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<NAME>Alexis Jakobson</NAME>
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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE LAMENTATIONS <HI>and holy mourninges of the</HI> Pro|phet Ieremiah, With a Lamentable Paraphra&s;e and exhortation, meete euery <HI>way to be applyed vnto the&s;e our dayes:</HI> For the comforting of all the true faithfull children of God that are vnder the Cro&s;&s;e and feele <HI>their mi&s;eries: And for the awaking of all tho&s;e</HI> that haue no feeling of their mi&s;eries: Not-with-&s;tanding the great calamities <HI>which haue fallen and &s;till are like to</HI> fall vpon the&s;e our dayes.</P>
<P><HI>Publi&s;hed by</HI> Daniel Tou&s;&s;aine, <HI>and</HI> tran|&s;lated out of French into Engli&s;h, by <HI>Tho. Sto. Gent.</HI></P>
<P>AT LONDON, <HI>Printed by Iohn Windet, for</HI> Humfrey Bate, and are to be &s;olde at his &s;hop in Paterno&s;ter rowe at the &s;igne of the <HI>Blacke Hor&s;e.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="illustration">
<PB REF="2">
<P><FIGURE>
<P>1577</P>
</FIGURE></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE RIGHT <HI>wor&s;hipfull and vertuous</HI> Ladie, the Lady Vr&s;ula Wal|&s;ingham true and perfect feli|citie, with the encrea&s;e of God his fauour and of his mo&s;t excellent gifts.</HEAD>
<P>_IT hath beene a com|mon and v&s;ual thing at all times and in al ages (Right wor&s;hip|ful and vertuous La|die) to &s;ee many gifts and pre&s;entes brought and be&s;towed vpon the richer and welthier &s;ort, and vpon &s;uch as haue had no neede, veri|fying therby that, in earthly matters, which properly is &s;poken and meant of the minde, to wit: <HI>To him that hath &s;hall be giuen abundantly, &amp;c.</HI> Euen &s;o, the abundance of God his good gifts, the humblene&s;&s;e of minde, the loue of vertue, the zeale of the &s;eruing of
<PB REF="3"> God, and the tender bowels of com|pa&s;&s;ion which I haue credibly heard, and partly &s;eene in your Ladi&s;hippe, hath often times &s;tirred me vp, by wri|ting to adde &s;ome good thing vnto the heape of tho&s;e your good and ex|cellent vertues. But finding nothing in my &s;elfe wherewith to an&s;were my de&s;ire, worthie the learning, what by rea&s;on of the want of knowledge and wi&s;dome in me: I in the end re&s;olued with my &s;elfe to giue ouer my purpo&s;e and determination, and to fini&s;h with prayer vnto God, That it would plea&s;e his Maie&s;tie to ble&s;&s;e his giftes in you with encrea&s;e, &s;o farre forth as it &s;hall be thought good to his heauenly wi&s;e|dome to appoint: neuerthele&s;&s;e, &s;pen|ding &s;ome time as my ley&s;ure woulde &s;erue me in reading ouer diuer&s;e and &s;undry expo&s;itions of the &s;acred &s;crip|tures, I lighted vppon this &s;hort para|phra&s;e of DANIELL TOVS|SAINE of the holy Lamentations of the Prophet Ieremiah, an apt and fitte peece of worke (in my poore opi|nion) to be euery way applyed vnto the&s;e our dayes, a&s;wel for the comfor|ting of all the faithfull childre~ of God that are vnder the cro&s;&s;e &amp; feele their
<PB REF="3"> mi&s;eries, as al&s;o for the awaking and &s;tirring vppe of all tho&s;e that haue no feeling of their mi&s;eries, notwith&s;tan|ding the great calamities which haue fallen, and are like &s;till to fall vppon this latter age of the worlde. And becau&s;e (as I haue alreadie &s;ayde) I finde nothing in my &s;elfe to further that loue of vertue and zeale of Chri|&s;tianitie which GOD in great mercy hath vouch&s;afed vpon you, I haue ob|tayned at the handes of this godly mi|ni&s;ter and preacher of the word, DA|NIELL TOVSSAINE, to &s;up|ply my want, whom, if it &s;hall plea&s;e your Ladi&s;hip attentiuely with good affection to heare: the paine no doubt &s;hall be much le&s;&s;e than the profite, and you therby &s;hall not faile to reape great fruite. The point of which &s;mall trauaile &s;hall &s;oone take ende, and the gaine long remaine and continue. And therefore what&s;oeuer here &s;halbe handled in this little treati&s;e: I mo&s;t humbly be&s;eech your good Ladi&s;hip alwayes in &s;ome mea&s;ure to remem|ber. To be &s;hort, If the people of the Iewes in Ieru&s;alem hadde made an ac|count of the wordes of the Prophet in forewarning them of their de&s;truction:
<PB REF="4"> if they turned not vnto their God, it had not &s;o fallen out with them as it did. But becau&s;e they beleeued him not, but dealt mo&s;t cruelly with him, the Lorde in his iu&s;t iudgementes re|quited their ob&s;tinacie. For, the verie name of God his word, ought to &s;trike into our heartes great reuerence to|wardes it, great de&s;ire to haue it, great ha&s;te to heare it, great loue to read it, and like care to keepe it. If a King or Queene &s;hould write vnto vs, Oh, how readie would we be to &s;hore vppe our eares? What ha&s;te would we make to heare the contents of the &s;ame? But beholde, God him &s;elfe hath directed his letters to euerie one of vs, the Se|cretarie of which, is his owne holy &s;pi|rite, and his Prophets, Apo&s;tles, and Mini&s;ters are his pur&s;euauntes and me&s;&s;engers, which bring them vnto vs. And therefore, intollerable is our co~|tempt towardes his Maie&s;tie, that &s;en|deth them, if we do not humbly heare and reade them, and diligently marke and ob&s;erue the e&s;peciall pointes and contents of them. And as it is written: the very dreadfull wordes of God doe follow &s;uch contempt.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Prou.</NOTE>O turne vnto my correction, for lo
<PB REF="4"> I will expre&s;&s;e my mind vnto you, and make you vnder&s;tand my words. See|ing then that I haue called &amp; you re|fu&s;ed <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t, I haue &s;tretched out my hand and no man regarded it, but all my coun&s;ell yee haue de&s;pi&s;ed, and &s;et my corrections at naught, therefore &s;hall I al&s;o laugh at your de&s;truction, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Nowe then, what promi&s;e can be &s;weeter, than to haue God expre&s;&s;e his mind vnto vs, and make vs vnder&s;tand his will? And what terror can be grea|ter, then to haue his Maie&s;tie laugh &amp; reioyce in our de&s;truction? Fro~ which dreadfull de&s;truction I be&s;eech him to deliuer vs, &amp; &s;tay vs by his holy word, vntill &s;uch time as wee come vnto his happy kingdome. Thus humbly lea|uing the patronezing of this my poore and &s;imple trauaile vnto your good Lady&s;hippe I cea&s;e.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>From Marke Lane in London
<DATE>the 16. of September. 1587.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED><HI>Your Ladi&s;hips mo&s;t humbly to be commanded,</HI> Thomas Stocker.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<PB REF="5">
<HEAD>The Preface vppon the <HI>Lamentations of the Prophet</HI> Ieremiah.</HEAD>
<P>_AS men in times pa&s;t, v|&s;ed to &s;et vppe pillers or &s;takes, as markes for tho&s;e whiche trauelled through Champion cou~|tries, to knowe the way by, which &s;ome me~ called, Mercuries marks: And as men giue a bunch of keyes to tho&s;e which would goe into an hou&s;e to view and &s;ee all the chambers and clo&s;ets of the &s;ame: Euen &s;o likewi&s;e hath it beene a cu&s;tome, for the &s;etting of Readers in a right &amp; pro|fitable way of reading any book, to &s;et foorth &s;ome preface, for the laying open eyther of the phra&s;e or argument, eyther el&s;e of the Methode or order, or of the v&s;e of that book which a man wil take in hande to interpret. Some there are that make much a do in &s;et|ting forth and aduauncing tho&s;e authours, vpon who&s;e workes they intende to coment, as <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome,</HI> writing vpon <HI>Paule</HI> his
<PB REF="5"> Epi&s;tles, hath done. Howbeit, it is a thing of all others, least nece&s;&s;arie, namely when the Authors are &s;ufficiently knowen, &amp; of &s;uch note and marke, as that in too too much co~|mending of them, it is but a darkening of their commendacions, as of the ouer com|mending of the Prophetes, and of the Apo|&s;tles. And therefore it &s;hall not be needeful, to make any great narration in the comme~|dation of the Prophet <HI>Ieremie,</HI> who was a right faithfull &s;eruaunt of the Lordes, and a valiant preacher of his iust iudgementes, and therefore out of all mea&s;ure, more ha|ted, to&s;&s;ed and tourmoyled, and cro&s;&s;ed than any of all the other Prophets euer were, yea euen put to a thou&s;and deathes: who i&s;&s;ued and de&s;cended from the rest of the &s;tocke of the Prie&s;ts, that were re&s;iant in <HI>Anathoth,</HI> belonging to the ligne of <HI>Beiamin,</HI> de&s;cen|ding from <HI>Abiathar</HI> the high Prie&s;t, whom king <HI>Salomon,</HI> as in the <HI>2.</HI> Chap. of the <HI>1.</HI> Booke of the kinges, we reade, had bani|&s;hed thether.</P>
<P>It &s;hall &s;uffice therefore at this pre&s;ent, that we aduerti&s;e the Readers of foure ne|ce&s;&s;arie pointes to be ob&s;erued, in the rea|ding of the&s;e Lamentations of Ieremie.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, of the Title, or in&s;cription of this <MILESTONE N="1"> Booke.</P>
<P>Secondarily, of the occa&s;ion, and of the <MILESTONE N="2">
<PB REF="6"> argument, or &s;ubiect thereof.</P>
<P>Thirdly, of the Methode, or order which <MILESTONE N="3"> the Prophet keepeth.</P>
<P>Fourthly, of the v&s;e of this Treati&s;e, and <MILESTONE N="4"> how requi&s;ite the con&s;ideration thereof is, for the dayes wherein we liue.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t point then that in this litle trea|ti&s;e mu&s;t be regarded, which the Hebrewes alwayes accu&s;tomed to cut off, and &s;eparate from the prophe&s;ie of <HI>Ieremie,</HI> and place it after the bookes of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> among the holie collections (as we call them) that is to &s;ay, The Canticle of Canticles, Ruth, Eccle&s;i|a&s;tes, the booke of He&s;ter, and &s;uch other like, is this, That the Jewes in the bodie of the Bible, called this commonly by none o|ther name, but by the fir&s;t worde wherewith the Lamentations beginne, which worde is, ECHA, that is to &s;aye, HOWE, And this worde, according to the iudgement of the Hebrewes, is encountered not without &s;ome my&s;terie, thrice in the beginning of three of the Chapters of the&s;e Lamentati|ons, to wit, in the beginning of the fir&s;t, &s;econde, and fourth: &s;ome &s;uppo&s;ing, that the&s;e three encounters of one and the &s;elfe &s;ame worde, haue regard vnto the thee per|&s;ons in trinitie: &s;ome others taking it as for a perfect number, haue regard to the per|fect, whole, and totall de&s;olation of the citie
<PB REF="6"> of Jeru&s;alem, and of the countrey round a|bout it.</P>
<P>Moreouer, when as the Hebrewes make mention of this booke in their commenta|ries they call it, CINOTH, that is to &s;ay, Lamentations or mournings, proceeding from a lamentable voyce, hauing alwaies an vndoubted regarde to the principall argu|ment of the Booke. For, although we finde in this little booke, con&s;olations and pray|ers mixte together, e&s;pecially in the fifte Chapiter: yet beareth it iu&s;tly and of very right, the name of the chiefe argument, and principall matter, and is a verie fee|ling &s;orrowe and griefe, and a most liue|ly repre&s;entation of the ignominie and re|proch, which at that time lighted vpon <HI>Ie|ru&s;alem,</HI> and vpon the whole countrey of <HI>Iudah.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;eauentie interpreters vnto whome the Greeke tran&s;lation is attributed, and the common latine tran&s;lation al&s;o, for the helping of the argument, haue put in the&s;e wordes in the beginning thereof: <HI>And it came to pa&s;&s;e, that after I&s;raell was ledde captiue, that the Prophet Ieremiah &s;ate weeping, and lamen|ting ouer Ieru&s;alem, with this lamen|tation, &s;ighing and groning in the bitterne&s;&s;e of his heart; and &s;aying,
<PB REF="7"> as followeth. &amp;c.</HI> Howbeit we can finde no &s;uch thing written in the Hebrew text.</P>
<P>As concerning the argument, &s;ubiect, and occa&s;ion of this &s;horte Treati&s;e of La|mentations, there is no likelihoode, as <HI>Rabe Salomon</HI> and &s;ome others thinke, that it &s;hould be the &s;ame booke, whereof mention is made in the <HI>30.</HI> Chapter of <HI>Ieremie</HI> his prophecie: which when <HI>Ieremie</HI> had deli|uered to <HI>Baruch</HI> by worde of mouth, he af|terwarde, read to the people: and after, that king <HI>Ioachim,</HI> had once gotten it into his handes, he foorthwith cut it in pieces with a penneknife, and threw it into the fire. For there expre&s;&s;e mention is made, that there were no Lamentations conteyned within that Booke, but the threatninges of God a|gain&s;t <HI>I&s;rael</HI> and <HI>Iudith:</HI> yea euen the ve|ry &s;ame demon&s;trations, which the Prophet <HI>Ieremie</HI> had before, liuely made, which <HI>Baruch</HI> de&s;cribing, was ouercome with &s;or|rowing and &s;ighing, as in the <HI>45.</HI> chapter of <HI>Ieremie</HI> we may reade.</P>
<P>Neither mu&s;t we thinke, that that which is &s;aide in the beginning of the third chap|ter of the Lamentations: <HI>I am the man, that hath &s;eene affliction in the rodde of his indignation, and that which fol|loweth,</HI> any whit fauoureth the fore&s;aide <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">pinion: as though <HI>Ieremie</HI> would frame a
<PB REF="7"> complaint only of his particular aduer&s;ities, and of the tormentes which the Jewes had v&s;ed again&s;t him before the taking of <HI>Ieru|&s;alem.</HI> For, we knowe well inough, that it is a cu&s;tomarie thing with the Prophets, to repre&s;ent, and as a man would &s;aye, inue&s;t, and put vpon them the per&s;on of the people, a&s;well, the more to &s;tirre vp the Auditorie, and &s;trike their heartes, as al&s;o becau&s;e it is the nature of Charitie, to appropriate the publike my&s;eries to her &s;elfe, and &s;o take them as if they particularly touched euerie one of vs. Such a great and notable courte|&s;ie and faithfulnes was in the Prophet <HI>Ie|remie,</HI> as that although the people of <HI>Iu|dah,</HI> had, through their &s;tubbernne&s;&s;e, and rebellion, heaped vpon them&s;elues &s;uch mi|&s;eries in that they had de&s;pitefully, &amp; arro|gantly contemned, and trode vnder foote, the holy aduerti&s;ementes of this good Pro|phet: yet would hee not but be partaker of their &s;orrowe and ruine, as if the whole mat|ter had particularly lyen vpon him&s;elfe. O tr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> and &s;ingular &s;trict and &s;traite line of heartie and tender loue. Such a heartie loue al&s;o had that excellent Martyr <HI>S. Cyprian</HI> when writing vpon tho&s;e, that in the time of per&s;ecution had &s;tumbled and &s;lidde, &s;et|teth it downe in the&s;e termes, I am partaker of the heauie burden of their griefe: J la|ment
<PB REF="8"> with tho&s;e that lament: I account my &s;elfe among tho&s;e which are aba&s;ed and ca&s;t downe: A brotherly affection &s;uteth me in the &s;ame bunch of my forlorne brethren, &amp;c. And thus much as concerning the fore|&s;aide opinion.</P>
<P>Howbeit there are &s;ome, and that verie great Clerkes and learned per&s;onages, which are of the opinion, that the&s;e Lamentations of <HI>Ieremie</HI> were written immediately after the death of that good King <HI>Io&s;ias,</HI> and that by rea&s;on of the Lamentable di&s;com|fyture, in the fieldes of Mageddo. Which they grounde vppon two principall rea|&s;ons. Fir&s;t vpon that that is recited in the <HI>35.</HI> Chapiter of the &s;econde of the Chroni|cles, That the Prophet <HI>Ieremie</HI> lamented the death of <HI>Io&s;ias.</HI> But this me &s;eemeth to be a verie weake rea&s;on. For certes, this is out of all doubt, that <HI>Ieremie</HI> had manie griefes, and in his dolourous life, made many Lamentations: a&s;well becau&s;e of the greeuous &s;innes of the people, and their hardne&s;&s;e of heart: as al&s;o by rea&s;on of the de&s;olations which he fore &s;awe: and otherwhile, eyther for the death of <HI>Io|&s;ias,</HI> or el&s;e for &s;ome other good and va|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">orous men. Alas, howe this good &s;eruaunt of God powred out &s;ighes and riuers of bloudie and bitter teares, as amonge o|ther
<PB REF="8"> thinges in the ninth, <HI>10.12.14.</HI> and <HI>20.</HI> Chapiters of his Prophe&s;ie appea|reth.</P>
<P>But it is one thing to Lament for &s;ome particular accidentes, or for the death of a <HI>Io&s;ias,</HI> for whome all the people, and all the &s;inging men and &s;inging women lamented: and an other thing to bewayle the whole destruction and ouerthrowe of an E&s;tate and Kingdome, yea, and that of the moste famous and Noble Citie that then was in all the worlde, and which was, as it were, the verie Theater of all the most rare and &s;ingular fauourers of the Lorde, which verely de&s;erueth an ex|pre&s;&s;e treati&s;e, and &s;uch e&s;peciall Lamen|tations as in this booke wee &s;ee: and it is, J &s;ay, a good thing to &s;ee, how the Prophet had hereunto in the&s;e lamentations a prin|cipall regarde.</P>
<P>The other rea&s;on, which they that re|ferre the&s;e Lamentations to the dayes of <HI>Io&s;ias,</HI> is the place in the fourth of the&s;e Lamentations, where mention is made of the taking of the annoynted of the Lorde. Vnder who&s;e &s;hadowe, the people &s;ayde, they &s;hould liue, among the Heathen. But in this rea&s;on there &s;eemeth no probabili|tie, becau&s;e that King <HI>Io&s;ias</HI> was not ta|ken,
<PB REF="9"> but hurt, and foorthwith carried in|to <HI>Ieru&s;alem</HI> by his people, where he imme|diately died.</P>
<P>Other later learned interpreters &s;eeme to followe an opinion betweene both, that they might reconcile both the one and the other, &s;aying, that in very deede the begin|ning and fir&s;t occa&s;ion of the my&s;eries of <HI>Iu|dah</HI> and Lamentations of <HI>Ieremy,</HI> was the death of the valiant king <HI>Io&s;ias,</HI> but that notwith&s;tanding the&s;e Lamentations exten|ded euen to the going forwarde of the cala|mities which continued vnto the captiui|tie of <HI>Babylon,</HI> and the vtter ouerthrowe of all <HI>Iudah.</HI> As in verie deede after the death of <HI>Io&s;ias,</HI> there was no great quiet|ne&s;&s;e in <HI>Iudah,</HI> but that great and huge billowes of all &s;ortes of my&s;eries aro&s;e one in an others necke, becau&s;e, as in the <HI>34.</HI> chapter of the &s;econde of the Chronicles we reade, that hardly could the horrible furie of God his iu&s;tice, which <HI>Mana&s;&s;es, Io&s;ias</HI> his predece&s;&s;or, had prouoked, be appea&s;ed: &s;uch a fearefull thing it is once to fall into the hands of the Almightie, and to force his patience.</P>
<P><HI>Ioachas,</HI> the &s;onne of <HI>Io&s;ias</HI> reigned on|ly three monethes. After him, the king of <HI>Aegypt</HI> e&s;tabli&s;hed <HI>Ioachim,</HI> king: whom <HI>Iechonia</HI> &s;ucceeded and in his dayes, the
<PB REF="9"> Babylonians &s;poyled the citie, and &s;oone af|ter de&s;troyed it, by rea&s;on of <HI>Zedechia</HI> his rebellion. Thus we &s;ee that after the death of <HI>Io&s;ias</HI> there was nothing, as it were, but a full and through continuance of mi&s;eries.</P>
<P>But &s;eeing J am freely to &s;peake my minde, which of their opinions is mo&s;t like|ly, J willingly yeelde to them, that thinke the&s;e Lamentations of <HI>Ieremie</HI> not to bee &s;o much a prophe&s;ie, or a denunciation, or portrayture of a thing to come, as a &s;orrow|ing, greeuing, and complayning of a most notorious and euident extreame pre&s;ent ca|lamitie: whether it was that <HI>Ieremie</HI> wrote them in pry&s;on, whiles the citie was a &s;ack|ing: or whether it was that he put them in writing &s;ythence, whiles he was with <HI>Go|doliah</HI> in <HI>Ma&s;phat.</HI></P>
<P>For, at the verie fir&s;t entrance,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iere. 40.</NOTE> and be|ginning of euerie Chapter, hee lamenteth not any particular accident, but a generall ruine and deluge of my&s;eries, which fell vp|on the whole countrie: to be &s;hort, a totall turning vp &s;ide downe as well of the citie of <HI>Ieru&s;alem</HI> (which <HI>Plinie</HI> him&s;elfe hath placed in the ranke among the chiefe&s;t Ci|ties of the Ea&s;t) as al&s;o of the whole &s;eruice and wor&s;hip of God: likewi&s;e of the ciuill policie, and of the whole gouernement both &s;pirituall and temporall: a thing, which is
<PB REF="10"> able mightily to wounde true &s;etled heartes, to &s;ee the couenaunt of GOD, as it were fru&s;trated, and the right religion derided and reproched, whiche hath mooued the Prophet to aggrauate, and engraue with|in this notable Booke, for Po&s;teritie to come, all the&s;e di&s;orders, and confu&s;ed dealinges: to the ende to cau&s;e the people that then were, and the generation that &s;hould come after, feele the wrath and fu|rie of God his iust vengeaunce, and howe fooli&s;he they are, that giue their mindes to hearken vnto priuie deceauers and fal&s;e Prophetes, which lulle worldlinges a&s;leepe in their &s;innes, and fourde them on in a vaine hope, as though God for the loue of the outwarde temple, for the loue of ceremo|nies, for the loue of an outward profe&s;&s;ion, and for the loue of the name of the Church, &s;hould &s;urcea&s;e the execution of his iudge|mentes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The com|mo~ reward for plaine and &s;ound dealing.</NOTE> as the people of <HI>Iudah</HI> were often|times too too much fal&s;ely deceaued by the&s;e enchauntments: wi&s;hing to good <HI>Ieremie,</HI> that dealt plainly and faithfully with them an euill death, becau&s;e hee &s;oundely and roundly tolde them of the mi&s;chiefe which hunge ouer their heades, and becau&s;e al&s;o, that for their daily exceeding in all kindes of &s;innes, they must looke for none other paiment but vtter de&s;olation. Thus wee
<PB REF="10"> &s;ee the matter, J &s;aye, which the Prophet <HI>Ieremie</HI> heere handled in the&s;e Lamenta|tions.</P>
<P>Nowe hee handeleth, and &s;etteth it downe in &s;uch manner, as that the whole Booke &s;eemeth rather to bee his Historie, than a foretelling of a thinge to come: hee &s;o liuely and earne&s;tly pictureth out and &s;etteth before our eyes all &s;ortes of calami|ties, or el&s;e all the occurrauntes and cir|cum&s;taunces of this Lamentable de&s;tru|ction of <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> which the <HI>A&s;&s;yrians</HI> &s;hall bring to pa&s;&s;e, and of the captiuitie a&s;well of the Prince&s;&s;e, as of the people. True it is, becau&s;e hee right well knewe, that this &s;houlde not bee the last destru|ction, and that in the ende of <HI>70.</HI> yeares, the Lorde God would re&s;tore againe the cap|tiued people vnto their plea&s;aunt countrey and re&s;tabli&s;h both them-&s;elues and the re|ligion within their Citie: hee entermed|leth as it were all ouer holy prayers and con&s;olations, to comforte the heartes of good menne with-all, to the ende they &s;houlde not bee vtterly di&s;couraged, and hopele&s;&s;e. Nowe, the like comfortes and promi&s;es the Jewes had not in the laste &s;iege and destruction, when <HI>Titus</HI> and <HI>Ve&s;pa&s;ian</HI> came again&s;t them: For at that time, the Prophetes of GOD gaue
<PB REF="11"> them cleane ouer, becau&s;e their wickedne&s;&s;e was come now to the full ripene&s;&s;e, when as they vtterly reiected and crucified the great Prophet of Prophetes, and the Doctor of Doctors, Chri&s;t Ie&s;us our Lorde, bani&s;hed, murdered, and per&s;ecuted his Prophetes: and to be &s;hort, would not vnder&s;tande the time of their vi&s;itation. And thus much as touching the argument of the Lamentati|ons.</P>
<P>Now followeth, that we con&s;ider of the Methode or order, and artificiall handling of this writing: which no man can &s;uffici|ently admire, if he looke well to the argu|ment. For, although the Orators haue nere|ly found out and inuented many wayes and mean<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s, eyther for the highly commending of any great and excellent thing, eyther el&s;e for the bewayling or lamenting of certaine &s;orrowes and griefes, which kinde of &s;peak|ing and writing Tully in the <HI>3.</HI> of his par|titions, reputeth to be the mo&s;t rich and co|pious, and mo&s;t profitable kinde of order for common-weales: yet the fardle of mans elo|quence, commeth nothing neere the nature and dexteritie of the Lamentations, which the &s;pirite of God hath framed in <HI>Ieremie</HI> his heart, and vttered foorth by mouth to the v&s;e of all the Hebrewes. And although in this Treati&s;e, the Prophet enterlaceth
<PB REF="11"> prayers and exhortations to repentance, &amp; withall con&s;olations: yet they are all &s;o pa|theticall, or of &s;uch notable feeling as is po&s;|&s;ible: and it is the principall &s;cope whereat he aimeth, to di&s;couer, in lamenting the geatne&s;&s;e of God his wrath, and &s;o con&s;e|quently, the greatne&s;&s;e of the iniquities and &s;innes of the people, that they might &s;erue him, as it were for matter and woode, to &s;et &s;uch a fire on a light flame. Moreouer, the Prophet &s;o Lamenteth the ca&s;e, as that hee keepeth him-&s;elfe &s;till within his limites, without &s;oaring a-loft in the ayre in long di&s;cour&s;es, which haue not the grace, &s;o liue|ly to touch mens heartes, as graue, natural, and &s;hort &s;entences, proceeding from out of a &s;orrowefull and wounded heart, which is vnmeete for long or affected &s;peaches: as this Romaine Oratour <HI>Tullie</HI> al&s;o testifi|eth, It is an hard matter, &s;ayth he, to keepe men long while in a very pa&s;&s;ioned behol|ding of any my&s;erie, becau&s;e it is a thing that &s;ooner dryeth vp, than the teares of a mans eyes. And &s;uch are the &s;tile, and words of the Prophet <HI>Ieremie</HI> in the&s;e Lamenta|tions, that is to &s;aye, graue, and feeling,</P>
<P>Beautified with liuely portraytures, and verie fitte compari&s;ons, which lead the Rea|ders euen vnto the behoulding of the verie &s;ame thinges that are &s;poken of. If then
<PB REF="12"> by the art Oratorie, mens heartes are made flexible to compa&s;&s;ion, when as there &s;halbe tould and figured out vnto them, the &s;ud|daine chaunges and reuolutions from great pro&s;peritie to extreame beggerie, from an high e&s;tate, vnto a ba&s;e and my&s;erable con|dition: then of verie right ought a man to be mooued by the&s;e Lamentations of <HI>Iere|mie:</HI> which art is a&s;well practized here, as any Oratour in the worlde is able. And it is a great deale le&s;&s;e &s;u&s;pected, becau&s;e hee lamenteth not any particular mi&s;happes, but the &s;poyling of an whole countrey, and the verie ruine thereof. And this J &s;ay, <HI>Ie|remie</HI> &s;o artificially and orderly handleth, as that it is no maruel that <HI>Gregorie Na|zianzene</HI> wrote as he did, when he &s;ayde: That hee neuer reade the Lamentations of <HI>Ieremie</HI> without teares. And to &s;ay the truth, who would not be mooued to &s;ee the&s;e holy Lamentations, proceeding from the loue of God: the loue of a mans Countrey: the loue of pure and holy Religion: the loue of order and policie: the loue of his fellowe Citizens, and of &s;o many &amp; &s;o many fami|lies, who with a worlde of young children are &s;eene lead in exile, or el&s;e to the &s;hambles, and euerie e&s;tate turned vp&s;ide downe. For, the greater, the more &s;urpa&s;&s;ing, and the more &s;ingular that the benefits of God were
<PB REF="12"> vnto the Citie of <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> the more la|mentable was her de&s;truction. And there|fore it was verie well &s;ayde of <HI>Tully,</HI> when he &s;ayde, That there was nothing more to be pitied, then to &s;ee a man that hath beene in great pro&s;peritie, and aduaunced to high degree of honour, to be ca&s;t downe into great my&s;erie and pouertie.</P>
<P>Nowe, although in verie deede, a man &s;hal here and there meete with many mour|ninges and lamentations in the holy &s;crip|ture, as among the re&s;t, with that which we reade in the fir&s;t of the <HI>2.</HI> of Samuel, where <HI>Dauid</HI> hartely and tenderly mourned and lamented for the death of King <HI>Saul:</HI> most affectionately bewailing the lamentable di&s;|comfiture which came to pa&s;&s;e in the mount <HI>Gelboa:</HI> yet &s;hall we finde nothing &s;o am|ple, &s;erious, and enriched with all &s;ortes of excellent compari&s;ons, neither yet grounded vppon &s;o great and manife&s;t rea&s;ons, as are the Lamentations of <HI>Ieremie:</HI> about which, are fiue whole Chapters &s;pent with|out any &s;uperfluous kinde of matter in them, but diuer&s;ely handled with manie excellent and &s;traunge protractions, ra|ui&s;hing &s;ometimes mens mindes with a&s;to|ni&s;hment, and casting them downe, as it were, into a bottomle&s;&s;e depth, &amp; &s;ometimes againe ray&s;ing the~ vp, into an hope of Gods
<PB REF="13"> grace and fauour, bringing them thereby, vnto true and vnfeyned repentance. But all &s;et out with a most comely grace: repre&s;en|ting fir&s;t of all in generall, the mi&s;eries of <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> vnder the per&s;on of a poore de|&s;olate widdowe, or of a Prince&s;&s;e, &s;uddenly throwen downe from the highe&s;t degree of honour, into a mo&s;t mi&s;erable &s;eruile e&s;tate. And after all this, there are liuely repre&s;en|ted the tryumphes and braueries of the ad|uer&s;aries, by which they thought to breake euen the very heart &s;tringes of the&s;e mi&s;e|rable afflicted people.</P>
<P>In the &s;econde chapter, the Prophet be|ginneth to particularize euerie charge, and to de&s;cifer by piece meale, the notablest lo&s;&s;es that that countrey of <HI>Iudah</HI> had, vp|on which the Egyptians at that time, furi|ou&s;ly entred, and chiefely and aboue all the re&s;t he bewayleth, as a man would &s;aye, the lo&s;&s;e of the two eyes, and two perles of the countrey, which are Religion, and politicke gouernement, The order of Prie&s;thoode and kingly &s;tate: dolefully lamenting their &s;cla|uerie, and the re&s;t of the thinges depending vpon them as the ruine of the Prophetes, Nazarites, fortre&s;&s;es, ca&s;tles, and &s;uch other like thinges.</P>
<P>Jn the thirde chapter, the Prophet ta|king vpo~ him, the per&s;on of the people, very
<PB REF="13"> fitly expre&s;&s;eth &amp; repre&s;enteth the &s;piritu|al conflictes, which the poore afflicted &s;oules in their great di&s;tre&s;&s;es were wont to &s;uffer together with the i&s;&s;ue &amp; victorie, which the faithfull through faith obtayned.</P>
<P>The fourth Chapter &s;etteth out the re|medies, and layeth open a way and meanes to heale the wound, by &s;etting down a forme of free confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes. For, the fir&s;t be|ginning to heale a wounde, it to haue a through feeling of the griefe and paine, and after to &s;eeke the remedie. The Prophet al|&s;o in this chapter, addeth a propheticall foretelling of the de&s;truction of the enemie: thereby continually to ea&s;e the wounde and &s;ore of the Jewes, and aduaunce their hope.</P>
<P>Jn the fifte Chapter, wherein the Pro|phet <HI>Ieremie</HI> concludeth &amp; endeth his la|mentations, there is a verie fitte and nece&s;|&s;arie prayer, to keepe all the poore people at once, in all humilitie and true contrition: and likewi&s;e in a &s;ure tru&s;t and hope of their deliuerance. Thus we &s;ee, that after he had throughly lamented and &s;orrowed, yet that he mu&s;t at la&s;t be driuen to this point, euen in the midde&s;t of the&s;e extreame&s;t de&s;olati|ons, to bring our heartes and mindes toge|ther vnto this great God, that quickneth the dead, and who indeed is &s;uch a Surgeon,
<PB REF="14"> as that there is no wound nor &s;ore but he can heale, when as in a true and liuely fayth, he is &s;ought vnto, and called vpon. Moreouer, we are here e&s;pecially to note one thing, that when&s;oeuer the Prophetes &s;ummon the peo|ple to repent, or appea&s;e the wrath of God, they neuer &s;ende men to their owne &s;atisfa|ctions or merites, but to the only free mercie of this good God: And <HI>S. Ambro&s;e</HI> wri|ting vpon <HI>Luke,</HI> rightly &s;peaking of <HI>S. Pe|ter;</HI> &s;ayth in this &s;orte: I reade (&s;ayth he) in the Go&s;pel of <HI>Peters</HI> teares,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Peter re|pented and made a|mendes in teares, and not in me|rites.</NOTE> but nothing of his &s;atisfactions. Thus wee &s;ome what plainly &s;ee, what is to be noted touching the order and continuation of the Chapters of the&s;e Lamentations.</P>
<P>Some greatly maruell why <HI>Ieremie</HI> af|ter this &s;ort made the&s;e Lamentions, &s;eeing the Lorde God in the <HI>16.</HI> Chapter of his pro|phe&s;ie, ver. <HI>5.</HI> &s;ayde thus vnto him: <HI>Thou &s;halt not enter into the hou&s;e of mourning, neyther &s;halt thou goe to lament for them; for I haue taken my peace from this people, &s;aith the Lord: and &s;o haue I al&s;o my mercy and com|pa&s;&s;ion, &amp;c.</HI> But here we are to note in the fir&s;t place, that the Lorde forbiddeth him not &s;imply to lament: but yet &s;o lament, &amp; to &s;uch an ende, as that the iudgementes of god again&s;t the people might not take effect:
<PB REF="14"> As if God &s;hould haue &s;ayde thus: Thou ha&s;t lamented fairely but it will not &s;erue, for this people mu&s;t needes be cha&s;tized. Se|condly, our God in this place alleaged, mea|neth not vtterly to take away hope of grace from his people: But &s;peaketh of that that &s;hould generally fall out vnto the people, and to the ob&s;tinate and rebellious multi|tude, who altogether hardened their hearts again&s;t the Lorde, So that the Lamentati|ons of <HI>Ieremie</HI> were not written &s;o much for him, as they were written to &s;erue the peoples turne, &amp; to be vnto them as a gla&s;&s;e to beholde their mi&s;eries in: and a paterne of true and pitifull mourninges, following true repentance and conuer&s;ion vnto the al|together good and almightie God.</P>
<P>While&s;t we are nowe in &s;peaking of the Lamentations, wee are to note by the way, that the foure fir&s;t Chapters are written ac|cording to the Hebrewe alphabet, &s;aue that in the <HI>3.</HI> Chapter, there are &s;ometimes moe ver&s;es contained in euerie letter. This order of the Alphabet, is kept al&s;o among &s;ome of the P&s;almes. <HI>S. Ierome</HI> thought it was be|cau&s;e of the poe&s;ie, and trauelled to define what kinde of ver&s;es they were, and in the ende he tooke the lamentations to bee &s;uch kinde of ver&s;es, as are called Saphique, al|leaging for te&s;timonies <HI>Origene,</HI> &amp; <HI>Philo</HI>
<PB REF="15"> the Jewe: and yet he him&s;elfe in his preface vpon <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> affirmeth, that the Prophetes wrote in plaine pro&s;e. And although in ve|ry deed the Iewes v&s;ed poe&s;ie, which <HI>Reuch|lin</HI> and <HI>Mun&s;ter</HI> in our time, haue verie carefully and painefully laboured to con|fe&s;&s;e: yet the moste parte of the learned and wi&s;er &s;orte &s;ay, that no man is able at this day certainely to &s;hewe any poe&s;ie, or kinde of ver&s;e which the Jewes v&s;ed, al|though they may as yet haue their poeticall accentes. And it &s;hould &s;eeme, that when the harmonie of their commonwealth and e&s;tates was di&s;&s;olued, their fine mu&s;icque and poe&s;ie, withall their excellent &s;inging notes, were eft&s;oones lo&s;t and quite ouerthrowen with the temple of Jeru&s;alem. Thus we &s;ee what a thing it is, not to agree and be at one with the great God of heauen, and to with|drawe our &s;elues from his &s;eruice and obedi|ence. Jt &s;hould &s;eeme that this order of be|ginning the ver&s;es with the Alphabet, is ob&s;erued for breuities &s;ake of the graue &s;en|tences enter&s;uing, which are of maruelous weight, and for the better imprinting of them in memorie, and the making of tho&s;e &s;entences to be as familiar as the Alphabet it &s;elfe: without &s;ome wrangling companie will &s;tart vp and &s;aye, that the Prophet, by running through the whole Alphabet, ment
<PB REF="15"> to &s;hewe the great continuance of the mi&s;e|ries that then were.</P>
<P>It remayneth now, that we &s;peake of the latter point of this preface, which concer|neth the v&s;e of the Lamentations of Iere|mie, and the fruit and commoditie which all the faithfull may gather out of them. For, their opinion is not to be receaued, which thinke that &s;uch writinges are but olde wo|mens tales, which only concerne the people of olde time, and vs no whit at all: &s;eeing we are taught by the &s;criptures,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 15.4</NOTE> <HI>That what &s;oeuer things were written afore time were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the &s;criptures might haue hope:</HI> And that what&s;oeuer came to pa&s;&s;e vnto our fathers, are euen &s;o many examples for vs, and that &s;uch things are written to admoni&s;h vs vp|pon whom the endes of the worlde are come. In verie deede as it is not a gift giuen to e|uerie man to knowe howe to reioyce as hee ought (according to the &s;aying of the Pro|phet Dauid in his <HI>89.</HI> P&s;alm ver. <HI>15. Ble&s;|&s;ed are the people that can reioyce in thee, &amp;c.</HI>) no more is it co~mon to all men, to knowe howe to lament: J meane, &s;o to la|ment, as that their Lamentations bee not made in the ayre, but to good purpo&s;e, and &s;uch as plea&s;e this good God. For <HI>S. Augu|&s;tine</HI>
<PB REF="16"> in his Epistle which he wrote to <HI>Vi|ctorian</HI> &s;ayth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The diffe|rence be: tvveene the mour|ning of the faithfull, and of the vnfaithfull.</NOTE> that there is as great diffe|rence betweene the mournings and Lamen|tations of the faithfull, as there is betweene &s;weete clarified oyle, and the Lees thereof: <HI>Becau&s;e the faithle&s;&s;e</HI> (as the Prophet O&s;eah in his <HI>7.</HI> Chapter ver. <HI>14.</HI> &s;ayth) <HI>cry not truely vpon the Lorde with their hearts: but lie howling and lamenting vpon their beds for the lo&s;&s;e of world|ly thinges.</HI> Wee reade &s;ufficiently in the Heathen hi&s;tories of very pa&s;&s;ioned Lamen|tations and mourninges: yea and &s;o pitiful, as that the Poetes make mention of them, as if the toppes of the hou&s;es, and the hou|&s;es them&s;elues had melted into mourninges: &s;ome lamenting the death of their friendes, and other &s;ome the de&s;tructions and de&s;ola|tions of certaine Noble and famous Cities: as the Cities of <HI>Troy, Thebes, Carthage, Rome,</HI> and &s;uch other like: And therefore it may well be &s;aide that that went &s;ome|what neere vnto the Lamentations of <HI>Iere|mie.</HI> But it is an other manner of of &s;pirite that guideth and pu&s;heth forward <HI>Ieremie</HI> in his Lamentations, and it is al&s;o an other maner of argument when he lamenteth this peerele&s;&s;e and royall Citie of <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> a Citie, whereas the Lorde had, as it were cho|&s;en and &s;et vp his throne: a citie which was
<PB REF="16"> a figure and type of the Church of God: And againe, Ieremie aimed at an other maner of marke, than did either the heathen Poets, or hi&s;toriographers, becau&s;e he did it to this end to make me~ tre~ble vnder the iu&s;t iudg|ments of God, and hange downe their heads before his Maie&s;tie, that hee might bring them vnto true repentance. To be &s;hort, he &s;quared &amp; &s;ea&s;oned his Lamentations with an a&s;&s;ured faith and hope of Gods fauour, and with verie excellent and well knit and conioyned prayers, thereby to pricke men forwarde to returne vnto the Lorde, whome they had offended.</P>
<P>But if there be any that would finde fault with vs and &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">An obiecti+on.</NOTE> that the Prophet <HI>Ieremie</HI> him&s;elfe once pa&s;&s;ed his limites, when a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> (as in the <HI>20.</HI> Chapter of his Prophe&s;ie ver. <HI>14.</HI> we reade) <HI>He cur&s;ed the day wherein he was borne:</HI> wee aun&s;were him with the wordes of that auncient Doctor <HI>S. Hylarie</HI> writing vpon the <HI>119.</HI> P&s;alme, who proper|ly &s;ayth, that he did not then cur&s;e the day of his birth, becau&s;e he right well knew that he was &s;anctified from his mothers wombe, and ordeyned to the office of a Prophet: but rather by rea&s;on of the long continuance of &s;o yrke&s;ome a charge, and the con&s;ideration of the hatefull times, that then were. But be it that we did graunt, that <HI>Ieremie</HI> was
<PB REF="17"> &s;ore troubled in mind, and that he &s;u&s;tained &s;ome temptation: yet it appeareth that hee was not &s;wallowed vp therof: but kept &s;uch a temperaunce in his lamentations, as that he grieued no man, neyther &s;hewed any de|&s;pite again&s;t the Lorde: but rather all reue|rence vnto his Maiestie.</P>
<P>And as for that which the Lord comman|deth in the <HI>9.</HI> of Jeremie, ver. <HI>17. 18. That they &s;hould call for the mourning wo|men, and &s;ende for the skilfull women to take vp a lamentation, and ca&s;t out teares vnto the people:</HI> No whit fauou|reth vaine and fained worldly lamentations and hired mourners, whom the very Hea|then them&s;elues laughed to &s;corne: howbeit the&s;e phra&s;es of &s;peech; are vttered as it were &s;coffingly, to awaken the people, and to de|paint out the wonderfull hardne&s;&s;e of their heartes, which was &s;uch as that they were faine to hire, and cau&s;e come, all the mour|ning men and women of the worlde, to make them &s;hed teares.</P>
<P>In verie deede it is good that a meane be kept in all things, as on the one &s;ide to keepe vs from hypocri&s;ie, and from fayned and ex|ce&s;&s;iue &s;orrowing: &amp; on the other &s;ide, from that Stoike blocki&s;hne&s;&s;e. And to be &s;hort, wee mu&s;t all rule and &s;ea&s;on our pa&s;&s;ions, which this great Creatour hath not in vaine
<PB REF="17"> engrauen in euery of vs: For, there is a time to be merie, and a time to be &s;orie: and all thinges haue their certaine limites and rules: and aboue all, it is meete that both the one and the other be moderately, and to good purpo&s;e done. For they that looke for nothing el&s;e, but for happy and merrie daies in this worlde: they are they whom the Lord chiefelie&s;t meaneth, and whom he in the <HI>8.</HI> of <HI>Amos.</HI> ver. <HI>10.</HI> in very deede threatneth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A sharpe threate.</NOTE> <HI>That he will turne their &s;onges of ioy and plea&s;ure, into lamentation and mourning.</HI> And therefore (as <HI>Ari&s;totle</HI> him&s;elfe in the <HI>3.</HI> chapter of his <HI>2.</HI> booke of his Ethickes maketh mention) it was verie well &s;aide of <HI>Plato,</HI> that men in their youth &s;hould be &s;o brought vp, as that they &s;hould knowe how and when to be merie, and howe and when to be &s;orie, becau&s;e &s;ayth <HI>Ari&s;to|tle,</HI> it mu&s;t needes be, that they greatly are deceaued, which thinke vertues to be no|thing el&s;e but &s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e &amp; blocki&s;h benum|medne&s;&s;e: &s;o that a man may be merrie and &s;orie as he will, and when he will: &s;o it be with &s;uch a proportion and temperance as is &s;eemely and meete. To be &s;hort: let no man thinke &s;o to leade his life here in this world, as to be voide of paine and griefe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sinne the cau&s;e of all our mi&s;e|ries.</NOTE> &s;eeing we carr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> vs the verie matter and &s;ub|&s;tance of all <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;orrowes, which is &s;inne, and
<PB REF="18"> is the cau&s;e of all the tormentes that we &s;uf|fer in this mi&s;erable life.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nothing more di&s;|plea&s;eth God, then when he by his cha&s;ti&s;e+ments cal|leth vs to repentance and we wil not cut off the lea&s;t iot of our plea&s;ures.</NOTE> And there is no|thing in the whole worlde that more di&s;plea|&s;eth God, then when he by his notable cha|&s;ti&s;ements, calleth vs to mourning and wee|ping, we in the meane while, in a brauerie to de&s;pite him withall, bath our &s;elues in all our delightes, and will not once cut off anie of our lea&s;t plea&s;ures and follies, to winne him vnto vs againe. For which great vn|thankfulne&s;&s;e, the Lord God in the <HI>22.</HI> of the Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> mo&s;t &s;harpely reproueth the people of the Iewes.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> Thus then we &s;ee the fir&s;t v&s;e of the&s;e La|mentations of Ieremie, which learne vs Chri&s;tianly to lament, and teach vs what the very occa&s;ion of Lamentations &amp; mour|ninges is: which is to be &s;orrowfull when we offende the Maie&s;tie of God, when we &s;ee the Church vnder the cro&s;&s;e, and his pure &s;er|uice turned vp&s;ide downe: and not lament and weepe like children for apples or nuts: who are more a fraide, as <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Of &s;uch kind of me~ it is to be &s;eared ther are ouer many in the&s;e daies euerie where.</NOTE> of their owne &s;hadowes, and of vi&s;ers, than of a &s;worde or of the fire: euen &s;uch kinde of men are they, which &s;orrowe for the lo&s;&s;e of a fewe temporall &amp; tran&s;itorie goods and for a handfull of money, neuer greatly troubling them&s;elues for the ouerthrowe of k<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ngdomes, of iu&s;tice, of pietie, of &s;chooles of
<PB REF="18"> learning, and of all holy di&s;cipline, no not for the &s;acking and &s;poyling of their owne countrey, &s;o it touch not them&s;elues any way particularly.</P>
<P>As for the &s;econde, the lamentations of <MILESTONE N="2"> <HI>Ieremie</HI> doe teach vs, what the true cau&s;e of the calamities and mi&s;eries which come vnto vs are: whereof we are wonted diuer&s;|ly and fondly to iudge: &s;ome attributing the cau&s;e of their woe and mi&s;erie vnto pure re|ligion, and reformation of the wor&s;hippe of God: and &s;ome other al&s;o, becau&s;e the wor|&s;hip of Jdols and of fal&s;e Gods is bani&s;hed; &s;ay with tho&s;e people, of whome mention is made in the <HI>44.</HI> of Jeremie. ver. <HI>10.</HI> after this manner,<NOTE PLACE="marg">They cal|led the Moone the Queene of heauen.</NOTE> <HI>Sithence wee left burning of incen&s;e vnto the Queene of hea|uen, and powring out of drinke offe|ringes vnto her, as we haue done, we haue had &s;car&s;ene&s;&s;e of all things, and haue beene con&s;umed by the &s;worde and by famine.</HI> But <HI>Ieremie</HI> telleth them that it is cleane contrary: that is to &s;ay, that it is the contempt of God, of his worde, and of his &s;incere wor&s;hip, that are the cau&s;es of all our aduer&s;ities, which thing <HI>S. Cyprian</HI> al&s;o writing to <HI>Demetrian,</HI> verie well de|clareth. Other&s;ome there are which attri|bute all ill thinges that come to men, vnto fortune: not giuing credite vnto the wordes
<PB REF="19"> written in the <HI>3.</HI> Chapter of the Prophet <HI>A|mos,</HI> where it is &s;ayde: <HI>Is there any ad|uer&s;itie in the citie, but by the iu&s;t or|dinance of God.</HI> Some of the Philo&s;o|phers laye and attribute the whole de&s;olati|ons of countries, and other lamentable en|counters vppon, and to a certaine di&s;&s;olute harmonie of the &s;tarres and planets: As did the Philo&s;opher <HI>Secundus,</HI> when as hee comforted <HI>Pompey,</HI> after the iourney of <HI>Phar&s;ale,</HI> in which that great Romaine captaine lo&s;t the battel again&s;t <HI>Iulius Cae|&s;ar.</HI></P>
<P>Neuerthele&s;&s;e, this we &s;ay: that kingdoms and cities haue their times &s;et, a&s;well as the life of man hath, and their flouri&s;hing and decaying al&s;o: but yet we must bee driuen to confe&s;&s;e thus much, that the eternal Mo|narch,<NOTE PLACE="marg">VVhen &s;innes en|crea&s;e and grovve to a full ripe|ne&s;&s;e in a pre&s;umptu|ous &s;ecuri|tie in anie kingdome then is it like &s;udde~|ly to be de+&s;troyed.</NOTE> giueth and taketh away kingdomes to whom, from whom, and when it plea&s;eth him: and that when &s;innes encrea&s;e &amp; mul|tiply then kingdomes decaye and come to naught: e&s;pecially, when tho&s;e iniquities are growen to &s;uch a full ripene&s;&s;e, as are ac|companied with an arrogant and pre&s;ump|tuous &s;ecuritie. And <HI>Salomon,</HI> in the <HI>14.</HI> of his Prouerbs, ver. <HI>34.</HI> &s;ayth thus, <HI>Iu|&s;tice exalteth a people, but &s;inne is a &s;hame vnto Nations.</HI> And in the <HI>16.</HI> Chapter, ver. <HI>18.</HI> hee &s;ayth thus, <HI>Pride
<PB REF="19"> goeth before de&s;truction, and an high minde before the fall.</HI></P>
<P>Hereupon en&s;ueth, that &s;yth we our &s;elues are the cau&s;e of our owne mi&s;eries, and pull vpon vs Gods &s;courges, through impeniten|cie: wee are therefore patiently to beare the mi&s;eries which we our &s;elues haue beene the occa&s;ion of, and frame a complaint rather again&s;t our &s;innes, than &s;ophi&s;tically rea&s;on again&s;t the eternall.</P>
<P>Now for the thirde, the Lamentations of <MILESTONE N="3"> <HI>Ieremie</HI> doe teach vs that we must not a|bu&s;e the patience of our God.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A fearefull thing to a|bu&s;ed the patience &amp; long &s;uf|fring of the Lorde. Rom 2.</NOTE> For the longer he deferreth &amp; &s;urcea&s;eth his puni&s;hments and cha&s;ti&s;ementes, the roughlier dealeth he with vs, as by the captiuitie of Babylon, &amp; &s;acking of Jeru&s;alem may appeare. And therefore it is better for vs to &s;uffer our &s;elues to be tolde of our faultes, and yeelde vnto the holy admonitions of our teachers, then contemne the riches, clemencie, &amp; pa|tience of God, and his long tarrying, which calleth vs to repentance.</P>
<P>Fourthly, we are in the&s;e Lamentations <MILESTONE N="4"> of <HI>Ieremie,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">A king|dome cor|rupted with &s;inne, cau|&s;eth the re|ligion al&s;o to &s;mell thereof.</NOTE> manife&s;tly to note that &s;aying of an auncient Poet, which &s;aide, that what &s;oeuer Region is corrupt, the Religion al&s;o &s;melleth thereof, and the Church likewi&s;e, whether it bee placed either in Prouinces, Cities, or kingdomes of the worlde, &s;uffreth
<PB REF="20"> the &s;ame.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Kings. cap. 24.</NOTE> Wee &s;ee that Zedechias king of Iudah, in fal&s;ifying his oth &amp; promi&s;e vnto the Babylonians, troubled the peace of the whole common wealth, drew the enemie, and a &s;ore warre vppon him&s;elfe and the whole countrey, whereupon en&s;ued the de&s;truction both of the temple and al&s;o of the citie: and therefore all occa&s;ions of vnnece&s;&s;arie tu|multes and warres and all other fooli&s;h gar|boiles are to be auoyded: that we may walke in the feare of the Lorde, and in what&s;oeuer vocation he calleth vs vnto, ince&s;&s;antly re|commending vnto him the publique peace and e&s;tate of tho&s;e kingdomes, wherein wee liue, and dwell.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5"> The fift v&s;e, that we learne by the&s;e la|mentions of <HI>Ieremie</HI> is this,<NOTE PLACE="marg">VVhat the duety of all good men, but e&s;peci|ally of the Pa&s;tors, ought to be in<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">any pub|lique cala|mitie.</NOTE> that it is the dutie of all good men, but e&s;pecially of the Pa&s;tors of the Church during the publique calamitie, to pray earne&s;tly vnto God, for the re&s;tabli&s;hing of the countrie, and of &s;in|cere religion: and to goe before the people in good example of life, accordingly as it is &s;et downe in the <HI>3.</HI> of Ioel: neither must we loue the Church, or our countrey any whitte the wor&s;e, becau&s;e they are ignominious, &amp; de&s;olate, and too too vnthankefull and for|getfull. For, was there euer any man wor&s;e intreated by his owne countrey men, the~ was this good Ieremie? And yet we &s;ee, how the
<PB REF="20"> &s;poyling of his countrey,<NOTE PLACE="marg">It is vtter|ly vnlawful for any man to be ill minded towards his Countrey, much le&s;&s;e towardes the Church of God.</NOTE> which he him&s;elfe had foretolde, wroong, and tormented him at the verie heart. Surely, it is vtterly vnlaw|full for any man to &s;et him&s;elfe, or to bee ill minded again&s;t his countrey, much le&s;&s;e a|gain&s;t the Church: con&s;idering that as <HI>Da|uid</HI> in the <HI>102.</HI> P&s;alme, ver. <HI>14.</HI> &s;ayth: <HI>That the Seruantes of God delight in the &s;tones of Syon, and haue pitie on the du&s;t thereof.</HI></P>
