JERUSALEM BEDEWED WITH TEARS.  
A Sermon preached at St. MARY WOOLNOTH London, upon the Fastday, Martii. 30. 1642.  
By John PIGOTT Curate of S. Sepulchers.  
Vae mihi si non Evangelizavero.  1 COR. 9.16. 
Rejoice not over me O mine enemy, when I fall I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.  Micah. 7.8. 
LONDON, Printed by E. Griffin, and are to be sold by john Wright in the old Bailey. 1642.   

To my beloved Friends, and Neighbours the Parishioners of S. Sepulchers London.  
Dear beloved and longed for, 
Phil. 4. 1. Rom. 9.1.  my joy and crown of rejoicing, I speak the truth, in Christ and lie not, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, my conscience also bearing me witness, that my hearty desire for you all is, that you may be saved, 
Ch. 10. 1. Acts 20.20.  and that to this end I have both publicly, and from house to house testified both to small and great, to all sorts of people repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord jesus Christ. How weighty a burden hath lain upon my Shoulders, and how long and with what cheerfulness I have borne it, is not unknown to you, neither do I yet shrink from it, or sink under it. I have often said with S. Paul, you are in my heart to live and to die with you 2 Cor. 7.3. Though (as the same Apostle in the same Epistle complaineth, 2 Cor. 12.15.) The more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved of some among you: but I intent not to accuse my own Nation, neither is it equal that I should charge the petulant miscarriages of a few prejudicated Spirits upon a whole parish, wherein I have found so much true hearted affection, so many real and royal expressions of love, and wherein there are many (I speak it with comfort and thankfulness) that if it were possible, would even pluck out their own eyes to do me good, as S. Paul magnifieth the love of his Galatians 4.15.  
And now to testify unto the world that I am not insensible of so great love, I have adventured to publish & to dedicate unto you these indigested meditations, provided for you but elsewhere delivered, which (though rude and unpolished) I desire you to accept as a pledge of my thankfulness, and an earnest of farther endeavours, if I may be permitted.  
I weigh not any man's censure, but rest satisfied in the sincerity of my own intentions: it is not applause that I aim at, I am no selfe-flatterer, no man can have a meaner esteem of me or of my labours than I myself have, Apostolorum minimus (as S. Paul said) I am the least of the Apostles, nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 less than the least. Eph. 3.8. Yet am I not hereby discouraged from attempting to do what good I can in that place and station which the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls hath allotted to me, and who knows whether this Sermon (read of many) may not through the blessing of God rouse up some hard hearted sinner out of the sleep of security, & cause him to bring a bucket of tears toward the quenching of God's wrath and fiery indignation that is kindled against our Jerusalem? this is my desire, my hope, wherein, if I shall fail of my expectation, I shall sit down and weep with my Saviour, that after so much planting and so much watering with the dew of God's heavenly word, there follows so little watering with the tears of true repentance.  
But I hope better things of you (dear beloved) and things that accompany salvation: the Lord in mercy open all our eyes, that we may at length discern the miseries that hang over our heads by reason of our sins, that we may weep night and day for the manifold provocations wherewith we have provoked him to anger: so prayeth.  
Your faithful servant in Christ, zealous of your spiritual welfare, JOHN PIGOTT.   
LUC. 19.41, 42, 43, 44. 
And when he was come near he beheld the City, and wept over it saying, If thou hadst known, even thou in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes.  
For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compasse thee round, and keep thee in on every side,  
And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.  
BEfore I come to the particular handling of these words, I shall crave leave briefly to premise something by way of introduction, of the many engagements of this people unto God for mercies received, and something also of their great unthankfulness to him for the same.  
There was never any Nation upon Earth more blessed with the influences of Heaven, than this nation of the Jews, you only have I known of all the families of the Earth. Am. 3 2. What Nation is there that hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is nigh unto us in all that we call upon him for, Deut. 4.7. Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard and live? or hath God ever assad to take unto him a Nation out of the midst of another Nation by wonders, and signs, by a mighty hand and stretched out arm, as he did for you in Egypt, Deut. 4 33.34. God did as it were single out this people from all the Families of the Earth, all the Nations under Heaven, that he might make them the ob ects of his love. that he might show kindness to them, as David dealt by Mephibosheth. Thou Israel art my servant, jacob whom I have chosen, Es 41.8. A chosen generation a peculiar people, Et quid ampl us potuit? and what could God do more for his Vineyard that he did not do? wherein could he have made a fuller expression of his love then he did? how did he bemoan them in their misery? I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people, and I have heard their groan. How did he wrestle with a stubborn hard hearted Tyrant for their enlargement? one that slighted his messages, contemned his judgements, would not let his people go, till at length by main strength he wrested them out of his hands, when he overthrew both the Horse and his Rider in the midst of the Sea, how did he provide a table for them in the Wilderness, and feast them with delicious fare, Angel's food, Manna from Heaven? how did he damp the hearts and strike through the loins of all their enemies? how did he drive out and dispossess seven great and mighty-Nations, & gave their land (a land flowing with milk and honey) to be an heritage to Israel his people? goodly Cities that they builded not, and Vineyards that they planted not, and Houses full of all good things which they filled not, Deut. 6.11. Will you see some more privileges and favours vouchsafed to this Nation? you may find them recorded by S Paul Rom 3.1. What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of Circumcision? Much every way, chiefly because to them were committed the Oracles of God, and more fully Rom. 9.4. wh●re speaking of the Israelites his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh he describeth their privileges in these words, To whom pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the service of God and the promises, whose are the Fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever, singular prerogatives. First the adoption was theirs; other Nations were strangers and foreigners, they were as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the household of God others were counted dogs, they only the children, as appears by our Saviour's answer to the Syr●phenic●an woman, It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to Dogs: Secondly, the Covenants were theirs; other Nations were without God in the world, they were a people in covenant with God, Gen. 17 7. God tells Abraham, I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after the, Ier, 31.33. This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: after those days saith the Lord, I will write my Law in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Thirdly, the Law was theirs: other Nations had nothing but the blind g●id of nature to direct them, they had the Law written in Tables of stone; he hath given his word unto jacob, his statutes and ordinances unto Israel, he hath not dealt so with any Nation, neither have the heathen knowledge of his Laws. Psal. 147.19. 4. To them pertained the service of God, other nations wanting the direction of God's holy word, became vain in their imaginations and worshipped the creature more than the Creator, prostrated themselves to feigned Deities, as we read of Dagon the God of the Philistims, and Milcom the abomination of the Amorites, and Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and Molech the abomination of the Amorites, and Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Diana the great goddess of the Ephesians: indeed how could they call upon him of whom they had not heard, who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unknown God to them? but in Jury was God known, his name was great in Israel, at Salem was his tabernacle, and his dwelling in Zion, the Jews were taught to direct their worship and service to the true God, as Christ told the woman of Samaria. Jo. 4.22. you worship, ye know not what, we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews, 'tis true, they were ever now and then starting aside like a broken bow, they grieved him with their hill Altars, and provoked him to displeasure with their images, they had their golden Calves at Dan and at Bethel, and the names of Baalim were too frequent in their mouths. They took unto them the Tabernacle of Molech and the Star of their god Remphan, figures which they made to worship them, yet in the most deploreable times God had his 7000 in israel that did not bow the knee to Baal, he had his Church among them, a remnant that did worship the true God after a true manner; they had his word, and they had his Sacraments, and they had his prophets, and they had his house, Templum Domini, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord was their great confidence which other Nations could not boast of Fifthly, the Fathers were theirs, Abraham is our Father, art thou greater than our Father, Jacob, who gave us the well, etc. Sixthly, the promises made to the Father's concerning the Messiah were theirs, they were interested in them, though not solely, yet principally, let the children first be served saith Christ, the● were the natural branches, and therefore the fatness of the Olive tree was first tendered to them: you may remember how the Disciples commission ran. Mat. 10.5. Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any City of the Samaritans enter you not, but g●e you rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, le● the children first be served: nay the Messiah himself was theirs, of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, the word was made flesh, and dwelled among them, he spent his whole pilgrimage among them, they heard his Sermons, they saw his miracles, S. Matthew reports of him, Mat. 9 35. that he went about all their Cities, and Villages, teaching in their Synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Ob fortunatos nim●●●t hona si s●a wrist, Oh happy people, had they be●n sensible of their happiness, as Christ told the Samaritan woman. Jo. 4.10. Hadst thou but known who it is that saith to thee give me to drink, thou mightest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water; so had they but known what a rich treasure they had among them, they would not have desired him to departed out of their coasts as the Ge●go ens did, they would not have set at nought this cornerstone, like foolish bvilders, rather with the wise Merchant they would have parted with all for his sake: they would have been ambitious to get a sight of him with Zacheus, to touch the hem of his garment with the diseased woman, to kiss his feet with Mary Magdalen, they would have entertained him triumphantly with j yfull acclamations as they did in the verses before my Text, Hosannah to the son of David, blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosannah in the highest.  
