. Therefore David both before he had prayed, desired God to hear the voice of his tears: and also after he had played, Psal. 6. 8. He thanked God, because he had heard the voice of his weeping: for indeed he also himself saith of himself, Psalm. 109. I mingled my drink with weeping: and where was this drink of his but in the cup of which he saith in another place, I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord: and as David mingled his drink with weeping, so he mingled his prayer with weeping. Wherefore as Elizeus cast salt into the waters of jericho, to make them sweet, so must we salted our prayers with tears to make them savoury and delightsome to God. A man can never love himself aright, if he do not sometimes weep in repentance, nor his neighbour, that doth not sometimes weep in preaching, nor God, that doth not sometime weep in prayer: so that we must not be like the Stoics which were never moved, than we shall weep too little, as this second part showeth: But weep.  
The third part is, Weep not but weep. Which noteth, seeing both the excess and defect are to be eschewed, that therefore the true mean which we must keep in weeping, consisteth in this equal intermingling of these two extremities. Weep not but weep, both together, weep not too much saith he, for that is contrary to nature, but weep too little is contrary to repentance, weep not too much, for that is contrary to reason, but weep too little, is contrary to preaching; weep not too much, for that is contrary to religion, but weep too little is contrary to prayer. Saint Paul charged Timothy to be instant in season & out of season, first in season, than out of season, teaching thereby, that that unseasonable opportunity is better than seasonable importunity, yet to keep a mean in exhorting, that we must as well use importunity sometimes, so it be in season, as to slack an opportunity always, though it be out of season. Even so saith our Saviour here. Weep not, but weep, first, weep not, then, but weep: teaching thereby, that not to weep, is better than to weep, yet to keep a mean in weeping, that we sometimes in not weeping, weep, as always in weeping not, weep. For the Apostle saith, that they which rejoice must be as if they rejoiced not: and they that weep, as though they wept not. They which rejoice, must be as if they rejoiced not, because (saith Gregory, writing upon the 27. of job) all the joy which the godly have in this life, is as a sour grape gathered out of time. And Ambrose saith, the children of God, not only in sorrow, but in joy, shed tears, they rejoice as though they rejoiced not. And they that weep must be as if they wept not, because (saith Macarius in his 5. Homily) even tears are a comfort to the righteous. And Ambrose again: to them that are well affected, weeping is a great delight, they weep as though they wept not. Therefore as certain heavenvly apples have a sweetish sourness, and some old wines have a sourish sweetness: so our sorrow must be joyful, and our joy sorrowful: our joy must be sorrowful, as when Christ wept, there is a sorrowful joy: but Christ wept upon Palm Sunday, there is a joyful sorrow. For joyful sorrow: When the Israelites eat the Paschall Lamb, there is a joyful sorrow: but they eat it with sour herbs, there is a sorrowful joy. We must be as weeping, and yet always rejoicing: and we must be as rejoicing, and yet always weeping, and join both together, Weep not, but weep. Weep not: This is a fiery speech, as when S. john saith, Reu. 19 11. That Christ's eyes were as a flame of fire, that is, subject now to no weeping: But weep, this is a watery speech, as when David saith, I water my couch with my tears: so that if we could reconcile these two speeches together, we must reconcile fire and water together. In Elias his sacrifice, 1. King. 18. 38. there was both fire and water: so that the fire of the Lord consumed and licked up the water of the Altar. And assuredly, our sorrowful spirit will be a most acceptable sacrifice to God, as Elias his sacrifice was, if we have both the fire of Aetna, & the water of Nilus: so that the ardent fire of faith will well nigh consume, and almost burn up the flowing stream of love. Augustine in his 21. book De civitate Dei, cap. 5. writeth, that there is a fountain in Epirus, which not only putteth forth torches that are lighten, but also lighteth torches that are put out. Fulgentius likewise doth report, that there is an other fountain in France with boiling much, casteth up flames of fire. The fountain of tears which is in our eyes, must be like to these two fountains, as we may see Psal. 39 2. and 3. When my sorrow was stirred, my heart was hot within me: there is the torch lightened. And while I was musing the fire kindled. When my sorrow was stirred, there is the first fountain, my heart was hot within me, there is the torch lightened, and while I was musing, there is the other fountain, the fire kindled▪ there is the flame burning. Whereupon one saith fitly, Nec fluant oculi, nec siccent: Our eyes must neither be drowned, nor dry: if they want fire, they will be drowned: if they want water, they will be dry. Therefore, weep not but weep: fire and water must go together, that our eyes be neither drowned nor dry. And this is the right moderation which we must keep in weeping, as appeareth in this third part: Weep not, but weep, both together.  
The fourth part followeth, for me, not too much for my death, for the death of Christ is the death of death, the death of the devil, the life of himself, and the life of mankind: the reason of all this, is innocency and righteousness which maketh first, that as the life of Christ is the life of life, so the death of Christ is the death of death. Therefore both before his death he challengeth and threateneth death, saying, Oh death I will be thy death: and also after his death he derideth & scorneth death, Oh death thou art a drone, where is now thy sting? Ask death any of you I pray you, and say, death how hast thou lost thy sting? how hast thou lost thy strength? what is the matter that very children do now contemn thee, whereas Kings & even tyrants did before fear thee? Death will answer, that the only cause of this, is the death of Christ. When a Bee stingeth a dead body he taketh no hurt, nor loseth his sting: but stinging alive body, oftentimes loseth both his sting and his life too: so death stinging us had no harm, but kept his sting still, and took heart of grace thereby: but when Christ the life of us all had been once stinged, the sting and strength of the devil was taken clean away. Oh blessed king and Lord of all, who hast so disarmed death that it can do us no harm. Before, death was much like a Bugbegger which they fray children with, who being masked, jets it about up and down, and makes all the people afraid of him, until such time as some one lusty fellow amongst the rest, steps to him and takes a good staff & cudgelleth him well favouredly, & pulls his vizard from his face, & makes him known to the whole world: and then whereas before lusty and tawle men were afraid of him: now every child mocks him and laugheth him to scorn, and stand pointing at him. Oh Blessed Christ, who by thy death hast thus dismasked death. Christ was laid in the dust for stark dead, and the devil trampled upon him: but he upon Easter day started up, and like a lion of the tribe of juda, he trampled the soldiers the devils apes under his feet: as apes at the first play with the lion and the libard, still thinking them to be asleep, until they trample and tread him under their feet. As the Chameleon spying a serpent sitting under a tree, getteth up into the same tree, and letteth down a fine thread out of his mouth, smaller than the spider's thread with a drop of blood at the bottom, more clear than any pearl, which falling on the serpent killeth him. So Christ like a Chameleon climbeth up into the tree of his cross, and seeing the devil that old serpent sitting under the tree, lets down a thread with blood at the bottom thereof, more clearer than any pearl, the least drop whereof strait way killeth the devil. Christ standing afore at the tree of his cross, clothed himself in a blood red garment, whom when the devil saw, he ran swiftly against Christ with his horns, Christ perceived him steppeth aside, and so the devil runneth his horns into Christ his cross, and there they stick fast. A dragon for a time may triumph over the Elephant, but at the last the Elephant bringeth down the Dragon with him: so the devil that ancient dragon, may for a time be doing with Christ, but at the last he killeth him. He that felleth a tree upon which the sun shineth, may well cut the tree, but he cannot hurt the sun: He that poureth water upon an iron that is red hot, may well quench the heat, but cannot hurt the iron: so the devil could not hurt the son of righteousness Christ jesus: and hot iron is too hard a morfell for the devil to digest. Those barbarous people called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which feed only upon raw flesh; especially of men, if they eat a piece of roasted meat, they surfeit of it and die: and so the right 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉▪ the only devourer of all mankind, death I mean, tasting of Christ's flesh, by finding it not to be raw but wholesome▪ and heavenly meat indeed, presently took a surfeit of it and within three days died. For even as when judas had received a sop at Christ's hands, anon after, his bowels gushed out: In like sort, death being so saucy as to snatch a sop (as it were) of Christ's flesh, and a little bit of his body, was by and by like judas choked and strangled with it: and feign to yield it up again, when Christ on Easter day revived. Death (I wisse) had not been brought up so daintily before, nor used to such manner of meats, but always had his prey either with Methridates daughters, upon the poison of sin, or else with Noah's crow, upon the carrion of corruption. Wherefore now (saith Fulgentius) death did indeed taste of Christ▪ but could not swallow him up, & digest it. Contrariwise, Christ as soon as he had but a little taste of death, eftsoon did devour death, & so the death of Christ by reason of righteousness, is the death of death. It is also the death of the devil, as the Apostle saith, By his death he did not only overcome death, but him which had the power of death, that is, the devil.  
