THE TRIAL OF true Tears.  
Or the Summons to repentance; whereby the secure sinner is taught how to escape the terrible Sentence of the Supreme judge.  
Meditated upon CHRIST'S weeping over jerusalem, very necessary for these present Times.  
By William Est, Master of Arts, and Preacher of God's Word.  2. Cor. 7.10. 
For godly sorrow causeth Repentance unto salvation, not to be repent of.  
LONDON, Printed by Tho. Creed, for Arthur johnson, dwelling near the great North door of S. Paul's Church, at the sign of the white Horse. 1613.   

To the Right worshipful, the Lady Elizabeth Greynuile; all happiness in this life, and eternal felicity in the life to come.  
Having( good Madam) at the urgent importunity of some of my best Friends, reared up the walls of this simple Edifice, as you fee, and fearing( the weakness thereof being such) that it needed some support to keep it from falling: At length my ambiguous thoughts seized upon your worship's patronage. I have long registered in my heart a grateful acknowledgement of your( and my good patrons benefits extended towards me:) and wanting worthy means in real requittance to express the same; I presumed( which is all I could) in this dedication to manifest. Not forgetting your worthy and Right worshipful Father Philip Bevile, with your virtuous Mother, whose bountiful Hospitality, charitable liberality, religious government of their Family, plainly showeth to the world, that they hold themselves, not borne unto themselves, to live to themselves, but as good Stewards of Gods manifold blessings, plentifully powered upon them, to diffuse the same to the good of many; which( I assure you) hath won the love of the rich, the prayers of the poor, and the applause and praise of all far and near in your country. If the reading of these my poor Labours at idle hours may yield you any content or comfort, it is the thing I wish: yet more than I can promise, save only in regard of the substance. Small( I confess) is the gift in regard of the Author, but great indeed, in respect of the worthiness of the subject, which( if no thing else) I am persuaded, will give it good acceptance with the well inclined. These my labours I commit to your worship's favourable protection: promising that if time & industry shall bring forth more mature fruits of my studies( by God's assistance) hereafter, you shall also be partakers of them.  
In the mean time, take( I beseech you) in good part, these my well wish to your welfare, and prayers to the Almighty, that he would continued his blessings towards you in this life, & after this mortal race run out, grant you the fruition of his heavenly kingdom.  
Your Worships, in all duty devoted, W. Est.   

THE TRIAL OF TRUE TEARS. OR THE SUMMONS to Repentance.  Luc. 19 verse 41.42.43.44. 
Luc. 19 v. 41. And when he was come near, he beheld the city and wept for it.  
42. Saying, O if thou hadst even known at the least in this thy day, those things which belong unto thy peace! but now are they hid from thine eyes.  
43. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side.  
44. And shall make thee even with the ground, and thy children which are in thee, and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.  

FIrst, here is expressed the occasion.  
Secondly, the impulsive causes.  
That which ministered occasion to the Lord of this weeping, was the sight of the city: vers. 41.  
The causes impulsive are two: namely two evils, the one present, and the other future.  
The present evil was, the evil of the mind: to wit, the blindness of the Citizens: vers. 42.  
The affirmation of this blindness, he amplifieth by an antithesis of a contrary wish or desire: when he saith: Oh that thou hadst known at the least in this thy day, those things which belong unto thy peace! etc.  
The future evil pertained unto their bodies, 
Vers. 43. & 44.  which was the destruction of the city.  
This destruction, again he excellently deliniateth by the parts thereof: and afterward declareth by the impulsive cause, what moved the Lord thereunto: namely, their ingratitude toward the gracious visitation of God: 
Vers. 44.  because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.  