Happy were the eyes that saw the things which they saw (though most of them were so blinded that they saw not their happiness) it was part of S. Augustins' ambitious wish, he desired to have seen three things; Rome in her beauty, Paul in the pulpit, & Christ in the flesh, as Abraham and divers other Prophets and righteous men desired to have seen this day of Christ. joh. 8.56. And happy were the ears that heard the things which they heard, the mysteries of saving knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those secrets and mysteries which were hidden from former ages, and that immediately from Christ himself, Dulcius ex ipso f●nte, what a blessed prerogative was it to hear the wisdom of the father so comfortably discoursing of the great work of our redemption! methinks they should have cried out in admiration with that Disciple joh. 14.22. how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us, and not unto the world? but my Text tells you they did not know the things that belonged to their peace, they were not sensible of the free grace, the rich mercy that was tendered to them, nay do but consider their great unthankfulness and disobedience in the midst of so many binding mercies, and you may justly wonder that Jerusalem was not long before this time made a heap of stones: read over the Prophets and you shall find complaints in this kind without number, do ye thus requite the Lord, Oh foolish people and unwise? The faithful City is become a harlot, she was full of judgement, righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers, Hear O Heavens, and give ear O Earth, I have nourished and brought up children, but they have rebelled against me: when I fed them to the fall than they assembled themselves by troops in the harlot's houses, how shall I pardon thee for this? As I live saith the Lord, Sodom and her daughters have not done as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways, Ezech. 16.47. And when Christ came among them in person, how did they entertain him? St. john will tell you, he came to his own, but his own received him not, joh. 1.11. Nolumus hunc regnare we will not have this man to reign over us, we have no King but Caesar; nay, not this man but Barrabas, they prefer a public notorious malefactor before him: himself also will tell you Mat. 13.37. O Jerusalem, jerusalem, howoften would I have gathered thy children together as a Hen doth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not? thus all the day long he stretched out his hand, but it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a gainsaying people, veluj, noluistis, how often would I, but ye would not?  
And yet how unwilling was God to unsheathe his sword, to pour out the full Vials of his fierce anger upon this rebellious Nation? though their sins were so provoking that he knew not well how to pardon them, How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no gods, and shall I allow this? shall I give my glory to another? how shall I pardon thee for this? yet so infinite on the other side was his mercy, that he was unwilling to punish them; Why will ye die Oye house of Israel? As I live saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner: run through the streets of Jerusalem, and seek for a man that executeth judgement, that I may pardon i●: and most pathetically in the 11. of Hos. ver. 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah, and set thee as Zeboim? my heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together: see what a conflict there seems to be in God, between his mercy and his justice, how shall I pardon thee for this? and yet how shall I give thee up; how shall I make thee as Admah, etc. feign would I spare thee, but thy sins cry to Heaven for vengeance, thou art incorrigible in thy ways, and therefore thy sin is unpardonable, I am forced to give sentence against thee, though it be with tears in my eyes: when he came near, be beheld the City and wept over it, etc.  
Christ might have insulted over Herusalem, when he foresaw the cup of trembling that she was to drink of, as wisdom threatens her contemners. Pro. 1.24. Because I have called and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; therefore I will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh, when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction as a whirlwind, when distress & anguish cometh upon you: so seeing Herusalem would not take warning by all former invitations, admonitions, judgements, mercies, Christ might justly have laughed at her calamity, when he saw her fear coming as desolation, and her destruction as a whirlwind: but our blessed Saviour came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them, and therefore when he came near, he beheld the City and wept over it.  
In the words we have Christ melting into tears for hardhearted Jerusalem, Nihil miserius misero non mis●rante seipsum, there is not a more sad lamentable spectacle in the world, then to see a man, or a City, or a Nation, like Simon Magus in the gall of bitterness, in the depth of misery, in regard of a wilful persisting in heinous and crying sins, yet themselves insensible of their own misery, sleeping securely in their sins with Balaam, driving o still in their wont course of sinning, and never take notice of the Sword that is drawn against them, hugging and embracing, sporting and delighting themselves with those Delilahs, those lusts and corruptions which will prove their bane and destruction. Quis talta fando temperate a ●lachrymis? who can behold all this with dry-Eyes? The Poet hath a conceit that Heaven itself weeps for such Creatures. 
Dic rogo cur toties descendit ab aethere nimbus?  
Grandoque de coeso sic fine fine ruit?   
What may be the reason, why there falls such store of Rain, one shower after another? 
Mortales quoniam nolum sua crimina flere,  
(Calum pro nobis solvitur in lachrymas.   
Because hard hearted sinners will not bewail their own faults, Heaven itself is dissolved into tears for them: it is so in my Text, Heaven itself or the heir of Heaven sals a weeping for Jerusalem, and is not here a strange alteration, when Jerusalem sometime the joy of the whole Earth Ps 48.2. shall not only make the Earth sad, but even darken the Heavens, cause him that was anointed with the oil of gladness above his Fellows to melt into tears? And when he came neat, he beheld the City and wept over it, etc.  
The parts are two, the mourner, and the causes of his mourning. the Mourner is Christ, and that in the midst of his jollity too (as I may so speak) as he was riding in state in triumph towards Jerusalem. To show that even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, that there is no worldly happiness without a mixture of discontent: when he came near he beheld the City and wept over it.  
The causes of his mourning are two, two heavy spectacles, for ea●h Eye one, and either of them able to command a fountain of tears, as the Prophet speaks; the one seen, namely, malum culpe the evil of sin. If thou hadst known, even thou in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace, but now they are hid from thine Eyes, thou knewest not the time of thy visitation, the other foreseen, namely malum poenae, the evil of punishment, For the days shall come that thy Enemies shall cast a trench abour thee, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee, etc. Or if you please, we have here Hierusalems' funeral, where we have first the chief Mourner Christ he be●eld the City and wept over it saying; if thou hadst known, even thou in this thy day! a broken speech, a passionate expression, the right Dialect of Mourners, Si cognovisses, if thou hadst known, or o si cognovisse, would to God thou hadst known the things that belong to thy peace: methinks I hear him lamenting over Jerusalem, as David over his friend Jonathan, 2 Sam. 1.26. I am distressed for thee my brother jonathan, very pleasant haste, thou been unto me, or as the same David lamented over Absalon, oh Absolom my Son, would God I had died for thee, etc. O Jerusalem, Herusalem, would God I had died for thee, as afterwards (you know) he did die for her and in her, and by her: when he came near he beheld the City, and wept over it saying, etc. Secondly, we have here the malady or cause of Hierusalems' death, blindness, security, If thou hadst known even thou in this thy day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that belong to thy peace, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but now they are did from thine Eyes, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. Thirdly, we have here the kind or manner of Death, 'tis a strong death, a terrible death by the Sword, which David so earnestly prayed against; Let me fall into the hands of God, for his mercies are great, but let me not fall into the hands of men whose tender mercies are cruel; For the days shall come wherein thine Enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and lay thee even with the ground.  
A love principium, we are to begin with Christ the Mourner in my Text: when he came near he beheld the City, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he wept. It was not without a cause that Christ was styled by the Prophet Vir Dolorum, Es. 53.3. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: survey his whole pilgrimage from the Cratch to the Cross, from the Womb to the Tomb, and you shall find it like ezechiel's roll written upon within and without, lamentation and mourning and woe; in the days of his flesh he offered up Prayers, and Supplications with strong crying and Tears, Heb. 5.7. At Lazarus his grave he groaned in the Spirit and wept. joh. 11.35. Here when he came near he beheld the City and wept, All his joy was inward, Luc. 10.21. At that time jesus rejoiced in Spirit, and said, I thank thee Father Lord of Heaven, and Earth etc. Some inward joy, he rejoiced in the spirit in the love and complacency of his Father, I thank thee Father Lord of Heaven and Earth; I am sure he had little matter of outward joy, of rejoycing in the world: many times he complains of the hatred of the world; if the world hate you, ye know it hated me before it hated you, joh. 14.18. How did the unthankful world slight and neglect him? The Foxes have holes and the Fowls of the Air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head: how was he scorned and derided in the world? Is not this the Carpenter's son? Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? few acknowledged him to be the Messiah, the Lord of glory, the Prince of life, the Saviour of the world, the King of the jews, the Son of God, the brightness of his Father's glory, the express image of his person, as he was indeed: how was he slandered and scandalised by his malignant adversaries? none of them could convince him of the least sin, yet they traduce him up and down, as if he were (as St. Paul sometimes confessed of himself.) Peccatorum maximus, the chiefest of sinners a gluttonous person, a Wine-hibber, a friend, a companion of Publicans and sinners, a Sabbath-breaker, a Blasphemer, a deceiver of the people, a conjurer, casting out Devils through Belzebub; a Traitor, forbidding to pay tribute to Caesar, and what not? and surely had he not been more than a man, such usage was able not only to set open the floudgates of his Eyes, but even to break his heart, woe is me my Mother (saith the Prophet Jeremy) that thou hast born me, I have neither lent upon usury nor borrowed upon usury, yet all the people curse me, Jer. 15.10. They cannot justly tax me with any unjust action, and yet are continually reviling me, yet here is not all neither, to the persecution of the Tongue they add the persecution of the hand, no sooner were tidings of his birth spread in Herod's Court, but presently he seeks to destroy him, and with him a number of young innocents', that knew not their right hand from their left, there began the weeping, Mat. 2.18. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the Prophet Jeremy saving, In Ramah was there a voice heard, Lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children because they were not: as soon as he began to preach, the Scribes and Pharises consult how they may destroy him, one time they were going to throw him headlong from the top of a high hill, Luke. 4.29. As the Devil sometime would have had him thrown himself down rome the Pinnacle of the Temple, another time they had like to have stoned him, Joh. 10.31. Many good works have I shown you from my Father, for which of these do ye stone me? another time they sent their Disciples to entangle him in his Talk, Mat. 22 ●6. Another time their Officers to apprehend him Joh. 7.32 And at last they find judas to betray him, and sent a multitude with swords and slaves to take him as a Thief, or a Malefactor, who hurry him from the Garden to the high Priests Palace, from thence to Pilate, from Pilate to Herod, from Herod, after a deal of scornful usage back again to Pilate, where they maliciously arraign him, falsely accuse him, unjustly condemn him, buffet him, scourge him, make long furrows upon his back, besmear that face of which the Psalmist, Thou art fairer than the children of men, with their filthy spittle, environ his sacred Head with a Crown of Thorns, lead him forth to be crucified, load him with his Cross, fasten him to the Cross, pierce his Hands and his Feet, insult over him in his sufferings, Fixuris clavorum addentes tela ●n●●●rum (saith Leo) to the piercing of the Nails adding the rankling arrows of their venomous tongues, Ah thou that destroy'st the Temple and buildest it again in three days, save thyself, If he be the King of Israel, let him come down from the Cross etc. Behold now & see if ever sorrow were like unto this sorrow: the women could not forbear weeping who had only a compassionate fellow feeling of it, I. u. 23, 27. No marvel if Christ himself wept that felt it.  
