jeremiahs' Tears,  
OR A Sermon Preached in York-minster upon Trinity Sunday, in the year of our Lord, 1604. when the sickness was begun in the City.  
BY Thomas Pullein Vicar of Pontefract, sometime Chaplain of New College in Oxford.  Oh that they were wise, than they would understand this: they would consider their latter end. Deut. 32. 29. 
LONDON, Printed by William jaggard, for Clement Knight. 1608.   

▪ To the Honourable Robert Askwith, Lord Mayor of the City of York, and the Right Worshipful his Grave Associates and Brethren the Aldermen, all spiritual Graces, with worldly Prosperity in this life, and eternal happiness in the life to come.  
Having of long time conceived a purpose, (my good Lord) to give some public Testimony of my Love to your Honourable City, the place of my birth, I began now in the latter end of your Lordship's year, to consider, that I could never have a fit opportunity, for the accomplishment of my desire. Whereupon, being loath to use any further delay, in letting pass so good an occasion, near lost already, I was forced in haste, the time so requiring, to look up my old Papers, to see if I could find any thing worthy to present unto your Lordship. And while I was thus occupied, I bethought myself, of that Sermon which heretofore I made in the City, when it was newly visited with the late contagious sickness, being drawn thither at the earnest request of a Worshipful friend. And this I thought the fittest, to publish at this time, for sundry causes First, to put us in mind of the manifold, Gracious, and Fatherly benefits, wherewith God hath blessed us above all the Nations of the Earth, and how we have abused the same. Secondly, to set before us the horrible sins we have committed, with our monstrous unthankfulness against his Majesty. Thirdly, to renew a fresh the remembrance of his severe Chastisements, lately, but most justly inflicted upon us which we seem to have utterly forgotten. And lastly, to admonish us, that if neither his blessings nor punishments will move us to repent & amend our lives, he hath yet more fearful judgements, to astonish our rebellious hearts, & utterly to make an end of us, which though we have escaped the plague, do still threaten our ruin and destruction. All which points, I had rather should be observed out of the sermon itself, then trouble this place with the repetition thereof. The reason why I have deferred this unto the end of your year, was, because I had partly heard by general report, & partly seen with mine own eyes, how honourably you have performed your Office, and passed your year with as much credit & applause, as any of your Predecessors, I could not but rejoice in your Lordship's behalf, & for a Testimony of my Gratulation, bring with me this poor present, to the shutting up of your year, not doubting, but your Lordship will take the same in good part.  
And thus (honourable, and right Worshipful) commending this small exercise to your diligent reading, & careful practice, with my hearty Prayers to the Lord, for the continuance of his blessings upon your City, & that it will please him to replenish the people under your Government with the knowledge of his heavenly truth, and fervent love of his holy Gospel, framing their hearts in obedience thereunto to their eternal Salvation, I humbly take my leave. Pontefract, this first of january, 1607.  
Your Lordships and Worships to command in the Lord Thomas Pullein.   

Ornatissimis viris, omni doctrinarum genere imprimis conspicuis, D. Custodi, Socijs, caeterisque Alumnis Collegij Novi apud Oxonienses debita unicuique obseruantia.  
DVodecim plus minus elapsum est annorum interualum (doctissimi viri, et fratres plurimum obseruandi) ex quo insignis vestrae domus, Capellanus, eforo Collegij vestri, in vineam Dominime contulerim. Quales exinde labores susceperim, non dignos seuseo, de quibus dicam. Hoc qualecunque opusculum, si quid inde sit emersurum boni, Civitas illa, in qua natus fuerim et educatus, cui labor etiam iste d●stinatus iampridem fuerat, optimo iure sibi vendicat: ut ubi lucem ipse primum conspexerim, quod a me primo profectum est, primum etiam in lucem prodeat. Si quid tandem vos interpellem, rogetis? dicam verbo: Nihil mihi visum est indignius, quam vobis, vel inconsultis, velsaltem neglectis, quicquam moum in publicum prodire. Quicquid enim mibi est, vobis acccptum fero, vobisque animi qua maxime possum gratitudine refero. Nullius autum rei magis sum cupidus, quam ut vos labores meos, sive hos, sive alios in posterum fortassis edendos, in vestram tutelam suscipere, quod recte dictum fuerit aequi consulere, si quid proficiendi studio deliquerim, indulgenter condonare velitis. Deus in studia vestra incumbat Spiritus sui gratia, multosque e vestra societate dignos operarios in messem suam, emittere dignetur. valet viri praestuntissimi, meque alumnum Collegij vestri, vestrum in sinum a linguis mordacibus confugientem suscipite, fovete tueamini. Pontefracti, Calendis januarij. 1607 (▪)  
Vestra societati addictissimus Thomas Pulleinus.   

jeremiah 9 1. Oh that mine head were full of Water, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people.  
AS God having tied Abraham's faith, and by trial found it sincere, in walking obediently unto his will, did plant his Church in Abraham's posterity, being holy branches of a holy tree: so this Church God would not leave destitute of his further grace, but as in mercy he had freely chosen the same from among the rest, so in his goodness he blessed it above the rest. He sent his Prophets from time to time, as diligent husbandmen to employ their Prayers both early and late, for the dressing of his Vineyard, and to do all things which might serve to make it fruitful: that as he had planted the same by himself, so he might water it by his servants, & give the increase by his spirit.  