<P>By the &s;ixt v&s;e, we may gather out of the&s;e <MILESTONE N="6"> Lamentations,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Lord oftentimes cau&s;eth the very hea|then Idola|ters to pu|nish the di&s;obedi|ence of his people which haue the truth of his word a|mong&s;t the~, as, the Ba|bylonians did the Ievves fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> a time.</NOTE> that wee mu&s;t not iudge by the outwarde euentes of Religion, whether the &s;ame be good or bad. For who doubteth that the Iewes had not the true wor&s;hip of God: that <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> lawe was not holie: and contrariwi&s;e, the Babylonians, prophane heathen Jdolaters. And yet it plea&s;ed the Lorde to let the Babylonians, and other barbarous Nations ouer runne them, and take their plea&s;ure vppon them: and ouer|whelme the Iewes with a deluge of mi&s;eries, as among other thinges, the Lamantati|ons of <HI>Ieremie,</HI> doe te&s;tifie. For, the Lorde many times, puni&s;heth other &s;innes, be&s;ides Jdolatrie and fal&s;e Religion: &amp; as <HI>S. Peter</HI> in the <HI>4.</HI> of his <HI>1.</HI> Epi&s;tle &s;ayth: <HI>Beginneth fir&s;t with his iudgementes at his owne hou&s;e, without forgetting neuertheles to be mo&s;t horribly adue~ged of Idola|trous
<PB REF="21"> and per&s;ecuting Nations,</HI> whome he will haue for a time, to &s;erue him, for the cha&s;tizing of his owne people. And to prooue this to be true, we may reade in the <HI>14.</HI> and <HI>33.</HI> of <HI>I&s;aiah,</HI> that hee &s;pared not the Babylonians, but that they had their cour&s;e and turne. And experience in all a|ges hath giuen vs to vnder&s;tande, that this great God is iu&s;t:<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 57.</NOTE> for although he hath for a &s;ea&s;on giuen vnto his owne people a cuppe of bitter drinke: yet hath he made the wic|ked drinke the lees and dregges thereof in the ende.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="7"> La&s;tly, the Lamentation of <HI>Ieremie</HI> &s;hould make vs thinke the matter nothing &s;o &s;traunge,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vnfaithful|ne&s;&s;e vnto God vnder the Go&s;pel is far more greeuous vnto his Maie&s;tie, than the vn+thankeful|n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e of the Iewes vn|der the lawe.</NOTE> although the Lorde maketh vs mourne and lament, and beholde great de&s;o|lations, &s;eeing he hath not &s;pared the natu|rall braunches: and that our vnthankeful|ne&s;&s;e vnder the time of grace, and of the Go|&s;pell, is without all compari&s;on more gree|uous than the vnthankefulnes of the Iewes, that were brought vp in <HI>Babylon.</HI> And therefore let vs learne not to tru&s;t and dwell &s;ecurely vpon the iolly titles of the Church, vpon Religion, and vpon the Temple of the Lorde, who regardeth not the outward &s;hew, and is able of verie &s;tones to rai&s;e vp chil|dren vnto <HI>Abraham,</HI> and repeople and re|uiue his Church, although &s;he &s;eeme to bee
<PB REF="21"> like a fielde full of drie and bare bones, as God in the vi&s;ion of the Prophe&s;ie of Eze|chiell right well &s;heweth. For it was a com|mon &s;aying in Babylon, <HI>That the childre~ of I&s;raell were, as it were, buried: and their e&s;tate vtterly ouerthrowen.</HI> But nowe the time is come, that God hath wyped away their teares, and re&s;tored the de&s;olate places: &s;o that our dutie is to liue by faith, and holde vs in a good hope, looking pati|ently for the appointed time, &s;taying our &s;elues vppon the infallible promi&s;&s;es of the Lorde, who against the gates and power of hell, will alwayes con&s;erue his little flocke, and a fewe humbled people, which &s;hall call vpon his holy name: &s;o that the most com|fortable &s;aying of our Sauiour Chri&s;t in the <HI>5.</HI> of <HI>S. Mathewe,</HI> is most true, where hee &s;ayth: <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are they that mourne, for they &s;hall be comforted:</HI> Alwayes prouided, &s;ayth <HI>S. Hylarie,</HI> writing vpo~ this place, that we mourne not &s;o much for our priuate lo&s;&s;es, as for our offending of God.</P>
<P>Go to then, let vs learne from this great Prophet <HI>Ieremy,</HI> rightly to lame~t. A know|ledge, alas at this day too too much requi&s;ite and nece&s;&s;arie: con&s;idering that the moste men, as if they meant euen of &s;et purpo&s;e, to de&s;pite God, after &s;o many ciuill warres, &s;poyles, and murders, and hauing the knife
<PB REF="22"> euen at their verie throats, are more proud, di&s;&s;olute and hypocriticall, then euer they were. This is it, which <HI>Ieremie</HI> in his <HI>5.</HI> chapter &s;peaketh of, &s;aying: <HI>Thou ha&s;t &s;mytten them, &amp; they haue not mour|ned, thou ha&s;t made them of no repu|tatio~, but they haue refu&s;ed to be cor|rected, they haue made their faces, harder than &s;tones.</HI> Awake vs therefore (O God) and let vs not lie &s;till, either in de|&s;payre, or in fooli&s;h mourning for the things of this worlde, neyther let vs any longer kicke again&s;t the pricke: But let vs lift vp our pure handes, and contrite heartes vnto heauen:<NOTE PLACE="marg">It is a great deale bet|ter to be in the hou&s;e of mour|ning and vveeping for a time that vve might re|ioyce eter|nally: then in the hou&s;e of ioy and myrth to die euerla|&s;tingly.</NOTE> let vs pear&s;e the cloudes, and the tender affectioned heart of our heauenly fa|ther, with holy Lamentations: let vs rather goe into the hou&s;e of mourning and weeping for a time, then into the hou&s;e of ioye and mirth: that we may reioyce eternally, and that God may chaunge this &s;o disfigured an e&s;tate of our mi&s;erable Chri&s;tian prouinces, which looke like olde walles readie to fall in|to a peaceable, ble&s;&s;ed, and &s;ure estate. Ad|uaunce againe, O Lorde, the great numbers of di&s;&s;olute Churches, and renue a people that will feare and call vpon thee, and &s;ing vnto thee, holy and condigne pray&s;es. So be it.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="argument">
<PB REF="22">
<HEAD>The Argument of the fir&s;t Chapter of the Lamentations <HI>of Jeremiah.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_THIS Chapter hath no large nor long entrance into it, but beginneth euen at the fir&s;t choppe to powre out &s;uch fee|ling mourninges and Lamentations, as they that are wonted to be extrem|ly and grieuou&s;ly tormented with &s;or|rowe: from whom is not to be looked any long or affected narrations and di&s;cour&s;es. And therfore the Prophet beginneth, as it were, to make a &s;ud|den exclamation vnto &s;ome pa&s;&s;enger or friende, whereby he would put him in mind of Ieru&s;alems former pro&s;pe|ritie, and of all the whole Countrie rounde about her, that he might with feare and trembling, the ea&s;ier &s;ee the horrible de&s;truction and ruine, nowe fallen vpon her. It is a thing almo&s;t in|credible, to &s;ee howe artificially the Prophet &s;etteth before our eyes, the mourning and &s;orrowing euen of in|&s;en&s;ible
<PB REF="23"> creatures: liuely picturing out the mi&s;ery of the people, the vnfaith|fulne&s;&s;e of neighbours, the furie of e|nemies: entermedling neuerthele&s;&s;e an acknowledgement of their &s;innes, and of their holy &s;ubmi&s;&s;io~ vnto God which is in the 18. ver&s;e, with adding of a prayer, and reprochfull wordes a|gain&s;t the enemie.</P>
<P>This chapter may be deuided into foure principal parts or heads. Wher|of the fir&s;t extendeth it &s;elfe vnto the 8. ver&s;e: wherein is conteyned a la|me~table mourning for the goodly or|namentes that Ieru&s;alem was &s;poyled of, and the horrible and &s;traunge alte|ration of a flouri&s;hing e&s;tate, into the mo&s;t mi&s;erable and wretched e&s;tate in the whole world. The &s;aid ornaments are &s;poken of in generall: and in the chapters en&s;uing, they are particular|ly de&s;ciffered: As by the titles of the noble, honorable, rich, and well peo|pled citie, of their friendes and allies: of the kingly &s;tate: of the Prie&s;tes: of the holy &s;olemnities: of the flouri&s;h|ing youth, &amp; in &s;teede of all this, there could nothing el&s;e be &s;eene, but a de|&s;olate and wilde wilderne&s;&s;e: an vtter &s;poyle, all di&s;loyaltie, no amitie, all
<PB REF="23"> angui&s;h &amp; paine, no ioy nor comfort: and nothing el&s;e but crying out, &s;igh|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ng, and &s;hedding of bloudie teares.</P>
<P>The &s;econde part or head, contey|neth a confe&s;&s;ion of their &s;ins, which <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">s in the 8. and 9. ver&s;es. For Ieremiah <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">is lamentations are not entermedled <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ither with murmuring, or yet with <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">e&s;payre.</P>
<P>The thirde part or head from the 9. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">er&s;e vnto the 18. repre&s;enteth vnto vs <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">e terrible effectes, determinations, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">nd purpo&s;es of Gods wrath.</P>
<P>The fourth, preacheth vnto vs his <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">&s;tice, and the Prophet falleth into his &s;peech of purpo&s;e, meaning ther|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">y to bridle their inordinate pa&s;&s;ions, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ecau&s;e they &s;houlde not lay the fault <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">pon God, and charge him with ouer|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">uch rigorou&s;ne&s;&s;e. And &s;o this part <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> he<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d concludeth with a &s;hort and <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ruent prayer for the deliuerance of <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">e Church fro~ the vnbridled vnmer|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">fulne&s;&s;e and furie of their aduer&s;a|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">es: &s;o that we haue in the&s;e lamenta|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ons a notable de&s;cription of godly <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">rrow, which S. Paule in the 2. to the <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">or. the 7. ver. 10. &s;ayth: <HI>cau&s;eth repen|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">nce vnto &s;aluation. &amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="24">
<PB N="1" REF="24">
<HEAD>THE LAMEN|TATIONS OF IEREMIAH the Prophet. According to the truth of the <HI>Hebrewe text, and other mo&s;t</HI> learned tran&s;lations.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The fir&s;t part of the fir&s;t Chapter.</HEAD>
<P>_HOW doth the citie re|maine &s;olitary,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Aleph.</NOTE> that was full of people? She is as a widdowe: &s;he that was great among the Nati|ons, &amp; Prince&s;&s;e among Prouinces, is made tributarie.</P>
<P N="2"><HI>2</HI> She weepeth continually in the night,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beth.</NOTE> <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">nd her teares runne downe by her cheekes: <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">mong all her louers &s;he hath none to com|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">rt her: all her friends hath dealt vnfaith|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">lly with her, and are her enemies.</P>
<P N="3"><HI>3</HI> Iudah is carried away captiue,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gimel.</NOTE> becau&s;e
<PB N="2" REF="25"> of affliction, and becau&s;e of great &s;eruitude: &s;hee dwelleth among the heathen, and find|eth no re&s;t: all her per&s;ecutors tooke her in the &s;traites.</P>
<P N="4"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Paleth.</NOTE><HI>4</HI> The wayes of Syon lament, becau&s;e no man commeth to the &s;olemne fea&s;tes: all her gates are de&s;olate: her Prie&s;tes &s;igh: her virgines are di&s;comfited, and &s;he is in hea|uine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="5"><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e.</NOTE><HI>5</HI> Her aduer&s;aries are the chiefe, and her enemies pro&s;per: for the Lorde hath af|flicted her for the multitude of her tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ions, and her children are gone into cap|tiuitie before the enemie.</P>
<P N="6"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Van.</NOTE><HI>6</HI> And from the daughter of Syon all her beautie is departed: her princes are be|come like Hartes that find no pa&s;ture, &amp; are gone without &s;trength before the pur&s;uer.</P>
<P N="7"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Zain.</NOTE><HI>7</HI> Jeru&s;alem remembred the dayes of her affliction, and of her rebellion, and all her plea&s;aunt things, that &s;he had in times pa&s;t, when her people fell into the hande of her enemie, and none did helpe her: the aduer|&s;eries &s;aw her, and mocked at her &s;abbathes.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="annotations">
<HEAD>ANNOTATIONS VPON the fir&s;t part of the fir&s;t Chapter.</HEAD>
<P>WE will here fir&s;t of all con&s;ider of certaine wordes of the text,
<PB N="3" REF="25"> which are verie &s;ignificant, and after|ward &s;peake &s;omewhat of the chiefe and principall matters.</P>
<P><HI>How)</HI> This fir&s;t word is it, why the Hebrewes call them the Lamentati|ons. And &s;ome other learned inter|pretors are of the opinion, that this word is to be vnder&s;tood and repea|ted, not only in euery member of the fir&s;t ver&s;e, as, <HI>How doth the Citie remaine &s;olitarie? How is &s;he that was great, be|come now as a Widow? How is the Prin|ce&s;&s;e become tributarie?</HI> but al&s;o in the beginning of all the four fir&s;t ver&s;es: <HI>How weepeth &s;he day and night? How is Iudah carried away captiue? &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>A man were neuer able to expre&s;&s;e how effectuall and proper, vpon the &s;udden and fir&s;t entrance, the&s;e ex|clamations are, immediatly to raui&s;h mens minds to the beholding and con&s;idering of any thing, &s;o that this very well agreeth with that which the Lord foretold in the 19. of Ieremias, ver&s;. 3. &s;aying: <HI>Thus &s;aith the Lord of hostes the God of J&s;rael, Behold, J will bring a plague vpon this place, the which who&s;oeuer heareth, his eares &s;hall tingle.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Remayneth &s;olitarie)</HI> This &s;peeche heere is &s;ometimes in the holy &s;crip|ture,
<PB N="4" REF="26"> taken in good part, as to be at re&s;t and peace: As in the fourth Chapter of the fir&s;t booke of the Kings, ver&s;. 25. <HI>All the daies of Salomon, euery man remayned without feare vnder his vyne, and vnder his figge tree, &amp;c.</HI> But in this text it is taken in ill part, &s;igni|fying the great &s;orrow wherein the Iewes were then plunged: re&s;em|bling a widow remaining or dwelling in the world, in her &s;orrowfull and comfortles widowhood. And as the Hebrewes al&s;o deriue the name of a widow, from a word which &s;ignifieth &s;olitarines, and a quiet or peaceable bodie, that taketh no plea&s;ure in tal|king nor &s;coffing: which word or title, properly belongeth to widowes, that are in very deede widowes, and haue a feeling of their plague and mi&s;erie. So that to compare the coun|trey of Iudah to a widow, is to verie good purpo&s;e, con&s;idering that it was in deede a widow, becau&s;e it had neither citizens, nor yet other men of better qualitie: for &s;o much as they are, as it were, the husbands of all Ci|ties and Townes, and do both beawti|fye, and giue them e&s;timation and credit.</P>
<PB N="5" REF="26">
<P><HI>Js made tributarie.)</HI> This place cau|&s;eth &s;ome of the learneder &s;ort to ga|ther, that in the&s;e Lamentations, Ie|remiah meant not onely to lament the later captiuitie of Babylon (be|cau&s;e that the people at that time were rather vtterly &s;acked, &s;old, and cleare<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ani&s;hed, then made tributa|ries) but al&s;o the former mi&s;eries, &s;or|rowes and griefes, to wit, tho&s;e which came to pa&s;&s;e in the daies of King E|liakim, who by the King of Aegypt was named Ioachim, becau&s;e the people of Iudah were then made tributaries: which thing may very wel agree with the matter, if this maxime or &s;ure ground be held, that Ieremie in the&s;e Lamentations chiefelie looked vnto the captiuitie of Babylon, and vnto the de&s;olation that fell vpon Iudah in tho&s;e daies: Although it were not a|mi&s;&s;e to thinke, that euen at that time a great part of the people was &s;acked <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">r led captiue, yet, that there was a <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">emnant of them di&s;per&s;ed heere and <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">here, and e&s;pecially &s;uch of them as <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">emained in Iudah, vnder the go|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ernment of Gedalia, that at that <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ime were wounded and cabaged.</P>
<P><HI>Judah is carried away captiue, becau&s;e
<PB N="6" REF="27"> of Affliction.)</HI> The Chaldee Para|phra&s;t vnder&s;tandeth this Affliction actiuely, as if the Prophet had &s;aid, that the cau&s;e of the Iewes exile and captiuitie, was by rea&s;on of their af|flicting, rough handling, and hard dealing with the poore &s;eruants, wi|dowes, and fatherle&s;&s;e: howbeit, this is the more likely interpretation, ac|cording to the common manner, and ordinarie &s;ignification of the &s;eruile Hebrew letter <HI>Mem:</HI> That the people is carried away captiue, being with extreame affliction enforced: which they &s;uffred al the countrey through|out, more now, then a man would that they had &s;uffred: for, there were many of them that were not con|&s;trained to for&s;ake their countrey, but they were &s;o ill entreated, as that they cho&s;e rather to for&s;ake both hou&s;e and home, as we &s;ay, then &s;ee that they &s;aw, and &s;uffer that they &s;uffered.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> <HI>Ja &s;uch nece&s;&s;ities or distre&s;&s;es,)</HI> This is a kind of borrowed &s;peech, taken from tho&s;e that are cowped vp be|tweene &s;tone-walles, or in dongeons, not being able to go either backward or forward, and therefore mu&s;t needs be very good prize, beeing &s;hopt vp.
<PB N="7" REF="27"> The like manner of &s;aying al&s;o we find in the 14. ver&s;e of the Prophet Obediah, where it is thus &s;aid: <HI>Thou &s;houlde&s;t not haue &s;tood vp in the cro&s;&s;e|wayes of them that &s;hould e&s;cape, neyther &s;houlde&s;t thou haue &s;hut vp the remnant thereof in the day of affliction.</HI></P>
<P><HI>The waies of Syon lament,</HI>) The Pro|phet, <MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> to moue euery man to compa&s;|&s;ion, maketh the very &s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e hye wayes as it were to mourne.</P>
<P>Syon is taken for the people, and al&s;o for the Church, which is figured by Mount Syon: Syon al&s;o manye times is taken for the whole Citie of Ieru&s;alem, yea for the whole coun|trey, a part for the whole.</P>
<P><HI>Her enemies are the chiefe,)</HI> This is a <MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> notable manner of &s;peech v&s;ed in the Scripture, that is, the head is ap|poynted to be the mo&s;t honorable part of the bodie in vs: and contra|rywi&s;e, in a bea&s;t, the tayle is placed as the mo&s;t abiect and vile part: as in the 28. of Deuteronomie in this &s;ort we reade: <HI>Jf thou ob&s;erue the Comman|dements of the Lord, he will make thee the head and not the tayle,</HI> to wit, he will exalt thee and bring thee to honor.</P>
<PB N="8" REF="28">
<P><MILESTONE N="7" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> <HI>They mocked at her Sabboths.)</HI> This word Sabboth, which &s;ignifieth re&s;t, may be taken for re&s;ting from theyr e&s;tates, mightine&s;&s;e, and reuenues, from the which they then re&s;ted: or el&s;e for the &s;eruing of God: as the Sabboth was one of the te&s;timonies of the allyance and fauour of God, and a notable ob&s;eruation taken ma|nie times for the profe&s;&s;ing of the whole &s;eruice of God. The heathen Poets, as Iuuenall and Martiall, moc|ked the Sabboth and Religion of the Iewes, and in a mockerie called them Sabbotharies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="doctrines">
<HEAD><HI>The principall doctrines that are to</HI> be noted vpon the fir&s;t part of the first Chapter.</HEAD>
<P>THE fir&s;t part of this Chapter, as hath been before &s;aid, is a mo&s;t pitifull and &s;orrowfull complaint of the humbling of Ieru&s;alem, and of the countrey of Iudah, and of all the generall lo&s;&s;e they had, which thing, the Prophet meaneth heere to &s;et downe in writing, thereby to let vs vnder&s;tand, that the Lord our God will in ver&s;e deede haue vs feele his
<PB N="9" REF="28"> cha&s;ti&s;ements, and be touched by them at the verie hart, as well becau&s;e he would haue his truth to be knowne in his threatnings, as in his promi|&s;es, as al&s;o becau&s;e he would haue vs humble our &s;elues vnder his mightie hand: for if there be any thing that di&s;plea&s;eth the Almightie, it is that blocki&s;hnes and hardnes of hart, wherewith the men of the world are po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed, who will neither feele the hand which &s;courgeth them, nor yet returne vnto him that &s;miteth them, which thing the Lord findeth fault withall in the ninth of I&s;aiah, and the fifth of Ieremiah, &s;aying: <HI>Thou ha&s;t &s;courged them, but they ne|uer &s;orrowed nor lamented for the &s;ame, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>In verie deede, we are to make a <MILESTONE N="II"> difference betweene the lamenting and &s;orrowing of the faithfull,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The diffe|rence be|tvveene the lamen|ting and &s;orrovv|ing of the children of God, and the vvicked.</NOTE> and of the vnfaithfull: for when the faithfull crie out and lament in this &s;ort, Out alas, they do it not anger|lie nor impatientlie, but as it were in an admiration, and in a reue|rent beholding of the iu&s;t iudge|ments of God.</P>
<P>Now then, Ieremie, who had of|tentimes <MILESTONE N="III">
<PB N="10" REF="29"> foretold of &s;uch calamities, &s;et them not downe in writing, as though he had not knowne the cau&s;e of all the&s;e woes, which he him|&s;elfe toucheth in the eight ver&s;e, nrither yet as one that meant to finde fault with God, or di&s;pute with hym, &s;eeing that in the tenth ver&s;e he giueth him this commen|dation, to be iu&s;t, but to the end he would liuely touch the hard harts of the Iewes, and make them feele their mi&s;erie, and let them vnder|&s;tand how greeuous a thing it is to offend the maie&s;tie of God through &s;inne.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="IIII"> We farther learne in this part of the Chapiter, that wee neuer ac|knowledge nor &s;orrowe our pro&s;peri|tie, vntill it be gone and pa&s;t re|couerie: for when we are in pro&s;pe|ritie, we make no reckning of it, as is mo&s;t tragically &s;et downe in the three and thirtith of Ezechiel: and although all the ignominie and &s;hame in the world &s;hould come vnto them, yet &s;hould they euen then know that there had beene a Prophet among&s;t them: and therefore, the words of Salomon in the twelfth of Eccle&s;ia|&s;tes
<PB N="11" REF="29"> ver&s;e 1. are throughlie to be con|&s;idered of, where it is &s;ayd: <HI>Re|member thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth, before the euill dayes come vpon thee, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Neuerthele&s;&s;e, it &s;hould not be well <MILESTONE N="V"> concluded of the heathen vpon the&s;e &s;orrowfull and hard bondages of the people of God, one while in Egypt, another time in Babylon, and eft|&s;oones among&s;t the Romaines, to inferre and &s;aie, that this was a ba&s;tard nation, prede&s;tinate to bon|dage, and to reprooue the mi&s;erable Iewes &s;o much, as we reade they were in the thirtie Chapter of Eze|chiell, to be a countrey that deuou|red her enhabitants, and cau&s;ed her people to mi&s;carrie, leauing them dayly as a pray: for the&s;e calamities neuer happened them but by God his puni&s;hment: when as the Iewes would not acknowledge the great benefites of the Almightie, and the incomparable graces which were be&s;towed vppon them, which graces, among&s;t other places of the Scrip|tures Mo&s;es highly commendeth and acknowledgeth in the three and thir|tith Chapter of Deuteronomy, ver&s;e
<PB N="12" REF="30"> 29. &s;aying: <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed art thou &ocirc; I&s;rael: who is like vnto thee, &ocirc; people &s;aued by the Lord, the &s;hield of thine help, and which is the &s;word of thy glorie, &amp;c.</HI> And in the 147. P&s;alme. ver&s;. 19.20. the Prophet Dauid &s;ayeth: <HI>He &s;heweth his words vnto Iaacob, his &s;tatutes and iudgements vnto I&s;ra|ell, he hath not dealt &s;o with euerie nation, neither haue they knowne his iudgements.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="VI"> On the other &s;ide, the Iewes came &s;hort of their reckoning, when as they thought to maintaine them&s;elues in their greatnes, and flori&s;hing e&s;tate, without to be &s;upported by the grace of God, and the keeping of his coue|naunts and ordinances, according as the alliance which was made with them required: and ouer and be|&s;ides, becau&s;e they extreamely exalted them&s;elues in pride and arrogancie, for the which, the Prophet Sophonie in his &s;econd Chapter, ver&s;e 15. re|proued the Citie of Niniuie, &s;aying: <HI>Behold (&s;aith the Lord) this is the reioycing Citie that dwelt carele&s;&s;e, that &s;ayd in her hart, I am, and there is none be&s;ides me: how is &s;he made wa&s;te, and the lodging of the bea&s;tes?
<PB N="13" REF="30"> euery one that pa&s;&s;eth by her, &s;hall hi&s;&s;e, and wagge his hand at her.</HI></P>
<P>Now, the &s;umme and cau&s;e of their mi&s;eries and woes, yea, and of their <MILESTONE N="VII"> finall de&s;truction, and of the vtter o|uerthrowe of all the Countrey of Iu|dah, was, becau&s;e they would not knowe the time of their vi&s;itation. So that our Sauiour Chri&s;t Ie&s;us his meaning was, to e&s;tabli&s;h ano|ther manner of kingdome heere vpon earth, to wit, his &s;pirituall king|dome, which long ago was in &s;ome &s;orte figured by the kingdome of Dauid and of his &s;ucce&s;&s;ors: vnto the which kingdome of Chri&s;t, not onely &s;ome of the Iewes are to ga|ther them&s;elues togither, but many of the Gentiles al&s;o, euen from the Ea&s;t vnto the We&s;t.</P>
<P>And yet for all this, we mu&s;t not <MILESTONE N="VIII"> thinke that our God hath dealt de|ceitefully with the auncient fathers, or not kept promi&s;e with Dauid, vnto whome he promi&s;ed to cho&s;e his re&s;ting place in Syon,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">32. ver&s;e 14.</NOTE> and that it &s;hould neuer be &s;haken: for in the fir&s;t place, the&s;e promi&s;es were conditio|nall, and was vpon this charge, that they &s;hould be obedient. Secondarily,
<PB N="14" REF="31"> tho&s;e promi&s;es were not to be accom|pli&s;hed &s;o much in &s;hadowes and fi|gures, and in the mount Syon and kingdome of Dauid, as in the thing it &s;elfe, and in the truth of the figures, to wit, in the Church, and in Chri&s;t, in whome, as Saint Paul &s;ayeth, <HI>All promi&s;es are yea and Amen:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 2.</NOTE> that is to &s;aye, accompli&s;hed and fini|&s;hed.</P>
<P>As for the complaint which the <MILESTONE N="IX"> Prophet Ieremie maketh, that Ie|ru&s;alem was made tributarie, it hel|peth no whit the opinion of the Ana|bapti&s;ts, who imagin that the Church of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, the new Ieru&s;alem, is freed from all tributes and exacti|ons. For there is heere another con|&s;ideration to be had in re&s;pect of the Iewes, who from the beginning, be|fore they were reuolted from the King of kings, were priuiledged to pay vn|to the Lord but one halfe &s;hekle,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 30. ver&s;e. 13.</NOTE> but after they had ca&s;t off the yoke of the Lord, and de&s;ired to haue kings and princes as other people had, the Lord gaue power, not only vnto their owne kings to taxe them, but al&s;o vnto o|ther &s;trange princes, thereby to beate downe their pride and pre&s;umption.
<PB N="15" REF="31"> Heere is then to be noted, that the Go&s;pell ouerthroweth not the ciuill gouernement and order that is v&s;ed at this day, &s;eeing that Chri&s;t him|&s;elfe paid tribute money, as in the &s;euententh ver&s;e of Saint Mathew we reade. And Saint Paule al&s;o in the thirtenth to the Romaines exhor|teth vs therevnto, although it were to be wi&s;hed, that they would not &s;o plucke the wooll from the &s;heepes backe, as if they were fleaed, neither yet &s;o gather hearbes, as if they would plucke vp both roote and rinde. Se|condarily, tribute money was be&s;to|wed to an e&s;peciall end, which is, for the defence of Countreys, and main|tenance of Iu&s;tice, towards the char|ges of which things Princes haue tribute money graunted them.</P>
<P>One of the notable doctrines of <MILESTONE N="X"> this fir&s;t part, and as it were through the whole booke of Ieremies Lamen|tations, is an excellent example what it is to &s;erue God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">To &s;erue God &s;in|cerely, is the &s;tore-hou&s;e of all hap|pine&s;&s;e: and con|trarivvi&s;e, the lo&s;&s;e of all his ble&s;sings.</NOTE> and what to for|&s;ake the true &s;eruing of him. For in truth, to &s;erue God &s;incerely, is to rule and raigne, and the verie &s;tore-hou&s;e of all happines: Contrarywi&s;e, to contemne the &s;eruice of God, to be|&s;towe
<PB N="16" REF="32"> his graces ill, to turne our backs vpon him, to abu&s;e the name and title of Religion, is the cau&s;e of all our hinderances and lo&s;&s;es, and cau&s;eth all our brauerie, glorie, and excellencie to be taken from vs: and to be &s;hort, to make vs be &s;poyled of all ble&s;&s;ings, but namely, of this ble&s;&s;ing, for the which the people mourne and &s;orrow, to wit, the mul|titude both of old and yong people: as Salomon al&s;o witne&s;&s;eth, &s;aying: <HI>In the multitude of the people is the honor of a King,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 14. ver&s;e 28.</NOTE> <HI>and for the want of people commeth the de&s;truction of the prince.</HI> For I pray you tell me, what are Cities and townes, what are kingdomes and prouinces with|out men? Ari&s;totle in the third booke of his Politiques, &s;ayeth, that it is neither the walles nor &s;tones that make Cities, but the Citizens and inhabitants. Now when GOD is angrie, he di&s;peopleth kingdomes, cau&s;eth neighbours become meere &s;trangers, driueth friends farre off, plucketh from vs all fauour and a&s;&s;u|rance. And it is no maruell though God many times maketh vs feele the vnfaithfull dealing of men, or el&s;e
<PB N="17" REF="32"> their vanitie, weakene&s;&s;e, and mi&s;erie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">God pla|geth prin|ces diuers vvaies by their friends, allies, and citizens, vvhen as they make idoles of them.</NOTE> con&s;idering that we oftentimes make verie idoles of our friends, allies, and citizens. And as Saint Augu&s;tine vpon the 146. P&s;alme very wel &s;aith, that we &s;o much pre&s;ume vpon men, and tru&s;t &s;o much vnto them, as that if any bring vs tidings that &s;uch a Prince, or &s;uch a Citie will ioyne with vs in friend&s;hip, we are in a maruellous glorie, and make great bonefyers:<NOTE PLACE="marg">A &s;igne and token of great infidelitie, vvhich at this daie reigneth euen in tho&s;e go|uernments vvhich vvould &s;eeme to be mo&s;t religious.</NOTE> but when all the whole &s;cripture &s;hall tell vs that the God of ho&s;tes is on our &s;ide again&s;t all po|wer what&s;oeuer, we are cold in that, and care not, nor yet once reioice as we ought.</P>
<P>Moreouer, there are many degrees and kinds of calamities, which the Prophet Ieremy bewaileth: but the highe&s;t and lowde&s;t complaint that he maketh, is the ouerthrowing of the &s;eruice of God, the making no ac|compt of the Sabboth and fe&s;tiuall <MILESTONE N="XI"> daies. And he hath great rea&s;on there|in, for, the holie a&s;&s;emblies and fe&s;ti|uall daies are, alas, other manner of fe&s;tiuall daies, then were the Olym|piall and pithiall a&s;&s;emblies and fe|&s;tiuall dayes, wherein the heathen
<PB N="18" REF="33"> fea&s;ted and &s;ported in the honor of Iu|piter &amp; of Apollo. But in the Church of God, his &s;eruice is brought in que|&s;tion, who hath manife&s;ted him&s;elfe vnto vs by his wonderful workes, and by his woorde: the exerci&s;e al&s;o of our fayth, and the &s;pirituall ioy and con&s;o|lation in this good God is brought in que&s;tion, which is a great deale more particularly, certainely and clearely manife&s;ted vnto his people, then the Gods of the gentyles,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 4.</NOTE> who were but diueli&s;h deceiuers amonge&s;t the bar|barous nations. O what a bitter, hea|uy, and grieuous thing then is this, to all hone&s;t &s;oules that feare God, and haue ta&s;ted of the &s;weetnes and plea|&s;antnes of his hou&s;e, to &s;ee &s;uch a&s;&s;em|blies cea&s;e, &s;uch exerci&s;es ouerthrown, and be&s;ides all this, the name of God di&s;honoured, and bla&s;phemed, and re|ligion laughed at: which is an huge heape of griefe vnto a true Chri&s;tian heart.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="XII"> Such a&s;&s;emblies I &s;aye, as are not brought in by &s;uper&s;tition, or by mans inuention, but by Gods ordinaunce, for the maintenaunce of his &s;eruice, and confirmation of our faith, are highly to be commended: for although the Lord
<PB N="19" REF="33"> be very wel able extraordinarily with|out meanes, without preaching, with|out a&s;&s;emblies to gather vnto him&s;elfe a people yet his will is that his church &s;hould here on earth be knowne by cer|taine markes and tokens: his meaning al&s;o is to trie our faith and obedience, and to be &s;erued by conuenient meanes to helpe our infirmities, by which meanes hee woorketh, adding there|vnto his power: For &s;ithence the &s;onne of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, Ie&s;us Chri&s;t hath appeared wee are not charged with &s;o many ceremonies, nor &s;o many fea&s;ts as the Iewes were: and being but a fewe cere|monies, they are as S. Augu&s;tine &s;aith, more pure, ea&s;ie &amp; more &s;ignificant.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="part">
<PB N="20" REF="34">
<HEAD>THE SECOND PART OF the fir&s;t Chapter of the Lamenta|tions: <HI>wherein is conteyned a</HI> con|fe&s;sion of the &s;innes of the people.</HEAD>
<P N="8"><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">heth.</NOTE><HI>8</HI> IEru&s;alem hath greeuou&s;lie &s;inned, therefore &s;he is in deri&s;ion: all that honored her de&s;pi&s;e her, becau&s;e they haue &s;eene her filthine&s;&s;e: yea, &s;he &s;igheth and turneth backward.</P>
<P N="9"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Theth.</NOTE><HI>9</HI> Her filthine&s;&s;e is in her skirtes: &s;he remembred not her la&s;t end, therefore &s;he came downe wonderfully: &s;he had no com|fort. O Lord behold mine affliction, for the enemie is proude.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="observations">
<HEAD>THE OBSERVATIONS <HI>and notes of the &s;econd part of this Chapter.</HI> Hath forfaited a forfaite, or ac|cording to the Hebrew text, word for word, <HI>hath &s;inned a &s;inne.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_THIS manner of &s;peech is as much to &s;ay, as, hath greeuou&s;lie &s;in|ned: for otherwi&s;e, we knowe well ynough that euerie man &s;inneth, as is &s;aid in the eight Chapter of the fir&s;t booke of the Kings. But the Prophet heere
<PB N="21" REF="34"> vnder&s;ta~deth a long continued bead-roll of &s;innes: which encrea&s;ing and ouerflowing, cau&s;eth the wrath of God al&s;o to ouerflowe and exceede, as in the 32. of Exodus it is &s;aid, <HI>That the people had &s;inned a greeuous &s;inne in &s;etting vp a golden calfe.</HI> Moreouer, it &s;eemeth that the Prophet in this ver&s;e meaneth to an&s;were the former exclamations: <HI>How doth the Citie re|mayne &s;olitarie, &amp;c.</HI> As if he would haue &s;aid: the verie cau&s;e of this mi|&s;erie is nothing el&s;e but her great and greeuous &s;innes.</P>
<P><HI>Was derided)</HI> or as &s;ome reade, <HI>ca&s;t out,</HI> and word for word according to the Hebrew, in quaking or reeling wi&s;e. Other&s;ome take it to be the wagging of the head, that is to &s;aie, deri&s;ion: &s;ome others, for bani&s;h|ment, other &s;ome for &s;eperation, as we reade the &s;ame word for word in the twelfth of Leuiticus, how the vn|cleane women were &s;eparated: as al|&s;o in the 19. of Nombers, That all o|ther vncleane per&s;ons were deuided, &s;eparated, and put out of the hoa&s;t. And thus much as touching the words.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="doctrines">
<PB N="22" REF="35">
<HEAD>THE PRINCIPALL doctrines of the &s;e|cond part.</HEAD>
<P>_THE fir&s;t and e&s;pe|ciall doctrine, out of which wee are in this behalfe to drawe our benefite, is this, That the feeling of our mi&s;eries, mu&s;t leade vs vnto a feeling of the wrath of GOD, and of our &s;innes: not to murmure again&s;t hym, after the manner of the Heathen, who &s;ome|tymes &s;aye, that their Iupiter is cruell: but to humble our &s;elues vn|der his maie&s;tie, and returne vnto him.</P>
<P>Secondly, wee are heere to note, that wee beware howe wee excu&s;e or extenuate our &s;innes, which wee cannot &s;ufficiently inough dete&s;t and acknowledge, &s;eeing that all the fil|thines in the woorlde doth nothing lyke &s;eeme &s;o &s;hamefull in the eies of the Lorde as &s;inne. And therefore the &s;cripture oftentimes &s;etteth downe the men&s;truous cloath of a woman
<PB N="23" REF="35"> and &s;uch other vile thinges: not as it were vnreuerently or vnciuilly: but to the ende wee &s;hould reuerence God: and cau&s;e vs feele how &s;tinking and dete&s;table &s;inne is: whereas now we &s;mooth, dawbe vp, and bathe our &s;elues in the &s;ame. Therefore it is well &s;ayde of Salomon in his pro|uerbes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 28. ver&s;e 13.</NOTE> <HI>Hee that hydeth hys &s;innes &s;hall not pro&s;per: but hee that con|fe&s;&s;eth, and for&s;aketh them &s;hall haue mercy.</HI> Saint Augu&s;tine like|wi&s;e, very graciou&s;ly wryting vpon the 32. P&s;alme:<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;e|cretlier that we &s;eeke to couer our &s;innes, the manife&s;t|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.</NOTE> <HI>O Lord I haue not hyd my &s;innes, but laide them wide open, that thou mighte&s;t couer them: I haue not kept them clo&s;e, becau&s;e thou &s;houlde&s;t not di&s;couer them:</HI> &s;ayth, That when a man doth di&s;|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.</P>
<P>La&s;t of all, this &s;econd part of the Chapter teacheth vs, that faith &amp; re|pentaunce mu&s;t alwaies goe hand in hand together: and that the children of God mu&s;t at once fall downe &amp; humble
<PB N="24" REF="36"> them&s;elues, and be &s;orie for their &s;innes, and &s;o eft&s;oones lift vp them|&s;elues in an a&s;&s;urance of the grace and fauour of God, vnto whome they com|mit them&s;elues, and call vpon him, be&s;eeching him to behold (for &s;o &s;aith Ieremie) to behold I &s;ay in mercie, to looke with a powerfull and helping regard, as is the propertie of the Al|mightie.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>THE THIRD PART OF the fir&s;t Chapter concerning <HI>the fearefull effects of Gods</HI> wrath.</HEAD>
<P N="10"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iod.</NOTE><HI>10</HI> THE enemie hath &s;tretched out his hand vppon all her plea&s;ant things: for &s;hee hath &s;eene the heathen enter into hir &s;anctuarie, whome thou didde&s;t commaund that they &s;hould not enter into thy Church.</P>
<P N="11"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Caph.</NOTE><HI>11</HI> All her people &s;igh and &s;eeke her bread: they haue giuen their plea&s;ant things for meate to refre&s;h their &s;oules: &s;ee O Lord and con&s;ider, for J am become vile.</P>
<P N="12"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Lamed.</NOTE><HI>12</HI> Haue yee no regard, all ye that pa&s;&s;e by the waie? Behold and &s;ee, if there be any &s;orrow like vnto my &s;orrow, which is done
<PB N="25" REF="36"> vnto mee, wherewith the Lorde hath afflicted mee in the daie of his fierce wrath.</P>
<P N="13"><HI>13</HI> From aboue hath he &s;ent fire into my bones, which preuaile again&s;t them:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mem.</NOTE> he hath &s;pred a net for my feete, and turned me backe: he hath made me de&s;olate, and dayly in heauine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="14"><HI>14</HI> The yoke of my tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion is bound vpon his hand: they are wrapped,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nun.</NOTE> and come vpon my necke: he hath made my &s;trength to fall, the Lord hath deliue|red me into their hands, neither am J able to ri&s;e vp.</P>
<P N="15"><HI>15</HI> The Lord hath troden vnder foote all my valiant men in the middes of me:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Samec<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> he hath called an a&s;&s;emblie again&s;t me, to destroie my yong men: the Lord hath <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">roden the vinepre&s;&s;e vpon the virgine, the daughter of Judah.</P>
<P N="16"><HI>16</HI> For the&s;e things J weepe, mine eye, euen mine eye, ca&s;teth out water,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Aain.</NOTE> becau&s;e the comforter that &s;hould refre&s;h my &s;oule, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">s farre from me: my children are de&s;olate becau&s;e the enemie preuailed.</P>
<P N="17"><HI>17</HI> Syon &s;tretcheth out her hands, and <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">here is none to comfort her:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pe,</NOTE> the Lord hath <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ppointed the enemies of Jaacob round a|bout him: Jeru&s;alem is as a men&s;truous <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">oman in the middes of them.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="observations">
<PB N="26" REF="37">
<HEAD>CERTAINE OBSERVA|tions vpon the thirde part of <HI>the first Chapter.</HI></HEAD>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Lamed.</NOTE>_O <HI>All yee that here pa&s;&s;e by)</HI> he turneth his &s;peech to the &s;trangers that pa&s;&s;e by thereabout, to ag|grauate the the calami|tie of Ieru&s;alem, and of the countrey: euen as a comfortle&s;&s;e man, feeleth him&s;elfe &s;omewhat relieued, if at lea&s;t he &s;ee a man but looke towardes him. Howbeit, this place is not read al after one &s;ort, by rea&s;on of the &s;hortnes of the Hebrew toong. For in the Hebrew text, the&s;e onely are the wordes: This belongeth not to you, you that pa&s;&s;e hereby. <HI>Vatable</HI> vnder&s;tandeth it thus: that &s;uch mi&s;erie hapneth not vnto you, my friendes which here pa&s;&s;e by. Certain late lerned interpreters think this to be the mening of the Prophet: It is not you ye Gentiles, to whom the Lorde hath &s;ent the&s;e &s;courges and mi&s;eries which here you &s;ee, but to vs that are his people: it is we whome he meaneth to cha&s;ti&s;e. Or el&s;e, It i<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters"> not you that it mu&s;t take hold on: bu<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters"> it is we that mu&s;t beare the fooli&s;h re+bellion
<PB N="27" REF="37"> of our &s;ins. As Aege&s;ippus the Hi&s;toriographer writeth, that Titus, Ve&s;pa&s;ian his &s;onne, &s;eeing the de&s;ola|tion that was in Ieru&s;alem: &amp; that fa|mine, &amp; partiall dealing herein more preuailed again&s;t them, than the ene|mie without: was enforced to prote&s;t &amp; &s;ay, that it was the reuenging hande of God, and not he that had &s;o vexed them. Now we haue followed the lea&s;t re&s;trayned interpretation, and which be&s;t agreeth with that that followeth, to wit: all yee that heere pa&s;&s;e by, al|though this mi&s;ery toucheth not you, yet take &s;ome paine a little to con&s;ider of our mi&s;erable e&s;tate, and tell vs, if e|uer ye &s;awe the like.</P>
<P>Moreouer, no man liuing is able to expre&s;&s;e, how many excellent &s;imili|tudes &amp; compari&s;ons the Prophet Ie|remie hath collected together in this part, to repre&s;ent vnto vs the honor &amp; force of the wrath of the mo&s;t mightie god: as the &s;imilitude of the fire which con&s;umeth all thinges: of the &s;pred|ding of a net: of a wine pre&s;&s;e: of a yoke that is wrapped: which kindes of &s;peeches doe right well agree, &amp; giue an excellent grace vnto &s;uch an argu|ment: a&s;well for the enriching of the
<PB N="28" REF="38"> argument, as al&s;o for the &s;trengthning thereof, liuely &amp; iu&s;tly to expre&s;&s;e the matter that he treateth of. For we read in the 3. Chap. of the 6. booke of Ari|&s;tole his Topiques, that all metapho|rical &s;peeches with &s;imilitudes are ob|&s;cure or darke: howbeit, he &s;peaketh not generally and &s;imply of them, but only in re&s;pect of the definitions: and when as we haue to deale with Sophi|&s;ters and wranglers, who with counter|feit and deceitfull wordes &s;eeke to be|guile vs.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="doctrines">
<HEAD><HI>The doctrines that are to bee learned</HI> out of the thirde part of this Chapter.</HEAD>
<P>SO often as are &s;eene in the&s;e lamen|tations of Ieremy, or in y^e P&s;almes of Dauid, as in the 74. P&s;alme ver. 1. it is &s;aid, <HI>Why ha&s;t thou O Lord &s;o long for&s;aken vs, &amp; left vs to the wilde worlde?</HI> And as in the 79. P&s;alme, ver. 1. <HI>O Lord, the Gentiles inuade thine enheritance:</HI> that the ancient Fathers with &s;o many greeuous grones &amp; bitter teares, &s;orowed for the Temple of Ie|ru&s;ale~, &amp; were &s;o &s;otrangly greeued and vexed for the de&s;truction of it, which
<PB N="29" REF="38"> was but a materiall temple and figure of the true Church: let vs learne how to lament and &s;orrowe when we &s;ee the ruine and de&s;truction of the liuely &s;tones, and my&s;ticall bodie of the true Church of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t our Lord: and when in &s;teede of the happie &s;ignes of the true &amp; pure preaching of the go&s;pel, and of the true v&s;e of the Sacraments, we &s;ee nothing el&s;e but abhominable idolatries, di&s;&s;olutene&s;&s;e, and ryot, and heare nothing el&s;e but bla&s;phemies, or fables, eyther &s;claunders &amp; lies. See|ing then that euerie man in particular ought to be the temple of God, and of his holy &s;pirite: let vs be well adui&s;ed to walke in all holine&s;&s;e and integritie of life: and &s;uffer no vncleane thing dwell therein: which was al&s;o decla|red &amp; figured, by that ordinance which the Lord made in 23. of Deutron. ver. 2.3. commaunding that no ba&s;tarde, Ammonite, Moabite, or other pro|phane body &s;houlde come within the holy congregation: giuing thereby an infallible aduerti&s;ement of the puritie and &s;anctity which is generally requi|red to bee, as well in the bodie of the Church, as particularly in the mem|bers.</P>
<PB N="30" REF="39">
<P>Ouer and be&s;ides this, wee are to note that which is mo&s;t truly &s;et down in the 2. Chapter of the 1. booke of Samuel, to wit, <HI>That God honoreth tho&s;e which honour him, and cau&s;eth them become infamous which di&s;ho|nour him.</HI> Which thing mo&s;t manife&s;t|ly appeareth in the e&s;tate of the Iewes. For &s;o long as this mightie God fa|uoured them, there was not the grea|te&s;t Monarch in the worlde but feared them, and regarded their temple and &s;anctuarie, as in the hi&s;tories we may reade:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Io&s;ephus in the 8. chap. of his 11. booke.</NOTE> for as Io&s;ephus writeth, wee read that Alexander the great, y^e migh|tie Conquerour, when hee was come neere the Citie, and in the rage and heate of his furie and pride, the Lorde &s;uddenly &s;trooke him with &s;uch an hor|rour and feare, that when he thought to haue tryumphed ouer the Iewes, or to haue attempted &s;ome matter again&s;t their Citie or temple,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Io&s;ephus in the 8. chap. of his 14. booke.</NOTE> he did Iaddus, the hie Prie&s;t that then was, the grea|te&s;t honour that a man could do. And be&s;ides, that great Romane Captaine Pompey, as hee on a time thought to haue entred into the &s;anctuarie of the Temple of Ieru&s;alem, he was &s;o re|&s;trayned, as that he touched nothing
<PB N="31" REF="39"> that was within it but with his eye.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Comforta|ble exam|ples for the Church of God.</NOTE> And the progre&s;&s;e of his life and actes was afterwarde full well noted, that after that time, he neuer pro&s;pered, nor had any good &s;ucce&s;&s;e: from that time, I &s;ay, that he dared &s;ette foote within the &s;anctuarie of the Lorde.</P>
<P>Nowe the chiefe point that we are to con&s;ider of in this third part, is the de|&s;cription of the fearefull wrath of our God, which is amplified and &s;et foorth by &s;o many notable &s;imilitudes: &amp; ther|fore the articles en&s;uing mu&s;t be well weighed of vs.</P>
<P>The wrath of God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">What the vvrath of God is.</NOTE> as S. Augu|&s;tine in the 20. Chapter of his 1. booke again&s;t the aduer&s;aries of the law and Prophets very &s;ub&s;tantially teacheth, is not &s;uch an heat of a troubled mind, as is in vs poore wretches: but a iu&s;t reuenge and puni&s;hment for our &s;innes: &s;o that the &s;cripture &s;tammereth out, as a man would &s;ay, but &s;peaketh vnto vs according to our capacitie in attri|buting vnto God, wrath, furie and in|dignation. And it is becau&s;e that wee for the more part, are &s;o blocki&s;h, as y^t we cannot apprehend as we ought: the greatnes of y^e diuine Maie&s;tie, neither yet feare his iudgements: &amp; yet &s;urely
<PB N="32" REF="40"> his wrath is &s;uch a fearefull thing as that neither the con&s;uming fire, nor yet the naming of the mo&s;t terrible things can at the full &s;ufficiently informe vs of the great vehemency thereof. Thus we &s;ee how the Scripture awaketh vs, to make vs conceaue at the lea&s;t, &s;ome little feare of his diuine vengeance, by comparing &s;ometimes the Lorde vnto an hoate con&s;uming fire: as amonge&s;t other we may well &s;ee in the 32. chap|ter of Deutron. and in the fir&s;t Chap. of the Prophet Nahum.</P>
<P>Nowe the Scripture doth not only &s;et downe terrible wordes and &s;imili|tudes, when as it meaneth to paint out the wrath of God: But eft&s;oones lay|eth before our eyes the terrible effectes and examples of Goddes furie. As a|mong&s;t others, the vniuer&s;all deluge in the dayes of Noah: the &s;etting on fire of Sodome, Gomorthe, Adama, Seboim, the captiuitie of Babylon which Ieremie particularly lame~teth: &amp; in &s;umme manie other te&s;timonies of the horrible puni&s;hments y^t haue fallen a&s;well vpon y^e bodies of Cities &amp; Pro|uinces as vpo~ other in particular, who through their iniquitie haue enforced, &amp; te~pted the Maie&s;ty of the Almighty.