Hosanna: save now, a word of joy, acclamation, or triumph, the jews calsed so the willow branches which they bore in their hands, at the feast of tabernacles.  Our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, in the midst of the pomp and joyful acclamations wherewith he was received into jerusalem,( some spreading their garments in the way, others applauding and singing a joyful Hosanna to the son of David) was nothing at all cheered and delighted with this solemnity, neither took he any pleasure in the external glory and beauty of the city, nor in their present peace, but cast the eyes of his mind, into that which inwardly lurked: namely, their sins and abominations, 
Mat. 21.7  and foreseeing the severity of God's imminent vengeance for the same, this loving Saviour in tender compassion, with his holy tears bewailed their security, and desolation at hand.  
1 First for our instruction, let us note here in this first verse. these three things.  
That it is said, he came near to▪ jerusalem.  
2 That, he beheld the City.  
3 That he wept for it.  
For the first, God in his mercy oftentimes cometh near unto sinners obstinate in their vices and wickedness, that he might irradiate and dispierce the darkness of their minds, with the bright beams of his grace and holy inspirations. This is it our loving God saith: Behold I stand at the door and knock, 
Apoc. 3.20.  If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in unto him, and sup with him▪ and he with me. But o wretched men and women which neglect so great a proffered salvation, reject his divine inspirations, stop the door of their hearts against so sweet a guest, and refuse to hear his voice, and give a deaf ear to his wholesome admonitions.  
This obstinacy of the sinners, and injury offered to their Creator, the Prophet bewaileth and denounceth a woe against them: 
Zepha. 3.1. & 2. verse.  Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the robbing city, she heard not the voice, she received not correction, she trusted not in the Lord, she drew not near unto her God. He approached not so much with his bodily feet, as with the feet of love and compassion: whereby we are taught to be tender hearted, towards such as are in misery: yea, the rich may here learn to come near the poor and needy, and in a sympathy and fellow-feeling of their miseries, to relieve their necessities, if they will be true followers of Christ.  
Next it is said, that he beheld the city: O how happy had they been if they had made use of this the Lords beholding them: so he beheld Peter, Zacheus and Matthew, 
Mat. 26. Luc. 19 Mar. 9  had mercy upon them and converted them, for salvation proceedeth from this merciful beholding of the Lord: his eyes did flow with tender love and compassion! as chose by the turning away of his face proceedeth perdition and all wretchedness: But if thou hide thy face they are troubled, saith the Prophet. 
Psal 1●4. 29.  We ought therefore to pray unto the Lord that he would vouchsafe to cast his merciful eyes upon us, and say with the Princely Prophet: 
Psal. 102.  Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble.  
He wept for it: Here are laid open before us these two attributes and perfections of God: Mercy and justice, which always go together conjunction, and hand in hand, in all his works. His justice appeared, in that he took so district a revenge upon that nation for their grievous sins against him. It was his tender mercy in that he wept, and bewailed( a sign of his true humanity) their extreme misery and final desolation at hand for their wickedness, the fire of God's wrath already kindled, and the sword of his heavenly father ready drawn to strike them. His mercy is over all his works. 
Psal. 145.9.  The experience hereof we plainly see in this people: How many blessings, graces and benefits, out of the inexhaust treasury of his love bestowed he on them? he gave them a law, he miraculously protected them, he raised up Prophets, patriarchs, and Apostles among them, the Messias was promised and sent unto them, they were his peculiar and chosen people of all nations in the world. But see now( brethren) the severity of his justice, and with feeling hearts learn thereby the true fear of the Lord: when they became ungrateful, hard-hearted, disobedient, despised his word, persecuted his Prophets, polluted themselves with all wickedness: God utterly rejected them, they find now the heavens inclement towards them, God to neglect them, and whither soever they turn themselves, they are exposed to the hissings, reproaches, and injuries of all Nations. Without faith, without law, without Religion, without Prophet, without Temple, without God, having not so much as a little space of the earth allotted them to inhabit, and fortify themselves, being destitute of all succour. O the severity of God's judgement against sin: and why was all this? Because they knew not the time of their visitation: As I shall( God willing) unfold at large when I come to the handling of these words.  
Whereby it plainly appeareth, that the Lord did not so much bewail the ruin of the strong walls, the stately Towers, the gorgeous buildings, the rich ornaments and beauty of that goodly city,( all which he foresaw should be utterly ruinated for their sins:) their sins( I say) the cause of all misery, which they made light of, and least thought upon, did draw these tears from the sacred eyes of our Saviour. We see sometimes a mad man, the nearer he is to destruction, the more he laugheth and sporteth: but his dear friends, knowing the danger he is in, weep and bewail him the more. This frantic city when it was nearest to spoil & utter destruction, most laughed and rejoiced, but Christ sheddeth compassionate tears for them, which he would not have done, if they had lamented and mourned for their own sins.  
I here observe, 
Obser. & doctrine.  if Christ the true estimator of things did bewail the sins of others, how much more ought every true feeling Christian heart wish with holy jeremy: 
jer. 9.1.  Oh that mine head were full of water, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night, for the maims and wounds that sin hath made in my soul, whereby I have provoked the wrath of my loving God, and stand in danger of eternal damnation. If the Israelites in the captivity of Babel sat and wept by the rivers side, 
Psal. 137.  when they remembered Zion their beloved country, so that neither the pleasant rivers, nor the melodious chirping birds, or any other worldly delight, might cheer up their drooping spirits: How much greater matter of sorrow is ministered unto all impenitent sinners, if they would but call to mind their infinite and grievous sins whereby they have kindled the fire of God's wrath against them, and are holden under the miserable captivity of Satan, Exiles; Not from the Earthly jerusalem, 
The wretched estate or impenitent sinners.  but from the Heavenly: not builded with insensible, but with living stones: by the hand of the omnipotent God. This blessed Country of Gods elect, from which( though all Infidels, Atheists, and wicked livers are banished) yet can it suffer no detriment, nor ever be destroyed: against which, neither Chaldean, Babylonian, 
The happy security in the heavenly Country  nor Persian, nor all the wicked rabble are able to cast a dart, or shoot an Arrow, where is heard no sound of Hostility, no crackling of Armour, but the inhabitants shall rejoice in most secure peace and pleasure for evermore.  
Shall the Son of God himself weep, foreseeing the extreme misery that sin bringeth upon the wicked, and shall the heart of Man( whom this only concerneth) be so hard and insensible, as not to shed one tear of contrition for his sins?  
Oh that we would consider the grievousness of sin, and the plagues which God hath in store for the same, we would then tremble and fear, and seek by repentance to be reconciled unto God; we would then chose rather to be an other Heraclitus in weeping and lamenting for our sins, 
Heraclitus.  than Democritus, 
Democritus.  in vain laughter and rejoicing in our sins.  
Oh that men would remember, and with a feeling heart consider the torments that God hath reserved for the wicked; I then persuade myself that vain delights would have no place in your hearts. Surely( beloved,) when in the secret silence of my soul I meditate hereupon, 
A wonder-how a wicked man can be merry.  I muse with myself, and think it to be a wonder of all wonders, to see an Adulterer, Blasphemer, etc. to laugh, sing, and sport, being in that state wherein nothing but eternal damnation is to be expected, without speedy repentance. If Dionysius the Tyrant of Siracusa, could take no delight in his glory, stately palace, purple Robes, 
Dionysius the Tyrant of Siracusa.  costly fare, &c: because( as he showed Damocles his flatterer) he stood ever in fear of the Sword. How is it possible that a wicked man or woman can carry a serene countenance or a light heart, 
Damocles his flatterer.  having so many sword from Heaven drawn against them?  
This may well be called( according to the Greek Adage) Bardónios' yéloes, the laughter of a mad man: 
Ajax.  or, Aiánteos yélos, Ajax his deadly laughter. But truly it is to be lamented, yea, with a Torrent of tears to be bewailed, that the subject of our sorrow is commonly the loss of temporal things. Many bewail the loss of the Creature, but few of the Creator of all.  
One lamenteth the loss of his transitory goods, 
Gen. 27.  like profane Esau for his birthright: Another sorroweth at the loss of his Honour, Fame, and worldly credit: as Saul, who mourned not so much for his transgression, 
vain tears ( in disobeying the voice of the Lord, the cause of all his miseries) as for the love of his worldly honour and reputation: and therefore said to Samuel, Honour me I pray thee, before the Elders of my people, 
1. Sam. 15 30.  and before Israel. But all this sorrow is vain and unprofitable: For though we power out tears in never so great abundance for the loss of Parents, Children, Friends, or Riches, are they to any purpose at all? 
The true & profitable use of tears  But when( through sin we have lost God) if we seek him by the faithful tears of Repentance, we may find him again. This is the only end to which all our sorrow is to be directed.  
Tell me, if any having sore Eyes, 
Similes to show the vanity of sorrow for worldly accidents.  should have a precious and approved water, that would cure all diseases of the eyes, & should, neglecting his Eyes, wash his Feet with the same: were he not justly to be reputed a madman? So the tears of Repentance, as an wholesome Medicine, serve only for the ruptures of sin: which being bestowed upon any worldly thing, 
Simile. Lactant. d● ira Dei. cap. 13.  are altogether vain, and of no effect. Even as the ashes of a burnt Viper, are a present remedy against the venomous biting of a Viper: So the sorrow that proceedeth of sin, is a remedy against the punishment of sin past, and a cautel against iterating of sin.  
If we highly esteem of the Waters of Herbs and Flowers, which are approved for the curing of divers diseases, & wounds of the body: why do we not more esteem of the Tears of contrition, more precious than any Balsamum, for the curing of the Wounds and Ulcers of the soul?  
Even as when an house is on fire, they that would quench it, have their refuge unto the waters: 
Simile.  So when the flames of wicked desires are kindled in the soul, the tears of Repentance are a sovereign water for the quenching of the same. Even as when a dark Cloud falleth down into Rain, the Sky becometh clear: So a sinful soul, the cloud of sin( through Repentance being dissolved into Tears) becometh the more bright and clear both to know God, and itself.  
This profitable sorrow, upon the considerations of their sins, was well known to the Saints of God, as it appeareth by the frequent use thereof, which in David flowed, with so plentiful a stream, that he said I cause my Bed every night to swim, 
Psal. 6.6.  & water my Couch with my Tears.  
Again, 
Psal. 42.3  My Tears have been my meat Day and Night.  
Oh that God would lighten our minds with the beams of his holy spirit, that we might see the filthiness of sin, & the danger of the sinner: As a wayfaring man, that in a darksome night resteth his weary limbs in a Cave full of Serpents, and sweetly taketh his rest mistrusting no danger: if one should come in with a Torch burning, that he might see the hideous filthy Serpents hissing and crawling about him, he would presently start up, and take small delight to stay in that place: So( if God of his mercy,) would enlighten our hearts with the beams of his Grace, that we might see the filthy and ugly face of sin, we would not endure the filthiness thereof.  
In that our Saviour wept in the midst of the Honours, joy, and applause of the multitude, wherewith they received him into the City: We are taught to contemn the vain joys and pleasures of the world, 
Contempt of vain delights. Pro. 14.13.  which are always mixed with sorrow, and shall( in short time, be turned into mourning) Extrema gaudij Luctus occupat: The end of that mirth is heaviness. Miscentur tristia laetis. For what else are the vain pleasures, honours, and delights of the World? but as one saith, Spuma, Fumus, Somnium: A Froth, 
The pleasures of this life are but a foam, a smoke, a dream.  Smoke, a dream. A froth or fume, Quia inflat, because it puffeth up: a smoke, Quia excaecat, because it maketh blind: a dream, Quia evanescit: because it quickly vanisheth away.  
Here we have in the Son of God himself, 
A medicine against the love of the world.  both an example and an effectual medicine against the love of the world, and the pomp and glory thereof, which our common adversary laboureth by all means to incite and kindle in our hearts: For he knoweth well, that when we are once blinded with this love, there is nothing else to be required; then is there a Door opened for him to do what he will.  
And surely it is wonderful to see the subtlety of this juggling Impostor: for though the glory of the World be most frail, fleeting, and short, deceitful, and momentany: Yet this pernicious Painter so disguiseth it with delightsome and Artificial colours, that men doubt not to undergo all extremities, to leave no sin unpractised, that they may obtain worldly glory.  
Here the Devil seemeth to me, to be like an Excellent Mathematician, which through skill of his Art Perspective, draweth certain lines in a Table, with such proportion and cunning, that it seemeth to be the truth of the thing itself: and if thou ●ooke through his Geometrical Instrument( called Dioptra, 
The devil like a cunning Mathematician. ) thou wilt suppose that there are most beautiful forms & figures of the whole World, when in very deed there ●s nothing else but simple and bare Lines: Such is the craft of this ancient Serpent.  
For when the glory of this World is a ●hing so vain and vanishing, he delinea●eth, and painteth it, with such disguises and shadows unto the Eyes of worldlings, that ●t seemeth most amiable and pleasant unto ●hem, that being carried away with the desires thereof, they should lose their own souls, and vilely esteem of whatsoever GOD hath promised to his faithful Servants.  
We need not search far for examples: behold the great honour the world here gave to Christ, and we shall see the fallacy ●hereof, which S. Bernard well observed, 
S. Bernard  handling this place, Quis sperare debeat in in●erto gloriae temporalis, etc. Who would now ●rust in the uncertainty of worldly glory, when he seeth in him who never did sin, the Creator of Time, the framer of the whole Fabric of this World, so great an Exaltation, and yet to follow such an Humiliation? For in the same City, of the same people, and at the same time; Now to be honoured with such acclamations, and divine praises: And a little while after, to be laden with Reproaches, Torments, and deputed among the wicked: This is the end of transitory glory: So far S. Bernard.  
Oh how soon had they changed their voices? What a difference is there betwixt this, 
Luk. 19.38.  Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord, Hosannah in the highest: And this, a few days after, Away with him, Crucifix him. Now the King of Israel: And a little while after, We have no King but Caesar: What a difference was there between the green branches of the Palm, and Olive Trees, and shortly after, Thorns, Scourges, and the Cross? Whom now they honoured with their Garments spread in the way: A few days after, they despoiled him of his own Garments. To Day the Son of God: To morrow, A wicked man, less worthy of life than Barabas, a Thief, a Murderer? who would now trust this deceitful world?  
This is the love and friendship of the world( as one wisely meditateth: 
The love of this world. ) The rich man hath many friends, although in truth, riches have them and not the man: As the ass that carried the Egyptian Goddess, had many bowed knees, yet not to the beast, but to the burden: for separate the riches from the person, and thou shalt see friendship leave the man, and follow that which was ever her object: while he may command, and can either give or control, he hath attendance and proffer of love at all hands: but which of these dare acknowledge him when he is going into prison for debt? Then these wasps which make such music about this gallipot, show plainly that they came for the honey that was in it. This is the misery of the wealthy, that they cannot know their friends; whereas those that love the poor man, loveth him for himself. He that would choose a true friend, must search out one that is neither covetous nor ambitious: for such a one loves but himself in thee. And if it be very rare to find any not infected with these qualities, the best way is, to entertain all, and to trust few.  
May we not justly reprove the folly of greedy worldlings, with these words of the Prophet, 
Esa. 55.  Wherefore do ye lay out silver, and not for bread? and your labour without being satisfied? What would you say of that man, who in the time of famine, when for want of food he is even hunger-starved, 
The folly of worldlings.  and having a little money left, should bestow the same upon a plume of feathers to wear in his hat? And is not this the foolishness of the lovers of the world, which when their souls are even starved, destitute of all virtues and spiritual sustenance, spendeth their wits, time, and labour, in plotting and plodding, lying and cogging, shifting and shuffeling, catching and hunting by all ungodly means, after the glory, riches and dignities of this world, and when all is done, what is it but as it were the pursuing of a feather yea, 
Pro. 23.5.  a thing of nothing as wise Solomon saith Wilt thou cast thine eyes, upon it which is nothing? for riches taketh her to her wings, as an Eagle, & flieth into the heaven. What is this else but to weave the Spider's web, as the Prophet truly termeth it? 
Isai. 59 ve. 4. & 5.  they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. They hatch Cockatrice eggs, and weave the Spider web: Such as is the conception, such must needs be the birth.  
The conception of sin, 
The conception and birth of sin.  is here called mischief: or as some translations have sorrow. For sin indeed when it is conceived in the soul, is but mischief and sorrow. Pleasures seem pleasant unto the sinner whiles he conceiveth them, and how much the more bitter they are indeed, so much the more pleasant they appear at the first: but when the end cometh which in short time finisheth all these pleasures, than there is found nothing else but sorrows, gall, bitterness and miseries: They hatch the Cockatrice eggs: from whence cometh forth the Regulus or Cockatrice, 
The nature of the Cockatrice.  the most venomous Serpent of all the rest: for whomsoever he stingeth, he falleth into a sweet sleep, and seemeth for a while to feel no pain, but rather a pleasure: in the mean time the poison diffusing itself into all the body, with horrible torment he endeth his life. So the delights and pleasures of the world do at once inficere, & interficere, infect, and destroy: the poison is pleasant, but the end is death. Next he saith, They weave the Spider's web.  
Which serveth to no purpose, there can no garment be made thereof, with what labour and diligence doth the spider even eviserate herself to finish her work, and to what purpose is all this? to catch a fly: but before she hath had any fruit of her labour, cometh a maid with her broom, sweepeth down the web, and killeth the Spider. Here ye see elegantly expressed, the labour, exercises, and desires of the sinner, in which he spendeth himself, and consumeth his life, and all is but a Spider's web. What cogitations doth the worldling revolve in his mind, what means doth he devise that he may enjoy his pleasures and delights? How many labours and sweats do his riches? How many anxieties and cares do his delights? How many troubles and vexations do his pleasures bring with them? But to what end do they weave these perplexed webs▪ but to catch flies? 
Covetous men hunt after flies.  Nay oftentimes the reward of their labours when their web is finished, is less than a fly: for death is at hand, that diligent scopatrix God's handmaid, which sweepeth them and their webs away, before they have reaped any fruit of their labour and toil, and so they pass to judgement, to render an account before the just judge, for their wicked lives and unjust dealing.  
But suppose the things of this world were solid, certain and constant, yet what can the goods thereof profit us in the time of our greatest necessity, at the hour of death, and time of giving account? What profit, I say, then will those Idols bring us, which all our life long we have worshipped? as are all these things, in which we repose and place our hope and felicity. Then but too late the vanity and deceit of all those things which we so much esteem will appear.  
The covetous man( as one pithily writeth) is like a Spider, as in this, 
The covetous man like a Spider.  that he doth nothing else but lay his nets to catch every fly, gaping only for a booty of gain; So yet more, in that whiles he makes nets for these flies, he consumeth his own bowels: So that which is his life, is his death. If there be any Creature miserable it is he; and yet he is least to be pitied, because he makes himself miserable. Such as he is I will account him: and will therefore sweep down his webs, and hate his poison.  
Thirdly, by this example of Christ, we are taught to bewail the sins of others, and to have a feeling of their miseries. The offences then of our brethren are not to be jested at, but to be lamented, if we be Christians indeed: which not only the example of our Saviour in this place, but also of all holy men and Saints of God may teach us. We read that Moses and the people, 
Numb. 25.6.  wept before the door of the tabernacle for the sins of their brethren and children, wherewith they had offended the Lord: So the Apostle, bewailed many that had sinned, 
2. Cor. 12. vers. ult. Phil. 3 18. & 19  and had not repent of the uncleanness, and fornication, and wantonness, which they had committed. And again: He wept for them that were enemies of the Cross of Christ, whose end is damnation, whose God is their belly, etc. And again, he saith: 
Act. 20.31. jeremy. 9 job. 29.  That he ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.  
The like we read of jeremy, job, and the rest of God's children of David, Mine eyes gush out with rivers of waters, because they keep not thy law. But o good God,( I speak it with compunction of heart) how many are there now found, which take no greater delight then to cause others to sin, and to hear of the infirmities of their neighbours. Of this sort are they which( as the very agents for the devil) take pleasure to make their brother sin in drunkenness, and make themselves merry therewith: but let such know, 
Heb. 2.15.  that this woe denounced by the Prophet pertaineth to them: Woe be unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, and maketh him drunken, etc.  
Fourthly, here we have a notable testimony of these two attributes in God, Mercy, and justice: an excellent mirror for Magistrates, that if in justice they be compelled to punish a malefactor, yet in the midst of justice, mercy and clemency should shine forth: which here appeareth in this sweet Saviour, who though in short time after he was to inflict, most horrible plagues, and final destruction upon this incorrigible and sinful nation, yet he shed most merciful and compassionate tears for their transgressions: for otherwise justice looseth suumesse, the property of justice, and is converted into tyranny, if it be done with delight, & be not tempered with mercy. 
Marcus Marcellus.  Memorable was the fact of Marcus Marcellus, who being now ready to invade and repunge the gallant city of Siracusa, gate him up into a high Tower to behold the event of the battle, 
Aug. lib. 1. de civi dei.  and when he beheld the Soldiers valiantly encountering on both sides, the crackling of the glittering armour besprinkled with blood, the horrible clamour of those which were slain, the fire flaming up into the skies, the terrible noise of the falling of the stately buildings of that glorious city; he burst forth into tears, though the victory went on his side, considering the misery they were in, and that he was enforced to sack so ancient a city.  
The ancient Romans( for in later time they were more corrupt) shall rise in judgement against all cruel and merciless Magistrates, which are touched with no Christian commiseration: 
Tit. Flam.  Titus Flame: amongst them, was put out of his office and disgraded, for that he caused a man which was before condemned to be hanged in his Parlour▪ a man's life is not a matter to be played with, or jested at.  