Amongst these servants of God, whom the Lord had endued with the spirit of prophesy, some were employed specially among the jews, consisting of the Tribes of judah and Benjamin: some were sent to the ten Tribes of Israel, which being revolted from the house of David, were now become a several kingdom of themselves: some exercised a more joint function concerning both the kingdom of judah & Israel: and some Prophesied more specially concerning foreign Nations. Of those Prophets, whose commission was to preach unto the jews, our prophet jeremiah was neither the last nor the least: who being endued with rare and excellent gifts of God; as namely with fervent zeal, invincible courage, and unchangeable constancy, began for to prophecy in a most corrupt and dangerous time, when the Book of the Law was lost, and never a copy thereof extant for the instruction of the people. Whereof it is easy to gather, how much a do the prophet had with the wayward people, having no common rule to direct them, either for the worship of God, or for the leading of their lives, (but every man living as himself liked best) both corrupting the service of God with their Idolatrous inventions, and defiling their conversations with horrible sins. And after that, when the Book of the Law was found, and publicly authorized by godly King josiah, the people for all that became not much more tractable, though for his time reduced to some better order; yet afterwards, like falsehearted Apostates, they utterly revolted to their old superstitions, and looseness of life. And strange it is to consider, what contradiction the holy prophet found among that stiffnecked people, who neither regarded the Lord that sent him, nor the embassage he delivered, nor the imminent calamities which were ready to fall upon their heads.  
None of all these things could make their stony hearts to repent, but on the contrary, they raised up troubles and persecutions against the prophet, shutting him sundry times in prison, & sundry times seeking his life, they removed him from one dungeon to another, where his feet stuck fast in the mire, in so much that he could not be gotten out, till he was drawn up with ropes, as we see in the 37. & 38. chapters. And yet notwithstanding, he was not dismayed, but patiently endured all these afflictions, and having constantly continued in the faithful discharge of his prophetical function, for the space of more than 40. years together, at length (as it is recorded of him) he was stoned to death in Egypt, by those jews that were fled thither for fear of the Chaldaeans.  
But now to approach nearer unto our text. When Isaiah that excellent prophet of the Lord, who had been vehement in rebuking the sins of the people, & had laboured most earnestly to bring them to repentance, could not prevail with all his Travail, but lost his labour, and spent his strength in vain, having continued prophesying about the space of threescore years: what hope could our prophet jeremiah conceive, who succeeded him, to prevail more with that obstinate people, than his predecessor had done, being both servants of the same Lord, both employed in the same affairs, and both aiming at one mark, which was the repentance of the people, and their preservation from destruction, depending upon their repentance? Our prophet therefore, as he was later in time, and the destruction of the jews nearer at hand, so his care was the greater, to frame and compose himself in speaking to the jews after such a sort, as his speech might most deeply pierce the very sinews of their hearts, and transfuse itself into the marrow of their souls: not that he hoped to achieve any greater matters with them, than Isay & joel his predecessors had done, but to make them inexcusable before God, and that themselves might acknowledge the Lord to deal most justly with them, when they should feel the rigour of his judgements, having been thereof so often forewarned. This therefore is the chiefest point in jeremiah his doctrine to be observed, that now no hope of pardon was left unto the jews. they had so long despised mercy, that now vengeance was come, and therefore they were to look for nothing but to feel the weight of God's heavy indignation. And for this they were to thank themselves; for though God be full of patience & long suffering, and is loath to punish sinners when they do offend, yet he will not always suffer himself to be mocked; his justice will not always be sleeping, but at length will rouse up itself like a ramping Lion, and who is able to endure the fierceness thereof. Though he give his people a long time to repent, & send his servants to call them, to invite them, to entreat them, & to woe them, as a man doth woe a Virgin, whom he would make his wife, promising that he will be merciful to their sins, and not remember their iniquities, that he will deal with them in the greatness of his love, & not in the rigour of his judgement; that he will receive and embrace them, as his dear children, & bestow all good things upon them both in this life, & in the life to come, if they will amend their lives, & turn unto him; yet when they will not be reform, when they remain impenitent & incorrigible, and do harden their hearts against all these loving & gracious admonitions, how can the lord do less than make them know and feel, that as he hath abundance of sweet mercies laid up in store for them that fear him, so his treasure is not without sharp arrows, swords, and all kind of weapons, to gore the hearts of all his enemies? Seeing then the jews were such, how could the prophet jeremiah do less, then sound out the trumpet of God's wrath, & thunder out the threatenings of God's indignation against them? But what? did not Isay before him, denounce the judgements of God against the jews? Yes verily, but with this difference: that Isaiah, as he was vehement, so with his threatenings he always mingled words of comfort, and gave hope of pardon upon amendment: but jeremiah, when neither Isaiahs' preaching would move them, nor the example of their brethren (whom the Assyrians had carried away captives, having utterly destroyed their kingdom) could work any remorse in their hearts, jeremiah after all this, seeing the jews obstinately given over to hardness of heart, he tells them plainly, that he must not now dissemble with them, but as they were obdurate in their malice, without hope to be reclaimed, so they must now prepare themselves ever to bear the burden of God's wrath, without hope to be released.  
And we may further say, that God by the prophet Isay did expostulate with the jews, he pleaded his cause against them, and brought them to their trial; but by jeremiah he convinceth them, he finds them guilty, and gives sentence against them, & that sentence was performed even in jeremiahs' time, who saw with his own eyes the execution thereof.  