<PB N="33" REF="40"> For, that which is &s;ayde of the Lorde in 34. Chapter of Exodus. <HI>That hee is &s;low to wrath, and of great compa&s;|&s;ion, mu&s;t not be &s;o take~,</HI> as though his goodne&s;&s;e were decayed, &amp; of no force: but is &s;poken by way of compari&s;on: becau&s;e it is an e&s;&s;entiall propertie in God, and wherein he delighteth, to be full of compa&s;&s;ion, and to doe good to his creatures: as in the &s;econde com|maundement of the lawe it is written: that although he on the one &s;ide puni&s;h|eth vnto the thirde and fourth genera|tion, yet that hee is mercifull vnto a thou&s;ande generations in them y^t feare him, and keepe his commaundements. And this would &s;oone become of vs, if God would rigorou&s;ly pur&s;ue vs: ney|ther is there any one of his creatures &s;o mightie and &s;trong, as that would not be &s;oone ouerthrowen and de&s;troy|ed. And as for the wrath of God and his vengeance: we mu&s;t alwayes hold this <HI>maxime</HI> or ground: that it is mo&s;t iu&s;t: For as Paule in the 1. to the Ro|manes ver. 18. &s;ayth: <HI>That the wrath of God is reuealed &amp; made &s;een from heauen, again&s;t all vngodlines.</HI> Which thing Ieremy al&s;o confe&s;&s;eth in his la|mentations: That God properly pu|ni&s;heth
<PB N="34" REF="41"> not men and his creatures,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><P>God pro|perly pu|nisheth not his crea|tures, but their &s;inne that is in them.</P>
<P>The diffe|rence that is betvven the cha&s;ti|zing of the elect, and the punish|ing of the reprobate, Rom. 9. Euery &s;mal &s;inne hath &s;ufficient matter in it &s;elfe to kindle the wrath of God: but Idolatrie, pride, the vaine con|fidence in the thinges of this vvorld, crueltie, &amp; inhumani|tie, &s;et it on a light flame.</P></NOTE> but the extreme &s;inne and iniquitie which he findeth in vs. And although bothe the elect and reprobate, and wicked worldlinges be puni&s;hed heere in this worlde: yet is there a great difference betweene the one and the other: For the children of God are corrected and cha&s;ti&s;ed for their learning, and not for their de&s;truction: and are a&s;&s;ured to be deliuered fro~ the euerla&s;ting wrath of God, as Paule in the 1. Chapter of the fir&s;t to the The&s;&s;alonians teacheth vs. But the wicked and reprobate are called the ve&s;&s;elles of yre, prepared to de&s;truction.</P>
<P>Moreouer we may knowe and vn|der&s;tand by the&s;e Lamentations of Ie|remie and other places of the &s;cripture that although euerie &s;inne may &s;erue for matter and &s;parkes to kindle the wrath of God: yet is it &s;ingularly lette on fire through ydolatrie: pride, and the vaine confidence in the thinges of this worlde: and through crueltie and inhumanitie, which make vs reuolt from our God: and engender in our heartes a contempt of his word. Such were the &s;innes of Ieroboam the &s;onne of Nabath: of Achab al&s;o &amp; Mana&s;&s;es:
<PB N="35" REF="41"> and their &s;innes afore&s;aide al&s;o, haue from them, begotten manie other &s;ins, as licentiou&s;ne&s;&s;e, vanitie, inordinate life, and murmiring again&s;t GOD: which &s;innes are &s;poken of in the 78. P&s;alme, and in the beginning of the 10. Chapiter of the fir&s;te to the Co|rinthes.</P>
<P>When the&s;e &s;innes are put togea|ther, and ouerflowe with a contempt of all the admonitions which the &s;er|uauntes of God &s;hall giue:<NOTE PLACE="marg">VVhe~ &s;ins are growe~ to &s;uch a ful ripenes, as that the admonitio~ of gods mi|ni&s;ters are co~temned, then com|meth the vengeance of God vpon that people that haue &s;o &s;inned.</NOTE> it is a to|ken that the Apo&s;tume is growen to a full ripene&s;&s;e, and will &s;oone breake, and in &s;umme, that the vengeance of God will not be long behinde. As we may in verie deede often times &s;ee, ei|ther great and cruell warres, and ex|treame de&s;olations, or el&s;e deadly plagues, eyther el&s;e barrennes and fa|mine accompanied with all manner of mi&s;eries: and among the re&s;t, the death of good and famous men, and of Prin|ces which were the Nur&s;es of coun|tries and Churches: and &s;o of &s;uch examples, alas, there are too too manie in our dayes.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="part">
<PB N="36" REF="42">
<HEAD>THE FOVRTH AND LAST part of the fir&s;t Chapter, wherein the wrath of God heretofore &s;poken of, is <HI>moderated with an acknowledging of his iu&s;tice, and a foretelling of the</HI> de|&s;truction, of the enemies of Ieru&s;alem.</HEAD>
<P N="18"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Tzade.</NOTE><HI>18</HI> THE Lorde is righteous, for J haue rebelled against his com|maundementes: Heare J pray you all people, and beholde my &s;orrowe: my virgines and my young men are gone into captiuitie.</P>
<P N="19"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Caph.</NOTE><HI>19</HI> J called for my louers, but they de|ceiued me: my Prie&s;tes and mine Elders pe|ri&s;hed in the while they &s;ought their meate to refre&s;h their &s;oules.</P>
<P N="20"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Res.</NOTE><HI>20</HI> Beholde O Lorde, howe J am trou|bled, my bowelles &s;well, my heart is turned within me, for J am full of heauine&s;&s;e: the &s;worde &s;poyleth abroade, as death doth at home.</P>
<P N="21"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Schin.</NOTE><HI>21</HI> They haue heard that I mourne, for there is none to comfort me: all mine ene|mies haue heard of my trouble, and are glad that thou ha&s;t done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou ha&s;t pronounced, and they &s;hall be like vnto me.</P>
<P N="22"><HI>22</HI> Let all their wickedne&s;&s;e come before thee:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tau.</NOTE> doe vnto them as thou hast doone
<PB N="37" REF="42"> vnto me, for all my tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions: for my &s;ighs are many, and mine heart is hea|uie.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="observations">
<HEAD>THE OBSERVATIONS OF the la&s;t parte of the fir&s;t Chapter.</HEAD>
<P>_IN this part is partly co~|teyned, complaintes: partly, prayers and &s;ub|mi&s;&s;ions vnto God: part+ly reproches to the ene|mies. Thus we &s;ee how that in our mi|&s;eries we may be &s;uffred to accu&s;e ey|ther our &s;innes, or el&s;e the crueltie of our enemies: but neuer the Almighty. And therefore it was verie well &s;ayde of that heathen man Tully in the &s;e|conde booke <HI>of the nature of Gods:</HI> That it is a mo&s;t wicked cu&s;tome to di&s;pute and rea&s;on again&s;t God: either in ear|ne&s;t or in ie&s;t. Euen &s;o here, the Pro|phet no whit blameth the Maie&s;tie of God, or his iudgements: but &s;eemeth rather in this parte, to preuent tho&s;e that would go about to aske this que|&s;tion. Is God therfore vniu&s;t or cruell, in &s;o horrible puni&s;hing his people the Iewes? No &s;urely &s;aith he: for although
<PB N="38" REF="43"> &s;car&s;ely &s;hal a ma~ &s;ee the like affliction and like lo&s;&s;es, if thinges bee weighed according to their valure: yet we can not cho&s;e but take them to be for our di&s;obedience and rebellions. So that it is iu&s;t in God, and open confu&s;ion &amp; &s;hame in vs: as in the 9. ver&s;e of Da|niel his prophe&s;ie it is written.</P>
<P>And in that the Prophet directeth his &s;peech,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The re|garde of God.</NOTE> &s;ometimes to one &s;ort and eft&s;oones to another: he doth it as me~ amazed doe, who knowe not which way to turne them, &s;eeking all occa&s;i|ons po&s;&s;ible to di&s;charge and vnburde~ their mindes. It is verie true, that one while he de&s;ireth God to looke vppon the matter, and an other while, men and &s;trangers: For, in de&s;iring to haue our good God to beholde it: who by his onely looke healeth all our griefes and my&s;eries, as in the 42. P&s;alme, ver. 5. is &s;ayde: <HI>That he waiteth by a &s;ure faith for his ayde and regarde, which is full of power and force:</HI> And yet hee thinketh not, but that it is to great purpo&s;e al&s;o, that other people &s;hould beholde the my&s;erie. Fir&s;t, becau&s;e that when anie looke pitifully vppon vs, it &s;omewhat mytigateth our &s;orrowes and griefes. Secondly, becau&s;e euerie man is &s;o to
<PB N="39" REF="43"> looke into examples, and as that hee may thereby learn to be wi&s;e by other mens harmes, and think, that a&s;much hangeth ouer his owne heade, as ouer any other. The Hi&s;toriographer Poli|bius writeth, That he &s;toode hard by Scipio the Romane Captayn his &s;ide, who de&s;troyed Carthage, while&s;t the &s;ame City was on a flaming fire, and that when Scipio &s;awe it &s;o burne, hee began foorthwith to weepe: although it had beene the Citie, that had long time made head again&s;t the Romans: whereupon, Scipio beeing asked why he then wept: aun&s;wered, that when he called to minde the reuolutions &amp; chaunges of the worlde, he perceiued that all kingdomes &amp; Cities had their turnes and &s;tratagemes, and that it wold one day come to pa&s;&s;e that Rome al&s;o would be &s;et on fire. To be &s;hort, there is no doubt, as the Poet Iuue|nall writeth in certain ver&s;es, but that the great Creator of the whole world hath giuen vnto vs tender hearts, and fountaines of teares, to bewayle the &s;orrowfull e&s;tate of our friendes, or neighbours.</P>
<P><HI>My verie bowelles doe &s;well</HI>) or ac|cording ro the Hebrewe, doe ri&s;e, or
<PB N="40" REF="44"> &s;well, as wine that is troubled, wor|keth, or as the &s;ea that boyleth and &s;welleth: a man is no way able to ex|pre&s;&s;e the Empha&s;is and propertie of the Hebrew word, the very pronunci|ation whereof expre&s;&s;eth vnto vs a kinde of troubling.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Res.</NOTE><HI>Thou ha&s;t made the pronounced day come vpon me, &amp;c.)</HI> the greater nu~ber of the Interpreters would referre this to the enimies: as if the Prophet would haue &s;aid, Thou ha&s;t cau&s;ed eue~ the very &s;et day to light vpo~ mine enimies. For the Babylonians had al&s;o their cour&s;e and &s;tratageme, which thou maye&s;t &s;ee in the 13. &amp; 14. of E&s;aiah. But all thinges con&s;idered, it is like the interpretation which we haue folowed, to be lea&s;t re|&s;trained, &amp; to haue a more large &s;cope: &s;eeing that in the Hebrewe text it is thus worde for worde: Thou ha&s;t pro|nounced, named, and determined the day: but they &s;halbe like vnto me. And therefore this &s;hould be no very good &s;ence, to &s;ay: thou ha&s;t made come vp|on them the pronounced day.</P>
<P><HI>But they &s;halbe like vnto me)</HI> This word then <HI>but</HI> giueth vs to vnder&s;tande, the meaning of this place. For, when the Prophet &s;peaketh of the deter|mined
<PB N="41" REF="44"> day, we are not curiou&s;ly to di&s;|pute as &s;ome doe, of the periods or fa|tall endes of kingdomes, as they call them, or how long they &s;hal continue: as &s;ome make their reckoning, that within 500. or 250. yeares, men &s;hall &s;ee the reuolutions and chaunges of the e&s;tate of kingdomes and common weales. But it is ynough that we know that there is no permanent kingdome &s;aue the kingdome of our God: and that the creator hath ordayned vnto all Kingdomes, Prouinces, and Cities, a &s;ure and certaine ende, certaine and &s;ure puni&s;hments, chaunges &amp; &s;ignes, vpon which it were better for vs to lay holde, as wee are taught by the &s;crip|tures, to come by rea&s;on of our &s;innes, di&s;&s;olutene&s;&s;e of life, and &s;uch other like &s;ignes, then by the con&s;tellation of the &s;tarres, or any certaine Arith|meticall number and proportion.</P>
<P><HI>Let all their wickedne&s;&s;e come)</HI> Some reade: let all their &s;orrow come.<NOTE PLACE="marg">ver&s;e 22.</NOTE> Some others: Let all the trouble and afflicti|on which they haue brought vpo~ me, come before thee. Howbeit, I gladly yeelde to their opinion, which referre this vnto the wickedne&s;&s;e of the ene|mies. For the &s;cripture &s;peaketh after
<PB N="42" REF="45"> this manner, that God &s;etteth before him the &s;innes of all &s;uch as hee mea|neth to puni&s;h. S. Ierome giueth vs to wit, that this is not here take~ &s;o much for an imprecation or cur&s;e: as it is for a kinde of prophecie, of that which &s;hall fall vppon the enemies. This is true, that it is no newe thing, to read in the Prophetes, of the cur&s;es they pronounce, not in their owne priuate names, or according as fle&s;h &amp; bloud directeth them: but according as the &s;pirite of God guideth them, and put|teth it into their mouthes: and to this end for the which we dayly pray and &s;aye, <HI>Thy kingdome come:</HI> and &s;o con&s;e|quently, that all thinges contrarie to his will, be brought to naught.</P>
<P><HI>And treade them vnder foote: or pre&s;&s;e them together.)</HI> This is a notable &s;ay|ing, and doth &s;ignifie in deede to tread vnder foote, euen as a man treadeth together grapes in a vine pre&s;&s;e: the &s;umme and effecte whereof is this: Deale with them, as thou ha&s;t dealt with me: dre&s;&s;e them, after the &s;ame manner, as in the 137. P&s;alme ver. 8. it is written: Euen &s;o &s;hall Ba|bylon al&s;o be brought to du&s;t and a&s;hes.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="doctrines">
<PB N="43" REF="45">
<HEAD>The doctrines of the la&s;t part, of <HI>the first Chapter.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>THe Lord is righteous &amp;c.</HI> It is the property of the children of God to &s;peake reuerently of the iudgements of the Lord, which as Dauid &s;ayth in the 36. P&s;alme, are bottomle&s;&s;e depthes: and therefore the mo&s;t &s;ure way for e|uerie man, is to &s;ubmit him&s;elfe vnder the mightie hande of the eternall, and not howle and cry out again&s;t him as &s;ome did, of whom O&s;eah in the 7. of his prophe&s;ie &s;peaketh, who neuer would turne vnto God: neyther yet &s;o|rowe, &s;aue onely for the lo&s;&s;e of their te~|porall commodities and plea&s;ures, no whit waying the abhominablenes and greatnes of &s;inne, ne yet the purenes and holines of almightie Gods iu&s;ti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e, which can by no meanes abide &s;inne to go vnpuni&s;hed.<NOTE PLACE="marg">There are too too ma+ny of &s;uch carnall Go&s;pellers in this lat|ter age of the vvorld euery where.</NOTE> And therefore it is a verie ill cu&s;tome amonge&s;t vs, in cry|ing out for our lo&s;&s;es, griefes, and af|flictions: and neuer care, when our &s;innes, rebellions, vnthankefulne&s;&s;e, and contempt of his worde touch vs, to be halfe &s;o eloquent and copious in crying out again&s;t them: and yet this is it, that we ought both feele, aggra|uate,
<PB N="44" REF="46"> and lament.</P>
<P>This is the holie reuenge which we ought to make, whereof the Apo&s;tle Saint Paule in the &s;euenth Chapter of the 2. to the Corinths the eleuenth ver&s;e &s;peaketh.</P>
<P>And <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">he words of Ieremy are great|lie to be con&s;idered of, in &s;aying: <HI>I haue rebelled again&s;t thy commaun|dements,</HI> again&s;t &s;o holie, redoubted, and true commaundements of the li|uing God: and when is that? for&s;ooth euen then, when as we contemne the words of his Prophets and &s;eruants which &s;peake vnto vs, &s;hewing vnto vs as from his owne mouth, his holy will which he putteth into the mouth of his &s;eruants y^t carry his Amba&s;&s;ade in his name, as in the 10. of S. Mathew, &amp; in y^e 5. of the 2. to the Corinths we reade. To conclude, the righteou&s;nes of God on the one &s;ide maketh vs hang downe our heads in our afflictions, and beare them patiently: and on the other &s;ide it amendeth vs, when as in deede we a&s;|&s;ure our &s;elues that it is &s;o. And Iere|my in the end of this chapter &s;heweth, that God wil exerci&s;e the &s;ame not on|ly vpon vs, but al&s;o vpon our aduer&s;a|ries, who al&s;o &s;hal be &s;ure to haue their
<PB N="45" REF="46"> paiment: and therfore, as Dauid in the 75. P&s;al. ver. 5. &s;aith, they need not lift vp their hornes &s;o bye, con&s;idering that they &s;hall drinke the lees: and if, as our &s;auiour Chri&s;t in the 23. of Saint Luke, &s;aith: if this happen to the grene braunches what &s;hall become of the withered ones and of &s;uch as are alto|gether vnprofitable and prophane.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="paraphrase">
<HEAD><HI>Now followeth a Paraphra&s;is, to wit,</HI> a more larger interpretation of the fir&s;t <HI>Chapter of the Lamentati|ons,</HI> not word for word, but &s;entence for &s;entence.</HEAD>
<P>_OVt alas, what meaneth this mo&s;t pitifull and <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> &s;trange change and re|uolution? What is the cau&s;e, I be&s;eech you, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">hy this noble and famous Citie, but <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">f late &s;o mightelie peopled, rich, and <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">xceeding in all pro&s;peritie and ho|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">or, to be thus humbled, and become <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ke a poore, &s;olitarie, and comfort|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">e&s;&s;e widdow, who in her &s;orrowfull <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">iddowhood, &s;itteth all alone, with|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ut companie, &s;taie, and furniture? How fareth it, I &s;aie, that the mo&s;t
<PB N="46" REF="47"> royall Prouince, which &s;ometimes made &s;o many kingdomes &s;tande in awe of her, to become now bonde and thrall, and to be pulled, and torne in pieces by &s;traunge and barbarous na|tions.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Beholde how this poore Citie &s;hed|deth teares day and night, and is &s;o farre of from any &s;o heartie a kin&s;man or friend, to comfort her, as that the neere&s;t friendes &s;he hath, rurne their backs vpon her: and as a mo&s;t vnfaith|full kinred, are of friendes become meere enemies.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Alas that poore Iudah is now come to the very end of her fall and de&s;tru|ction, and &s;hee who it is that made this reckoning, that her exile and ba+ni&s;hment &s;hould mittigate the griefe and &s;orrowes which &s;he both &s;uffret<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters"> and &s;eeth. For is there any &s;ence mo<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters"> tender, and woundeth more the ha<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters"> than that which is of the eye. And is &s;o farre of that &s;he findeth any re<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters"> as that &s;traunge Nations haue for&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">+ken her. Can &s;he I be&s;eech you, take any way well, and &s;tay her &s;elfe as<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> were in &s;o great di&s;tre&s;&s;es and ang<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">+&s;hes?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> But what &s;peake I of the people<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span">
<PB N="47" REF="47"> Iudah? Would ye properly &s;ay, that ye &s;awe the wayes leading to Ieru&s;alem, vnto the mount Sion, &s;orrowe, and <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">hed teares: which &s;hed and bur&s;t out before the multitude of the people: who yeerely went vp into the holy Ci|tie in iolly and great troupes: and are neere, (alas) become as it were alto|gether aba&s;hed, with &s;o &s;mall a terror <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">nd &s;courge, as that they coulde &s;ee now no bodie come vnto the &s;olemne <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ea&s;tes commaunded in the lawe. But what &s;hould I &s;ay? There is nothing now in all Iudah to be &s;eene, but cru|eltie and angui&s;h. For the noble gates of the Cities, where al their honoura|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">le per&s;onages &s;ate, and where the re|doubted head of Iu&s;tice was, are vn|dermined and ouerthrowen.</P>
<P>To be &s;hort, her enemies haue had <MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> the vpper hande of her, and all things el&s;e they can wi&s;he. For poore Iudah hath not had to doe with man onely, but with the mightie God of ho&s;tes, who meaneth to make her feele the multitude and greeuou&s;ne&s;&s;e of her &s;innes, by the horrible &s;ighes which &s;he &s;hall &s;ee before her face: &amp; among the re&s;t, when &s;he &s;hall &s;ee her young children driuen before her into the
<PB N="48" REF="48"> &s;traunge countrey of Babylon, euen as a man would driue an heard of brute bea&s;ts before him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> In &s;umme, all the glorie of Syon is turned into &s;moake, in &s;o much, that her verie princes and nobles (&s;o greatlie is their magnificence aba|&s;ed) are cha&s;ed and put to flight, e|uen as Hunters cha&s;e and pur&s;ue the poore hyndes, vntill they haue brought and &s;nared them within their toyles.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="7" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> And this is pre&s;entlie done, that vndi&s;creet Ieru&s;alem might againe remember her&s;elfe, how wonderfullie the Almightie had in times pa&s;t en|riched her: but alas, it commeth all too late, con&s;idering that all is now con&s;umed with fyre and out of order: the mo&s;t actiue and deliuer people &s;o di&s;comfited by the enemie, and &s;o vn|likely to be releeued, as that her aduer&s;aries make them&s;elues merrie with beholding her, and skorning her Sabboths. Alas, what Sabboths can they be, when as the &s;eruice and wor|&s;hip of God cea&s;eth, when as the land lieth lay for want of manuring, and when as the flowre and choi&s;e of the people lie mi&s;erablie &s;laine vp|pon
<PB N="49" REF="48"> the earth?</P>
<P>Surely it may verie well be &s;ayd, <MILESTONE N="8" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> and without di&s;&s;imulation truely con|fe&s;&s;ed, that Ieru&s;alem had forgotten her &s;elfe, and committed great and greeuous offences, &s;eeing &s;he was growne to &s;uch a point, as that they which honored her, made now no ac|compt of her, becau&s;e &s;he was &s;o vile and filthy, as any woman in the world could be, in&s;omuch that euen with ve|rie &s;hame and griefe &s;he got her &s;elfe into a corner, and kept her aloofe out of all mens &s;ights.</P>
<P>To be &s;hort, the verie hemmes of <MILESTONE N="9" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> her garments were filthylie &s;potted, and yet &s;he neuer thought to come to any &s;uch end: for a foole neuer belee|ueth that the plague will ouertake him, vntil &s;uch time as it lighteth vpo~ him: and therefore is &s;he &s;o &s;ubiected and ca&s;t downe, as that &s;he might no way find comfort heere vppon earth: wherevpon, &s;he is enforced to &s;eeke helpe from heauen, and call vpon the Lord, &s;aying: O thou that art the God of reuenge, &amp; iudge of al the world, al|though al &s;uch as tread thy people vn|der foot &s;ay, The eternall &s;eeth it not,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 99. P&s;al. 123.</NOTE> yet &s;hew thou thy &s;elfe manife&s;tly, and
<PB N="50" REF="49"> with thy mercifull eye behold mine afflictions: for I haue too too much abidden the de&s;pite of the prowde, which haue ri&s;en vp again&s;t me.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="10" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> She is without all doubt very poore and comfortle&s;&s;e: And againe, &s;he that fleew the highe&s;t pitch in all re|&s;pectes, hath not now left her one plume among&s;t all her iollie plumes, which the enemie hath not pluckt from her. But that which hath chiefe|lie bur&s;t her verie hart &s;trings, is this, to &s;ee the&s;e villanous prophane hea|thens thru&s;t and intrude them&s;elues euen into the Lords holie place and Sanctuarie, a place heeretofore cleer|lie forbidden vnto &s;uch people, by Gods expre&s;&s;e commaundement, to enter into.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="11" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Is not this an extreame mi&s;erie to &s;ee an vniuer&s;all people vtterlie di&s;|comfyted and fru&s;&s;hed in peeces, to &s;eeke a &s;mall pittance heere and there mo&s;t lamentablie, for a poore refre&s;|&s;hing of them &s;elues, and as a mans life is farre more worth then rayment, to exchange their mo&s;t pretious iew|els for cantles of bread. O, this people had verie good occa&s;ion to call vppon God, and be&s;eech him &s;omewhat to
<PB N="51" REF="49"> looke downe to behold their mi&s;erie and &s;lauerie.</P>
<P>And now I &s;peake vnto you al&s;o <MILESTONE N="12" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> which heere pa&s;&s;e by, that although you feele none of this mi&s;erie, which the Lord keepe you from, to be&s;eech you onely to &s;ee and con&s;ider, if euer you &s;awe or heard tell of the like de|&s;truction which hath fallen vpon me, in the hoat indignation of this great and terrible God.</P>
<P>Such a fearefull and pear&s;ing in|dignation, <MILESTONE N="13" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> as that me thinketh a fyre from heauen is fallen vpon me, which is entred my skinne into my verie bones, or el&s;e, that a net hath beene pitched to catch and ouerthrowe me, that I might liue in continual mi&s;erie and di&s;tre&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>I am like an Oxe that is drawne <MILESTONE N="14" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> with a rope by the hornes into the &s;laughterhou&s;e to be &s;laine. My &s;innes and iniquities, alas, are the rope wher|with I am tied: I &s;hould haue taken vpon me the &s;weete and amiable yoke of my good God. Alas, I am vtterlie vndone: for behold, I am deliuered into perpetuall bondage, without hope of any likelyhood to come out thereof againe.</P>
<PB N="52" REF="50">
<P><MILESTONE N="15" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> For all my valiaunt and olde men are, as a man woulde &s;aye, by the eares, as from out of the mo&s;te principall parte of theyr Countrey: and &s;o a&s;&s;ayled and charged, as that a man might &s;aye, that the Lorde had inuited an huge companie of ene|mies vpon a &s;olemne fe&s;tiuall day, to ouerthrow and tread vnder foote, the pride of my youth, as me~ tread grapes in a vine pre&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="16" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> And therefore what &s;hal I mo&s;t my|&s;erable wretch doe, but powre out e|uen riuers of teares, when as I &s;hall &s;ee my &s;elfe in the iudgement of the worlde, voyde of all comforte, berea|ued of my children; and encompa&s;&s;ed with a cruell, fierce, and victorious e|nemie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="17" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> I mu&s;t therefore be fayne to holde vp both mine handes, and crie out for mercie. There was neuer man that e|uer had pitie vpon poore Syon. For it was the ordinance of the mo&s;t high, that her enemies &s;hould encompa&s;&s;e her, and Ieru&s;alem became &s;tincking and infamous.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="18" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> And yet GOD is iu&s;t: and I for my oft rebelling again&s;t his holye woorde, and the &s;acred mouthes of
<PB N="53" REF="50"> his myni&s;ters am woorthie of &s;hame and confu&s;ion. But yet let mee a little &s;orrowe and lament my mi&s;e|ries: and yee people, what &s;o euer ye are, if there remayne anie &s;parke of humanitie in you, doe mee yet this courte&s;ie, as to vnder&s;tande and take knowledge of my &s;orrowes and griefes, and beholde a little my mi|&s;eries: if you haue anie heart, to looke vppon &s;uch lamentable ca&s;es. But alas, I can not houlde me from talking hereof. For where a manne is greeued, of that hee will com|plaine. Beholde howe my cha&s;t vir|gines and tender Dam&s;elles, beholde howe my &s;tronge and gallant young men, that yet liue, are lead captiue by a barbarous Nation into a &s;traunge countrey.</P>
<P>At this time I finde no friendes: for <MILESTONE N="19" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> there is none that will knowe mee, which right well teacheth mee, that all men are lyers, and that friendes are farde&s;t of &amp; wanting, when a man hath mo&s;t neede of them. And as for my Church-men, and Iudges, they them&s;elues dayly dye, for want of vi|ctualles.</P>
<P>There remaineth now, my good God, <MILESTONE N="20" UNIT="Ver&s;e.">
<PB N="54" REF="51"> no hope of ayde, but that thou looke vpon me with thine eye of pitie. For I am perplexed and greeued at the ful: my bowels &s;well, and my heart is tur|ned within me: and becau&s;e I haue re|belled, the &s;worde without, and fa|mine within, make warre vppon mee, and &s;ore wound me.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="21" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Manie there are which heare mee &s;igh and &s;obbe: but there is not one of them all, that any whit comforteth me. I &s;ee nothing el&s;e but the brauing and tryumphing of mine enemies, &amp; therefore I right well perceaue that it is thou that woulde&s;t haue me to be thus dealt withall, and that it is with thee that I haue to doe: and I con|fe&s;&s;e nowe indeede that thou make&s;t mee &s;ee the&s;e dolorous dayes, where|with thou oftertimes threatned&s;t mee by thy holy Prophets. But howe euer it fareth nowe with mee, yet let them be &s;ure, though long fir&s;t, that they them&s;elues will be payd home as well as I, at the la&s;t.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="22" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Goe to nowe then mo&s;t righteous God, thou that puni&s;he&s;t without ac|ception of per&s;ons: as thou ha&s;t con|&s;idered of my wicked tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, euen &s;o likewi&s;e call thou mine ene|mies
<PB N="55" REF="51"> to the like reckoning, puni&s;he thou them for their &s;o infinite, horri|ble and greeuous &s;innes, who haue as well de&s;erued to be proceeded again&s;t as I, and be aduenged of them, &amp; tread them vnder thy feete, euen as thou ha&s;t troden mee mo&s;t mi&s;erable and &s;orrowfull caytife.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>THE SECOND CHAPTER.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>The Argument of this Chapter.</HEAD>
<P>_SVch me~ &s;urely do great|ly ouer&s;hoot them&s;elues who thinke that there is no art, or skilfull hand|ling in the proceedings of the holy &s;criptures. For Saint Am|bro&s;e writing to one Iu&s;tus in the viij. booke of his Epi&s;tles, &s;ayth thus: Al|though (&s;ayth he) it were graunted that the Prophetes wrote nothinge Rhetorically, yet mu&s;t wee needes confe&s;&s;e and &s;ay that they wrote ac|cording to the gift of the grace of the &s;pirite of God, which &s;urpa&s;&s;eth all arte and knowledge. In &s;o much as it it is to be pre&s;umed, that the mo&s;t ex|cellent Orators haue borrowed many
<PB N="56" REF="52"> thinges of the holy &s;criptures, e&s;peci|ally &s;uch, as might any way come by the bookes to reade the~. For are there any pa&s;&s;ions, de&s;criptions, compari|&s;ons, and &s;uch other like thinges ta|ken or appertayning for or to anie matter or purpo&s;e, whereby to mooue and &s;tirre vp the heartes and mindes of men, which are not to be founde in the&s;e Lamentations? Namely in this &s;econde Chapter, which, as the fir&s;t Chapter beginneth with this woorde ECHA: to wit, HOW: euen &s;o like|wi&s;e doth this, and hath al&s;o the ver|&s;es diuided according to the order of the Hebrewe Alphabet.</P>
<P>Nowe this Chapter is diuided into two principall partes. The fir&s;t is drawen downe in the fir&s;t twelue ver|&s;es: and beginneth mo&s;te fearefully &s;ette foorth in &s;uch wordes, as if the heauen and &s;tarres would fall, and the Elementes melt. And therefore wee may &s;ee, that the Prophet heere wri|teth an higher &s;tile, and proceedeth more pathetically or feelingly, than he did in the former. And this method or order of his, is al&s;o verie re&s;olute. For fir&s;t, he at once &s;peaketh of the bo|die in generall, and afterwarde parti|culari&s;eth
<PB N="57" REF="52"> all the members and partes thereof. The bodie and whole &s;ub|&s;tance of the matter, was the Ciuill and Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall E&s;tate: the Regali|tie and Nobilitie, and Prie&s;thoode, or mini&s;terie of the Church. Where this beginning to be &s;haken and fall, the e&s;tate of the Countrey is in a la|mentable ca&s;e: and the Ciuill go|uernment being troubled and chaun|ged, Religion abyeth for it, con&s;ide|ring that common-weales, as Plato in his bookes of lawes writeth, are as it were an hou&s;e e&s;tabli&s;hed by GOD, or an Inne and place of re|ceipt of manie laudable and holie lawes, ordinaunces, and good and hone&s;t &s;tudies, in &s;o much that all good and godlie men are iu&s;tly gree|ued, when as they &s;ee the e&s;tate and policie of kingdomes troubled and in an vprore. When as the Prophet Ieremie hath generally &s;poken of the&s;e thinges, hee after particula|rizeth the whole, and de&s;cendeth vnto the members and partes, as vnto the palace, fortre&s;&s;es, walles, gates, fea&s;tes, Sabothes, Prie&s;tes, olde men, and young children, the holie lawes, &amp;c. For, common-weales
<PB N="58" REF="53"> &s;tande and are grounded vppon all the&s;e partes: in &s;o much that when the Lorde promi&s;eth a re&s;tabli&s;hment: he &s;ayth among all other thinges, that they &s;hall &s;ee in the &s;treates, the reue|rende fatherly old men &s;itting in their Gates: and the young children play|ing in the &s;treetes.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Zachary. 8</NOTE>The other parte of the Chapiter from the 12. ver&s;e, vnto the ende of the Chapiter, is a kinde of &s;peeche which the Prophet addre&s;&s;eth vnto the people, in telling them of their dutie: and &s;hewing them in the fir&s;t place, what they ought to beware and take heede of: to wit, that they &s;hould not beleeue or trouble their braynes with the friuolous wordes of the fal&s;e Prophetes, who would extenuate or le&s;&s;en the wrath of God, and induce the people, not to make &s;o great an account of it: on the other &s;ide, that they waxe not &s;auage and become like brute bea&s;tes, at the proude threates of the aduer&s;arie: which keepe a proude &s;tirre with the people: &s;pea|king thou&s;andes of reprochfull words vnto them: but that the be&s;t coun&s;ell and re&s;olution for them, was to ad|dre&s;&s;e them-&s;elues foorth-with vnto
<PB N="59" REF="53"> God, in teares, and &s;orrowe of heart: &s;eeing that the ende for the which he afflicteth his people, is onely to &s;um|mon and call them to repentaunce: And therefore &s;ythe there was yet a meane and way left to finde grace, and appea&s;e him that is naturally pi|tifull, and who neuer reiecteth tho&s;e &s;oules which are in deede truely con|trite and &s;orrowefull: there was no better way, than to call vppon his di|uine goodne&s;&s;e: as in verie deede in the ende of this Chapter hee &s;etteth downe before them a &s;hort forme of heartie and earne&s;t prayer.</P>
<P>Heere wee &s;ee the firme and &s;ure Anker of the &s;oule,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hebr. 6.</NOTE> which the chil|dren of God haue in their wrackes: <HI>This is the hope</HI> (&s;ayth the Apo&s;tle) <HI>which wee laye holde on, &s;taying our &s;elues vpon the infallible promi&s;es of our good and true God.</HI> This hope maketh not a&s;hamed: this hope, maketh vs pa&s;&s;e through the redde &s;ea of the my&s;e|ries of this worlde: and patiently, and quietly to waite, for the promi&s;ed deliue|raunce.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="part">
<PB N="60" REF="54">
<HEAD>THE SECOND CHAPTER.</HEAD>
<P N="1"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Aleph.</NOTE><HI>1</HI> HOWE hath the Lorde darkened the daughter of Syon in his wrath: and hath cast downe from heauen vnto the earth, the beautie of I&s;rael, and remembred not his foote&s;toole in the day of his wrath.</P>
<P N="2"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Beth.</NOTE><HI>2</HI> The Lorde hath de&s;troyed all the ha|bitations of Jaacoh, and not &s;pared: hee hath thrown downe in his wrath, the &s;trong houldes of the daughter of Iudah: he hath cast them downe to the grounde: hee hath polluted the kingdome, and the Princes thereof.</P>
<P N="3"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gimel.</NOTE><HI>3</HI> He hath cut off in his fierce wrath all the horne of J&s;raell: hee hath drawen backe his right hande from before the e|nemie, and there was kindled in Jaakob like a flame of fire which kindled rounde about.</P>
<P N="4"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Daleth.</NOTE><HI>4</HI> He hath bent his bowe like an enemie: his right hande was &s;tretched vp as an ad|uer&s;arie, and &s;lewe all that was plea&s;aunt to the eye, in the tabernacle of the daugh|ter of Syon: hee powred out his wrath like fire.</P>
<P N="5"><NOTE PLACE="marg">He.</NOTE><HI>5</HI> The Lorde was an enemie: he hath de|uoured I&s;rael, and con&s;umed all his palaces:
<PB N="61" REF="54"> he hath de&s;troied his &s;trong holdes, and hath encrea&s;ed in the daughter of Judah lamen|tation and mourning.</P>
<P N="6"><HI>6</HI> For he hath de&s;troyed his tabernacle,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vau.</NOTE> as a garden, he hath de&s;troyed his congre|gation: the Lorde hath cau&s;ed the fea&s;tes and Sabbothes to be forgotten in Syon, and hath de&s;pi&s;ed in the indignation of his wrath, the King and the Priest.</P>
<P N="7"><HI>7</HI> The Lorde hath for&s;aken his Alter:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Zain.</NOTE> he hath abhorred his &s;anctuarie: he hath giuen into the hande of the enemie, the walles of her palaces: they haue made a noi&s;e in the hou&s;e of the Lord, as in the day of &s;olemnitie.</P>
<P N="8"><HI>8</HI> The Lorde hath determined to de|&s;troye the wall of the daughter of Syon:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heth.</NOTE> he &s;tretched out a line: hee hath not with|drawen his hande from de&s;troying: there|fore hee made the rampare and the walle to lament: they were de&s;troyed togea|ther.</P>
<P N="9"><HI>9</HI> Her gates are &s;oonke to the grounde:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Theth.</NOTE> he hath de&s;troyed and broken their barres: her King and her Princes are among her Gentiles: the lawe is no more, neither can her Prophets receaue any vi&s;ion from the Lorde.</P>
<P N="10"><HI>10</HI> The Elders of the daughter of Syon &s;itte vppon the grounde,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iod.</NOTE> and keepe
<PB N="62" REF="55"> &s;ilence: they haue cast vp dust vpon their heades: they haue girded them&s;elues with &s;ackecloth: the virgines of Jeru&s;ale~ hange downe their heades to the grounde.</P>
<P N="11"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Caph.</NOTE><HI>11</HI> Mine eyes doe fall with teares, my bowelles &s;well: my lyuer is powred vppon the earth, for the de&s;truction of the daugh|ter of my people, becau&s;e the children and &s;uckelinges &s;woone in the &s;treetes of the Citie.</P>
<P N="12"><HI>12</HI> They haue &s;ayde to their mothers, where is bread and drinke:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lamed.</NOTE> when they &s;woo|ned as the wounded in the &s;treetes of the ci|tie, and when they gaue vp the Ghost in their mothers bo&s;ome.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="observations">
<HEAD>THE OBSERVATIONS vpon the fir&s;t part of the <HI>&s;econde Chapter.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>_HAth darkened the daugh|ter of Syon</HI>) This is a &s;imi|litude that fitly &s;erueth for <HI>y^t</HI> purpo&s;e: by which the Prophet oppo&s;eth the darkene&s;&s;e of the afflictions which they had heaped vppe vnto them|&s;elues, vnto the light and bright|ne&s;&s;e of the grace of the Lorde, as if the Prophet &s;hould thus haue &s;aide:
<PB N="63" REF="55"> Alas, what is nowe become of that brightnes of the fauourable face of the Lord, which once &s;hined vpon vs in all ioy and felicity: which is of &s;uch power and &s;trength, as that &s;o long as the Lord fauoureth vs, <HI>although,</HI> as Da|uid in his 68. P&s;alme &s;ayth, <HI>we were as blacke and foule, as they that lie among the brands ends, and handirons in a chimney corner, yet would he make vs &s;hine more bright then the &s;iluer glistering wings of any doue, mo&s;t curiou&s;lie pictured.</HI> Some other Interpretors &s;uppo&s;e, that Iere|my &s;peaking in this place of a darke and blacke clowde, had regard vnto the glorious clowde which was &s;eene in Ieru&s;alem at the dedication of the Temple, as in the eightenth Chapter of the fir&s;t booke of the Kings we reade: meaning that there had beene a great alteration of things &s;ithence that time.</P>
<P><HI>He hath not remembred his footestoole.)</HI> This is a kind of &s;peech borrowed from the manner of men, for, we right well know, that God, who is a &s;piritual &s;ub&s;tance, hath no neede of a foote|&s;toole. But by this allegoricall manner of &s;peach, is meant the Temple, in which they &s;aw the &s;ignes and tokens
<PB N="64" REF="56"> of God his pre&s;ence. The earth al&s;o in compari&s;on of heauen, which is the throne of the heauenly maie&s;tie, is &s;ometimes called, as in the 66. of E&s;ay we reade, <HI>The foote&s;toole of the Lord.</HI> But when the Temple is &s;o called, it is vppon &s;ome other con&s;ideration, to wit, becau&s;e it &s;eemeth that God, as it were abode in that temple, and there te&s;tified that he walked among his people. But when the Lord calleth the Temple his foote&s;toole, he gi|ueth vs to vnder&s;tand, that we &s;hould not &s;et our minds vpon the materiall Temple, or take it for the verie dwel|ling place of his maie&s;tie, but only for &s;ome &s;mall te&s;timonie of his pre&s;ence, and that there is a farre great deale more to be &s;aid, betweene his heauen|lie glorie, and the &s;hining glorie in the Temple, as may be &s;poken of a kinglie throne and a foote&s;toole, be|cau&s;e the people &s;hould alwaies lift vp their hearts on hye towards the true Throne of glorie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> <HI>He hath polluted the kingdome.)</HI> This is &s;uch a kind of the Hebrewe maner of &s;peeche, as we finde in the 89. P&s;alme, ver&s;e 39. <HI>Thou ha&s;t profaned his Crowne, casting it to the ground:</HI> that
<PB N="65" REF="56"> is to &s;ay, thou ha&s;t reiected &amp; for&s;aken it, as a polluted and prophane thing.</P>
<P><HI>He hath destroyed, or pluckt downe his <MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> tabernacle, as the &s;hed or cabane of a Gar|den.)</HI> Some reade: He hath de&s;pi&s;ed, or violentlie turned vp&s;ide downe: but it &s;eemeth to agree better with the &s;imilitude of cabanes, or &s;heds: let vs therefore reade, <HI>He hath destroyed, or pluckt downe:</HI> euen as &s;hepherds which entrench them&s;elues &s;ometime in one place, &s;omtime in another, or as &s;heds and cabanes that are &s;et vp in a gar|den, one while in one place, another while in another. This is much like vnto that which is &s;poken of in the 80. P&s;alme, ver&s;e 12. <HI>Thou ha&s;t pluckt downe her hedge, that euery one that pa&s;&s;eth by might destroy her.</HI> And in the fifth of I|&s;aiah, ver. 5. <HI>I will breake downe her hedge, and tread it vnder foote, and lay her waste.</HI> This &s;peech could the Iewes hardlie di&s;ge&s;t, who per&s;waded the~&s;elues that their Temple &s;hould co~tinue for euer, &amp; their gates to be euerla&s;ting, accor|ding as Dauid in the 24. P&s;alme &s;aith. But heere is to be noted, that the promi&s;es which we fynde made in the Scripture, concerning the euerla&s;ting continuance of the Temple, were
<PB N="66" REF="57"> not made in regard of the &s;tones, or the materiall building thereof, but for the loue of the Church of Chri&s;t, which &s;hall be mainteined and pre&s;er|ued vnto the end of the world, not|with&s;tanding that the vi&s;ible taber|nacle was tran&s;ported one while to Sylo, another while to Gabaa, and a|nother time &s;ome whether el&s;e: or al|beit that the kingdome of God and the Go&s;pell be tran&s;ported to a nati|on that &s;hall profite thereby, whether it be one time into Greece, another time into Almayne, one while into Fraunce, or el&s;e whether.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="9" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> <HI>Her kings and princes are among the Gentiles: there is no more lawe:)</HI> Some reade: They are among the Gentiles without lawe. The Chaldee interpre|tation is thus, They were led away be|cau&s;e they regarded not the lawe. But in mine opinion, this place is rather to be referred vnto the di&s;cord that was then in Ieru&s;alem, and in all Iu|dah, when as they which &s;hould haue been the ob&s;eruers of the lawes, and haue kept the people vnder di&s;cipline, were either dead, or el&s;e led captiue. Heere then is repre&s;ented vnto vs the &s;orrowfull countenance of a people,
<PB N="67" REF="57"> voide of good direction and gouerne|ment. For the verie office and dutie of all Magi&s;trates, is, to mainteine the authoritie of the lawes of peace, of the &s;eemely order, and quiet of all Cities and countreys. And it was in elder daies,<NOTE PLACE="marg">22 of the fir&s;t booke of the Kings.</NOTE> in the raigne of good King Io|&s;ias, an e&s;peciall happie time that the booke of the law was found againe, that was &s;o long mi&s;&s;ing, and troden vnder foote as it were in the time of that wicked infidell king Achas: or at lea&s;t, as Lyra writeth, was hid in a wall, and found at &s;uch time as the Temple was re&s;tored. To be &s;hort, it is verie well &s;aid of the Lawyers, That it is to &s;mall purpo&s;e to haue lawes and orde|nances in Cities, if there be not al&s;o qualified men to render to euery man his right, and to execute iu&s;tice and iudgement. For we &s;ee how that in the daies of Ieremy the laws of God were of no force, written either in paper, parchment, or tables, &s;eeing that the Prophets, Prie&s;ts, Iudges, and &s;uch as &s;hould haue been the life of the law vnto the people were either dead, or &s;cattered. Theodoret in the 15. Chap|ter of his fir&s;t booke of his Eccle&s;ia&s;ti|call hi&s;torie, alleageth what an holie
<PB N="68" REF="58"> ordinance the Emperour Con&s;tan|tine the great had made, which was this, that he cau&s;ed the holy bookes of the holy &s;cripture to be copied out, for the which, at his fyr&s;t entrance in|to the Empire, he was highlie com|mended: to the end they might euery where he read, that thereby the will of GOD might be vnder&s;toode and knowne: where contrarywi&s;e, that cur&s;&s;ed Iulian pretended nothing more, then the &s;uppre&s;&s;ing of them. And we &s;ee that among the Turkes and barbarous nations, all good lawes and holie bookes are made no ac|compt of, and &s;uch bea&s;tlines e&s;tabli|&s;hed, as that the people haue no knowledge of the word of God, ney|ther yet of any other good lawes e&s;ta|bli&s;hed by Chri&s;tian Emperours: and therefore we &s;ee alas, that ciuil warres bearing &s;way, euery thing is aba&s;ed, &s;o that there is neither rule nor law, but the violence and will of the mo&s;t wic|ked and mightie&s;t men, a thing which can not ynough be bewailed with the Prophet Ieremy.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="9" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> <HI>The Prophets can receiue no mo vi&s;ions.)</HI> His meaning is not, that there were no Prophets in the dayes of the capti|uitie
<PB N="69" REF="58"> of Babylon: for vnto that time there were Ieremy, Ezekiel, Daniell, and others: but he meaneth that vi|&s;ions cea&s;ed for a time, euen when the people lay &s;owzed in captiuitie, which was foretold them by manie vi&s;ions.</P>
<P><HI>They were &s;ilent,)</HI> To wit, by rea&s;on <MILESTONE N="10" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> they were &s;o greatly di&s;tre&s;&s;ed: they were &s;o &s;tuffed with &s;orrow and griefe, as that they were not able to &s;peake,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Extreame &s;orrow &s;o pincheth the hart, as that the eyes can not bur&s;t out into teares,</NOTE> but became like dead blocks: and as we reade in hi&s;tories of a king of Ae|gypt named P&s;ammenitus, who being asked by King Camby&s;es, why he be|wayled not the death of his &s;onne, aun&s;wered, that men were wont to weepe for common and ordinarie af|flictions, but if the &s;orrowe pinch vs neere, our heart is &s;o great, as that we are not able to weepe.</P>
<P><HI>Mine eyes do fall with teares,</HI>) that is to <MILESTONE N="11" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> &s;ay, I am euen bleare eied with much weeping: and yet, &s;orrow &amp; heauines is not always ea&s;ed with weeping. Dauid al&s;o in his 6. P&s;a. &s;aith, <HI>That he wa&s;hed his bed with teares.</HI> Such repre&s;entations of extreame &s;orrow are very feeling: but this de&s;criptio~ &s;pecially which Ieremy maketh of the lame~table condition of the yong childre~ that died of ho~ger in
<PB N="70" REF="59"> their mothers bo&s;omes, and knew not how to come by their wonted foode, is able to kill the verie harts of tho&s;e with &s;orrow and griefe which con&s;ider of it. And although we haue no ex|pre&s;&s;e hi&s;tories of the famine that then was, and of that which hapned vnto the yong infants, yet are we not to doubt that the Prophet hath &s;et downe anie thing that came to pa&s;&s;e at that time in Ieru&s;alem, otherwi&s;e then as Io&s;ephus the hi&s;torian hath left in writing in the tenth and ele|uenth Chapt. of his &s;ixt booke of his hi&s;torie. And be&s;ides, we find that in our daies, both at Harlem in Holland, and al&s;o at the &s;eege of San&s;are in Berrie, in the yere 1573. mothers were brought to great extremities by the like famines. Neither are we to doubt, that famine is one of the mo&s;t cruell deathes, and one of the mo&s;t fearefull whips that can be laid vpon vs by the hand of God. And Ari&s;totle al&s;o in his Ethiques writeth: That to dye of famine, is one of the mo&s;t mi&s;erable deaths that may be.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="points">
<PB N="71" REF="59">