Well if Christ be a Mourner, than woe to them that are at ease in Zion, that spend their days in mirth, and rejoice at the sound of the Organ, and the Tabret and the Harp go not out of their Feasts, Christ did not so, Christians have no warrant to expect it, the members must be in some measure conformable to their head, joh. 16.20. Our blessed Saviour tells his Diciples, you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice, worldlings may let lose the reins, and seek for a Paradise, a Heaven upon Earth, in the pleasures of sin for a season, 'tis their portion, but Christ's Disciples must expect Tears for meat, and plenteousness of Tears for drink; Mine Eye, mine Eye runs down with Rivers of water saith the Church. Lam. 3.48. Mine Eye trickleth down and ceaseth not, without any intermission. David will tell you of watering his couch, and making his bed to swim with tears, and that night after night, Every night wash I my bed with the tears of my complaint, Ps. 6.6. You shall find St. Peter weeping bitterly, and Mary Magdalen pumping out tears enough to wash her Saviour's Feet: beloved as Christ was, so are we in this world. 1 Joh. 4.17. that is, pilgrims and strangers, here we have no continuing City, but we seek one to come, I am a stranger with thee, & a so journer, as all my Fathers were; now the condition of a pilgrim is a weeping condition. By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept: when we remembered thee O Zion. Psal. 137.1. Every Dog will be barking at strangers, and you know how imperiously the Sodomites insulted over, ●●ot because he was a stranger. This fellow (say they) came in to so journey amongst us, and he will needs be a judge over us. Now though Christ our head met with stronger oppositions, and greater afflictions in his pilgrimage, than we are like to meet with (for God is faithful, who will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able) yet we must look to drink of the same cup that he drank of, though not so deep as he drank, and to fill up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the after sufferings, that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ. Col. 1.24. Beside we have tears to shed that Christ was not capable of tears of repentance, he was a Lamb without spot and without blemish, there was no guile found in his mouth, we are loaden with sins, there is not a day passeth over our heads, wherein we do not contract unto ourselves the guilt of many, many sins. What our Lord and Saviour speaks of the evil of punishment. Mat. 6.34 is true also of the evil of sin, so ficient for the day is the evil thereof, every day brings sin enough with it, to over cast it, to make it a wet day, a day of weeping, for as the Father speaks, seeing after we are baptised, and washed from the guilt of original sin, we do daily fowl ourselves a new by the commission of actual sins, we should also daily re-baptize ourselves in the bitter waters of Marah, the tears of true Repentance: what is wanting in innocency, we should Prive to make up in penitency, ●a●th quod possum, & p ango quod non possum, (as St. Bernard) I do what I am able, and what! cannot do I am sorry for it, but especially upon days of solemn humiliation, days set apart for this very purpose, for the bewailing both of our personal and of our national sins, when God by his judgements threatened or inflicted calls to weeping and to mourning, and to baldness and to putting on of sackcloth, if then the voice of the turtle be not heard in our Land, if the Mourners do not go about the streets, as the Preacher speaks, if there be not a renting of the heart, as well as a hanging down the head like a bulrush, what shall I say? surely we are in Hierusalems' case, near to destruction, we do not know the day of our visitation: we know not the things that belong to our peace. So that Christ is seasonably brought in weeping, to teach us what we must do, as at all times while we sojourn here in this valley of tears, so especially upon days of mourning and humiliation, blessed are those that mourn (saith Christ) they shall be comforted: Though they sow in tears, they shall reap in joy; heaviness may endure for a night, joy will come in the morning; When the times of refreshing shall come, all tears shall be wiped from their Eyes, and they shall enter into the joy of their Master, receive the oil of gladness for the spirit of heaviness, lay aside their black mourning weeds, and attend the Lamb in white robes with palms in their hands. Rev. 7.9. And so much briefly of the Mourner, in the next place we are to take notice of the causes of his mourning; he beheld the City, and wept over it.  
His tears are tears of compassion, tears of love; Behold how he loved him, said the jews, when he wept at Lazarus his grave. lo. 11.36. Behold how he loved this unthankful City, in that he shed not tears only as here, but his precious blood also afterwards for it, V●dens civitat●nt, he beheld the City and wept over it. We have a proverb Vbi amor ibi oculus, where we love there will our Eye be gazing, where Christ's love was we may see by his Eye too, Vidit civitatem he beheld the City, but what cause he had to love it, or to six his Eye upon it, we see not, for what doth he behold there? but matter of grief and discontent? he looked for judgement, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry; Jerusalem like Babylon is become a cage of unclean Birds, Deviarunt omnes, they are all gone out of the way, fallen off from the purity, sincerity, and religious integrity of their forefathers: there was a time indeed when God behold no iniquity in ●acob nor saw perverseness in Israel. Num 23.21. But now he beholds nothing else but iniquity, but perverseness; A sinful Nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, a rebellious house, a stiff necked people, of uncircumcised Heart and Ears, which causeth him to behold it with watery Eyes, he beheld the ●ity and wept over it, etc.  
There is a twofold cause of Christ's mourning here, as I told you, Hierusalems' n, and Hierusalems' misery by reason of sin, as they two are never long asunder: we are to begin with her sin as the cause of her misery, and the chief cause of Christ's mourning, he beheld the City and wept over it saying; ●f thou hadst known, even thou in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace, but now they are hid from thine Eyes, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.  
If thou ●adst known, even thou, etc. It is no single sin, but a wilful senseless, secure, obstinate sleeping in sin: they will not be convinced of, much less averted from their erroneous courses, God hath sent his Prophets rising early an calling to them, O do not this abominable sin that I hate: he hath commanded them to cry aloud against their crying sins, their idolatry, oppression, swearing, lying, kill, stealing, neighing after their Neighbour's wives like fed Horses, and what was their answer? As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord, we will not hearken to it, but we will do what is pleasing in our own Eyes, to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven. ●er. 41.16. When his servants coul● not work upon them, he sent his Son (They will reverence my Son) but they cast him out of the Vineyard too; this is the Heir, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. God sets open a Fountain for the inhabitants of Jerusalem to wash in, for sin an for uncleanness, they scorn this fountain as Naaman did Jordan; Are not Abana and Pharpar rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? nay they say to Christ (who is this fountain) as St. Peter did though with a far worse mind, thou shalt never wash my feet, Joh. 13.8. God sends his Son to seek and save the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and these lost sheep, these Sons of perdition will not hear the Shepherd's voice, brainsick Patients, they run at the Physician that comes to cure them, they stumble at the Cornerstone, the rock of their salvation becomes a Rock of offence to them: and here is their condemnation, that light is come into the World, the day Sar from on high hath visited them, but they choose darkness, rather than light, because their deeds are evil. Joh. 3.9. They are not sensible of the day of their Visitation, God hath given them a gracious visit indeed, he hath sent his beloved Son amongst them: the promised Shiloh, whom they had so long expected, and not they only, but also all the Families of the Earth, who expected a blessing from him, the desire of all Nations is come among them, Ecce rextius v●an t●●, Behold thy King cometh unto thee meek, and sittis g upon an Asses Col●, as you may see in the verses before my Text, and it is w●ll the Ox knew his owner (for he was born in a Stable and laid in a Manger) and the Ass here his Master's crib, for Israel did not knew his people did not consider, they rejected him as the legion of Devils did, Quid nobis tecum? what have we to do with thee? Mat. 8.29. Full often he would have gathered their Children together as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, but they would not, they knew not the things that belonged to their peace. Wherefore is there a price put into the hand of a fool (saith Solomon) seeing he hath no heart to it? here was an invaluable price put into the hand of a foolish Nation, but they had no heart to it, the worth of it was hid from their Eyes, they were so besotted with the pleasures of sin, so purblind in discerning the things that concerned their peace, the welfare and salvation of their souls, that they had no list to close with those blessed opportunities which they enjoyed, and was not this a sad spectacle? When he beheld the City, he wept over it saying; If thou hadst known, even thou in this thy day, etc.  
Learn we then here by Christ's example as to weep, so when to weep, where and for whom to bestow our tears for the back-sliding of Hi●rusalem, when we see iniquity in the holy place, the faithful City become a Harlot, when we see precious opportunities neglected, & pearled trampled under foot by Swine that know not the worth of them, when we see men regardless of their souls, and the things that concern their peace, obstinately to persist in their sins, without any remorse of conscience or fear o judgement; than it is high time to set open the floodgates of our Eyes with David, Mine Eyes gush out with water because men keep not thy Law, or with our Saviour here, he beheld the City and wept over it saying, if thou hadst known, etc.  
