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 THIRD AND LAST part of the fourth Chapter.

21 REioyce and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the lande of Vr: the cup also shall passe through vnto thee: thou shalt be dronken and vomit.

22 Thy punishment is accomplished, O daughter Syon; he will no more carrie thee away into captiuitie, but will visite thine iniquitie, O daughter Edom, and discouer thy sinnes.

CERTAINE NOTES vpon this last part.

IN this thirde and last part of the Chapter, the Prophet addresseth his speech vnto the enimies of the Church: but espe∣cially to the Idumeans, vnto whom is

foretolde their ruine: and with such reprochfull wordes as a cruell and an vngodly Nation deserueth: as if the Prophet shoulde haue saide thus. I would not wish you thinke, O ye Idu∣means, that poore miserable Iudah a∣lone, shal lie soaking in these miseries, and drinke the sower soupe alone that is within this cup: but that you also shall haue your turne, and marche in your owne ranke. The like reuolution also the Prophet Obadiah in the 16. and 17. verses of his prophesie, fore∣tolde vnto the Idumeans, saying: As ye haue dronke vpon mine holy mountaine, so shall all the heathen drinke continually: yea they shall drinke and swallowe downe, and they shall bee as though they had not beene. But vpon mount Syon shall be deli∣ueraunce, &c. To the same purpose al∣so speaketh the Prophet Michah in his 7. Chapter, ver. 8.9.10. saying: Re∣ioyce not against me, O mine enemie: though I fall, I shall rise: when I shal sitte in dark∣nesse, the Lorde shall be a light vnto mee. J will beare the wrath of the Lorde, because I haue sinned against him, vntill he plead my cause, and execute iudgement for mee: then will he bring mee foorth to the light, and J shall see his righteousnesse. Then she

that is mine enemie, shall looke vppon it, and shame shall couer her which sayde vnto me, where is the Lorde thy God? Mine eyes shall beholde her: and see her trooden downe as the mire in the streetes, &c.

Moreouer, we are to note this ex∣cellent manner of speaking vsed in the holy Scripture, when as the Prophet sayth: That the cup shall passe vnto the Jdumeans: and as it is also sayde in the 75. Psalme ver. 8. That there is in the hande of the Lorde a cup, and the wine is red: and it is full mixt, and he powreth out of the same: surely all the wicked of the worlde shall wring out, and drinke the dregs thereof. Which saying is thus much to declare vnto vs, that like as the father of an housholde distributeth to euery one his portion and due, euen so doth our great God, appoint to euerie one his charge, punishment and chastise∣ment, but yet to diuerse ends and pur∣poses: For, this drinke is to some, to wit, to the elect of God, an holesome medicine, as a draught of wine mode∣rately taken is comfortable and glad∣some to the heart of man. For other∣wise, as Dauid writeth in his 16. Psalm ver. 5. The Lorde is their portion and their cup, &c. But it destroyeth the wicked,

euen as the dregges of wine which dronkardes drinke, destroyeth them. Such a cup of drinke was it that was giuen to the Idumeans, who should be discouered and layde bare, euen like drunkards: and as it fell out with poore Noah when hee was ouertaken with wine. Which thing the Prophet Iere∣mie in the 49. chapter of his prophe∣sie, ver. 10.11.12. hath more expresse∣ly declared, saying: J haue discouered Esau, I haue vncouered his secretes: and be shall not bee able to hide himselfe: his seede is wasted, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and there shall be none to say: Leaue thy fatherlesse children, and I will preserue them aliue, and let thy widdowes trust in me: beholde, they whose iudgement was not to drinke of the cup, haue assuredly drunke, and art thou hee that shall escape free? Thou shalt not go free, but shalt sure∣ly drinke of it, &c.

Now it may be asked, howe it com∣meth to passe, why these Idumeans are set before vs, as the greatest enemies of the Church: seeing they were de∣scended from the auncient fathers. For Esau, who was surnamed Edom, that is to say, Redde, because he solde his birthright of eldership for a messe

of redde potage, as in the 25. of Gene∣sis we reade, was the sonne of Isaak, Iacobs brother. The reasons which hereon are to be noted, are these: first, the righteous and vnsearchable iudg∣mentes of God: who hated Esau, and made his mountaines desolate, & yet iustly, as in the 1. of Malachy we read. For, throughout all the scriptures may be seene an extreme pride, and a very reuolting in Esau, and in al his, who sequestred and withdrewe them∣selues into the mount Seir, and there trusting to their fortresses, lay in wait to vexe and trouble their brethren, in euerie place where they were able, as in the prophesie of Obadiah: and in the 137. Psalme we may read. And the inhumanitie and cruelty of these peo∣ple was so great, as that they denied passage vnto their poore bretheren which were comming out of Aegypt: notwithstanding that they most hum∣bly besought them, as in the 20. chap∣ter of Nombers may be seene: To bee short, this was but a mingle mangle in their religion, although they were cir∣cumcised: for there was nothing in them, but pride in their manners and behauiours, and violence in their