Seeing then, that the decree was passed, their destruction determined, and the sentence irrevocable: Admonitions were unprofitable, exhortations were unfruitful, to pray for them was forbidden: Thou shalt not pray for this people, neither lift up cry or prayer for them, neither entreat me, for I will not hear thee, saith the Lord. jer. 7, 16. This was the cause, that our prophet here frames himself to mourn, lament, and bewail, the misery, destruction, and calamity of the jewish Nation: Oh that my head were full of water, etc.  
And because this City, and this land, hath been as much blessed of God as ever judah & jerusalem was, and the Lords Gracious care to call you to repentance, that ye might not perish in your sins, hath been as great over you, as ever it was over them: & that so many excellent Preachers, endued with such variety of gifts, have been sent unto you from so many places, besides your ordinary Preachers, whom the Lord hath placed among you (which though they be few through your own fault, yet are they enough to make you without excuse:) and all these have not ceased to cry and call on you, for the amendment of your lives, to lay away your swearing, your drunkenness, your Whoredom, your falsehood and deceit in buying, selling, and bargaining, your profaning of God's sabboth's, your contempt of his word, your biting, extorting, and oppressing usuries, besides infinite others your grievous and abominable sins, and yet all in vain; insomuch that the Lord having laid his heavy hand upon many places of this Land, to the destruction of many thousands, hath begun also to stretch it out upon this City, and is like to proceed further, and not yet to make an end, according to that of the Prophet Isaiah 9, 12. The wrath of the Lord is not yet turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. This is the cause, that hath moved me, laying aside all matter both of doctrine and exhortation, to make choice of this place of Scripture, the better to occasion me to lament & bewail both the hardness of your hearts, and the greatness of your punishment, and to say with the prophet jeremiah, Oh that my head, etc.  
The Prophet in these words doth signify, that as their sins were monstrous, passing all measure, so the destruction was fearful, which the Lord was determined to bring upon them, exceeding the measure of his ordinary judgements: and therefore, that he was not able sufficiently to bewail the greatness thereof. For great sins procure great punishments, and great punishments are never without great sorrow and lamentation. Seeing therefore the punishments which God had prepared for the jews, were such as they had never felt before, so the Prophet desireth to bewail the same with such a measure of Lamentation, as never had been heard of before: that the greatness of his mourning might (if it were possible) be fully answerable to the greatness of their miseries. In these words we may observe two things: First, the mourning of the prophet, and secondly, the object of his mourning. The mourning in these words, Oh that mine head were full of Water, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night: the object of his mourning was, the slaughter of the people: that I might weep day and night, for the slain of the daughter of my people. His mourning he sets down in most pathetical and significant terms. And this he doth by way of a Rhetorical gradation; for he that weary, sheds tears, and he that sheds tears, must have some inward moisture that must be resolved into tears. The prophet therefore framing & composing himself to weep, and in weeping to exceed measure, & to pass moderation, that he might not be interrupted in the course of his weeping for want of matter to ministet supply of tears, he first wisheth that his head were full of water, or rather, that his head were resolved into water: for that cometh nearer the Haebrew original, Oh that some man would make my head to become as water. In this great lamentation the prophet seemeth to fear nothing more, then that his head should be drawn dry, & that for lack of moisture, he should be constrained in time to forbear weeping, for (as Seneca saith) Nullus dolor longus est, qui magna est.  
The sorrow that is great cannot be long, for such is the infirmity of nature, that nothing vehement or violent can be of long continuance. Seeing therefore, that this sorrow was extraordinatie, because it did arise of an extraordinary occasion, here he sets forth in extraordinary & hyperbolical forms of speech, rather expressing his desire, how he would have it to be, than any hope he had that it could so be, & not so much declaring what was possible & likely to be done, as what was meet and convenient to be done.  
The thing therefore that our prophet desireth is, first, that his head might be full of water. It is not a small quantity of water that will content him, but he would have it full of water. Nay, he would have it resolved into water, that so long as it is a head, so long it might never be without water, to weep and wail for the destruction of the people.  
But why doth he wish that his head were full of water, and not rather his heart, seeing the heart is the seat of all the affections? Although the heart is the seat of the affections, yet the head is the seat of all the senses, both inward and outward. And the head as it is the highest part of the body, so the mind which is the chiefest part of the soul, hath erected her throne therein, & keeps there her residence, and from thence as from a Watch Tower, apprehendeth all things, understandeth all things, and discerneth all things that are brought unto her by the outward senses, which are her handmaids.  
This is the place where the mind doth sit as Queen and Governor, and whatsoever it be she commandeth, prescribeth, or directeth, that the will and affections are ready to execute. And for that cause it is said, Mens cuiusque est quisque. The mind of every man is the man himself. This is that which first aprehendeth the cause of grief & sorrow, and by & by Communicateth the same with the heart, which is presently moved either to embrace or dislike, as the mind judgeth the object to be good or evil: Like unto a Porter, who keeping the gate doth open it to his friend, and shuts it to his enemy. By this the prophet in his Prophetical spirit, did foresee that horrible and bloody slaughter which should be committed by the host of the Chaldaeans in the City of jerusalem. And this did so deeply afflict and pierce his heart, that he could not contain himself, but must needs break out into a most doleful lamentation. And the better to continue and increase his sorrow by ministering (as it were) food thereunto, he wisheth that his head were full of water: for as fire consumeth wood and coals, and for want of wood or coals, the fire itself will consume and be extinguished; so weeping exhausteth and draweth out tears, and when tears are consumed, without supply, weeping itself must needs have an end. And therefore, that a fresh supply might never be wanting, he wisheth that his head might always abound with water. And for this purpose, the head is a more fit member then the heart: First, because the object of the affections is there apprehended and judged of, and according to that judgement the heart is affected.  