In the ninth Chap. of Ezech. Ver 4. We find a command to set a mark upon the forehead of all those that sigh, and cry out for all the abominations, that were committed in the midst of Jerusalem, and indeed what Christian man's heart can choose but bleed within him, if he shall seriously lay to heart all the abominations that are committed before his Eyes, how was righteous Lot's soul vexed with the unclean conversation of the filthy Sodomites? 2 Pet. 2.7, 8. We read of S. Paul, that when he came into Athens, and saw the City wholly given to Idolatry, Commotus est Spiritus, that his Spirit was moved within him. Acts 17.16. To see the renowned City of Athens, so famous formerly for learning, now become so infamous for Idolatry, communicating that honour and service, which is due and proper to God alone, to dumb Idols: his spirit was moved within him, and so far moved, that though he were in a strange place, yet he could not contain himself, but cries aloud against those abominations; David cries out, it grieveth me, when I see the transgressors, because they keep not thy Law. Psal. 119.158. And the Apostle speaking of those lose livers in the primitive Church, whose belly was their God, and gloried in their shame, saith thus of them, I tell you weeping, they are the Enemies of the Cross of Christ. Phil. 3.18, 19 David could not behold the transgressors without grieving, It grieveth me when I see the transgressors, because they keep not thy Law, nor S. Paul speak of it without weeping, I tell you weeping, they are the Enemies of the Cross of Christ: so tender hearted have God's children ever been, so ready to mourn for others sins; as indeed there is a great deal of reason we should do so both in respect of God, who is thereby dishonoured, in respect of the sinner, for whom in common humanity we cannot but weep, when we observe how greedily he runs to his own destruction, what hast he makes to that place where shall be everlasting weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, & in respect of ourselves who are endangered by other men's sins, their sin is infectious, I living among them may perhaps be drawn to cast in my lot to run with them to the same excess of riot, to partake with them in their sins: their sin in offensive to God; if God shall unsheathe his sword, and come to visit for their iniquities, I living among them may perhaps be partaker of their punishment, and therefore for my own sake, I have cause to mourn for the sins of other men, Tunc tua res agitur, paries cum proximus ardet, 'tis high time for thee to look about thee, when thy Neighbour's House is on fire.  
And first we cannot but mourn for the abominations of Jerusalem the sins of other men, in respect of God, in zeal to his glory, to see him daily dishonoured, his holy name blasphemed, his Sabbaths profaned, his service neglected, all his commandemants broken, and that by the sins of other men: this was it that made the Prophet Eliah complain so mournfully. 1 Kings 19.10. I have been very zealous for the Lord of Hosts, for the children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant, thrown down thine Altars, slain thy Prophets with the sword, and I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away. I have been very jealous for the Lord of Hosts; indeed we would count him an unnatural Son, that should stand by: see and hear his Father abused and dishonoured, and (though he could not hinder it) should not at least express himself to be grieved and troubled at it, and surely we have just cause to suspect ourselves to be bastards, and not Sons, if we can stand by when our Heavenly Father is dishonoured in word or deed, and not so much as shed a tear for the same, we are not of that Spirit, that the Children of God were wont to be of, Moses when he came down from the mount, and saw the abomination of the Israelites that they had changed the glory of God into the similitude of a Calf that eateth Hay, he was so daunted at the sight, that dismal sight, that for the present he was like a man in an Ecstasy, he forgot what he was doing, he let the Tables that were written upon by the finger of God, to fall out of his hands and be broken, and so broke those Laws in his zeal, which the people had broken in rebellion. Exod. 3●. 19. Phinehas his zeal was so hot, that he could not hold his hands, but runs upon the offenders Zimri and Cozbi, and runs them thorough with his savelin. Num. 25.8. Hezechias rends his  heating the blasphemous words of Rabshakeh reviling the living God, and David cries out, my zeal hath even consumed me, because mine Enemies have forgotten thy words, and here the Son of David weeps for the sins of Jerusalem: And no marvel, for it being the earnest desire of God's children, the constant aim of all their actions to do all to the glory of God, and to let their light shine before men, that others seeing their good works may glorify their Father which is in Heaven; Let their light shine in like manner, to the glory of God. Let the people praise thee O God, let all the people praise thee; now to be crossed in their earnest desire, to see men in stead of doing all to the glory of God, to do all to the dishonour of God, to sell themselves to work wickedness in his sight, must needs be a great heart-breaking or occasion of mourning.  
Secondly, we have cause to mourn for the abominations of Jerusalem the sins of other men in regard of themselves, in compassion to their souls, to see how desperately they run themselves upon the Rock of God's judgements, how wilfully they embrace their own destruction, how swinishly they wallow in the mire of sin, how willing they are to be led by the Enemy of their salvation, the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience, making it their daily trade: their continual exercise to add sin unto sin, and to heap up wrath against the day of wrath, and Hirc illae lachrymae, and who can behold all this with dry Eyes? if we should see a man like Baal's Priest's, cutting himself with lancers and knives till the blood followed: I suppose there is none of us but would be moved with such a spectacle as this: beloved this is the sinner's case: he daily wounds and mangles himself with his sins, every sin makes a deep gash in the soul: spare then some of those Tears, which thou usest to shed for the death of the body, and shed them for the death of the soul, for the sins of other men; for these without repentance lead to everlasting death and destruction, in that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, where the Worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  
And thirdly, we have cause to mourn for the abominations of Jerusalem, the sins of other men in regard of ourselves and those dangers which by other men's sins hang over our own heads; Woe is me (saith the Psalmist) that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech, and to have my habitation among the tents of Kedar. Psal. 120.4. There is a twofold woe hangs over the head of God's children by reason of sinners that live among them, a woe of infection, and a woe of Malediction, or a woe of punishment: first I say a woe of infection, Can a man touch pitch and not be defiled? Can a man live among sinners like Ezechid in the midst of Scorpions, and not be poisoned, not be infected by them? can Joseph live in Pharaohs Court, and not learn to swear by the life of Pharaoh? it is a hard matter to live blameless, and without rebuke and to shine as lights in the midst of a perverse and crooked generation, though the Apostle require it, Phil. 2.15. And therefore it is no small commendations that Christ gives the Bishop of Pergamos, Rev. 2.13. That he held fast his name and did not deny his faith, though he lived where the Synagogue of Satan was; we are all of an apish nature, apt to imitate the manners and conditions of those with whom we converse, Like Laban's sheep, Ger. 30.39. Ready to bring forth white or spotted according to the patterns of innocency, or corruption we see before our Eyes, with the holy thou shalt be holy, and with the froward thou shalt learn frowardness. Psal. 18.26. I have heard of those who knowing themselves to be certainly infected with the plague, that they have gone out into the Streets, and so not only poisoned the Air to the great danger of passers by, but even breathed upon as many as they could come near that so they might be sure to infect them: for certain it is so with those that are infected with the plague of sin, their bad example, that is like the poisoning of the air, very dangerous; but their lewd enticing counsel, their insinuating temptations, come let us lay wait for blood, we shall fill our houses with spoil, cast ●n thy Lot among us Pro. 1.11. that is like the breathing of an infected person upon another, almost inevitable.  
One woe is past, a woe of infection, there is a second woe hangs over the head of God's children by reason of the wicked that live among them, a woe of malediction or a woe of punishment, and that twofold; one for the wicked, another from the wicked; First, there is a punishment hangs over them for the wicked, fugiamus ne si balneum propter Cerinthum ruerit, nos quoque damni simus participes, said Saint john the Evangelist, let us make haste away lest the Bath fall for Cerinthus sins, and we partake of Cerinthus punishment, come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, that ye receive not of her plagues, Rev. 18.4. all Israel smarts for Achans offence, and many times a fruitful land is made barren for the wickedness of them that dwell therein: Ps. 107.34. 'tis true, God sometimes spares the place for the ten sake, unwilling to weed out the tares, lest he pluck up the wheat also, and yet sometimes sin grows to such a ripeness, that it causeth God to sweep away the inhabitants of a land with the bosom of destruction, as he threatens by the Prophet; witness those three great judgements, the famine, the pestilence, and the sword, when they come they spare none. Secondly, there is a punishment hangs over them from the wicked, for who knows not that the wicked are professed enemies to the children of God? this serpentine brood bears a mortal enmity to the seed of the woman. Christ and his members, though they cannot break their head, they will (if it be possible) bruise their heel, prove like the Canaanites, to the Israelites, scourges in their sides, and thorns in their eyes, always deriding, traducing, opposing, oppressing them, making their lives bitter unto them: sheep can look for no better entertainment among Wolves: and therefore God's children, living among the wicked, may justly take up the complaint of the Psalmist, our Soul is among Lions where 'tis as great a miracle, that they should not be worried, as that Daniel was not torn in pieces in the Lion's den.  