divers ancient Father's note that the Virgin Mary was married, that the devil might be deceived: for he knew well enough that Christ should be borne of a Virgin: but he never suspected that blessed Mary was a Virgin, considering she was bettothed to joseph. Therefore he did not lie in wait, to destroy the seed of the woman, so as other wise he would, if he had by a whore or wife any such thing: so that the birth of Christ did cozen the devil, but the death of Chrsit did conquer the devil, and that much more gloriously when the temple of his body was upon the pinnacle of the cross, then when he himself was upon the pinnacle of the temple: for when he was upon the temple, his words spoke better things than Solomon: but when he was upon the cross, his blood spoke better things than the blood of Abel: there his words came from his lungs out of his mouth, but here his blood came from his heart out of his side, and there he fought standing lustily to it, and withstanding: so than he would not throw down himself, but here he skirmished, the devil yielding & humbling himself to the death of Christ, & there the devil went up unto him unto the top of an high mountain, & so (as I may say) bade him lose at his own goal: but here Christ himself descended into hell, and so spoiled principalities and powers, and slew the great Leviathan in the very bottom of his own bottomless pit. For the devil like a greedy ravenous fish, nibbing at the bait of Christ's body, as Damascen speaketh, was pierced through, and twitched up with the hook of his deity. Hence it is that before Christ's passion, Peter took money out of a fishes mouth to pay his tribute: and also after Christ his passion, the Disciples boiled a fish for him to feed upon: whereby we see that as Christ made a fish pay tribute to Caesar, so he made the devil also pay tribute to death for him: and that the devil while he went about to catch the good fish jesus Christ, God's son, the Saviour (as the letters of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 severally signify) was himself caught, yea also killed by Christ: so that all the while our Saviour was buried in the grave, the devil was boiled in hell. Wherefore as it was bootless for Goliath to brandish his spear against David: so it little availed the devil, to shake the spear likewise in the hand of the soldier, against the heart of Christ: For as David having heard Goliath prating and talk his pleasure, yet when they came to the point, at the first stroke overthrew him: so Christ with the very same spear, which gave him a little venue in comparison, or but a fillip on the side, which was soon after recured, gave the devil soon after a deadly wound in his forehead, which he shall never be able to claw off again. And again, as David hacked off the Giant's head with his own sword: so Christ wrested that shaking sword out of the Cherubins hands, and therewith chopped off the serpent's head: and so, the death of Christ by reason of righteousness, is the death of the devil. It is on the other side the life of himself. That noble Eunuch riding in his coach, read in Esay that Christ was silent before his death, as the lamb before the shearer: He saith not, as a lamb before the butcher, but before the shearer: insinuating, that death did not kill Christ, but shear him a little. Neither yet had death Christ's fleece when he was shorn: for Christ taking to him a sponge full of vinegar, joh. 19 29. that was full of our sharp and sour sins, did give us for it, purple wool full of blood, Hebr. 9 19 that is, full of his pure and perfect justice, and indeed the only livery which Christ our Lord and master giveth to his servants, is a coat made of purple wool. The just (saith David) shall flourish like a palm tree: Christ is that true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that true palm tree, who although he bore all the burdens of sin in the world upon his back, yet than he doth most flourish of all, even as Camomile the more it is trod upon, the more it groweth and flourisheth. And as the palm tree hath many weights above, & many snakes beneath, and yet may truly say of itself, Nec premor, nec perimor: I am neither by the weights of the bows overmuch laden and pressed down, nor by the snakes below eaten up, or consumed: So Christ neither by the weight of God's wrath above, is overcharged, nor by the heaviness of our sins, pressed down: but like the Swan, singeth sweetest when his death is nearest. The Prophet David saith, that God giveth his snow like wool: but we may turn the sentence and say, that Christ giveth his wool like snow. For as snow covereth the ground, when it is rugged and deformed, so Christ's coat without seam, covereth our sins: and though they were as crimson, yet maketh he them white as snow. And as Gedeons' fleece when it was moist, the earth was dry, but when it was dry, the earth was moist, so when Christ's fleece was moist as a green tree, than were all we dry like rotten sticks: but when Christ his fleece was dry, (all the blood and water, being wringed out of his precious side) then were we moistened with his grace; therefore, seeing Christ's fleece fell not to death's lot when he was shorn, but we have it, who believe in him, it followeth, that neither death was the better, nor Christ the worse, but as a lamb is much more nimble and lively for shearing, so this shearing of Christ was a kind of quickening to him, and only a trimming to him, before he ascended to his father, as joseph was trimmed and pulled before he went to Pharaoh.  