Secondly, for that the head is much larger, and of a more capacious figure. Thirdly, because it is more apt to receive and hold water, both in regard of the ventricles or receptacles of the brain within, and also for that it is strongly fenced and environed (as it were) with a hard wall round about. And lastly, for that the head hath better means to express the grief and sorrow of the heart, both by mourning with the voice, and by weeping with the eyes: And thus I am come to the second point of the gradation, which is the second thing that the prophet desireth for the better expressing of his great sorrow.  
He doth not only wish that his head were full of water, but he declares the cause thereof; which was, not to keep it still enclosed in his head, but that from thence it might be derived and resolved into brinish tears, as faithful witnesses of his inward grief. And to this end he wisheth, that his eyes might be as a Fountain, or (as it is in the Haebrewe Original) a vain of tears, which might be always open & never stopped, always running and never dry. When a man would seek a well, first he digs to get water, and when he hath found Water, his next care is, to draw it out, for such needful uses, as occasion requireth. Even so our Prophet's desire is first; that he might have in his body a springing well, that his head might be the conduit; and for the better drawing of this water out, he wisheth in the next place, that his eyes might be as spouts or as conduit pipes to power forth this water. And it could not be, but so many as had not hearts of flint, must needs be moved with astonishment, to see and behold this great lamentation. And yet our prophet is not content with this, but he addeth, as the third step of the gradation, that I might weep day and night. It cannot content him to have his head full of Water, it cannot content him, that his eyes shed tears: but as though this were no weeping, to express further, that all this comes from the inward sense & sorrow of his heart, he wisheth that he might weep, and not simply weep, but weep so, that his eyes might never linne weeping, and his eyelids might never close themselves to take any rest, but be always open to weep day and night. Great was that mourning of the women of Bethelem, when their children were slain by the cruelty of Herod, whereof our prophet jeremiah prophesieth Chap, 31. 15. which Testimonies is alleged by the evangelist S. Matthew, in the second Chapter and the 8. verse, where he applieth the same to that slaughter of Herod: who seeing himself deluded by the wise men, caused all the male children of Bethlehem to be slain, from two years old and under, with intent to murder Christ, among the rest In Ramah was a voice herd, mourning and weeping, & great lamencation: Rachael weeping for her children, & would not be comforted, hecause they were not. But that lamentation, although it was bitter, yet was it not to be compared with this of our prophet, because that was only for the loss of some of their children, but here the prophet bewaileth that miserable and fearful destruction which should generally come upon all judah and jerusalem, as well young as old, wherein there should scarce be any that should scape & not perish, either by famine, sword, or by pestilence, or at least be carried into captivity. It is much that David saith of himself, Enery night wash I my head, and water my couch with my tears, psal. 6, 6. Oh worthy practice for a penitent soul to imitate, touching every sinner that groaneth under the burden of his sins, to spend the nights not in sleeping, but in weeping, not in slumbering & drowsynes, but in crying and calling to God for mercy, shedding the tears of true repentance? Worthy also is that to be remembered, which is recorded of the sinful woman in the gospel, Luke 7. who wept so abundantly, that she washed the feet of Christ, with the tears that trickled down from her eyes. But this mourning of our prophet exceeds them both, if not in greatness, yet in continuance, whose tears distilling without intermission, as from the conduit of a springing well, would be sufficient, not only to water his couch, or to wash the feet of those that came near him, but even in time to send forth rivers of waters, like those whereof Ezechiel speaketh, chap, 47. which coming forth of the temple, were at the first measuring up to the ankles, at the second measuring up to the loins, but at the third measuring, the waters were become as a river, that could not be passed. But why doth our prophet weep so immoderately? That by his shedding of many tears, some might drop out of their eyes. For the prophet weeps not here for himself, but for the great misery that should come upon the people. And though he was likely to sustain some part of their affliction, because he dwelled among them, yet himself was but one, & not one of the greatest; the state of the Monarchy rested in them, that is, in the king, in the Nobles, and the rest of the people.  
And therefore it was the public state that he bewailed, whereupon every private man's condition depended: as for himself he made no reckoning, and beside, he knew that God who had employed him in that Message, and had preserved him hitherto from the bloody hands of the jews, who had slain many of the lords Prophets, was also able to preserve him from the hands of the Chaldaeans, or to give him favour in their eyes, that they might do him no harm, as it came to pass afterwards when the City was taken. Ier, 39, 11, 12. Seeing then, the Prophet doth weep for the people, stands it not with good reason, that they should weep for themselves? when our Saviour was led to be Crucified, many Women of jerusalem followed him weeping. But jesus turned back and said unto them, Daughters of jerusalem, Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your Children, Luke 23. 28.  