<HEAD>CERTAINE POINTS AND common places to be noted <HI>vp|pon the fir&s;t part of the&s;econd Chapter.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_HEere is to be noted a|mong other things, that the Prophet alwaies &s;etteth downe before our eyes, as it were, the mo&s;t principall lo&s;&s;e, and the mo&s;t pre|cious iewels: to wit, the kingly &s;tate, and the prie&s;thood which then were a|ba&s;ed and brought lowe. And to &s;ay the truth, the&s;e are the two mo&s;t notable lights of the people of God: yea, two of the mo&s;t notable remembrances of his maie&s;tie, whereupon en&s;ueth, that it is a feareful thing to &s;ee &s;uch things foyled, and troad vnder foote: which thing, the comicall heathen Plautus doth vs to vnder&s;tand, in bringing in a man, &s;aying: what man is he that is &s;o bold and &s;hamele&s;&s;e, as dareth do violence vnto a prie&s;t. But yet aboue all the re&s;t, the kinglie &s;tate and prie&s;t|hood among the people of the Iewes was mo&s;t honorable, becau&s;e they figu|red the Me&s;&s;iah, and anointed of the Lord, which &s;hould come into the
<PB N="72" REF="60"> world: and al&s;o becau&s;e that the Lord had e&s;pecially e&s;tabli&s;hed their two degrees and dignities among the Iewes.</P>
<P>Moreouer, as the Iewes had recei|ued from the hand of God moe excel|lent benefites and &s;urpa&s;&s;ed all the re&s;t of the people in glorie and honor before the Lord: euen &s;o al&s;o, according to the old &s;aying, their fall was the more greeuous and &s;traunge, in a&s;much as they fell from an hye: and it hapned vnto them as it did vnto the Cities of Capernaum and Beth&s;aida, of whom our Sauiour Chri&s;t &s;pake in the 11. of Sainct Mathew, <HI>That becau&s;e they were exalted vp vnto heauen, they &s;hould be ca&s;t downe into hell.</HI> Such examples in very deede ought to make vs looke well to our &s;elues, to the end we might make an accompt to come to the like market. if we abu&s;e the excel|lent graces by his maie&s;tie be&s;towed vpon vs in the&s;e latter daies:<NOTE PLACE="marg">A fearefull iudgement of God for vnthank|fulne&s;&s;e of his graces be&s;towed vpon any nation.</NOTE> as we alreadie &s;ee that the axe is layde to the roote of the tree, and the hand of God &s;tretched out ouer all the world, to do vengeance, for the horrible vnthanke|fulne&s;&s;e again&s;t the Go&s;pell, and the contempt of &s;o many aduerti&s;ements
<PB N="73" REF="60"> be&s;towed vpon vs, wherevpon it hath come to pa&s;&s;e, that in &s;tead of zealous Princes, and of great magnanimitie, we &s;ee Tyrants, di&s;&s;olute, and effemi|nate men gouerne in diuers places, and in &s;tead of excellent teachers en|dowed with godline&s;&s;e and know|ledge, which &s;eeke the glorie of Chri&s;t, and the building vp of his Church, we &s;ee manie di&s;turbers and hire|lings, who &s;eeke nothing el&s;e but them&s;elues, and the confu&s;ion of Chur|ches.</P>
<P>But yet let vs notwith&s;tanding be|ware and take heede how we imagine God to be either incon&s;tant or cruell, when we &s;ee the&s;e changes, and when as we &s;ee him thus aba&s;e his Church, and the pure mini&s;terie of his word, one while in one place, another while <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">n another, but rather call to minde <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">hat his promi&s;es are conditionall, as in the lawe of Mo&s;es we may &s;ee: for there is a condition enioined vs to o|bey God, and keepe his commaunde|me<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ts.</P>
<P>And in the new Te&s;tamente, we haue p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">omi&s;es of grace made vnto vs, if wee beleeue in Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and haue a liuely and &s;tedfa&s;t hope in
<PB N="74" REF="61"> him, which he him&s;elf giueth and wor|keth in his cho&s;en, we &s;hal then do God great wrong, if we complaine again&s;t him, &s;eeing that our di&s;loialtie is the cau&s;e of all our mi&s;eries, as the Hi&s;to|riographer Titus Liuius wrote of the Romaines, &s;aying, that it was again&s;t rea&s;on that they which violated both diuine and humane things, &s;hould re|quire to be inuiolable, and holily dealt withall. Marke how Saint Ierome writing vppon this place of Ieremie, rightly applieth it to our v&s;e, when as he &s;aith, that we had neede take heede that the holy Gho&s;t by rea&s;on of our iniquities,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The holie Gho&s;t will not dwell in an hart &s;old vnto &s;inne.</NOTE> for&s;ake not the tabernacle of our harts, and that we then become as it were a prophane place, and as an ouergrowne garden, which a man will no more dig. nor water, <HI>Are you</HI> &s;aith Saint Paule in the &s;ixt of the fir&s;t to the Corinths, <HI>the temples of God? glorifie then God both in bodie and &s;oule, who&s;e they are.</HI></P>
<P>As concerning the fea&s;tes and &s;o|lemne daies which are &s;poken of heere in this place,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Of the &s;o|lemne fea&s;tes.</NOTE> we are to note, that this &s;erueth nothing the Papi&s;ts turnes, who would yet play the Iewes, an<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters"> after the Iewi&s;h manner retaine man<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">
<PB N="75" REF="61"> fe&s;tiuall daies in the Church, wherein they &s;hew their &s;louth, and de&s;ire of idle life, for &s;uch men hunt alwaies after holydaies. Now, the cau&s;e why Ieremy lamenteth the Iewes fea&s;tes, was not for any loue that he bare to the fea&s;tes, but becau&s;e of the &s;eruice of God that was exerci&s;ed in them, and by rea&s;on of the &s;olemne a&s;&s;em|blies that were v&s;ed there in tho&s;e daies. But the Papi&s;ts fea&s;ts which the Popes ordeined for the honor of creatures, and many other Idola|trous deui&s;es, full of riot and exce&s;&s;e, haue no more communitie with the holy fea&s;ts of the lawe, then had Bac|chus fea&s;tes. If then, as it is written in the fir&s;t of I&s;aiah, it be &s;aid of the fea&s;tes which God him&s;elfe expre&s;&s;ely ordeined: <HI>I hate your &s;olemne fea&s;ts: my &s;oule abhorreth your new moones becau&s;e you abu&s;e them, and becau&s;e the people looke to nothing el&s;e but to the outward &s;hew.</HI> What would the Prophets at this day &s;ay, if they &s;awe the&s;e &s;uper&s;titious and riotous fea&s;tes deui&s;ed by men, and by nur&s;e mothers, of a thou&s;and and a thou&s;and di&s;&s;olute things, as by experience we commonly &s;ee. So that the fe&s;tiuall daies of the
<PB N="76" REF="62"> people in the old time were a part and parcell of the ceremonies and &s;chole|mai&s;ter&s;hip of the lawe and &s;hadowes, the bodie, and accompli&s;hment where|of was in Chri&s;t, as in the &s;econd Chapter of Saint Paule his Epi&s;tle to the Colo&s;&s;ians it is written: in &s;o much that now at this day no man may, or can binde vs vnto any &s;uche fea&s;tes, either condemne or find fault with vs for any &s;uch dayes or Sab|boths: but we mu&s;t rather put in pra|cti&s;e the &s;pirituall meaning of the fea&s;tes: and that is it which I&s;aiah, &s;peaking of the later times maketh mention of in the la&s;t Chapter of his prophe&s;ie, &s;aying: <HI>Let vs make vnto our &s;elues perpetuall Sabboths, accor|ding to the &s;pirite, and re&s;t from our euill workes, and reioyce in the Lord.</HI> As for the Law, whereof Eu&s;ebius in the 24. Chapter of his fourth booke of the Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall hi&s;torie writeth in the life of Con&s;tantine the Emperour by him made, concerning the ob&s;erua|tion of the &s;olemne fea&s;tes of the Mar|tyres. Fir&s;t of all we mu&s;t vnder&s;tand, that it can bind no mans con&s;cience, becau&s;e it is not the ordinance of God,
<PB N="77" REF="62"> but of man. Secondarily, it was at that time another manner of thing to commend in a&s;&s;emblies the faith and con&s;tancie of the Martyres, to the end to &s;tirre vp others couragiou&s;lie to &s;uf|fer for the name of Chri&s;t, then to ce|lebrate fea&s;ts, for the hudlings and roaring out of Ma&s;&s;es, or for the prea|ching of &s;hod fables and legends, and to pa&s;&s;e the day in all vanitie &amp; ryot, as the Papi&s;ts in their fea&s;ts at this daie do.</P>
<P>Now Ieremy right well teacheth vs by his example, what a lo&s;&s;e it is to lo&s;e good lawes and ordinances, and good gouernors: and what a mi&s;erie it is, when as there is neither faith nor law to be had, neither yet any good exhortations: and to be &s;hort, when as God reuealeth him&s;elfe no more vnto vs. Such was the great mi&s;ery of king Saul, whe~ the Lord &s;o withdrew him|&s;elf fro~ him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Sam. 28.</NOTE> as y^t he neuer more an&s;we|red him either by prophets or vi&s;ions.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, we &s;ee in this fir&s;t part of the &s;econd Chapter, what a fearefull iudgement of God it is, when as our poore infants do feele his heauy wrath and fierce fury: &s;o that, although we our &s;elues haue no compa&s;&s;ion of our
<PB N="78" REF="63"> &s;elues, yet ought we at lea&s;t to haue compa&s;&s;ion of our tender Infants, vpon whome, for our &s;innes, and licen|tious kinde of life, we bring them into tho&s;e mi&s;eries wherein they are wrap|ped: not for that this great, good, and mercifull God puni&s;heth the Inno|cents which can not do withall,<NOTE PLACE="marg">VVhen God lay|eth his cro&s;&s;e vp|pon yong Infants, he doth it not of any ma|lice to the~, but to wound the rebellious hearts of their pa|rents with &s;uch &s;ights to call them ther|by to re|pentance.</NOTE> or ha|teth the yong Infants, whome he e&s;pe|ciallie cheri&s;heth, and maketh much of, as in the fir&s;t of Deuteronomy, and in the 10. &amp; 18. of S Mathew we reade. But it is his plea&s;ure fir&s;t of all to pu|ni&s;h the parents in their owne childre~, being a part of them&s;elues, and their owne fle&s;h: and therefore it is the Lords will to wound and ca&s;t downe by &s;uch &s;ights, the &s;tubborne and rebel|lious harts of &s;uch fathers and mo|thers again&s;t his holy word. And yet notwith&s;tanding, he is able to di&s;cerne his cho&s;en children which are ordeined to euerla&s;ting life, from the reprobate, drawing his cho&s;en in good time vnto him&s;elfe, becau&s;e they &s;hould no more &s;inne heere in this world: or el&s;e he puni&s;heth tho&s;e children which he &s;eeth &s;till &s;o go on in their fathers wicked|ne&s;&s;e, as we put to death yong woolfe cubbes. To be &s;hort, there is great dif|ference
<PB N="79" REF="63"> betweene ciuil iu&s;tice, who pu|ni&s;heth none but &s;uch as &s;he manife&s;tly &s;eeth con&s;ent vnto wickedne&s;&s;e, and be|tweene the liuing God, before who&s;e face we are all &s;inners, and by nature the verie children of wrath.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>THE SECOND PART OF the &s;econd Chapter.</HEAD>
<P N="13"><HI>13</HI> WHat thing &s;hall J take to wit|nes for thee?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mem.</NOTE> what thing &s;hall J compare thee vnto, O daughter Ieru&s;alem? what &s;hall J liken thee vnto, that J may comfort thee, O virgin Syon? for thy breach is like the Sea: who can heale thee?</P>
<P N="14"><HI>14</HI> Thy Prophets haue looked out vaine and fooli&s;h things for thee,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nun.</NOTE> and they haue not di&s;couered thine iniquitie, to turne a|waie thy captiuitie, but haue looked out for the fal&s;e Prophets, and cau&s;es of bani&s;h|ment.</P>
<P N="15"><HI>15</HI> All that pa&s;&s;e by the waie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Samech.</NOTE> clappe their hands at thee: they hi&s;&s;e and wagge their head vpon the daughter Ieru&s;alem, &s;aying: is this the Citie that men call, The perfection of beautie, and the ioie of the whole earth?</P>
<P N="16"><HI>16</HI> All thine enemies haue opened their<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phe.</NOTE>
<PB N="80" REF="64"> mouth again&s;t thee: they hi&s;&s;e, and grinde their teeth, &s;aying: Let vs deuoure it: cer|tainely, this is the day that we looked for: we haue found and &s;eene it.</P>
<P N="17"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ain.</NOTE><HI>17</HI> The Lord hath done the thing which he had purpo&s;ed: he hath fulfilled his word that he had determined of old time: he hath throwne downe and not &s;pared: he hath cau&s;ed thine enemies to reioyce ouer thee, and &s;et vp the horne of thine aduer&s;aries.</P>
<P N="18"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Zade.</NOTE><HI>18</HI> Their heart cried vnto the Lord, O wall of the daughter Syon, let teares run downe day and night like a riuer: take thou no re&s;t, neither let the apple of thine eye cea&s;e.</P>
<P N="19"><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">aph.</NOTE><HI>19</HI> Ari&s;e, crie in the night: in the be|ginning of the watches powre out thine hart like water before the face of the Lord: lift <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">p thine hands towards him for the life of thy yong children that faint with honger in the corners of all the &s;treetes.</P>
<P N="20"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Res.</NOTE><HI>20</HI> Behold, O Lord, and con&s;ider to whom thou ha&s;t done thus: &s;hall the women eate their fruite, and children of a &s;panne long? &s;hall the prie&s;t and the prophet be &s;laine in the Sanctuarie of the Lord?</P>
<P N="21"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Schin.</NOTE><HI>21</HI> The young and the old lie on the ground in the &s;treetes: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the &s;word: thou ha&s;t &s;laine them in the day of thy wrath:
<PB N="81" REF="64"> thou ha&s;t killed and not &s;pared.</P>
<P N="22"><HI>22</HI> Thou ha&s;t called as in a &s;olemne daie my terrors round about,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Van.</NOTE> &s;o that in the daie of the Lords wrath none e&s;caped nor remay|ned: tho&s;e that J haue nouri&s;hed and brought vp, hath mine enemie con&s;umed.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="notes">
<HEAD>CERTAINE NOTES VP|pon the &s;econd part of the <HI>&s;econd Chapter.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_THIS part conteineth in it &s;uch new &amp; &s;trange deduc|tions and amplifications of the &s;trange mi&s;eries which then were, as that the prophet was no way able to tel wherevnto to compare them: howbeit, he goeth on further, &amp; putteth the people in mind of the cau|&s;es of their troubles both pre&s;ent and pa&s;t. Thus we &s;ee why he maketh men|tion a&s;well of the wrath of God, as of the fal&s;e Prophets, and iolitie of the e|nemie. To be &s;hort, he bringeth in the fearefull effects of God his wrath, and runneth through all kindes, ages, and conditio~s, declaring therby, that there was none exempt. And yet he &s;o hand|leth the matter, as that his purpo&s;e is not to driue men to de&s;peration, but
<PB N="82" REF="65"> rather to cau&s;e them &s;eeke the Lord, and to waite for their deliuerance from his hands, as from one who both woundeth and healeth, who leadeth into the pit, and bringeth out againe: and in &s;ending the afore&s;aid afflic|tions,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cyprian in his 4. booke of his Epi&s;tls the fourth Epi&s;tle.</NOTE> will (as Cyprian &s;ayeth) &s;end al&s;o the promi&s;ed deliuerances, and as di&s;cipline and correction haue gone before, &s;o al&s;o will grace and pardon follow, &s;o that we ince&s;&s;antly crauing, and through faith beleeuing to receiue, do &s;implie, and with cou|ragious minds call vpon the Lord in weeping and groning. Moreouer, the Prophet Ieremy &s;etteth before vs the way how to repent, fir&s;t, by certaine outward &s;ignes, as by weeping, lamen|ting, and lifting vp of the hands, and al&s;o by the duties which euerie faith|full &s;oule ought to poure out before the Lord.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 13.</NOTE><HI>What &s;hall I &s;aie.)</HI> Some reade thus, whome &s;hall I bring in for witne&s;&s;e? God or men? Some others reade, what &s;hall I giue warning of, what de|claration &s;hall I make? Howbeit, me thinketh that this tran&s;lation which we follow agreeth be&s;t. <HI>What &s;hall J &s;ay?</HI> what te&s;timonies, or what ex|amples
<PB N="83" REF="65"> &s;hall I bring in and &s;et downe? Now although this &s;eemeth to be an hyperbolicall or exce&s;&s;iue kinde of &s;peech, yet if we weigh all the circum|&s;tances, we &s;hall fynde that neuer people had &s;o great cau&s;e to com|plaine, as the people of the Iewes then had, who right well felt that they had to deale with the liuing God, and that he banded him&s;elfe again&s;t them, and had receiued from him more largely, then euer any people el&s;e had, and therefore were more a&s;tonied at this alteration, which cau&s;ed Ieremy to redouble the&s;e wordes: Con&s;ider O Lord to whome thou ha&s;t done the&s;e things: con&s;ider that they are thy cho&s;en people: con&s;ider al&s;o that it is thy Citie Ieru&s;alem, which thou &s;o highlie e&s;teemed&s;t, that thou ha&s;t thus &s;o roughly handled and entreated. Surely there is nothing more hardlie to be borne, then the anger of a deere freend, or of a father. Euen &s;o was this a bitter thing to feele at that time the hand of the heauenly father turned, his countenance altered, and his fa|uors co~uerted into fury &amp; indignatio~.</P>
<P><HI>Virgin daughter of Syon.)</HI> He vnder|&s;tandeth by this Syon hil which was in
<PB N="84" REF="66"> Ieru&s;alem, all the whole Citie, euen all the people of the Iewes: The He|brewe word Bethulah, &s;ignifieth a maid that is of ripe yeeres, and in the flower of her age. And &s;o &s;ometimes are the people of God called, as heere they are, and in the 37. Chapter of I&s;aiah, <HI>He hath contemned thee thou may|den daughter of Syon.</HI> Thus we &s;ee how the holy people of God are called, either for their weakene&s;&s;e, and be|cau&s;e they wholie depend vpon God, as a maiden dependeth vpon her mo|ther, either el&s;e for their cha&s;titie, and puritie of their religion: as con|trarywi&s;e, Idolatrie is oftentimes cal|led whoredome and adulterie. But this &s;peech &s;ometimes is taken in a &s;coffing manner, noting thereby a delicate and an effeminate people, as in the three and twentith of I&s;aiah we reade, <HI>That Tyre is called the may|den daughter of Syon:</HI> as if the Lorde &s;hould haue &s;ayde: Thou delicate, and effeminate Citie of Tyre, which wert neuer taken by a&s;&s;ault, but re|maine&s;t as a mayde that neuer lo&s;t her virginitie.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 14.</NOTE><HI>Prophe&s;ies and bani&s;hments.)</HI> We haue not &s;o much expre&s;&s;ed the words of
<PB N="85" REF="66"> the Prophet, as we haue his meaning, becau&s;e his meaning is, that the pro|phe&s;ies and vi&s;ions of the Prophets were bani&s;hments, that is to &s;ay, that the people &s;leeping in theyr &s;innes, were the cau&s;e, what with theyr flatteries, and &s;uppo&s;ed vi&s;i|ons, that, they were bani&s;hed theyr countrey, and fell into &s;o great mi&s;e|rie: and it &s;eemeth in verie deede, that the Prophet had rea&s;on to v&s;e this Hebrewe word, which properlie &s;ignifyeth an heauie weight, or bur|denous prophe&s;ie: as if he would haue &s;ayde, Surely thy fal&s;e Prophets haue prophe&s;ied of burdens and ba|ni&s;hments: for although they &s;ee|med to be milde and gentle Prea|chers, and that there were none of the &s;eruants of God but we, that were the greeuous and burdenous Pro|phets, yet for all that, the effect hath &s;hewed, that the&s;e thy notable Prea|chers haue preached and prophe&s;ied &s;uch prophe&s;ies vnto thee, as haue wayed thee downe to the ground, and are the cau&s;e of the&s;e burdens, bani&s;h|ments, and afflictions which at this day thou &s;uffre&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Their hart cried vnto the Lord.)</HI> Some
<PB N="86" REF="67"> learned Interpretors reade, Again&s;t the Lord, and referre this ver&s;e vnto the enemies, and to their bla&s;phemies and roi&s;ting iolities: howbeit, I had ra|ther in this place follow tho&s;e Inter|pretors, who with one con&s;ent meane this, of the Iewes: vnto whome, Iere|my al&s;o in the fourtenth Chapter of his prophe&s;ie giueth them councell, to poure out teares day and night, and to runne vnto God in all theyr troubles and di&s;tre&s;&s;es, and to &s;ay tru|ly, this manner of &s;peech is worthy the noting, <HI>Their harts cried vnto the Lord,</HI> bicau&s;e the crie which pear&s;eth the heauens, is not onely the crie of the voice, but al&s;o of the hart: for the voice and hands are but the outward &s;ignes of the affection of the heart, which Sainct Paule in the &s;econd Chapter of his fir&s;t Epi&s;tle to Timo|thy ioineth together, <HI>When as he ex|horteth vs to lift vp pure hands vnto the Lord.</HI> And the Prophet Ieremy him|&s;elfe al&s;o &s;o interpreteth it, when as he admoni&s;heth the people to poure out their hearts before the face of the Lord: for, it is God alone vnto whom we mu&s;t addre&s;&s;e our &s;elues, bi|cau&s;e it is he whom we offend, &amp; he it
<PB N="87" REF="67"> is which &s;courgeth vs for the &s;ame. Howbeit, as S. Augu&s;tine vpo~ the 139. P&s;alme writeth, we flie from his &s;eue|ritie and rigour, and appeale vnto his bountie and grace.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="doctrines">
<HEAD>Here follow the doctrines that are chiefely to be noted in this <HI>&s;econde part of the &s;econde Chapter.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_THis is one of the chiefe&s;t pointes that we are here to con&s;ider of, to knowe and vnder&s;tande what a mi&s;chiefe it is to haue to doe with fal&s;e Prophetes, who &s;moo|thing vs vp with faire &s;peeches, and flattering vs in our &s;innes, doe vtterly de&s;troy vs: And are in verie deede, as S. Peter in his 2. Chapter of his 2. Epi&s;tle, calleth them, <HI>welles without water.</HI> Let vs then here note, that it is our greate&s;t auaile and benefite, when as our Pa&s;tors and Doctors doe not only in&s;truct vs: but al&s;o when as they doe liuely and &s;harply reproue vs: &s;ee|ing it belongeth to their charge &s;o to do, as in the fir&s;t Chapter of S. Paul his Epi&s;tle to Titus wee may reade.
<PB N="88" REF="68"> For it is good and profitable for vs to bee powdred with the &s;alt of reprehen|&s;ion, becau&s;e we &s;hould not putrifie in our &s;innes.</P>
<P>For this purpo&s;e wee are to weygh and con&s;ider the &s;aying of S. Cyprian an auncient Doctor of the Churche, in the&s;e wordes: That man (&s;ayth he) that &s;mootheth vp a &s;inner with flat|tering wordes, giueth him a light bur|ning torch to &s;ette his &s;inne on a light burning fire, and in &s;teede of ca&s;ting it abroade and putting of it out, doth by all meanes po&s;&s;ible maintayne and nouri&s;h it. But hee which liuely ex|horteth and admoni&s;heth his Brother, furdereth his &s;aluation. Euen &s;o it behooueth euerie mini&s;ter of the Lord, not by fayre and deceitfull woordes to beguile y^e people: but to prouide whol|&s;ome remedies for euerie di&s;ea&s;e. He is a very fooli&s;h Chirurgion, that will neatly and tenderly handle inuetered and olde &s;ores. For, he that &s;o fauou|reth his pacient, maketh his wounde the wor&s;e: &amp; letteth the poy&s;on lye hidd within the infected partes: But hee &s;houlde open and make incy&s;ion of the wound, yea although his patient &s;hold euen whine &amp; byte, and &s;hewe him&s;elfe
<PB N="89" REF="68"> neuer &s;o impatient by rea&s;on of his paine &amp; griefe: but he will, after hee is once whole, giue his Chirurgio~ great tha~ks for his &s;o doing. Ther is at this day a new &amp; &s;traunge crueltie di&s;coue|red, when as vnder the title and colour of mercie and compa&s;&s;ion, there is brought in plea&s;aunt poy&s;on, and a di&s;|ea&s;e dormant to deceiue the people, &amp;c. Thus wee &s;ee what S. Cyprian hath written. S. Barnard al&s;o hath written a notable Homely vppon this matter, wherein he &s;heweth, That an Eccle|&s;ia&s;ticall per&s;on ought, if the ca&s;e &s;o requireth, to bee both gratious, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">u&s;tere. Wherefore it is mo&s;t cer|taine, that they which de&s;ire to haue plea&s;aunt thinges preached vnto them, &s;eeke by al meanes po&s;&s;ible their owne de&s;truction, as we may read of them, that are mentioned in the <HI>30.</HI> Chap|ter of I&s;aiah, who vtterly reiected the hearing of the admonitions and ad|uerti&s;ementes of Gods heauie wrath and indignation. Whereuppon al&s;o Ieremie in. the 8. Chapter of his pro|phe&s;ie complayneth, when he &s;peaketh of the fal&s;e Prophetes, that &s;clender|ly dawbed vp and healed the peoples wou~ds, <HI>Crying vnto the~ peace peace,</HI>
<PB N="90" REF="69"> when in very deede there was no peace at all. <HI>Therefore,</HI> (&s;ayth the Lord) <HI>they &s;hall fall in the day wherein I will vi|&s;ite them:</HI> And in the 4. of O&s;eah it is &s;ayde, <HI>There is none that will cha&s;ten nor reproue one another: and there|fore &s;halt thou &s;tumble in the day and the Prophet al&s;o with thee.</HI></P>
<P>The other point which wee are to note, is the &s;coffing and euill fauoured ie&s;ting of the aduer&s;aries, who &s;eeing the calamities of Gods people, as in the 1. of Habacucke it is written, <HI>re|ioyce and waxe proude, offring vnto their nettes, and commending their owne coun&s;els and enterpri&s;es:</HI> how|beit they &s;hall buye the&s;e their reioy|cinges and iolities full deare. For as our Sauiour Chri&s;t in the 23. of Luke ver. 31. &s;ayth: <HI>If this be done to a green tree,</HI> and that the faithfull be afflicted, <HI>what &s;hall be done to the drie,</HI> that is to &s;ay, to vnprofitable othes and pro|mi&s;&s;es, what &s;hall the reprobate looke for, but for eternall fire? Ouer and be|&s;ides this, we knowe that the wicked can haue no power ouer vs, without it be giuen them from aboue which thing Ieremie putteth vs in minde of, when as hee &s;o often reciteth the&s;e wordes:
<PB N="91" REF="69"> <HI>The Lorde hath cau&s;ed this to fall vp|on vs, euen as he had determined,</HI> To &s;hewe vnto vs that Tyrantes and wic|ked men are but God his in&s;truments to doe his will for the cha&s;tizing of his owne people, and the executing of his iu&s;t iudgement, although they thinke not &s;o, as in the 10. of I&s;aiah wee read.</P>
<P>When the Prophet &s;peaketh of the voice,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Of the out|vvarde shewes and ge&s;tures of repe~tance.</NOTE> and of the re&s;t of the ge&s;tures of the bodie which are commonly v&s;ed of &s;uch as humble them&s;elues before the Lorde: as teares, &s;ighes, hanging downe of the heade, lifting vp of the handes, knocking on the brea&s;t, &amp; &s;uch like: we are to learne and knowe, that the whole man both in bodie and &s;oule humbleth him&s;elfe, and by &s;uch out|warde &s;ignes te&s;tifieth vnto vs our in|warde affection: otherwi&s;e, all our ge&s;tures &amp; lamentable &s;peeches were verie mockeries, and plaine hypocri|&s;ie. And therfore it was very well &s;aid of Ba&s;il, writing vpon this place in the fir&s;t of I&s;aiah: <HI>When as they &s;hall lift vp their handes, I will not heare them.</HI> It is no maruell &s;ayth he, For they a|lone lift vp their hands as they &s;hould, which &s;eeke after heauenly thinges:
<PB N="92" REF="70"> and as a young child, &s;imply lifteth vp his hands vnto his nur&s;e, euen &s;o haue they recour&s;e vnto their God. But the Iewes lifting vp their handes full of violence, vnto the Lord, prouoked him more and more, faring like a man that had &s;laine a Kinges &s;onne, and after|ward imbruing his hands in his bloud would then come and &s;hew him&s;elf vn|to the King: were this the way to mi|tigate the Kinges wrath?</P>
<P>Moreouer, y^t which hath beene here|tofore &s;ayde is very notable, That we mu&s;t poure out our harts before y^e lord, which thing Dauid in his 62. P&s;alme aduerti&s;eth vs of, &s;aying: <HI>put you tru&s;t in him, &ocirc; ye people, alwaies, and poure out your harts before him:</HI> which ma|ner of &s;peech giueth vs fir&s;t of al to vn|der&s;tand, y^t we may frankly and freely tell all our &s;orrowes &amp; griefes vnto the Lord, and poure out our angui&s;hes in|to his bo&s;ome, as a young child would do into the bo&s;ome of a mo&s;t louing fa|ther, Be&s;ides, we are aduerti&s;ed to be|ware of hypocri&s;ie, and to confe&s;&s;e our &s;elues perfectly vnto God, &amp; tell him what&s;oeuer lyeth in our hearts. For he it is that &s;oundeth the hearts: and as Dauid in the 51. P&s;alme &s;aith, <HI>All our
<PB N="93" REF="70"> &s;innes lie open before him.</HI> This great God, loueth perfetnes &amp; inward truth:<NOTE PLACE="marg">S. Ambro&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> in the 5. Chap. of his 2. book of repen|tance.</NOTE> And as S. Ambro&s;e al&s;o very wel &s;aith, It auayled Iudas nothing to powre out his heart before the Iewes, &s;aying: <HI>I haue betrayed innocent bloud.</HI> For the Iewes &s;ent him backe without co~|fort, and in &s;teede of ea&s;ing him of his griefe, they de&s;pitou&s;ly chid him: but no man euer powreth out his heart be|fore God in vaine, becau&s;e it is he that blotteth out al our iniquities, as in the 103. P&s;alme we read, and in the 43. of I&s;aiah, and therfore di&s;chargeth our wretched con&s;ciences, &amp; co~forteth the~.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="paraphrase">
<HEAD>A Paraphra&s;is or expo&s;ition <HI>of the &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">cond Chapter.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_HOW hath the Lord, I be+&s;eech you, in his iu&s;t fu|ry, <MILESTONE N="1"> withdrawe~ the bright+nes of his countenance fro~ Syon? Howe hath he darkned the whole honor of I&s;rael, &amp; mightily ob&s;cured this people that he once made &s;hine aboue all the people of the world? How hath he beate~ down to the grounde, &amp; ca&s;t downe from on hie into the lowe&s;t parts, tho&s;e who~ as it &s;eemed, hee had lifted vp aboue the
<PB N="94" REF="71"> skies, without regarde (&s;uch was the greatne&s;&s;e of his yre) vnto this holy place, that he who hath his throne in heauen, had choo&s;en as his re&s;ting place and foote&s;toole.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> He hath at one blowe &s;hattered in pieces all what &s;o euer, not &s;paring a|ny thing, he hath hedlong ca&s;t down all the Manors of Iacob, &s;et on fire the fortre&s;&s;es of Iudah, &s;haken in &s;under and troden vnder foote as a prophane thing, the kingdome it &s;elfe which had beene &s;o long agoe holy, and all her Princes.</P>
<P>Euen the Princes, alas, which were <MILESTONE N="3"> the &s;trength and glory of the people, as the braunched hornes are the &s;trength and glorie of the Hartes: but &s;uch their hornes are pulled &amp; torne in pieces, becau&s;e God &s;eeing the peo|ple lift vp their hornes again&s;t him, he withdrew his hande from ouer his ad|uer&s;aries to rebate &s;uch their pride, and ca&s;t vpon them his fierce wrath.</P>
<P>Nowe therefore hee purpo&s;eth to <MILESTONE N="4"> deale with his people, as with an ene|mie: bendeth his bowe again&s;t them, and thru&s;teth out his right arme to ca&s;t downe to the ground all their ex|cellent and plea&s;ant thinges: powreth
<PB N="95" REF="71"> out, alas, in the midde&s;t of the Taber|nacle of Syon his fierce wrath, as a con&s;uming fire.</P>
<P>Alas, it is a hard peece of worke, to <MILESTONE N="5"> haue the Almightie him&s;elfe an ene|mie, who ouerthroweth and de&s;troy|eth whole palaces, fortre&s;&s;es, and Ca|&s;tels, multiplying nothing, alas, vnto the mi&s;erable &s;poyled daughter of Iu|dah of all her ornaments, but &s;orrow, &s;obbes, and griefe.</P>
<P>And al this was done as it were with <MILESTONE N="6"> a trice. For he di&s;patched and threwe vp the notable&s;t tabernacles of Iacob, and the holie&s;t Manors which a man would haue thought impregnable, as ea&s;ily as a man would throwe vp the tent or pauillion of a garden: In &s;o|much that who&s;oeuer had &s;eene the&s;e my&s;erable people, would haue &s;ayde that there had neuer beene amonge them, eyther holy a&s;&s;emblies, Sabba|othes, or yet fe&s;tiuall dayes. To bee &s;hort, he brought to naught both the kingly e&s;tate, and al&s;o the order of the Prie&s;thoode.</P>
<P>So that all the &s;eruice of God cea|&s;ed: And a man would haue &s;aide, that <MILESTONE N="7"> hee had abhorred both the altar and the &s;anctuarie, in which, (alas) wee
<PB N="96" REF="72"> altogether beleeued, hauing a grea|ter regarde to the outward matter, the~ vnto the inwarde. And in the meane while, behold, all our notable palaces de&s;troyed, our goodly &s;tro~g walles laid flatte; and be&s;ides (which would haue bur&s;t the heart of any man) behold, in &s;teede of pray&s;ing of God, and &s;inging of holy P&s;almes, the fearefull how|ling noy&s;e of the barbarous idolaters, mo&s;t irreligiou&s;ly roaring out, in the midde&s;t of the hou&s;e of God.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="8"> To be &s;hort, the Almightie execu|ting his righteous coun&s;elles, is re|&s;olued to de&s;troye the walles of Ieru|&s;alem, and to laye it plaine, and in &s;teede of laying the lyne to builde it vp, he layde it nowe to de&s;troy it, ne|uer with-drawing his hande vntill hee had razed it: in &s;o much that a man would haue &s;aide that the verie Bul|warkes and walles them&s;elues lamen|ted this de&s;olation.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="9"> Her royall and co&s;tly gates were &s;oonke an hundred foote within the ground: her great and mightie &s;trong bars, were &s;haken and brought to du&s;t: but that which was wor&s;t, the kinges and Princes that were the verie hen|gies of the Citie, were pri&s;oners in a
<PB N="97" REF="72"> &s;traunge countrey: the lawes were &s;i|lent: There was neither Religion, law, Prie&s;t, nor religious hou&s;e left.</P>
<P>The Elders of the people which re|mayned <MILESTONE N="10"> behind, &s;ate vpon the ground with broke~ harts, in &s;ackcloth &amp; a&s;hes, in token of their extreame &s;orrow and griefe: the young dam&s;elles al&s;o, who before time (alas) went boult vpright, were faine now to hange downe their heads to the grounde.</P>
<P>When I &s;awe the&s;e dolefull &s;ightes, I could not holde my &s;elfe from won|derfully <MILESTONE N="11"> weeping: all mine inwarde partes were drowned, my bowels &s;wel|led, my lyuer con&s;umed cleane away. In &s;umme, I was cleane be&s;ide my &s;elf, when I con&s;idered the&s;e de&s;olations: but e&s;pecially, when I &s;awe the young infantes die, hanging at their mothers brea&s;tes.</P>
<P>Who would not be amazed to &s;ee a <MILESTONE N="12"> companie of young children worne to the bare bones, with very hunger, cal|ling vpo~ their mothers with mo&s;t faint and pitifull voices, where is our meate and drinke, and our ordinarie foode, &s;car&s;ely able to make an ende of the&s;e wordes, without yeelding vp the gho&s;t into their mothers bo&s;omes, as if they
<PB N="98" REF="73"> had beene euen &s;laine with the &s;word.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="13"> What then &s;hall I &s;ay, or &s;peake vn|to thee, O thou de&s;olate Citie? Where &s;hall I finde the like mi&s;erable exam|ple, whereby to appea&s;e thy &s;orrowe and comfort thee? Alas, I can finde none at all. For this thine aduer&s;itie is a &s;ea and gulfe of mi&s;eries, where &s;hall a man finde a remedie to heale &s;uch a wounde as this?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="14"> Wilt thou goe vnto thy iolly Pro|phetes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">VVhen a people will not harken vnto the faithful mi|ni&s;ters of God in re|proouing their &s;ins, but giue eare vnto foolish Prophetes&punc; vvhich &s;mooth the~ vpin them, then &s;ud|denly com|meth their de&s;truction and capti|uitie.</NOTE> who with their fooli&s;h and de|ceitfull prophe&s;ies, haue greatly abu|&s;ed thee? For they in not di&s;couering thine iniquitie, haue left thee wallow|ing in thy &s;innes, by meane whereof this captiuitie hath come vpon thee, which thou mighte&s;t haue e&s;caped, if thou hadde&s;t harkened vnto the true &s;eruaunts of God, who &s;eemed to thee at that time to be too too &s;euere men, preaching vnto thee hard and burde|nous thinges: but now thou &s;ee&s;t the fruite of thy plea&s;ing and milde Pro|phetes, that is, thou beare&s;t the bur|den of all the my&s;teries in the worlde, and thy children are lead captiue.</P>
<P>And now beholde thou art a skorne <MILESTONE N="15"> to all that pa&s;&s;e by, for they clappe their handes, hy&s;&s;e, and wagge their
<PB N="99" REF="73"> heades at thee, &s;aying: ho, ho, is this the Citie, that was called the beauti|full Citie of the Ea&s;t, and &s;uch a one as was mo&s;t plea&s;aunt to beholde?</P>
<P>All thine enemies haue opened <MILESTONE N="16"> their mouthes and mowed at thee: they haue hi&s;&s;ed, and grynded their teeth at thee, &s;aying: wee haue in the end deuoured it, and gotten it as wee would: is this the day which wee &s;o greatly de&s;ired to &s;ee, and &s;o long loo|ked for?</P>
<P>Surely this is the day which the Lord <MILESTONE N="17"> had purpo&s;ed, who alone ruleth all thinges by his prouidence, and hath fulfilled the word which he had deter|mined and concluded vpon of old, yea hee hath throwen downe and not &s;pa|red, and hath cau&s;ed thine enemies to reioyce, and &s;et vp their hornes.</P>
<P>In the meane while the&s;e mi&s;erable <MILESTONE N="18"> people, could doe nothing el&s;e but with wounded heartes braye and crie vnto the Lorde, who &s;courged them, and healed the wounde which he him &s;elfe had made. And in verie deede this was the be&s;t, (&ocirc; Syon) to let teares runne downe day and night like a ry|uer, and not take any re&s;t, not yet let the apple of thine eye once winke.</P>
<PB N="100" REF="74">
<P><MILESTONE N="19"> Ari&s;e therefore I &s;ay, and cry in the night in the beginning of the watches and powre out thine heart before the face of the Lorde: lift vp thine handes vnto him, &amp; be&s;eech him to haue mer|cie vpon thy young children, who dy|ing for famine, yeelde vp the gho&s;t in all the corners of the &s;treetes.</P>
<P>And be&s;eech him in all humblenes <MILESTONE N="20"> of minde, that it would plea&s;e him, to con&s;ider to whome he hath done this, that hee hath doone it to his poore Turtle, to his holy Citie, to the &s;heepe of his pa&s;ture: to poore young chil|dre~ of a &s;panne longe. Alas mu&s;t the&s;e extremities be, to &s;ee mothers eate the frute of their owne bodies, and to &s;ee the Prie&s;ts and Prophets &s;laine in the midde&s;t of the &s;anctuarie.</P>
<P>And the young and the old without <MILESTONE N="21"> re&s;pect of age, or qualitie, lie in the &s;treetes: the cha&s;t virgines and lu&s;tie young men fall by the &s;worde without pitie and mercie.</P>
<P>Beholde me, O Lorde, mo&s;t mi&s;era|ble oppre&s;&s;ed citie of Ieru&s;alem, howe horrour and griefes a&s;&s;ayle me, as if they were &s;olemnely &s;ummoned to ap+peare at a day, and the affliction is &s;o greeuous, as that no man e&s;capeth the
<PB N="101" REF="74"> wrath of the Almightie: and be&s;ides, I mu&s;t &s;ee the&s;e, who~ I haue with great paine and diligence nouri&s;hed and brougt vp, to be &s;laine by the enemie.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>THE THIRD CHAPTER.</HI> The Argument and &s;umme of this Chapter.</HEAD>
<P>_A Man might &s;aye that this thirde Chapter is the &s;trength, and as it were the verie &s;oule of the&s;e Lamentatio~s: be|cau&s;e it is &s;o furni&s;hed with &s;uch graue &s;entences, &s;imilitudes, and compari&s;ons, as are mo&s;t apt and meete to mooue mens affections, and thereby driue them to compa&s;&s;ion. For although the Prophet handleth the &s;elfe &s;ame &s;ubiecte or argument which he doth in the Chapters going before: yet he here, more notably ad|uaunceth and garni&s;heth his &s;tyle or vaine of writing and more at large amplifieth the mi&s;eries of Ieru&s;alem &amp; of the countrey round about: wher|by, it &s;eemeth that his meaning is to &s;hewe, that no toung, art, nor compa|ri&s;on
<PB N="102" REF="75"> is able &s;ufficie~tly to expre&s;&s;e the calamitie thereof: and in very deede, it is impo&s;&s;ible for a ma~, more affecti|onately, and more eloquently to &s;et it foorth, than he doth.</P>
<P>Moreouer, the Prophet in this chap|ter, &s;peaketh no more in the third per|&s;on, neyther yet in generall, as he did in the beginning of the fir&s;t Chapter, in the per&s;on of a comfortle&s;&s;e wid|dowe: but &s;peaketh in his owne per|&s;on: or, as it is mo&s;t likely, hee bring|eth in a certaine per&s;on outragiou&s;ly lamenting, and repre&s;enting all the people of Iudah: euen as &s;ome of the auncient Fathers thought the booke of Iob to be a repre&s;entation of a man wre&s;tling again&s;t mo&s;t mightie temp|tations, and in the ende got the victo|rie: although there is more likeli|hoode that this booke is an hi&s;torie of things that came to pa&s;&s;e and were done, both by rea&s;on of the circum|&s;tances of the places and per&s;onnes which are therein particularized. The order of the Alphabet is not heere in ech point folowed, as in the re&s;t of the Chapters. For, there are three ver&s;es ioyned to euerie letter, &s;aue that the letter, P H E, is left out.</P>
<PB N="103" REF="75">
<P>As for the poe&s;ie that may be in the&s;e Lamentations, it is not needefull to haue it curiou&s;ly &s;ought after, and be|&s;ides, the mo&s;t learned interpretors neuer bu&s;ie nor trouble them&s;elues a|bout it.</P>
<P>Now there are in this Chapter con|tayned three principall pointes, the fir&s;t, reacheth vnto the 20. ver&s;e, and is a paterne of an extreame combat betweene the fle&s;h and the &s;pirite, and of a &s;tronge a&s;&s;ault which a manne &s;u&s;tayneth, when he is brought into extreame &s;orrowe and griefe: The like whereof wee may reade in the 73. and 77. P&s;almes. For this is mo&s;t certaine, as Saint Augu&s;tine writeth vppon the 60. P&s;alme, to wit, That we can not liue in this pilgrimage of ours without temptation: becau&s;e that through temptations wee mu&s;t pro|fite and aduaunce our &s;elues, and no man can know it, without he be temp|ted, &amp; no man can be crowned, with|out he conquer, neyther can any man ouercome, without hee fight, and no man can fight, without hee haue an e|nemie to &s;et vpon him.</P>
<P>In the &s;econde parte is contayned the victorie ouer the temptations, and
<PB N="104" REF="76"> the meanes to bridle and abate the impatiencie of our fle&s;he. In this part, which goeth vnto the 40. ver&s;e, are manie excellent &s;entences, which in this Chapiter gly&s;ter like orient pearles. But to bee &s;horte, the Pro|phet houldeth vppe the&s;e three buck|lers again&s;t all temptations. Fir&s;t of all, he compareth the puni&s;hment which they abide, with that, which the people had well de&s;erued, by rea&s;on of their &s;innes: and &s;o findeth, that in re&s;pect, they were verie gently dealt withall.</P>
<P>Secondarily, he beholdeth &amp; &s;etteth downe the con&s;tancie of God, and his great goodne&s;&s;e, which farre &s;urpa&s;&s;e our &s;mall, and momentanie temporall mi&s;eries, which, in regarde of the glo|rie and felicitie that the children of God looke for in the life to come, are of no valure. As in the 4. chapter of the 2. Epi&s;tle of S. Paule to the Co|rinthes, we may read.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Ieremie &s;etteth before the peoples eyes, the ende and pur|po&s;e of our GOD in his cha&s;ti&s;e|mentes, who &s;eeketh not, nor de&s;ireth our de&s;truction: but our amendment and &s;aluation: and is wonted by affli|ctions
<PB N="105" REF="76"> to trie and clean&s;e tho&s;e that are his, that he might afterward more amplie be&s;towe his holy graces vpon them.</P>
<P>In the third part, from the 40. ver&s;e, vnto the ende of the &s;ame Chapter is contayned a prayer. For although the faith of the children of god ouercom|meth the worlde and all temptations: yet the &s;ame fayth neuer pre&s;umeth or waxeth proude therein: but giueth all the glorie to God alone, &amp; maketh vs al&s;o alwaies to call to minde our in|firmitie, and the &s;tratagemes and cun|ning policies of the deuill: who for a time maketh &s;hewe to depart from vs, that he might therby afterward more fiercely &s;et vpon vs. And therefore we are continually to watch and &s;tande vpon our guard: and according to the coun&s;ell of S. Cyprian, be alwaies rea|die to with&s;tand Sathan, as often as he a&s;&s;ayleth vs. Now the weapons where|with we mu&s;t re&s;i&s;t him, are laid before vs in the 6. Chapter of the Epi&s;tle to the Ephe&s;ians.</P>
<P>Let vs therfore in the&s;e latter daies, and mo&s;t mi&s;erable times, make pro|fite of the doctrines contayned in this chapter, that we may therby together,
<PB N="106" REF="77"> liuely feele our mi&s;eries, and with|&s;tande de&s;peration and impatiencie, to the ende we walke not in the waies of the Apo&s;tles, who in the time of af|fliction fall away, &s;hewing them&s;elues for a while, to be but &s;hallow Chri&s;ti|ans, much like vnto the &s;eede &s;owed in the &s;tonie ground, written in the 13 of S. Matthew his Go&s;pell.</P>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>THE FIRST PARTE OF the third Chapter.</HEAD>
<P N="1"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Aleph.</NOTE><HI>1</HI> I Am the man that hath &s;eene af|fliction in the rodde of his indigna|tion.</P>
<P N="2"><HI>2</HI> He hath led me and brought me into darkenes, but not into light.</P>
<P N="3"><HI>3</HI> Surely hee is turned against mee, and turneth his hande al&s;o again&s;t mee all the day.</P>
<P N="4"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Beth.</NOTE><HI>4</HI> My fle&s;he and my skinne hath hee cau&s;ed to waxe olde, and hee hath broken my bones.</P>
<P N="5"><HI>5</HI> He hath builded again&s;t me, and com|pa&s;&s;ed me with gall and labour.</P>
<P N="6"><HI>6</HI> He hath &s;et me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.</P>
<P N="7"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gimel.</NOTE><HI>7</HI> He hath hedged about mee, that J cannot get out, he hath made my chaynes
<PB N="107" REF="77"> heauie.</P>
<P N="8"><HI>8</HI> Al&s;o when I crie and &s;hout, he &s;hut|teth out my prayer.</P>
<P N="9"><HI>9</HI> Hee hath &s;topped vp my wayes with hewen &s;tone, and turned away my pathes.</P>
<P N="10"><HI>10</HI> He was vnto me as a Beare lying in wayte, and as a Lyon in his denne.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Daleth.</NOTE></P>
<P N="11"><HI>11</HI> Hee hath &s;topped my wayes, and pulled mee in pieces: he hath made me de|&s;olate.</P>
<P N="12"><HI>12</HI> He hath bent his bowe, and made me a marke for the arrowe.</P>
<P N="13"><HI>13</HI> He cau&s;ed the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reynes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">He.</NOTE></P>
<P N="14"><HI>14</HI> J was a deri&s;ion with my people, and their &s;ong all the day.</P>
<P N="15"><HI>15</HI> He hath filled me with bitterne&s;&s;e, and made me dronken with wormewoode.</P>
<P N="16"><HI>16</HI> He hath al&s;o broken my teeth with &s;tones, and couered me with a&s;hes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vau.</NOTE></P>
<P N="17"><HI>17</HI> Thus my &s;oule was farre off from peace, I forgate pro&s;peritie.</P>
<P N="18"><HI>18</HI> And J &s;ayde, my &s;trength and my hope is peri&s;hed from the Lorde.</P>
<P N="19"><HI>19</HI> Remembring mine affliction and my mourning, the wormewoode and the gall.</P>
<P N="20"><HI>20</HI> My &s;oule hath them in reme~brance, and is humbled in me.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="observations">
<PB N="108" REF="78">
<HEAD>THE OBSERVATIONS OR notes vpon the fir&s;t part of <HI>the third Chapter.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_THE Subiect or Argu|ment is this, That there can bee nothing more mi&s;erable, than &s;uch a people as God taketh in hande to puni&s;h in his wrath, lea|uing them altogether comfortle&s;&s;e. Such a mi&s;erable condition the Pro|phet amplifieth and &s;etteth downe, by the &s;imilitudes of the mo&s;t &s;orrowfull and lamentable things that are in the whole world to be founde.</P>
<P>And this is the v&s;e and benefite of this part, That when wee con&s;ider of the&s;e things, we &s;hould make more ac|count of the louing kindnes &amp; fauour of God, then commonly we doe. For if we vnder&s;toode what a trea&s;ure and felicitie it were, to bee in the fauour and grace of the mo&s;t mightie God, there &s;hould nothing touch our harts more, than to keepe our &s;elues in his fauour and grace. But herein is all the mi&s;chiefe, that few men ta&s;te &amp; &s;auour the goodnes of the mo&s;t high, accor|ding to the exhortatio~ of the Prophet
<PB N="109" REF="78"> Dauid in his thirtie &amp; fourth P&s;alme, <HI>Ta&s;te ye and &s;ee,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e. 8.</NOTE> (&s;ayth he) <HI>how gratious the Lorde is: ble&s;&s;ed is the man that tru|&s;teth in him.</HI></P>
<P>Surely, who &s;oeuer he be that through+ly ta&s;teth of this gracious goodne&s;&s;e, &s;hall finde that there is nothing more good &amp; gratious, and that that which was &s;aide vnto the Apo&s;tle S. Paule in the 12. chapter of his 2. Epi&s;tle to the Corinthes, was not without cau&s;e &s;po|ken, to wit: <HI>My grace is &s;ufficient for thee.</HI> And contrariwi&s;e, there is nothing more fearefull then the fierce and ter|rible wrath of God, and yet there are fewe men which vnder&s;tande &amp; looke into the force thereof: as in the 90. P&s;alme we may reade.</P>
<P>Now, this fir&s;t part of the Lamen|tations rightly &s;etteth foorth vnto vs, howe that this great GOD of|tentimes leadeth his holy ones in to hell, and as it were into a bottomle&s;&s;e depth of temptations and griefes: in|&s;omuch y^t who&s;oeuer at the fir&s;t &s;ight, &s;hould heare the~ &s;peake after y^t maner, would take them to be de&s;perate men, and voide of all con&s;olation and com|fort. Such another combate &s;u&s;tained the Prophet Dauid, as in the 77. P&s;alm
<PB N="110" REF="79"> ver&s;e, 3.7.8. we reade, when he &s;ayth: <HI>J did thinke vpon God, and was troubled: I prayed, and my &s;pirite was ful of angui&s;h: will the Lorde ab&s;ent him&s;elfe for euer? Js his mercie cleane gone for euer? And after|warde I &s;aide, This is my death, &amp;c.</HI> S. Au|gu&s;tine al&s;o writing vpo~ the 91. P&s;alm, ver. 6. &s;uppo&s;eth, that that which is there &s;poken of the plague, which de|&s;troyeth at noone day, is vnder&s;toode, of &s;uch hoate and vehement tempta|tions.</P>
<P><HI>J was a deri&s;ion with my people)</HI> Thus the latter learned Interpretors doe read,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e. 14.</NOTE> as Tremelius and Iun. who&s;e in|terpretation we haue followed. Some others there are that read thus: <HI>I was a deri&s;ion vnto my people:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierem. 20.</NOTE> which kinde of interpretation they fauour, who think that Ieremy wrote this Chapter when he was in pri&s;on, before the captiuitie of Babylon, at what time his owne countreymen per&s;ecuted him. How|beit wee may very well &s;ee that hee handleth one and the verie &s;elfe &s;ame argument, which he handleth in the Chapters going before, albeit he &s;et|teth it downe in another manner of &s;ort, and in an other maner of per&s;on. And this is a thing which greatly &s;tir|reth