When Adam slept his side was opened, when Christ died his side was opened: Adam's side being opened, flesh and bone was taken out, Christ's side being opened, water and blood was taken out. Of Adam's flesh and bone the woman was built, of Christ's water & blood the church is built: so the death of Christ is nothing else but the sleep of Adam, for as he himself saith of the damsels death, The damsel is not dead but sleepeth: so he saith of his own death, I laid me down to sleep, and rose up again, for the Lord sustained me. And in another place, when the father said to his son, Awake my glory, awake my lute and harp? God the Son answers to his Father, I will awake right early. That vessel, which Peter saw in a trance, which was let down from heaven unto the earth, and knit to the four corners, and had all kind of beasts in it, did betoken Christ: Christ came down from heaven unto the earth, and his glory is knit up by the four Evangelists: and he hath made jews and Gentiles, yea, all nations one in himself. Now saith Cassianus, it is worth the marking, which the spirit of God saith, Not that the vessel was a great sheet, but like a great sheet: a sheet may signify either sleep or death, but neither was Peter's vessel a sleep, though it were like a sheet: neither was Christ's body dead, though it were leapt in a sheet: For we ourselves cannot so properly be said to live in our first birth, as in our second birth: and Christ his life when he lay in the new womb, in which never any other was conceived, is nothing to his life, when he slept in a new tomb, in whihc never any other was buried. Therefore as jacob travailing towards Haran, when he had laid stones under his head, and taken a nap by the way after his tedious journey; so Christ travailing towards heaven, when he had slept a little in a stony sepulchre, which was hewn out of a rock, lived yet most princely after his painful passion. Tell me, where did jonas live? in the hatches of the ship, or in the belly of the whale? in the hatches of the ship? why? that was nothing, but to live in the belly of the whale, when the mariners were in danger upon the water, jonas was most safe under the water: this indeed was somewhat, who ever saw such a wonder? The waves whereof, one while hoisted up to the highest clouds, an other while hurled down to the nethermost depth: jonas himself being all this while in the very gulf of destruction, and yet not a hair the worse. Christ's case was the same: as jonas was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights: so, and so long was the son of man in the bowels of the earth, yet he had no more hurt than jonas had. But he lived better under the earth, than we can upon the earth: and he lived better in death, than we do in life. Tell me, where did Daniel live? in the king's court, or in the lions den? in the kings court? why? any man might have lived there, but to live in the lions den, when the mouth of the den was shut, and the mouths of the lions open: this indeed was the life of an Angel and no man. What king could ever have made lions attend and wait upon him? yet here you might have seen Daniel sitting in the midst of many hungry lions, when as the lions lay down at his feet couching and crouching before him, and adored their own pray cast unto them, which otherwise they would have worried, and being beasts, became men in humanity towards this Saint: seeing men became beasts in cruelty against him. The same reason was in Christ, Christ's sepulchre was sealed up as well as daniel's den: and he saith also of himself in a Psal. My soul is amongst lions: these lions were the terrors of death, and horror of hell, yet he took no more hurt than Daniel did, but broke the chains into fitters, and the gates of hell into shivers, and then most gloriously triumphed; and so the death of Christ by reason of righteousness is the life of himself. It is lastly the life of man: when Christ's spear had opened the way of life, which the cherubins sword stopped up: then saith he, This day shalt thou be with me in paradise. Adam and Eve both in one day were expelled out of paradise: Christ and the these both in one day were received into paradise, yea both in one hour: for about noon, when the wind blew, Gen. 3. 8. Adam and Eve were expelled, and so about the sixth hour that is about twelve of the clock in the day time, Gen. 3. 44. vers. Christ and the these were received: Christ saying unto the thief while he did draw him up into paradise, Osea 11. 4. I draw thee with the cords of man, even with bands of love: but the Septuagints translate the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, with the destruction of a man, as if he should say, I do so dearly love thee, that I am content myself to be destroyed, that thou mayst be saved; myself to die, that thou mayst live. I do draw thee with the destruction of a man, even with bands of love: so that the thief which saw his own wounds, & death in Christ's body, did see also Christ's saving health, and life in his own body, as Alcuinus noteth upon the sixth of john, Assumpsit vita mortem, ut mors acciperet vitam: when the living Lord died, than the dying thief lived. Notably saith the Prophet David in one of his Psalms: The breath of our nostrils Christ the Lord is taken in our sins, to whom we said, We shall live in his shadow▪ if Christ be the breath of our nostrils, than he is our life: and again, If we live in his shadow, than we live in his death, for where there is breath in a shadow, there is life in death.  
Now, as the overshadowing of the Holy ghost was the life of Christ; so the overshadowing of Christ, is the life of man. And as Peter's shadow gave health to the sick; so Christ's shadow giveth life to the dead: yea a thousand times rather Christ's than Peter's. Elias his spirit was doubled upon Elizeus, because Elias being alive restored some to life: but Elizeus (as Jerome saith) being dead, raised up one from the dead. Peter's spirit was doubled upon Christ, because Peter being alive, was a Physician unto the living: but Christ (as Chrysostom saith) being dead, was a Physician to the dead: or rather indeed in this comparison there is no comparison: but as Peter's spirit, was a shadow to Christ his spirit, so Peter's shadow was nothing to Christ's death. Arnobius upon these words, Despise not the work of thine own hands, writeth thus: We are the work of thy hands, seeing we are thy workmanship. Now, because the work of thy hands, was destroyed by the work of our hands, therefore were thy hands nailed to the cross for our sins, that those hands of thine might repair the works of thy hands by the tree of the cross, which was destroyed by the tree of concupiscence: thus far he. Whereby we may gather, that the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, is evil, that is death: but the fruit of the tree of the cross of Christ is life everlasting. And therefore as honey being found in a dead lion, the death of the lion was the sustenance of Samson: so Christi fell, nostrum mel: Christ's gall is our honey: and the bitter death of Christ by reason of righteousness, is the sweet life of mankind. When Ezechias was sick, the Sun went backwards: but that going backwards of the Sun, was no hurt to Ezechias: for thereby he had 15. years added to his life: So the sun of righteousness, his going backwards was the better for us, though he was debased for us. Thou madest him lower than the angels, as David saith: there the sun of righteousness is lower ten degrees then the angels, for our sakes. And in another place: What is man that thou art so mindful of him, or the son of man that thou so regardest him? There he is ten degrees inferior to man. A live dog is better than a dead lion: there he is ten degrees lower than the worms. Pliny reporteth that there was a Dial set up in Campus Martius, which was to continue 30. years, whereby they might know the course of the Sun: yet (as he reporteth) it did not agree with the Sun for the space of all those thirty years. In the death of Christ we might have seen such a Dial, the Sun did not always agree with the Dial: the better for us. Christ is that tender Pelican, who by wounding his own breast, doth restore his own to life again by his blood. I came (saith Christ) that men might have life, and that they might have life more abundantly. What is that more abundantly? but only this, that we have more life in the death of Christ, then ever we lost in the death of Adam. O falix culpa quae talem meruit redemptorem: Happy Adam (saith Gregory) that ever he sinned, because that we by his sin, have grace superabounding. As Peter's spirit was but a shadow to Christ's spirit, so Peter's death was but a shadow to Christ's death: And as the death of a lion was the life of Samson, so the death of Christ is the life of man. Thus you see that the death of Christ is the death of death, the death of the devil, the life of himself, and the life of man: and therefore he saith in this fourth part, Not too much for my death: For me.  
Now the fift part followeth: For yourselves: Not too little for your own life: for the life of man is the life of death, the life of the devil, the death of himself, the death of Christ: the reason of all this is iniquity and sin, which even in Christ's dear friends (saith Bernard) is cast down, but not cast out. Therefore though sin cannot reign in us, yet it will always dwell in us: for it is so bred in our bones, that until our bones be with joseph's bones carried out of Egypt, that is, out of the world, sin cannot be carried out of our bones. One recordeth that the Romans got such a victory over Chos●oes, that he made a law that never after any King of Persia should ever war against the Romans. We cannot possibly subdue sin in such sort, but do we what we can do, sin will always be a jebusite, a borderer, yea a traitor, rebelling against the spirit: which maketh the life of man to be (as Chrysostome saith) a debt as it were owing, and due to death. For the devil is the father of sin, and sin is the mother of death Hereupon S. james saith: Sin when it is finished, traveling with childbirth (as I may say) bringeth forth death: For even as a man cometh into a house by a gate, so death came into the world by sin. The corruption of our flesh did not make our souls sinful, but the sin of our soul made the flesh corruptible. Whereupon Lactantius calleth sin, Pabulu● mortis, the relief or the food of death. As a fire goeth out when all the fuel is spent, but burneth as long as that lasteth: so death dieth when sin ceaseth: but where sin aboundeth, there death rageth. The Prophet Abacuk sinning not, death was so far from him, that he was able to fly without wings: but King Asa sinning, death was so near to him, that he was not able to stand upon his feet. Nay, you may see this in one and the self same man, Moses, who sinning not, death could not mere with him in the bottom of the red sea: but sinning, death did seize upon him in the top of Mount Nebo: so that the life of man, by reason of sin, is the life of death. It is also the life of the devil. As one saith: Tot crimina, tot daemona: every man hath as many devils in him, as he hath evils, every sin being sufficient to maintain a devil. The godly finding no joy on earth, have their conversation in heaven: but Satan finding no joy in hell, hath his conversation on earth. So that the earth is a hell unto us, but a heaven to him. Here he hath his living, as it was said in the beginning, Thou shalt eat the dust of the earth, all the days of thy life. This dust (saith Macarius) is the devils diet. And therefore as a scaled cur watcheth for a bone, so he goeth about daily seeking whom he may devour, & waiteth continually until the godly shake off the dust of their feet, that is, shaketh off some sin which they have gotten by walking in the world, that then he may lick it up. It is meat and drink to him to see us sin: he loves alive to see us sin, even as cursed Cham did to see Noah's nakedness. And as flies are always flying about a sore place, and the ox will eat the best grass he can get: so the devil is as busy as he can to have his pleasure upon the best. So saith Theophilact, It is even a sport or a pleasure to Satan, which is a sore or a pain to man, especially if he be a godly man: for the good Angels rejoice most when one that is a sinner repenteth: but evil Angels rejoice most when one that is a penitent sinneth. If the devil cannot keep a man from living long, than he will hinder him from living well. Aut impetrat morte, aut impetit mores, saith Zeo: If he cannot kill a man, he will corrupt him. And indeed he taketh more pleasure in corrupting one godly man, then in killing an hundred wicked. He was more delighted when David slew Urias, then when Saul killed himself: when Peter denied Christ, then when judas betrayed him: so that the life of man, by reason of sin, is the life of the devil. It is on the other side, the death of himself. Oh miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? The life of the godly is a very body of death: but there death is only a shadow of death.  