actions. And without all doubt, the fa∣milie of Caine and Esau was but a fi∣gure and representation of the tyran∣nie, Apostasie, and wickednesse of An∣tichrist: who after hee had once be∣gunne to disturbe Christian Religion, and had attayned to great authoritie and power: set vp himselfe more cru∣elly against all true and faithful Chri∣stians, then all the rest of the heathen, and barbarous Nations. But wee will not here deale about the iolly and ho∣norable titles of the Church, or yet of the successors of Peter: For, the Pope is such a successor to Peter, in the or∣der of all his dealings, as Esau and the Idumeans were Successors to Abra∣ham. Neither must we be discouraged, or thinke that God will continually suffer and abide this his arrogant and shamelesse boldnesse: but let him bee assured that he shall also drinke of the cuppe with the Idumeans: and that this great Babylon shall come downe, which hath doone thus manie and so great wickednesse, and spilt so much Christian bloud: as in the 18. of the Apocalipse is foretolde.

That dwellest in the lande of Hur) Hur, was Aram his sonne, and Sem

his Nephew, from whome are issued the Aramites, that is to say, the Syri∣ans: who were neighbours to the Idu∣means in Trachonite: which is the countrie of Hur, of which countrey, as some suppose, Iob was.

Thine iniquitie is consumed, or thy pu∣nishment is accomplished) The Hebrewe worde, Tam, signifieth not only perfe∣ction, but also an ende and consum∣mation. Nowe, Ieremie his meaning is not, That the iniquities should be so consumed, as that there should be no more account made of them, but that the punishmentes and chastisements of their iniquities were ended & past. For, after that the 70. yeares were en∣ded, the Lordes anger was past, and it neuer fell out after that, that all the people were ledde captiue: vntill such time as for their not acknowledging the day of their visitation, & for their despitefully contemning of the glad tydinges of grace, the Citie of Ierusa∣lem was rased by Tytus and Vespasi∣an, and all their gouernement ouer∣throwen and brought to naught. Whē the Prophet sayth, That their iniquities and chastisementes were past: it is spoken to shewe vnto vs, That God is not al∣wayes

angrie, and that when he hath executed his iudgementes, he will re∣member his mercies: as in that nota∣ble place of the 40. of Isaiah, ver. 12. we read, where it is saide: Comfort yee, comfort yee my people, will your God saye, Speake comfortably to Jerusalem, and crie vnto her, that her warfare is accomplished, and her iniquitie pardoned Let them then, that with great arrogancie, and bolde confidence, looke vpon the ca∣lamities that haue lighted vpō France, and vppon the Lowe Countries, and haue of them no compassion, but at∣tribute those punishmentes, to come to them, either for their maintaining of the Gospell, or else for the dissolute and wicked liues of the saide Nations, thinking it as it were to be a iust recō∣pence, and very well bestowed on thē: remember themselues, that the ini∣quitie of those afflicted people shall be consumed, and their cup emptied, and taken away: and that then, God will laie before his rightuous face, the ini∣quities of other Nations, which now liue in a iolly securitie: and make thē drinke by turne, of the cuppe of his wrath: and their drinke shalbe sowrer & bitterer, than euer they were proud,

vncourteous, and lulled a sleepe, in their sinnes and iniquities. Wherefore it were verie requisite for euerie man to thinke wisely with him selfe, and do as Constantine the great was woont to doe, which was this, he would com∣monly admonish all those that were about him, and say, my masters, wee must all of vs one day render an ac∣count vnto God of our administrati∣ons and gouernements. Which thing Dauid marueilously well declareth in his 11. Psalme, ver. 4.5.6. saying: The Lorde is in his holy place: the Lordes throne is in heauen: his eyes do behold, and his eye lippes doe trie the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous: but his soule hateth the wicked. Vpon the wicked he will rayne, coles, fire, and brimstone, and a stormie tem∣pest shall be their cuppe, &c.

HERE FOLLOWE THE principall doctrines which were brieflie handled in the obser∣uations or notes.

[ I] OF the true ornamentes of common weales, and kingdomes.