Sulpitius.  chose, Sulpitius was greatly praised among them, who never judged any unadvisedly, nor took pleasure in the just execution of judgement, but his tears were often seen to trickle from his eyes, when he pronounced sentence of death upon any.   

Pars Secunda.  O that thou hadst even known at the least in this thy day, those things which belong unto thy peace! etc. 
HEre our Saviour amplifieth the affirmation 
The Analisis.  of this blindness of the people( which drew) these tears from the compassionate Saviour of the world) by an elegant antithesis of the contrary wish or desire: O if thou hadst even known, etc. These words express a passion proceeding of sorrow, which if it be vehement, is wont to interrupt and cut off some words which should make up and finish the speech: This figure is usual among the rhetoricians, and is called in Greek Aposiopesis, 
Aposiopesis.  where something is left out, which must be understood for the perfecting of the speech. As Quos ego, 
Aeneid. 1.  sed mot os praestat componere fluctus, again: quanquam ôsi solitae quicquam virtutis adesset. And: 
Aeneid. 11.  O mihi praetentos referat si jupiter annos. So here: O if thou hadst even known etc. is to be understood, how happy & blessed hadst thou been? O jerusalem, if thou hadst known the things that belong unto thy true peace, as thou art wholly intent, to this supposed, false and transitory peace, which now maketh thee secure, o then how happy hadst thou been, thou wouldst then foresee thy imminent destruction for thy sins, and betake thee to repentance and tears, whereas now thou rejoicest; that thou mightest indeed procure thy true peace and safety. O if thou hadst known: to wit, the ruin which hangeth over thy head, or me thy Redeemer, who am come so graciously to visit thee, thou wouldst then weep & bewail thy grievous sins wherewith thou hast incensed the wrath of God against thee, whereas now thou flatterest thyself with vain joy, as if all things went well with thee.  
By the word[ peace] among the Hebrews is signified, not one singular good, but all good things which the Son of God brought with him into the world: for at his coming, the cateracts of heaven were opened, and a plentiful shower of all graces powered down on the earth, the first fruits thereof the Lord first offered most graciously unto ●he people of the jews, to whom he was promised, whom he sought to illuminate ●ith his doctrine, to confirm in the faith ●ith his miracles, to kindle their love with ●is benefits, to erect them in the hope of immortality with his merits, with the ex●mples of his virtues to allure them to ●ollow him, with the majesty of his pre●ence to grace them, and lastly to advance ●hem into his heavenly kingdom. These ●re the things which they ought to have acknowledged, the want whereof the Lord ●ere bewaileth.  
First, in that above all things the Lord wisheth unto them the knowledge of the present good, and future evil, we are to observe, how great and fearful is the careless ignorance of men, 
Obser.  and their supine oblivion of the time to come, by reason of their present peace and prosperity, which Christ here deploreth in the jews, which being blinded with the peace, glory and abundance of their temporal and present prosperity, never thought upon the future evils, and miseries, which for their sins were shortly to be inflicted upon them. For when the secure sinner shall say, peace and safety: then shall sudden destruction come upon him, 
1. Thes. 5.  as travail upon a woman with child, and he shall not escape. For as oftentimes sudden travail cometh upon a woman with child: 
Simile.  So God's vengeance falleth suddenly upon the sinner in his deep oblivion of the time to come, when they will not know the things that pertain to their true peace. And so God is wont tarditatem, vindictae gravitate compensare, 
Valer.  to recompense his slowness, with the grievousness of his vengeance.  

Grego.  Well saith S. Gregory upon this place, the perverse soul being wholly intent to things present, and resolved in earthly pleasures, abscondit sibi mala sequentia, hideth from himself the dangers following, and refuseth to foresee the evils to come, lest they should disturb his present mirth: but whiles he walloweth in worldly delights, what doth he else but, clausis oculis ad ignem vadere? go blindfold to hell fire? saith he. Lest this forgetfulness should possess our minds, the Apostle counseleth, 
1. Cor. 7.30.  that they that rejoice, should be as if they rejoiced not: that is, as Gregory expoundeth it, praesentis temporis it a agenda laetitia, ut amaritudo sequent is judicij nunquam recedat a memoria. The mirth and pleasure of this present time are so to be passed, that the bitterness of the future judgement, never depart from our minds.  
In thy good estate remember adversity, 
Eccle. 11. A Simile, showing the vanity of worldly delights.  saith the wise man. But it happeneth to the sinner concerning his worldly delights, as it doth unto a traveler, who to find some shelter from the heat of the sun resteth himself under the shadow of a tree, and by reason of weariness, falleth into a sound sleep, until the sun in his course, going about the shadow departeth, and when he awaketh, he findeth himself parched with the Sun rays, his body sweeting and inflamed, his head a king, and perhaps his body arrested with a continual fever. So the lovers of the world, while they catch at the vanishing shadows thereof, as honours, riches, pleasures, and think to repose their rest in them, in the mean time the course of their life being suddenly run out, 
Psal. 76.5.  when these viri divitiarum dormierunt somnum suum, rich men have slept their sleep, even in death they find they were deluded with mere shows, and shadows without substance, and for these momentaine pleasures to be plunged in the infernal flames, for ever to be tormented. 
Note.  Man being in honour hath no understanding, he will not know the things which belong unto his true peace, even like the fagivated beasts, which are to day in the pasture, to morrow in the shambles. O that we would learn to know the things that pertain to our true peace. Christ leaves God his Father, heaven his country, the Angels his people, to dwell with us, but we scarce allow him the stable, there is no room for him in the Inn. Pride hath taken the chiefest place in the heart: malice and envy the next in the mind: lust hath possession of the eyes, lying and swearing of the tongue, gluttony of the taste, theft and murder of the hands, and covetousness of our thoughts.  
When the Assizes are at hand, and the judge coming, how circumspect are we that our trials may pass on our side? What instructing of our counsel? seeing of our Lawyers? informing of the quest? but Christ is at hand, his day is nigh, his seat prepared. O then that we did know the things that pertain unto our peace at that day, o that we would see and prevent the future danger. Man's corrupt nature is commonly most careless, when he should be most careful: and the wicked most secure, when they are most in danger: most negligent, when they should be most provident.  
The day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night: 
1. Thes. 5.3. 2. Pet. 3.10.  therefore the Greek word Cleptesfur, is derived Apó tou caloptein, of hiding or covering, or Cléptein, to take away by stealth, he cometh in the dark where no body sees, he treadeth upon wool, when no body hears, he watcheth an hour which no body knows. If the good man of the house had known at what hour, the thief would come, 
Luc. 12.  he would surely watch, saith our Saviour; but we know that Christ's day will come, and yet keep no ward: careful of our goods, careless of our souls. Our bodies are houses, our souls our true goods, our senses the doors and windows, the locks, the word and prayer, the devil is a thief, man is the Householder: death is a thief, his coming is uncertain, be watchful and wise, be always prepared, after death cometh the judgement. O beloved, 
Hebr. 9  let us foresee this danger, take heed of the fools Motto, had I wist, lest we say too late, O that we had known the things which belonged unto our peace.  