Thales, being demanded what difference there is between life and death, said, they are all one: then being asked again, if he had not rather die then live: no saith he, for they are all one: but Hierome saith excellently, they are not all one, Aliud est vivere moriturus, aliud mori victurus: It is one thing to live in continual danger of death, an other thing to die in continual hope of life. Therefore, Eccle. 7. 3. it is said, that the day of death is better than the day of birth, for when we are borne, we are mortal: but when we are dead, we are immortal: and we are alive in the womb, to die in the world, but are dead in the grave, to live in heaven. Hence it is, that the wicked are merry at their birth day, as Pharaoh made a feast at his birth day, Gen. 40. 20. when his chief butler was hanged: and Herod likewise made a feast at his birth day, Matth. 14. 16. when john Baptist was beheaded: but they are sorry at their dying day, as judas was sorry when he went about to hang himself, and Cain was afraid that every one that met him in the streets would have killed him. Contrariwise, the godly are sorry at their birth day, as job was, job 3. vers. 3. Let the day perish wherein I was borne: and I eremy saith, jerem. 20. 14. Let not the day wherein my mother bore me be blessed: but they are merry at their dying day as Simeon was, Lord now lettest thou thy servant departed in peace: and Paul saith, I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. For whereas there be two ways, the one having in it first a transitory death, than an eternal life: the wicked choose rather to live for a time, though they die for it eternally hereafter: but the godly choose to have their life hid with Christ here, that they may live with Christ eternally hereafter: therefore, the wicked never think of death, but the godly think of nothing else. As Alexander the Monarch of the world, had all other things save only a sepulchre to bury him in when he was dead, he never thought of it: But Abraham the heir of the world, had no other proper possession, but only a field which he buried his dead in, he thought of nothing else. We read that Dantel strewed ashes in the Temple, to descry the footsteps of Baal's priests which did eat up their meat: so did  
Abraham, he strewed ashes in memory of death, saying: I will speak unto my Lord though I be but dust and ashes: that so continually seeing and marking the footsteps of death, how it doth daily eat and consume their bodies, they may be always prepared for it. Our first father made himself clothes of fig leaves, but God misliking that, gave him garments of skin, Gene. 3. 21. Therefore Christ in the Gospel cursed the fig tree, which did leave only leaves to cover our sin, but commended the Baptist, who did were skin to discover our mortality: For not only as Augustine saith, Vita morbus, our whole life is a disease: but also as Bernard saith, Vita mors, The life of man by reason of sin is the death of himself. It is lastly the death of Christ: when Christ was crucified, at first he was (as the Prophet saith) broken for our sins, according to that of Tertullian, Sin it was that brought the Son of God to his death, the jews were only instruments and accessaries to it; sin was the principal: they cried, crucify him in pilate's court: but our sins cried, crucify him in the court of heanen. Now as the death of Christ is sufficient to save the wicked, so the sins of the wicked were not sufficient to condemn Christ. But the scripture saith of them which either are not, or at most would but seem to be godly, they say they know GGD, but by their works they deny him, and Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And they crucify unto themselves again the Son of God, therefore our sins did at the first crucify Christ: and now also the wicked which are not of his body, but we which are his members, we I say do yet oftentimes by our sins crucify Christ with the jews. Yea, I will say more if you will hear me, we crucify Christ far more cruelly than the jews did, than his body was lassible and mortal, now it is glorified and immortal. They knew not what they did, we know well enough: they pierced him with a spear, we pierce him with reproaches: they buried him in the earth, we bury him in oblivion. Wherefore, let every one as soon as he is tempted to any sin, think straightway that he seethe Christ coming towards him, wrapped up in white linen clothes, as he was buried, with a kercher round about his head, crying after a ghastly and fearful manner: Beware, take heed what you do: detest sin, adhorre sin, fie upon it, a shame light on it, it did once most vilely and villainously murder me: But now seeing my wounds are whole, do not I beseech you, do not rub and revive them again with your sins, to make them bleed afresh. Now, seeing that the sceptre of the kingdom of heaven is put into my hands, do not offer me again a reed to mock me. Now seeing my head is crowned with pure gold of eternal glory, do not set a crown of thorns upon it again: Now seeing that I am installed on the right hand of the throne of majesty, do not pull me out of my throne, and throw me into the grave again, and with your sins seal a mighty stone upon me to press me, and keep me down in death. This I assure you will be a forcible means to afray and terrify us from sins, if we consider that the life of man by reason of sin is the death of Christ: and therefore he saith in this fifth part, Not too little for your own life. For yourselves.  