[ II] Of the sorowful issue and condition, which of∣tentimes

befalleth great personages. [ III]

Of the degrees of punishments: ac∣cording to the diuerse and sundry de∣grees and circumstances of sinnes: as for example, the people of Iudah com∣plaine and say, that their punishment was more rigorous than the punish∣ment of Sodome: for their vnthanke∣fulnesse also was farre greater. Now the captiuitie that they then were in, seemed to them more rigorous than the destruction of Sodome: first, because it seemeth in very deede, to bee more gentle and tollerable, precisely to fall into the handes of God, than into the handes of men, euen as Dauid in the 24. of the 1. of Samuell said. Second∣ly, we alwaies thinke short punishmēts and aduersities more tollerable, then those that continue long: as in the cap∣tiuitie of Babylon, to beholde whiles Ierusalem was besieged, the starued young children die of hunger in the streetes: the horrible murders of the Babylonians, the nobilitie carried a∣way captiue like poore beasts: the san∣ctuarie destroied: to heare the blasphe∣mies of the barbarous people: To liue and not to haue the meanes to liue well, was a great deale more greeuous

than if they had beene suddenly cast downe hedlong into a dungeon, and beene consumed with fire from heauen. In very deede as for that that remay∣neth, the destruction of Sodome is set downe vnto vs in the scripture, as a notorious and fearefull iudgement of God against the reprobate: as in the 13. of Isaiah. ver. 19. wee read, where it is saide. That Babylon which is the glorie of kingdomes, shall be in the destruction of God, as Sodome and Gomorhe. And in the 34. of the saide Isaiah, ver. 9.10. when a greeuous pu∣nishment was denounced to the Idu∣means, it is said, That the riuers ther∣of should bee turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the lande thereof should be burning pitch: it shall not be quenched night nor day, and the smoke thereof, shall go vp euer more. And in the 7. verse of S. Iude his Epistle it is also saide, That Sodome and Gomorhe and the Cities about them, are set foorth for an example, and suffer the vengeance of eternall fire. And therefore the Pro∣phet Ieremie his meaning is not to compare in euery condition, the capti∣uitie, with the destruction of Sodom•…•…

and Gomorrhe: but only that in respect of the continuaunce, it seemed that the Sodomites were sooner ridde and dis∣patcht.

Here is also to be noted the place of [ IIII] the Nazarites, vnto which they whom Basill calleth the order of ASCETES, are like: who were not like Monkes and Fryers, and that iolly rabble which liued in howling and chaun∣ting: But a choise kinde of people, that vsed a straite manner of life in all vertuous thinges, and especi∣ally in the exercises of all godlinesse, and reading of the holy scriptures, not meaning thereby to merite heauen, but rather to tame their flesh: not ty∣ing themselues to any humane tradi∣tion: For, it is lawfull for euery Chri∣stian that hath this gift of God, to cō∣mand whatsoeuer particular exercises of pietie he will.

The fift point is, how cruell a thing [ V] the rodde and scourge of famine is.

The sixt doctrine is of the greatnes of Gods wrath: whereof hath beene [ VI] heretofore sufficiently spoken.

Of the signes of a neare destruction [ VII] of a Countrey, and what an ill presage it is, when as the Gouernours and

Teachers of the people ouerflowe in wickednesse.

[ VIII] Of the vaine confidence in the arme of flesh and bloud.

[ IX] Of the shortnesse, weakenesse, and inconstancie of the greatest Princes and mightiest kinges, of the shortnesse of their liues, and how subiect they are vnto a thousande inconueniences and chaunges.

[ X] Of the boundes which the Lord li∣miteth to our miseries, appointing them certaine periodes, and making all people come to their turne & course when they are called by name.

A PARAPHRASE VPON the fourth Chapter.

BEholde, I beseech you, [ 1] howe all our glorious glittering is bedimmed: beholde I say, if euer ye sawe fine golde, or any ingote of the most excellent golde, so dusked in the middest of a furnace, as were all the glittering and beautifull outwarde shewes that were among vs: beholde, (alas) how all the goodly an•…•… beautifull stones of this proud and sa¦cred

Temple are scattered about all the corners of the streetes.

Howe, forsooth, the noble men of [ 2] Iudah, who were of an other manner of mettall than the finest golde in the worlde, are no more esteemed nor ca∣red for, then olde earthen pitchers.

O straunge and fearefull case: That there should be founde wilde beastes, [ 3] yea in the middest of the mercilesse sea, to swimme to the shore, and giue their young ones sucke: and to see the women of Ierusalem more cruel than the Ostryches of the wildernesse, not to be able to do the like duety to their sucking babes.

For, the famine (alas) in this be∣sieged [ 4] Citie was such, as that the drie tongues of poore thirstie babes, stucke fast to the ruffe of their mouthes, and besides, there was manye and often times seene, during that siege, poore children houlding vp their hands, cra∣uing of a peice of bread, whose fathers and mothers were not able to afourd them the least morsell to put in their mouthes.

Yea euen they that were wonted to [ 5] fare most delicately, and liued most easily and pleasauntly, died of hunger,

and threw vpon the myerie doonghils of the streets, the most rich and sump∣tuous apparell, and most costly furni∣ture that was in all the Citie.

[ 6] So that it verily seemed that the e∣state of this miserable people, was far wretchedder than the state of Sodom and Gomorrhe, who languished not so long, but were soone cōsumed with fire, without falling into the hands of the enemie.

