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

1. By Scriptures.

§. 28

FIrst to demonstrate this Truth, and Necessitie of Wee∣ping in the Regenerate; Wee have the Author and Finisher of our Regeneration, not only once, offering vnto vs in this

Text a Testimony of his Wee∣ping, but in the dayes of his flesh offering vp Prayers and Suppli∣cations with strong crying and teares, Heb. 5.7. Whence al∣though wee conclude not with Chrysostome that wee finde our Saviour not only often Weeping, * 1.1 and never Laughing: But not so much as, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Lightly smyling, because the Scripture doth not mention it: Nor with Bernard, * 1.2 That Thrice only in the Gospell hee Wept. 1. At his Birth, for the generall Mise∣ry of Mankinde. 2. In this Text, for La••arus. 3. Over Hie∣rusalem, immediatly before his Passion: Yet wee must consent vnto Cyprian? Si ille flens orabat, * 1.3 qui sine peccato erat, q••antt magis Peccatores sic oportotlorar••; If hee prayed Weeping who was with∣out Sinne, how much more

must Sinners pray Weeping? Christs life though it hath a spe∣ciall Excellency to demonstrate this Proposition, because the Light of Truth shined as per∣fectly in it, as in the Scripture; Yet his Doctrine Math. 5.4. pronouncing those Blessed that mourne, and promising comfort for their reward, doth plainely confirme that as Comfort is properly and only due vnto the Regenerate, so they are inclined to Mourne before they be thus rewarded; He foretold his Dis∣ciples, Iohn. 16.20. That they should Weepe and lament; Having in the foregoing verses promi∣sed the assistance of his Spirit, whose Nature is Love, and Name Comforter: Yet hee will first see the Weeping effect of our Griefe, before we can feele the loving and comfortable

supply of his Grace; Hee will have vs first powre out the wine of our Teares, before he powre in the Oyle of his mercy. And the Lord, Ierem. 31.9. Having established by promise the Co∣venant of Regeneration, addeth this Proviso, They shall come with Weeping; As if the Promises of Grace and Mercy, were the Whetstones of our Griefe; Signes, not Salues of our Cala∣mity; Memorials, not Medi∣cines of our Misery. Be afflicted, mourne, and Weepe; Let your Laughter be turned into Mourning, and your Ioy into Heavinesse, Iam. 4.9. Were the Apostles most strict and sacred Iniunction pre∣scribing to Weepe, declareth it to bee an inevitable Decree in the Court of heaven, and more inuiolable, and inuiolated by those that are in the State of

Regeneracy, then the Lawes of Medes and Persians.

§. 29.

We doe all professe to be the Seruants of the living God, But as of old, * 1.4 none that was blind or had any blemish in his eye might serue at the Altar; So now, none can sincerely serue the Lord that are blemished with the want of Weeping; And a∣mong many Reasons this may be One, because for that impe∣diment in the eye, wee cannot well shew our inward Sorrow∣ing by outward Weeping. Which Necessitie of Weeping, Hierome positively confirmeth, * 1.5 Concluding, that, Longus risus perpeti compensandus est fletu, Much Laughter must be recom∣pensed with much Weeping: And els where, that not onely

the Inhabitants of the Materiall Hierusalem, * 1.6 remembring in their afflictions and Miseries, all their pleasant things, that they had in the dayes of old, mour∣ned and Wept; But the Mem∣bers also of the Mysticall Hie∣rusalem repenting and groning for anguish of Spirit, must ac∣knowledge they have erred from the way of Truth, and wearied themselues in the way of wickednesse and destruction. * 1.7 The most frequent Sacrifices a∣mong the Iewes were Doues and Pi∣geons, which of all Fowles doe most often lament, and there∣fore the Lord ordained them to bee often vsed in his Sacrifices, as the most significant Embleme of Weeping: * 1.8 Wherevnto Au∣gustine elegantly alluding, saith, that the first visible manner in which the Holy Ghost

descended from heaven, was like a Dove vpon our Saviour in his Baptisme; To teach vs that as in the Arke of Noah ther were a Raven and a Dove, So in the Arke of the Church there are Ravens knowen by their Croking, and Doves knowen by their Groning, the infallible witnesse of the Spirit abiding in them, which baptizeth and washeth them with Teares. The Lords breaking the Heads of Dra∣gons in the waters, mentioned Psal. 74.13. is Allegorically ex¦pounded by Interpreters, to bee the weakening and washing a∣way of our strongest and vilest Sinnes by Weeping. The Pro∣phets for the most part received their Commissions to prophecy by Rivers, as Ezechiel by the Ri∣ver Chebar, * 1.9 Daniel by the Ri∣ver Hiddekel, * 1.10 the Baptist by the