The sixth part is next, which noteth, seeing both the excess and the want is to be eschewed, therefore the true mean which we must keep between Christ and ourselves, consisteth in a certain qualification of these two extremities, For me: For yourselves, both together. Weep not too much (saith he) for my death, which is the death of death: weep not too little for your own life, which is the life of death: not too much for my death, which is the death of the devil: not too little for your own life, which is the life of the devil: Not too much for my death, which is my life: not too little for your own life, which is your death: not too much for my death, which is the life of man: not too little for your own life, which is the death of Christ. Saint Paul exhorteth the Corinth's to approve themselves by honour and dishonour: first by honour, then by dishonour: teaching thereby, that dishonourable honour is better than honourable dishonour. Yet to keep a mean in this matter, that we must as well count it our honour sometimes to be dishonoured with Christ, as a dishonour to be always honoured without Christ. Puen so saith our Saviour here, For me, for yourselves. First, for me, then for yourselves: teaching thereby that to rejoice for Christ, is better than to weep for ourselves, yet to keep a mean between both, that we must as well sometimes descend out of Christ, as ourselves to weep: as always ascend out of ourselves, into Christ to rejoice. For the Apostle saith, Rejoice with them that rejoice, so, weep with them that weep: If my friend be always sorrowful, and never joyful, he hath no pleasure by me: if he be always joyful, and never sorrowful, I have no proof of him, but he is my dearest friend most delighted in me, most approved by me, which taketh such part as I do, sometimes rejoicing, and sometimes weeping, rejoicing when I rejoice, and weeping when I weep: the like is to be seen in this place, For me, for yourselves. If a Christian always thinketh of his own misery, & never of Christ's mercy, he will despair: if he always thinketh of Christ's mercy, & never of his own misery, he will presume: but he is the best christian, so high that he cannot despair, and so low that he cannot presume, who inclines aswell to the one, as to the other, sometimes rejoicing, and sometimes weeping: rejoicing for Christ, and weeping for himself. Therefore as in a balance, if there be any odds in the scales, we take out of that which is in the heavier, and put it to that which is in the lighter, until there be no difference between them: so here we must weigh these matters well, that we may be just weight, neither too heavy for our own misery, nor too light for God's mercy. David saith, Hid me O Lord under the shadow of thy wings: not under the shadow of thy wing, but of thy wings: of thy right wing of mercy by love, and the left wing of thy judgement by fear. As God hath two wings, the one of mercy, the other of justice: so we must have two wings, one of joy for God, and the other of despair for ourselves. And as the Quail flying over the sea, seeing herself not able to hold out, spreadeth out her wings & falleth into the sea, and layeth one of her wings upon the water, and lifteth up the other wing unto heaven: so we must fly with the wings of joy, from joy in GOD, with the wings of despair, unto despair in ourselves. Lest we should presume, we must go backwards, for fear: and yet lest we should despair, we must go forwards towards God with love. As God doth cover us with his two wings, the one of justice, the other of love: so we must cover GOD with our two wings, the one of fear, the other of joy. We must jump forwards unto God, and backwards again unto ourselves, which is jobs cross leap. The sin of man is the death of life. For me, (saith he) I am the death of death: therefore despair not. For yourselves, you are the life of death: therefore presume not. For me: I am the death of the devil, therefore despair not: For yourselves, you are the life of the devil, therefore presume not: For me, I am the life of myself, therefore despair not: For yourselves, you are the death of yourselves, therefore presume not: For me, I am the life of man, therefore despair not: For yourselves, you are the death of Christ, therefore presume not: For me (saith he) death is only dead, and not alive: dead in me, and not alive in you: For yourselves, death is both dead and alive; dead in me, alive in you. For me, I am only alive, and not dead; alive in myself, and not dead in you: For me, you are only alive, and not dead; alive in me, & not dead in yourselves: For yourselves, you are both alive and dead; alive in me, and dead in yourselves. The worst foes that we have, are the devil and death: the best friends we can have, are Christ and ourselves: the death of Christ killeth those foes, & quickeneth those friends: the life of man quickeneth those foes, and killeth those friends. It is much that the death of Christ killeth death, more that it killeth the devil, most of all that it killeth himself, more than all that it killeth Christ. Wherefore we must not lose any one of these weights: but when we weigh the reasons why we must weep for ourselves, we shall find as great cause of joy in God, great cause of sorrow in ourselves, far greater cause of joy in Christ, greater cause of sorrow in ourselves, far greatest cause of joy in Christ, greatest cause of sorrow in ourselves: for that which is more than all to make us joyful in Christ, that is more than all to make us sorrowful in ourselves. The righteousness of Christ is the death of death, great cause of joy in Christ. Deborah rejoiced when Barake put Sisera to flight: have not we as great cause to rejoice, seeing that Christ hath put death to flight? The sin of man is the life of death, a great cause of sorrow in ourselves. If Anna wept for her barrenness, have not we as great cause to weep, seeing we can conceive nothing but sorrow, and bring forth iniquity unto death? The righteousness of Christ is the death of the devil, great cause of joy in Christ. If judith rejoiced when she cut off the head of Holofernes, have not we greater cause to rejoice, seeing Christ hath cut off the head of the devil? The sin of man is the life of the devil, greater cause of sorrow in ourselves. It Thamar wept being deflowered by her brother, have not we greater cause to weep, committing daily spiritual adultery with the devil? The righteousness of Christ is the life of himself, greatest cause of joy in Christ. If Sarah laughed when she should have a quick child in her dead womb, is not this the greatest cause of laughter that can be to us, that Christ lived in death, and could not see corruption in the grave? The sin of man is the death of himself; greatest cause of sorrow in himself. If Agar wept being pulled out of Abraham's house; is not this the greatest cause of weeping that can be unto us, that we are here pilgrims, and strangers from our father's house in heaven? The righteousness of Christ is the life of man; this is more than all, to make us joyful in Christ. If Queen Hester did rejoice, (as Queen Elizabeth doth at this day, whom God long save and preserve) because she delivered her people from thraldom, and destruction; can any thing in the world then make us more joyful, than this, that we being cursed in ourselves, are blessed in Christ; being embased in ourselves, are exalted in Christ; being condemned in ourselves, are justified in Christ; being dead in ourselves, are alive in Christ. The sin of man is the death of Christ: this is more than all, to make us sorrowful in ourselves. If the Virgin Mary wept so sore for the death of her son jesus, as it her soul had been pierced thorough with a sword, (as Simeon speaketh) can any thing in the world then make us more sorrowful than this, that Christ being blessed in himself, was cursed for us; being exalted in himself, was abased for us; being justified in himself, was condemned for us; being alive in himself, was dead for us. Oh dear brother, if thou be sorrowful at any time, remember what Christ hath done for thee, and thou wilt soon be glad: if thou be joyful at any time, remember what thou hast done against Christ, & thou wilt soon be sorrowful: so shall we never suffer shipwreck of faith, either by too much sorrow, as Esau did, who sought the blessing with tears, weeping for himself, not rejoicing in Christ: or else by too much joy, as Herod did, who heard john gladly, rejoicing for Christ, not weeping for himself. But as a ship, being neither too heavily burdened, not too lightly ballased, feareth neither winds nor waves, but saileth safely to the haven: so we being neither too heavy for ourselves, nor too light for Christ, but rejoicing For me, for yourselves, both together, shall neither be drowned in the waves of desperation, nor puffed up with the winds of presumption: but we shall live safely in the Ark of Noah upon the sea of this world, until we arrive at the haven of all happiness in heaven. And this is the right moderation which we must keep between Christ & ourselves, as appeareth in this sixth part, For me, for yourselves, both together.  