He blames not their affection, but he speaks by way of comparison. He tells them, that if they knew all, they had more cause to weep for themselves then for him. They wept for him, because they loved him, but he went to die for them, because he loved them. judge which of these had the greater love? Notwithstanding, such was the ingratitude of the jewish Nation: such was their impiety against God, their cruelty against his Prophets, and their impenitency in their sins, that the Lord was determined utterly to root them out from being a Nation, and for ever to cut them off from being a people. And this he performed about forty years after, by Titus the son of Vespasian, the Roman Emperor, who brought a final destruction upon the jews. And this was the cause, that when our Saviour was come near to jerusalem, and beheld the City, he wept for it, Luke 19 41, And in another place he said, O jerusalem, jerusalem, which killest the Prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as the Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, and ye would not? Behold your habitation shall be left unto you desolate. Mat. 23, 37. By this complaint it appeareth that though our Saviour mourned for the City of jerusalem yet the people of jerusalem had the greatest cause to bewail their own misery.  
Our prophet therefore in weeping for the people, he sets them a precedent and rule to follow. It was their punishment that struck his heart with this inward sorrow, and caused his eyes to shed tears, and therefore he frames himself to weep, that by his weeping he might wring tears out of their eyes.  
But ought not every man to be moved most, with that which most concerneth himself? Why then is our Prophet touched with a more lively sense of the jewish calamities, than the jews that were to feel the smart thereof? Why doth he not wish that their heads were full of water, and their eyes fountains of tears, that they might Weep day and night for the destruction that should come upon themselves? Oh their hearts were hardened, & that makes our Prophet to mourn the more. He had rebuked them for their sins, but they would not amend. He had denounced God's judgements, but they despised his threatenings. When the false Prophets flattered them with Peace, Peace, to them they hearkened. It is said of our Saviour Christ, concerning the jews, that he did mourn for the hardness of their hearts, Mark, 3. 5. And here our Prophet jeremiah, when nothing would prevail, he takes himself to mourning.  
In this place we see, how needful it is, that faithful Pastors be placed among the people when they are ignorant, to teach them: when they sin, to admonish them: when admonitions will not serve, to terrify them with God's judgements: when nothing will prevail to mourn for them. The dumb dogs & the idle Nonresidents do none of these things, the one cannot, and the other will not, and both of them have been the destruction of many thousand souls, which will one day be required at both of their hands. But what shall the faithful ministers do? Shall they tell the Drunkards, what the prophet Isaiah saith unto them? woe unto them that rise up early to follow drunkenness, and to them that continue until night, till the Wine do inflame them? Isa, 5, 11. woe unto them that are mighty to drink Wine, and to them that are strong to pour in strong drink, ver, 22. And what the Prophet joel saith. 1, 5. Awake ye Drunkards, and howl, and weep all ye drinkers of Wine, because of the new Wine: for it shall be pulled from your mouth? Shall we tell the Adulterers, what our prophet jeremiah saith of them? 5, 7.  
Though I fed them to the full, yet they commit Adultery, and assemble themselves by companies into the Harlot's houses: they rise up in the morning like fed horses, & every man neigheth after his neighbours wife. Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord? Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this? shall we say to the common and profane swearer, as the wise man saith, Ezechiel 23, 9 Accustom not thy mouth to swearing, for in it there are many falls, neither take up for a custom the naming of the Holy one, for thou shalt not be unpunished for such things. And ver. 11. A man that useth much swearing, shall be filled with wickedness, and the plague shall never go from his house? Or that which God himself sayeth in the third commandment, that the Lord will not hold that person guiltless that taketh his name in vain? Shall we cry out against deceit in buying and selling, against false weights and measures, against deceitful and unprofitable wares: against extortion, oppression, and such like. in condemning whereof the Scripture is vehement? Shall we say to the Usurer in the name of the Lord, Thou shalt take no usury of thy Brother, thou shalt seek no advantage against him, but thou shalt fear thy God, that thy Brother may live with thee. Thou shalt not give him thy money to usury, nor lend him victuals for increase. Le, 25. 36 Or that which in another place. Thou shalt not give to usury unto thy Brother: as usury of money, usury of meat, or usury of any thing that is put to usury, Deut, 23, 19  
But what availeth it us to speak of these things? your Pulpits have sounded with these exclamations: but all in vain. These sins have so bewitchedy our minds, partly with pleasure, and partly with profit, that they are become like the deaf Adder, that stoppeth her ears, and will not hear the voice of the Charmer, Charm he never so wisely. They are so deeply rooted in your hearts, through long continuance, that all their labour is in vain, which shall endeavour to pluck them up. They have so lulled you asleep in the cradle of security, that it is easier for us to raise up Lazarus out of his Grave, then to bring you to any sense or feeling of your sins.  
Seeing then, that all things are brought to this desperate state, the Lord hath at length begun to waken up his judgements, to see if he can Waken you out of your sleep of sin. He hath begun at length to stretch forth his punishing hand upon this City, which as it hath been heavy upon those whom it hath touched, so it threateneth destruction to many more.  
Oh then, what remaineth for us, but with the Prophet jeremy to weep and lament? And herein, leave me not alone; but as Moses and all the congregation of Israel wept before the door of the Tabernacle when the wrath of the Lord was kindled against them. Numb, 25, 6. so it behoveth you all to join with me as Actors in this lamentation. And first, you that are the Fathers and Governors of this City, as your sins are not the least (for I may not flatter you) so it is your parts to be the foremost in this great humiliation.  