River Iordane; And all of them preached and prophecyed not so much with words as Wee∣ping: Which course of Wee¦ping, * 1.11 Gregory requireth as con∣stantly in every constant pro∣fessor, to bee sought for, by Prayer from the Lord; * 1.12 as Achsah petitioned her father for Springs of waters, vnto whom he had given a South-land; * 1.13 For many doe feed the hungry, lodge the stranger, cloth the naked, visit the sicke, and doe other good workes, wherein the Lord hath only gi∣ven them a dry and South-land; With which (saith the Father) they must not bee contented, but must further desire the Blessing of the Springs of wa∣ter; The Vpper Springs, that through the love of heaven; And the nether Springs, that through the feare of Hell, they

may bewayle the Sinnes they have committed.

§. 30.

But as a Coach drawen with many horses, doth easily runne; So the Necessitie of this heavie (as it seemeth to some) weight of Weeping, may bee tolerated with more ease, if wee consider that the Saints in Scripture have begun before vs to beare this in∣evitable burden in the heate of their day. Wee find Iobs face, foule with Weeping, Iob. 16.16. Paul protested, Act. 20.31. That for three yeares he ceased not to warne every one with Teares, day and night, knowing well, as Augustin obserueth, Plus gemitibus quam sermonibus, plus fletu quam afflatu, There is more good to be done in Popular Ser∣mons with ••ighing then

speaking, with Weeping then Words; And that,

— Si vis me flere, dolendum est Primum ipsi tibi—

In Weeping our Precepts must be exemplified by our Practice. Iacob wrestled with God, and preuailed, Genes. 32.28. Which Wrestling the Prophet sheweth was by Weeping, * 1.14 and his Pre∣vailing by Praying. Daniel mourned three full weeks, Dan. 10.2. David made his bed to swimme, and watered his couch with Teares Psal. 6.6. Lachry∣misque suis ieiunia pavit, And his Teares were his meate day and night, Psal. 42.3. And that Sinnefull Woman, Luk. 7.38. which,

— Purgata recessit Per gemitum: Proprijque lavans se in gurgite fletus, Munda su•••• lackrimis redit, & detersa capill••.

Stood at our Saviours feet

behind him Weeping, washed his feet with Teares, and wiped them with the haires of her head. And why should I adde more. * 1.15 Inspicimus tantum pauca de multis, vt de pauc is intellig antur & caetera: For the time would faile me to tell of Annah, Samu∣el, Ioseph, Ieremiah, Peter, Mary, Timothy; It were too tedious to insist in the examples of these and other Saints, subiect to like Passions as wee are; All whom wee finde, Quod voci deerat, plangore replêre, Where words were wanting have filled vp their complaints with weeping. Whose good example we ought the more carefully to obserue, for that the same light that shi∣neth forth in the Scripture, shi∣neth also in the conuersation of the Saints, and is reflected from them to our eyes, as from a

Glasse; so that they are said, To hold forth the word of Life, Phil. 2.16. as the hand doth a Torch or Candle, that wee in the darkenesse of this World, might follow them in this Val∣ley of Teares.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Chrys Hom. 6. in Math.
• * 1.2

  Bern. in Sentent.
• * 1.3

  Cypr. de O∣rat. Dom.
• * 1.4

  Levit. 21.20
• * 1.5

  Hier. ad Eustoch.
• * 1.6

  Hier. in 1. cap. Thren.
• * 1.7

  Levit. 1.14. Levit. 5 7.
• * 1.8

  August in Ioan. Tract. 6.
• * 1.9

  Ezech. 1.3. Dan. 10.4.
• * 1.10

  Matth. 3.6.
• * 1.11

  Greg. de Al∣log. l. 3. c. 34
• * 1.12

  Iosua 15.19
• * 1.13

  Mat. 25.44.
• * 1.14

  Hos. 12.4.
• * 1.15

  Cypr. de. B••n. Poti.