The lamentations and holy mourninges of the prophet Ieremiah with a lamentable paraphrase and exhortation, meete euery way to be applyed vnto these our dayes: for the comforting of all the true faithfull children of God that are vnder the crosse and feele their miseries: and for the awaking of all those that haue no feeling of their miseries: not-with-standing the great calamities which haue fallen and still are like to fall vpon these our dayes. Published by Daniel Toussaine, and translated out of French into English, by Tho. Sto. gent.

THE SECOND PART OF the first Chapter of the Lamenta∣tions: wherein is conteyned a con∣fession of the sinnes of the people.

8 IErusalem hath greeuouslie sinned, therefore she is in derision: all that honored her despise her, because they haue seene her filthinesse: yea, she sigheth and turneth backward.

9 Her filthinesse is in her skirtes: she remembred not her last end, therefore she came downe wonderfully: she had no com∣fort. O Lord behold mine affliction, for the enemie is proude.

THE OBSERVATIONS and notes of the second part of this Chapter. Hath forfaited a forfaite, or ac∣cording to the Hebrew text, word for word, hath sinned a sinne.

THIS manner of speech is as much to say, as, hath greeuouslie sin∣ned: for otherwise, we knowe well ynough that euerie man sinneth, as is said in the eight Chapter of the first booke of the Kings. But the Prophet heere

vnderstādeth a long continued bead-roll of sinnes: which encreasing and ouerflowing, causeth the wrath of God also to ouerflowe and exceede, as in the 32. of Exodus it is said, That the people had sinned a greeuous sinne in setting vp a golden calfe. Moreouer, it seemeth that the Prophet in this verse meaneth to answere the former exclamations: How doth the Citie re∣mayne solitarie, &c. As if he would haue said: the verie cause of this mi∣serie is nothing else but her great and greeuous sinnes.

Was derided) or as some reade, cast out, and word for word according to the Hebrew, in quaking or reeling wise. Othersome take it to be the wagging of the head, that is to saie, derision: some others, for banish∣ment, other some for seperation, as we reade the same word for word in the twelfth of Leuiticus, how the vn∣cleane women were separated: as al∣so in the 19. of Nombers, That all o∣ther vncleane persons were deuided, separated, and put out of the hoast. And thus much as touching the words.

THE PRINCIPALL doctrines of the se∣cond part.

THE first and espe∣ciall doctrine, out of which wee are in this behalfe to drawe our benefite, is this, That the feeling of our miseries, must leade vs vnto a feeling of the wrath of GOD, and of our sinnes: not to murmure against hym, after the manner of the Heathen, who some∣tymes saye, that their Iupiter is cruell: but to humble our selues vn∣der his maiestie, and returne vnto him.

Secondly, wee are heere to note, that wee beware howe wee excuse or extenuate our sinnes, which wee cannot sufficiently inough detest and acknowledge, seeing that all the fil∣thines in the woorlde doth nothing lyke seeme so shamefull in the eies of the Lorde as sinne. And therefore the scripture oftentimes setteth downe the menstruous cloath of a woman

and such other vile thinges: not as it were vnreuerently or vnciuilly: but to the ende wee should reuerence God: and cause vs feele how stinking and detestable sinne is: whereas now we smooth, dawbe vp, and bathe our selues in the same. Therefore it is well sayde of Salomon in his pro∣uerbes. Hee that hydeth hys sinnes shall not prosper: but hee that con∣fesseth, and forsaketh them shall haue mercy. Saint Augustine like∣wise, very graciously wryting vpon the 32. Psalme: O Lord I haue not hyd my sinnes, but laide them wide open, that thou mightest couer them: I haue not kept them close, because thou shouldest not discouer them: sayth, That when a man doth dis∣couer them, then God dooth couer them: when a man hydeth them, then God layeth them wide open and when man is readye to acknowledge them, that then our good God pardoneth them.

Last of all, this second part of the Chapter teacheth vs, that faith & re∣pentaunce must alwaies goe hand in hand together: and that the children of God must at once fall downe & humble

themselues, and be sorie for their sinnes, and so eftsoones lift vp them∣selues in an assurance of the grace and fauour of God, vnto whome they com∣mit themselues, and call vpon him, beseeching him to behold (for so saith Ieremie) to behold I say in mercie, to looke with a powerfull and helping regard, as is the propertie of the Al∣mightie.

Notes

• ••heth.
• Theth.
• Prou. 28. verse 13.
• The se∣cretlier that we seeke to couer our sinnes, the manifest∣lier the Lord lay∣eth them open, and the oftner that we remember them and repent vs hartely of them, the more the Lord for∣getteth them.