The seventh part followeth, Weep not for me, wherein we must consider three things: that is, three virtues that were in Christ: First, his wisdom, Weep not: secondly, his benignity, Not you: thirdly, his magnanimity, Not for me. Wisdom in his instruction appeareth, in that he teacheth us how we should be affected towards the dead: for if we must not weep inordinately for the death of Christ, than we must not trouble ourselves greatly for the death of any Christian. Indeed we may weep for the wicked, not only when they are dead, but even when they are alive: but we must rejoice for the godly, not only when they are alive, but when they are dead: and why? because the wicked being alive are dead: but the godly being dead, are alive. Therefore David when his son Absalon died, whom he knew to be a wicked man, wept for him, saying, Absalon my son, O my son Absalon, would to God I had died for thee? but when his young son died, whom he knew to be an innocent, he was well paid, and rose from the ground, and anointed his face, and said, I shall go to him, he cannot return to me: whereby he warranteth that of Fulgentius, who saith, that the godly deceased are not amissi, but praemissi, not lost for ever, but left for a time: not gone away from us, but sent to God before us. For if it be true which Ignatius saith, that life without Christ is death: then this is true also, that death which is in Christ, is life: and what need we then wear black mourning clothes in sign of sorrow, seeing they wear long white robes in token of triumph? The Athenians had a law given them by Solon, which did forbid mourning & weeping at funerals, saith Chrysostme: it beseemeth us rather to rejoice then to weep for the departure of the righteous: and Jerome saith, we may weep for them, because they are not with us, but we must not weep for them, because they are with God: For Isidorus saith, Charitas plorare jubet, sed piet as lugere vetat: Though love commands us, yet faith forbids us to weep for the dead: therefore Paulinus saith, salva fide, though we may notwithstanding our faith, perform all duties of love, yet we must first notwithstanding our love, enjoy the comforts of faith. So if we shed some few tears which run softly like the waters of Silo: no force saith Ambrose, they will not bewray in us any want of faith, but only testify abundance of love: thus and no otherwise did Abraham weep for Sarai his wife, Rebecca for Deborah her nurse, Berseba for Urias her huskand, Christ for Lazarus his friend. Augustine saith, that Christ hanging upon the cross, taught us a many of excellent lessons, and one amongst the rest was, how we should behave ourselves towards our brethren that are departed out of this life: and it is amplified out of the Hebrues, and also showed by the Romans, and the Ephesians, and declared out of Elias that the dead must not be carried to the grave with mourning, but with singing; & herein wonderful wisdom he showeth how sparing we ought to be in weeping for the death of our godly friends, considering their good hap, and our good hope. In that he saith, Weep not for me: 2. his benignity, not you: All his intolerable troubles nothing troubled him so much as that his friends were troubled for his troubles: and yet (as it should seem) they had great reason thus to be grieved. All the people wept for Moses' death, all Egypt for joseph's death, all Israel for josias death, all the Church for Steuens death: but a million of Moses, of joseph's, of josias, of Steuens are not comparable to Christ. The women of Troy lamented the death of worthy H●ctor, making this the foot of their doleful ditty, Hectora flemus: how much more than might these women of jerusalem lament the death of their captain Christ? All the widows lamented the death of Dorcas because in her life time she had made them such fine clothes & garments: and had not these women then far greater cause to lament the death of Christ, who made every one of them a wedding garment, wherein he did marry them to himself? Ye daughters of Israel (saith David) weep for Saul, who hath clothed you with scarlet: how much more than ought these daughters of jerusalem, to weep for Christ, who clothed every one of them with the royal rob of righteousness? yea and gave his own dear self for them, that they might put on the Lord jesus. When Christ was borne, the night was turned into day as it was prophesied, Psal. 139. 12. Then shall the night shine as the day. But when Christ was crucified, the day was turned into night, as it was prophesied, Amos 8. 7 Then shall the sun go down at noon day. The sun therefore wept for Christ. As Hamon's face was covered when he was condemned to die; so the suns face was covered, when Christ was condemned to die. The temple also wept for Christ. As David rend his garment, when he heard of jonathans' death; so the temple rend his veil, when it heard of Christ's death. The graves like wise wept for Christ: as the King of Ninive threw up dust upon his head when the city was appointed to die; so the graves threw up dust upon their heads, when Christ was appointed to die. Lastly, the stones wept for Christ: as job cut off his hair when he heard of his children's death; so the stones were cut in pieces and clove asunder when they heard of Christ's death. An ass carrying Christ to jerusalem, the children cried Hosanna: Christ carrying his cross out of jerusalem, the women cried Halaluiah: so if these children had held their peace, and not sung, the very stones would have sung out the praises of Christ: If these women had held their peace, and not cried, the very stones would have cried for the death of Christ: or rather indeed, as soon as ever these women lest crying, because Christ bade them, the stones strait ways fell a crying before Christ bade them. And what heart of man could then have refrained from weeping, though it had been harder than any stone, seeing the hard stones before his eyes, dissolved and distilled into tears? Yet behold the loving kindness of Christ, Christ died not for the stones, not for the temple, nor for the graves; but for us men and for our sins he died: yet he suffereth those dead and senseless creatures to weep, and to have a lively feeling of his death, though they had no benefit of his death: But being content himself to shed his own heart blood for us, yet will not suffer us in recompense, to shed so much as one little tear for him, in that he saith, Weep not for me. Thirdly and lastly, his magnanimity, in that he saith, Not for me, appeared in that, holding now in his hand, the cup of trembling, and being ready to drink of the very dregs of it, yet neither his hand, nor his heart trembled.  
Ennius' the poet could say, Nemo me lachrymis decoret, nec funera fletu, Let no man weep for my death: and Saint Laurence the Martyr, (as Prudentius testifieth) saith, Desinite discessu meo fletus dolenter fundere, Do not weep for my departure: but as Ennius, or any other Pagan, could never come near Christians in true magnanimity, so Saint Laurence or any christian could never come near Christ. Paul of any I heard of, cometh nearest him going towards jerusalem: what do ye (saith he) weeping and breaking my heart? for I am ready not only to be bound, but to die for the name of the Lord jesus Christ. Even so saith Christ here, or rather indeed not so, but a thousand times more courageously: going out of jerusalem, what do you (saith he) weeping and breaking my heart? for I am ready not to be bound, but to die for the salvation of man. He knew well enough that his passion would be a new kind of transfiguration unto him, for at his transfiguration, he was accompanied with his Disciples, Peter, james, and john: but at his passion Peter denied him, james and john forsook him: there he was upon mount Tabor, which smelled sweetly of herbs and flowers: but here he was upon mount Caluarie, which smelled loathsomely of bones and dead men's skulls: and there his face did shine as the sun, but here his face was buffeted and spit upon: & then his garments were white as the light; but here his garments were parted, and he himself whipped stark naked: and there he was between two famous Prophets, Moses and Elias: but here he was between two thieves, the one on his right hand, the other upon his left: and there his Father spoke joyfully to him from heaven, This is my beloved son: but here he schriched lamentably unto his Father from the cross, My God, my GOD, why hast thou forsaken me? Yet behold the magnanimity of Christ, Christ knew well enough before hand of this whole passion prepared for him, when as he was not transfigured as before, bt disgraced so as never was any man, yet nothing could move him. Oh worthy resolution, the like whereof was never heard of before! This fearfulness of his Disciples, this noysomenes of the place, the buffets, the nakedness, those thieves, those screeches, could not a whit daunt his heroical heart: but even as a noble champion, having already had a leg and an arm slashed off, when all the stage in admiration of his valour and manhood, cries, save the man, save the man: yet puts out himself, and standing upon one leg, and striking with one arm, fighteth still as stoutly as if he had not been hurt at all: so Christ having been scourged and scorned already, when the whole centre of heaven and earth wept for him: yea, when the powers above the heavens came down, and the dead under the the earth, rose up to moan and pity him: only he himself would ask no favour of others, nor show favour to himself, but was very angry with them, that gave him such counsel.  
And though all the Saints in heaven and earth, did bleed at the very heart, in a manner, even as much as he himself did being upon the cross, to see so good a man to be despised: yet nothing would stay him, but still he went on forward as pleasantly and cheerfully, as to any banquet or feast, to that most ruthful and dreadful death. Thus you see in this seventh part: the wisdom, the benignity, & magnanimity of Christ, in that he saith, Weep not for me.  