<PB N="111" REF="79"> vp the readers, when as they heare a people &s;orrowing and lamen|ting, one while in the per&s;on of a poore de&s;olate widdow, and another while in the per&s;on of a man vnmea|&s;urably &s;orrowfull. This al&s;o &s;erueth to humble vs, and to make vs more de|&s;irous of the mercie of the Almightie, euen as was the preaching of the law, to the end to beate vs downe, and to prepare vs the more earne&s;tlie to re|ceiue the newne&s;&s;e of grace.</P>
<P><HI>My &s;oule is humbled.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 20.</NOTE>) Some learned Interpretors reade: <HI>My &s;oule medita|teth:</HI> Howbeit, I haue followed the common tran&s;lation, becau&s;e it be&s;t agreeth with the &s;aying of the Pro|phet, to wit, that the people remem|bred their mi&s;erie, and that they had &s;o con&s;idered of it, as that it went to their verie hearts: and therefore, that through the remembrance and con&s;i|deration thereof,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The often remem|bring of our mi&s;e|ries, is the next way to humble vs.</NOTE> they were in deede humbled. For when as we &s;tand vpon our pantoffles to &s;hew our &s;elues gal|lant, not looking into our mi&s;eries, but lie &s;leeping in a certaine kinde of &s;hew of pro&s;peritie, it is the verie right waie to humble vs, if &s;o be we play the prowde Peacocks, and looke vpon our
<PB N="112" REF="80"> feete, filthine&s;&s;e and mi&s;eries. And then will we &s;ay as Dauid &s;ayd in the 39. P&s;alme, <HI>Man that liueth, is nothing but vanitie: Surely, man walketh like a &s;hade.</HI> And in the 144. P&s;alme, ver&s;e 3, 4. <HI>What is man that thou &s;o thinke&s;t on him, or the &s;onne of man that thou &s;o much esteeme&s;t. Man is like vnto vanitie: his dayes are like a &s;hadowe that vani|&s;heth.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>THE SECOND PART OF the third Chapter.</HEAD>
<P N="21"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cheth.</NOTE><HI>21</HI> I Con&s;ider this in mine heart, there|fore haue I hope: to wit.</P>
<P N="22"><HI>22</HI> It is the Lords mercies that we are not con&s;umed, becau&s;e his compa&s;&s;ions faile not.</P>
<P N="23"><HI>23</HI> They are renued euerie morning: great is thy faithfulne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="24"><HI>24</HI> The Lord is my portion, &s;aith my &s;oule: therefore will J hope in him.</P>
<P N="25"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Teth.</NOTE><HI>25</HI> The Lord is good vnto them that tru&s;t in him: and vnto the &s;oule that &s;ee|keth him.</P>
<P N="26"><HI>26</HI> It is good both to tru&s;t, and to waite for the &s;aluation of the Lord.</P>
<P N="27"><HI>27</HI> It is good for a man to beare the yoke in his youth.</P>
<P N="28"><PB N="113" REF="80"><HI>28</HI> He &s;itteth alone,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iod.</NOTE> and keepeth &s;i|lence, becau&s;e he hath borne it vppon him.</P>
<P N="29"><HI>29</HI> He putteth his mouth in the du&s;t, if there may be hope.</P>
<P N="30"><HI>30</HI> He geueth his cheeke to him that &s;miteth him: hee is filled full with re|proches.</P>
<P N="31"><HI>31</HI> For the Lord will not for&s;ake for euer.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Caph.</NOTE></P>
<P N="32"><HI>32</HI> But though he &s;end affliction, yet will he haue compa&s;&s;ion according to the multitude of his mercies.</P>
<P N="33"><HI>33</HI> For, he doth not puni&s;h willinglie, nor afflict the children of men.</P>
<P N="34"><HI>34</HI> Jn &s;tamping vnder his feete all the pri&s;oners of the earth.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lamed.</NOTE></P>
<P N="35"><HI>35</HI> Jn ouerthrowing the right of a man, before the face of the most high.</P>
<P N="36"><HI>36</HI> Jn &s;ubuerting a man in his cau&s;e:<NOTE PLACE="marg">So is the word, to &s;ee, taken in the 12. of Deuter. ver&s;e 13.</NOTE> the Lord &s;eeth it not.</P>
<P N="37"><HI>37</HI> Who is he then that will &s;ay, that a thing commeth to pa&s;&s;e, if the Lord com|maundeth it not?</P>
<P N="38"><HI>38</HI> Proceede not both euil and good from the mouth of the mo&s;t high?</P>
<P N="39"><HI>39</HI> Wherefore then is the liuing man &s;orrowfull, for &s;uffering for his &s;innes?</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="observations">
<PB N="114" REF="81">
<HEAD>THE OBSERVATIONS or Notes vpon the &s;econd <HI>part of the third Chapter.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_WE haue heard in the fir&s;t part, of verie boy&s;te|rous temptations and a&s;&s;aults, but we &s;hall by and by heare of farre more mightie and &s;trange con&s;olati|ons and comforts: for, he which dwel|leth within vs, and &s;tandeth for vs, is much &s;tronger then he that is again&s;t vs, now, we were &s;oone ouergone in the&s;e fightes, if we tru&s;ted to nothing el&s;e but vnto the world, &s;eeing that the hope and tru&s;t of all worldlings (as Iob in the eight Chapter of his booke &s;aith) <HI>is like vnto the &s;piders web.</HI> But we mu&s;t in &s;uch a&s;&s;aults put vpon vs all the whole armour of God, to the end that we, who haue not to do with Ba|bylonians, and outward enemies only, being fenced with his power, might be able &s;toutly to &s;tand and fight again&s;t our owne &s;elues, again&s;t fle&s;h and bloud, and &s;pirituall wickedne&s;&s;es.</P>
<P>We are therefore to note, that the &s;econd part of this Chapter leadeth
<PB N="115" REF="81"> vs vnto the verie &s;torehou&s;e of muni|tion and defence of the faithfull,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;tore|hou&s;e of munition, and de|fence of the faith|full.</NOTE> and teacheth vs with what armour and weapon we &s;hould fight again&s;t &s;uch enemies, and how &s;ure and re&s;olute we &s;hould be of our God, and of his iudgements. To be &s;hort, heerein is &s;hewed vnto vs, that the faithfull mu&s;t alwaies with the one eye looke vpon their owne mi&s;eries, and with the o|ther, vpon the mercies of the Lord, and vnto the right hand of the mo&s;t high, who turneth all the euents vnto a good end, according to the &s;aying of the Prophet Dauid in his 77. P&s;alme and 11. ver&s;e, for if we &s;hould behold and con&s;ider nothing el&s;e but our owne mi&s;erie, it were &s;uch a gulfe as would &s;wallow vs cleane vp.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t thing then that the Pro|phet Ieremy &s;etteth downe for the ap|pay&s;ing of the peoples griefe, is the comparing of the puni&s;hments with the &s;innes. And forthwith he findeth no equall proportion, for that our &s;innes haue without all compari&s;on, de&s;erued greater mi&s;eries and tor|ments, then is po&s;&s;ible for vs to en|dure in this life. For, we hauing infi|nitely offended his diuine and infinite
<PB N="116" REF="82"> maie&s;tie, haue all de&s;erued as much as is po&s;&s;ible, infinite puni&s;hments, yea, euen to be vtterlie de&s;troied: &s;o that it was the wonderfull great grace of God, to leaue in the fiercene&s;&s;e of his wrath &s;uch a number of I&s;raelites as he did, placing them heere and there in pa&s;&s;able places, &amp; a&s;&s;uring them by his promi&s;e, that he would in the end of &s;euenty yeeres vi&s;it their captiuitie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="22" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> <HI>Jt is the Lords goodne&s;&s;e that we are not con&s;umed.)</HI> Some others, as Vatable for one, reade: The mercies of the Lord are not con&s;umed, which inter|pretation, &s;ome verie notable men do follow, and &s;eemeth to haue reference to that which followeth, to wit, they are renewed daily. But for mine owne part, I had rather in this place follow the tran&s;lation of Santes and Treme|lius, becau&s;e it agreeth better with the text, and with the literall meaning of the toong. The word to <HI>con&s;ume,</HI> in the Hebrew toong &s;ignifyeth &s;ometime perfection, and is taken in the good part: but heere it is taken in the wor&s;e part, and &s;ignifieth, to de&s;troy, as in the fourteenth Chapter of the fir&s;t booke of the Kings, ver&s;e 10. we reade, where it is &s;aid, <HI>J will ra&s;e the
<PB N="117" REF="82"> hou&s;e of Ieroboam, and &s;weepe it away, as a man &s;weepeth away doong, till it be all gone and con&s;umed.</HI> Let vs then take the &s;ay|ing of Ieremy heere, as it is taken in the fir&s;t Chapter of I&s;aiah, ver. 9. where it is &s;aid, <HI>Except the Lord of hoastes had re&s;erued vnto vs euen a &s;mall remnant, we &s;hould haue beene as Sodome.</HI> Now, the cau&s;e that Ieremy alleageth, why the people were not con&s;umed, was, by rea&s;on that his compa&s;&s;ions failed not. For, although he &s;tay his bene|fites heere for a &s;ea&s;on, yet do his compa&s;&s;ions neuer faile, neither doth the fatherly affectio~ which he beareth to his, which as a father, he a&s;&s;ureth them of, faile, although for a while he cha&s;ti&s;e the~. Wherevpon, the Prophet Habacuck calling the &s;ame to mind in his 3. Chap. &s;aith, <HI>O Lord in thy furie, re|member yet thy mercy.</HI> The Prophet &s;pea|keth not this as though the Lord were forgetful, but thereby to comfort him|&s;elfe, as after in the 23. ver&s;e we &s;hall &s;ee, how Ieremy more at large, and in better tearmes &s;etteth it downe, &s;ay|ing: that the mercies of the Lord are renued euery morning, to wit, daily, &amp; &s;o long, as the day dawneth, &amp; not on|ly euery moneth, as the moone doth,
<PB N="118" REF="83"> which the Hebrews tearme by a word that &s;ignifieth renewing, bicau&s;e &s;he reneweth the moneths by her perio|dicall cour&s;e, as by her farre departing from the &s;unne, and her neere dra|wing vnto the &s;ame. But Ieremy &s;pea|king of the mercies of the Lord, goeth on further, and &s;aith, to wit, that there is not one day that pa&s;&s;eth ouer our heads, wherein we do not &s;ee new tokens of Gods mercies and fauour, according to that &s;aying of the kinglie Prophet Dauid in his 30. P&s;alm. ver 5. <HI>Although</HI> (&s;ayth he) <HI>that weeping com|meth in the euening, yet ioy commeth in the morning.</HI> For this end and purpo&s;e, is greatly to be noted the &s;aying of S. Cyprian in the fourth Epi&s;tle of his fourth booke of his Epi&s;tles, where he making mention of the afflictions that at tho&s;e daies fell vppon the Church, &s;aith: The Lord God (&s;aith he) &s;heweth in the per&s;on of his &s;er|uants which he afflicteth, and whome he oftentimes taketh out of this world, a wonderfull renewing of his Church, as when after raine, he &s;en|deth faire weather, after darkene&s;&s;e light, and after tempe&s;ts, calmene&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="23" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> <HI>Great is thy faithfulne&s;&s;e,)</HI> or as &s;ome
<PB N="119" REF="83"> reade, <HI>Thy truth.</HI> Some heere in this place take faithfulne&s;&s;e for our faith or beleefe, and it is no &s;mall matter to beleeue in God: but yet heere, it &s;oun|deth rather to be referred vnto the faithfulne&s;&s;e of God, and the a&s;&s;u|rance of his promi&s;es. For, the verie efficient cau&s;e of the renewing of the Church, and of the graces of the Lord, is his a&s;&s;ured faithfulne&s;&s;e, and con&s;tant veritie. For, God being alto|gether true, and &s;uch a one as <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ho&s;e goodne&s;&s;e is not grounded vpon our de&s;erts, it can not be, but that he mu&s;t e&s;tabli&s;h his Church, according to the free goodne&s;&s;e, and the eternall and infallible truth of his promi&s;es, re|newing in vs a ta&s;te of his graces, which we find to be mo&s;t plea&s;ant vn|to vs, after we haue for a time beene afflicted and beene depriued of his lo|uing kindne&s;&s;e. And therefore it was to great purpo&s;e, that the Prophet Ie|remy &s;peaking of this faithfulne&s;&s;e of the Lord, cried out and &s;aid, <HI>Great is thy faithfulne&s;&s;e,</HI> putting vs in a mar|uellous admiration of the fidelitie of this mightie God, who as S. Paule in the third Chapter of his Epi&s;tle to the Ephe&s;ians, ver&s;e 20. &s;aith, <HI>is able to do
<PB N="120" REF="84" MS="y"> exceeding abundantlie, aboue all that we aske or thinke.</HI> And &s;o al&s;o writeth Da|uid in his 36. P&s;alme, ver&s;e 7. &s;aying: <HI>How excellent is thy mercie O God, there|fore the children of men tru&s;t vnder the &s;hadow of thy wings.</HI></P>
<P><HI>The Lord is good,)</HI> not onely good, but al&s;o louing, and liberall. But heere is to be noted, how Ieremy re&s;traineth the&s;e promi&s;es which he &s;heweth vnto vs, when as he &s;aith, <HI>That God is good vnto them that trust in him.</HI> For al|though the louing kindnes of God be great, and his fidelity mo&s;t &s;ure, yet &s;o long as the wicked and faithle&s;&s;e re|maine &s;til in their wickednes &amp; incre|dulitie, they &s;hut vp the gate again&s;t the fauour of God, and neuer enioy this faithfulne&s;&s;e, becau&s;e God neuer promi&s;eth in his word any &s;uch thing to &s;uch kind of people, but rather de|nounceth his wrath &amp; mighty threats again&s;t the~, becau&s;e, as in the 1. Tim. 2. Chap. it is written, <HI>his will is, that they which &s;hould be &s;aued, &s;hould come to the knowledge of his truth,</HI> for all the elect of God are brought therevnto, in whom he worketh that which he commaun|deth, and giueth them new hearts to feare &amp; reuerence him. And aboue all
<PB N="121" REF="84"> the re&s;t, he would haue vs &s;till tru&s;t in him, and neuer be weery in tru&s;ting to his goodnes, according to the exhor|tatio~ of the Prophet Abacuck in his 2. Chap. And therfore in the 78. P&s;al. the Iewes are &s;harply reproued for their impatiency, bicau&s;e they would limit the holy one of I&s;raell, &amp; enforce him to do as plea&s;ed the~, &amp; help the~ at &s;uch time &amp; in &s;uch &s;ort as liked their fan|ta&s;ies, as in the hi&s;tory of Iudith we reade the inhabitants of Bethulia did.</P>
<P><HI>The Lord is my portion.)</HI> This is ano|ther <MILESTONE N="24" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> argument of comfort, taken from the aboundance of Gods benefites, and from the contentation which e|uerie faithfull man hath in him: and this is the right propertie of faith, to applie and appropriate &s;uch trea&s;ure vnto a mans &s;elfe, and con&s;tantly be|leeue that the Lord is our rich reward, portion, and enheritance: wherof Da|uid in his 16. P&s;alme, ver. 3.6. a&s;&s;ureth him&s;elfe, <HI>boasting him&s;elfe to haue a farre better portion, and a more excellent lot, then all the children of this world.</HI></P>
<P>Wee commonly knowe, that there is a di&s;tinction and difference be|tweene moueable, and immoueable goodes, whiche are not &s;o ea&s;ilie
<PB N="122" REF="85" MS="y"> to be carried away as mouable. Now, the Prophets call the Eternall, our right inheritance, firme, certaine, and immoueable pro&s;peritie and welfare. For, when we haue &s;aid all we can, all the re&s;t that we po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e are but wan|dring and fleeting po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, euen vanitie it &s;elfe, as by many examples we haue &s;et downe, of what&s;oeuer is vnder the &s;unne in the booke of Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tes, where in the twelfth Chap|ter is concluded, <HI>That to feare God, and keepe his commaundements, is the totall and whole &s;umme that is required in man.</HI> And therfore, when we reade in this place, or el&s;e-where, that God is called our portion and enheritance, we mu&s;t re|member that it is to this end, that we &s;hould contemne, and make no reck|ning of the fraile &amp; tran&s;itorie things of this world,<NOTE PLACE="marg">How gret|ly the mightie and rich men of the world are deceiued in theyr fal&s;e opi|nion of the faithfull &s;eruants of God.</NOTE> nor yet of the&s;e great mightie earthlie ones, who take all the faithfull that feare and obey God, to be but mi&s;erable wretched caitiffes, who for the more part haue &s;car&s;ely one inch of ground, and yet for all that, they are richer then all the Em|perours in the world, who in the end are enforced to leaue all their arrayes, kingdomes, and what&s;oeuer el&s;e, and
<PB N="123" REF="85" MS="y"> be contented with three or four feete of earth, or as much as may burie a dead corps. Away therefore with all &s;uch vaine confidence, fye of all &s;uch enheritances, which &s;o &s;oone depart from vs, yea euen vnto tho&s;e whome we neuer knew, nor yet will euer once thanke vs for them. Such I &s;ay, is the &s;tate and condition of all tho&s;e, who&s;e portion is heere in this world, and who feede them&s;elues, as Dauid in his 17. P&s;alme, ver&s;e 14. &s;aith, with the&s;e earthly delightes. But let vs hold this principle and ground which is written in the 73. P&s;alme, ver&s;e 1. <HI>That &s;urely God is good vnto I&s;rael, and to all tho&s;e that reuerence him with pure hearts,</HI> &s;o the &s;ame proceede from faith, al|though they be for a time but poore with the goodes of this world: and that there is no &s;uch thing, as con|&s;tantlie to tru&s;t in God, who will let it be well knowne, as in the third Chapter of Malachy is &s;ayde, <HI>That a man &s;hall not lo&s;e his payne in &s;eruing of him:</HI> and that although to the outward iudgement of man, there is great difference betweene the chil|dren of God, and the children of this world, yet let them knowe, that
<PB N="124" REF="86"> death and afflictions are common to them both.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Silence, the verie power and force of the chil|dren of God.</NOTE>We are al&s;o to note this notable manner of &s;peaking which is v&s;ed in the &s;cripture, that we mu&s;t be quiet and &s;till before God, and that our &s;trength and power &s;tandeth and re|&s;teth in &s;ilence and in hope. Now, this &s;ilence co~&s;i&s;teth not only in not mur|muring nor replying again&s;t God, but we mu&s;t al&s;o take heed, that we in no ca&s;e &s;tubbornely and ra&s;hly depart fro~ our vocation, and quietly &amp; patiently walke in &s;uch &s;ort as God hath called vs. For, Ari&s;totle him&s;elfe writeth, that it is the property of a wicked man to be always boiling, &s;torming, and neuer re&s;ting and abiding all in one mind: &s;o that a certain mi&s;erable and wretched man &s;aid once in Virgill, that if he could obtaine nothing at the hands of the Gods, that he would go down into hell, and &s;ee if he could obtaine any grace there.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="27" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> <HI>Who &s;hall beare his yoke in his youth,)</HI> or from his youth: for no doubt of it, it is a maruellous matter for any man to accu&s;tome him&s;elf &s;o fro~ his youth, &amp; frame him&s;elf vnto obedience. S. Hi|lary writing vpon the 119. P&s;al. and in|terpreting
<PB N="125" REF="86"> the&s;e words, <HI>Wherewith &s;hal a young man redre&s;&s;e his way?</HI> &s;ayth thus, the prophet Ieremy (&s;aith he) in the 3. Chapter of his Lamentations, right well declareth, that it is the mo&s;t ble&s;|&s;ed and mo&s;t requi&s;it thing for a yong man in his youth, to beare the yoke: for in very deede, cu&s;tome doth and can do maruelous much. The Prophet therefore hath rea&s;on not to haue vs tarry vntill &s;uch time as we be either hardned, or waxe old and ob&s;tinate in our &s;innes, again&s;t all di&s;cipline. True it is, that youth is verie impatient to beare the yoke, but after it hath once taken it, and accu&s;tomed it &s;elfe there|vnto, it will then be quiet, and reioyce in the Lord: the&s;e men afterward be|come &s;uch valiant champions, and &s;uch notable practi&s;ed &s;ouldiers a|gain&s;t &s;inne and iniquitie, as God re|quireth in this &s;pirituall battell. The &s;cripture commonly calleth wicked &amp; di&s;&s;olute men, the children of Beliall,<NOTE PLACE="marg">VVhat the chil|dren of Belial are.</NOTE> that is to &s;ay, di&s;ordered me~, reiecting all rule &amp; gouernme~t. Now, there is no &s;uch way to bring the~ to obedience, as to bow the~ in time: neither is ther any age fitter, or &s;oner framed to &s;ubiectio~, then youth, &s;pecially chri&s;tian youth:
<PB N="126" REF="87"> and when we are once accu&s;tomed to abide &s;orrow and paine, we are after|ward a great deale the pacienter in all kindes of aduer&s;ities what&s;oeuer, yea and we ioyfully receiue them: for, when we con&s;ider of that which is written in the 12. to the Hebrewes, <HI>That when God chastizeth vs, he offereth him&s;elfe vnto vs as a father,</HI> cha&s;tizing vs for our good, that we might be par|takers of his holine&s;&s;e. To be &s;hort, Salomon in the 12. of his Prouerbes, ver&s;e 1. &s;ayeth, <HI>He that loueth correction, loueth wi&s;edome, but he that hateth di&s;ci|pline, is a bea&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="28" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> <HI>He is quiet or contented with that which is laid vpon him.)</HI> Some learned men reade, he will be &s;ilent, bicau&s;e he hath taken vpon him the yoke of the Lord, that is to &s;ay, bicau&s;e he is determined to beare the yoke of the Lord patient|ly, or el&s;e, bicau&s;e that the Lord hath laide it vpon him, as in the 39. P&s;alme, ver&s;e 99. we reade, how Dauid there &s;ayeth, <HI>J was doombe and held my peace, bicau&s;e thou didde&s;t it.</HI> Some others reade, that he would be patient when any thing hapned him: but we haue followed the tran&s;lation which be&s;t agreeth with the Hebrew text, and
<PB N="127" REF="87"> meaning of the Prophet.</P>
<P><HI>To put the mouth in the du&s;t,)</HI> Is a <MILESTONE N="29" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> phra&s;e of &s;peech which the Hebrewes v&s;e, and is as much to &s;ay, as patiently to hang downe the head, and to be humbled in &s;ilence without reply. The like phra&s;e of &s;peech we &s;hall reade in the 14. of the fir&s;t to the Co|rinthes, ver&s;e 25. where it is &s;aide, <HI>He will fall downe on his face and wor&s;hip God, and &s;ay playnely, that God is in you in deede.</HI></P>
<P><HI>If haply there be hope.)</HI> This manner of &s;peech is to be wel weighed, bicau&s;e it &s;hal not be thought to confirme the error and opinion of the Papi&s;ts, who faine and forge an ob&s;cure and doubt|full faith: for the &s;cripture borroweth many &s;peeches from vs, in our ordi|narie talke, as for example, we com|monly &s;ay: Let vs &s;ee whether this thing will be brought to pa&s;&s;e, or ob|tained, yea or no. And yet this phra&s;e and manner of &s;peech proceedeth not of mi&s;tru&s;t, but of a chri&s;tian mode&s;tie, not pre&s;cribing vnto the Lord either the time, or yet the meane of our de|liuerance, and in acknowledging our vnworthines of his fauour, is alwayes &s;poken by way of &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion, as in the
<PB N="128" REF="88"> &s;econd of Ioel, ver&s;. 14. is &s;aid, <HI>Who kno|weth whether he will returne and repent, &amp;c.</HI> And likewi&s;e in the 8. of the Actes, ver&s;e 22. it is &s;aid vnto Symon the ma|gicien, <HI>Pray vnto God, that if it be po&s;|&s;ible, the wicked thought of thine hart may be forgiuen thee.</HI> S. Peter heere &s;peaking of the mercy of God, was not in doubt thereof, but he &s;aid thus much to Sy|mon, to the end to humble him the more, and becau&s;e he doubted of the &s;oundne&s;&s;e of his heart. For, as there is nothing more certaine and &s;ure then the grace of God, euen &s;o it is not for vs to define and determine when, and to whome he will communicate and be&s;towe his graces, &s;eeing we are not &s;ure of the faith of men. Moreo|uer, when as the promi&s;es of God are receiued by faith, they are certaine &amp; infallible: and this is mo&s;t &s;ure, that the Lord thru&s;teth not them backe fro~ him which come vnto him: and to be &s;hort,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 6.</NOTE> ther are none which beleue, &s;hal peri&s;h, but &s;hall haue euerla&s;ting life.</P>
<P><HI>He turneth his cheeke to him that &s;tri|keth <MILESTONE N="30" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> him.)</HI> This al&s;o is a figuratiue kind of &s;peech, named by the &s;choolemen <HI>Metonomia,</HI> when as the &s;igne is taken for the thing &s;ignified. And &s;o in this
<PB N="129" REF="88"> place, <HI>to turne the cheeke,</HI> is taken to haue patience, and is a&s;much as if Ie|remy &s;hould haue &s;aid, he is &s;o patient and curteous, as that, as a man would &s;ay, he turneth his cheeke to them that &s;mite him. And therefore the Anabap|ti&s;ts, becau&s;e they knowe not, nor vn|der&s;tand this manner of &s;peaking, do conclude according to the bare let|ter of our Sauiour Ie&s;us Chri&s;t in the 5. of S. Mathew, <HI>That if we be &s;triken vpon the one cheeke, we &s;hould turne the other.</HI> That he would make vs very idiots, to giue the wicked occa&s;ion to buffet vs on both cheekes, which were to vp|hold and maintaine euill, and mens outrageous liberty, and that were to tempt God, who&s;e meaning is that we &s;hould auoide and with&s;tand iniury &amp; wrong,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 18. ver&s;e 22.</NOTE> euen as Chri&s;t Ie&s;us him&s;elfe did, who is the mo&s;t perfect paterne, &amp; example of patience. For, whe~ one of the high Prie&s;ts men &s;troke him on the cheeke, he turned not the other to him, but auoided the mi&s;chiefe, &amp; &s;aid, he was iniuriou&s;ly dealt withal. We are therefore to ob&s;erue &amp; hold this rule, that when &s;uch commandements and aduerti&s;ements as the&s;e are, to wit, to turne our cheek to tho&s;e that &s;trike vs,
<PB N="130" REF="89"> we mu&s;t not thinke them to be &s;poken of our outward behauiour and ge|&s;tures: but we mu&s;t vnder&s;tand, that by the&s;e &s;ignes chri&s;tian patience is greatly commended vnto vs,<NOTE PLACE="marg">VVhat the tur|ning of our cheek to our enemy meaneth.</NOTE> which ought alwaies be ready to beare new viole~ces, if it &s;o plea&s;e God, whe~ as we cannot otherwi&s;e by hone&s;t &amp; lawfull meanes auoid the~. Now, it is one thing patie~tly to beare an iniury, &amp; another thing to oppo&s;e our &s;elues vnto the iniuries &amp; violences of men, &amp; to giue the~ occa&s;ion to no purpo&s;e, and with|out rea&s;on, de&s;pitefully to entreate vs.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="31" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> <HI>He for&s;aketh not for euer.)</HI> This is the third argument of comfort, which is drawne from the v&s;e and end of our afflictions. Now, the mi&s;eries and ca|lamities of this life which we can &s;o hardly &s;uffer and beare, commeth fro~ this, that we mo&s;t oftentimes thinke that they will oppre&s;&s;e and cleerely o|uerthrow vs, and that God hath vtter|ly for&s;aken vs: howbeit, it neuer fal|leth out &s;o, neither is it yet his mea|ning, and therefore there is no rea&s;on why we &s;hould be &s;o impatient. The Prophet heere prooueth his &s;aying by two rea&s;ons, the one, taken from the euent, and common experience, the
<PB N="131" REF="89"> other, from the nature of God, and from his coun&s;els. We are then heere in the fir&s;t place to note, that the Lord neuer v&s;eth to for&s;ake tho&s;e that are his, but rather vpholdeth them in the midde&s;t of their temptations, and with the temptation giueth a ble&s;&s;ed and happie i&s;&s;ue, as witne&s;&s;eth vnto vs the holie Apo&s;tle Sainct Paule in the 10. of the 1. to the Corinths: where|of, be&s;ides our common experience, we haue the examples of Abraham,<NOTE PLACE="marg">God ta|keth no delight in the afflic|ting of any.</NOTE> Io&s;eph, Dauid, Iob, and many others. Moreouer, this is mo&s;t &s;ure, that the nature of God is &s;uch, as that he de|lighteth not in our afflictions, being him&s;elfe naturally good, gentle, &s;lowe to anger, and of great compa&s;&s;ion. Thus we &s;ee how God is de&s;cribed vn|to vs throughout the whole volume of the &s;cripture, namely, in the 34. Chap|ter of Exodus, in&s;omuch that when as I&s;aiah in his 28. Chapter, &s;aith, <HI>He pu|ni&s;heth and afflicteth vs,</HI> it &s;eemeth ra|ther that he dealeth like a &s;tranger, and not like him&s;elfe. And namely, in the midde&s;t of all our afflictions, he maketh his &s;ingular goodnes alwayes appeere in the moderating of our pu|ni&s;hments, turning them all to our
<PB N="132" REF="90"> benefite and welfare.<NOTE PLACE="marg">It is as ne|ce&s;&s;ary, and many times bet|ter for the children of God, &s;ometimes to &s;uffer affliction, then con|tinually to be in pro|&s;peritie.</NOTE> And according heereunto, mo&s;t notably wrote Sainct Augu&s;tine in his Epi&s;tles to Felix and Ru&s;ticus, &s;aying, what is it that our good God will not mercifully do vnto man? And how can it be, but that he will &s;hew him all the fauour he can, con&s;idering that all the tribulations which he &s;endeth, are more bene|fites. For, as pro&s;peritie is a benefyte, and an effect of his comforts, euen &s;o is aduer&s;itie al&s;o a gift of God, to ad|moni&s;h vs, that we haue as great need of good admonitions, as we haue of con&s;olations. And although God cau|&s;eth Tyrants and wicked men to &s;erue his turne for the puni&s;hing of vs, yet doth hee in no wi&s;e allow of theyr wickedne&s;&s;e, as Ieremy in the 34. 35. and 36. ver&s;es of this third Chapter mo&s;t e&s;pecially declareth.</P>
<P><HI>To &s;ubuert the right,)</HI> To do iniurie to pri&s;oners. Such things, &s;aith he, the Eternall &s;eeth not, neither doth he allow of them, but rather dete|&s;teth them. Some Interpretors haue read this a little otherwi&s;e, as Ieremy in the ver&s;es aboue mentioned, coun|terfetteth the &s;ayings of the wicked, who make them&s;elues beleeue, that
<PB N="133" REF="90"> the Lord &s;eeth them not, when as they peruert iu&s;tice, and do wrong. According to which al&s;o, Dauid in the 94. P&s;alme &s;peaketh of the wic|ked: and &s;uch a one was that Tyrant of Sicile, who after he had &s;ackt the Temples,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The wic|ked when they &s;cape punishme~t for doing of &s;ome notorious wicked deede, think that God likes of their villanous dealing, which is mo&s;t bla&s;|phemous.</NOTE> and was at Sea with a pro|&s;perous winde, bragged, and &s;wore mo&s;t bla&s;phemou&s;lie, that the Gods fauoured and liked of Pyrates and Church-robbers: howbeit, it &s;eemeth that the Interpretation which wee haue followed, &s;tretcheth it &s;elfe fur|ther, and agreeth better with the meaning of Ieremy, to witte, that God taketh no plea&s;ure in &s;eeing of iniuries and extortions committed, neyther is he the author of them. And be&s;ides, he putteth not euill nor wicked thoughts into mens harts, al|beit, he ordeineth and guideth them to &s;uch ends as plea&s;eth him, repre&s;|&s;ing theyr boldne&s;&s;e and malice when he him&s;elfe thinketh it be&s;t.</P>
<P>And although in man his iudge|ment there &s;eemeth to bee great contrarietie in the&s;e &s;ayings, that God alloweth not of wicked mens &s;innes, and yet, that nothing is done without his commaundement
<PB N="134" REF="91"> and ordinance: yet &s;hall we &s;ee a no|table concordance and agreement betweene them, if &s;o be we fir&s;t of all looke into the great difference that is betwixt that which God created in man, and his naturall actions, and be|tweene his &s;inne, which is a blot and a lepro&s;ie in his nature.<NOTE PLACE="marg">God is not the author of &s;inne.</NOTE> For, fir&s;t, as concerning &s;inne, God neither allo|weth of it, nor yet commaundeth it: but, as appeereth by his commaun|dementes, both forbiddeth and ab|horreth it: and yet notwith&s;tanding, he gouerneth his creature, and in him, and by him, all men mooue and liue. He limitteth al&s;o, and proportio|nally frameth and ordereth mens actions to &s;uch an end as be&s;t liketh him, whether it be for the cha&s;ti&s;ing of tho&s;e that are his, or for the puni|&s;hing of the world, which he by his woonderfull power and wi&s;edome doth. Moreouer, it is verie needefull that we knowe after what &s;ort God ordeineth and commaundeth a thing.<NOTE PLACE="marg">God com|maundeth two man|ner of wayes.</NOTE> For, one while he commaundeth, when he teacheth vs in his word, from whence he would haue vs learne his will, and what it is that we mu&s;t do, or what it is that we mu&s;t leaue
<PB N="135" REF="91"> vndone, and therefore in the eigth of E&s;ay, wee are &s;ent vnto the lawe, and te&s;timonie.</P>
<P>Another while hee commaundeth that which hee gouerneth, determi|neth, and guideth to &s;uch an ende as he him&s;elfe lu&s;teth: for in the 34. of Ieremie, it is there &s;aide, that <HI>He com|maunded famine, the &s;worde, the pe&s;tilence, and the Chaldeans to &s;acke Ieru&s;alem:</HI> and yet the wicked knowe not, nor thinke any thing le&s;&s;e then to obey him: and therefore are they puni&s;hed and con|demned.</P>
<P><HI>From the mouth of the mo&s;t high, pro|ceede <MILESTONE N="38" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> both euill and good)</HI> here we haue great neede to beware, how we vnder|&s;tande this manner of &s;aying, to the ende wee may keepe vs from &s;uch as haue made God the Author of &s;inne, as did the Valentinians, the Mani|chees, &amp; other Heretikes, who taught, that God created both &s;inne and euil, which is a mo&s;t bla&s;phemous, perniti|ous, and in&s;upportable doctrine, which thinge, Plato him&s;elfe, in his bookes which he wrote of the lawes te&s;tifieth, And Homere likewi&s;e, who in the fir&s;t booke of his Odes, bringeth in his Iu|piter &s;peaking, &s;ayth thus, That it is a
<PB N="136" REF="92"> &s;traunge and fooli&s;h cu&s;tome in men, to attribute vnto God the euill which they the~&s;elues do and procure. Howe much more &s;hould Chri&s;tians then be far off fro~ any &s;uch thoughts, &amp; dete&s;t and abhorre &s;uch as &s;claunder the Al|mighty, in ca&s;ting and laying vpo~ him all the &s;inne &amp; iniquitie that is in the~|&s;elues? Nowe, when wee heare the mouth of the Lorde &s;poken of, in &s;uch places, we mu&s;t take it for his decree and ordinaunce, and &s;o is it taken in the 8. Chapter of Deutro. and allea|ged al&s;o in the fourth of S. Matthewe. <HI>That man liueth not onely by breade: but by euerie worde which proceedeth from the mouth of the Lorde:</HI> That is to &s;aye, by his commaundement, ordinaunce, grace, and power: So al&s;o is it &s;aide in the 25. chapter of Ieremie, <HI>That he cal|leth the &s;worde vppon all the inhabitantes of the lande,</HI> in which place, his mea|ning is, that he is determined to pu|ni&s;h the iniquitie of men, and that &s;words, and all other things el&s;e &s;erue him, when as hee will execute his iu&s;t iudgementes. Nowe, we haue &s;hew|ed that what &s;oeuer God ordeyneth, is iu&s;tly ordeyned: but yet it is in his onely woorde, that wee mu&s;t learne
<PB N="137" REF="92"> what to doe, or what to leaue vn|done, and that hee commaundeth be|&s;ides, what &s;o euer happeneth in the worlde, not by way of in&s;tructing or coun&s;elling the &s;ame, but by waye of ordeyning or determining it vnto a certaine and good ende, as well the malice, as the wicked coun&s;ell of men: and heere among other thinges wee mu&s;t &s;ee howe the&s;e woordes, that are written in the 16. Chapter of the &s;econde of Samuell, are to be vnder&s;toode, where GOD com|maundeth Semei to cur&s;e Dauid, not that the Lord gaue him commaunde|ment to doe it: But in&s;omuch as the Almightie by his &s;ure &amp; certaine pro|uidence, directed &amp; addre&s;&s;ed Semei his cur&s;es to another end then Semei his meaning was: to witte, to humble Dauid. Now this doctrin &s;tayneth not God with any blot: but rather giueth him the commendation of the mo&s;t highe, in that, as Dauid in his 115. P&s;alme. ver. 3. &s;ayth, <HI>He doth what&s;oeuer he will both in heauen and in earth.</HI> This doctrine al&s;o maketh vs patient in all our aduer&s;ities, and cau&s;eth vs &s;ubmit our &s;elues vnto his wil and ordinance: it &s;tirreth vs vp al&s;o to call vpon him,
<PB N="138" REF="93"> and to hange wholely vpon his proui|dence,<NOTE PLACE="marg">God, ne|uer created &s;inne in man, but ordereth and di&s;po|&s;eth the &s;ame which came of him &s;elfe, through his fall, to &s;uch righ|teous ends as he him|&s;elfe in his holy and eternall coun&s;ell hath ordei|ned.</NOTE> as vpon him who by an incre|dible, power, wi&s;edome, and goodnes, guideth all euentes and all things el&s;e what&s;oeuer. And as for the euill of the fault, to wit, of &s;inne, It is not GOD that maketh it, but ordereth and di&s;po&s;eth the &s;ame to &s;uch righte|ous endes, as he him&s;elfe in his &s;acred and eternall coun&s;ell hath ordeyned. And for the euill of the puni&s;hment, to wit, of the aduer&s;ities, it is he that &s;endeth, willeth, and alloweth them, not &s;o much by rea&s;on they are ex|treame, and did exceede, or that the wicked &s;o gently greeue and harme vs (for this our good God, hath no plea&s;ure in our mi&s;eries) but becau&s;e it is the execution of his iu&s;tice, and by rea&s;on al&s;o that they are whole|&s;ome remedies, although bitter and &s;harpe ones, to awake our &s;louthful|ne&s;&s;e, and to whette our fayth and pa|tience. That place of the third of the Prophet Amos, where it is &s;ayde, <HI>Js there any euill in the Citie which the Lorde hath not done?</HI> Mu&s;t altogether be vn|der&s;toode of the euill of the puni&s;h|ment, or of the calamities, according as the circum&s;taunce of the mattet,
<PB N="139" REF="93"> which the Prophet heere handleth, doth permitte: So that this Hebrewe worde <HI>Raah,</HI> is not alwayes taken in the &s;cripture, for the euill of &s;inne: but al&s;o for the euill of affliction, as in the 15. of the Prouerbes, ver. 15. it is ta|ken, where it is &s;ayde: <HI>All the dayes of the afflicted are euill.</HI> And in the 45. of I&s;aiah, it is &s;aide: <HI>Jt is the Lord that ma|keth peace, and createth euill:</HI> where, is well to be &s;eene, That the worde <HI>euill,</HI> is taken for that that is contrarie to peace and pro&s;peritie.</P>
<P>And therefore &s;eeing that all things are doone and gouerned by God his prouidence and appointment: It were an vnneedefull thinge to bring into the Church the doctrine of fortune or chaunce, which for the more part is borrowed of Ari&s;totle and Tully, and grounded vpon an euil and fal&s;e prin|ciple, as though free will were &s;uch a thing, as that &s;omething might fall out or come to pa&s;&s;e again&s;t the will of the Lord, if we &s;hould not re&s;traine the &s;ame vnto our &s;elues, that in re|garde of vs, certaine vnlooked for thinges and euentes, which we &s;ee not the cau&s;es of, might come vnto vs by fortune or chaunce. Notwith&s;tanding
<PB N="140" REF="94"> this is certain, that although the cau|&s;es which goe before, &s;eeme to vs to come by fortune or chaunce, yet the eternall gouerneth them not by a chaungeable will (for there is no chaunge or ranging will in God) but by an immutable &amp; an eternall coun|&s;ell, which ruleth aboue nature, and although nature fayle in her actions, yet he neuer fayleth in his determina|tion. As for example, by nature the re|&s;urrection of the dead, is not nece&s;&s;a|rie, but it is becau&s;e God hath &s;o de|creed, which cannot be &s;topped. Now then, although nothing be done with|out Gods prouidence: yet can not man excu&s;e him&s;elfe when he &s;inneth, becau&s;e he looketh not vnto God whe~ he &s;inneth, but &s;inneth without con|&s;traynt, freely, and of his owne accord. Secondly, becau&s;e he hath the will of the Lorde declared vnto him in his woorde, according to which his life mu&s;t be &s;quared and ruled, and &s;eeth as much in the worde, as he &s;eeth in the puni&s;hing of the wicked, howe greatly &s;inne di&s;plea&s;eth the Lord.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="39" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> <HI>Wherefore is man &s;orrowefull for &s;uf|fering for his &s;innes)</HI> This worde &s;inne is not taken here onely, for the pu|ni&s;hment
<PB N="141" REF="94"> of &s;inne: but in many o|ther places of the holy &s;cripture al&s;o, as in the fourth of Gene&s;is, where Caine &s;ayth: <HI>My &s;inne is greater than J am able to abide.</HI> Hee meaneth the pu|ni&s;hment for his &s;inne.</P>
<P>Some reade. <HI>The man again&s;t or vp|pon his &s;inne)</HI> As if Ieremie woulde haue &s;ayde: why &s;hould man &s;triue and be angry with God: &s;eeing hee continueth wallowing in or vppon his &s;inne: why returneth hee not ra|ther (O Lorde) vnto thee? To what purpo&s;e is &s;orrowing and lamenting without repentaunce? Howbeit the interpretation which wee haue fol|lowed is le&s;&s;e &s;trayned, and better a|greeth with that that went before, and with the doctrine of Gods proui|dence: For, &s;yth it is God that cha|&s;ti&s;eth vs, and he who neuer forget|teth his mercie: why behaue we our &s;elues &s;o naughtily: why weepe wee and frette we again&s;t the mo&s;t high? Haue not we to doe with the Almigh|tie, who knoweth better what is meete for vs, then we our &s;elues can tell?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="doctrines">
<PB N="142" REF="95">
<HEAD>THE DOCTRINES THAT are gathered from the&s;e ver&s;es.</HEAD>
<P>_THere are almo&s;t as manie notable doctrines in this part, as there are ver&s;es: but the principall doctrine concerneth the prouidence of God: the remembraunce whereof comforteth the Prophet Ieremie and the people in their greate&s;t di&s;tre&s;&s;es. Nowe the <HI>Prouidence</HI> of God, as appeareth in the 37.<NOTE PLACE="marg">VVhat the prouidence of God is.</NOTE> and 38. ver&s;es, is no naked and bare foreknowledge: or permi&s;&s;ion, or contemplation: but a continuall di&s;po|&s;ing and admini&s;tration of all thinges, addre&s;&s;ed to a certaine good end, which our God, by a &s;ure, eternall, and holy coun&s;ell doth, in working all thinges by his firme and &s;tayed will: and by him, all thinges con&s;i&s;t and worke con|tinually: and as Ieremie here in our text &s;ayth:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 1. Collo&s;&s;. 1. Iohn. 5.</NOTE> <HI>All thinges proceede from his mouth,</HI> That is to &s;ay, come from his ordinance, as heretofore hath been &s;aide. They then are deceiued, who ei|ther wil not acknowledg a prouidence in God: as all Epicures: or el&s;e faine vnto them &s;elues an vniuer&s;all and
<PB N="143" REF="95"> confu&s;ed prouidence only: For the ho|ly &s;cripture &s;ufficiently telleth vs, that there is not &s;o &s;mall and vile a thing, which the prouidence of God gouer|neth not, and turneth to &s;uch an ende, as plea&s;eth him&s;elfe, and therefore hee alone is commended to be Almightie: doing what&s;oeuer he will, both in hea|uen and in earth: and who gouerneth not onely the whole generall thing: but al&s;o all the meanes and in&s;trumentes: which cannot doe, or execute any thing without his leaue, and ordinance. As for example, when as God had deter|mined that the &s;eede of Abraha~ &s;hould &s;erue in Epygt, and that &s;uch a bon|dage was pur&s;ued with a memorable deliueraunce. I be&s;eech you tell mee, after what &s;ort brought this great god this matter to pa&s;&s;e: and how followed and performed he this worke? He &s;ent dreames to Io&s;eph. He is &s;olde to the I&s;maelites: ca&s;t into pri&s;on: and from thence exalted to verie great honours: Long after that, was Mo&s;es borne: hee was miraculou&s;ly pre&s;erued, and brought vp in king Pharao his hou&s;e: and a great many of other wonderfull thinges came to pa&s;&s;e, before &s;uch time as the people came out of Egypt, and
<PB N="144" REF="96"> &s;o might we al&s;o bring foorth many o|ther mo like examples.</P>
<P>But to conclude, let vs keepe in minde,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The v&s;e of the doctrin of God his prouidence</NOTE> that the v&s;e of the doctrine of Gods prouidence is this: Fir&s;t of all it maketh vs a great deale the better vnder&s;tande the excellent power of the eternall: who hath not onely cre|ated the worlde, but al&s;o ruleth and gouerneth it: &s;hewing and declaring no le&s;&s;e his power in the gouernment, than in the creation of the whole. Se|condly, this doctrine &s;tirreth vs vppe, to pray earne&s;tly vnto God, and ince&s;|&s;auntly to recommend our &s;elues vnto him, who hath all in his hande and conduct. Thirdly, it driueth vs vnto patience, and to abide and take all in good worth, what&s;oeuer that this al|together good and mightie God &s;en|deth: as wee are taught to pray. <HI>Thy will be done.</HI> La&s;t of all, it induceth vs, mo&s;t reuerently to v&s;e the &s;econde cau&s;es and meanes which God offreth vnto vs, when as we beleeue, that we haue them from the hande of the Lord: but yet &s;o, as that wee, notwith&s;tan|ding, tru&s;t not, nor re&s;t not to and vp|pon tho&s;e meanes: con&s;idering, that we are alwaies to haue a regarde vnto the
<PB N="145" REF="96"> fir&s;t cau&s;e, to wit, vnto that great and Almightie Creator, and Gouernour of the whole worlde. Neither is this doctrine common, with that fooli&s;he de&s;tinie of the &s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e Stoikes, cal|led by them, <HI>FATVM.</HI> For, the power and wi&s;edome of God, in go|uerning the world, is another manner of thing, ouer and be&s;ides that coniun|ction of cau&s;es nece&s;&s;arily twixt en&s;u|ing, whereof the Stoikes forge their de&s;tinie, neuer looking vnto God.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>THE THIRD AND LAST parte of the thirde <HI>Chapter.</HI></HEAD>
<P N="40"><HI>40</HI> LEt vs &s;earch and trie our wayes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nun.</NOTE> and turne againe vnto the Lorde.</P>
<P N="41"><HI>41</HI> Let vs lyft vp our heartes with our handes vnto God in the heauens.</P>
<P N="42"><HI>42</HI> We haue &s;inned, and haue rebelled, and therefore ha&s;t thou not &s;pared vs.</P>
<P N="43"><HI>43</HI> Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and per&s;ecuted vs, thou ha&s;t &s;laine,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Samech.</NOTE> and not &s;pared.</P>
<P N="44"><HI>44</HI> Thou ha&s;t couered thy &s;elfe with a cloude, that our prayer &s;houlde not pa&s;&s;e through.</P>
<P N="45"><HI>45</HI> Thou ha&s;t made vs as the of&s;couring
<PB N="146" REF="97"> and refu&s;e, in the middest of the people.</P>
<P N="46"><HI>46</HI> All our enemies haue opened their mouth again&s;t vs.</P>
<P N="47"><HI>47</HI> Feare and a &s;nare is come vpon vs, with de&s;olation and de&s;truction.</P>
<P N="48"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ain.</NOTE><HI>48</HI> Mine eyes cast out riuers of water, for the de&s;truction of the daughter of my people.</P>
<P N="49"><HI>49</HI> Mine eye droppeth without &s;taye, and cea&s;eth not.</P>
<P N="50"><HI>50</HI> Till the Lorde looke downe and be|holde from heauen.</P>
<P N="51"><HI>51</HI> Mine eye breaketh mine heart, be|cau&s;e of al the daughters of my Citie.</P>
<P N="52"><HI>52</HI> Mine enemies cha&s;ed me &s;ore like a byrde,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Zade.</NOTE> without cau&s;e.</P>
<P N="53"><HI>53</HI> They haue &s;hutte vp my life in the dungeon, and ca&s;t a &s;tone vpon me.</P>
<P N="54"><HI>54</HI> Waters flowed ouer my head, then thought J, J am de&s;troyed.</P>
<P N="55"><HI>55</HI> I called vpon thy name, O Lorde, out of the lowe dungeon.</P>
<P N="56"><HI>56</HI> Thou ha&s;t heard my voyce: &s;toppe not thine eare from my &s;ighe and from my crie.</P>
<P N="57"><HI>57</HI> Thou drewest neare in the day that J called vpon thee: thou &s;aiedst, feare not.</P>
<P N="58"><HI>58</HI> O Lorde thou ha&s;t mayntained the cau&s;e of my &s;oule, and hast redeemed my life.</P>
<P N="59"><PB N="147" REF="97"><HI>59</HI> O Lorde thou ha&s;t &s;eene my wrong, iudge thou my cau&s;e.</P>
<P N="60"><HI>60</HI> Thou ha&s;t &s;eene all their vengeance and all their deui&s;es again&s;t me.</P>
<P N="61"><HI>61</HI> Thou ha&s;t hearde their reproch, O Lorde, and all their imaginations against me.</P>
<P N="62"><HI>62</HI> The lippes al&s;o of tho&s;e that ro&s;e a|gain&s;t mee, and their whi&s;pering again&s;t me continually.</P>
<P N="63"><HI>63</HI> Beholde their &s;itting downe, and ri|&s;ing vp, how J am their &s;onge.</P>
<P N="64"><HI>64</HI> Giue them a recompence, O Lorde, according to the worke of their handes.</P>
<P N="65"><HI>65</HI> Giue them &s;orrowe of heart, euen thy cur&s;e vnto them.</P>
<P N="66"><HI>66</HI> Per&s;ecute with wrath, and de&s;troye them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="notes">
<HEAD>CERTAINE NOTES VPON the thirde and la&s;t part of the <HI>thirde Chapter.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>_LEt vs &s;earch and trie our <MILESTONE N="40" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> wayes)</HI> The&s;e words, are as it were a preparatiue to prayer: which is al|wayes nece&s;&s;arie, name|ly euen when wee are in the midde&s;t of our greate&s;t temptations: according
<PB N="148" REF="98"> to that of S. Iames, &s;aying: <HI>Jf any man among you be afflicted, let him pray.</HI> Now this is a verie good way to prepare vs to prayer, when as wee diligently trie and examine our &s;elues: becau&s;e God liketh of an humble and contrite heart. But it is a verie rare thinge to &s;ee anie of vs all take the paines to acknowledge our faultes: And S. Au|gu&s;tine in the 11. Epi&s;tle of his thirde booke of his Epi&s;tles writeth thus: It is a rare thing (&s;ayth hee) to &s;ee in vs, a true confe&s;&s;ion of our &s;innes: for our nature will in no wi&s;e take know|ledge thereof: and manie times a ve|rie fonde kinde of &s;hamefa&s;tne&s;&s;e &s;tay|eth vs from the &s;ame. To be &s;hort, wee had a great deale rather flatter our &s;elues in them. And therefore is Ieremie thus in&s;taunt, to haue vs &s;earche and trie our wayes. For, our wicked wayes, as Ieremie in his fourth Chapter writeth, are the cau&s;e of our mi&s;eries. Howebeit wee mu&s;t on the other &s;ide, of nece&s;&s;itie, ioyne fayth with the tryall that wee make of our &s;elues and of our wayes, where|by wee may a&s;&s;ure our &s;elues to bee in Gods fauour: as Ieremie in ad|ding the&s;e wordes afterwardes, teach|eth
<PB N="149" REF="98"> vs, &s;aying: <HI>Let vs lift vp our handes with our heartes vnto God.</HI> The con|uer&s;ion therefore or returning vnto the Lorde, is not in our power, ney|ther yet commeth of our naturall &s;trength, but is an effecte of fayth, whith enligtneth vs, and maketh vs certaine and &s;ure of Goddes mercie: which is farre aboue our iniquities: according to that &s;aying of Dauid in his 130. P&s;alme, ver. 3.4. <HI>Jf thou O Lord</HI> (&s;ayth hee) <HI>&s;halt looke &s;traitly vnto our &s;innes, who is able to abide it? But with thee is mercie, that thou mighte&s;t be reuerenced and feared.</HI></P>