You see there is cause enough to weep over Jerusalem, to mourn for the sins of other men, and yet this mourning may be much increased both from the condition of him that: mourneth, as also from the condition of him, for whose sins we mourn. First, from the condition of him that mourneth, from that relation, which the mourner hath unto him, for whose sins he mourneth: and here I may instance in two sorts of mourners, natural parents mourning for their children, spiritual parents ministers mourning for their flocks. To begin with natural parents, think with yourselves (and perhaps I speak to some that know and feel it) what a grief it must needs be to parents, Godly religious parents, to see their children take lewd courses, to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, and sit in the seat of the scornful, to set at nought their wholesome instructions and fatherly admonitions, a wise Son maketh a glad Father (saith Solomon) but a foolish Son is a heaviness to his Mother. Pro. 10.1. such a heaviness was Esau to his mother Rebeccah in matching into that cursed stock of the Hittites, as you may read, Gen. 27.46. I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth, if jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as are the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me? and Saint Augustine reports of his mother Monica, that as often as her children did sin against God, so often she did as it were ●●vell in birth of them again, every evil report she heard, did as it were cause a new throw, nay I think the pains of childbirth are not so tedious to the mother, as those after-paines that are caused by the lewd conversation of their ungracious Children, for those pains though they be sharp, they are soon over, and there is some comfort in the midst of them, that a child is coming into the world; but when good Eunice shall do her best endeavour to train up her children in the way wherein they should walk, acquainting them with the holy Scripture, which are able to make them wise unto salvation, and yet at last shall find all her labour lost, her hopes frustrated, her children carried away, with lewd and vicious company, into all manner of lose conversation, as rioting and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness, this must needs bring her grey hairs with sorrow to the grave. From natural parents mourning for their children, pass we to spiritual parents mourning for their flocks; think with yourselves, what a grief it is to faithful Pastor's to see no better success of all their labours, so much planting, and so much watering, and yet little or no increase, but they are forced to complain with the Prophet, Domini quis credidit? Lord who hath believed our report? Es. 53.1. but especially, when we consider how hairy all our preaching, and all our exhortations will one day lie upon you, for want of your obedience, th●t our word which was intonded to be a savour of life unto life, will prove to some of you the bitter savour of death unto death, that it will be more tolerable for Sadom and Gomurha at the day of judgement, then for many among you, because ye have despised our doctrine, that we shall be forced to stand out and accuse you at that day, as Christ told the Jews 10.5.45. Think not that I will accuse you to my Father, there is one that accuseth you, even Moses in whom you trust, that Moses in whom you trust, who indeed was wont to stand in the gap to mediate and intercede for you, at that day he shall be your chiefest enemy, Moses shall ace●se you, because you would not believe n●● obey his writings vers. 47. now think with yourselves what a grief this must needs be, to the Ministers of God, to consider with themselves, that they who have desired nothing more than the salvation of those that are committed to their charge, must at the last day be forced to appear and rise against many of them for their condemnation, to throw the first stone at them.  
Secondly this mourning may be increased also from the condition of him for whose sins we mourn, some men do a great deal more hurt by their sins than others, and therefore their sins are the more to be lamented, and here likewise I may instance in two sorts of people. First, those that are eminent in place, aloft in the eye of the world advanced to places of eminency and dignity in Church or Commonwealth, actiones superiorum sunt libri inferiorum the actions of superiors are many times the books that inferiors learn by, and therefore when they are evil, they are twice evil, evil in themselves, and evil for example, as they are bad patterns and precedents for inferiors to imitate: if King jereboam turn away his ear from hearing the law, you shall you shall soon find a miserable Kingdom, for his example will make all Israel to sin, and therefore his sins are much to be lamented. It is therefore a mournful spectacle to see a Magistrate that is sent for the terror of evil doere, to bear the Sword in vain, either to live in notorious sins himself, or to allow and wink at the sins of others, this was God's complaint against Israel Es. 1.23. Thy Princes are rebellious and companions of thiefs, they that should reform sin in others, they are rebellious themselves, & they that should judge the Fatherless, and plead for the widow, they are companions of thiefs, so they may have a bribe for conniving, they never regard to deliver the oppressed out of the hand of the spoiler, It is also a mournful spectacle to see a minister, upon whose garments under the Law, was engraven in letters of gold, Holiness unto the Lord, to defile this garment by living in those sins which in his own mouth condemns out of the word of God, to see those that sit in Moses seat do such things as these people may not imitate Matth. 23.3. to build with one hand and pull down with the other; to lead by his good doctrine, and misled by his wicked conversation; to have Christ in his mouth, and Satan in his heart; this is likewise a sad mournful spectacle. Lastly, those that are eminent though not in place, yet in the esteem and opinion of the Church, I mean professors of religion, their sins are more scandalous, and therefore more to be lamented then the sins of other men: if David a pillar of the Church step awry, the enemies of the Lord will soon have their mouths open to blaspheme upon that advantage. 2. Sam. 12.14. To see therefore a professor, not to live according to his profession, not to walk worthy of that new name that Christ hath given him, not to walk as becometh the Gospel, to overreach or circumvent his neighbour in bargaining or selling, or to undermine his brother's good reputation, by becoming the devil's agent to scatter false and slanderous reports, or to live in malice or adultery, or to hug any other delightful darling lust in his bosom, this is also a sad mournful spectacle.  
Well, if Christ have taught us to mourn for the back-slidings of Jerusalem, what shall we say to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that rejoicing in evil which is in the world? what shall we think of those active instruments of Satan that take such pains to propagate sin in others? those inticers. Pro. 1.11. Come let us lay wait for blood, cast in thy lot amongst us, let us all have one purse, we shall fill our houses with spoil, and enrich ourselves with precious substance etc. thus the Prophet brings in a crew of Idolaters animating and encouraging one another in their designs, Esay 41.6. They helped every one his neighbour, and said one to another, be of good courage; so the Carpenter encouraged the Goldsmith, he that smootheth with the Hammer, him that smote the Anvil saying it is ready for the sodering, and so Es. 56▪ 12. he brings in a company of drunkards daring one another to sit close at it, come say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink, and to morrow shall be as to day and much more abundant, and what shall we think of Solomon's fools that make a sport of sin? never more merry than when they hear of the disorderly carriages, the drunkenness, the swearing, the wantonness of their brethren; sure (as the Apostle speaks, Eph. 4.20.) non sic didicistis Christum, you have not so learned Christ; he mourns for Jerusalem, he beheld the City and wept over it saying, If thou etc.  
And believe it, there was never more cause of mourning in this kind then in our days, a fountain of tears would not suffice to bewail all the abominations that are committed in the midst of our Jerusalem: if our Lord and Saviour were now upon earth, he would never go with dry eyes: for beside that Lukewarmnesse that is amongst us, that a great many are neither hot nor cold, what sin was ever committed by any that is not committed by many in this land, and in this City? how hath pride jetted in one street? drunkenness reeled in another street? oppression marched like jehu in another street? adultery with all her wanton positures minced in another street? we have justified Sodom in all her abominations; Sodom which along while ago was turned into ashes, and made an ensample to all that should afterwards live ungodly, hath not done as we have done; we have exceeded Sodom if not in the commission of greater sins, yet in committing the same sins with greater impudence and greater obstinacy, in regard of that glorious light which shines amongst us and did not shine among them, and yet (which is the misery) there is scarce a Lot to be found, whose righteous soul is grieved for all these abominations, though only such mourners be marked in the forehead, to be preserved in the destruction of Jerusalem, Ezech. 9 though only such mourners be the followers: and Disciples of Christ, for he beheld the City and wept over it saying, If thou hadst known, even thou in this thy day, etc.  
And so I come to the other cause of Christ his mourning, Jerusalem's misery, for the days shall come that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and keep thee in on every side, and lay thee even with the ground, 'twas likely we should hear of a storm, Jerusalem was so secure, so oppressed with the spirit of drowsiness (she did not know the things that belonged to her peace, they were hid from her eyes) when men shall cry peace and safety, then sudden destruction shall come upon them as travel upon a woman that is with child. 1. Thess. 5.3. the men before the deluge were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, when the flood came and swept them all away, the men of Laish were extreme careless and secure when the Danites came upon them and slew them with the edge of the Sword, Elies Sons set their Father's counsel at nought, they would not see the vileness and danger of their sins, when the Lord had a purpose to slay them, and Lots admonitions sounded as idle tales in the ears of his Sons in Law, when the next morning Sodom and Gomorrha were destroyed with fire and brimstone from heaven, when the Prophets (who are called Seers and watchmen) shall discern a cloud, a tempest arising, and shall according to their duty, give the people warning to fly from the wrath to come, to prevent and divert it by repentance and reformation, if the people now shall slight the Prophet's words as idle tales, say with Saint Peter's mockers, Vbi promissio adventus? where is the promise of his coming? or with those Deut. 29.19. we shall have peace though we add drunkenness to thirst, though we go on in our sensual courses, though we seek it yet again, as 'tis Pro. 23.35. surely that people must needs be in as bad case as the ground that Saint Paul speaks of Heb. 6.8. that drinketh in the rain, and bringeth forth nothing but briers and thorns, nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned: and this was Hierusalems' case here, Jerusalem, had many warnings both from the Prophets, and from the Lord of the Prophets, many gracious tenders of mercy were made to her, many severe threaten were discharged against her, woe unto thee O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean? when will it once be? jerem. 13.27. but she is either so blind or so obstinate, or both, that she doth not, or will not know the things that belong to her peace: here in my Text Christ himself woos her [if thou hadst known, even thou in this thy day etc.] and that with tears in his eyes, [he beheld the City and wept over it], but all in vain; Christ did but cast an eye back upon Peter, and that recalled him, Luc. 22.61. [the Lord turned and looked upon Peter, and Peter remembered the words of the Lord, and he went out and wept bitterly] here he looked a long time upon Jerusalem [he beheld the City and wept over it] but Jerusalem is so settled upon her Lees. Zeph. 1.12. so grounded in security and hardness of heart, that she cannot, that she will not repent, and therefore no marvel if her goods become a booty, and her houses a desolation, as it follows there at the 13. verse, or as 'tis in the Text, the days shall come, that thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and keep thee in on every side, etc.  