The eight part, which is the last, now only remaineth. But weep for yourselves: wherein we must consider likewise three virtues that ought to be in us: First, devotion: secondly, compunction: thirdly, compassion. First, devotion in weeping for this life: secondly, compunction in weeping at the heart: thirdly, compassion in weeping for our own life: First, for devotion. A man may be said to be devout in prayer, to be devout in speaking, & to be devout in meditating, devout in thanksgiving: but we understand that devotion which causeth us to break forth into tears, and in weeping for ourselves, we must be devout: we must persuade ourselves, that we are out of our own country, & that the heavens which we possess not yet, is the country which we should desire. If Christ wish them of jerusalem here, to weep for themselves, and did himself elsewhere weep for jerusalem▪ saying: Oh jerusalem, jerusalem, how oft would I, etc. but you would not: how much more than ought we to weep for this life? They of jerusalem which were carried captive into Babylon, endured threescore and ten years: now just so long lasteth our life, as the Psalmist saith. And so by this account, our whole life is nothing else but the captivity of Babylon: therefore we may well say, By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered thee Oh Zion: and Psalm. 42. My tears have been my meat day and night, while they said to me, where is now thy GOD? And in another place, Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech, & to have my habitation among the tents of Kedar. jerusalem was once finally sacked by Titus and Vespasian, whereas beside, an infinite number that were otherwise spoiled, ten hundred thousand men, ten hundred thousand men I say, were slain down altogether, (as josephus a Greek writer, Egesipphus an Hebrew writer testifieth. But that which happened once to them, happeneth daily to us: we die daily, our whole life is nothing else but such a fooyle and sackage: & among all the miseries of this life, nothing is more miserable than this life itself? So that the only happiness we can have in this life, is a true and a godly bewailing of our unhappiness: which made our Saviour say, Woe be unto you which laugh now, for you shall weep: but on the other side, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted: Therefore job desired God to spare him a little, and let him live a while longer. Wherefore? that he might laugh, and that he might be merry? No saith he, but Vt plangam delorem meum: that I might weep for my woe & grief: he thought, that a man could not have time enough in this life, though it were never so long, to lament & rue the miseries of this life, though it were never so short. For as it is, Rom. 8. 22. If every creature do sigh and groan in itself▪ if the very earth which we have under out feet do mourn and pine away for sorrow, for the heavy burden of our sins, wherewith it is almost weakened and priest down to hell; how much more ought we, having the first fruits of the spirit, to have true devotion in weeping, for this life, according to this, But weep for yourselves. Secondly, compuction, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, frango: as if he should have said, Scindatur vena cordis: Break your hearts for sorrow. And this is the cause why David saith, I have roared for the very disquietness of my heart. And therefore follows Paul's conversion of the Christians in the Acts of the Apostles, who cried out in the vehemency of their spirits, Men and brethren, what shall we do? And this compunction in weeping at the heart, is commanded, Psalm. 4. 5. For whereas we commonly read it, In your chambers and be still, or be still in your chambers: the Septuagints expound it, Have compunction in your chambers: whereby they signify to be pricked to the quick, until the blood follow again: and by chambers, in that place, our hearts is meant. As, When thou prayest, enter into thy chamber: that is, into the silence and secrecy of thy heart: for that having compunction in your chambers, is as much as if he should have said, bleed inwardly at the heart. Our tears must not be Crocodiles tears▪ for as there is praying from the teeth outward, so there is weeping from the eyes outward: as Bernard saith, We must be let blood, and have a vein opened with the lance of compunction. And this vein (saith Fulgentius) must not be corporis, sed cordis: must not be the liver vein, or any such like, but the heart vein only. Whereupon (saith David) My heart droppeth, Psal. 129. 28. Not that his heart dropped indeed, but because the tears which he shed, were not drops of water, such as may be easily forced, coming from the eyes, but drops of blood, such as christ did sweat, issuing from the heart. These indeed are true tears (saith Austin) which are the blood of a wounded heart: So that the heart must first be rend, and deeply wounded, before the eye can weep. But if once our sins fall upon us like thieves, and wound us at the heart, and leave us half dead, and make us power out the blood of true tears, then by & by will Christ power in the wine and oil of gladness. For saith Jerome, speaking of this compunction, Vngit, non pungit: These wounds do not hurt us, but heal us. Which we may see in S. Paul, so long as his heart was hardened, & seared with an hot iron, he played the wild colt, (as I may say) without any grief or remorse, kicking against the pricks: but when it pleased God to take out of his breast that stony heart (as the Prophet speaketh) and to give him an heart of flesh for it, the only one prick of the flesh, the sting of concupiscence, was sufficient alone to tame him, and humble him, and rule him aright. For even as a bladder, if it be pricked, all the wind voids out of it: so Paul his heart being pricked, and bleeding continually for his sins, was freed of all conceitedness of all vanity and pride. Wherefore as the men of judea and jerusalem were pricked at their hearts, Act. 2. 37. so must we have true compunction, in bleeding and weeping at the heart: alluding to this, But weep for yourselves.  
Lastly, we must have compassion in weeping for our own life. Indeed it is an acceptable thing to have compassion upon others, but here we are bound to have compassion upon ourselves. Miserere animae tuae, placens Deo, as one saith, The Priest must first offer sacrifice unto God for himself, then for the sins of the people. In the Gospel, the Pharisie took compassion upon the Publican, saying, I thank God I am no whoremaster, nor unclean person, nor as this publican: But the godly publican wept for himself, and took compassion upon his own life, and therefore God took compassion upon him. We must not first weep for others, but first we must drink one hearty draft of compassion for ourselves, and then for our brother. If thy eye be single, all thy body is full of light: but if thou have a beam in thine own eye, & yet wouldst pull out the moat that is in thy brother's eye, all thy body is full of darkness: whereas the way is first to weep and wash out the great beam our of their own eye, that then thy eye being more single, thou mayst see clearly to pull a little moat out of thy brother's eye: otherwise, that which was most fond and foolishly said to Christ, may be truly and fitly said to thee, Physician heal thyself: And, he saved others, himself he can not save. Like to those Hags and Pharies, which in Latin be called Lamiaes, which we have heard of in old time, who (as they say) could see well enough abroad, but when they came home, were wont to put up their eyes in a box, & so they were stark blind. To whom we may well say, as Christ said to one, Abi in domum tuam: Go into thine own house: do not pry into other men's lives abroad, and shut not up thine eyes in a box when thou art at home, but rather when thou art abroad: look to thine own house, look to thine own heart, weep for thine own self, for thine own life. Many can swallow a camel & strain out a gnat: though their own backs be surcharged, and overladen with all ill-favoured lumps of sin, like camels bunches; yet they never feel it, they never make any bones of it, they can swallow it well enough without any drink of tears: but if they see a little gnat sitting upon their brother's coat, presently they must needs forsooth weep for it, and urge it and press it very sore, and strain it through their tears. Such are the wicked unlearned Brownists, and other like sectaries of this age; they say they weep daily for the ruin of Zion, for the desolation of this Church. But our Church answers them, as she had heard her spouse Christ jesus say in the like case, Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves: I (saith our Church) was never more glorious heretofore▪ in this Realm of England, never am like to be hereafter, than I am now at this day, the Lord be thanked for it: and there is no one point of doctrine or discipline, which I maintain, which hath not been within these forty years confirmed and besprinkled, and even enameled with the blood of as blessed Saints, as holy Martyrs, our own countrymen, as ever did hold up innocent hands to God. Therefore, Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves: You have departed not only from his Church, but from the primitive Church: of which you speak so much, Act. 2. 48. In the primitive Church, they remained with one accord in the Temple, you run out of the Temple, and refuse to pray with us. In the primitive Church, they did break bread at home, you break peace abroad: In the primitive Church, they had singleness of heart, you have changed all singleness into singularity: I do not speak this unto any of this worshipful audience, but to you Brownists: you are those Donatists, of whom Saint Austin speaketh in his 29. Epistle written to januarius, who would take from us the Lord's prayer, with their impious arguments: so would ye Brownists. You are those Nestorians of whom Cassianus speaketh: Quia nolunt esse ut omnes sunt, volunt omnes esse sicut illi sunt. Who, because they would not be as other men are, would have all men to be as bad as themselves. You are of those Luceferians, of whom Jerome speaketh in the beginning of decalogue, Quibus familiare est dicere, fact a est ecclesia lupanaria: who make it a common word in their mouths to say, that the Church is become a Stews, so say the Brownists. You are those Adriani of whom Epiphanius speaketh in his Anchoratus, 4. & 5. pag. grecae: who being busy bodies themselves, and Bishops in other men's Dioceses: yet think much that godly and learned Bishops should bear rule in their own Diocese, so think the Brownists. You are those factious schismatics, of whom Irenaeus speaketh of in his 4. book, 26. chapter: who for light and trifling quarrels, rend and tear the great & glorious body of Christ: so do ye Brownists. Yea, you are those Schismatics, of whom Bernard speaketh, Qui eos qui de Ecclesia sunt, canes, & porcos censent: who account of the Ministers of the church no otherwise, then of hogs, and dogs: I speak to you Brownists. You are those murmurers against Moses, of whom Optates speaketh in his first book against Paremon, Qui sunt sepulti, antè sunt mortui: who were buried before they were dead, because they wept for others before they wept for themselves: so do ye Brownists. But to leave them as they leave the Church, and return to ourselves (dear brethren) who are Christ's dear friends, and friends of his holy Church, we must not only weep, but weep at the heart, not only weep at the heart, but weep for this life; not only weep for this life, but weep for our own life: and so continually practise true devotion, compunction, and compassion, according to this, But weep for yourselves.  