jeri. Thren▪ 1.9.  Holy jeremy bewailing the calamity of his people saith, Her filthiness is in her skirts, she remembered not her last end, and therefore she came down wonderfully.  
This[ beloved] is the fatal disease of all sinners, and their wretched illusion, they forget their end, they take sin by the head, and not by the tail, they consider the beginning of their pleasure, which showeth them a fair face; but they think not of the end which concludeth the Catastrophe in extreme misery. And what( I pray you) is this world, which so blindeth us that we never think on the future time, and refuse to know the things that pertain in this our day, unto our peace? surely it may be compared unto an hollow nut, 
Poma virent Sodomis cinerem dant carptaque fumum.  or the Apples of Sodom, which have nothing within but a filthy worm and rottenness: look into the world, and you shall find nothing but vanities; pleasures are but forerunners of destruction; this life is a channel, the sweet Rivers do always run and end in the salt sea and bitter waters: breve est quod delectat, aeternum quod excruciate, short pleasures, long pain: this is the end of the world and worldlings: a golden head, 
Dan. 2.  but earthen feet, like Nabuchadonezers Image, vain joys end with mourning, as Herod's joy was consumed of worms; 
Act. 12.  Princes Palaces are but earth, their gold but the filth of the earth, their silks but the dung of worms, riches are runaways, favour deceitful, beauty vanity, 
Pro. 31. job. 7.  and corruption our mother: And shall this deceitful world make us forget the things which belong unto our true peace? O that we did know at the least in this our day, the things that belong unto our peace!  
As jacob when he was borne, 
Gen. 25.  held Esau by the heel: So the godly considereth sin by the end thereof. O that they were wise, then would they understand this, they would consider their latter end, saith holy Moses. 
Deut. 32.  But the present plenty of all things, and the flattering face of the world, hideth God's judgement from men's eyes. Even as certain rich young men, but unexpert in worldly things, 
Simile.  in their travel taketh up their Inn, and seeing themselves cheerfully received and entertained of their Host, prodigally waste and consume all their money, until their purses being peniles, and exhasted of all, they perceive the countenance of their Host to be changed, their entertainment grudged, attendance denied, and themselves enforced to depart, carrying nothing with them, but shame, reproach and poverty: So the lovers of this world, being lulled a sleep with pleasures and worldly prosperity, and being ignorant of the solid & heavenly good things, spend all the vigour of their minds, and cogitations, their spiritual substance, in these vanities, and when all is spent, they are sent out of the world, sorrowful, naked, laden with sin, having nothing left but hell and judgement. O than that men were so wise to know, in this their day, the things that belong unto their peace.  
It is worthy the noting, that Christ calleth all the pleasures of this life but one day: Even in this thy day. For the wicked have but their day, but God's justice hath many days: and therefore he saith afterward, For the days will come upon thee: that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and therefore he said unto the jews, 
Vers. 43. Luc. 22.53. Simile.  this is your very hour: Even as the fire according unto the nature of the subject on which it worketh, endureth either a short or a longer time, as that which is made with firm O●e continueth long, and that which feedeth upon straw quickly goeth out: so the joys, pleasures and honours of this life, because the matter thereof, is fluid, caduce, and frail, soon vanisheth away, but that which is fixed on the solidity of virtue and godliness, endureth for ever.  
Pliny reporteth, 
Plini. lib. 8 cap. 22. nat. hist.  that there is a kind of wolf called Lupus ceruarius, which is of this nature, that being never so hungry, and having hardly found his prey, if he looketh back and espieth some other prey, he forgetteh his hunger, and the meat he hath present before him, and followeth after that which is uncertain.  Quaeritat incertam( tanta est oblivio) praedom. 
Forgetting still his present prey.  
Uncertain hopes he seeks always.  
So obtuse and dull is his memory. Like unto him are they, which being delighted with the present pleasures of this life, they altogether forget their first love, and the doctrine of heavenly things which they had learned, and pursue vain and uncertain pleasures.  
We have here a most sweet and comfortable testimony of the inspeakable love 
Ezek. 18.  and mercy of God, who is so far off from willing the death of a sinner, but rather that he convert and line: that he doth not only lament their imminent destruction, and wish the conversion of the wicked, but patiently expecteth their amendment. 
2. Pet. 3.  He is patient towards us, and would have no man to perish, but would have all men to come to repentance: for the Lord is patient, 
Exod. 34.6. &. 7.  slow to anger, and abundant in goodness and truth, Reserving mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin: not that he hates not iniquity, but that he awaits our amendment. Forty days he gave space to Niniveh, to Nabuch●donezer twelve months, three years to the barren figtree, 
Dan. 4. Luc. 13. Gen. 6.  an hundred years to the old world, and forty years to jerusalem, before this destruction fell upon them; but how long hath he expected us? 
Rom. 2.4.  and shall we still despise his long sufferance which leadeth us to repentance? We are long in building an house, but quick in pulling it down; deus cum struit, velociter struit.  
But God is quick in building up, and slow in pulling down: he sets up in power, 
Chriso. ser. 50. de paen.  but destroys in mercy. He would not drown the world before Noah preached, nor burn Sodom, before Lot exhorted: he will warn Egypt by Moses, the jews by jeremy, and jerusalem by CHRIST and his Apostles, and that with weeping before he punisheth. O love! to send us his son: O mercy! to stay us falling: O patience! to attend our returning, desiring our repentance.  
The use of all this is: 
The use.  that seeing the bountifulness, and long sufferance of God leadeth us to repentance, 
Rom. 2.  that we abuse not this goodness of the Lorld, but betime provide for our peace, by taking hold of repentance. O let us not be slack herein. In futurum enim nostra distulimus, saith Senica, we leave all for hereafter. It is to be feared the devil will plead prescription, we are so slack in challenging our inheritance. Cadit asinus & est qui sublevat, perit anima & non est qui recogitat. The ass falleth into the ditch, 
Ber.  and we carefully pull him out, but the soul perisheth and we never regard it. Teshuba the Hebrew, Metànoia, the Greek, resipiscentia the latin: conversion, the English, are Synonimies: All teach us, that repentance is a turning from sin. Metanôen converti, 
Ferus.  to be turned. The Metaphor is borrowed from a traveler, who wandering out of his way, and being admonished, turns again into his right way. Aversion, a turning out of the way, is, when one forsaketh God and serveth Satan; Reversion, is, when a man leaves sin, and returns to God by repentance. Sin then, is, per avia errare, to wander through by ways: repentance is, Adviam regiam redire; To return into the right way again. The prodigal son, went out of the way, when he wandered from his father, but found again the right way, when he returned to his father. Sin, is Anoia, folly and madness. Metànoia repentance, is a change unto wisdom. The sinner whiles he continues in his wickedness, doth as it were, look without eyes, hears without ears, and understands without his heart; but the penitent doth Meta, put them on again, and doth nothing without them. The word recipiscentia, as it were resapere, or post factum sapere, teacheth us, that sin is a madness, and to repent, is to wax wise after folly, to come to his right wits again.  
The true repentant, taketh hold of God's promise, and doubteth not of forgiveness: fides ambiguum non habet▪ Faith admits no doubt. 
Ber.  Faith cannot be doubtful: the faithful, defers not repentance, nor returns as a dog to his vomit. The Serpent that hath cast off her skin, leaves it behind her, and resumes the same no more. The bird that hath escaped from the snare of the fowler, will afterwards be the more wary of the net. 
Cant. 5.3.  And the spouse of Christ maketh this resolution, That she hath put off her coat: how then should she put it on? she hath washed her feet, how should she defile them?  
It is as impossible for fire to burn in the water, as the truly penitent to wallow in wickedness Our sins( brethren) do daily recrucify Christ, & are no better than treasons. Impenitent Satan cannot be saved, & they that seek not pardon shall not find it: no repentance, no confession; No confession, no sorrow; No sorrow, no turning; no turning, no salvation. Christ is the door of heaven, he opens, if we believe: and we shall enter, if we repent. Faith and repentance go coniunctim, and hand in hand: Faith reconciles, repentance reforms: Faith receives the promises, repentance renews the man: the penitent only are partakers of the blessings. All the vials of God's wrath shall be powered down, all his plagues shall light on the impenitent, to the utter perdition of body and soul, began here in the person attained, proceeding on the conscience convicted, and consumnate on the party condemned for ever to endure. Here are Alastores of Alastêin tormentors for Nero: 
I. H.  Pluto's horses for Oedipus, an evil spirit for Saul, and a gnawing conscience for Achitophel. Heu quantum misero poenae mens conscia donat.  

Lucan.  O with what pain and griping smart,  
A guilty conscience wounds the heart.  
O beloved, if jerusalem had repent in that her day, she had then known the things that pertained to her peace, then would the Saviour have rejoiced, and not have uttered this sorrowful Threnodiam, whiles they sang Hosanna: O if thou hadst known the things that pertain unto thy peace.  

Repentance the sanctuary of the soul.  Let us therefore( good brethren) linger no delays, but betime fly to repentance, the sanctuary of the soul: take heed least sin pass through his gradation, and so get an habit. Lest while custom groweth, man fadeth, grace absenteth, sin presenteth, the heart is hardened, and man obdurate: so that now God is contemned, his threatening rejected: heaven cannot win him, nor hell scar him: joys cannot allure him, nor torments affright him. This is Satan's ladder of perdition: sin steppeth from temptation, to thinking: from thinking, to liking: from liking, to yielding: from yielding, to acting: from acting to custom: from custom, to hardness of heart: from hardness of heart, to a reprobate mind, full of unrighteousness, fornication, covetousness, envy, murder, backbiting etc. As a learned Divine excellently observeth.  
I would here have ended, 
jacobus Ian●ensit.  but I cannot forget an observation of an ancient schoolman , upon these words, in this thy day. He calls this their day, wherein the Saviour of the world, offered them so lovingly his grace, and salvation, their true, and eternal peace: which if they had embraced, then had not the Romans sacked their city.  
Here observe, 
Obs.  that the day of this life is given us, to make provision for our true and eternal peace: but there is an other day, wherein Christ will come in judgement, severely to punish the contempt and abuse of his proffered grace and salvation: in this our day, which we have so unkindly rejected. These two days are diligently to be pondered and thought upon in our minds, the one of these days is God's day, the other( if so I may term it) is man's day, because he abuseth the benefit of this time of grace, not to the will of God, but to serve his own pleasures and vanities. In this day, the wicked will serve their own lusts, and do as they please: now may Zedekiah persecute the Lord's Prophet, 
jer. 3.7.  and cast him into a Dungeon. But in the day of God's justice, Zedekiah shall be taken, 
jer. 39.7. Note.  deprived of his kingdom, and his eyes thrust out. Betwixt the godly and the wicked this is the difference; all the days of a godly man's life, is the day of God, for he useth it to God's glory, and worketh the work of the Lord.  
But the wicked maketh it his own day, for he abuseth the whole time of his life, to pleasure lust, gluttony, etc. and why? Because these things are hidden from thine eyes. 
The cause of all evil.  Here is now the cause of all evil, the wicked securely wallow in their sins, abuse God's patience, grow daily worse and worse, and become more obdurate in their sins, because, God's judgements for sin, and his imminent vengeance is hidden from their eyes, 
Amos 6.3.  as the Prophet saith: They put far from them the evil day, and approach to the seat of iniquity. 
Eccle. 8.  This reason also Solomon giveth: Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set to do evil. But let us( my dear brethren) betime remember the evil day, and know the things that pertain unto our peace; Seek the Lord while he may be found, 
Esa. 55.  call upon him while he is nigh.  
The time was when Esau had a birthright, Dives pleasure, jerusalem peace, 
Mat. 25.  and the foolish Virgins might have entered. Now is the time that peace is offered, repentance preached, & heaven gates are opened, The time will come,( if we despise the patience of the Lord) that we shall pray with Dives and not be heard: weep with Esau, & not be pitied: knock with the five Virgins, & the door not opened. The Stork, the Crane, the Turtle, the Swallow, know their appointed time. And shall we be more ignorant in the things, 
jer. 8.  that pertain to our peace, than the very fowls? A traveler being being told of a Lion in the way, will stay his journey: a blind man having notice of a Serpent in the path, will refrain his walking. Satan is a roaring Lion, and shall we go forward in ungodliness? sin is a stinging Serpent, and shall we go on still in wickedness?  
O then, while this our day lasteth, while Christ's hands are opened, and the door of mercy not shut, let us ask, and he will give us: let us go to him, and he will save us: in futuro salum remuneratio, 
Aug.  & condemnatio, after this life there is either reward or punishment: salvation to the godly, destruction to the wicked.  
Thus much for the first impulsive cause of Christ's weeping over jerusalem, Namely, the present evil which he saw among them, which concerned their minds, and was the cause of all their misery: the blindness of their minds, because they would not know, 
Vers. 42.  in this their day, those things which belonged unto their peace. The other( as I said before) was the future evil which pertained unto their bodies; 
The second impulsive cause of Christ's weeping.  Namely, their final destruction, by famine, fire, and sword, which our Saviour foresaw to be at hand, for their grievous sins committed against God and his ministers. And lastly, against the son of God himself.  