But if you think the matter doth not concern you, than I turn me unto the Lawyers, the Merchants, and Artificers, with all the residue whose sins have conspired together to bring down God's wrath upon this City. And if they refuse me, then where should I make my moan, but to the women who have good reason to be partakers of this common sorrow, because their Pride, Vanity, Lofty looks, Gayrish attire, Wanton gesture, & other vices, have not been the least cause to suit this city with this fearful pestilence? And if they disdain to mingle their tears with mine, then have I none to fly unto, but the little children, that they at least with their crying and weeping, may help to increase this doleful lamentation.  
But if the hearts of all be hardened: if neither Men, Women, nor Children will mourn with me, yet will I wail and mourn myself alone, and say with the prophet, Oh that my head were full of water, and mine eyes a Fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night.  
And so I come to the second part, which is the object of the Prophet's mourning, that I might weep (for what?) for the slain of the daughter of my people. There is a time to laugh, and a time to Weep: a time to sow, and a time to reap, a time to commit sin, and a time to be punished for sin. The jews had laughed a long time in security, but afterwards they mourned a long time in misery.  
They had a long time sown the tars of disobedience, but now they were to reap the fruit of wrath and vengeance. And as they had spent a long time in running the race of sin, so the Lord at length found out his time to break off their course, by pouring his heavy judgements upon them. The prophet here bewaileth the slaughter of the people: he makes no mention of their sins, which were the cause thereof. But in speaking of the effect, he implieth the cause; for had it not been for their sins, the host of the Chaldaeans had not come amongst them, and then that slaughter had not been committed.  
Hereby he teacheth them, that it had been in their power to have prevented this lamentable effect, if they had repent of their sins, and accepted the time of Grace, when it was offered unto them: but when they had despised mercy, & had chosen to wallow still in their sins, now was the door of mercy shut, and nothing but miserable destruction to fall upon them. This was the cause, that our prophet ceaseth to bewail their sins, and instead thereof, he bewaileth the punishment which their sins had produced.  
That I might weep for the slain. He saith not, for those that were dead among the people; for then, he might seem to insinuate, that this destruction should be by some natural cause. But when he saith for the slain, he shows it was by violent death upon the sword of their enemy. And here consider the destroyers, and the destroyed. The destroyers are described. Ier, 22, 23. Behold, a people cometh from the North-countrey, and a great Nation shall arise from the sides of the earth. With Bow and shield shall they be weaponed: they are cruel, and will have no compassion, their voice roareth like the sea, and they ride upon horses, well appointed like men of war, against thee, O daughter of Zyon. And Ier, 4, 13. Behold, he shall come up as the clouds, and his Charicts shall be as a Tempest: his horses are lighter than Eagles. Woe unto us, for we are destroyed. And Ier, 8, 16. The neighing of his horses was heard from Dan, the whole Land trembled at the neighing of his strong horses: for they are come, and have devoured the Land with all that is in it, the City and those that dwell therein: The destroyers than were the host of the King of Babel, clad in glittering armour, with their bloody weapons their hands, wounding, and slaying, and killing all that come in their Way, their Horses besprinkled with blood, trampling upon the dead Carcases, crushing their flesh and their bones under their feet, while they lay gasping and panting, and breathing out the Ghost.  
The destroyed were the jews, signified by these Words, the slain of the daughter of my people. These are they whom the Prophet bewaileth, having their flesh mangled, their bodies dismembered, their limbs scattered up and down, here a leg, and there a hand, and there a head, and their blood running too and fro in the streets of jerusalem.  
But is the slaughter among us such a slaughter? Beloved, whether our sins may provoke the Lord in his wrath to make such a slaughter of our people, I leave that to your upright and due consideraon. But the sword of the enemy hath not yet made such havoc among us. The Lord hath taken the matter into his own hand. He hath sent his Angels to destroy even from Dan to Bersheba, from the one end of the Land to the other, and the slaughter they have made is a great slaghter. And the wrath of the Lord is not yet turned away, but his hand is yet stretched out still. Our sins have made our eyes to see that verified which the Lord threateneth by the Prophet Moses, Deut, 32, 42. I will make mine arrows drunk with the blood, and my sword shall eat flesh. If ever this iudgementwere accomplished in this land, it is now executed in these our days. The atrowes of the Lord are drunk with blood and his sword do●h not cease devouring of man's flesh. O wretched people, that would not be warned in time, to escape this fearful judgement of the Lord. You therefore that would not follow our counsel, when we exhorted you in the name of the Lord to forsake your sins and amend your lives: now must you hear us strike up the drum of God's wrath, and sound out the Trumpet unto the Lords battles. Oye Angels, smite, slay, pursue, till the Lord shall command to make an end of killing, and till it shall please him to give a sign of retreat. But so long as your sins strike up the alarm, so long will the Angels of the Lord destroy. First therefore must we sound the retreat from sin, before the Lord will sound the retreat from the battle.  
But what? shall I put you in hope, that if ye presently repent and turn unto the Lord, the lord will forthwith stay his hand, and slay no more? Beloved I have no such commission. When the jews had many years taken their full scope to rove and range licentiously in their sins, despising the admonitions of Isaiah, joel, and the rest of that time: our Prophet jeremiah coming after them, finding no better entertainment than they had done, in the 4. chap. xii: ver, he gives sentence against them, which was too late to be reversed. And though sometimes he insert many excellent promises for the comfort of God's Church, that they might not utterly despair of mercy: yet those promises were not to take place, till first they had felt the smart of their former contempt; as we may see, Ier, 29, 10, etc. So the Lord having vouchsafed unto us the preaching of his Gospel with all temporal blessings accompanying the same, so long a time, and in so gracious a measure, as never nation under heaven, hath been so blessed of God, as this Land, and this City; now that our sins have as much abounded against GOD, as his mercies have abounded towards us, insomuch that the Lord could no longer withhold his judgements: how can we look that this wrath of the Lord should be so easily removed, which we ourselves have provoked, till first we have felt his scourge for our former unthankfulness? And yet it stands you upon, even speedily to repent, & flee unto the mercy of God in his son Christ, lest you be not only cut off by this sword of the Lord, but also perish for ever in the world to come.  