[ 7] But among the rest, what an heart∣breake, I pray you, was this, to see the venerable and reuerende Nazarites, reuerende euerie may, both for their godlinesse, deuotion, comelinesse of bodie, and well coulored faces: which God had made whiter than eyther milke or snowe, yea more orient than eyther pearles, or yet white Sa∣phires.

[ 8] And now, (Alas) were become so tawnie coulored and disfigured, as that no man was able to knowe them that mette them in the streetes. They were (alas) drier than anie kexe, so as their skinne cleaued to the verie bones.

Thus wee see, what a scourge fa∣mine [ 9] is, which woundeth more cruel∣ly

than the edge of the Sword, and the death of those that died for want of victualles was more greeuous, than they that were runne through and through with a launce staffe, or with a sharpe pointed sworde.

For this was a monstrous sight to [ 10] see in this famine, mothers, who at all other times, were saide to bee tender hearted, and yet in this miserable di∣stresse of Ierusalem, had such harde hearts, as that they slewe their owne children, and after boyled and rosted them, to satisfie their hunger, for the prolonging of their miserable liues.

But what shall I say? It was the [ 11] wrath, and iust furie of the eternall a∣gainst their sinnes, which nowe were growen to a full measure. It was the fierce wrath of the Almightie, who ra∣sed euerie thing to the bare ground.

Otherwise, there were neuer anie [ 12] that once durst thinke, that anie such shame should touch vs: no, not the most stout and mightie Monarches of the worlde, neuer thought that they should euer haue come to so good a market of vs, nor our enemies to haue so tryumphed ouer vs in the middest of our gates, and holy places of Ieru∣salem.

[ 13] And therefore wee must take it to come by reason of our sinnes: yea euē by reason of the sinnes of these iollie Prophetes and Priestes, who chiefely seduced the people, to cause them to liue loosely, and were also the most cruell, mutinous, and extreame dea∣lers in all kinde of violence.

[ 14] Euen to runne blinded with rage through the streetes, like distraught people, and to spill so much bloud, as that their verie garments were all em∣brued with bloud.

[ 15] So as they cryed out vnto them, ac∣cording to the ordinance of the lawe; depart ye men defiled with bloud, de∣part & defile not others. And indeede God did verie wel to cause thē depart, and take their flight to some place els: In so much as that the verie Heathen skorned them for it and sayde, That they shoulde looke no more to defile the sanctuarie, whereunto they should neuer returne againe.

[ 16] Considering that it was the iust wrath and vengeance of God, to haue them dispersed: and cōmitted into the enemies handes, who were so merci∣lesse, as that they respected not Priests,

nor yet age.

And yet notwithstanding, we poore [ 17] fooles, we I say, euen vnto this present haue fixed our eyes vppon the vaine aide of straungers, and wee, as a man would say, vse sharpely to looke out for the iolly helpe of Aegypt, seeking for figges among thistles or bryers.

But we are well ynough serued. For [ 18] beholde we are so pend in, as that we are watched in the streetes: neither is it lawefull for vs to come out of our dores: our ende (alas) and terme is come and finished: wee are vtterly vndone.

The Aegles which soare and cut the [ 19] highest cloudes in the ayre, are not swifter nor nimbler than our enemies, that pursue vs through the moūtaines: yea they laye waite for vs in the wil∣dernesse.

And that (alas) which most discō∣forteth [ 20] vs, is the king our Maister, the Lordes annointed, who was woont to put vs in a snoring sleepe, and vnder the shadowe of whose whinges, wee thought our selues very safe, and hee that vsed to iest at the Heathē, is now himselfe fallen into the handes of his enemies, fettered like a sclaue, and

carried away captiue.

[ 21] Goe to nowe yee Idumeans, a peo∣ple which haue alwayes reioyced at our miseries: stretch out your selues nowe, cheare vp your selues with our miseries, and bath yee in them: and doe it so much the rather, because ye shall shortly be taught to daunce the selfe same daunce, and lie soaking in the same bath, wherein we nowe lie a soake: and shall drinke your filles out of the same cup: vntill such time as ye be discouered, and your shame laide wide open.

[ 22] As for thee Syon, and thou people of Iudah, thy reckoning is ended and thy miserie wearing away: GOD is for the rest, contented with that which thou haste fuffered for thy sinnes. But it is yee (O people of Idumea) with whom the Lorde nowe meaneth to haue to doe: and will call thee by name: to examine thy sinnes, cruelties, and wicked∣nesse, which hee will bring in euidence against thee.

Notes

• ••chin.
• Ta••.
• Gennes. 9.
• A compa∣rison.
• Verse 22.
• A good lesson for E. to learn, and beware in time.
• An admo∣nition of Constan∣tine the great to all his famili∣ars.