WHen any one hath sowne tares , doth hee expect to reape wheate ? Do men gather grapes of thornes , or figges of thistles ? saith our Master , Matthew the seuenth , and the sixteenth . Ut sementem feceris , ita & metes : As you sow , so you shall reape , saith the old Prouerbe : Iustified by Saint Pauls instance , Galatians the sixth , and the eighth : He that soweth in the flesh , shall of the flesh reape corruption . And indeed from euery seede sowne , men doe expect to reape graine , or corne , eiusdem speciei , of the same kind . How can wee then expect from teares to reape ioy , which differeth from it in the whole species or kind ? To naturall and worldly men , this is one of the paradoxes , wherewith they vse to charge Diuinitie , and indeed a paradox it must needs be to all those who are not orthodox , and sound in the doctrine of spirituall teares and ioy which are here meant , who know no other ioy but iollitie , nor teares , but when they are troubled ; who know not the ioy of the Spirit which Christians haue here , nor their Masters ioy which they shall haue one day hence ; who know not that gracious raine of teares , which God sendeth vpon his Inheritance , whereby hee refresheth it , when it is wearied . To such heteredox , earthly-minded men , this Parable of the Prophets Sower is a plaine paradox .

But here now vnto Gods people , in this Psalme , or vnto any other people who haue been in such a case , vnto whose owne experience God hath iustified it , that after many yeeres captiuitie in a strange Land , where they did sow nothing but teares , eate the bread of sorrow , and drinke the water of affliction , by the waters of Babylon , where all their ioy was suspended , their Harpes and Instruments hanged vp ; yet he now bringeth againe their captiuity , like the Riuers of the South : he now filleth their mouthes with laughter , and their tongues with ioy : He maketh their ioy , like the ioy of Husbandmen in Haruest , who after long expectation , come home loaded with sheaues To such of the Children of God , who , by reason of their sinnes , after they haue mourned like Turtles , & chattered like Cranes , or like Dauid , washed their beds with their teares , and haue had their belly full of them as he had ; My teares haue been my meate day and night ; Psalme the fortie two , the third verse ; do find , that God afterward doth make their broken bones to reioyce , to whom ( Esay the sixtie one , and the second ) God giueth beautie for ashes , the oyle of ioy for mourning , the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse . And lastly , to all the Saints of God , who as strangers here vpon earth , from home in Baca , this valley of teares , sighing for the adoption of the sonnes of God , and the redemption of their bodies , groaning and moaning with Saint Paul , till they may be dissolued , look with him one day to be with Christ , and to enter into their Masters ioy . To all such now this is no paradox , but a proposition by experience proued vnquestionable , that those that sow in teares , shall reape in ioy .

IT is a figuratiue proposition , wherein The sense of the words . the people going into captiuitie , is compared vnto Husbandmen , committing the seed to the earth , and as it were , with sorrow burying it there , as being vncertaine , by reason of many alterations of weather , whether euer it wil fructifie and multiply ; and the same people returning from their captiuitie , is compared to Husbandmen , after many large hopes and feares , reaping with great ioy a plentifull Haruest , of the same seed so committed to the earth by them . But now this proposition in generall is true , of all , or any of the people of God , not onely in the case of captiuitie , but any other calamitie spirituall or temporall , that they that sow in teares , shall reape in ioy . And in this generall sense will I handle the words .

THey may be deuided into a Lent and The Deuision . Easter ; first , fasting , and secondly , feasting : First , a time of sorrow , and secondly , a time of ioy , or most seasonably into two knowne seasons of the yeere , a seed time , they that sow in teares ; and a time of haruest , shall reape in ioy . In the first season two things wee must take notice of , the seed , and the sowing or manner of committing of it , the seed , Teares : or indeed to speake properly , it is the seasoning , rather then the seed , potius sal terrae ; or pluma , quam semen , rather the salt or showre , then the seed : for it is in the text , not they that sow teares , but they that sow in teares : so that the seed here properly is , any good a Christian doth here in this life , be it an act of faith , repentance , almes , fasting , &c. If these , or any of these , be sowne with , or in such teares as are here meant , you shall bee sure to reape them againe with ioy ; so that as you see , when Husbandmen haue committed their seed vnto the ground , if the earth bee not afterwards watered with the raine of Heauen , their labour is lost ; so whatsoeuer spirituall seede we sowe in our hearts , it will not fructifie , vnlesse it be watred with this heauenly raine , and dew of teares : so that though Paul sowe , or plant , if that Apollos , or some other , do not water , God will giue no increase , no reaping will follow ; as therefore in Scripture we are commanded , to cast our bread vpon the waters ; so here we are commanded , to cast water vpon our bread , or any thing that is ours : and this water , Our teares , shall not be as water spilt vpon the ground , which cannot be gathered 〈◊〉 . 11. 1 vp againe , for our teares are put vp in Gods bottell ; Psalme the fiftie six , and the eighth Psal. 56. 8. verse , they shall be gathered and reaped againe with increase and ioy , like the fruite in Haruest . Though strictly now it is here to be taken for the seasoning , yet fitly we may here account it for the seede , because the principall thing here intended by the Spirit of God , is the mouing and stirring vs vp to teares , and therefore I must intreate you at this time , to let them be held not onely for the seasoning , or the salt , but for the seed it selfe , warranted by other places of Scripture so to do : for Dauid calleth teares not onely his Sawce , but his Meate too , in the place aboue cited ; My teares were my meate day and night : and in the 80. Psalme , vers. 5. Psal. 80. 5. he accounteth them whole foode , meate and drinke ; Thou hast fed them with the bread of teares , and hast giuen them teares to drinke : let teares then be here for , The seede .