The judgements of God are of two sorts, either general, prepared for the destruction of all the world, or particular, for the punishment of certain Nations, Kingdoms, Cities, or towns. The general judgements are of two sorts: first, the Element of Water, whereby the old world was destroyed.  
But this is no more to be feared: for God hath promised, that the world shall no more be destroyed by a flood: and to that end he hath set his rainbow in the clouds, as a sign of his Covenant, Gen▪ 19, 13. The other general judgement is by the element of fire. 2, Pet. 3, 7. The heavens and earth, which are now, are kept by the same word in store, & reserved unto fire against the day of judgement, and of the destruction of ungodly men. And a little after verse, 10. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a noise, and the Element shall melt with heat, and the earth with the works that are therein shalt be burnt up, etc. But this judgement god will not execute till the end of the world, when the sins of all mankind shall be grown to full ripeness.  
The particular judgements are of many sorts, but here we will not meddle with those that concern particular persons, but such as are inflicted upon particular Nations, Kingdoms, Cities, & Towns. And these are either extraordinary and less usual, as fire & Brimstone; wherewith Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, Gen, 19, 24. and Earthquakes, wherewith Antioch and many other Cities were brought to extreme ruins, as we may read in the Ecclesiastical histories: or common and ordinary, which are specially three, war, famine, & pestilence.  
All these are sharp arrows which the Lord shooteth out against particular Nations and Cities for the punishment of their sins. Of all these together speaketh our Prophet Jere, 14, 12. When they fast, I will not hear their cry, and when they offer burnt offering, and an Obligation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, & by the famine, and by the Pestilence.  
Now which of all these judgements hath the Lord sent upon this land? He hath caused wars to cease, he hath not sent a famine amongst us, he hath in mercy laid upon us David's choice: who when he had sinned, the lord offered him to choose which of these three he would, three months' war, seven years famine, or three days pestilence. Of three three evils David choosed the last, as the least, and thus resolved: Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord, for his mercies are great, & let me not fall into the hand of man. 2 Sam. 24, 14. Seeing then we are in the hands of the Lord, why should we think much with the Lords visitation? whose mercy doth evidently appear in this, that when our Sins had long cried to heaven for vengeance yet the Lord still forbore to punish & now when our sins would suffer him to forbear no longer, yet it hath pleased him, without our desire, or desert, to lay on us the easiest of his judgements: wherefore; he hath not left us without hope, that the same mercy, whereby he was moved to deal thus graciously with us in allotting unto us this kind of punishment, the same will also move him not to be too rigorous in the manner and order of inflicting thereof.  
Oh but (you will say) that is a fearful judgement, and we had rather die of any other sickness, then of the plague. Oh, but I must answer you, that you must thank yourselves, and your sins for it, which have deserved far greater judgements. Shall we take liberty to ourselves, to commit what sins it pleaseth us, and shall we abridge the Lord of his liberty? Shall we not give him leave to punish our sins with what kinds of punishments it pleaseth him? Seeing it could not stand with the course of God's justice, but that same judgement must needs come upon this land, how could the Lord send an easier judgement than this upon us? Would it not be more grievous, to have their bodies pinched with famine, that for the satisfying of your hunger ye should be forced to eat the flesh of your own children, as came to pass in the siege of Samaria 2: King. 6 29. Would it not be more grievous, to see your houses burnt, your goods spoiled, your wives & daughters ravished before your faces, and afteral this, yourselves to be slain with the sword of the enemy? All which calamities, besides infinite more are incident to the broils of War. What thing could have happened more grievous to Zedekiah King of judah, then being taken by the host of the Chaldaeans, to see his sons slain before his eyes, and all the Nobles of judah put to death, and after that to have her own eyes put out, and after all that, to be bound in chains, & carried captive to Babel? Ier, 39 All this might the Lord justly have brought upon us: and therefore have not we good cause to admire and magnify his goodness, in taking the Chastisement of our sins into his own hands, and not delivering us over to the will and pleasure of our enemies.  
And yet it cannot be denied, but that this is also a grievous judgement, though easy in comparison of the other two: for it is accompanied with terror, danger, & great discomfort. When we consider, how men and Women, that were lusty and strong, are suddenly laid along in the dust of the earth. Oh this is terrible and fearful to those that be living! When we consider, how the infection is derived from one to another by ways and means, neither visible nor sensible, that no man knows where he shall be safe: Oh, this makes the sickness exceeding dangerous! when we consider the misery of such a time, how every man will be doubtful to accompany with his neighbour, for fear to take harm, and careful to shun those that be infected: Oh, what great discomfort is this to the visited persons, and what increase of fear to those that be well? And heat you may consider the state of those that be infected: when this coutagious sickness shall enter upon any of your bodies. First, it fills the head full of pain, and then it weakeneth the stomach, and makes it able to hold nothing. And after when it hath by little and little overcome nature, being not longer able to withstand the force thereof, it doth as a Captain, who having won a City, forth with he spreads his Banners, and displays his ensigns on the top of the walls, in token of victory. So this cruel Tyrant when he hath gotten the mastery, displays his Ensigns on the Walls of our bodies. He fills the skin full of spots as the tokens of death, which at the first are red, showing his cruelty: then they are bluish, showing death to approach: And lastly, they grow black, whereby we are put in mind of those horrible torments that follow after death in the fire of hell. And when they are dead, how shall ye be buried? Which of your neighbours will accompany your corpses to the grave? And thus, by the just judgement of GOD, those that have sinned wilfully, are buried shamefully.  