Here you see the kind of her misery, Jerusalem is exposed to the fury of her merciless enemies, to the Sword the sharpest of Gods 3. Airewes, she hath not liberty to take her choice as David had 2. Sam. 24.13. Wilt thou have 7. year's famine come upon the land? or wilt thou flee 3. months before thy enemies while they pursue thee? or wilt thou that there be 3. day's pestilence in the land? but she is peremptorily designed to the Sword, to be compassed about with armies, that should batter down her lofty Turrets, her princely palaces, lay them all even with the ground; For the days shall come that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, etc.  
It was a heavy sight to see Jerusalem blocked up in this manner, so straight and strongly besieged, that they were neither able to beat off their enemies, nor could expect succour from their friends: it had been an uncomfortable fight to see some houses shut up in Jerusalem by the destroying Angel; but to see Jerusalem itself shut up, was both a strange and a sad spectacle: where is the noble valour, the heroic Spirit, that was wont to be in this people? time was when one of them could chase a thousand, and two of them put ten thousand to slight, when Israel lay down like a Lion, and couched like a great Lion, and none durst rouse him up, when other nations were glad to betake themselves to their fenced Cities because of them, and there to fortify their walls, Barrocadoe their Gates against them, as Hiericho and other Cities did, or if they did venture to sally out against them one way, they were forced to flee before them seven ways: but what shall we say now, when Israel turns their backs before their enemies? when they are forced to retreat into Jerusalem for shelter, when the enemy pursues them to the very Ga●es, entrench themselves round about the City, and threaten to cut them all off, either by the Sword, or by the Famine, which is sharper than a two edged Sword. The days shall come that thine enemies, etc.  
It was strange that Jerusalem should be thus surrounded, but more strange that it should be taken, that it should be battered down and laid even with the ground, as it follows in the next words, They shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee, this w●s strange indeed, whether we consider the situation of the City, or the protector of the City; for the situation of it, 'twas feared upon such high, craggy, inaccessible rocks or mountains, that it was even by nature made almost impregnable: the jebusites that held it till David's time, thought it so strong of itself, that the blind and the lame were able to defend it against David, and all his men of valour. 2 Sam. 5.6. And to this strength of nature, was added an artificial strength of Forts and Bulwarks. Psal. 48.12. Walk about Zion and go round about her, and tell the Towers thereof, mark well her Bulwarks, consider her Palaces, that you may tell them that come after: now to see these strong Bulwarks, these stately Palaces laid even with the ground, was a sight no less wonderful than lamentable: The Kings of the earth and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed, that the enemy should have entered into the Gates of Jerusalem: Lam. 4.12. Again consider the Protector of the City: it's true, except the Lord keeps the City, the watchman waketh but in vain, but Jerusalem was the City of the great King, God was well known in her Palaces as a sure refuge, he had his Temple there, for thy Temple's sake at Jerusalem, nay and Jerusalem had experience of his protection formerly, when it was besieged by the Forces of Senacherib, an Army supposed invincible, yet the Lord being their Protector, raised the siege, as you may read. Esay 37.35. I will defend this City for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake, And that night the Angel of the Lord went out and slew in the Camp of the Assyrians 185000. But where is the God of Jerusalem now? as Elishah spoke when he came to the bank of Jordan, where is the Lord God of Eliiah now? 2. Reg. 2.14. surely the Glory is departed from Israel, Israel hath rejected the Lord, and gone a whoring after strange Gods, they have walked extreme contrary to him in all their ways, and therefore the Lord hath at length justly withdrawn himself from them, and left them as a prey to their enemies, Climb upon her walls and destroy, down with her battlements, for they are not the Lords: jer. 5.10. And now our blossed Saviour as if he saw the wall (not of Hiericho, but) of Jerusalem tumbling down, the Soldiers on every side entering the City, beating all down before them, dashing the young infants against the stones, torturing the aged and honourable, deflowering the modest Virgins and chaste Matrons, ransacking their houses, with fire and Sword, laying Jerusalem even with the ground, and her children within her, he falls a weeping, he beheld the City and weptover it.  
As indeed it was a lamentable sight, the Lord in mercy grant we never see such a Spectacle in our Jerusalem; no doubt, Abraham was affected with sorrow, when he saw the smoke of Sodom ascend like the smoke of a furnace, though Sodom was a nest of infidels, children of Belial, whose sins cried up to heaven for vengeance, 
Gen. 13: 13.  young and old from every quartet were gathered together about Lot's door, crowding and striving who should he the foremost in that unnatural and prodigious sin, it cannot appear that there was a Family or a Soul after Lot was gone, which were not all most notorious sinners, and yet it was a sad spectacle, to see Sodom said even with the ground, so in the 18. chap. of the revelation, vers. 9 10. and so forward, 'tis prophesied that the Kings of the earth, and the Merchants, and the Ship-masters shall weep bitterly for the destruction of Babylon, when they they shall see the smoke of her burning: alas, alas, that great City Babylon, that mighty City, for in one hour is her judgement come, in one hour is so great riches come to nothing alas, alas that great City! well than might our blessed Saviour weep for Jerusalem, where there was yet a Remnant according to the Election of grace, which were like to be involved in the common calamity, the righteous with the wicked, & Templum Domini the Temple of the Lord together with their seiled houses: O God the Heathen are come into thine inheritance, thy holy Temple have they defiled, and made Jerusalem a heap of stones, the dead bodies of thy Saints have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the air, and the flesh of thy Servants, to the beasts of the land, Ps. 79.1.2. This made the Prophet jeremy wish, Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep night and day for the slain of the daughter of my people. I●r. 9.1. this made our Saviour here, when he beheld the City, to weep over it saying, if thou hadst known &c. for the days shall come that thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee.  
Beloved, our Saviour's example must be our direction all along, he weeps for Jerusalem, we must also weep for the miseries and desolations of Jerusalem, the Church and people of God abroad in the world, and for the miseries that hang over our Jerusalem, and threaten us with ruin, unless God in mercy be pleased to open our eyes, that we may at last be able to know, (that is to take notice of) the things that belong to our peace. And first the miseries of the Church abroad call for our tears. Hierusalems' misery here was but a coming [the days shall come] Christ saw the cloud arising, it was 40. years after before the storm fell, and yet he could not forbear weeping; how can we look upon the ruins of Jerusalem, and other famous Churches with look upon the ruins of Jerusalem, and other famous Churches with dry eyes? Thy Servants think upon her stones, and it pitieth them to see her in the dust, saith the Psalmist. Ps. 100LS. 14. to see thorns come up in her palaces, Nettles and Brambles in her fortresses, that she is become an habitation of Dragons, and a Court of Owls, a most forlorn desolate place. Es. 34.13. the words which her enemies uttered in scorn, Lam. 2.15. we should utter with tears, is this the beauty of perfection? the joy of the whole earth? alas, alas that great City. And who can sufficiently bewail the sad desolations of other Churches? when we call to mind the inroads, and encroachments that the wild Boar of the Forest, the Turk hath made into Christendom, and is daily threatening & endeavouring to swallow up more of it, to devour jacob, & lay waste his dwelling place, to root out the Church and people of God, that the name of Israel may he no more in remembrance: and when we consider, how that Scarlet whore of Rome hath made herself drunk with the blood of the Saints. Rev. 17.6. Pity the breaches of Bohemia, the Palatinate, Germany, etc. Whose f need Cities (many of them) are turned into ●●inous heaps, laid even with the ground, and their fields watered with the blood of Christians. Their blood have they shed like water on every side of H●er s●em, and there was no man to bury them. Ps. 79.3. Pity the sad conduit on of Ir●an, say with the Spouse, Cant. 8.8. What shall we do for our little Sister? Lamentable are the scritches and complaints that have been heard out of that Kingdom, by reason of the fury of the oppressor; sparing neither Age nor Sex, pillaging and firing and laying all even with the ground, where ever they prevail: and is this nothing to you all ye that pass by? have ye no fellow-feeling of their miseries? can ye for all this stretch yourselves upon your beds of ivory, and eat the Lambs of the flock, and the Calves out of the stall, and drink your Wine in bowls, and chaunte it to the sound of the Viol? and never consider the afflictions of Joseph? S. Paul commands us to weep with those that weep, as N ●●imiah did for the miseries of his Brethren at H●erusalem, when himself was in prosperity in the Court of Artaxerxes: the Members of Christ's mystical Body, should be like the members of a natural body: where if one Member suffer, all the rest suffer with it. 1 Cor. 12.26. Pity then that bleedding Kingdom, pity and pray for them, pity and secure them: first pity and pray for them, importune and wrestle with God in behalf of that Kingdom by uncessant and earnest Prayer, let tears run down like a River night and day, give him no rest till the Vengeance of the Protestants blood that is shed be openly showed upon their barbarous and cruel Enemies. Secondly, pity and secure them, let your abundance now be a supply for their want, let England be to Ireland as a refuge from the storm, as a shadow from the heat, until this Tyranny be overpast; there are a many poor distressed souls forced to forsake that Kingdom, and to slay hither for relief and some that had fair estates, till those Sabaeans feazed upon them: it may be two bands with ●acob, though they have brought nothing but a staff over Jordan with them, now if you will keep the fast aright, that it may be an acceptable day unto the Lord, you must observe the Lords own directions. Es 58 7. Is not this the fast that the Lord hath chosen: to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out into thy house the poor that are cast out; as many of them have been cast out of house and home,] and when thou seest the naked, that thou cover them, and for certain many of them have been stripped naked, not so much as their clothes left, to cover their nakedness, or to defend them against the injuries of the weather, fit objects of your pity.  