The Analysis.  Which destruction he excellently delineateth by the parts thereof. For the days shall come upon thee, 
Vers. 43. & 44.  that thine enemies shall cast 〈◊〉 trench about thee, and compass thee round, ●nd keep thee in on every side. Lastly, he declareth the same by the impulsive cause which moved the Lord thereunto, namely their ingratitude towards the gracious visitation of God, because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation.  
There was never any Nation under the sun, whose misery, calamity, & destruction was so great and horrible, 
josephus lib. 6. & 7. de bello judeorum. Egesippus lib. 5. cap. 10.  as this of the jewish Nation, as josephus himself being a jew and in the city at that very time, and therefore testis oculatus, an eye witness of all their miseries, doth affirm.  
And also Egesippus, who lived in the Apostles time, hath committed to writing, and to this very day the wrath of God pursueth them, as their miserable dispertion and persecution through the whole world doth manifest, in the time of the siege the famine was so great, that dogs, cats, and mice, were eaten, yea one devoured an others vomit, and( which I tremble to speak) women did kill, dress, and greedily devour, their own children, the extremity of famine utterly abolishing all motherly compassion and nature: eleven hundred thousand perished by famine, sword, and pestilence, and ninety seven thousand, after the destruction of the city, were carried away into miserable captivity. Was ever the like masacrie heard of since the universal flood wherein the whole world,( Noah and his company only excepted) perished by water? What a fearful example of his justice, hatred, and severity against sin, did God show in this horrible vastation of that city? But how great also was his piety and mercy, in that so long before he foretold and bewailed, with bitter tears, this memorable desolation? We read that Christ wept for three causes, and at three several times.  
First, he wept for to confirm our hope and confidence in his mercy, when we consider that these compassionate tears of our Saviour, flowed from his entire mercy and love.  
Secondly, he wept, that he might mollify our stony hearts, to relent for our sins, and to teach us to bewail our own miseries.  
Thirdly, he wept, to instruct us, when is the due time of weeping: which is, when we feel our conscience most secure in our sins, 
When we are most secure in our sins, then have we greatest cause to weep. joh. 11.  little thinking upon God's vengeance, as did the jews at this time.  
At three sundry times also we read that he wept.  
1 First at the raising up of Lazarus, where he bewailed man's incredulity, and conscience dead in sin, which custom hath brought to such an obstinate habit, that neither his threatenings may awake, nor his sweet promises rouse them up out of this deadly lethargy.  
2 Secondly, upon the Cross, where with strong crying and tears, 
Heb. 5.7.  he bewailed the diseases of man's soul, which needed so great a cure.  
3 And thirdly, here over jerusalem, a little before his passion, where he bewailed not so much his imminent death, as the future desolation of that Nation. Which he plainly signified unto the woman that bewailed and lamented him, when he said: 
Luc. 23.  Ye daughters of jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold the days will come, when men shall say, blessed are the barren & the wombs that never bore, & the paps that never gave suck. Which words no doubt the woman uttered at the siege of the city, when the famine was so great, that casting off the sense of nature, they killed and devoured their own children.  
But as here we may behold the severity of God's justice, and the poisoned nature of sin; So in this his vengeance we may see the sparkles of his mercy to shine forth: for he gave to this sinful city, forty years space of repentance, that they might bewail their sins which had so kindled the wrath of God against them, in which space also he showed many strange signs and wonders among them,( as josephus reporteth who lived in those days,) that by putting them in mind that the fire of his wrath was kindled, and his sword ready drawn, to strike them, he might call them to repentance: for it was full forty years, or as some say, forty two after his ascension, before Vespasian's the Emperor of Rome, 
Vespatianus. Titus his son.  and his son Titus, the executioners of God's judgement for their sins, utterly ruinated the walls, sacked the city, and brought that Nation to final desolation. And so this merciful Lord did temper the rigour of his justice, with the sweetness of his mercy, that to such as would return from their wickedness, he gave space of repentance. So before he sent the flood, this loving God, for the space of one hundred years patiently expected their amendment So before he gave jerusalem and the Temple into the hands of the Chaldaeans to be spoiled, he sent his Prophet jeremy, a man sanctified from his mother's womb, by whom he offered them peace, and excited them to repentance for the space of many years, unless they would run in their sins to their utter ruin and destruction. But they were so far off from being reclaimed by so many admonitions, that they cast the Prophet into prison, persisted in their wickedness, until they brought the heavy wrath of God upon their heads. For so it is recorded in the sacred history: 
2. Chron. 36.15.16 and 17.  Therefore the Lord God of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers rising early and sending: For he had compassion on his people, and on his habitation. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and misused his Prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and till there was no remedy. For he brought upon them the King of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and spared neither young man, nor Virgin, ancient, nor aged?  
O that we would ever have before our eyes these examples of God's hatred of sin, and the severity of his judgement against wicked men: Surely it would much profit us to the planting of that true fear of God in our hearts, and be an effectual medicine against the dangerous security, and vain presumption of this loose and corrupt age, especially to repress the false and deceitful hope of many wicked men, which running out the whole race of their life, in all kind of lewd and licentious living, obstinately contemning God's word, and despising his Messengers, and yet they presume on God's mercy and favour, and suppose that all things shall succeed well with them; not considering, that in God there is not only mercy in store for the penitent sinner, but also justice to restrain the insolency of wicked men. Was the Lord then a severe revenger of all impiety, and is he now changed? doth he now wink at our wickedness? No, no, he is still the same, and in him is no change, as he saith by his Prophet. 
Mal. 3.6.  I am the Lord, I change not. How much better were it for such to hearken to the wholesome counsel of the wise man: Say not thou the mercy of God is great, 
Eccle. 5.6  he will forgive my manifold sins: for mercy and wrath come from him, and his indignation cometh down upon sinners. This dangerous sickness, I will labour( God willing) in what I purpose to speak more upon this text, to cure: for I am verily persuaded, that the number is almost infinite, of them that being deluded with this deceitful hope, do rush headlong into eternal torments; Neither is there any Inginne of that old cankered Serpent more frequent, or more to be feared.  
And for the performance hereof, I think no way more effectual, then by setting down some examples of Gods horrible judgements inflicted upon wicked men, which being attentively considered, we may understand, God's hatred of sin, that thereby the fear of God being entertained in our hearts, we may grow into a serious detestation of sin, the cause of all misery in this life, and rewarded with eternal torments in the life to come. And to pass over the three fearful torments, mentioned by S. Peter, of the Angels that had sinned, 
2. Pet. 2.2.4.5.6.  and were cast down into hell, and delivered into chains of darkness, 
job. 4.18. Jude 6. Gen. 7. Gen. 19.24.25.  to be kept unto condemnation. Of the old world, of the ungodly which perished in the flood: Of Sodom and Gomorah, which were turned into ashes, and made an example, unto them which should after live ungodly.  
What a judgement I pray you, was that wherewith God, after he had wasted all Egypt with so many plagues? Lastly, drowned Pharaoh with his great host in the red Sea, 
Exod. 14.27.28.  so that there was not one left alive to carry news what was become of the rest?  
What a judgement was that which a little while after God inflicted upon his own people, 
Exod. 32.28.  when they worshipped the golden Calf, for which sin there perished at one instant three thousand men?  
What a judgement was that, which the Lord laid upon the Israelites, for committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab, For which there died twenty and four thousand of the plague? 
Num. 25.9.   
But leaving now, for brevity sake, these punishments common to many, let us consider how severely God punished King David for committing adultery with the wife of Vri●●▪ though he were a man entirely beloved of God, yet he winked not at his wickedness, but sent the Prophet Nathan unto him with this message; 
2. Sam 12. vers. 9.10.11. & 12.  Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Vriah the Hittitie with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the Children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house, because thou hast despised me, and taken the wife of Vriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thine neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun: For thou didst it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun: and though the Lord upon his peccavi and unfeigned repentance, did put away his sin; So that he did not die, 
2 Sam. 12.13.  yet to show his hatred of sin to all posterities, what severe chastisements and tragical crosses all his life long did God inflict? but how great and extraordinary was his repentance that followed this sinful fact, 
Psal. 51.  he himself witnesseth: So that his whole life afterwards seemed too little for repentance, that he might be reconciled unto God, and restored into his favour. How did he bewail his great offences, desiring God that he would forgive his sins, and renew in him his holy spirit, promising that he would not be unmindful of so great a grace showed upon him? And how vehement was his sorrow, he expresseth: I am bowed and crooked very sore, 
Psal. 38.6.8.9.  I go mourning all the day. I am weakened and sore broken. I roar for very grief of my heart. Lord I power my whole desire before thee, and my sighing is not hid from thee. Again, how great was that sorrow, 
Psal. 6▪ 6.  when he saith: I fainted in my mourning. I cause my bed every night to swim, and water my couch with my tears.  
Therefore for the few nights which he spent in filthy and sinful pleasure; he passed the rest of his time in bitter weeping, sighing and mourning. And his bed which he had polluted with unlawful lust, he afterwards washed with a large and plentiful flood of tears. And what could be more to express his serious and earnest repentance? Notwithstanding this repentance, let them with a feeling heart consider what followed, which sport and ●est at this sin, and term it but a trick of youth, a natural inclination, etc.  
Though King David were highly beloved of God, as a man after his own heart, yet the Lord would not so lightly pass over his sins, but by his chastisements and afflictions, would make him a memorable example to all licentious livers to the world's end.  
For first the children( the fruit of his adultery) was stricken with sickness and died.  
2. 
2. Sam. 12.  His daughter Thamar was incestuously defiled by her own brother Ammon.  
3. Ammon for his incest, 
2. Sam. 13.  was slain by Absalon.  
4. Absalon raised war upon him,( ambitiously aspiring after his father's kingdom, and conspiring against him) defiled his concubines, and came to a woeful destruction. 
2, Sam. 15.  And therefore for defiling the one wife of Vriah, his ten concubines were polluted, and defiled, not by a stranger, but by his own son: not in secret, but in the open view of all Israel; according as the Prophet Nathan foretold: For thou didst it secretly, 
2. Sam. 16.  but I will do this thing before all Israel.  
If God so grievously afflicted King David, a man after his own heart, for the sin of adultery, and that after so great sorrow and contrition of heart for his offences, Merciful God, in what state do they stand, which make no conscience of this sin? yea jest at it, so far off are they from sorrowing with holy David▪ But let such by these examples, consider the fearful estate they are in, and Gods heavy wrath hanging over their heads, that( if they be not altogether given over to a reprobate sense) they may betimes betake themselves to amendment of life, labour by David's example, by serious and unfeigned repentance to be reconciled unto God, that they may come out of the snares of the Devil, and escape the eternal torments prepared for them: 
Hebr. 10.  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  
Now( brethren) these things are examples unto us( as the Apostle saith) That we should not lust after evil things as they lusted. For whatsoever things are written aforetime; are written for our learning. 
1. Cor. 10.   

