Diuers fortsof teares. the fourth Sunday inLent. Ser.z9: them to beimbroiled40yeres before they cculd raft outtheAmmorits & the lebufires, efpecially it beeing the Land which heehad promifed vnto them { Whereuntohimfelfegiuesthis refolution, TheifrNneswere not yet grown vp to their heigth. So that his leading them all this while through the Wilderncifc, was a lefTe miferie than their remaining in"Egypt ; and therefore he difniffeth Mefeswith a vade, giuing him full powerand Commiffion tò free his People; willing himto hallen away,that they mightbe eafed of their torment;äs if him- 'life had felt the finart thereof more than they. Hee couldnot indure that his friends fheuld fuffër afHiêtion ; and becaufe he had laid, Cum ipfofilm intribulati- on, he would not be taxedof thebreachof his word. So that when God is with thee in thy tribulation, he will giue an iffue to thineaflfir ions, becarife bee fùffers in them as well asthy felfe ; andif he doenot comein to helpe thee, it is becaufe thy firmes haue made him vnfencible thereof. But doe thou mouere a` peccato, and thou fhalt find him (as it is here in my Text)mifericerdaa mottle. Hefaidvista her, Weepe not . It caufed muchadmiration,& feemed foal what ftrange to thofe that were there prefent, that our Sauiourteeingthe teares and anguifh of this forrowfull and wretched widow,fhouldvpon fo fad an uccafìon fayvnto her, Noli flere,Weepe,ot. Weknow that there arediners and fundrie forts ofteares. Some are occafioned by the exceffiue forrowandgriefeof ourowne fumes ; of this naturewere thofe teares of (..Marie cytegdalrn, ofDauid, andofPeter. Others aredrawne from vs vponafellow-feelingand forrowfulneffe for other wens fuhs : of this kindwere thole of Saint Pad, o,tt ofmuch afff.11ionandan- gu h ofheart, I wrotevntoyouwithmany teares; fomuchwas he grieued with the ncwcs he receiued from them ofthat inceffluou5 perron, and the punifhment of Excommunication infliEtcd vponhim. And tó the Philippians, I hauetoldyou of ten,a.ndnow tellyou euenweeping, that they are the enemiesof the Crop of Chrifi. Aod thole teares likewife which thofemen fliedwho did bewaile themiferies of le ruftlem, whole foreheads Godcommanded to be marked with the letterTau. Others are fhedbyvs meerely out ofcompaflion forother folks misfortunes ; and filch as thefe were the teares ofour Sauiour Chrift, He beheldthe Citie, and wept otter it. So likewife at Lazarusdeath, lefus wept ; Didnot Iweepefarhim that was in trouble ? Was not myfoule grieued for the Poore ? And Teremiedidneuer makean endof weeping forthe mileries ofhis people. Orhers,thedeuoutmeditationofChr,1ls bitter torments extort from vs, Ac- cording as it was prophecied by Zach.TheyJballlooke on me whom they hauepierced, andthey fhali mournfor him as one mournethforhisonly fonne, and(ballbein bitter- nefefor him, asone that is in bitterneffeforhisfirfl borne. Others gutter downefromvs outofavehement and earneft delire wee haue to our celeffiall Countrie,and to the enioyingofthat our heauenlyhabitation. Of this qualitie were thofe ofDauid, Woe is mee, that the time ofmy pilgrimage isprolonged. And inanother place, My teares were my bread menday and night. And all thefe feuerall forts of teares fpring from the Fountain of Grace, and arecomprehended vnder the ftile of bleffedneffe, Beati qui lugent,Blefedare they that wéepeZ7c. There is anotherfort of teareswhich flow from naturali pittie and conceiued brief.',for the deathofour parents, children,kinsfolkes,and friends ; asalfo for lodeof wealth,honour,health, and the like ; andwhen the Scripture mentions them, it loth not reprehend them. The Shunamite bewailed her dead fonne ; AiarteMagdalen, the loffe of herbrother Lazarus; and humane Hiftories recom- T t 2 mend 495 I s.Cor.s. Pbilit.s. Ezeeü.g. john 114 f zgb.ts.Io.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=