An epithrene: or Voice of vveeping bewailing the want of vveeping. A meditation.

§. 20.

Weeping proceeding from Tribulation is prouoked by Sor∣row and Griefe of Heart; for the losse of any thing may well

be called worldly Weeping. And is according to the diversi∣tie of Obiects, Corporall or spi∣ritual. First, sometimes for Corpo∣rall, and worldly things; And is either, 1. Naturall, as for losses and crosses in Goods, Health, Honour, Friends, and the like; for which moderately to weepe, is not simply evill, but it is a wickednes to be, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, with∣out naturall affection: Thus Samu∣el wept for Saul, David for wic∣ked Absolom, and our Saviour o∣ver Hierusalem; * 1.1 Illi flerunt Com∣patiendo, & ego Patiendo non aude∣am? They wept in Compassion of others, and may not I in Passion of my selfe: And heere at the grave of Lazarus, Christ neither reproved their Wee∣ping, nor prohibited their Wee∣ping, but Wept with them that Wept; Where, as his

Teares were Testimonies of his Nature not of Diffidence, So our Weeping may not be a signe out of our Infidelitie, but pre∣sent Condition. 2. Diabolical, when a friends departure into Glory is more lamented, then the departure of Christ from the Soule; when the fits of some short Sicknesse, are more lamen∣ted then the anguish of an af∣flicted Conscience; when the losse of a little worldly wealth is more lamented, then the losse of our heavenly Treasure in the Lords worship, vilifying it in our attendance as if it were on∣ly some base Circumstance, or outward Complement; when none of Gods Threatnings doe cause vs to bewayle our Misery, and yet every trifling Inconue∣nience or disappoyntment

—Gravius moderamine iusto Nec pro materia fertur doluisse—

Doth so tyrannically torment our Soules, as though wee were vtterly vndone: This is worldly Weeping conceived for corporall and worldly things. Sometimes this kind of Weeping is concei∣ved for Spirituall things, yet in a carnall and worldly manner; when the matter is Spirituall, but the respect is carnall: thus Ahab humbled himselfe 1. King. 21.27. Esau wept, Genes. 27.38. and Iudas, Math. 27.3. Heere was weeping, yea the Causes thereof were Spirituall, Ahab for his Oppression, Esau for his Blessing, and Iudas for his Trea∣chery; but the respect was worldly and carnall, for the danger of their Punishment wrought in their Consciences by the Law; which is the

minister of death, and can never worke the sense of Mercy, or Hope of Pardon: Seeing when the Law is violated, it requireth the suffering of the Curse, not any true Sorrow, or sorrowfull Weeping for the avoiding of the Curse. Yea, it setteth before our eyes the rigour of Gods precisest Iustice, and doth in a manner forbid all Godly Wee∣ping; Telling vs, it is in vaine to seeke by Teares and Lamen∣tations any Mercy at his hands, who is a consuming Fire, a God of pure eyes, and cannot behold Iniquitie. Thus the Law of it selfe leaveth such Mourners in vtter desperation, then which there is not any thing more con∣trary to Godly Lamentation: And is no otherwise a Schoole∣master vnto Christ, then as the Minister of the Gospell maketh

vse of it, contrary to it owne na∣ture, to drive vs vnto Christ, by teaching the Sinner condemned in the Law, not to weepe so much for the danger of his Pu∣nishment revealed to him by the Law, as for the Evill of his Ini∣quities, for which mercy is offe∣red vnto him in the Gospell. Thus many doe weepe, and yet never are saved.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Add. pag. 16 Ber••. super C••••t, Serm. 26.