What profit have ye had then of those things, whereof ye are now ashamed? the end of those things is death. Rom, 6, 21. This (methinks) should strike your hearts with remorse, & move you to cry and call upon god, for mercy and pardon of your heinous sins, with tears of true repentance.  
But hath the Lord brought upon us such a lamentable time? See then what alteration the lord can make. Before, nothing was heard in this City, but mirth and melody, music and dancing, nothing was used, but feasting and banqueting, quaffing and carousing: Come, where shall we drink the best wine? where is the strongest Ale to be had? But now, no speech: but where is the Sickness? What fresh houses be visited? How many are dead? Lo, this is the change that the Lord hath made. Before we followed Sin, because we would not avoid it, but now we avoid sin because we cannot follow it. Before, we spent the time in committing Sin, but now is the time come to suffer punishment for your sin. What will now the Adulterers do? They must leave hunting the Harlot's houses, lest the Angel of the Lord meet them by the way. What will now the covetous Usurers do? Let him humble himself in prayer and fasting, let him cry and call to God for mercy. Let him do as Zachaeus did, Luke 19 even restore that which he had wrongfully gotten, that GOD may be merciful unto his soul.  
O▪ wretched man, what will thy wealth profit thee or thine, when the Lord shall take away both thee and thine, and give thy substance unto strangers? Oh, well had it been for thee, if thou hadst never taken penny Usury in all thy life.  
When you were before admonished of these judgements in the name of the Lord, you thought it came but from men, speaking out of the heat of their own affections, but now the Lord hath ratified and confirmed by his own hand from heaven, that the threatenings denounced by his faithful Ministers against the impenitent, are not of man but of God.  
This is the note that Moses gives whereby a true Prophet may be discerned from the false : When a Prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, etc. Deut, 18, 22. But when the word of the Prophet shall come to pass (saith jeremy) then shall the Prophet be known that the Lord hath sent him. Ier, 28, 9 That some fearful judgement was like to fall upon the land, every man mighr see, that had but a heart to consider the ordinary proceedings of Gods former judgements, and the horrible sins that were every where committed.  
But what manner of judgement it would prove flesh and blood could not discern, till now the Lord hath revealed the same. And the judgement we see, is the judgement of a plague: which yet is not alone. I would it brought not poverty and famine with it. You are almost as a City besieged: and there be many flee from you, but who comes in?  
The Country is now as much afraid of you as you have been heretofore afraid of others. Now is the time for you that be rich, to make you friends with the unrighteous Mammon: forsake not your poor neighbours, flee not from them in their greatest distress. At least if you flee, relieve them with your purses, and cease not to pray unto God for them. Spend something for his sake, that spent his blood for you. But as for you, upon whom the charge of Government doth lie, whether you be the chief Magistrate, or such as are Assistants unto him: the Lord hath tied you to residence.  
Your Christian Charity, to relieve the disstressed, your provident care to prevent danger, your Godly wisdom to set down good orders, your pains and industry to see the same observed, and your Authority to punish the disobedient, was never more needful then at this time. And if any of you depart, be sure the hand of the Lord can follow you, whethersoever you go. And well may you fear, that rather than ye should escape, death will enter in at your Windows, as our Prophet saith in the one and twentieth verse of this Chapter.  
The children of the Prophets said unto Elisha, 2. King, 4. 40. Mors in ollâ, vir Dei. O thou man of God, death is in the pot. But well may you fear, that there will be Mors in domo, mors in ollâ, mors in lecto, & mors ubique: Death in the house, death in the pot, death in the bed, and death every where.  
If it be Gods will, you shall be safe any where, if it be not Gods will, you shall be safe no where. Well may you hope of God's preservation and blessing, if you faithfully serve him in the place where he hath set you: And well may you fear his wrath & vengeance, if ye flee from the charge which he hath laid (even in this time of visitation upon you.  
But what need, have I to admonish you, whose wisdom and godly care doth evidently show itself this distressed time? I will only say this and so conclude. If you would have your City flourish, be careful to furnish it with store of God's Preachers.  
For assure yourselves, that the more the Gospel is sincerely preached, the more will sin decay, and the more will the true knowledge and fear of GOD be planted & grafted in the hearts of the people. And this will be the only means to remove the just vengeance and wrath of God from this City, and procure his blessings to be powered upon you.  
Thus much I thought good in discharge of the duty and love I bear this City, as a Neighbour child to deliver unto you. The Lord bless the good means ye use for preserving your City, & grant a gracious success thereunto, that the infection, if it be his will, may spread no further: If ye presently repent, and that unfeignedly, I doubt not, but God in mercy will remove the plague if not, yet will I not cease to weep for you. (▪)  Ephesians 3, 20. 21 Unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, be praise in the church by Christ jesus, throughout all generations for ever, Amen.