Thus have I gone over all the eight parts of this text: Now I would desire no greater favour of God, than that we might meditate of this which hath been spoken, so as our whole lives, and all our affections (especially these affections of joy and sorrow) might thereby be ordered, and directed aright. For weeping, and not weeping, are things indifferent: things of themselves neither good nor bad, but thereafter, as according to circumstances and occurrences, they are either well or ill used: Even as glorying, labouring, fearing, or loving. For glorying, it is said, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom: but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he knoweth the Lord. Again, We must not rejoice in any thing, but in Christ jesus, and him crucified. For labouring, it is said, Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for the me at which endureth for ever. And again, Thou shalt get thy living with the sweat of thy brows. For fearing, it is said, Fear not him that can kill the body only, but fear him who is able to cast both body and soul into utter darkness. For loving, it is said, Love not the world, nor the things of the world: if any man love the world, the love of God is not in him. Glory not them, but glory, not in the wisdom of the world, but in the knowledge of God: Labour not, but labour, not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which abideth for ever. Fear not, but fear, not him that can kill the body only, but him that can kill both body and soul. Love not, but love, not the world, but God. And so here, Weep not, but weep, not for me, but for yourselves. Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves. To weep is lawful, not to weep, without weeping, is unlawful: not to weep, is lawful, not to weep, without weeping, is not lawful. Again, to weep for ourselves, is lawful; to weep immoderately for Christ, is unlawful; not to weep for Christ is lawful; not to weep at all for ourselves is unlawful: whereas without any unlawfulness in either, both weeping, and not weeping, will be lawful, if our weeping be always joined with not weeping, and our not weeping sometimes joined with weeping; if our weeping Bee for ourselves, not for Christ, and our not weeping be for Christ, & not for ourselves. Therefore, we must mark what our Saviour said, he saith not thus, Weep for me, and weep for yourselves; that is too much sorrow, and too little joy: neither thus, Weep not for me, nor weep for yourselves; that is too much joy, and too little sorrow: neither thus, Weep for me, but weep not for yourselves; that is a desperate speech: neither thus, Weep not for yourselves, but weep for me; that is a presumptuous speech: only he saith thus, Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves. Wherefore (holy brethren) if we have any tears, now let us shed them: if we have any Psalms, now let us sing them. The holy Gospel is nothing else, but a joyful news, the sum whereof is comprised in that evangelical and Angelical message to the shepherds, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. But there Christ was borne in his mother's arms, now he holdeth up the Angels that they fall not, and lifteth up men that are fallen, with his arms stretched out upon the cross: This is his kingdom which is upon his shoulder, Esay. 9 6. And O Ecumenius saith upon the second of job, This was a greater glory and credit for Christ, than the creation of the whole world. Sweet Saviour, I embrace the wounds of thy hands and feet, I esteem more of thy hysoppe, thy sponge, thy reed, thy spear, then of any princely Diadem: I boast myself, and am more proud of thy spittings and thorns, then of all pearls and jewels: I account thy cross more splendent and glorious, than any royal sceptre. What speak I of a sceptre? that's a goodly matter indeed, than all the sunbeams in her greatest brightness of beauty. This is that triumph, 2. Cor. 2. 14. whereby Christ made us to triumph in himself, and to be more than conquerors, as Cyprian saith, whereas the goodness and sweetness of Christ, did triumph over all impiety and malice. Therefore if the women met Saul playing & singing, Saul hath slain his thousand, and David his ten thousand: how much more ought all the sons and daughters of jerusalem, to meet joyfully playing upon the harp, and singing that new song to the Lamb with the 24. Elders, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, because thou wast killed, and hast redeemed us by thy blood. There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Why art thou then so heavy oh my soul, and why art thou so disquieted within me? still put thy trust in GOD, and he will deliver thee. Wherefore, let us look up into heaven, and there shall we see the Angels singing this song, Glory be to God on high, peace on earth, and good will towards men. And if I acob, that true Jacob, (I mean) Christ, when he went to jerusalem, having nothing with hi● but a staff, a I acobs staff: if then (I say) we had good cause to rejoice: how far greater cause have we now to rejoice, seeing he is returned back again, and ascended up into heaven to his Father, and there sitteth in glory: though thou wert never so much afflicted, yet even in affliction▪ rejoice with joy unspeakable, yet not as Herodias did, but as David did leap up in affliction, and caper as high as heaven itself, where thou shalt see one rapt up into a third heaven, saying to himself, God forbidden that I should rejoice in any thing, but in the cross of Christ: and to us, Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice: and again and again, I say rejoice, & rejoice in Christ always. But weep for yourselves: not because Christ died, but because your sin were the cause of his death: for this I will weep day and night: yea, if I had as many eyes in my head, as three are stars in the sky, yet I wo●ld weep them all out for this, that I should be such an unworthy wre●ch, as by my sins to crucify Chris:, & to put him to so many deaths, and to kill so dear and so loving a Lord. Oh that I could possibly devise what to say, or what to do, to obtain thus much of you, or rather of God for you: that you would weep, though it were never so little for your sins. But I can do no more but commend and commit that which hath been spoken, to the effectual working of the holy Ghost in you: & to the faithful obedience of your good hearts to God. Many excellent things are spoken of thee, renowned city, oh thou glorious city of London: and yet there are many foul blemishes in thee, which now I will not, and by reason of the time, I cannot rip up unto you: but must leave them unto every one of your private consciences: only remember I pray you this one lesson, that you sin not, for he that sinneth once, killeth Christ once: and he that repeateth one sin twenty times, killeth Christ twenty times: Oh that God would give force to my words, and tell me what I should say. I would to God that I could move any remorse, in biting and gnawing of your consciences for your sins. Beloved, oh beloved, kill not the comforter of your hearts, grieve not the holy Ghost: for when we sin, the holy Ghost is grieved: he is grieved when we are not grieved; but if we be grieved for our sins, then is the holy Ghost delighted: as saith Saint Basill, such grief and weeping will be the very seed, or the interest and loan of everlasting life. For as a Father pitieth his child, and if he seeth him cry, he stilleth him, & takes out his handkerchief and wipes the child's eyes himself: so GOD our heavenly Father, will with his own holy finger wipe away all tears from our eyes, take us by the hand, and lead us out of the house of mourning, into the house of mirth: then having sown in tears, we shall reap in joy: yea, having sown but a few tears, which may be put in a bottle, we shall reap all those manifold joys which are in heaven: For (saith one) Heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh the next morning: then shall Christ turn all our misery into music: all our wormwood into wine: all our sighing into singing: then shall Abraham that good mower, bind us up into sheaves as good corn, and fill his bosom full of us, and carry us into the Lord's barn, to make a joyful harvest in heaven: then shall we with the wise Virgins, having store of oil in our lamps, that is, tears in our eyes, go out of this vale of tears which floweth with weeping, and enter into that celestial Canaan, which floweth with milk and honey. Then shall we surmounting all earthly things, so rear aloft and fly up as with the eagle's wings, into the heavenly paradise, and there settle in the tree of eternal life: then shall all tears of weeping and mourning be wiped from our eyes: and then shall we see clearly the bright son of God sitting at the right hand of his Father in heaven: saving unto us, Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will refresh you: not saying, Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves: but Rejoice for me, and rejoice for yourselves, through the tender mercies of jesus Christ, to whom with the Father, and the Son, and the holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, power and praise, dignity and dominion, both now and evermore. Amen.  
Deus est gloria.  
FINIS.