Rom. 15. 4·  These indeed, are manifest examples of Gods great hatred, and vengeance against all impiety and wicked men: but these temporal punishments are light, yea but a shadow, being compared to the eternal torments in the life to come: these chiefly afflict the body, but the other shall seize upon body and soul.  
These are but temporary, and prefined within the limits of this short life: the other eternal, which never shall find end or limit. If then this vastation of jerusalem, foreseen so long before, did draw tears from our loving Lord, with what tears of contrition should we bewail our sins, which will in the end( without repentance) plunge us in eternal torments, whereof all other affliction is but an Image or shadow? For so the Apostle Peter layeth before us the destruction of Sodom and Gomorah, as an example of the eternal punishments prepared for these which hereafter should live ungodly. 
2. Pet. 2.4.   
There the damned shall spiritually suffer all these things which the Lord here bewaileth, but after a divers manner of torment.  
There all the rabble of the wicked shall be trenched about with their enemies[ the Devils] so that they shall have no evasion to escape out of their hands. There shall be famine, sword and pestilence, that is, divers kinds of torments proceeding from the order of God's justice according to the condition of every sin. And it may perhaps have probability, which some think, that there shall be divers kinds of torments, 
Varieties of torments.  for divers kinds of sins: as namely, other torments for the proud, other for the covetous, other for the lecher, other for the envious, etc.  
So that the proud and high minded, shall there be dejected and cast down full low: the covetous shall there be pined with extreme penury of all things. There the envious in rage shall rend and tear their own bowels. There the lecher for the short pleasure of his unclean flesh, shall be tormented with most bitter tortures. There the greedy glutton, who made his belly his God, shall with the rich glutton be tormented with most cruel hunger and thirst, and be denied one drop of cold water to cool his tongue. 
Luc. 16.  And whereas the Lord saith of that sinful city: there shall not be left one stone upon an other, which shall not be thrown down. This calamity also shall not there be wanting, 
Luc. 19.44.  when there shall be no sense, no member of the body left without his torment: for even as the wicked have given their members, as weapons of unrighteousness, unto sin: So the order of God's justice, 
Rom. 6.13.  requireth that no member should be free from his proper & deserved punishment. So the unchaste eyes, so the ears which lay open to detractions and slanders; So the deceitful tongue, which uttered so many lies, & falsehoods, sparing neither the same of widow, wife, virgin, or any other; so the body which was effeminate & weakened with so many pleasures and delights, shall there receive their several torments, according to the quality of the offence. Where that shall be fulfilled which the spirit of God saith: In as much as she glorified herself and lived in pleasure, 
Reu. 18.7.  so much give ye to her torment and sorrow: and for every member upon which the fabric of man's body,( as an edifice built with stones) consisteth, shall receive worthy and peculiar punishment.  
If then Gods temporal judgements in this life, which manifest his hatred of all iniquity, should breed in us a detestation of sin, how much more should the consideration of his eternal punishments( whereof the other as I said are but a shadow,) be an effectual remedy against all ungodliness, & plant the filial and healthful fear of God in our hearts? This is it which the Lord himself requireth of us.  

Mat. ●0. ●8.  Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.  
What hope is then left for those forlorn wretches environed with so many torments? what will they do: whither will they fly? what counsel will they take? will they fly to the remedy of repentance? but now the time of repentance is past, and the day of vengeance is come; will they then seek for shelter at God's mercy, which is the only refuge and solace in all miseries? but this life only is the time of mercy and pardon, but then is the time of wrath and judgement.  
Let us not( beloved) suffer the day of this life which God in his mercy hath lent us, to seek peace, pardon, and reconciliation, unprofitably to slip away, lest the day of wrath, vengeance, and irrevocable destruction surprise us at unawares: The day of this life is the time of God's gracious visitation, 
Luc. 1.37.  allotted us, to serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life, saith holy Zachariah: not only omnibus diebus, all the days; but omnibus diebus nostris,( saith a writer) all our days: for the time of this mortal life is given unto us to serve the Lord in all holy conversation, making provision for the life eternal; for death will shortly arrest us, when there shall be no more place, nor time of repentance: therefore saith our Saviour; The night cometh when none can work. 
Ioh 9.4. 2. Cor. 6.2  Behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation.  
But to return again to the words of the text? why did God inflict this horrible punishment upon jerusalem and the whole Nation of the jews? The Lord himself giveth the reason: because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. The Lord in his mercy did many ways visit them, both by prosperity and adversity, as in part I have before discoursed. And lastly, 
Luc. 1.17.  he visited them from an high, by sending to them his only son JESUS CHRIST, who brought with him all good things, by which he illuminated them that sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, and freely offered them his graces and salvation. Which inestimable benefits, they were so far off from acknowledging, that they rejected and crucified the Author of so great a salvation, as their forefathers persecuted all the Prophets before them.  
It may seem strange( will some say) that in the midst of this public joy and applause of the people, CHRIST wept at his coming to jerusalem, which at any other time we never read that he did, though he was many times before in the city: the cause hereof is easily to be given. The Lord came at this time most lovingly to visit this city, and to perform all things which the Prophets foretold of him, to consummate whatsoever was promised of the Messias, and to manifest his infinite love to the posterity of Abraham: yea towards all men, being now ready to give his life a ransom for the sins of the whole world.  
This merciful visitation they would in no wise know, wherefore there was nothing more to be expected, but the severity of God's wrath and judgements to fall upon them which before he had threatened. 
●h. 8.21. Luc. 17.22.  As, I go my way and ye shall seek me, and you shall die in your sins. And, The days will come, that you shall desire to see one of the days of the son of man, and ye shall not see it. And again; O jerusalem, jerusalem, which killest the Prophets, 
Mat. 23.37.  and stonest them which were sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy Children together, as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not: behold your habitation shall be left unto you desolate. Again: Ye daughters of jerusalem, 
Luc. 23.28.  weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children: for behold, the days will come, when men shall say, blessed are the barren, and the womb that never bore, and the paps that never gave suck.  
All these evils were at hand, yea even at the door, punishment could not long be deferred, seeing Gods gracious visitation was contemned. This did CHRIST foresee as if it were present, namely, that jerusalem should come with that whole Nation into utter desolation: without environed with the enemy: within, afflicted with seditions and factions, that so many thousands should perish with the sword, famine, and pestilence, that the remnant should be scattered abroad through the whole world, sold, and be made a spectacle unto all Nations, this their misery, this pitiful Saviour knew to be at hand, and bewailed the same.  

Two necessary observations to be considered.  This offereth to our view two necessary observations, to be seriously considered of all true feeling Christian hearts:  
First, how fearfully God is wont to punish ingratitude and incredulity.  
Secondly, from whence all misery in the world, as famine, sword, pestilence, strange diseases, and all evils both of body and soul proceed.  
Will ye know how severely God punisheth the ingratitude and incredulity of men? 
Ingratitude.  Surely with spiritual blindness, a most terrible and grievous plague: and what is that blindness? The most fearful of all the rest, when for our sins God taketh the light of his grace and holy spirit from us, and giveth us not understanding hearts, 
A most grievous punishment.  that we might know the time of our visitation, and the things which pertain to our peace. When men cannot foresee, nor see in time, neither good nor evil, happiness, nor misery. Their good they see not before it be lost and gone, their evils they foresee not, before they fall upon them, and light on their heads, to their irrevocable destruction, so that they cannot shun or avoid them: and is not this a plague of all plagues? What more unhappy than when a man hath many good things, and yet seeth them not, nor knoweth them, much less can convert them to his use and profit? what more fearful, then when all evils, destructions and miseries, hangeth over our heads, yea even at the door, and yet we see them not, nor will know them that we might escape them? And so was it with the people of the jews,( as it is always with wicked men) they had CHRIST the Son of God, and Saviour among them, and with him all goodness, eternal salvation, and God himself, yet they did not see him, they would not know him, they would not believe in him, before Christ with the kingdom of God and all goodness departed from them, and all miseries overwhelmed them, wars, famine, sword and pestilence, which utterly destroyed the city and whole Nation; 
josephus  as josephus who was present, at that time in the city during the siege reporteth, that one million perished with the sword, and famine, and after the sacking of that goodly city( which was so ruinated and laid waste, that there was not left one stone upon an other, so that all that beheld it, even to this day, may say: O quam periere ruinae?  
How are the ruins ruinated? there were sold for slaves by the Romans, 97000. which were dispersed and scattered into all Nations. So severely did God punish this Nation for their incredulity & ingratitude, with blindness, that they could not enjoy the graces and favours which God offered them, nor escape his punishments denounced against them. 
Heb▪ 10.31.  So fearful a thing is it to fall into the hands of the living God. O how horrible a punishment is this Pôrosis Cardhias' obduration, hardness of heart, and blindness, when God taketh away his grace and light from men, which they refuse, and will not walk therein, and giveth them over to Satan to be blinded, who so darkeneth their cogitations,( as the Apostle speaketh of the Gentiles) that being past feeling, 
Ephes. 4.18.19.  they give themselves to work all uncleanness, even with greediness. And the cause of this Analgesias and loss of feeling, the Apostle teacheth to be obstinacy, and perseverance in sin against conscience, so that at length they begin obducere callum, to grow to hardness of heart, that as if their conscience were seared with a hot iron, they are touched with no sense and feeling of their sins any more, nay the wickedness they commit against the first or second table, they fear not to jest at, and defend, as if it were well done, calling good evil, and evil good. And this is the extremest degree to perdition, and may well be called, not only the most grievous of all sins, but also the cause of all sins, 
Rom. 11.8  and a punishment of sin in this life.  
This the Apostle calleth; Spiritum Catanózeôs, Spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear. O fearful estate.  
And from whence is so great blindness in the world at this day among such as profess christianity, that whoredoms, murders, theft, perjuries, horrible swearing and blasphemies, usury and oppression, fraud, deceit, and undermining one of an other, and all other sins against conscience, are daily practised without shame or any feeling at all? Surely these are manifest signs of God's wrath, pursuing us for our ingratitude and contempt of his graces, giving us over as incorrigible, unto the power of Satan and hardness of heart. And is not this a miserable blindness, that these sins have brought us to the very brink of the pit of destruction, and without repentance must needs cast us shortly therein, and yet we will not see it, that we might avoid the danger, nor the snares the devil layeth before us, that we might escape them, but run on still in our wickedness, to our irrevocable ruin, refusing to know, 
Rom. 2.4.5.  in this our day, the things which pertain unto our peace: but, after the hardness of our heart that cannot repent, heap still unto ourselves wrath, against the day of wrath. Surely, it is to be feared, that the Lords controversy, which he hath with this land, is so great as that he had with that sinful Nation, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the Land, by swearing and lying, stealing, 
Hos. 4.12.  and whoring, they break forth, and blood toucheth blood. The Lord for his infinite mercy sake lighten the darkness of our minds, and give us feeling and understanding hearts.  
Secondly, we are here taught, from whence wars, famine, scarcity of all things, the sword and strange diseases, pestilence and all evils in the world spring and proceed: namely, for our ingratitude towards God, because we will not know the time of our visitation, nor the things that pertain to our true peace. This gracious visitation began when the son of God took our flesh upon him, and was borne in the world: through the tender mercy of our God, 
Luc. 1.78.  whereby the day spring from an high hath visited us, saith holy Zachariah: which benefit was so great, that all the wit of men and Angels is not able to express it sufficiently, and this loving visitation as yet endureth, he ceaseth not still to visit us: but how little do we consider thereof? what thankfulness have we showed? how little are we bettered thereby? how small is our care to serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life? yet to this very end our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ visited us, saith his Apostle, 
Tit. 2.14.  who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purge us to be a peculiar people unto himself, zealous of good works. No marvel then that we have had so many years of dearth, unseasonable weather, horrible tempests, shipwreck, pestilence, strange diseases, etc. God hath but now begun, he doth in fatherly affection but shake the rod over our heads▪ our sins are the cause, which except we remove, the effects will not cease, patientia laesa fit furor, except he see amendment, his long patience shall be converted into the fury of his wrath. Let then jerusalem and the people of the jews, be a warning unto us. Happy is he whom other men's harms can cause to beware.  