<P>As for the Prophets amplifying of Gods wrath, and the peoples calami|ties, with newe parables and &s;imili|tudes, &s;etting God before vs, as one that were couered with a cloude, and with anger, hee doth it to the ende to make vs more humble, and to cau&s;e vs feele, in verie good earne&s;t, the greatnes of Gods wrath: and to make vs &s;ee what a fearefull thing it is to fall into the handes of the lyuing God.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hebr. 10.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>We are made as the of&s;couring and re|fu&s;e)</HI> <MILESTONE N="45" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> This is &s;poken as it were accor|ding vnto that of S. Paul in the fourth
<PB N="150" REF="99"> of the fir&s;t to the Corinthes, ver. 13. &s;aying: <HI>That there is nothing &s;o vile and abiect in the worde, as are the children of God, and yet that this is their comforte, that they are deare in the &s;ight of the Lord,</HI> and as I&s;aiah in his 62. Chapiter wri|teth, <HI>like an honorable Crowne, and kingly Dyademe in his hande.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="57" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> <HI>Thou drawed&s;t neare,</HI> &s;aying, <HI>feare not</HI>) The Prophet here, confirmeth both his owne, and the peoples fayth: part|ly, through the experience of the time pa&s;te, and partly, by the nature of GOD: for hee, beeing alwayes like vnto him&s;elfe, it can not bee but that he mu&s;t alwaies help his Church, which hath recour&s;e vnto him, euen as hee hath euer doone &s;ythence the beginning of the worlde. The Pro|phet Dauid in his P&s;almes, manie times v&s;ed &s;uch a kinde of argument, and &s;uch a like rea&s;on, and among the re&s;t in his 85. P&s;alme, ver. 1.2.3. hee &s;ayth thus. <HI>Thou hast brought Iacob out of captiuitie: Thou ha&s;t forgiuen thy peo|ple all their &s;innes: and now therefore al&s;o, let thine anger cea&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>Nowe, it is &s;ayde in our text, That God draweth neare vnto vs, &s;o as we may feele him: becau&s;e it &s;eemeth he
<PB N="151" REF="99"> is neare vs, when as he putteth foorth his hande to helpe vs, and that hee is farre from vs, when as wee feele not his wonted fauours. Although in ve|rie deede, he is then neare&s;t vs, when as he &s;eemeth to bee farde&s;t off from vs: and is alwayes neare vnto them, who truely call vppon him: as in the 145. P&s;alme, ver. 18. it is &s;ayde. More|ouer, God biddeth vs not feare, not onely when wee &s;hall &s;ee vi&s;ions, as &s;ometimes when the Angell, as it is written in the 27. of the Actes, ver. 24. appeared vnto Paule and &s;ayde, <HI>feare not Paule:</HI> or as wee reade in the 25. chapter of the fir&s;t booke of the Hi&s;to|rie of Theodoret; howe that two men appeared in white ve&s;tmentes vnto the Emperor Theodo&s;ius in a dreame, when as hee was greatly tormented, who badde him bee of good cheare: but wee are to note, that the Lorde al&s;o a&s;&s;ureth, and emboldeneth vs, in his word and &s;weete promi&s;&s;es: and likewi&s;e by his holy &s;pirit: who ioyeth and delighteth our heartes, te&s;tifying vnto vs, that wee are the children of God. As in the 41. of I&s;aiah it is &s;aide, <HI>J am the Lorde which tooke thee by the handt, &s;aying, feare not, it is J that will
<PB N="152" REF="100"> helpe thee.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="64" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> <HI>Recompence them the like)</HI> There are contayned in this prayer which Iere|mie here maketh, two pointes: The one, that GOD deliuereth his Church: The other, that hee exerci|&s;eth his iudgementes again&s;t his ene+mies, I meane not &s;uch iudgementes, as fle&s;he and bloud, or de&s;ire of re|uenge, would pronounce and &s;et forth vnto vnregenerate men: but &s;uche iudgementes as God &s;etteth downe in his worde: as in the 14. of I&s;aiah, we reade, howe the Babylonians were touched with reprochfull wordes: not after a fle&s;hly brauerie: but to an|nounce the iu&s;t iudgementes of the eternall, long before foretolde: For, it is written in the fir&s;t of the 2. to the The&s;&s;alonians, ver. 6. <HI>Jt is a iu&s;t thing in God, to puni&s;h tho&s;e that haue afflicted his Church.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="65" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> <HI>Giue them &s;orrowe of heart:</HI> or accor|ding to the &s;ignification of the He|brewe worde, <HI>A &s;hielde or Target for the heart</HI>) our later Interpretors of the Bible, referre not this vnto the ene|mies, but vnto the Church: as if Ie|remie &s;hould haue prayed God to be her target and buckler, that is to &s;ay,
<PB N="153" REF="100"> her protection: and contrariwi&s;e, that he would cur&s;e the enemies, But be|cau&s;e all the&s;e ver&s;es, vnto the 60. ver&s;e, tende to the enemie, I purpo&s;e not to follow the opinion of tho&s;e In|terpretors, which take this couer or &s;hielde of the heart, for an ob&s;tinate and hardened hart, bent again&s;t God; euen as harde as a flynt: which is a &s;igne of a cur&s;ed and reprobate heart, as Ieremie al&s;o &s;oone after maketh mention of cur&s;ing and malediction. It &s;eemeth here then that the Prophet requireth that an heape of cur&s;es might be layde vppon the heartes of his enemies, &s;o as they might bee co|uered eyther with darkene&s;&s;e, or with angui&s;hes, or el&s;e with hardne&s;&s;e of heart: as was Pharao, and all tho&s;e who&s;e hearts were fatted vp, as in the 6. of I&s;aiah we reade: &s;o that that be|ing brought &s;o to pa&s;&s;e, they might fall out of one mi&s;chiefe into an other. Contrariwi&s;e, when God &s;endeth de|liueraunce to his, and cau&s;eth them feele his fauour and grace: <HI>Their harts are molified and enlarged to reioyce in God their Sauiour,</HI> as in the 60. of I&s;aiah, is &s;ayde.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="paraphrase">
<PB N="154" REF="101">
<HEAD>A PARAPHRASE VPON the thirde Chapter.</HEAD>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Ver&s;e.">_WHo&s;oeuer hee bee that entendeth to &s;ee a mo&s;t mi&s;erable &amp; wretched per&s;on, mo&s;t feareful|ly afflicted on euerye &s;ide, proceeding fro~ the heauie wrath of the eternall, let him looke vppon mee.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> He hath, alas, ca&s;t me downe head|long into all kindes of darkene&s;&s;e, and hath turned away from mee the plea|&s;aunt brightne&s;&s;e of his face.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> It is I my &s;elfe, I &s;ay, whom he mea|neth thus to deale withall, houlding alwayes his heauie and harde hand o|uer me.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> In&s;omuch that my mi&s;erable fle&s;he, and skinne is altogether wonted ther|unto, and my very boanes likewi&s;e are all to broo&s;ed.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> For, he hath be&s;ieged mee on eue|rie &s;ide, and enuironed mee with &s;or|rowes bitterrer than any gall.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> He hath laide mee downe in darke places, like vnto them which long &s;y|thence were dead.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="7" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> A man would &s;ay that hee had en|clo&s;ed
<PB N="155" REF="101"> me within foure &s;trong walles, to the ende I &s;houlde neuer come out: becau&s;e he holdeth mee in &s;o &s;traitely: and not contented therewith, houl|deth me bounde, as it were, with a ve|rie great lynked yron chaine.</P>
<P>Neyther will he fuffer mee to crie <MILESTONE N="8" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> out, and bewayle my my&s;erie and griefe, as hee will &s;uffer the mo&s;t mi|&s;erable. For hee reiecteth my cryes, and will not once &s;uffer them come before him.</P>
<P>To be &s;hort, I knowe not on which <MILESTONE N="9" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> &s;ide to turne mee, I am &s;o barred from all wayes; as if a man &s;hould lay great mightie &s;quared &s;tones ouerthwart a|gain&s;t me.</P>
<P>What &s;hould I &s;ay? He, (alas) that <MILESTONE N="10" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> was wonted to &s;hew him&s;elfe my mo&s;t gracious and louing Father, is nowe become like vnto a Beare that lyeth in waite to &s;poyle &amp; pray vpon the flock: or like a cruell and fierce Lyon in his denne.</P>
<P>By him I am altogether left at large, <MILESTONE N="11" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> broo&s;ed, and di&s;comforted.</P>
<P>A man would &s;ay, that he had bent <MILESTONE N="12" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> his bowe: and made choy&s;e of mee as of a butte, to di&s;charge his whole qui|uer of arrowes at me.</P>
<PB N="156" REF="102">
<P>Such arrowes (alas) as are &s;hotte <MILESTONE N="13" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> from the hande of the mo&s;t mightie, in&s;omuch that I alreadie feele them pear&s;e my very raines.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="14" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> What maruell then is it, though I, and my people be had in deri&s;ion: yea to become euen a verie &s;ong vnto our mo&s;t cruell enemies?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="15" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Alas, I am euen dronke, howbeit, it is neither with wine, nor yet with biere: but with bitternes and griefe: which &s;o dulleth me, as that I &s;car&s;ely knowe what I do.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="16" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> I wretch that I am, am like as if a man had made blunt my teeth with flynt &s;tones: and had couered me ouer with du&s;t.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="17" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> In&s;omuch, that if ye looke on mee, ye &s;hall &s;ee me like one for&s;aken of all felicitie, and as a dead bodie: yea I can &s;car&s;ely bethinke mee that euer I had any pro&s;peritie here in this world.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="18" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Whereupon I, like a forlorne man, and as one ouercome with &s;orrow and griefe, &s;ayde: I am vtterly vndone: it is not for mee to looke any more for &s;uccour and aide, at the handes of the eternall.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="19" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Thus (alas) we &s;ee, what a notable di&s;cour&s;e this poore and wretched
<PB N="157" REF="102"> fle&s;h hath made, when it &s;awe it &s;elfe thus aba&s;ed, and brought vnto &s;uch mi&s;erie.</P>
<P>But at la&s;t, when I had gathered <MILESTONE N="21" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> together my &s;pirites, and was come a|gaine to my &s;elfe, I eft-&s;oones became bold, and had a good hope, and con|&s;idered thus with my &s;elfe and &s;ayd.</P>
<P>What a woonderfull mercie of <MILESTONE N="22" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> the Lorde is this, that wee were not all con&s;umed and vtterly extirped: but that his great compa&s;&s;ions can ne|uer faile.</P>
<P>But they are renued daylie, &s;o great <MILESTONE N="23" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> and con&s;taunt is his holie faythful|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Wherefore my &s;oule &s;ubmitteth <MILESTONE N="24" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> and comforteth her &s;elfe, in that &s;hee acknowledgeth God to bee her portion, her inheritaunce, and whol|ly hers.</P>
<P>And that in &s;umme the Lord is good <MILESTONE N="25" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> and liberall to all tho&s;e that patiently tru&s;t in him, and neuer cea&s;e calling vpon him.</P>
<P>And in verie deede, what &s;o euer <MILESTONE N="26" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> fle&s;h and bloude imagineth and thin|keth: there is no &s;uch thing as to tru&s;t in the eternall, and peaceably attende for the &s;aluation and deliueraunce
<PB N="158" REF="103"> which he hath prom<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> ed vs.</P>
<P>And a better cour&s;e can no man <MILESTONE N="27" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> take, then to bee happely kept vnder di&s;cipline, and accu&s;tome him &s;elfe to beare the yoake of the Lorde in his youth:</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="28" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> To waite, and be contented: peace|ably bearing the burden which is laid vpon vs.</P>
<P>To behaue our &s;elues, how&s;oeuer <MILESTONE N="29" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> the world goeth with vs, mo&s;t humbly and patiently not looking vnto things pre&s;ent, but vnto tho&s;e thinges which we hope for.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="30" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Although we &s;hould, as a ma~ would &s;ay, turne the cheeke to tho&s;e which &s;myt vs, &amp; be filled ful with reproches.</P>
<P>For, &s;ure it is, <HI>y^t</HI> we &s;hall not alwaies <MILESTONE N="31" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> abide &s;uch de&s;pitefull dealing, as if we were men altogether de&s;titute of gods helpe.</P>
<P>But after he hath once afflicted vs, <MILESTONE N="32" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> hee will haue &s;o much the more com|pa&s;&s;ion vpon vs: and be&s;towe vpon vs his great mercies.</P>
<P>For, our good heauenly Father ta|keth <MILESTONE N="33" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> no plea&s;ure in troubling mi&s;era|ble wretched men: but with grief cor|recteth them, as an earthly father cha|&s;ti&s;eth his children.</P>
<PB N="159" REF="103">
<P>Moreouer, he can not abide to &s;ee <MILESTONE N="34" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> affliction added to afflicted per&s;ons, nor poore pri&s;oners trode vnder feete.</P>
<P>Neither can he abide to &s;ee the <MILESTONE N="35" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> right of a man ouerthrowne, before the face of the Magi&s;trates.</P>
<P>Or that a man &s;hould make a brab|ling <MILESTONE N="36" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> and alter<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">tion in any thing, thereby to make a poore man loo&s;e his cau&s;e or &s;uite, in &s;uch things I &s;ay the Lord hath no delight.</P>
<P>And yet this is true, that nothing <MILESTONE N="37" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> commeth to pa&s;&s;e in the whole world, without the leaue and commaunde|ment of the mo&s;t high.</P>
<P>From the holy decree of his mouth <MILESTONE N="38" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> proceede both pro&s;peritie and aduer|&s;itie.</P>
<P>Why then &s;hould a man contend <MILESTONE N="39" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> and be angry, when he &s;uffereth pu|ni&s;hment for his &s;innes?</P>
<P>Well then, in &s;tead of murmuring <MILESTONE N="40" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> again&s;t the Lord, let vs examine and try our &s;elues, let vs make &s;uite, and after turne againe vnto the Lord.</P>
<P>Let vs come before him with harts <MILESTONE N="41" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> and hands lifted vp vnto the heauens, calling vpon his diuine goodnes, &s;ay|ing in few words:</P>
<P>O Lord God, we haue &s;inned and <MILESTONE N="42" UNIT="Ver&s;e.">
<PB N="160" REF="104"> rebelled again&s;t thee: and therefore ha&s;t thou corrected and not &s;pared vs.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="43" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> And hauing thy wrath before thine eyes as a vale, ha&s;t hid thy &s;elfe from vs: thou ha&s;t pur&s;ued and &s;laine vs, without &s;hewing vs any fauour or grace.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="44" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> And certainely, a man would &s;ay, that there were a clowde betweene thee and vs, to the end our prayers might not come vnto thee.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="45" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> In &s;o much, that we are become as it were, like the offskowring and &s;comme of the world.</P>
<P>And being in this e&s;tate, our ene|mies <MILESTONE N="46" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> make mouthes at vs, and nick|name vs.</P>
<P>We &s;ee nothing el&s;e before our eyes, <MILESTONE N="47" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> but feare, captiuitie, ruine, and de&s;truction.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="48" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Great riuers of waters haue fallen from our eyes, to &s;ee the people of God in &s;o mi&s;erable a ca&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="49" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> And as afflictions and mi&s;eries ne|uer cea&s;e, no more al&s;o can our eyes cea&s;e from powring out of abundance of teares.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="50" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Still waiting that the Lord wil looke down from heauen with a fauourable eye vpon vs.</P>
<PB N="161" REF="104">
<P>Alas, I can not tell what it is that hath brought me into the&s;e di&s;tre&s;&s;es, <MILESTONE N="51" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> &amp; into the&s;e ma&s;&s;acres of the daugh|ters of my mo&s;t vnhappie people, but eyes altogether blubbered, or my mi|&s;erable heart filled all ouer with &s;or|row and heauines.</P>
<P>I am &s;ore cha&s;ed on euery &s;ide like <MILESTONE N="52" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> a poore bird, and mine enemies lay their nettes for me wrongfully, and without cau&s;e.</P>
<P>A man is not able to expre&s;&s;e the <MILESTONE N="53" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> mi&s;chiefe which they haue done vnto me, for it might be &s;aid, that I were ca&s;t into a dongeon, and couered ouer with &s;tones.</P>
<P>And I am lo&s;t and drowned as one that were ouerwhelmed with great <MILESTONE N="54" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> riuers of water.</P>
<P>Now, in the&s;e dongeons of euils, I <MILESTONE N="55" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> called vpon thy name, O Lord.</P>
<P>And in very deede thou many times <MILESTONE N="56" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> hearde&s;t my voice: hide not thy &s;elfe therefore now, and &s;top not thine eare from my &s;ighes and grones.</P>
<P>Thou ha&s;t many and &s;undry times <MILESTONE N="57" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> drawne neere vnto me, &amp; a&s;&s;ured me by thy grace, &s;aying to me, feare not.</P>
<P>Thou ha&s;t maintained my right, and <MILESTONE N="58" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> redeemed my life from death.</P>
<PB N="162" REF="105">
<P><MILESTONE N="59" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Seeing then that thou &s;ee&s;t the wrong and harme which they do me, iudge and pleade thou my cau&s;e O God.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="60" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> For, thou once ha&s;t &s;eene the ven|geable &s;pirite, fury, and wicked deui&s;es of mine enemies again&s;t me.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="61. 62" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Thou heare&s;t the words and de|&s;pitefull reproches, which they that per&s;ecute me, poure out again&s;t me.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="63" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Behold, I be&s;eech thee, how they &s;it downe and ri&s;e vp again&s;t me, and how I am their &s;ong.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="64" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Let thy iu&s;t iudgements pay home into their bo&s;omes, the euill which they haue done to others, and recom|pence them as they haue de&s;erued.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="65" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> And according to thine accu&s;to|med proceeding again&s;t hard harted people, make thou their harts as hard as a flint, and &s;end them thy cur&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="66" UNIT="Ver&s;e."> Per&s;ecute thou them in thy wrath, and powre vpon them the lees of thy fury, becau&s;e that they, who haue contemned thee, the Gouernor of the whole world, might be de&s;troyed, and vtterly rooted out; that there neuer be any remembrance of them heere|after.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="163" REF="105">
<HEAD><HI>The fourth Chapter.</HI> The Argument of the Chapter.</HEAD>
<P>_THis Chapter followeth, as it were, in his ver&s;es, the &s;ame order of the Hebrewe Alphabet, as the fir&s;t Chapter doth: and although &s;ome ground them|&s;elues vpon the words &s;et downe in the 20. ver&s;e, <HI>of the king taken in the ene|mies nettes,</HI> meaning to referre this Chapter to the dayes of the death of king Io&s;ias: yet becau&s;e the hi&s;tory no whit agreeth with that which is heere &s;poken, we will be of their opinion that &s;uppo&s;e and take, that in this Chapter is pur&s;ued, the &s;elfe and &s;ame matter which is in the Chapters go|ing before: and that it is altogether a Lamentation, which the Prophet greatly de&s;ireth to engraue in the harts of all men, concerning the cap|tiuitie of Babylon, and that which in tho&s;e dayes fell out among the Iewes. For, Ieremy v&s;eth no &s;uperfluous re|petitions, neither doth he lightly and as it were after a &s;clender &s;ort, lament the mi&s;eries that then were, but deli|uereth
<PB N="164" REF="106"> deepe and holy &s;ighes and groanes, proceeding from an heart, enlightened, guided, and gouerned by Gods owne &s;pirit, who furni&s;hed, and deliuered vnto him by word of mouth tho&s;e complaints that he might touch to the quicke, all &s;uch as commonly &s;hew them&s;elues too too blocki&s;h and drow&s;ie.</P>
<P>And in very deede, if we would but a little acknowledge our imper|fections, we &s;hould finde that wee are by nature very dull and &s;luggi&s;h, being nothing touched at the heart with the threats of Gods heauy wrath and indignation, &s;o that we can not be too much &s;purred forward. For, there is no kind of matter or &s;ub&s;tance &s;o ea&s;ily to be &s;et on fire, and therevn|to apt and di&s;po&s;ed, that of it &s;elfe will burne, if a man put not fire there|vnto: much le&s;&s;e will man, who in heauenly things is farre colder then y&s;e, become feruent and hoate, that is to &s;ay, be touched to the quicke, to vnder&s;tand the iudgements of God, if he meete not with the fire of Gods word, and with &s;ome good and zea|lous preachers of the &s;ame, and of the iudgements of the Lord. Now,
<PB N="165" REF="106"> it is not for any man to &s;ay, with what diuer&s;itie of art the&s;e Chapters of the Lamentations of Ieremy are made and colored, and of what weight and importance the &s;imilitudes and compari&s;ons which he bringeth in, are both for the awaking of the verie&s;t dullards, as al&s;o for the brideling and mouing to compa&s;&s;ion the mo&s;t &s;a|uage and bruti&s;h per&s;ons.</P>
<P>This foutth Chapter &s;tandeth vpon three partes: the fir&s;t, beginneth a|fre&s;h by way of exclamation, <HI>How, &amp;c.</HI> In which are conteined forcible la|mentations vnto the 11. ver&s;e. The amplifications of the&s;e Lamentati|ons are drawne partly from the per|&s;on and dignitie of tho&s;e that were de&s;olate, and comfortles pri&s;oners, partly from the Nobilitie, Prie&s;tes, Nazarites, and yong children: &s;ome making great mone by rea&s;on of the great dignitie from whence they were fallen: and other &s;ome, becau&s;e of theyr age: partly, by that that Ieremy compareth that people vnto certaine cruell and &s;auage bea&s;ts, and compa|reth al&s;o their ignominie vnto the ig|nomie of Sodome and Gomorre: partly, the Prophet taketh occa&s;ion to
<PB N="166" REF="107"> amplifie the mi&s;erie that then was, by the &s;orowfull euents that at that time fell out: in that there was nothing el&s;e there to be &s;eene, but lamentable and mon&s;trous &s;ightes, nothing but mo&s;t infamous, mi&s;erable, and extreame dealings, eue~ to the &s;eeing of vnnatu|rall mothers eating their own childre~.</P>
<P>The &s;econd part, is the aun&s;were to this demaund, exclamation, &amp; lamen|tatio~ that is made in the beginning of the Chapter, and goeth on to the 20. ver&s;e. And in this part are partly in|&s;tructions, partly reprehe~&s;ions: for he there techeth, that the&s;e mi&s;eries pro|ceed fro~ the very wrath of God, but yet from a rightuous God, who, as in the 6. of the booke of Wi&s;edome it is &s;aid, greeuou&s;ly puni&s;heth greeuous &s;ins: &s;hewing him&s;elfe thereby to be a true God, in effecting that which he had threatned vnto men, and therefore it is pa&s;t time, as in common prouerbe we &s;ay, to &s;hut the &s;table dore when the &s;teed is &s;tolne, and to remember our &s;elues, when vengeance is fallen vpon our heads. But it is our be&s;t to acknowledge our faults in time, whiles God &s;peaketh vnto vs, and calleth vs to repentance. Howbeit, fooles, as we
<PB N="167" REF="107"> commonly &s;ay, are neuer wi&s;e vntill they are beaten, and neuer beleeue what is &s;aid vnto them, vntill it lye vp|pon their iacks.</P>
<P>After the&s;e in&s;tructions of Ieremy, he addeth al&s;o certaine demon&s;trati|ons, reprouing the cruelty of the Ma|gi&s;trates, in the 13. ver&s;e: reprehen|ding the exceeding di&s;&s;olutenes of the people in the 14. and 15. ver&s;es: and in the 17. and 20. ver&s;es, he fin|deth fault with mens vaine confi|dence in the arme of fle&s;h and bloud.</P>
<P>The third part of this Chapter is a prophe&s;ie, wherein is foretold the iudgements of God again&s;t the ad|uer&s;aries, namely, again&s;t the Idu|means, who &s;hewed them&s;elues more outrageous, then all the re&s;t of the e|nemies, as al&s;o may be &s;eene in the prophe&s;ie of Obediah.</P>
<P>Thus we &s;ee, how, after that the wic|ked haue braued them&s;elues, and at their plea&s;ures raunged abroade, that they them&s;elues al&s;o &s;hall haue their turne and cour&s;e, and be called to a reckoning, and it is they that &s;hall drinke the lees and dregs of the Lords cup, although his iudgements begin fir&s;t at his owne hou&s;e. Now this is a
<PB N="168" REF="108"> very profitable doctrine for vs: for, as Sainct Ambro&s;e in his Offices &s;ayth: There is nothing that bringeth a man &s;ooner to an hone&s;t cour&s;e of life, then when he &s;etteth before his eyes, that God will iudge the world: yea euen that great God, from who&s;e eyes nothing is hid nor couered, and who alloweth of nothing, but of that which is good and hone&s;t, dete&s;ting all bea&s;tline&s;&s;e and villany. This con&s;i|deration of Gods iudgements ma|keth vs patiently beare our afflicti|ons, and the in&s;olencies of the wic|ked, according to that &s;aying of Da|uid in his 119. P&s;alme, ver&s;e 51. 52. <HI>The wicked O Lord</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>haue made an exceeding skorne of me: yet haue J not declined from thy lawe. J haue cald to mind thy iudgements which thou ha&s;t done of old, and haue by them beene comforted.</HI></P>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>THE TEXT OF THE fourth Chapter.</HEAD>
<P N="1"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Aleph.</NOTE><HI>1</HI> HOW is the gold become &s;o dimme? the ama&s;&s;e of most fine golde is chaunged, and the &s;tones of the Sanctu|arie are &s;cattered in the corners of euerie &s;treete.</P>
<P N="2"><PB N="169" REF="108"><HI>2</HI> How is it, J &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beth.</NOTE> that the noble men of Syon, comparable to fine gold, are no bet|ter esteemed then earthen pitchers, euen the handyworke of the potter.</P>
<P N="3"><HI>3</HI> Euen the dragons draw out theyr brea&s;ts, and giue their young ones &s;ucke:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gimel.</NOTE> but the daughter of my people is become cruell like the O&s;triches in the wilderne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="4"><HI>4</HI> The toong of the &s;ucking child clea|ueth to the roofe of his mouth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Daleth.</NOTE> euen with ve|ry thir&s;t.</P>
<P N="5"><HI>5</HI> They that did feede delicately peri&s;h in the &s;treetes:<NOTE PLACE="marg">He.</NOTE> they that were brought vp in Scarlet, embrace the doong.</P>
<P N="6"><HI>6</HI> For,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Van.</NOTE> the puni&s;hment of the iniquitie of the daughter of my people is become grea|ter, then the puni&s;hment of Sodome, that was destroyed as in a moment, without once laying any hand vpon her.</P>
<P N="7"><HI>7</HI> Her Nazarites were whiter then the &s;nowe, and purer then the milke:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Zain.</NOTE> they were more ruddie then the Ruby, and more poli|&s;hed then the Saphire.</P>
<P N="8"><HI>8</HI> Now,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heth.</NOTE> their vi&s;age is blacker then any coale: they can not be knowne in the &s;treetes: their skinne cleaueth to their bones, and is become as drie as a &s;ticke.</P>
<P N="9"><HI>9</HI> They that were &s;laine with the &s;word,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Teth.</NOTE> were in better ca&s;e, then they that wer killed with honger: J &s;ay, that they were in better
<PB N="170" REF="109"> ca&s;e that were runned quite through, then they that died for want of the fruite of the earth.</P>
<P N="10"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iod.</NOTE><HI>10</HI> The hands of the pitifull women haue &s;odden their owne children, which were their meate during the destruction of the daughter of my people.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="observations">
<HEAD>THE OBSERVATIONS or notes vpon the fir&s;t part <HI>of the fourth Chap|ter.</HI></HEAD>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> <HI>_THE noblemen of Syon, com|parable to fine golde,)</HI> or the gold of Vphas, which is a kind of mo&s;t fine gold, as a man would &s;aye, the gold of India. This fine gold in the &s;cripture is called the gold of Vphaz, or of Ophir, as in the 45. P&s;alme, ver&s;e 10.14. By this compari&s;on of fine gold and fine &s;il|uer, the &s;cripture repre&s;enteth vnto vs mo&s;t excellent and perfect things. In the fir&s;t Chapter of I&s;aiah, the Lord maketh this complaint, &s;aying: <HI>Thy &s;iluer</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>is turned into dro&s;&s;e: And thy wine is mingled with water:</HI> meaning heereby, that the mo&s;t notable men among the people were degenerate.
<PB N="171" REF="109"> Now Ieremy expoundeth it him&s;elfe, when as he nameth the noble men of Syon, and compareth them vnto fine gold: for the more honorable that we haue &s;ene a man placed in high roome and dignity aboue other, &s;o much the more &s;traunge it is vnto vs, when we &s;ee the &s;ame man aba&s;ed and brought lowe. It is euen as fearefull a &s;ight, as to &s;ee the Eclip&s;es of the Sunne and the Moone, or as Iob in the 24. Chap|ter of his booke, ver&s;e 24. &s;aith, <HI>As if a man &s;hould cut off in &s;ommer the top of an eare of corne: or, as if a man &s;hould &s;ee a Crowne of fine gold troden vnder feete.</HI> And as we reade al&s;o in the 28. of I&s;aiah, ver&s;e 23. where this great God threat|ning the king of I&s;raell, and the chil|dren of Ephraim by his Prophet, &s;aith thus: <HI>Becau&s;e,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>of your pride and dronkennes, your crowne of pride &s;hall be broken and troade vnder feete, and all the flower and beawty of your magnificence &s;hal fall to the ground.</HI> Thus we &s;ee, that the Prophet Ieremy doth not only lament that which generally hapned vnto all the people, but &s;etteth downe in par|ticular what hapned to all e&s;tates, as well to the mightie ones, as al&s;o to the ba&s;er &s;ort, giuing to the great and
<PB N="172" REF="110"> noble men of this world,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Two aduer+ti&s;ements vnto the mightie ones of this vvorlde.</NOTE> two notable aduerti&s;ements: fir&s;t, that they ought to be more excellent and vertuous in life and conuer&s;ation, then others, and therein &s;urpa&s;&s;e all the re&s;t, bi|cau&s;e that true nobilitie &s;hould &s;o farre &s;urmount the common people, as fyne gold &s;urmounteth all other mettalles. Secondly, he maketh the mighty ones of the world vnder&s;tand, that they are as &s;ubiect to falling and affliction, as are the mo&s;t poore and mi&s;erable: and that for them to be a|ba&s;ed, is to them&s;elues &s;o much the more intollerable, bicau&s;e they had beene once exalted vnto high digni|tie. And this commeth to pa&s;&s;e, when as we feare not him that is Lord ouer all, and who&s;e throne is exalted aboue the heauens: by rea&s;on whereof, Da|uid in his 29. P&s;alme, ver&s;e 5.6.7.8.9.10. exhorteth all Princes <HI>to giue glorie vnto this great Lord, who with the onely noy&s;e of his thundering voyce, ma|keth the whole world tremble.</HI> They there|fore that regard not this great Ruler, before whome, all the mightie Poten|tates of the world are but du&s;t and a&s;hes, do wonder to &s;ee how the mo&s;t honorable per&s;onages, and men of
<PB N="173" REF="110"> note, &s;hould decline or fall: euen as Titus Liuius in the 9. Booke of his 4. Decade, wondred how the&s;e three fa|mous and lu&s;ty men could come to &s;o lamentable an end, and &s;o farre di&s;a|greeing fro~ their former high e&s;tates, to wit, Anniball, who being betrayed by his ho&s;te, was poi&s;oned, and Philo|men and Scipio, who died in exile.</P>
<P>Now, Ieremy de&s;cribeth vnto vs the&s;e mightie and noble men, not onely by the&s;e compari&s;ons of golde and &s;iluer, but al&s;o by the fa&s;hions of their fine and &s;traunge kinds of appa|rell, according to that which Ie&s;us Chri&s;t in the 11. of Sainct Matthew, &s;etteth downe, &s;aying: <HI>They</HI> (&s;ayth he) <HI>that weare fine and costly apparell, are, for the mo&s;t part in kings hou&s;es:</HI> and it was &s;poken to this end, that &s;uch lu&s;tie gallants &s;hould wi&s;ely learne to vn|der&s;tand that they haue a great Lord in heauen, who can ea&s;ily pull from them their ornaments and co&s;tly ap|parell, and cloath them with &s;ack|cloth and a&s;hes, as in the third of I|&s;aiah, ver&s;e 24. he threatneth, &s;ay|ing: <HI>That in &s;tead of &s;weete &s;auours, he will &s;end them &s;tench, in &s;tead of a girdle, a rent, and in &s;tead of braue fa&s;hions of
<PB N="174" REF="111"> apparrell and curling the haire, &s;ackcloth and baldne&s;&s;e, &amp;c.</HI> And therefore, let all the mighty ones in the world v&s;e their braue and co&s;tly apparell mode&s;tlie, and without pride, alwaies acknow|ledging that all the co&s;t that is be&s;to|wed heere in this world, is but euen as &s;moke.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> <HI>Euen the Dragons drawe out their breastes,)</HI> as if he &s;hould haue &s;ayd, It is a lamentable ca&s;e to &s;ee the mo&s;t &s;auage bea&s;tes giue their young ones &s;ucke, and to &s;ee the women of Ieru|&s;alem &s;o fami&s;hed, and &s;o forget them&s;elues, as that they had neither &s;trength nor mind to giue their yong ones &s;ucke. The Hebrewe word <HI>Ta|nin,</HI> which is tran&s;lated, Dragons, is taken for earthlie Serpents, and &s;ea mon&s;ters, that creepe on the earth. Some thinke, that in this place hee meaneth the &s;ea calues, of whome, Plinie writing in the 13. Chapter of the ninth booke of his hi&s;torie, &s;ayth, that when they come neere the &s;hore, they giue their young ones &s;ucke, and lay them in &s;ome warme drie place, vntill &s;uch time as they haue by little and little wonted them to the water. Earthly Serpents and Dragons
<PB N="175" REF="111"> haue no brea&s;ts, and among flying things, only the Butterflye hath.</P>
<P><HI>Cruell, like the O&s;triches in the wilder|ne&s;&s;e.)</HI> He &s;peaketh of certayne O|&s;triches, of whome, Plinie in his tenth booke writeth, calling them <HI>Struthiocameles:</HI> who, notwith&s;tanding that they are feathered, yet haue much to do to ri&s;e from the ground: of whome al&s;o Ari&s;totle maketh men|tion in the 14. Chapter of his 4. Booke vpon that part thereof, wherein he treateth of liuing creatures. Some reade thus, like vnto the Owles, who as they &s;ay, for&s;ake their yong ones. It &s;hould &s;eeme that this place of Ie|remy hath a kind of reference vnto that which is written in the 39. of Iob, ver&s;e 19. where it is &s;aid, <HI>That the O|&s;trich is as cruell vnto her young ones, as though they were none of her owne, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>There is none that breaketh, or di&s;tri|buteth <MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> bread vnto them.)</HI> The Hebrewe word, &s;ignifyeth not &s;o much to breake, or pull in peeces, as to de|uide and di&s;tribute: and it is the &s;ame word which is found in the 58. of I|&s;aiah, ver&s;e 7. where it is &s;aid, <HI>See that thou part or deuide thy bread to him that is hongrie.</HI> And therefore among the
<PB N="176" REF="112"> Prophetes, it is another manner of thing to di&s;tribute bread, then to breake bread, as is v&s;ed in the Lords Supper, and as Ie&s;us Chri&s;t expre&s;|&s;eth by a word, which &s;ignifyeth, to breake, or pull in peeces: where he maketh a di&s;tinction betwixt di&s;tribu|ting and breaking, regarding the Ce|remonie of the bodie of Chri&s;t broken and torne in peeces vpon the Cro&s;&s;e with torments, as in the 11. Chapter of the fir&s;t to the Corinthians we may reade.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> <HI>They haue embraced the doong.)</HI> That is to &s;ay, they that before were cloa|thed with all manner of &s;ilkes, are now quite and cleane couered ouer with doong: or rather, the famine was &s;o extreame, as that the riche&s;t of them were enforced to digge in the doonghilles, to get them whereon to eate, as came to pa&s;&s;e in the famine of Samaria, written in the &s;ixt Chapter of the &s;econd booke of the Kings: du|ring which time, pigeons doong was verie deerely &s;old.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> <HI>My puni&s;hment was thought to be grea|ter.)</HI> Some reade, my time is greater then the iniquitie of Sodome. How|beit, the verie &s;equele of the text de|clareth,
<PB N="177" REF="112"> that the Prophet conferreth not &s;inne with &s;inne, but puni&s;hments with puni&s;hments: bicau&s;e that, as the Prophet heere expre&s;&s;ely tou|cheth it, Sodome was de&s;troyed in a moment, and had to do with none but with God, and fell into the hands of none other: whereas the Iewes du|ring the &s;eege, and after, abode con|tinually in theyr mi&s;eries, and fell into the bloodie hands of their aduer|&s;aries. And the Hebrew word &s;igni|fyeth not iniquitie alone, but for the mo&s;t part al&s;o, the puni&s;hment of &s;inne. Thus we &s;ee, how the &s;horte&s;t puni&s;hments are ea&s;ilie&s;t borne of vs: euen as a &s;icke or di&s;ea&s;ed man is be&s;t contented, when as he hath a medicine giuen him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Sam. 10.</NOTE> that he may readelie&s;t di&s;patch: and the Prophet Dauid al&s;o cho&s;e rather to fall into the hands of God, then to haue long warres in hand, and to deale with men.</P>
<P><HI>The Nazarites were whiter.)</HI> The <MILESTONE N="7" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> Prophet Ieremy hauing regarde to tho&s;e dayes, and to the honorable de|grees that were among the people, frameth a co~plaint of the mi&s;ery that came vpo~ al e&s;tates. Among which, the
<PB N="178" REF="113"> Nazarites had the fir&s;t place, a kind of people that had wholy vowed them|&s;elues vnto the &s;eruice of God. Their order of life and in&s;titution, is to be found in the 6. Chapter of the booke of Nombers. And although they ab|&s;tained from wine, and many other plea&s;ant things, yet Ieremy in this place te&s;tifyeth, that they had lu&s;tie bodies, and well colored faces: as in the fir&s;t of Daniell we reade, how that he and his companions through the &s;ame prouidence of the Lord, were in as good ca&s;e and better with their pul&s;e, then they which did eate the mo&s;t delicate meates that came from the Kings table. Howbeit, this order now of the Nazarites hath an end in the new Te&s;tament: as al&s;o the order of the Leuites, euer &s;ithence the great and excellent prie&s;t Ie&s;us Chri&s;t ap|peered: who, although he was not by profe&s;&s;ion a Nazarite (for he did eate and drinke as other men did) yet is he a right Netzer, that is to &s;ay, the Sur|geon of the hou&s;e of Dauid, that &s;ee|med to be lo&s;t: and being a dweller in Nazareth, would haue it, as it were by the allu&s;ion of the word, to be made &s;o knowne. And as for Chri&s;tians,
<PB N="179" REF="113"> they &s;hould be alwayes right Naza|rites, &s;eperating them&s;elues from all vncleanne&s;&s;e, as in the &s;ixt of the &s;e|cond to the Corinths it is written. For, although the Ceremonie be a|boli&s;hed, yet ought we truly and in deede be an holy and &s;acred people vnto God, becau&s;e we haue this ho|nor giuen vs to be called the temples of the holy Gho&s;t.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>THE SECOND PART of the fourth Chap|ter.</HEAD>
<P N="11"><HI>11</HI> THE Lord hath accompli&s;hed his indignation:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Caph.</NOTE> he hath powred out his fierce wrath, he hath kindled a fire in Syon, which hath con&s;umed the foundati|ons thereof.</P>
<P N="12"><HI>12</HI> The kings of the earth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lamed.</NOTE> and all the inhabitants of the world, would not haue beleeued, that the aduer&s;arie and the ene|mie &s;hould haue entred into the gates of Ieru&s;alem.</P>
<P N="13"><HI>13</HI> For the &s;innes of her Prophets,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mem.</NOTE> and the iniquities of her Priestes, that haue &s;hed the bloud of the iu&s;t in the midde&s;t of her.</P>
<P N="14"><PB N="180" REF="114"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Nun.</NOTE><HI>14</HI> They haue wandred as blind men in the &s;treetes, and they were polluted with bloud, &s;o that they woulde not touch their garmentes.</P>
<P N="15"><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">amech.</NOTE><HI>15</HI> But they cryed vnto them, Depart ye polluted, depart, depart, touch not: there|fore they fledde away, and wandered: They haue &s;aide among the Heathen, they &s;hall no more dwell there.</P>
<P N="16"><HI>16</HI> The anger of the Lorde hath &s;catte|red them,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Plie.</NOTE> hee will no more regarde them: they couered not the face of the Prie&s;ts, nor had compa&s;&s;ion of the Elders.</P>
<P N="17"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ain.</NOTE><HI>17</HI> Whiles wee waited for our vaine helpe, our eyes fayled: for in our waiting wee looked for a nation that could not &s;aue vs.</P>
<P N="18"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Tzade.</NOTE><HI>18</HI> They hunt our &s;teppes that we can|not goe in our &s;treetes: our ende is neare, our dayes are fulfilled, for our end is come.</P>
<P N="19"><HI>19</HI> Our per&s;ecutors are &s;wifter than the Egles of the heauen:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Caph.</NOTE> they pur&s;ued vs on the mountaines, and laide waite for vs in the wildernes.</P>
<P N="20"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Res.</NOTE><HI>20</HI> The breath of our no&s;ethrilles, the anointed of the Lorde was taken in their nettes, of whom we &s;aide, vnder his &s;hadow we &s;hall be pre&s;erued aliue among the Hea|then.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="observations">
<PB N="181" REF="114">
<HEAD>CERTAINE OBSERVATI|ons vpon the &s;econde part of <HI>the fourth Chapter.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>_THE Lorde hath accompli|&s;hed all his indignation)</HI> This part goeth on vn|to the 20. ver&s;e, and lai|eth downe the cau&s;es and occa&s;ions of the calamitie of the Iewes. Nowe, the Prophet bringeth in heere two occa&s;ions: The one is the &s;inne of the people, as heretofore wee haue &s;eene in the 8. ver&s;e of the 1. Chapter: The other is the wrath of God &amp; his iu&s;t iudgements, according to which he puni&s;hed the &s;undrie &s;ins which raigned in this people. But be|cau&s;e we haue heretofore treated of this point of Goddes wrath and of the effectes of the &s;ame we will &s;peake no further of it.</P>
<P><HI>The kings of the earth would neuer haue beleeued,)</HI> As if he would haue &s;aide, This is a verie &s;traunge calamitie, and &s;uch a one as that the mo&s;t barba|rous Tyrauntes dur&s;t not once haue thought that euer &s;uch mi&s;eries &s;hold haue ouer taken vs. For when God fauoured vs, it was a plea&s;ure to &s;ee
<PB N="182" REF="115"> the&s;e people, whome all the kings in the world feared, as in the 48. P&s;alme we reade, where it is &s;aid, <HI>Great is the Lord, and greatly to be prai&s;ed in the Citie of our God, euen vppon his holy moun|taine. Mount Syon lying Northward, is faire in &s;cituation, it is the ioy of the whole land, and the Citie of the great King. Jn the palaces thereof God is knowne for a re|fuge: for loe, the Kings were gathered, and went together. When they &s;awe it, they maruelled, and were astonied, and &s;uddenly driuen backe. Feare came there vpon them, and &s;orrowe, as vpon a woman in trauell, &amp;c.</HI> But now, &s;ayeth Iere|my, it appeereth how all things are turned and changed, con&s;idering that they which heeretofore were a&s;tonied to &s;ee our greatne&s;&s;e and pro&s;peritie, are at this pre&s;ent aba&s;|&s;hed to &s;ee our aduer&s;itie and calami|tie. And in the meane while it fel vpon them euen as the Lord had &s;aid in the 28. of Deuteronomy, to witte, <HI>That if they would diligently hearken vnto the voyce of the Lorde theyr God, that they &s;hould be ble&s;&s;ed with all kindes of ble&s;|&s;inges, and that all the people of the world &s;hould acknowledge, that the name of the Lord &s;hould be called vpon ouer them, and
<PB N="183" REF="115" MS="y"> that they &s;hould be afraide of them. But that if they woulde not obey him, that the Lorde would bring them and their King vnto an vnknowen Nation: in the middest of which they &s;hould &s;erue &s;traunge Gods, and be a by-worde and prouerbe among all people, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Whiles I am a writing of the&s;e things, I cannot without great griefe and &s;or|rowe of heart, but call to minde the great number and well peopled Chur|ches, which I remember I haue &s;eene in the principall Cities of all the Pro|uinces of Fraunce, &s;ithence the yeare 1560. vntill the yeare, 1570. which in the prime yeares, did &s;o agree, &amp; were &s;o zealous, and were &s;o honored and feared, as that the enimies them&s;elues neuer thought that it had beene po&s;&s;i|ble to haue become &s;o, as it were in a moment, ouerthrowen and de&s;troyed: &s;uch was the accord, courage &amp; mag|nanimitie, namely of a good part of the nobilitie of France. And although the de&s;truction was &s;udden, &s;traunge, incredible, yea and &s;uch as that verie hardly might or could the Churches bee ray&s;ed vp againe, yet for all that, the faithfull &s;hould neuer bee di&s;cou|raged, nor helpele&s;&s;e: For the de&s;tru|ction
<PB N="184" REF="116"> of Churches is not &s;o &s;traung, as the deliuera~ce is wonderful, &amp; worthy the noting: which thing is notably re|pre&s;ented vnto vs in the 126. P&s;alm. in the&s;e wordes following, &s;aying: <HI>When the Lorde brought againe the captiuitie of Syon, we were like the~ that dream. The~ was our mouth filled with laughter, &amp; our tongs with ioy, then &s;aid they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.</HI> And in the 49. of I&s;aiah it is there &s;aid: <HI>Thus &s;aith the Lord, the redeemer of I&s;rael, to the de&s;pi&s;ed &s;oule, to a Nation that is ab|horred: to the &s;eruauntes of Rulers: Kings &s;hal &s;ee &amp; ari&s;e, and Princes &s;hall wor&s;hip, becau&s;e of the Lorde that is faithfull, and for the loue of the holy one of J&s;rael which hath cho&s;en thee.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="12" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> <HI>Becau&s;e of the &s;ins of her Prophets)</HI> now the Prophet beginneth particularly to &s;et down the cau&s;e of their de&s;olatio~: not acknowledging only, as it were by the way, the &s;ins of the people, but al&s;o aggrauateth and greeuou&s;ly accu&s;eth the~ in particularities. For hee co~play|neth and telleth them that their wic|kednes did &s;o exceede, as that they all erred and became degenerate: yea e|uen they, on who~ the world had a &s;in|gular opinion of holines &amp; integritie.</P>
<PB N="185" REF="116">
<P>Now, this is a mi&s;erable e&s;tate, &amp; e|uery way to be lamented, when as the Magi&s;trates &amp; Doctors of the church, who &s;hould &s;hew the way, and a liuely lawe vnto others, &s;hall &s;hamele&s;ly de|file the~&s;elues, &amp; wallow in al maner of pollutions. For, our Sauiour Chri&s;t, as in the 5. of S. Matt. it is writte~, &s;peking to his di&s;ciples, &amp; to the doctors of the Church, &s;aith thus vnto the~: <HI>ye are the &s;alt of the earth: but if the &s;alt loo&s;e his &s;a|uour, to what v&s;e is it good? It is good for no|thing els, but to be ca&s;t out of the dores, &amp; tra~pled vnder foote.</HI> In the 4. &amp; 5. of O&s;e|ah al&s;o a great co~plaint is made of the &s;innes of the Prie&s;ts and Magi&s;trates, becau&s;e <HI>y^t</HI> they who &s;hould throughly haue admini&s;tred equitie and iu&s;tice, laye in waite for the life of others: e|uen as foulers laye their nettes for birdes. This then is an heape of mi&s;e|ries,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A mo&s;t &s;ure &s;igne and token of a de&s;truction at hand vp on any na|tion and not to be avoided.</NOTE> and a &s;ure token of a de&s;tructi|on at hande, and not to be auoyded, whe~ as they that &s;hould be the ma&s;ter Ma&s;ons, do the~&s;elues de&s;troy &amp; ouer|throw the Church: &amp; they which with good &amp; hole&s;ome doctrine &amp; example &s;hold teach the world, &s;hew the~&s;elues to haue in them, neyther &s;oundne&s;&s;e of doctrine, nor yet holine&s;&s;e of life.