And while we remember Ireland and other Churches wasted with misery we may not forget ourselves, as our blessed Saviour add monished the Women that bewailed him. Luc. 23.28. Weep for yourselves ye Daughters of Hieru●al●m, and for your Children; for the days are coming wherein they shall say, blessedare the barren, and the Wombs that nover bare, and the paps that never gave suck. Beloved for my own part, I am not privy to the decrees of Heaven, neither am I willing to presage ruin to this ●urch, either by the Sword, famine, or Pestilence: long may she flourish and continue to he the joy, and praise of the whole Earth, ev●n so long as the Sun and Moon endureth, till Shiloh come to judgement. Yet I must tell you, first that it is possible, that this Church of ours may be dischurched, our Jerusalem be made a heap of stones, England may not say, as David sometime did foolishly, Psal. 30.6. I said in my prosperity I shall never be removed, he was deceived [thou didst turn thy face from me, and I was troubled] and so may we: nor with the malignant Church, Reva 8.7. I fit as a Queen and shall see no sorrow: no, our Candle stick may be removed, our Vineyard that have been fenced so many years by the providence, and protection of the great Husbandman may have its hedge truden down; there is no Church privileged from drinking of the cup of God's Wrath. Where is the King of Ham●th, and the King of Arpad and the King of Sepharuaim? as he said, what is become of those famous Eastern churches? those golden Candlesticks? Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, etc. Nay Jerusalem itself laid even with the ground, and that many hundred years ago, and if God spared not the natural branches, we have no reason to be high minded, but to fear't: what saith God to the Nations? Jer. 25.29. Do ye refuse to drink of my Cup, behold I begin to bring evil upon the City that is called by my Name▪ you must not think to go unpunished; we must not expect more favour than the Ie●res found, admit we have Tamolum domius the Temple of the Lord, the Symbol of God's presence amongst, us, so had they, we have many faithful pastors and teachers according to Gods own heart, they had Prophets and Apostles, men extraordinarly inspired, nay they had the Lord of the Prophets, we have the Word of God, had not they? the voices of the Prophets were heard among them every Sab ath day. Acts 13.27. But we have Maunah in greater abundance than they had, more plenty of preaching, our destruction may be the nearer for that, for our sins will be the sooner ripe, the hotter the Sun shines the sooner the tares will be ripe, and ready for the sire, but we have our monthly fasts and days of humiliation, had not they? Zach. 7.5. When ye fasted in the fifth month, and in the seventh Month those 70 years, did ye fast unto me? all these proved vain confidences to them, they could not keep off the stroke from them, and therefore notwithstanding all these, it's possible that our Church may suffer as they did.  
Nay I must go one step farther, It is not only possible, but it's probuble too, we have just cause to fear, that the time may come and speedily to, wherein our Enemies may cast a●t●●nch about us, and lay our Jerusalem even with the ground because the Leaven of the jews is unhappily fallen into the lump of the Gentiles, and the abominations that were committed in Jerusalem, are flown over into England, nay I fear our sins do outvie theirs all things considered, as far as theirs outvied the sins of Sodom. Ezech. 16. What sin was ever charged upon Hierusalent, that may not be sampled in England? there was halting between two opinions, hath there not been the like here? 'twas irksome to them to observe the Sabbath day strictly and religiously, when will the new Moon be gone that we may sell corn, and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat. Am. 8.5. Tell me hath it not been so here? the Prophet Micah complains of them for the scant measure, the wicked balances, and the bag of deceitful weights, Mich. 6.10.11. Examine your shops, hath it not been so here? there were great corruptions both in the civil and Ecclesiastical state: their Princes were rebellious and companions of thiefs, that is, their magistrates did too much countenance oppression and in justice, and their Priests were many of them dumb dogs, lying down and loving to slumber, lazy watchmen that suffered the people to perish for want of warning, Aaron's Bells had lost their clappers; beloved I appeal to you, have there not been such faults in the Magistracy and Ministry of England, in some of each 〈◊〉 their Land was greatly polluted with swearing and blaspheming, because of swearing the land mourneth. Jer. 23.10. And doth not our land, and this City by name groan under this fin also? what hideous Oaths, and desperate imprecations are heard in our streets; They were strong to drink strong drink, and when they had sat till the Wine inflamed them, than they assembled themselves by troops in the Harlot's Houses: and how do these beastly sins, of rioting and drunkenness, of chambering & wantonness reign in this Kingdom, and more especially in H●●●●●● this populons City? in a word, should a man be serious, and with Solomon Pro. 7.6. look out at the casement of his window, and observe the behaviour of people in the streets, he might behold not only the young wanton with his Minion marching along to the Ste●es. but also the angry Ruffian justling for the wall, t●e swinish drunkard stumbling and tumbling in the mire, the hardhearted Usurer catching his neighbour by the throat, and haling him to the prison, the proud fantastic more gloriously arrayed than Solomon in all his royalty, and hear such vain babble▪ such proud boastings, such clamorous raylings, such cursed blasphemies, as might make him not only to weep: but also to wonder at the patience of God, that he hath not long before this time made London like Jerusalem a heap of stones. In the second Chapter of the R●●●a●i● (Christ threatens the Asian Churches to remove their Candlesticks, because he ●ad somewhat, or a few things against them, nevertheless I have a few things against thee, remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, or else● will remove thy Candlestick out of his place, and alas, beloved 'tis not a few things that God hath against us, we have walked contrary to him in every thing, what may we fear?  
I will but touch upon two or three of Hierusalems' latter sins, and leave you to judge whether we have not overtaken hereven in them. One was her disrespect, her cruelty to the Lords Prophets, Math 23.37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem that killest the Prophets, and stonest them that are font unto thee, etc. And Ver. 34. Behold 〈◊〉 send unto you Prophets and wise men and scribes, and some of them ye shall kill and crucify, and some of them you shall scourge in your Synagogues, and persecute them from City to City, That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the Earth, from the blood of Abel, to the blood of Zacharias the Son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the Temple, and the Altar; they counted them their Enemies for telling them the truth, they hated the light because their deeds were evil, and believe it, this is a provoking sin; touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm, and as he that receives a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, shall receive a Prophet's reward, ●o he tha● contemns and abuseth a Prophet, one of Go●s messengers and Ambassadors, Christ tells him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha at the day of judgement, 〈◊〉 then for that party, or that City, (if it be a City) Matth. 10.15. And yet beloved, we cannot hid it, England ●s in a high degree guilty of this sin, the Prophets of the Lord, the most zealous, painful, learned Ministers have been too much slighted▪ opposed, derided and at this day the most solid judicious Divines about this City are trampled upon with dirty feet, vilified, pointed at, loaden with infamous nicknames, as Baal's Priests, Popish teachers, Limbs of Antichrist, woeful to relate, and I wonder how any man, that beare● but the name of a Ch istian, dares vent such unsavoury, invective speeches against their Teachers▪ and that it may be for dissenting from them only in the use of a harmless, significant Ceremony. You know what happened to jeroboam for stretching out his hand against the Prophet though he were a King. 1. Reg. 13.4. And you remember the severity of God's Anger. against the young children for mocking the Prophet Elishah, go up thou bald head, go up thou bald-head, 'tis recorded that 42 of them were presently torn infaelices. 2. Reg. 2.24. Doth. God punish foolish wanton children for such a fault? think not that those of riper years shall escape; this was the Bane of Hierusale● once before, 2 Chron. 36.16. They mocked the Messengers of the Lord, and misused his Prophets, until the wrath of the Lord ar● see against his people, till there was no remedy, there fore he brought upon them the King of the C●●dees, who slew their young men with the Sword; here 'twas their bane again, 'twas one of those sins that armed the Romans against them, and I pray God it do not help to bane this City, Lord lay not this sin to our charge.  
Another of Hierusalems' latter sins was their irreverent profanations of God's Temple, they put no difference between that sacred place, set apart for the worship and service of God; [My House shall be called the House of Prayer] and other ordinary places: they carried burdens therough it, they bought and sold in the outward Court of it, till Christ forbade them. Take these things hence 〈◊〉 make not my Father's House, a House of merchandise. Beloved I must be plain with you, we are too much guilty of this sin also, there is a vile irreverent esteem of God's House in the hearts of too many amongst us, and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, words which I am almost ashamed, and afraid to repeat: that the Church is no better than an Alehouse or a Tavern, nay then a Bawdy-house, I heard it spoken; profane wretches, the jews came not nea●e these, and yet Christ switched them out with a whip of small cords, Huic aliud mercedi● erit— I fear these will be beaten with many stripes, heavy strokes, there is a golden means (if we could light on it) between idolising of a Temple, and vilifying of it, between doing reverence to it, and irreverent profaning of it; We have warnings enough to look to our feet when we come to the House of the Lord; you know what a breach was made upon Vzzah, for a small miscarriage (as is may be conceived) about the Ark, and how many thousands of the Bethshemites were cut off, for prying irreverently into the Ark, I am sure Christ never expressed more anger than in that passage about his Father's House, and I do believe 'twas one of the sins that brought this judgement upon Jerusalem▪ for you shall read in the verse after m● Text. Ver. 45. That as soon as he had uttered this complaint. If thou hadst I known even thou in this thy day, etc. He presently went into the Temple, and cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought, saying, it is, written my House shall be called the house of Prayer, but ye have made it a den of thiefs, and Lord lay not this sin to our charge.  