The use.  The use is, that we apply these things unto ourselves, and learn to be wise by the punishments of others.  
A long time now hath the Gospel been purely preached unto us, but with what fruit? How few of us do acknowledge as we ought, this gracious visitation of the Lord? Where is our obedience, reverence, and thankfulness due unto God's holy word? where is our zeal and love we owe unto God's ministers? where is our reformation of life? How many scoffers are there among us? How many are there which think themselves, in the arrogancy of their spirit, to be wiser than their teachers? How many are there which come rather as critical carpers and censurers of the Preacher, then fruitful hearers? What contempt and neglect of the holy exercise of public prayer, the chiefest duty of a true Christian, to which God hath made so many sweet promises, and so earnestly commandeth? How many are there which hold that the whole duty of a Christian consisteth in hearing only, without any care to convert their hearing into knowledge, and their knowledge, into action? How many swinish Epicures are there to be found de grege porci, which live rather like hogs than Christians? Shall we think that God, the just revenger of all impiety, will ever be silent at these and many other sins, which sorrow of heart forbiddeth me to utter? No, no, God will not be mocked, he is the same, he changeth not. Let us therefore yet at length acknowledge the time of our visitation, and let us consider the season, that it is now time that we should rise from sleep, 
Rom. 13.11.12.13. verse.  for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed, the night is passed, the day is at hand, let us cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, so that we walk honestly as in the day, not in gluttony and drunkenness, strife and envying.  
Here again, is seriously to be considered, that Christ mentioneth two days or times, 
Two days.  but very unlike to each other.  
The first is the time of grace, 
The time o● grace, the time of wrath.  wherein we live; The other the time of wrath and judgement. To the first time, which is the time present wherein we live, our Saviour giveth, three names: he calleth it the time of our visitation, the day of peace, or which is given us to provide for our peace: And our day. It is called the time of visitation, because God in his only beloved son, of his infinite mercy and love hath visited us. It is called the day of peace, because in it Christ hath with his own precious blood reconciled us unto God, and because we should therein seek forth things that pertain unto our true peace. He calleth it our day, because our gracious God hath allotted this time for repentance, 
2. Pet. 1.10.  that we might give all diligence to make our calling and election sure, to serve the Lord in righteousness and holiness, to lay up treasures in heaven, to labour by repentance to be truly reconciled unto God, to make provision for the eternal day in the life to come, which never shall have end. He calleth this in the singular number a day, because the time of this life is short, but a moment, a vapour, smoke, a dream, 
job. 14.  a thought, a thing of nothing, which should move us( because the time is short) to work the more earnestly in the work of the Lord, to walk the more warily in the way towards heaven, 
Phil. 2.15.  that we may be blameless and pure as the son of God, when we shall appear before him, to labour to adorn our souls with virtues, to take heed, 
Mar. 13.33.  watch, and pray, for we know not when the time is: After the Apostles counsel, to forget that which is behind, and speedily to endeavour ourselves unto that which is before, 
Phil. 3.13.14.  and follow hard towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ jesus.  
Lest we fall into the other day, 
The day of wrath and judgement.  which is the day of judgement, the day of wrath, which shall be no more called our day, but the day of the Lord, a day of trouble and heaviness, a day of destruction and desolation, 
Zepan. 1.15. joel. 2.11.  a day of obscurity and darkness, this day of the Lord is great and terrible, who may abide it?  
This day, the Lord expresseth in the plural number[ for the days shall come upon thee] because the punishments shall be great and without end. This day the Lord hath ordained for them which contemn this present acceptable time of grace, the day of salvation, the time of his gracious visitation, and refuseth to know, in this their day, the things that pertain unto their peace.  
There is none so wicked, 
No man so wicked but hath his day.  but the loving God, who willeth not the death of a sinner, giveth him his day, if he had the grace to know it.  
Thou biting Usurer, thou beastly whoremonger, thou bloody murderer, thou prowling thief, thou cruel oppressor, thou covetous Caitiff, thou swinish Epicure, thou that livest in envy, malice, etc.  
O consider, in time I say consider, that the merciful GOD giveth thee a day: The day of this life, to provide, by Repentance, for thy peace, whensoever the Lord by his Preachers out of his holy Word, or by his holy motions, Divine inspirations, stings of conscience, etc. knocketh at the door of thy heart; Think then that this is thy day. Oh slip not this occasion: Let not this time unfruitfully pass away: Open to this sweet Guest, lest for thy contempt of his gracious Visitation, thou fall into the days of his fearful Wrath and terrible indignation. 
2. Cor. 26.  Behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation.  
But leaving the jews in their infidelity and hardness of heart, Let us come unto ourselves,( brethren) whom the Lord is wont many times to visit.  

Psal. 106.4.  He visiteth us, when by his benefits he exciteth us to love him. Visit us( saith the prophet) with thy salvation. He visiteth us, when he sendeth unto us, teachers & ministers of his word, to show us the way of Eternal felicity. So when he raised up the widows Son from Death, the people glorified GOD, saying, A great Prophet is raised up among us, and God hath visited his People, to whom he sent such a Prophet and teacher of Righteousness.  
He visiteth us, being secure, careless, and nothing bettered by his word and benefits, when he chastiseth us with calamities, crosses and plagues, to the intent he may recall us into the way of Righteousness: Of this Visitation in the person of God, speaketh the princely Prophet; 
Psal. 89.30.  But if his Children forsake my Law, and walk not in my judgements: if they break my Statutes, and keep not my Commandments: then will I visit their transgressions with the Rod, and their iniquities with Scourges.  
Sometimes he visiteteth us by his preachers, which are his Ambassadors, to deliver his message unto us: Sometimes by giving us good Motions and holy Inspirations: Sometime by the examples of others, that beholding before our Eyes their punishments, we should be the more wary how we fall into sin. For so the Lord saith by his Prophet jeremy: 
jer. 3.8.  When I saw how that by all occasions, rebellious Israel had played the harlot, I cast her away, and gave her a bill of divorcement, yet her rebellious sister judah was not afraid, but played the harlot also. And thus the Lord grievously threateneth by his Prophet, that judah would not beware by an others harm, and acknowledge God's visitation in her sister's punishment, as it were seeing fire in her next neighbour's roof, according to the proverb:  Tunc tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet. 