<PB N="186" REF="117"> And this (alas) is too too common a thing, That by how much more excel|lent giftes, men are endewed withall, and as it were the lights of the world, euen by &s;o much the more, are their faultes the greater, and do more hurt, and are the more &s;traungly eclip&s;ed when as they goe a&s;traye: yea and be|come farre more cruell and intollera|ble: As among other examples wee may &s;ee in the 26. of Ieremie, howe that the furie of the fal&s;e Prophetes was more barbarous, and more vnrea|&s;onable again&s;t him, the~ was the rage of the King, or of the people; which thing we haue long &s;ithence by wofull experience found. And therefore the meaning of Ieremie in this our text, is this, that this people could not long continue in this ca&s;e and quietne&s;&s;e, where &s;uch di&s;&s;olutene&s;&s;e of life was, and where the will and affection of the Magi&s;trates and Prie&s;tes &s;tood for lawe: who&s;e handes al&s;o were all full of bloud: whereupon may &s;oone bee coniectured, that the &s;tate and condi|tion of the common people was verie euill and too too vile, when as the mo&s;t notable per&s;onages, and &s;uch as &s;hould haue &s;hewed good examples
<PB N="187" REF="117"> to others, had &s;o greatly forgotten them&s;elues. But if there were anie of them that went &s;omewhat farther, yet exceeded they their office and dutie, in that through a fooli&s;h and vaine a&s;|&s;urance they more looked for ayde out of Aegypt, and tru&s;ted more to the arme of fle&s;h and bloud, than vnto the liuing God.</P>
<P>Of the e&s;tate and condition of the&s;e dayes, e&s;pecially after the death of Mana&s;&s;es, we reade in the thirtie &s;ixe Chapter ver. 14. of the &s;econd booke of the Chronicles that which en&s;ueth: where it is &s;aide: <HI>All the chiefe of the Prie&s;tes al&s;o, and of the people tre&s;pa&s;&s;ed wrongfully, according to all the abhomina|tions of the Heathen, and polluted the hou&s;e of the Lorde which he had &s;anctified in Je|ru&s;alem. Therefore the Lorde God of their Fathers &s;ent vnto them by his me&s;&s;engers, ry&s;ing earely and &s;ending: for he had com|pa&s;&s;ion on his people, and on his habitation. But they mocked the me&s;&s;engers of God, and de&s;pi&s;ed his wordes, and mi&s;u&s;ed his Pro|phetes, vntill the wrath of the Lorde aro&s;e again&s;t his people, and till there was no re|medie, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>S. Cyprian in his treatie <HI>De Lap&s;is,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The com|plaint of Cyprian in his daies</NOTE> maketh the like report of the di&s;or|ders
<PB N="188" REF="118" MS="y"> and &s;innes that were in his time &s;aying: becau&s;e that long re&s;t and quietne&s;&s;e hath ba&s;tarded the di&s;ci|pline and good order that was among vs: The heauenly correction hath re|dre&s;&s;ed our altogether feeble &amp; &s;leepy faith. For in very deede no man once thinketh but particularly of him&s;elfe, &amp; of the encrea&s;ing and enlarging of his patrimonie, without any remem|brance of the time pa&s;t, &amp; of <HI>y^t</HI> which <HI>y^e</HI> Apo&s;tles &amp; all true faithfull men were wont to do: to be &s;hort, ther is nothing among vs, but an in&s;atiable de&s;ire of &s;craping together of this worldly pelf: in&s;omuch that there is neither religi|on, nor yet deuotion in the mini&s;ters of the Church: neyther &s;ounde fayth, nor mercie in works: nor di&s;cipline in our manners. Manie Bi&s;hops in &s;teede of excelling, and giuing good exam|ple to others,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A practize ouer true in the&s;e mi|&s;erable dayes of ours, in &s;o great light of the Go&s;|pell.</NOTE> leauing their charge, burde~ &amp; troble the~&s;elues about world|ly affayres, &amp; for&s;aking their pulpit &amp; flocke, trauell and compa&s;&s;e diuers &amp; &s;undry Prouinces, &amp; thru&s;t the~&s;elues into many worldly dealings, whereby they may get money, &amp; &s;o getting into their owne clowches other mens po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ions, help the~&s;elues by deceit and
<PB N="189" REF="118" MS="y"> v&s;urie. Now when we &s;halbe &s;uch kind of men, what puni&s;hment can be too greeuous for vs to &s;uffer? Namely, &s;ee|ing that long ago, as appeareth by the 89. P&s;alm. That the Lord admoni&s;hed his Church, <HI>That if his children propha|ned his &s;tatutes, and contemned his lawes, that he would vi&s;ite their &s;innes with rods.</HI> Thus wee &s;ee what S. Cyprian hath &s;ayde of his dayes. Heere then we &s;ee in &s;umme, what haue beene the &s;ins that haue cau&s;ed the ouerthrowe of mightie peoples and nations, and haue beene &s;ure forerunners of a very neare de&s;olation,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;innes that are the fore|runners of the de&s;tru|ction of a kingdome.</NOTE> when as the Magi|&s;trats &amp; gouernors of the People, &s;hall &s;uffer their affections runne at rouers, and bee bought and &s;olde, drawing by their example all the re&s;t of the people to an extreme licentiou&s;ne&s;&s;e of wicked dooing. And although the ciuill lawes &s;ay, That the people ne|uer die, becau&s;e ther are alwaies &s;ome others to &s;ucceede, yet is it a &s;orrowful death, to &s;ee a good policy or gouern|ment die, and to cau&s;e a chaunge in the e&s;tate, which is the ruyne and de|&s;truction of all well ordered thinges. For although new men dayly come in place, as in &s;o~mer, new leaues bud out
<PB N="190" REF="119" MS="y"> and &s;pring, in &s;teede of the olde fallen leaues, yet there come not vertuous men yearely into the world to rule in good gouernement and flouri&s;hing common weales: for wee &s;ee at this day, that there is as great difference, for the more part, betweene the Prin|ces, Teachers, and guiders of the peo|ple, and the Churches which profe&s;&s;e the Go&s;pell, that were within the&s;e twentie or thirtie yeares, as there is betweene high Ceders and bramble bu&s;hes: con&s;idering that the more part which would bee accounted the grea|te&s;t Doctors, &amp; pillars of the Church, namely in Almayne, in &s;teede of ad|uauncing and &s;etting foorth of the truth, are through ma&s;terlike and per|nitious di&s;putations, contentions, &amp; condemnations, quite &amp; cleane gone backe: and in &s;teede of bearing the cro&s;&s;e them&s;elues, cau&s;e hone&s;t and godly men to beare it: euen as Ieremie complaineth of the crueltie of the Prie&s;tes in his dayes, &amp; as Ie&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elfe in the 23. of S. Mathew, fin|deth fault with the Scribes and Phari|&s;eis.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="14" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> <HI>They haue wandred as blind men)</HI> the&s;e two ver&s;es are &s;omewhat darkeby rea|&s;on
<PB N="191" REF="119"> of the con&s;truction and &s;hortne&s;&s;e of the Hebrewe tongue, which v&s;eth not many words. The mo&s;t Hebrewes vnder&s;tande this according to the let|ter, to wit of the blinde: that they fell in the &s;treetes through the multitude of dead bodies <HI>y^t</HI> lay vpon the ground, &amp; therefore were polluted with bloud, for which cau&s;e, as many as mett with tho&s;e blind me~, would crie out a farre of vnto them and &s;ay, depart ye pollu|ted, depart, depart, and touch vs not, lea&s;t ye pollute vs, and it &s;eemeth that the Zurich tran&s;lation hath followed this interpretation. Howbeit the grea|ter number of other Interpretors, who~ we in this place followe, &s;uppo&s;e that the Prophet calleth the&s;e wicked Prie&s;tes and fal&s;e Prophets (of whom he heretofore &s;pake) blind men, who being ouercome with crueltie &amp; rage, made quarrelles and &s;editions in the &s;treetes, and imbrued them&s;elues in bloud: whereuppon, it came to pa&s;&s;e that the common people, or, &s;ome o|thers thinke, certaine of the heathen, in way of mockerie, cryed out vppon them and &s;aide, depart ye polluted, de|part, depart: get you a good way from vs, hauing regarde vnto the comman|dement
<PB N="192" REF="120"> in the law, for the &s;eparating of the vncleane: as if it had been a re|proch, which <HI>y^e</HI> Lord had through his iu&s;t vengeaunce cau&s;ed, the&s;e pro|phane Prie&s;ts polluted with bloud, to be di&s;per&s;ed, &amp; driuen farre away from the &s;anctuarie: bani&s;hing the~ this way and that: In &s;o much, that the profane Nations &s;corned them, &amp; tooke them to be a profane and an abhominable people. Moreouer, when the Prophet &s;ayth, <HI>They &s;hall no more dwell there: or they &s;hall returne no more thether to dwell:</HI> It was not to put the people out of hope of their returne: but &s;peaketh it there only in regarde of tho&s;e wicked ones, whome God puni&s;hed for their crueltie: and &s;peaketh al&s;o according to the outward &s;hew of the things that then were: at which time all thinges were in a lame~table ca&s;e, &s;o that there was nothing there to bee &s;eene but a very deepe dungeon of all mi&s;eries: In &s;uch &s;ort as that whe~ the Prophet Eze|chiel in his 37. chap. meant to co~fort the people, &amp; a&s;&s;ure the~ of their return out of captiuitie, &s;aith: <HI>That it &s;hould be like vnto the re&s;urrection of the dead, euen as if drie bones &s;hould be clad with skinne, and a newe &s;oule breathed thereinto.</HI> This
<PB N="193" REF="120"> place then is manife&s;t &amp; cleare, if we con&s;ider the meaning of the Prophet, and the &s;equele of the ver&s;es, and the manner al&s;o of the v&s;uall &s;peaking in the &s;criptures, which commonly call the blind, &s;uch as are blinded through couetou&s;nes &amp; pre&s;umption: as in the 42. of I&s;aiah ver. 10. it is &s;aide of the Iewes, in this maner:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 15.</NOTE> <HI>Who is blinde but my &s;eruaunt?</HI> Ie&s;us Chri&s;t al&s;o calleth the Scribes and Phari&s;eis blinde, and leaders of the blind. Here al&s;o, for the vnder&s;tanding of this place wee mu&s;t call to mind, the ceremony comman|ded in the law: where euerie man was forbidden to touch anie dead thing, or bloud: &s;uch a wonderful mind had the Lord to e&s;traunge his people from all kinde of crueltie: and aboue all other, the Prie&s;tes were enioyned holines: who were e&s;pecially forbidde~ to be at the buriall of the dead, and to come where any dead dody was: as in the 21. Chap. of Leuiticus we may read. And it was ordeined by the lawe that who|&s;oeuer were vncleane, namelie the leapers, meeting with anie, &s;hould cry a farre off: I am vncleane, I am vn|cleane: as in the 13. of Leuit. the 45. ver&s;e we read: from whence it &s;eemeth
<PB N="194" REF="121"> that the Prophet Ieremie hath bor|rowed this manner of &s;peech, <HI>Depart, depart, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>This place to be &s;hort, teacheth vs, that there cannot be a greater abho|mination nor profanes, then when the mini&s;ters of God defile them&s;elues: and that the &s;traunge and ignoraunt Nations, yea euen the very Heathen them&s;elues, haue more &s;hewe of god|line&s;&s;e in them in verie deede, then they which &s;o vilanou&s;ly mi&s;u&s;e the name of God. For, we haue in all ages &s;eene amonge the verie Heathen Prie&s;tes, &s;ome &s;hewe of wi&s;edome and vertue, which made the people honor them, as we may reade in Plutarch his treatie vpon I&s;is and O&s;iris, where he writeth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Egyp|tians cho&s;e their kings eyther fro~ among the Prie&s;tes, or from a|mong the Souldiers.</NOTE> That the kinges of Aegypt were cho&s;en either out of the order of the Prie&s;tes, or el&s;e from among the &s;ouldiours, becau&s;e the one was ho|noured and feared for their valure, and the other, for their wi&s;edome: and therefore it is no maruell though the Prophet Ieremie bringeth in the very Heathen, &s;corning the profanes, &s;hamele&s;ne&s;&s;e and infamie of the Prie&s;ts and fal&s;e Prophetes of Iudah.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e. 17.</NOTE><HI>Our eyes con&s;umed with wayting for ou<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">
<PB N="195" REF="121"> vaine helpe)</HI> This is a gentle repre&s;en|tation of this vaine wayting of the Iewes, who, &s;o greatly bent and fixed their eyes vppon the helpe of Aegypt; as that with ouermuch wayting and bending their eyes that way, they eue~ con&s;umed them&s;elues. The like words we find in the 69. P&s;alme, ver. 3. where it is &s;ayde: <HI>Mine eyes faile, while J waite for my God.</HI> That is to &s;ay, I haue dili|gently, and without cea&s;ing looked, and neuer ca&s;t mine eye a&s;ide. Nowe vpon this place we are to note the hi|&s;torie, &amp; call to minde how the Iewes in verie deede oftentimes called for the helpe of the Aegyptians, and wai|ted for the &s;ame. True it is that wee read in the 37. Chapter of Ieremie, how that Pharao his armie marched out of Aegypt again&s;t the Chaldeans, whereupon the Citie of Ieru&s;alem for a while had &s;ome re&s;t, &amp; was not alto|gether &s;o &s;traightly be&s;ieged:<NOTE PLACE="marg">A daunge|rous thing to con|temne and &s;et light the wrath of God de|nounced by his mi|ni&s;ters.</NOTE> which thing made the fal&s;e Prophetes waxe hautie &amp; proud, and band them&s;elues again&s;t Ieremie, as though his threats of Gods wrath, and of the de&s;truction of Ieru&s;alem, had beene friuolous and nothing worth: as commonly fonde and fooli&s;h worldlinges are woont to
<PB N="196" REF="122"> tryumph before the victorie. Howbeit it was the determined Coun&s;ell of God to puni&s;h this people: as in the Chapter aboue mentioned, ver. 8.9.10. is founde this threatning of the Lorde, &s;aying: <HI>The Chaldeans &s;hall re|turne and a&s;&s;ault this Citie: and &s;hall take it, and &s;et it on fire. Deceaue not your harts, &s;aying, the Chaldeans &s;hall &s;urely depart from vs: for they &s;hall not depart. For though ye had &s;mitten the whole ho&s;te of the Chaldeans that fight again&s;t you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet &s;hould euerie man ri&s;e vppe in his tent, and burne this Citie with fire, &amp;c.</HI> Wee reade al&s;o in the 24. Chapter of the 2. booke of the Kinges, howe that the power of the Babylonians was &s;o great as that the Aegyptians were enforced pre&s;ently to retire, and keepe them|&s;elues at home in their own countrey. And yet notwith&s;tanding it is an in|credible thing to &s;ee in what a wonder+full iolitie the Iewes were, of the aide of Aegypt, mo&s;t &s;laui&s;hly gaping after it, and putting all their whole tru&s;t &amp; comforte therein: which made the Prophets manie times te&s;tifie again&s;t them, as in the 30. Chapter of I&s;aiah, it is &s;ayde, <HI>Woe to the rebellious children</HI>
<PB N="197" REF="122"> (&s;ayth the Lorde) <HI>which walke foorth to goe downe into Egypt (and haue not asked at my mouth) to &s;trengthe~ them&s;elues with the &s;trength of Pharao, and trust in the &s;hadowe of Egypt: but the &s;trength of Pha|rao &s;hall be your confu&s;ion, and the tru&s;t in the &s;hadowe of Egypt, your confu&s;ion. For thus &s;aith the Lorde your God, in quietne&s;&s;e and in confidence &s;hall bee your &s;trength, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>It is wonderfull to &s;ee howe the&s;e wretched Iewes could neuer haue the mindes to looke for any helpe at the Aegyptians handes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Plutarch in his treati&s;e of I&s;is and O&s;yris.</NOTE> con&s;idering that Plutarch him&s;elfe, as heatheni&s;h as he was, te&s;tifieth, that the Aegyptians laughed to skorne the wor&s;hipping of creatures, and brute bea&s;tes, and that they neuer had &s;uch bruti&s;h &amp; bea&s;tly thoughtes: And as they were many in number, &s;o al&s;o were they co~monly a fickle and an vncertaine people: and therefore the eternall and almightie God had great rea&s;on to forbidde his people to haue any league and famili|ar dealing with the Aegyptians: fir&s;t, becau&s;e <HI>y^e</HI> Iewes had alreadie &s;o much degenerated in Aegypt, as that they could not but &s;orrrow in that they had for&s;aken the Garlicke and Onyons of
<PB N="198" REF="123"> the &s;ame Countrey, notwith&s;tanding all the &s;lauery which they there &s;uffe|red, and were brought at la&s;t euen to be defiled with the cur&s;ed Idolatrie of Aegypt, as in the 20. of Ezechiel, ver. 7 we may reade. Secondly it was impo&s;|&s;ible in &s;o great an incompatibilitie of religion and manners, whereof wee al&s;o reade in the 45. of Gene&s;is, that there could be any true and faithfull loue and amitie continued betweene them: con&s;idering the naturall and auncient hatred which the one of the~ bare to the other: which thing, with|out doubt, repre&s;enteth vnto vs the hatred and malice which the diuell &amp; Antichri&s;t beareth vnto the church of Chri&s;t, and the bondage of Aegypt vnder Pharao, with the bondage of &s;inne, which e&s;claueth vs vnto Satha~. Thirdly, the Lord right well &s;awe, that this tru&s;ting to the helpe of Aegypt, brought his people a &s;leepe, and with|drewe them from hauing any hope in the conduct of the Almightie, who a|lone is the God <HI>Schada,</HI> for &s;o hee cal|leth him&s;elfe in the 17. of Gene&s;is, when he &s;pake vnto Abraham: that is to &s;ay, he that is all &s;ufficient: where|upon, the Lorde al&s;o &s;ayth in the 31.
<PB N="199" REF="123"> of I&s;aiah, ver. 3. <HI>The Egyptians are men and not God, and their hor&s;es fle&s;h and not &s;pirite; and when the Lord &s;hall &s;tretch out his hande, the helper &s;hall fall, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>And therfore Dauid went more re|&s;olutely vnto worke, when as he &s;aide in his 73. P&s;alme, ver. 25.27.28. <HI>Whom haue I in heauen but thee? Neither haue J in earth any other but thee. Thou de&s;troye&s;t all tho&s;e which withdrawe them&s;elues from thee:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">It is a pe|rilous thing to be in league or haue any familiaritie with Idola|ters.</NOTE> <HI>as for me it is good that J draw neare vnto God, &amp;c.</HI> They the~ are at all times deceiued, and dayly deceiue them|&s;elues, that fall in league, and be fa|miliarly acquainted with the children of this world, namely with Idolaters: who care not for the purcha&s;ing of the welfare and good of the Church, which to them, is a verie thorne in their foote: neither had God any &s;uch regarde, as to doe the Aegyptians the honor to make them the in&s;truments for the deliueraunce of his Church. In &s;o much as it is a lamentable thing, to &s;ee &s;uch a great number of Churches, after &s;o many &s;corchings and fryinges &s;o opinatiuely &s;eeke after the deceiue|able fellow&s;hip of Aegypt, &amp; the ima|ginatiue power of the mightie ones, who&s;e greatne&s;&s;e con&s;i&s;teth more in
<PB N="200" REF="124"> titles and opinion, then in effect or in deede: For, let them knowe this, and take it for a principle or ground, That God will in no wi&s;e deuide his honour with men: but will re&s;erue this honour of the ayding and defending of his Church to him&s;elfe alone: and &s;hee al&s;o &s;hall call vpon him, and wor&s;hip him alone: as in the 43. of I&s;aiah, ver. 11. it is &s;ayd: <HI>J, euen J am the Lord, &amp; be|&s;ide me there is no Sauiour. I haue declared, and J haue &s;aued, and J haue &s;hewed, when there was no &s;traunge God among you: and therefore you are my witne&s;&s;es, &s;ayth the Lorde, that J am God.</HI> And in the 23. of Ezechiell, ver. 27.28.30. our God is &s;o angrie again&s;t the&s;e goers and commers into Aegypt, as that he &s;aith after this manner: <HI>J will make thy wic|kedne&s;&s;e to cea&s;e from thee, and thy forni|cation of the lande of Egypt:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">A fearefull laying.</NOTE> <HI>&s;o that thou &s;halt not lift vp thine eyes vnto them, nor remember Egypt any more. I will deliuer thee into the handes of them, whome thou hatest: I will doe the&s;e thinges vnto thee: becau&s;e thou hast gone an whoring after the Heathen, and becau&s;e thou art polluted with their Idolles, &amp;c.</HI> By this he mea|neth not, that men &s;hould de&s;pi&s;e the means which God offreth vnto them,
<PB N="201" REF="124" MS="y"> or not aide them&s;elues therewith. But in the fir&s;t place, the Lordes meaning is, that we &s;hould not v&s;e any vnlawe|full or forbidden meanes to helpe our &s;elues, or which might any way, were it neuer &s;o &s;mall, withdrawe vs from his true &s;eruice and wor&s;hip. And be|&s;ides, hee would not haue vs &s;et our whole minde and affection vppon the meanes which hee giueth vs, nor yet tru&s;t altogether vnto the~: But depend vpon his onely prouidence: and make his helpe our buckler: con&s;idering that it is hee which ray&s;eth vppe the meanes for vs: and he who without a|ny worldely meanes, and again&s;t all hope, is able, and can defende vs:<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. of the kinges 19. Chap.</NOTE> as he &s;hewed vnto Ezechias king of Iu|dah: when in one night the Angell of the Lord &s;lew an hundred foure &s;core and fiue thou&s;and in the Tentes of the A&s;&s;yrians. Ouer and be&s;ides all this, it be&s;eemeth not Chri&s;tians &s;o to fly the Cro&s;&s;e and e&s;chew it, as if they &s;hould alwaies carrie it away with the force of mightie armies:<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 110.</NOTE> &s;eeing that Chri&s;t reigneth in the mide&s;t of his enimies, and maketh his Church flouri&s;h and waxe fre&s;h amidde&s;t the greate&s;t per|&s;ecutions. According, as that aunci|ent
<PB N="202" REF="125" MS="y"> Doctor Tertullian, writing to <HI>Sca|pula,</HI> pre&s;ident of Carthage, te&s;tifieth, where hee &s;ayth, That the Church of Chri&s;t is of &s;uch a nature, as that the more it is de&s;pitefully entreated and per&s;ecuted, &s;o much the more it is ad|uaunced and &s;trongly edified.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e. 19.</NOTE><HI>Our per&s;ecutors are &s;wifter than the Ea|gles of the heauen.)</HI> Surely the compa|ri&s;on is good: for in verie deede, the flight of an Egle is maruelous &s;wift: as Ari&s;totle in his 9. booke of the hi&s;tory of liuing creatures writeth. They flie, I &s;ay, &s;o hie, as that this foule is called the heauenly birde: and Ieremie cal|leth them the Aegles of heauen, for their high flying, by rea&s;on whereof they &s;eeme as it were, to pear&s;e the heauens. Now we reade in the 39. of Ieremie, howe &s;wiftly the Chaldeans pur&s;ued the king that fledde from Ie|ru&s;alem.</P>
<P><HI>The breath of our no&s;ethrilles, the an|nointed of the Lorde)</HI> It hath beene &s;aid in the preface and argument of this Chapter,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e. 20.</NOTE> that &s;ome referre this place vnto king Io&s;ias, although the whole circum&s;taunces plainely &s;hewe, that it is to bee referred to king Zedechias. And it is no newe thing in the &s;crip|ture,
<PB N="203" REF="125"> to haue wicked kinges adorned and beautified with honourable titles: as we &s;ee that Saul and others, were called the anointed of the Lorde:<NOTE PLACE="marg">The vvic|kedne&s;&s;e of Princes ma+keth their office no whit the wor&s;e.</NOTE> not in regarde of their per&s;ons, but in re|&s;pect of their charge &amp; calling which they receiued from God: For, the wic|kedne&s;&s;e of kinges maketh not the of|fice any whit the wor&s;e; neither doth the wicked gouernment and loo&s;e be|hauiour of many married per&s;ons pre|iudice the honourable e&s;tate of mari|age: and withall, all the kinges i&s;&s;uing from the hou&s;e of Dauid are honou|rable, becau&s;e <HI>y^e</HI> from them, as touch|ing the fle&s;h, our Sauiour mu&s;t come. The hi&s;torie of king Zedechias that was taken in his flight, is to be founde in the 23. Chapter of the 2. booke of the Kinges. And in the yeare of our Lord 1453. the like i&s;&s;ue as it were, had Con&s;tantine Paliologue, the la&s;t Em|perour of Con&s;tantinople, who flying away, was put to death, after that Ma|homet the &s;econde had be&s;ieged the &s;aid Citie, &amp; taken it by a&s;&s;ault a little while after. But <HI>y^e</HI> which fell vpon Ze|dechias, was farre more lamentable: becau&s;e that in his owne &s;ight his own children, and the greate&s;t part of the
<PB N="204" REF="126"> nobilitie, were &s;laine: and him&s;elfe ha|uing his eyes put out,<NOTE PLACE="marg">God ab|horreth the fal&s;ifying of faith in one Prince to another and in his good time greeuou&s;ly punisheth the &s;ame.</NOTE> &amp; fettered with copper chaines, was ledde pri&s;oner to Babylon: which was more greeuous vnto him than death it &s;elfe. And this was his puni&s;hment, fir&s;t, for his rebel|lion again&s;t God, and next, for his re|bellion again&s;t the king of Babylon, vnto whom he had fal&s;ified his fayth: whereupon he was wrapped and foul|ded in all kinde of mi&s;erie: For, no flying could &s;aue him, nor any &s;ecret place hide him, when as God would haue him render an account. For, God is not bound to keepe promi&s;e, and be fauourable with, and to tho&s;e, which will not keepe their faith, and be obe|dient, with, and to him: So that when God forbiddeth vs not to touch his anointed,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 105.</NOTE> he meaneth that we &s;hould not touch tho&s;e Princes, which ho|nour and acknowledge him for their &s;oueraigne: otherwi&s;e it is meete that they execute their office: for God is no acceptor of per&s;ons, and they &s;hall die as well as the re&s;t, as Dauid in his 82. P&s;alme &s;ayth:
<Q><L>How long will ye, corrupt Judges,</L>
<L>Fal&s;e iudgement then awarde,</L></Q></P>
<P>And afterwarde he &s;ayth,
<Q><PB N="205" REF="126">
<L>Yet notwithstanding ye &s;hall die</L>
<L>as men, and &s;o decaie,</L>
<L>Thus &s;hall ye Princes pa&s;&s;e from hence</L>
<L>a&s;well as we, J &s;ay.</L></Q></P>
<P>And in the 49. P&s;alme, he &s;peaketh of kings that &s;hall be fettered in yron chaynes. Now, the Prophet Ieremie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A note worthy the ob&s;eruati|on.</NOTE> by the way, meaneth to reprehende and taxe the fooli&s;h confidence which the Iewes had in their king Zedechias, vnder who&s;e &s;hadowe they looked for nothing but peace and quietne&s;&s;e. For although the Lorde in verie deede, of|tentimes co~municateth vnto vs great benefites by the handes of all kinges and Princes, as in the 4. Chapter of the fir&s;t booke of the kinges we reade, that in the dayes of Salomon euerie man liued peaceably vnder his vine and figge tree, and that for that cau&s;e kinges are compared to great trees full of greene leaues, vnder which, manie liuing creatures &s;hadow them|&s;elues:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Daniel. 4.</NOTE> yet mu&s;t wee put great diffe|rence betwixt good Princes, and wic|ked and Apo&s;tate Princes, in which ranke Zedechias was one: and yet withall, very good Princes are &s;ubiect to alterations and chaunges, and eue|rie man is a lyar, whereof wee haue a
<PB N="206" REF="127" MS="y"> notable example in the per&s;on of Sa|lomon: and therefore the &s;ure&s;t way for vs, is to beleeue that which Dauid &s;etteth downe in 33. P&s;alme, ver. 12.16. where he &s;ayth: <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is that nation who&s;e God is the Lorde: The King is not &s;aued by the multitude of an hoast:</HI> And in the 146. P&s;alme, ver. 3.4. he &s;ayth: <HI>Put not you your trust in Princes, nor in the &s;onne of man, for there is no help in him His breath departeth, and he returneth to his earth, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>The complaint of Ieremie, taken from the king of Iudah, putteth mee in remembraunce of &s;uch thinges as in our dayes haue come to pa&s;&s;e about the Churches that profe&s;&s;ed the Go&s;|pell, which is, that the greate&s;t Prin|ces among&s;t them, and of whom mo&s;t account was made: as namely the two braue and &s;tout Princes, Fredericke Duke of Saxon, &amp; Philip Landgraue He&s;&s;on fell into the enemies handes in the dayes of the Prote&s;tantes wars: as al&s;o of later date, but after a more cruell and barbarous manner, hath beene &s;eene trapped, the vertuous men of note, my Lordes the Prince of Conde, and the Admirall Cha&s;til|lon, vnder who&s;e two &s;hadowes, the
<PB N="207" REF="127"> worlde verily thought the Churches &s;hould &s;afely and peaceably remaine: as in deede the Lorde had brought great things to pa&s;&s;e by them. But be|cau&s;e we cannot, or at lea&s;t will not, but make fle&s;h &amp; bloud too too much our Arme: therefore the Lorde will haue &s;uch Princely nouri&s;h fathers to be taken from vs, to the end we &s;hould call vpon him, and &s;ay as Dauid in his 57. P&s;alme, ver. 1.2. &s;ayde: <HI>Haue mer|cie vpon me, O God, haue mercie vpon me: for my &s;oule tru&s;teth in thee, and in the &s;hadow of thy winges will J trust, till the&s;e afflictions be ouerpa&s;&s;ed. J will call vppon the most high God, euen vpon the God that performeth his promi&s;e towardes mee.</HI> And in verie deede, It hath beene alwayes the meaning of our good God to de|clare vnto his people, that although he ray&s;ed vp kinges who &s;hould be as remembraunces of the Me&s;&s;iah, yet for all that, that they &s;hould not think, that it was eyther Salomon, Ezechias, or yet Zedechias, who were but wret|ched &s;inners, and &s;ubiect to manie in|conueniences, who&s;e kingdomes al&s;o came to an ende, that they mu&s;t looke for, but for the true king, who&s;e king|dome is euerla&s;ting, and who&s;e n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">me
<PB N="208" REF="128"> &s;hould be called <HI>The God of our righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI> as in the 23. of Ieremie wee reade. It is hee alone, as Zacharie in the fir&s;t of S. Luke writeth, <HI>That &s;hall &s;aue vs from the handes of our enemies, that wee might &s;erue him without feare in holine&s;&s;e and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>THE THIRD AND LAST part of the fourth Chapter.</HEAD>
<P N="21"><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">chin.</NOTE><HI>21</HI> REioyce and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the lande of Vr: the cup al&s;o &s;hall pa&s;&s;e through vnto thee: thou &s;halt be dronken and vomit.</P>
<P N="22"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ta<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE><HI>22</HI> Thy puni&s;hment is accompli&s;hed, O daughter Syon; he will no more carrie thee away into captiuitie, but will vi&s;ite thine iniquitie, O daughter Edom, and di&s;couer thy &s;innes.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="notes">
<HEAD>CERTAINE NOTES vpon this la&s;t part.</HEAD>
<P>_IN this thirde and la&s;t part of the Chapter, the Prophet addre&s;&s;eth his &s;peech vnto the enimies of the Church: but e&s;pe|cially to the Idumeans, vnto whom is
<PB N="209" REF="128"> foretolde their ruine: and with &s;uch reprochfull wordes as a cruell and an vngodly Nation de&s;erueth: as if the Prophet &s;houlde haue &s;aide thus. I would not wi&s;h you thinke, O ye Idu|means, that poore mi&s;erable Iudah a|lone, &s;hal lie &s;oaking in the&s;e mi&s;eries, and drinke the &s;ower &s;oupe alone that is within this cup: but that you al&s;o &s;hall haue your turne, and marche in your owne ranke. The like reuolution al&s;o the Prophet Obadiah in the 16. and 17. ver&s;es of his prophe&s;ie, fore|tolde vnto the Idumeans, &s;aying: <HI>As ye haue dronke vpon mine holy mountaine, &s;o &s;hall all the heathen drinke continually: yea they &s;hall drinke and &s;wallowe downe, and they &s;hall bee as though they had not beene. But vpon mount Syon &s;hall be deli|ueraunce, &amp;c.</HI> To the &s;ame purpo&s;e al|&s;o &s;peaketh the Prophet Michah in his 7. Chapter, ver. 8.9.10. &s;aying: <HI>Re|ioyce not again&s;t me, O mine enemie: though I fall, I &s;hall ri&s;e: when I &s;hal &s;itte in dark|ne&s;&s;e, the Lorde &s;hall be a light vnto mee. J will beare the wrath of the Lorde, becau&s;e I haue &s;inned against him, vntill he plead my cau&s;e, and execute iudgement for mee: then will he bring mee foorth to the light, and J &s;hall &s;ee his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. Then &s;he
<PB N="210" REF="129"> that is mine enemie, &s;hall looke vppon it, and &s;hame &s;hall couer her which &s;ayde vnto me, where is the Lorde thy God? Mine eyes &s;hall beholde her: and &s;ee her trooden downe as the mire in the &s;treetes, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Moreouer, we are to note this ex|cellent manner of &s;peaking v&s;ed in the holy Scripture, when as the Prophet &s;ayth: <HI>That the cup &s;hall pa&s;&s;e vnto the Jdumeans:</HI> and as it is al&s;o &s;ayde in the 75. P&s;alme ver. 8. <HI>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 &s;ame: &s;urely all the wicked of the worlde &s;hall wring out, and drinke the dregs thereof.</HI> Which &s;aying is thus much to declare vnto vs, that like as the father of an hou&s;holde di&s;tributeth to euery one his portion and due, euen &s;o doth our great God, appoint to euerie one his charge, puni&s;hment and cha&s;ti&s;e|ment, but yet to diuer&s;e ends and pur|po&s;es: For, this drinke is to &s;ome, to wit, to the elect of God, an hole&s;ome medicine, as a draught of wine mode|rately taken is comfortable and glad|&s;ome to the heart of man. For other|wi&s;e, as Dauid writeth in his 16. P&s;alm ver. 5. <HI>The Lorde is their portion and their cup, &amp;c.</HI> But it de&s;troyeth the wicked,
<PB N="211" REF="129"> euen as the dregges of wine which dronkardes drinke, de&s;troyeth them. Such a cup of drinke was it that was giuen to the Idumeans, who &s;hould be di&s;couered 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|&s;ie, ver. 10.11.12.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Genne&s;. 9.</NOTE> hath more expre&s;&s;e|ly declared, &s;aying: <HI>J haue di&s;couered E&s;au, I haue vncouered his &s;ecretes: and be &s;hall not bee able to hide him&s;elfe: his &s;eede is wa&s;ted, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and there &s;hall be none to &s;ay: Leaue thy fatherle&s;&s;e children, and I will pre&s;erue them aliue, and let thy widdowes tru&s;t in me: beholde, they who&s;e iudgement was not to drinke of the cup, haue a&s;&s;uredly drunke, and art thou hee that &s;hall e&s;cape free? Thou &s;halt not go free, but &s;halt &s;ure|ly drinke of it, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Now it may be asked, howe it com|meth to pa&s;&s;e, why the&s;e Idumeans are &s;et before vs, as the greate&s;t enemies of the Church: &s;eeing they were de|&s;cended from the auncient fathers. For E&s;au, who was &s;urnamed Edom, that is to &s;ay, Redde, becau&s;e he &s;olde his birthright of elder&s;hip for a me&s;&s;e
<PB N="212" REF="130"> of redde potage, as in the 25. of Gene|&s;is we reade, was the &s;onne of I&s;aak, Iacobs brother. The rea&s;ons which hereon are to be noted, are the&s;e: fir&s;t, the righteous and vn&s;earchable iudg|mentes of God: who hated E&s;au, and made his mountaines de&s;olate, &amp; yet iu&s;tly, as in the 1. of Malachy we read. For, throughout all the &s;criptures may be &s;eene an extreme pride, and a very reuolting in E&s;au, and in al his, who &s;eque&s;tred and withdrewe them|&s;elues into the mount Seir, and there tru&s;ting to their fortre&s;&s;es, lay in wait to vexe and trouble their brethren, in euerie place where they were able, as in the prophe&s;ie of Obadiah: and in the 137. P&s;alme we may read. And the inhumanitie and cruelty of the&s;e peo|ple was &s;o great, as that they denied pa&s;&s;age vnto their poore bretheren which were comming out of Aegypt: notwith&s;tanding that they mo&s;t hum|bly be&s;ought them, as in the 20. chap|ter of Nombers may be &s;eene: To bee &s;hort, this was but a mingle mangle in their religion, although they were cir|cumci&s;ed: for there was nothing in them, but pride in their manners and behauiours, and violence in their
<PB N="213" REF="130"> actions. And without all doubt, the fa|milie of Caine and E&s;au was but a fi|gure and repre&s;entation of the tyran|nie, Apo&s;ta&s;ie, and wickedne&s;&s;e of An|tichri&s;t: who after hee had once be|gunne to di&s;turbe Chri&s;tian Religion, and had attayned to great authoritie and power: &s;et vp him&s;elfe more cru|elly again&s;t all true and faithful Chri|&s;tians, then all the re&s;t 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 &s;ucce&s;&s;ors of Peter: For, the Pope is &s;uch a &s;ucce&s;&s;or to Peter,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A compa|ri&s;on.</NOTE> in the or|der of all his dealings, as E&s;au and the Idumeans were Succe&s;&s;ors to Abra|ham. Neither mu&s;t we be di&s;couraged, or thinke that God will continually &s;uffer and abide this his arrogant and &s;hamele&s;&s;e boldne&s;&s;e: but let him bee a&s;&s;ured that he &s;hall al&s;o drinke of the cuppe with the Idumeans: and that this great Babylon &s;hall come downe, which hath doone thus manie and &s;o great wickedne&s;&s;e, and &s;pilt &s;o much Chri&s;tian bloud: as in the 18. of the Apocalip&s;e is foretolde.</P>
<P><HI>That dwellest in the lande of Hur)</HI> Hur, was Aram his &s;onne, and Sem
<PB N="214" REF="131"> his Nephew, from whome are i&s;&s;ued the Aramites, that is to &s;ay, the Syri|ans: who were neighbours to the Idu|means in Trachonite: which is the countrie of Hur, of which countrey, as &s;ome &s;uppo&s;e, Iob was.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 22.</NOTE><HI>Thine iniquitie is con&s;umed, or thy pu|ni&s;hment is accompli&s;hed)</HI> The Hebrewe worde, <HI>Tam,</HI> &s;ignifieth not only perfe|ction, but al&s;o an ende and con&s;um|mation. Nowe, Ieremie his meaning is not, That the iniquities &s;hould be &s;o con&s;umed, as that there &s;hould be no more account made of them, but that the puni&s;hmentes and cha&s;ti&s;ements of their iniquities were ended &amp; pa&s;t. For, after that the 70. yeares were en|ded, the Lordes anger was pa&s;t, and it neuer fell out after that, that all the people were ledde captiue: vntill &s;uch time as for their not acknowledging the day of their vi&s;itation, &amp; for their de&s;pitefully contemning of the glad tydinges of grace, the Citie of Ieru&s;a|lem was ra&s;ed by Tytus and Ve&s;pa&s;i|an, and all their gouernement ouer|throwen and brought to naught. Whe~ the Prophet &s;ayth, <HI>That their iniquities and cha&s;ti&s;ementes were pa&s;t:</HI> it is &s;poken to &s;hewe vnto vs, That God is not al|wayes
<PB N="215" REF="131"> 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 I&s;aiah, ver. 12. we read, where it is &s;aide: <HI>Comfort yee, comfort yee my people, will your God &s;aye, Speake comfortably to Jeru&s;alem, and crie vnto her, that her warfare is accompli&s;hed, and her iniquitie pardoned</HI> Let them then, that with great arrogancie, and bolde confidence, looke vpon the ca|lamities that haue lighted vpo~ France, and vppon the Lowe Countries, and haue of them no compa&s;&s;ion, but at|tribute tho&s;e puni&s;hmentes, to come to them, either for their maintaining of the Go&s;pell, or el&s;e for the di&s;&s;olute and wicked liues of the &s;aide Nations, thinking it as it were to be a iu&s;t reco~|pence, and very well be&s;towed on the~: remember them&s;elues, that the ini|quitie of tho&s;e afflicted people &s;hall be con&s;umed, and their cup emptied,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A good le&s;&s;on for E. to learn, and beware in time.</NOTE> 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 &s;ecuritie: and make the~ drinke by turne, of the cuppe of his wrath: and their drinke &s;halbe &s;owrer &amp; bitterer, than euer they were proud,
<PB N="216" REF="132" MS="y"> vncourteous, and lulled a &s;leepe, in their &s;innes and iniquities.<NOTE PLACE="marg">An admo|nition of Con&s;tan|tine the great to all his famili|ars.</NOTE> Wherefore it were verie requi&s;ite for euerie man to thinke wi&s;ely with him &s;elfe, and do as Con&s;tantine the great was woont to doe, which was this, he would com|monly admoni&s;h all tho&s;e that were about him, and &s;ay, my ma&s;ters, wee mu&s;t all of vs one day render an ac|count vnto God of our admini&s;trati|ons and gouernements. Which thing Dauid marueilou&s;ly well declareth in his 11. P&s;alme, ver. 4.5.6. &s;aying: <HI>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 &s;oule hateth the wicked. Vpon the wicked he will rayne, coles, fire, and brim&s;tone, and a &s;tormie tem|pe&s;t &s;hall be their cuppe, &amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="doctrines">
<HEAD>HERE FOLLOWE THE principall doctrines which were <HI>brieflie handled in the ob&s;er|uations or notes.</HI></HEAD>
<P><MILESTONE N="I">_OF the true ornamentes of common weales, and kingdomes.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="II"> Of the &s;orowful i&s;&s;ue and condition, which of|tentimes
<PB N="217" REF="132"> befalleth great per&s;onages. <MILESTONE N="III"></P>
<P>Of the degrees of puni&s;hments: ac|cording to the diuer&s;e and &s;undry de|grees and circum&s;tances of &s;innes: as for example, the people of Iudah com|plaine and &s;ay, that their puni&s;hment was more rigorous than the puni&s;h|ment of Sodome: for their vnthanke|fulne&s;&s;e al&s;o was farre greater. Now the captiuitie that they then were in, &s;eemed to them more rigorous than the de&s;truction of Sodome: fir&s;t, becau&s;e it &s;eemeth in very deede, to bee more gentle and tollerable, preci&s;ely to fall into the handes of God, than into the handes of men, euen as Dauid in the 24. of the 1. of Samuell &s;aid. Second|ly, we alwaies thinke &s;hort puni&s;hme~ts and aduer&s;ities more tollerable, then tho&s;e that continue long: as in the cap|tiuitie of Babylon, to beholde whiles Ieru&s;alem was be&s;ieged, the &s;tarued young children die of hunger in the &s;treetes: the horrible murders of the Babylonians, the nobilitie carried a|way captiue like poore bea&s;ts: the &s;an|ctuarie de&s;troied: to heare the bla&s;phe|mies of the barbarous people: To liue and not to haue the meanes to liue well, was a great deale more greeuous
<PB N="218" REF="133"> than if they had beene &s;uddenly ca&s;t downe hedlong into a dungeon, and beene con&s;umed with fire from heauen. In very deede as for that that remay|neth, the de&s;truction of Sodome is &s;et downe vnto vs in the &s;cripture, as a notorious and fearefull iudgement of God again&s;t the reprobate: as in the 13. of I&s;aiah. ver. 19. wee read, where it is &s;aide. <HI>That Babylon which is the glorie of kingdomes, &s;hall be in the de&s;truction of God, as Sodome and Gomorhe.</HI> And in the 34. of the &s;aide I&s;aiah, ver. 9.10. when a greeuous pu|ni&s;hment was denounced to the Idu|means, it is &s;aid, <HI>That the riuers ther|of &s;hould bee turned into pitch, and the du&s;t thereof into brim&s;tone, and the lande thereof &s;hould be burning pitch: it &s;hall not be quenched night nor day, and the &s;moke thereof, &s;hall go vp euer more.</HI> And in the 7. ver&s;e of S. Iude his Epi&s;tle it is al&s;o &s;aide, <HI>That Sodome and Gomorhe and the Cities about them, are &s;et foorth for an example, and &s;uffer the vengeance of eternall fire.</HI> And therefore the Pro|phet Ieremie his meaning is not to compare in euery condition, the capti|uitie, with the de&s;truction of Sodom<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">
<PB N="219" REF="133"> and Gomorrhe: but only that in re&s;pect of the continuaunce, it &s;eemed that the Sodomites were &s;ooner ridde and di&s;|patcht.</P>
<P>Here is al&s;o to be noted the place of <MILESTONE N="IIII"> the Nazarites, vnto which they whom Ba&s;ill calleth the order of <HI>ASCETES,</HI> are like: who were not like Monkes and Fryers, and that iolly rabble which liued in howling and chaun|ting: But a choi&s;e kinde of people, that v&s;ed a &s;traite manner of life in all vertuous thinges, and e&s;peci|ally in the exerci&s;es of all godline&s;&s;e, and reading of the holy &s;criptures, not meaning thereby to merite heauen, but rather to tame their fle&s;h: not ty|ing them&s;elues to any humane tradi|tion: For, it is lawfull for euery Chri|&s;tian that hath this gift of God, to co~|mand what&s;oeuer particular exerci&s;es of pietie he will.</P>
<P>The fift point is, how cruell a thing <MILESTONE N="V"> the rodde and &s;courge of famine is.</P>
<P>The &s;ixt doctrine is of the greatnes of Gods wrath: whereof hath beene <MILESTONE N="VI"> heretofore &s;ufficiently &s;poken.</P>
<P>Of the &s;ignes of a neare de&s;truction <MILESTONE N="VII"> of a Countrey, and what an ill pre&s;age it is, when as the Gouernours and
<PB N="220" REF="134"> Teachers of the people ouerflowe in wickedne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="VIII"> Of the vaine confidence in the arme of fle&s;h and bloud.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="IX"> Of the &s;hortne&s;&s;e, weakene&s;&s;e, and incon&s;tancie of the greate&s;t Princes and mightie&s;t kinges, of the &s;hortne&s;&s;e of their liues, and how &s;ubiect they are vnto a thou&s;ande inconueniences and chaunges.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="X"> Of the boundes which the Lord li|miteth to our mi&s;eries, appointing them certaine periodes, and making all people come to their turne &amp; cour&s;e when they are called by name.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="paraphrase">
<HEAD>A PARAPHRASE VPON the fourth Chapter.</HEAD>
<P>_BEholde, I be&s;eech you, <MILESTONE N="1"> howe all our glorious glittering is bedimmed: beholde I &s;ay, if euer ye &s;awe fine golde, or any ingote of the mo&s;t excellent golde, &s;o dusked in the midde&s;t of a furnace, as were all the glittering and beautifull outwarde &s;hewes that were among vs: beholde, (alas) how all the goodly an<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters"> beautifull &s;tones of this proud and &s;a+cred
<PB N="221" REF="134"> Temple are &s;cattered about all the corners of the &s;treetes.</P>
<P>Howe, for&s;ooth, the noble men of <MILESTONE N="2"> Iudah, who were of an other manner of mettall than the fine&s;t golde in the worlde, are no more e&s;teemed nor ca|red for, then olde earthen pitchers.</P>
<P>O &s;traunge and fearefull ca&s;e: That there &s;hould be founde wilde bea&s;tes, <MILESTONE N="3"> yea in the midde&s;t of the mercile&s;&s;e &s;ea, to &s;wimme to the &s;hore, and giue their young ones &s;ucke: and to &s;ee the women of Ieru&s;alem more cruel than the O&s;tryches of the wilderne&s;&s;e, not to be able to do the like duety to their &s;ucking babes.</P>
<P>For, the famine (alas) in this be|&s;ieged <MILESTONE N="4"> Citie was &s;uch, as that the drie tongues of poore thir&s;tie babes, &s;tucke fa&s;t to the ruffe of their mouthes, and be&s;ides, there was manye and often times &s;eene, during that &s;iege, poore children houlding vp their hands, cra|uing of a peice of bread, who&s;e fathers and mothers were not able to afourd them the lea&s;t mor&s;ell to put in their mouthes.</P>
<P>Yea euen they that were wonted to <MILESTONE N="5"> fare mo&s;t delicately, and liued mo&s;t ea&s;ily and plea&s;auntly, died of hunger,
<PB N="222" REF="135"> and threw vpon the myerie doonghils of the &s;treets, the mo&s;t rich and &s;ump|tuous apparell, and mo&s;t co&s;tly furni|ture that was in all the Citie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6"> So that it verily &s;eemed that the e|&s;tate of this mi&s;erable people, was far wretchedder than the &s;tate of Sodom and Gomorrhe, who langui&s;hed not &s;o long, but were &s;oone co~&s;umed with fire, without falling into the hands of the enemie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="7"> But among the re&s;t, what an heart|breake, I pray you, was this, to &s;ee the venerable and reuerende Nazarites, reuerende euerie may, both for their godline&s;&s;e, deuotion, comeline&s;&s;e of bodie, and well coulored faces: which God had made whiter than eyther milke or &s;nowe, yea more orient than eyther pearles, or yet white Sa|phires.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="8"> And now, (Alas) were become &s;o tawnie coulored and disfigured, as that no man was able to knowe them that mette them in the &s;treetes. They were (alas) drier than anie kexe, &s;o as their skinne cleaued to the verie bones.</P>
<P>Thus wee &s;ee, what a &s;courge fa|mine <MILESTONE N="9"> is, which woundeth more cruel|ly
<PB N="223" REF="135"> than the edge of the Sword, and the death of tho&s;e that died for want of victualles was more greeuous, than they that were runne through and through with a launce &s;taffe, or with a &s;harpe pointed &s;worde.</P>
<P>For this was a mon&s;trous &s;ight to <MILESTONE N="10"> &s;ee in this famine, mothers, who at all other times, were &s;aide to bee tender hearted, and yet in this mi&s;erable di|&s;tre&s;&s;e of Ieru&s;alem, had &s;uch harde hearts, as that they &s;lewe their owne children, and after boyled and ro&s;ted them, to &s;atisfie their hunger, for the prolonging of their mi&s;erable liues.</P>
<P>But what &s;hall I &s;ay? It was the <MILESTONE N="11"> wrath, and iu&s;t furie of the eternall a|gain&s;t their &s;innes, which nowe were growen to a full mea&s;ure. It was the fierce wrath of the Almightie, who ra|&s;ed euerie thing to the bare ground.</P>
<P>Otherwi&s;e, there were neuer anie <MILESTONE N="12"> that once dur&s;t thinke, that anie &s;uch &s;hame &s;hould touch vs: no, not the mo&s;t &s;tout and mightie Monarches of the worlde, neuer thought that they &s;hould euer haue come to &s;o good a market of vs, nor our enemies to haue &s;o tryumphed ouer vs in the midde&s;t of our gates, and holy places of Ieru|&s;alem.</P>
<PB N="224" REF="136">
<P><MILESTONE N="13"> And therefore wee mu&s;t take it to come by rea&s;on of our &s;innes: yea eue~ by rea&s;on of the &s;innes of the&s;e iollie Prophetes and Prie&s;tes, who chiefely &s;educed the people, to cau&s;e them to liue loo&s;ely, and were al&s;o the mo&s;t cruell, mutinous, and extreame dea|lers in all kinde of violence.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="14"> Euen to runne blinded with rage through the &s;treetes, like di&s;traught people, and to &s;pill &s;o much bloud, as that their verie garments were all em|brued with bloud.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="15"> So as they cryed out vnto them, ac|cording to the ordinance of the lawe; depart ye men defiled with bloud, de|part &amp; defile not others. And indeede God did verie wel to cau&s;e the~ depart, and take their flight to &s;ome place els: In &s;o much as that the verie Heathen &s;korned them for it and &s;ayde, That they &s;houlde looke no more to defile the &s;anctuarie, whereunto they &s;hould neuer returne againe.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="16"> Con&s;idering that it was the iu&s;t wrath and vengeance of God, to haue them di&s;per&s;ed: and co~mitted into the enemies handes, who were &s;o merci|le&s;&s;e, as that they re&s;pected not Prie&s;ts,