A third sin of Jerusalem in her declining are was the Sects and divisions that were among them, we read of Pharisees and Sadduces, and some other Sects that they were rend and divided into, what a tumult and an outcry there was between the Pharises and the Sadduces? Acts 23. The Captain was afraid lest Paul should have been ●orne 2. pieces by them, they were so violent; And beloved, are not we conscious to ourselves of this sin also? fractions and divisions? it is a question not easily answered, whether there be more Sects or wards in London, and what tumults have been occasioned by these Sects and sidings? not only in the s●●ee●s, but even in the House of God? what shoutings and clamours? to the dishonour of God, and the disturbance of the Congregation? Lord lay not this sin to our charge. Oh that we would take out that golden Lesson of the Apostle. To keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, that we would give credit to that undeniable sailing of our Savious, A Kingdom or a City, or a House divided against itself cannot stand; there was a time when Jerusalem was at unity within itself, Psal. 122.9. And then she was not ashamed to speak with her Enemies in the gate, but now being at cry●●l jars and dissensions among themselves, they become a prey to the Romans; neither could their private differences be composed, till the Enemy took away both their lives and their live, and made Jerusalem ●●celdana● a field of blood.— Enquo disco●dia cives p●rduxit ●nis●●os. And God grant this sin of Jerusalem do not bring Hierusalems' punishment upon us, that our private dissensions do not encourage and give opportunity to the common Enemy to cast a trench about us, you see Hierusalems' sins are come over into England, and therefore it's too too probable that her punishment may follow. For the days shall come that thy Enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and lay thee even with the ground, etc.  
But that my Sun may not sit in a cloud, I shall add one word more, that though it be possible, nay though it be probable (the premises considered) that the Sword may come, yet it is not necessary, there is mercy with the Lord that he may be feared, No●●●●e am●●v●●●, sed ●●iteatiam, God is infinitely more delighted in the conversion, then in the confusion of a sinner, why will ye die O house off Israel? turn ye, turn ye from your evil way, break off your sins by repentance, and live: he that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy. Proverbs 28.13. Confession and conversion; or humiliation seconded with reformation hath sometimes reversed the sentence that hath gone out against a Nation, as in the case of Niniveh, yet forty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed, Niniveh in the mean time reputes of the evil she hath committed, and God reputes also of the evil he hath intended: had Jerusalem done so too, had Jerusalem known the things that belonged to her peace, Ilia nunc staront, Priamique urbs alta man●ret, for aught we know it might have stood until this day: Niniveh had but forty days, Jerusalem had forty year's respite to repent in, and to make her peace: So I say now, if we shall, even we in this our day labour to make our peace, and atonement with God (whom we have offended) by discerning and lamenting all our former transgressions, by resolving and endeavouring to walk more circumspectly for the time to come, to walk worthy of those great mercies which we enjoy, to bring forth fruits meet for repentance, no doubt, he will accept of us still, and receive us into favour again; what else is the meaning of those Parables 〈◊〉 Luc. 15. Of the Woman rejoicing with her Neighbours when she had found her lost Groat, of the Shepherds hugging this stray Sheep, and bringing it home with joy, of the Father welcomming and embracing his prodigal Son upon his submission, but to intimate unto us the will ●gnesse of Almighty GOD to be reconciled unto sinners, upon their true Repentance; the Father doth not question with his Son, Vbi fuisl●●? ●ub● su●t ●●e tulisti●? saith Chrysologus, where ha●e you been? What is become of all that portion you carried hence? how is it that you are returned thus poor, thus naked? but he calls for the best Robe, and Shoes for his Feet, and a Ring for his finger, etc. Quis i●l● P●t●r (saith Tertullian sweetly) who is this Father? that so lovingly entertains his penitent Son? who is this Father? 〈◊〉 scilicet, God is this Father, we are these Prodigals, let his entertainment encourage us to return; to acknowledge our own vileness [Father we have sinned against Heaven, and in thy sight, and are no more worthy to be called thy Children] and he will receive us graciously, a broken and a contrite heart he can not, he will not despise; ●i●ri● no● potest●●● siliv● istarum l●chrymarum ●percat●, said Saint Ambrose to Monica bewailing her Son Austin: be of good cheer Woman, it cannot be that the Son for whom thou daily shedst so many Tears should perish, so I dare say to every Soul that bedews itself with the Tears of true Repentance: Fieri non poi●st ut a●●, ●●a istarum la●●rymarum pereat, it cannot be that the Soul for which so many Tears are shed should perish; it is a groundless expostulation that is taken up by them Malac, 3. ●4. What profit is it that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts? I answer very great profit, for these Tears i'll they proceed f●om a truly broken and contrite heart, they will prove like saul's Sword, or lonathans Bow, they will never return empty, not one of these Crystalline Pearls falls to the ground, God puts them all into his Bottle. Psalm 56.8. See how it fared with good Hezechiah. Esay 38.1 The Prophet is sort to acquaint him that the time of his dissolution is at hand; Set thy House in order, for thou shalt die, and (believe it) Death is a grim Surjeant that will not easily be staved off, however the good man betakes himself to his Prayers, and mingles some ●eares with his Prayers, and see what this produceth Verse 5. Thus saith the Lord I have heard thy Prayers, I have seen thy Tears; I will add unto thy days fifteen years, and I will deliver thee and this City out of the hand of the King of Assyria. I need not tell you that are Parents, how far the Tears of your children will plead and prevail with you, though you be much offended, and what saith the Psalmist? Psal. 103.13. Like as a Father pitieth his own children, so is the Lord merciful to his children, when his anger is kindled against them their Tears will soon quench it again, look in the 31. of jeremy Verse 18. There you shall find a breach between God and Ephraim, Ephraim is stubborn, God is angry at it, and gins to correct him, Ephraim feeling it smart falls a weeping: he reputes and smites upon his thigh Verse 19 And God presently takes notice of it. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, and what follows at the 20. Verse? Is Ephraim my dear Son? Is he a pleasant child? for since I spoke against him, I do earnestly remember him still, therefore my bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord, I can be no longer angry with him, saith God, now I see him weep, my bowels do even yearn towards him, I will surely have mercy upon him, etc. It puts me in mind of that story of Esau. Genesis 27. He brings in his venison and comes very confidently to his Father for a blessing before his Death: the dim old man amazed, and perceiving at last how he was deluded (for Jacob had cunningly supplanted him, you know the story) he tells him that he was come too late, Thy brother came with subtlety and hath taken away thy blessing. Verse 35. With that he falls a begging and complaining, and is very importunate; Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? bless me, even me also, O my Father: Isaac tells him, I have given all his brethren to him for servants, I have given him Corn and Wine to sustain him, what can I do for thee my Son? Hast thou but one blessing my Father? saith Esau, bless me even me also; and Esau lift up his voice and wept, Verse 38. And those Tears fetched a blessing presently: his Father answered, Thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the Earth, and the dew of Heaven from above, and thou shalt, serve thy Brother, and it shall come to pass, that in process of time thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck, etc. Tears are loud Orators with an Earthly Father, much more with our Heavenly Father, because he is infinitely more pitiful than any Earthly Father: If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how much more shall your Heavenly Father? Matthew 7.11. If you that have but a Rivulet of mercy be so moved with Tears, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how much more will your Heavenly Father? who hath a boundless, bottomless Ocean of mercy?  
We may be the more confident, that the Tears which we shed upon Earth are regarded in Heaven, because (as the Apostle speaks) we have a merciful high Priest there, Hebrews 4.15. For we have not a high Priest that cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like unto us, sin only excepted; Christ took not on him our nature only, a reasonable Soul and humane flesh, but also condescended to take on him the infirmities of our nature, the infirmities of the body, as to be hungry, to be thirsty, to sleep, to be weary; and the infirmities of the mind, as to be angry, to be sad, to weep, etc. Christ hath been experimental in all these, he hath tasted of every one of these Cups, and therefore knows how to pity, and to secure those that labour under any of these infirmities: are we sorrowful? so hath CHRIST been, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; do we weep? so did Christ, he beheld the City and wept over it, and though he do not weep for our Jerusalem, yet he is sensible of our weeping, and makes intercession for us at the right Hand of his Father; and therefore here is a great deal of comfort to those that mourn in Zion, and a great deal of encouragement to those that have not yet been Mourners, if they shall now at length see the error of their ways, and begin to weep for the abominations of Jerusalem.  
Let us therefore all of us awake betimes out of our sins, before that vengeance awake, and the judgement which yet sleepeth; seek the Lord while he may be found, whilst with the Father of the Prodigal he is ready to meet us, and to embrace us, let us turn to him with all our hearts, with fasting and with weeping, and with mourning, there is ●oy in the presence of the Angels over one sinner what joy will there be over a whole Nation that repenteth? 
Luc. 15.10.  while God holds his peace [these things hast thou ●oue, and I held my peace, Psalm 50.21.] Let us speak ●nd sue unto him for mercy, and say, spare us good Lord, spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and be not angry with us for ever; And let the Priests, the Ministers of the Lord, weep between the Porch and the Altar, and say, be favourable, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach. 
Joel. 2.17.  Wherefore should they say among the Heathen, where is now their God?  
FINIS.   

Errata.  
PAge. 1. lin. 15. for assad read, assayed. p. 3. l. 2. for estalish read establish. p. 8. l. 2. for of death, read of her death. p. 9 l. 2. for ale read. able. p. 9 l. 25. for find read feed. p. 12. l. 43. for Daysar read daystar. p. 13. 12. for did not knew his people, read, did not know, his people p. 14. 20. for it read them. p. 20. l. 33. for Domini read▪ Domine p. 21. l. 31. which in his own mouth, deleatur, in. l. 33. for these read the p. 27. l. 9 for Irelan read Ireland. p. 28. l. 26. for have read hath. p. 34. for this read his.