Horatius.  When fired is thy neighbour's wall,  
Thou knowest thy danger is not small.  
So that there is no wicked man, but one time or other hath a time of visitation, as jerusalem had her time of visitation by Christ's doctrine, examples and miracles: so there is no sinner, at whose heart God sometime doth not knock, though they do not all alike receive his visitation.  
After this manner the Lord is wont to visit his people, to whose voice and gracious visitation, many give so deaf an ear, that they are neither won by his benefits, mollified by his admonitions, moved by his inward inspirations, nor by his plagues and punishments will be reduced into the way of righteousness. Continual custom in sin, hath converted nature into so obstinate an habit, ut callos in anima contrax erint.  
( As the proverb is) their very hearts are so hard as brawn, altogether insensible in their wickedness. That strong armed man which besiegeth the fort of their hearts, diligently laboureth to stop every passage, that the light of God's holy spirit cannot pierce into them.  
The nature and might of that enemy, is mystically shadowed out by God himself, in the description of the monster Leviathan, his scales are like strong shields, 
job. 41.16  and are sure sealed, one is set to an other, that no wind may come between them. Such as this old Serpent is, such are his children whom he possesseth: he fortifieth the hold of their heart, as it were with hard scales, that no spiritual artillery may penetrate the same; lay before them God's threatenings for sin, the terrors of hell for the reprobate, the joys of heaven for the penitent, etc. They are no more moved quam si parieti loqueris, then if thou spakest to the Wall, as if Hell and Death had already laid hold and seized upon them.  
The Book of God, assureth us that the cause of their captivity heretofore, was the contempt of God's word and Prophets, when all the people were miserably carried away into Babel; 
2. Chron. 36.16.  But they mocked the Messengers of the Lord, and contemned his Words, and misused his Prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and till there was no remedy.  
And the Son of God saith here, That the cause of their woeful and final destruction, whereof I have spoken, was also, because they refused to know the time of their visitation: and therefore persecuted his messengers. And lastly, the Son of God himself, which he bewailed; O jerusalem, jerusalem, which killest the prophets, & stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, 
Luc. 13.34.  as the Hen gathereth her brood under her wings, & ye would not.  
But( o good God) if we compare the sins of England at this day, with the sins of the jews, how can we choose but fear & tremble? Considering that not jerusalem only, but also England, is plunged in as deep oblivion of the Time of her Visitation, as ever that sinful City was.  
Surely( Beloved,) grief of heart willeth me to sit still in silence, and wish with holy jeremy, that my Head were full of water, and mine eyes a Fountain of Tears, that I might weep Day and Night for the sins of this Land: Yet sith Zeal enforceth me to speak, I had rather use the words of a zealous Preacher, 
M. G. W. in a ser. at Paul's cross. An. 1609. fol. 26.  uttered before the greatest Auditory in this Land to this purpose, then insist upon mine own herein. The Word of God is a reproach unto men, they have no delight in it. And this want of delight in the Message, maketh the Messengers to be despised.  
Are not Gods Criers reckoned but as Cassandra's prophecies? His Ambassadors, worse than justinian's Orator's? Yea, no better than the Filth and Offscowring of all things unto this Day? 
1. Cor. 4.13.   
Every cursed Tobiah and Samballat, is envying at our Spiritual buildings: Every scoffing Michol, 
Nehem. 4.1.  maketh a jest of our preaching: Every sacrilegious Ammonite, is clipping of our garments: Every presumptuous Chorah and Abiram, 
●. Sam. 10  is carping at our preferment. 
Num. 16.  It is reported in Ecclesiastical histories, that at what time Constantine that worthy Patron of the Church, had invested the poor distressed Ministers with temporal patrimonies, one was heard to say: hody venenum cecidit in ecclesiam. But now the Miscreants of this age have found a remedy for that disease, and have given us treacle enough to purge out all this poison, which hath never ceased until it hath extracted almost bowels and all. What the Palmerworm Papist with his Impropriations; and after him the Grasshopper Atheist with his prescriptions; and after him, the Cankerworm Patron, with his reservations; And last of all, the Caterpillar Cormorant with his illusions; The Patrimony of the Church like Pharaoes' goodly kine, hath been devoured by ill favoured, lean, and hungry Nunstions, and made like the descent of nabuchadnezzar's Image, 
Dan. 2.31.  from gold to silver, from silver to brass, from brass to iron, from iron to clay. Hence it is that the word of God is no more regarded, because the Messengers thereof are so much contemned, and the cause of all this is our ingratitude, because we will not know the time of our visitation.  
If he smote with so dreadful a judgement Ananiah and Saphyrah his wife( saith a worthy and a reverend Father of our Church) for withholding but part of the Church maintenance which by themselves was given, will he endure for ever, them that take what they never gave? No, no, 
Act. 5.  and that shall they know, when peradventure it will be too late to be sorry for it. Did these men see what myself have seen, and divers yet living, which can witness the same as well as I, what twitching torments of a wounded conscience, what hellish gripes of despairing fear, never to see the face of God, but to perish for ever with castaways, some have had for detaining but a small portion of such maintenance which now is thought the best cheat that can be caught, happily it would, nay surely it would, except hell and death had already taken possession, abate the lust, and assuage the longing that they have to devour the encouragements of learning, that yet remain unspoiled in this land. But what they have not seen in others, they may feel in themselves too soon, and sharp, if nothing will persuade them. Thou art dead O Sunanite, that intreatedst thy husband to build for the Prophet a chamber and to furnish it; but thy memory is blessed with God and man, and a witness shalt thou be in the day of judgement, against pullers down of the houses built by men and women of devotion and piety, 
2. Kings. 4.16.  for the Prophets & children of the Prophets. I speak nothing at this time for brevities sake, of adultery, and whoredom, swearing, and forswearing, drunkenness and riot, oppression and cruelty, fraud & deceit in buying and selling, which are so common in this land; The Lord be merciful unto us, and give us grace betime by unfeigned repentance, to avert the heavy wrath of God hanging over our heads.  
In that which I have said( brethren) we may behold the fruit that springeth from this poisoned root of sin, and what is the reward thereof, how hatesome all wickedness is in the fight of God, which caused him to pluck up his people whom he had planted, to cast even down to hell, them whom he had advanced, above all other Nations, and lifted up to heaven. This should work in us a detestation of sin, yea by all means to fly from sin as from a Serpent, 
Eccle. 21.2.  which is the cause of all misery in this life, and of eternal torments in the life to come; from sin( I say) an evil so full of loss and damage, 
Sin is full of loss, shame, sorrow, and bitterness.  so full of shame and confusion, so full of sorrow and bitterness, full of loss and damage, because it separateth from God the Sovereign good of all: which is the greatest loss that may be imagined: Your sins have separated between you and your God. 
Esa. 59  As the widow and fatherless are exposed to all wrong and oppression, because there are few that will stand in their defence, 
Similes.  even as a ship wanting a stern, Mast, and Governor, is tossed with the tempest, and at last dashed on the rocks: so the wretched soul, destitute through sin, of God's grace, favour, and protection, is laid open to the waves of temptations, and tossed with the tempests of the devil, world, and flesh, and finally suffereth horrible shipwreck.  
Sin is also full of shame and confusion: for such is the filthiness of sin, in itself, that it seeketh corners, walketh masked, and loveth the darkness: Qui male agit odit lucem, he that evil doth hateth the light. 
joh. 3.  Sin and shame be brothers of one birth. Old father Adam teacheth, 
Gen. 3.  who as soon as he had sinned, sought to hide himself from God, 
Simile.  and covered himself with Figtree leaves, even as they which have ulcerous and filthy bodies, seek by all means to hide the same, and would not have their disease known: so all wicked livers, though happily they are not ashamed at their sinful actions, to be wicked, yet they blush to be reputed wicked. Diogenes on a time seeing a young man in a Tavern running into an inner room, for that he was ashamed to be seen, called unto him; Quo interius fugeris, hoc magis eris in popina, the more thou runnest inward, the farther thou art in the Tavern. So a wicked man, the more he seeketh to hide himself▪ within himself, so much the more is he the same that he is.  
Sin is also full of bitterness & sorrow; as truly saith S. Augustine: 
Aug. cons. lib. 1. cap. 12.  Voluisti domine & verè sic est, ut paena sibi sit omnis animus inordinatus: Thou wouldst Lord, have it so,( and indeed so it is) that every inordinate mind should be a torment unto itself. know and behold,( saith jeremy in the person of God) that it is an evil and a bitter thing, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, 
jer. 12.19.  and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of Hosts. As job in all his miseries, never wanted a Messenger that would bring him evil tidings: So in every sin, an evil messenger is ever at hand, which woundeth and teareth the conscience. 
Simile.  Sin then is like an Harlot, of whom that mirror of wisdom speaketh: 
Pro. 5.3.  Whoso Lips drop like an honey comb, but her end is bitter as Wormwood, her feet go down to death, and her steps take hold on Hell. Sin is like an itching Ulcer, 
Sin like an itching Ulcer.  which feeleth a little pleasure whiles it is rubbed, but at last it smarteth the more, 
Simile.  and fretteth the Flesh. Sin is like poisoned Wine, which seemeth pleasant to the taste, but the poison killeth in the end.  
This gnawing of conscience, an inseparable companion of sin, the Lord threateneth unto the wiced: 
Leu. 16.17.36. verse.  Ye shall fly when none pursueth you. Again, The sound of a Leaf shaken, shall chase them away. Can any thing be spoken more significantly, to express the terrors of a guilty conscience? This plainly proveth if there were nothing else▪ how full of bitterness and sorrow sin is: yet in many other respects, the evils that proceed of sin may be considered, because it bringeth eternal punishment; because it weakeneth the powers of the soul; because our desires are accompanied with infinite cares, and troubles: because it only maketh a separation between God and man: it caused the son of God to descend from heaven, to be made man, and to suffer the ignominious death of the Cross, because the heinous enormity of sin, was such, that it could be expiated by no other means but by the blood of the only begotten son of God. 
Timon.  Timon that Misanthrôpos, and hater of men, being asked why he so hated all men, answered, Merito improbos odi; reliquos autem quia improbos non oderunt. I hate wicked men and that worthily, and the rest I hate, because they do not hate wicked men. 
Publius. Mimus.  It was also a saying of Publius Mimus: Tolerabilior est qui mori jubet, quam qui male vivere. He is more tolerable that commandeth us to die, than he that willeth us to live wickedly. Here ye see that the very Heathen by the light of nature, saw and taught the horror and filthiness of sin, and shall doubtless rise in judgement to our condemnation: which beside the instinct of nature, have also the light of God's word, yet make small conscience of many sins which they so detested.  
The use( brethren) of all that I have said is, 
The use.  that laying before our eyes Gods extreme hatred of sin, manifested in this woeful ruin and destruction of the people of the jews, whom he made a fearful example of his wrath to all posterities, that we would at length learn to be wise by others harms, walk more warily, take heed how we offend so great and terrible a God, beware of security in our sins, and betime betake ourselves to repentance: for these judgements of God, do not only pertain unto them, but much more unto us, which by CHRIST the Messias have received far greater benefits than they did: For as much as the Gospel excelleth the law, so far our benefits exceed theirs. This being so, what remaineth, but that we should harken to the Apostles counsel: 
Heb. 2.12.  Wherefore we ought diligently to give heed to the things which we have heard, least at any time we should let them slip, for if the word spoken by Angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience, received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape which neglect so great salvation? For if the abuse of God's benefits and their ingratitude brought upon this people so heavy a destruction: what should not we fear of God the same judge, which have received far greater benefits, and yet are bettered nothing thereby: but still remain unthankful? What should we fear do I say? Do we not see the same calamity and vastation to have fallen upon the greatest part of all Christendom at this day?  
Once in the flourishing state of the Roman Empire, the Christian religion was extended almost through the whole world, but at this day, how small a portion is left, the barbarous Turk for our sins still enchroaching upon us? Do we not here plainly see, the same God, in the same cause, to have begun the same judgement among us? what cause then have we to hearken to this admonishion of the Apostle, 
Rom. 11.17.20.21. Noli altum. sapere.  though some of the branches be broken off, and thou being a wild olive tree, wast graft in for them: be not high minded, for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he spare not thee.  
The jews once were the natural branches; the legitimate children of God: we were strangers to the testament: they were the natural branches of the Olive, we were but graffs: if then God dealt so severely with the natural branches, when they sinned against him: what should we look for which are fallen into the like sins? surely, we may justly fear greater punishments. For so saith the Lord by his Prophet jeremy, 
jer. 25.29.  For lo I begin to plague a city where my name is called upon, and should you go free? ye shall not go quit, saith the Lord of hosts. And for the beating down of security, let us consider that this misery fell upon jerusalem when they were most secure in their sins; for when they thought that the heavens had buried in oblivion, the blood of the Prophets, and the cruel death of the son of God, then when they least surmised, God raised up the whole power of the romans, under the conduct of Vespasian and Hadrian, which utterly subverted the City jerusalem, with fifty other fenced Cities, 
Vide Dione Cassi in vita Hadriani.  and eight hundred fourscore and five walled Towns of the kingdom of judea, in which they left scarce one foot of the wall standing. God's vengeance was never so near the rich man, as when he was most secure; and vaunted to himself, when he said to his soul; Soul, thou hast much goods laid up in store for many years: live at ease, eat, drink, 
Luc. 12.19.  and be merry. Scarce had he uttered, or conceived in mind this thought, before he heard this voice: O fool, this night will they fetch away thy soul from thee, whose then shall those things be which thou hast provided?  
Let us therefore( beloved) having always these examples before our eyes, begin yet at last to be wise by others harms, and this present opportunity of repentance which God in his mercy hath lent us, let us not suffer unfruitfully to pass away, let us never forget this saying of our Lord: The Night cometh when none can work: but while the day of salvation lasteth, 
joh. 9.4.  while the judge himself most lovingly calleth us, and offereth his free grace and mercy unto us, fly cheerfully unto him in serious repentance, studying to serve him, in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. Which God grant for his infinite mercy sake, to whom with the Son and the holy Ghost, three persons in one most glorious Trinity, one God in unity, might, and Majesty, be all praise, power and dominion, now and for ever, Amen.   
FINIS.   

LONDON, Printed by Thomas Creed, for Arthur johnson, dwelling near the great North door of S. Paul's Church, at the sign of the white Horse. 1613.