<PB N="225" REF="136"> nor yet age.</P>
<P>And yet notwith&s;tanding, we poore <MILESTONE N="17"> fooles, we I &s;ay, euen vnto this pre&s;ent haue fixed our eyes vppon the vaine aide of &s;traungers, and wee, as a man would &s;ay, v&s;e &s;harpely to looke out for the iolly helpe of Aegypt, &s;eeking for figges among thi&s;tles or bryers.</P>
<P>But we are well ynough &s;erued. For <MILESTONE N="18"> beholde we are &s;o pend in, as that we are watched in the &s;treetes: neither is it lawefull for vs to come out of our dores: our ende (alas) and terme is come and fini&s;hed: wee are vtterly vndone.</P>
<P>The Aegles which &s;oare and cut the <MILESTONE N="19"> highe&s;t cloudes in the ayre, are not &s;wifter nor nimbler than our enemies, that pur&s;ue vs through the mou~taines: yea they laye waite for vs in the wil|derne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>And that (alas) which mo&s;t di&s;co~|forteth <MILESTONE N="20"> vs, is the king our Mai&s;ter, the Lordes annointed, who was woont to put vs in a &s;noring &s;leepe, and vnder the &s;hadowe of who&s;e whinges, wee thought our &s;elues very &s;afe, and hee that v&s;ed to ie&s;t at the Heathe~, is now him&s;elfe fallen into the handes of his enemies, fettered like a &s;claue, and
<PB N="226" REF="137"> carried away captiue.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="21"> Goe to nowe yee Idumeans, a peo|ple which haue alwayes reioyced at our mi&s;eries: &s;tretch out your &s;elues nowe, cheare vp your &s;elues with our mi&s;eries, and bath yee in them: and doe it &s;o much the rather, becau&s;e ye &s;hall &s;hortly be taught to daunce the &s;elfe &s;ame daunce, and lie &s;oaking in the &s;ame bath, wherein we nowe lie a &s;oake: and &s;hall drinke your filles out of the &s;ame cup: vntill &s;uch time as ye be di&s;couered, and your &s;hame laide wide open.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="22"> As for thee Syon, and thou people of Iudah, thy reckoning is ended and thy mi&s;erie wearing away: GOD is for the re&s;t, contented with that which thou ha&s;te fuffered for thy &s;innes. 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 &s;innes, cruelties, and wicked|ne&s;&s;e, which hee will bring in euidence again&s;t thee.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="227" REF="137">
<HEAD><HI>THE FIFT CHAPTER.</HI> Th Argument of the Chapter.</HEAD>
<P>_THIS Chapter is com|monly called: <HI>The praier of the Prophet Ieremie:</HI> for it carrieth not with it the like argument that the others do: but &s;eemeth to be, as it were, a verie recapitulation of the la|mentations. The order of the Alpha|bet is not ob&s;erued in this Chapter, but beginneth &amp; endeth with a pray|er: whereupon it is called, <HI>The prayer of Ieremie.</HI> For, although the Lord was fully re&s;olued, as heretofore wee haue &s;hewed, to accompli&s;h his furie, and exerci&s;e his iu&s;t iudgementes vppon the captiued people into Babylon: yet for all that, on the other &s;ide, the mi|&s;erable Iewes were promi&s;ed to be one day deliuered, as in the 29. of Ieremie ver. 10.12. we read in the&s;e very words: <HI>After &s;euentie yeares</HI> (&s;ayth the Lorde) <HI>be accompli&s;hed at Babell: I will vi&s;ite you, and performe my good promi&s;e towarde you, and cau&s;e you to returne vnto this place: Then &s;hall yee crie vnto mee, and yee &s;hall goe and pray vnto mee, and J will heare
<PB N="228" REF="138"> you, &amp;c.</HI> By the&s;e wordes Ieremie tea|cheth vs, not to be faint hearted, nor yet yeelde, no not vnto the mo&s;t ex|treame greeuous, and intollerable tri|bulations and afflictions, but rather with an invincible a&s;&s;urance laye fa&s;t holde vppon this anker of fayth and hope, in the infallible promi&s;es of our God, which the Apo&s;tle in the 6. to the Hebrewes, ver&s;e 19. calleth, <HI>The &s;ure and &s;tedfa&s;t anker of the &s;oule.</HI> Vpon this anker did good Kinge Ezechias lay fa&s;t hould, when as after hee had heard the wicked bla&s;phemies of Rab|&s;haketh, hee &s;ent Amba&s;&s;adours vnto I&s;aiah,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;aiah. 57.4.</NOTE> <HI>praying him to lift vp his prayer vnto God, for the re&s;idue that were left:</HI> that is to &s;ay, to pray feruently and ef|fectually. See al&s;o howe the Prophet Habacucke concludeth his prophe&s;ie with a prayer in his 3. Chapter. For, after he vnder&s;toode by an e&s;peciall reuelation, that many great calami|ties &s;hould light vpon the people, hee pre&s;ented him&s;elfe both in his owne name, and in the name of all the peo|ple, before the diuine Maie&s;tie, giuing to th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> re&s;t a forme of mo&s;t humble &amp; hear<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">e prayer, according to the pro|mi&s;e which we haue in the 50. P&s;alme
<PB N="229" REF="138"> ver. 1. where it is &s;ayde, <HI>Call vpon me in the day of trouble, and I will heare thee.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The teares &amp; praiers of the faith+ful are ve|ry effectu|all before God.</NOTE></P>
<P>And it was al&s;o verie well &s;ayde of S. Ambro&s;e, That teares and prayers are the very true armour and weapons of the &s;eruantes of God: yea, armour and weapons of great effect, and terrible to the wicked.</P>
<P>Now, there are in this Chapter con|tayned three pointes. For, in the fiue fir&s;t ver&s;es is compri&s;ed the proporti|on, abridging, and abating of the mi|&s;erie, not to the ende to make knowen vnto GOD a thing which he before knewe not: but by our humilitie, to drawe him to compa&s;&s;ion, and make vs our &s;elues vnder&s;tande and feele our mi&s;eries. And to make the matter more lamentable, the Prophet like|neth the people to poore fatherle&s;&s;e children and widdowes, which kinde of people are greatly to be pitied, and are recommended in the lawe, forbid|ding any man to hurt them, as in the 16. and 24. of Deutron. we may read. Ieremie amplifieth this complaint, by the excellencie of the thinges which they had lo&s;t, as of their &s;o honoura|ble po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions which were deliuered vp vnto the Heathen: and of their ex|treame
<PB N="230" REF="139"> pouertie, and how the people with the endaungering of their liues, mu&s;t get their foode, and howe that hunger oftentimes cau&s;eth men take ill coun&s;ell and part, &s;o that they be|ing pre&s;&s;ed with hunger, were brought to &s;ubmit them&s;elues vnto the Aegyp|tians and A&s;&s;yrians, for bread: In &s;o much that in &s;teed of abundance they &s;uffred want, in &s;teede of libertie, &s;cla|uerie: and that which was mo&s;t gree|uous, no age nor &s;exe was exempt, or &s;pared.</P>
<P>But here a que&s;tion may be moued, whether Ieremie keepeth a good or|der and right proceeding in his praier, yea or no, becau&s;e that in his prayer and petition, hee beginneth fir&s;t to craue worldly thinges. For it &s;eemeth, that it agreeth not with that order, that ought to bee in prayer, whereof the auncient Doctor Ba&s;il in his book of &s;olitarie life &s;peaketh, &s;aying: There is in prayer &s;ayth he, two partes? The fir&s;t, requireth the glorifying of God, with a true &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion: The other, the petition which wee entende to make vnto God. And therefore when thou entende&s;t to pray vnto god, thou mu&s;t not at the fir&s;t choppe, beginne with
<PB N="231" REF="139"> thy demaunde: for in &s;o dooing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">After what maner vve ought to beginne to pray.</NOTE> thou di&s;couere&s;t a di&s;hone&s;t kinde of ra&s;he boldne&s;&s;e, as though nothing el&s;e mo|ued thee to pray, but thy nece&s;&s;itie &amp; want. Wherefore, when thou meane&s;t to pray, ca&s;t thy &s;elfe, thy wife, thy children, yea and al the world be&s;ides, behinde thy backe: and then let thy heart a&s;cende into heauen, and be|ginne thy prayer for his glorie, who created all things both in heauen and in earth. And after thou ha&s;t glorified God, his power, goodne&s;&s;e, and Ma|ie&s;tie: and acknowledged thine owne wretchedne&s;&s;e, vnworthine&s;&s;e, and in|&s;ufficiencie, then craue at God his handes, that which thou ha&s;t to de|maunde, &amp;c. Thus wee &s;ee what Ba&s;il &s;aith. And this right well agreeth, with that forme of prayer which Ie&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elf hath taught vs, making vs beginne with &s;anctifying, hallowing of his name. But here we are to note, that God regardeth not &s;o much the order, and eloquence of wordes, as he doth the heart. In &s;o much that Iere|mie oftentimes in the chapters going before, highly co~mendeth the iu&s;tice of God, and te&s;tifieth the acknow|ledgement of the peoples &s;ins. La&s;tly,
<PB N="232" REF="140"> there is a difference betweene artifi|ciall prayers which a man vpon &s;ome meditation before hande, maketh and powreth out, although they be verie large, and tho&s;e prayers which S. Au|gu&s;tine calleth rouing prayers, as it were,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Augu&s;tine to Proba~.</NOTE> &s;hot out of a bow, which we &s;ud|denly and lightly powre out, euen as we finde our want.</P>
<P>The other part of Ieremie his pray|er, is a &s;ounde and free confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes, as in the &s;ixt ver&s;e may be &s;een. Woe be vnto vs, becau&s;e we haue &s;in|ned: And from that place and ver&s;e we drawe the interpretation of the 7. ver&s;e, where it is &s;aide: <HI>Our fathers haue &s;inned, and are not: and wee haue borne ini|quities.</HI> It &s;eemeth by the&s;e words that the Prophet murmureth, as though they had wrongfully &amp; without cau&s;e, borne the paine and puni&s;hment due to their Fathers: but when we conferre and compare it with the &s;aying of the 16. ver&s;e, it appeareth that Ieremie his meaning was nothing el&s;e, but accor|ding to that which is &s;ayde in the 9. of Daniel his prophe&s;ie ver. 5. &s;aying: <HI>We and our fathers haue &s;inned, &amp;c.</HI> Which thing al&s;o Ezechiel in the 18. chapter of his Prophe&s;ie ver. 2. makerh men|tion
<PB N="233" REF="140"> of, &s;aying: <HI>Our fathers haue eaten &s;ower grapes, and the children teeth are &s;et on edge:</HI> nowe this is not the Prophet his opinion, but the opinion of the Iewes: who tooke the wordes ami&s;&s;e: as afterwarde in the 20. ver&s;e is decla|red, for thus it is &s;aide: <HI>That the &s;oule that &s;inneth &s;hall die: and that God layeth no puni&s;hment vpon any man, except he<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> de&s;erueth it:</HI> And therefore the&s;e words of Ieremie, <HI>Our fathers haue &s;inned, and are not,</HI> are &s;poken only by way of la|menting the long continuance of the aduer&s;ities, from the fathers to the children: So that their aunce&s;tors that were dead, &s;eemed to haue e&s;caped farre better cheape, than they that li|ued, who &s;awe &s;o long a continuaunce of mi&s;eries. Howbeit in the 16. ver&s;e he acknowledgeth it to bee the iu&s;t vengeaunce of God. And therefore both the one and the other is true, that is to &s;ay, That the childe beareth the fathers iniquitie: for &s;o much as the children al&s;o are &s;inners: and it is all one rea&s;on with the Lorde to pu|ni&s;h the childre~, as well as the fathers: againe, it is true that the children beare their fathers puni&s;hmentes, and doe continue from the fathers to the
<PB N="234" REF="141"> &s;onne, yea many times vnto the third and fourth generation: but yet mo&s;t iu&s;tly, when as the iniquities of the fa|thers de&s;cende vnto the children by inheritaunce, and that when the chil|dren followe the wicked &s;teppes of their fathers, then many times the &s;innes of their aunce&s;tors are heaped vpon them, without God of his meere fauour and grace meaneth to exempt &s;ome one or other. And therefore Ie|remie his intent was nothing le&s;&s;e tha~ to flatter, or excu&s;e the people: whom he alwayes as &s;harpely reprooued as any Prophet could doe: as in verie deede, it is the office and dutie of Pa|&s;tors, to make men liuely feele the greeuou&s;ne&s;&s;e of their &s;innes: as S. Ie|rome very notably hath written vpon this place of the twelfe of Eccle&s;ia&s;tes ver. 11. <HI>The wordes of the wi&s;e are like goades.</HI> The&s;e wordes (&s;ayth he) are not &s;poken to flatter and &s;mooth men in their &s;innes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Flatterers the grea|te&s;t and mo&s;t nota|ble idiotes and fooles</NOTE> but to pricke and awake them that they might be &s;tirred vp to repentaunce. If wordes therefore be accompanied with flattery, a man may very well conclude, that they proceed not from a wi&s;e heart. &amp;c.</P>
<P>The third part of the chapter, from
<PB N="235" REF="141"> the 19. ver&s;e vnto the end, is a prayer, and petition full of holy deuotion, and an acknowledging of the greatne&s;&s;e of our God; as in the 19. ver&s;e, is cele|brated the eternitie and &s;tabilitie of the Lordes throne, which is oppo&s;ed vnto the frayle and weake thrones of earthly Princes, and of the Temple of Ieru&s;ale~, that was &s;et on fire &amp; burnt, and is as much as if Ieremie &s;houlde haue &s;aide. Although, O Lorde our God, all the world &s;hould tremble and &s;hake, and the Temple of Salomon become more ruinous than it is: yet thy glory, O thou mo&s;t high, remay|neth firme and &s;ure, and thy domini|on la&s;teth for euer, &amp; thou art &s;trong ynough to vphold and maintain tho&s;e that are thine. All the force of his ar|gument is in the 20. ver&s;e, where Ie|remie &s;ayth: <HI>Wherefore dost thou forget vs thine owne people for euer, &amp;c.</HI> For a Ma&s;ter of a hou&s;holde hath great care ouer his &s;eruauntes, and maintayneth them: now, wee O Lorde are thine, and therefore we be&s;eech thee to de|fende and vpholde vs. But it may bee that &s;ome man will &s;ay, why? Euerie Ma&s;ter is bound to do that, if he be a|ble whereunto Ieremie aun&s;wereth;
<PB N="236" REF="142" MS="y"> that God, who&s;e throne is euerla&s;ting, is full of abilitie to doe it. Againe on the other &s;ide, if any man would &s;aye, why? it is rea&s;on that euery ma~ &s;hould helpe his &s;eruaunts. But the&s;e people were &s;inners, and were reuolted from the obedience of the Lorde. Now Iere|my referreth al this vnto the free pro|mi&s;&s;e, &amp; maketh his foundation ther|on, according to the &s;aying of the P&s;al+mi&s;t in his 79. P&s;alme, <HI>We are the &s;heep of thy pa&s;ture:</HI> And in the 120. P&s;alme, the Prophet al&s;o concludeth in this manner, that by rea&s;on of the vnion which the faithfull haue with Chri&s;t, therfore as the throne of God is euer|la&s;ting, euen &s;o al&s;o &s;hal his &s;eruantes remaine and his church be pre&s;erued.</P>
<P>In the 21. ver&s;e followeth the de|mande, <HI>Conuert vs vnto thee O Lorde, and we &s;hall be conuerted.</HI> Euen thus do Va|table and Santes read this ver&s;e, and the greate&s;t number of the Interpre|tors vnder&s;tand this place to be meant of repenting and conuerting to God: out of which place, this doctrin of the Pelagians hath beene wonted to bee drawen: that it lieth not in our power and &s;trength to conuert: but we mu&s;t de&s;ire it at Gods handes with earne&s;t
<PB N="237" REF="142"> and feruent groanes: as Dauid in his 51. P&s;alme be&s;eecheth the Lord <HI>to cre|ate in him a pure and cleane heart.</HI> Our la|ter Interpretors, as Trimelius, and Iu|nius read it thus, <HI>Re&s;tore vs O Lorde a|gaine into our former e&s;tate, that wee may returne:</HI> as in the 80. P&s;alme it is &s;aid, <HI>Re&s;tabli&s;h vs O Lord God:</HI> as if he &s;hould haue &s;aide, <HI>Chaunge our captiuitie, O Lorde, into freedome, and bring vs againe into the lande of promi&s;e.</HI> The like words al&s;o we finde in the 126. P&s;alme, ver. 4. where it is &s;aid <HI>Cau&s;e vs O Lord, to return out of captiuitie.</HI> And thus much as touching the argume~t of this 5. Chap.</P>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>THE TEXT OF THE fift Chapter.</HEAD>
<P N="1"><HI>1</HI> REmember O Lord, what is come vnto vs: con&s;ider and behold our reproch.</P>
<P N="2"><HI>2</HI> Our inheritance is turned to the &s;tran|gers, and our hou&s;es to the Aliantes.</P>
<P N="3"><HI>3</HI> We are fatherle&s;&s;e, euen without fa|thers: and our mothers are as widowes.</P>
<P N="4"><HI>4</HI> We haue drunke our water for money, and our wood is &s;olde vnto vs.</P>
<P N="5"><HI>5</HI> Our neckes are vnder per&s;ecution: <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e are wearie, and haue no re&s;t.</P>
<P N="6"><HI>6</HI> We haue giuen our handes to the
<PB N="238" REF="143"> Egyptians, and to A&s;&s;hur to be &s;atified with bread.</P>
<P N="7"><HI>7</HI> Our fathers haue &s;inned and are not: and we haue borne their iniquities.</P>
<P N="8"><HI>8</HI> Seruauntes haue ruled ouer vs, and none would deliuer vs out of their handes.</P>
<P N="9"><HI>9</HI> We gate our bread with the perill of our liues, becau&s;e of the &s;worde of the wil|derne&s;se.</P>
<P N="10"><HI>10</HI> Our skinne was blacke like as an ouen, becau&s;e of the burning winde of fa|mine.</P>
<P N="11"><HI>11</HI> They defiled the women in Syon, and the maides in the Cities of Judah.</P>
<P N="12"><HI>12</HI> The Princes are hanged vp by thei<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters"> hande: the faces of the Elders were not had in honour.</P>
<P N="13"><HI>13</HI> They tooke the young men to grinde: and the children fell vnder the wood.</P>
<P N="14"><HI>14</HI> The Elders haue cea&s;ed from the gate: and the young men from their &s;onges.</P>
<P N="15"><HI>15</HI> The ioye of our heart is gone: our daunce is turned into mourning.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="observations">
<HEAD>CERTAINE OBSERVATI|ons vpon the fir&s;t part.</HEAD>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> <HI>_REmember O Lorde,)</HI> S. Ierome vpon this place had great rea+&s;on to &s;ay, that it was an vn|comely
<PB N="239" REF="143"> and vnfit thing to attribute forgetfulnes vnto God. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ut it is a kind of &s;peech which we v&s;e, when as wee would h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">e God let vs vnder&s;tand by &s;ome good and gracious effect, that he remembreth vs.</P>
<P><HI>Our inheritaunce)</HI> It is very God him <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> &s;elfe, to &s;peake properly, that is our true po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion and inheritaunce: as the Prophet Dauid in his 16. P&s;ame calleth him. But here Ieremie hath re|garde vnto the holy lande that was promi&s;ed to Abraham, I&s;aac, and Ia|cob, and their po&s;teritie, whereinto, by the e&s;peciall and wonderfull conduct of the mo&s;t mightie God, they were brou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ht: which lande, was as it were a vi&s;ible power and te&s;timonie of gods fauour, and of the incorruptible in|heritance, that was re&s;erued for them in heauen: as in very deede the Apo|&s;tle in the 12. to the Hebrewes. ver. 28 mo&s;t notably exhorteh vs: <HI>That wee &s;hould looke for a kingdome, which cannot be &s;haken: retaining notwith&s;tanding the grace, whereby we may &s;erue &amp; plea&s;e God in the ful obedience and reuerence of his ho|ly name, as becommeth his faithfull &s;er|uantes.</HI> And when&s;oeuer the Tyraunts of this world &s;hall driue vs out of our
<PB N="240" REF="144"> landes or po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, let vs remem|ber that wee are not tyed to anie cer|taine lande in this worlde <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nd that our Citizen&s;hip is in heauen: where al our ioy is, that is to &s;ay, Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, in whom and by whom, we are e&s;tabli|&s;hed the inheritors of the worlde, as in the 37. P&s;alme it is &s;aid, yea the ve|ry right &amp; true inheritors of al things: as S. Paule in the 8. to the Romanes teacheth. And therefore let it not greeue vs to &s;ee the wicked put vs out of our earthly manors or po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, but let vs &s;ay as Dauid in his 119. P&s;alme, ver. 19. &s;ayth: <HI>I am a &s;traunger vpon earth: hide not thy commaundements from me.</HI> And in the ver. 57. <HI>O Lord, thou art my portion, I haue determined to keepe thy wordes.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> <HI>We haue giuen our handes)</HI> Some vn|der&s;tande the&s;e wordes, as if the Iewes had made a couenant with the Aegyp|tians. But becau&s;e Ieremie &s;ayth as much in that behalfe of the A&s;&s;yrians, that the Iewes had giuen to them al&s;o, their handes: it cannot be taken for a couenaunt made with them alone: but it is rather to be vnder&s;toode of a great &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion, whereinto they were driuen, eue~ with lifting vp their hands
<PB N="241" REF="144"> to begge their bread of them both.</P>
<P><HI>Our fathers haue &s;inned)</HI> The meaning of this place, wee haue handled in the <MILESTONE N="7" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> argument of this Chapter.</P>
<P><HI>Seruaunts haue ruled ouer vs)</HI> This <MILESTONE N="8" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> falleth to their lot that are ouercome: To wit, They mu&s;t be bond&s;laues, and make cour&s;ie euen vnto their &s;eruants that haue &s;ubdued them. Nowe, there is not a more greeuous bondage than for a ma~ to become bond&s;laue to beg|gers and beggers brattes, who mo&s;t commonly are the cruelle&s;t and har|de&s;t to be plea&s;ed, and will take vppon them more than their Ma&s;ters them|&s;elues: as our Sauiour Chri&s;t in the 18. of S. Mathew &s;heweth, &s;peaking of the parable of the &s;eruaunt that dealt hardly with his fellowe &s;eruaunt. And it is not to be thought anie &s;traunge thing, that there were in this great Courte of Babylon proude and di&s;|dainefull &s;eruauntes: &s;eeing that in the meane&s;t hou&s;es that almo&s;t can be, a man &s;hal finde arrogant and pre|&s;umptuous &s;eruaunts, who if any haue to do with them, will take vpon them more than any noble man or gentle|man of great wor&s;hip.</P>
<P><HI>Becau&s;e of the &s;worde of the wilderne&s;&s;e)</HI> <MILESTONE N="9" UNIT="Ver&s;e">
<PB N="242" REF="145"> Some, by this worde, de&s;ert, or wil|derne&s;&s;e, vnder&s;tande the land, which at that time was made de&s;ert or a wil|dernes. Howbeit the &s;cripture calleth mo&s;t what, a de&s;ert, all landes that are not throughly manured and enha|bited: and it &s;eemeth that the Prophet his meaning is, that hunger &s;o &s;ore pre&s;&s;ed them, as that it no whit gree|ued them to runne ouer the wilde&s;t places to get them&s;elues foode, if the daunger of the &s;ouldiers had not &s;tay|ed them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="13" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> <HI>They made the young men grinde)</HI> This was a mo&s;t greiuous paine which they layde vpon &s;eruauntes and &s;claues for a puni&s;hment: euen to grinde in the milles, as A&s;&s;es did. In the 11. of Ex|odus ver. 5. where the fir&s;t borne of Aegypt are &s;poken of: it is &s;aide, <HI>That all the fir&s;t borne &s;hould die, euen from the fir&s;t borne of Pharao that &s;ate vppon the throne, vnto the first borne of the mayde that was at the Mill,</HI> that is to &s;ay, from the honorable&s;t per&s;onage, vnto the meane&s;t and ba&s;e&s;t.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="14" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> <HI>The Elders haue cea&s;ed from the gate)</HI> Ieremie v&s;eth a very good grace, when as he attributeth to euerie age &s;uch plea&s;ure as chiefely belongeth vnto
<PB N="243" REF="145"> him, and whereof he was then depri|ued. For all iudgementes were v&s;ed in the gates of the Cities, as in the 16. of Deutro. we read. So that it was a &s;igne that all iudgementes cea&s;ed, when as none of the Elders were &s;eene &s;itting in the gates. Vnto the young men is attributed Mu&s;icke: which the olde men cared not for: as in the 2. of Sa|muel 19. ver. 3. we read what the olde father Barzellay &s;ayde vnto Dauid, <HI>That in that his &s;o great olde age hee could not heare any more the voice of &s;inging men and women.</HI> Nowe, this can be no &s;mall griefe, but al&s;o a very lamenta|ble e&s;tate, to &s;ee all degrees of men &s;o di&s;countenaunced, as that none can be &s;uffred to v&s;e his ordinarie and ac|cu&s;tomed exerci&s;es. This is as much as if the &s;unne, the earth, &amp; the &s;tars, &s;hould cea&s;e any more to doe thir of|fice. Among all the re&s;t, Mu&s;icke, is an e&s;peciall gift of God, not onely to re|ioyce and recreate mens mindes: but it is meete al&s;o for euerie hone&s;t man to take plea&s;ure in &s;weete Harmonie: and be&s;ides, all the faithfull &s;houlde bende all their Mu&s;icke to the pray|&s;ing of God: and according to the times and places, &s;erue him therwith:
<PB N="244" REF="146"> alwayes keeping a comely and decent order in all thinges. Whereupon, S. Iames in his 5. Chapter, ver. 13. &s;et|teth vs downe a rule &s;aying: <HI>Js there a|ny man among you that is afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merrie? Let him &s;ing.</HI> Ie|remie in his 33. Chapter, ver. 10.11. &s;peaking of the deliueraunce and re|&s;toring of the people &s;ayth: <HI>There &s;hall be heard in this place, the voice of ioy, and the voice of gladnes, the voice of the bride|grome, and the voice of the bride, &amp;c.</HI> But when in the peace and re&s;t which God be&s;toweth vppon them, they become &s;ecure, and exceede in all licentiou&s;|ne&s;&s;e, plonging them&s;elues ouer head and eares in the delightes and plea|&s;ures of the worlde, in &s;teede of loo|king vnto GOD: then the Lorde is enforced to change his Mu&s;ick and Harmonous accordes, into pytifull cries, &s;ighes, groanes and &s;obbes: as in the 8. of Amos he threatneth to do.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>THE SECOND PART OF the fift Chapter.</HEAD>
<P N="16"><HI>16</HI> THe Crowne of our head is fallen: wo vnto vs that euer we &s;inned.</P>
<P N="17"><HI>17</HI> Therefore our heartes are heauie,
<PB N="245" REF="146"> and our eyes dimme.</P>
<P N="18"><HI>18</HI> Becau&s;e of the Mount Syon which is de&s;olate: the Foxes runne vppon it.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="observations">
<HEAD>THE OBSERVATIONS vpon the&s;e ver&s;es.</HEAD>
<P>_THE &s;econde part, is a confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes, which right well &s;hew|eth that the Prophet meaneth not to excu&s;e the people, but teacheth the very &s;elfe &s;ame le&s;&s;on which all the re&s;t of the Prophetes do: which is this, That the be&s;t and &s;ounde&s;t way for vs, in all our afflictions, is to humble our &s;elues be|fore God, and crie him mercie: For, heare what the Lorde &s;ayth in the 66. of I&s;aiah ver. 2. <HI>Vnto whom &s;hall I looke,</HI> &s;ayth the Lorde, <HI>euen vnto him that is poore, and of a contrite &s;pirite, and trem|bleth at my wordes.</HI></P>
<P><HI>The Crowne)</HI> he calleth the crowne of their head, their honour and orna|ment: which thing mo&s;t manife&s;tly appeareth in euerie common wealth: For, the crowne is the mo&s;t honora|ble ornament that kinges keepe in
<PB N="246" REF="147"> their clo&s;ets. Salomon al&s;o in the 16. of his Prouerbes, ver. 31. &s;ayth: <HI>That age is a crowne and ornament of glorie, when it is founde in the way of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI> In this place Ieremie by a Crowne, meaneth what&s;oeuer honourable and notable thing they haue: which thing hath bin particularly &s;et downe in the 4. chap.</P>
<P><HI>Woe vnto vs that euer we &s;inned)</HI> here we &s;ee the right and &s;ure remedie a|gain&s;t impatiencie: to feele how gree|uou&s;ly wee haue offended this great God: and that therefore his wrath is iu&s;tly enflamed again&s;t vs: For, from whe~ce come our murmurings? whe~ce proceedeth our impatiencie? Saue on|ly but that we thinke wee haue great wrong, or that God &s;heweth him&s;elfe too too rigorous vnto vs? Which thing no man in truth will thinke, that will in very deede acknowledge what a greeuous fact it is to offende the Ma|ie&s;tie of God. S. Hilarie, writing vp|pon 126. P&s;alme &s;ayeth: That wee &s;hould &s;owe with teares the confe&s;&s;ing and acknowledging of our &s;innes, to the ende that we being thus humbled, might reape and gather together with ioye the comfort promi&s;ed by Ie&s;us Chri&s;te, which con&s;i&s;teth in the for|giuene&s;&s;e
<PB N="247" REF="147"> of our &s;innes, and in the a&s;&s;u|rance of his grace.</P>
<P><HI>Becau&s;e of the Mount Syon)</HI> By this Mount is meant al&s;o the other mount ioyning to Moria, whereuppon the Temple was builte: yea euen the whole Citie of Ieru&s;alem, but be|cau&s;e Dauid his Ca&s;tle was built vp|pon Mount Syon, and that Dauid the King and Prophet was hee, who was not onely a figure and repre&s;en|tation of the Me&s;&s;iah, but al&s;o hee, of whom hee &s;houlde bee borne ac|cording to the fle&s;he: it falleth out manie times, that in the Scripture, me~tion is made of Mount Syon, as the thing that repre&s;enteth the Church. But nowe the &s;ayde Mount Syon is abandoned as well as Sylo, where the Arke of the Lorde in olde time re&s;ted: as God in the &s;euenth of Iere|mie menaceth, as well becau&s;e of the vaine confidence which the Iewes had in that mountaine, and in that Tem|ple: as al&s;o for that time the is nowe come, whereof Ie&s;us in the 4. of Saint Iohn, ver. 23. &s;pake vnto the woman of Samaria, <HI>That the true wor&s;hippers, without beeing tyed to anie certaine moun|taine or Countrie, &s;houlde wor&s;hippe the
<PB N="248" REF="148"> Lorde in all places of the worlde in &s;pirite and truth.</HI> Now Ieremie complayneth in our text, that this holy mount Sy|on was ouerrunne with Foxes, which wandred about there at their plea&s;ure &s;hewing thereby, that it was become altogether a wilderne&s;&s;e, and an habi|tation for wilde bea&s;tes: or el&s;e &s;igni|fying thereby, allegorically, the &s;ubtil Tyrauntes which are compared to Foxes, as in the &s;econde of the Croni|cles, and thirde of S. Luke, where Ie|&s;us Chri&s;te &s;peaketh of Herode, wee may read.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>THE THIRDE PART OF the fift Chapter.</HEAD>
<P N="19"><HI>19</HI> BVt thou, O Lorde remainest for e|uer: thy throne is from generation to generation.</P>
<P N="20"><HI>20</HI> Wherefore doe&s;t thou forget vs for euer, and for&s;ake vs &s;o long time?</P>
<P N="21"><HI>21</HI> Turne thou vs vnto thee, O Lorde, and we &s;hall be turned: renue our dayes as of olde.</P>
<P N="22"><HI>22</HI> But thou hast vtterly reiected vs: thou art exceedingly angrie again&s;t vs.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="observations">
<PB N="249" REF="148">
<HEAD>THE OBSERVATIONS vpon the&s;e ver&s;es.</HEAD>
<P>_THIS la&s;t parte, as be|ing the conclu&s;ion of the&s;e lamentations, is verie feeling, and gar|ni&s;hed with arguments, taken from the verie nature of God him&s;elf, euen by auncient experience: thereby to induce the Lorde to reach out his hande vnto them, for their de|liuerance.</P>
<P><HI>Thou O Lorde remaine&s;t, or &s;ittest for euer)</HI> This manner of &s;peech is taken from the thrones, &amp; chaires of E&s;tate, of worldly Princes, wherein they &s;itte, and wherin they meane to &s;hew their Maie&s;tie, as in the 12. of the Actes we reade: what a &s;tirre Herode kept, to &s;hewe him &s;elfe in his kingly throne, when as the Tyrians and Sydonians came to reconcile them&s;elues vnto him. But as co~cerning God, although heauen in the &s;cripture is called his throne, yet we mu&s;t not imagine him to be an earthly, corruptible, and cor|porall &s;ub&s;taunce:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 5.</NOTE> but that by his throne is meant, an holy, righteous, and &s;table rule: his gouernement and
<PB N="250" REF="149"> rightuou&s;ne&s;&s;e. And therefore as of|ten as wee &s;ee numbers of wronges, and violences proceede from the&s;e worldly thrones: or that the mightie ones vpon their royall &s;eats pronou~ce decrees again&s;t vs, yet let vs remem|ber this firme throne of our God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 2.</NOTE> who reigneth on high, and laugheth mens enterpri&s;es and deui&s;es to skorne. For although the greate&s;t Kinges in the worlde &s;hall loo&s;e their thrones, and all kingdomes come to an ende, as in the 2. of Daniel was &s;hewed by that great image, yet &s;hal the kingdome of Chri&s;t &amp; his throne remayne &s;tedfa&s;t for euer, &amp; S. Paul in the 5. of the 2. to the Cor. &s;ayth: <HI>That we mu&s;t and &s;hall, all appeare before the iudgement &s;eat of Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="20" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> <HI>Wilt thou forget vs for euer)</HI> This is &s;poken according to the capacity and weakene&s;&s;e of our fle&s;h, which alwaies feareth we &s;hould be forgotten: In &s;o much <HI>y^t</HI> our ill co~&s;ciences many times perplexe vs, &amp; make vs doubt of Gods fauour. And although the faithfull a|bide many great conflictes, as if God meant vtterly to forget the~, and haue many cogitations in their heades, yet they come to this point at la&s;t which Dauid in his 94. P&s;alm, ver. 14. mentio|neth,
<PB N="251" REF="149"> <HI>That the Lord will not faile his peo|ple, nor for&s;ake his inheritaunce.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Turne thou vs)</HI> This is not &s;poken <MILESTONE N="21" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> here properly of the inwarde turning as we haue &s;aid in the argume~t: but of the turning, or returning of the peo|ple into their former e&s;tate, &s;eing that he addeth, <HI>Renue our daies as of old:</HI> and it is much like vnto that which is &s;po|ken in the 90. P&s;alm, ver. 13.15. &s;aying: <HI>Returne (O Lord, how long?) Comfort vs ac|cording to the daies that thou ha&s;t afflicted vs.</HI> And that which Ieremy &s;aith, <HI>to thee: Turne thou vs to thee:</HI> is to &s;hew the end of the deliuerance: as if he &s;hold haue &s;aid, that it may be for thy glory, or, to the ende thou mighte&s;t haue a people which may honor thee, in thy &s;anctu|arie, as heretofore they haue done. As in very deede this is the end of all &s;pi|ritual deliuerances,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 2.</NOTE> <HI>That we &s;hould &s;hew his power, who hath called vs out of darke|ne&s;se, into his merueilous light.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Wilt thou vtterly reiect vs?)</HI> Some <MILESTONE N="22" UNIT="Ver&s;e"> read thus, If thou ha&s;t not reiected vs: or &s;urely, if thou ha&s;t reiected vs, thou art exceedingly angrie with vs. All commeth as it were to one poynt: onely this is to be noted, that the Pro|phet his meaning is not to charg God
<PB N="252" REF="150"> with an vnbridled kind of fury or cho|ler, as men are po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed withall: but as it is notably &s;et downe in the 11. of O|&s;eah, ver. 9. where it is &s;aide: <HI>That God will not execute the fiercene&s;&s;e of his wrath, becau&s;e he is God, and not man.</HI> Where|fore, the Prophet Ieremie was well a&s;&s;ured that the Lord would not vtter|ly reiect his people whom he had cho|&s;en: which thing S. Paule al&s;o in the 11. to the Romanes a&s;&s;uredly &s;etteth downe, how&s;oeuer hee puni&s;hed the Iewes: howbeit Ieremie meaneth thus to conclude this his excellent prayer: O eternall and euerliuing God, is it po&s;&s;ible that thou wilt euer faile thy people? And continue thy furie for euer, as in very deede wee haue well de&s;erued: and as at this day in open &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">we, and by the &s;orrowfull counte|naunce of the whole Countrey, many <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ay well thinke: but (alas) thou ha&s;t no &s;uch re&s;pect: thou art mo&s;t faithful in thy promi&s;&s;es: and mo&s;t able to de|liuer vs euen out of the midde&s;t of the graue. Whereof, there is in the 51. of I&s;aiah, ver. 6. a verie notable promi&s;e, wherein is &s;ayde: <HI>Lift vp your eyes vnto the heauens, and looke vppon the earth be|neath: for, the heauens &s;hall vani&s;h away
<PB N="253" REF="150"> like &s;moke, and the earth &s;hall waxe olde like a garment, and they that dwell therein &s;hall perish in like manner: but my &s;alua|tion &s;hall be for euer, and my righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;hall not be aboli&s;hed,</HI> and in the 16. ver. he &s;ayth:</P>
<P><HI>J haue put my wordes in thy mouth, and haue defended thee in the &s;hadowe of mine hande: and that J may &s;ay vnto Syon, thou art my people.</HI> Nowe vnto the King of Kinges, and Lord of Lordes, be all ho|nor and power for euer. So be it.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="paraphrase">
<HEAD>A PARAPHRASE VPON the fift Chapter.</HEAD>
<P>_TO conclude, O eternall God, vnto whom all things are open, and which know|e&s;t vs before we were, and remembre&s;t vs before we &s;ought thee: &s;hew vnto vs, if it be thy good plea&s;ure in this our extremitie, wherein it &s;ee|meth thou ha&s;t no care nor thought of vs, yet that thou ha&s;t not forgotten vs. Looke vppon vs with thine eyes of mercie, that thou maye&s;t con&s;ider of the mi&s;erie and &s;hame which we nowe &s;uffer.</P>
<P N="2">2 For, (alas) what a lamentable
<PB N="254" REF="151"> thing is it to &s;ee a barbarous Nation ru&s;h in vppon our po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, and fu|riou&s;ly enter vppon our &s;weete and plea&s;ant hou&s;es: to &s;ee (I &s;ay) a &s;tran|ger in this lande of promi&s;e, out of which, thou in olde time, draue&s;t out the people, that in it thou mighte&s;t plant our forefathers.</P>
<P N="3">3 But what &s;peake I heere, of our fore-fathers, we are nowe Orphelins: without Father: and our Mothers, through the&s;e horrible &s;laughters, are become widowes.</P>
<P N="4">4 We haue no water, but that wee mu&s;t pay for, and as for our wood it is &s;olde vnto vs.</P>
<P N="5">5 Our necks are laden with an hea|uie bundle of afflictions, and wee can haue no re&s;t in all our paines.</P>
<P N="6">6 If we will haue any meate, wee mu&s;t bee faine to bowe vnto the Bar|barians, Aegyptians, and A&s;&s;yrians, and be&s;eeche them vppon our knees for it.</P>
<P N="7">7 This mi&s;erie (alas) continueth from the father to the &s;onne: but as for our fathers, they are dead and gone, and haue borne their puni&s;hment for their &s;ins: and we &s;till &s;uffer the &s;ame puni&s;hmentes.</P>
<P N="8"><PB N="255" REF="151">8 We haue in this &s;orrowfull and violent tran&s;porting, to do both with ma&s;ters &amp; &s;eruants: whereby we haue very well experimented, that there is not a more rude &amp; vnmerciful villain, than a begger or beggers bratte, that commeth once to be a commaunder: euen as we now are ma&s;tred, &amp; chea|red vp by the A&s;&s;yrians &s;tonie hearted Lackies: &s;o that we are dealt with all out of all rea&s;on.</P>
<P N="9">9 We cannot goe any way to &s;eeke for victualles: yea although we trauell the mo&s;t vnknowen and wilde waies, but that wee trauell in perill of our liues.</P>
<P N="10">10 Whereupon hunger hath made vs &s;o taunie, &amp; donne coloured, as that a man would &s;ay, we were altogether skorched, as it were in an ouen, or in a skorching winde.</P>
<P N="11">11 But the thing that is more intol|lerable than death it &s;elfe, there is nei|ther wife nor mayde in all the coun|trie, whom the Barbarians haue not enforced and defiled.</P>
<P N="12">12 For they had &s;o little regard, as that they tooke maruelous great plea|&s;ure in hanging vp the Princes and men of greate&s;t note of all Iudah: not
<PB N="256" REF="152"> &s;paring or reuerencing olde gray hea|red men.</P>
<P N="13">13 And as for the young men, they emploied their flouri&s;hing age, as they employed their A&s;&s;es and milhor&s;es to drawe in the mill, or el&s;e to the carry|ing of &s;uch great burdens of woode as pre&s;&s;ed them to the grounde.</P>
<P N="14">14 In &s;o much as they had no care to &s;ee the reuerende old Fathers &s;itte in the gates of the Cities, or in their &s;eates of Iu&s;tice: neither yet to heare the plea&s;aunt &s;onges and &s;weete har|monie of any iolly and lu&s;tie young Dam&s;ell.</P>
<P N="15">15 Alas wee haue forgotten what mirth meaneth, &amp; it is &s;o long &s;ince we had a breathing time, as that in &s;tede of melodie, there is nothing to bee heard among vs, but &s;ighing and wee|ping.</P>
<P N="16">16 For, the crowne of honour, and what&s;oeuer notable thing el&s;e that we had, is fallen to the grounde, and cru|&s;hed in pieces. O cur&s;ed &s;innes which haue cau&s;ed &s;o many mi&s;eries.</P>
<P N="17">17 Which maketh our heartes lan|gui&s;h, and dimme our &s;orrowfull eyes, with powring out of abundaunce of teares.</P>
<P N="18"><PB N="257" REF="152">18 When as we &s;ee this noble mou~t Syon, with the little holie hill neere adioyning to bee an habitation for Foxes.</P>
<P N="19">19 But thou O mo&s;t high and migh|tie God, who&s;e throne is &s;tabli&s;hed a|boue the heauens, and who&s;e king|dome is euerla&s;ting.</P>
<P N="20">20 What auaileth it to haue gotten vnto thee, by thy mightie and terrible arme, and with &s;o many woonderfull exploytes, this people, &amp; &s;o long time conducted, dre&s;&s;ed, and addre&s;&s;ed, and of thy meere fauour and grace allying them vnto thee, and making vnto the~ &s;o gracious and beneficiall promi&s;&s;es: if thou wilt nowe let them lie &s;till in their mi&s;eries, and leaue them for e|uer.</P>
<P N="21">21 Now therefore, thou great &s;hep|heard of I&s;raell, bring once againe the captiued people into their auncient manors: re&s;tabli&s;h thou thy Church, and gather together thy flocke, and poore &s;eruantes, and through thy fa|uour and grace, renue thou our e&s;tate: as the ro&s;e in the &s;pring time renueth and refre&s;heth the face of the earth.</P>
<P N="22">22 Declare and &s;hewe (O heauenly father) vnto the whole worlde, that
<PB N="258" REF="153"> thou minde&s;t not to contemne tho&s;e that are thine, and reiect them for e|uer, although for a while, thou corre|cte&s;t and cha&s;ti&s;e&s;t them. Let the effect &s;hew thee to be a God, yea, and that a gentle and mercifull God, and not a man that will alwaies keepe extreame choler and anger in his heart.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>A PRAYER FOR THE Church in the&s;e dayes, wherin is con|tayned a Lamentation of the pre|&s;ent mi&s;eries, and an earne&s;t <HI>praier vnto the Lord, for the deliuerance of his people.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>_O</HI> Almightie, euerliuing, mo&s;t good, mo&s;t true, &amp; mo&s;t gracious God, and mo&s;t mercifull, louing, and holy father: If euer it was lawful for thy Prophet Ieremy to lament the mi&s;eries of his time, and the captiuitie of Babylon: and if it was in olde time expedient to engraue in mens memories &s;uch ignominies, as that by the~ they might learne to feare thy iu&s;t iudgementes and &s;toupe vnder thy Maie&s;tie: we be&s;eech thee &s;uffer vs to powre out our heartes vnto thee as
<PB N="259" REF="153"> this day, that thou mighte&s;t feele our &s;orrowes, &amp; grone for our de&s;olations, which (alas) are &s;o much more y^e grea|ter, by howe much more wee are nowe come to the very end of the later times, and hauing beene euen heaped vp to the full, with thy mo&s;t rare and perfect ble&s;&s;inges, haue through our vnthank|fulne&s;&s;e, cau&s;ed an huge heape of mi&s;e|ries to fall vpon vs: &s;uch mi&s;eries, as are &s;o much the greater, in y^t we haue little or no whit acknowledged them &amp; which the le&s;&s;er part of vs haue felt: and yet &s;o great as that our po&s;teritie will hardly beleeue: neither wee our &s;elues are &s;car&s;ely able to number, or yet in words po&s;&s;ibly pre&s;ent them, and &s;et them downe. For, who is hee that knoweth the power of thy heauie di&s;|plea&s;ure: much le&s;&s;e then able in words to expre&s;&s;e howe lamentable &amp; pitifull they are, O Lord our God, thy iudge|ments are a deepe &s;ea, and bottomle&s;&s;e depth, which neuer man yet &s;ufficiently hath feared: neuer haue anie &s;eene the more terrible effects of the~, the~ y^e effects of tho&s;e which we dayly &s;ee before our eies. For how vnbridled (alas) is the furie of Tyrantes at this day? how d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> mens wickedne&s;&s;es &amp; villanies exceed,
<PB N="260" REF="154"> in whome is neither faith, nor lawe, and who al&s;o glorie in their mo&s;t hor|rible trea&s;ons, and mo&s;t de&s;perate cru|elties. Howe are the faire&s;t Ro&s;es of our garlande, euen the mo&s;t precious pearles of the Crowne of the people, in fewe yeares withered and dried vp? how many gallant, and &s;tout Princes and noble men, howe many reuerende aged fathers, howe many re&s;olute and &s;kilfull men, how many zealous and faithfull Doctors of thy Church, haue in fewe yeares beene made away? how many great congregations, and nota|ble and flouri&s;hing Churches, haue beene di&s;per&s;ed, and rent in &s;under? How haue all youth, for want of good examples, beene ba&s;tarded and depra|ued: by &s;eeing nothing el&s;e but perniti|ous and bloudie commotions: by hea|ring nothing but bla&s;phemies, droms, phifes, trumpettes, and the noy&s;e and cries of men of warre? How is the di&s;|cipline of Churches changed into di&s;|&s;olute licentiou&s;ne&s;&s;e: the feruent zeale to thy worde, into contemptible colde y&s;e: charitie, into vanitie: iu&s;tice, into auarice: to be &s;hort, good &amp; pure wine, into water, fine gold into copper, and into other gro&s;&s;e mettal: and the &s;unne
<PB N="261" REF="154"> into darkene&s;&s;e? And the rea&s;on (alas) is this, that euerie thing euery where is in the declyning, for faith and truth fall downe in the &s;treets, and in regard of godline&s;&s;e and iu&s;tice, euerie thing goeth downe in the wea&s;t, whether ye trauell Southwarde or Northwarde. For, we haue long time &s;ithence, alas, &s;eene the Ea&s;t in the We&s;t: and thy cleare bright &s;hining &s;unne; couered with the countries of the Leuant. But yet this is a forrwfull and lamentable thing, that they which heretofore &s;ate in the &s;hadowe of death: haue much to doe to &s;ee thy light, but go on &s;till gro|ping in their former darkene&s;&s;e: and that they which were the Ma&s;ter Ma|&s;ons and chiefe builders, put to their helping hande to de&s;troy &amp; ouerthrowe by new and mon&s;trous doctrines, the fou~dations of faith: beholding at their plea&s;ure with proude eye browes, like vnto newe Idumeans, the woundes, murders, and de&s;olotions of a mar|uelous great number of poore faith|full ones, greatly daring men which haue no faith, and they them&s;elues ma|king a mocke of faith, giue lawes to euerie man. Alas, O Lorde &s;hall the earth for euer bee dimmed with thy
<PB N="262" REF="155"> wrath? &s;hall the poore be like the food of fire, &s;hall not one &s;pare an other, but y^t euery man mu&s;t eat the fle&s;h of his own arme? &s;hall Mana&s;&s;es be again&s;t E|phraim, and Ephraim again&s;t Ma|na&s;&s;es, and they both at once again&s;t Iudah? Shall the &s;treetes, riuers, and open fieldes, be continually died with the bloud of thy children? Shall thy &s;eruauntes and worde be &s;till bla&s;phe|med, mocked, and &s;claundered by wic|ked men? Shall we on the right hand, be ouerthrowen by the ambition and couetou&s;ne&s;&s;e of &s;ome, and on the lifte hande, by vn&s;atiable crueltie by other &s;ome? O mo&s;t good &amp; mercifull God, thou which ha&s;t made an euerla&s;ting couenant with thy Church: which is not grounded vpon our &s;ufficiencie or merites, but vpon the free loue which thou beare&s;t vs, in thy &s;onne Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, looke vpon vs in his face. For, we are in very deede nothing el&s;e but myre and corruption, and yet ha&s;t thou done vs this honour, to call thy &s;elfe our God and Father. We are all coue|red with &s;inne and iniquitie, and yet we pro&s;trate our &s;elues at thy feete, co|uered with the perfect righteou&s;nes of thy &s;onne Ie&s;us, which he giueth and
<PB N="263" REF="155"> imputeth vnto vs, as to his members. We are foule and filthy, but yet our &s;ins are wa&s;hed away by the &s;hedding of the precious bloud of thy deare &s;onne Ie&s;us. We haue offended thee, &amp; haue beene vnthankefull manie &amp; &s;un|dry times, but yet thou ha&s;t promi&s;ed vs, y^t although thou cha&s;ti&s;e&s;t vs with reddes, that thou wilt not for all that, withdrawe thy mercie fro~ vs, alwaies reme~bring thy fatherly goodne&s;&s;e. O Lord God if it be thy good will, we be|&s;eech thee to be co~tented with our cha|&s;ti&s;ements pa&s;t, to the ende y^t the ouer|long continuance of the&s;e &s;hames, di|&s;tre&s;&s;es and mi&s;eries ca&s;t vs not vtterly downe and make vs become de&s;perate, that thy name bee not bla&s;phemed by Infidels; and that a great number of weake per&s;ons, enforced through im|patiencie, &s;uffer not them &s;elues to followe the de&s;ire and will of Ido|lators, thereby wounding and &s;leaing their con&s;ciences, for the auoyding of the &s;worde without, and &s;laughter of their bodies. Shewe &s;ome good to|ken of thy fauour towardes vs: as in verie deede, thou can&s;t with thine on|ly looke, heale all our tormentes. But e&s;pecially and aboue all other things,
<PB N="264" REF="156" MS="y"> we be&s;eech thee, to turne vs vnto thee, and giue vs true &s;orrowful hearts, and repentant &s;oules, to the end that we all may returne againe vnto thee, both Princes, Magi&s;trats, Doctors, &amp; Pa|&s;tors, &amp; all we thy &s;eruants, and &s;heepe of thy Pa&s;ture. Create in vs (O Lord) we be&s;eech thee, new hearts: enlighten in vs a liuely faith, &amp; holy loue of thy word, and a ble&s;&s;ed per&s;euerance ther|in. Re&s;tore againe to thy Church a good policie, &amp; an holy guiding of good lawes and ordinaunces, not&s;omuch to be written in paper, as in the hearts of euery of vs, &amp; plucke vp by the roots al tho&s;e plants which thou ha&s;t not plan|ted, powre out thine whole indignatio~ vpon the &s;eate of Antichri&s;t, who bla&s;|phemeth &amp; di&s;honoureth thee: and mo&s;t outragiou&s;ly per&s;ecuteth al tho&s;e which beleeue in thy &s;onne Ie&s;us: &amp; &s;hew<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> in &s;umme that thou art the king of kings, the iu&s;t &amp; righteous God, vnto who~ the dominion of the whole world appertai|neth, and heale all our &s;ores, that wee may in peace &amp; ioy of the &s;pirit, glorifie thy name, and &s;ing a new &s;ong vnto thy glory, wayting for the ble&s;&s;ed co~ming of thy &s;onne Ie&s;us. So be it.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="156" MS="y">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