The manner of committing this seed , must be by sowing ; they that sowe in teares ; they must not be , as trees are planted , one farre from another ; nor niggardly or sparingly scattered vp and downe , here a corne , and there a corne , but sowne , shed and powred out plentifully , as a sower soweth corne with a full and liberal hand . You know the Apostles rule , the second to the Corinthians , the ninth Chapter , and the 2. Cor. 9. 6. sixth verse , Qui parce seminat , parce metet ; He that soweth sparingly , shall reape sparingly : If wee sowe our teares thin and sparingly , the ioy we shall reape , shall not be so much messis , as spicelegium ; not a haruest , or reaping , but a poore gathering , or gleaning . Teares then must be the seede , and sowing , the manner of committing : and this is the first season , the seede-time , they that sowe in teares .

Now the second season , is the haruest , or time of reaping , they shall reape in ioy : where we must take notice of these three things ; first , the Corne , Ioy ; secondly , the 1. 2. manner of gathering it , reaping ; thirdly , 3 the reapers , onely such as sowed ( they ) shall reape : The Corne , ioy , a strange 1 graine , you will say , to bee reaped from such a seede as teares , but you will not thinke it so strange , after you haue heard what teares are here meant : for there are Lachrymae amoris , and Lachrymae doloris , teares of loue , and teares of griefe : for teares of loue , no wonder though they bring forth ioy , for they are teares of ioy , and shed for ioy : and for teares of griefe in godly men , they are neuer altogether without ioy , they neuer sorrow as without hope : as wicked men neuer know what a perfect and sincere ioy is , but in the middest of al their ioyes feel secret checks pinchings and griefes : so godly men in all their sorrowes haue some secret smiles , and lightnings of ioy : they , as it is in the 2. Psalme , Serue the Lord in feare , and reioyce Psalm . 2. 11. in trembling . Now as the seed must bee turned after it is sowne , before it can come to be corne , and be fit to be reaped : so here these teares shall be turned , and a little turning wil serue the turne , to make these teares ioy ; the Lord of the haruest hath promised that he will turne them , Iohn 16. 20. But your sorrow shall be John 16. 20. turned to ioy : and so from the seede of teares , men come to gather ioy , that 's the corne .

Secondly , take notice of the manner of 2 gathering this corne ; we shall reape it ; if we haue not scattered but sowed , we shall not gather or gleane onely , but reape , that is , looke how farre the corne which husbandmen reape in haruest , exceedeth the seede which they did sowe in seed-time , which in some grounds is , thirty , Matth. 13. 8. some forty , some sixty , some one hundred fold , Matth. 13 8. so far shall the ioy which we shall reape , exceed the teares which wee did sowe .

Thirdly , wee must take notice of the 3 Reapers ; they shall reape , which they ? they that did sowe , They shall , and none but They shall ; they shall : and good reason , that that man whose browes did sweate , his hands should eate : that the same hand that did sowe , should reape ; and as they , so none but they ; for Psalme 84. 6. such only come Psal. 84. 6. to appeare before God in Sion , who passe through the valley of Baca , that is , the valley of teares . It is not here , as in the oppressions of tenants , where , as the Apostle speaketh ; one man soweth , and another man reapeth : They take all the paines , and the cruell extorting Landlord reapeth all the profit : nor as in your Impropriations abroade , and in the abominable crying sacriledge of this Citty , where the Ministers of Gods Word , and the Pastors of your soules sowe spirituall things vnto you , with the sweate not onely of their browes , but braines too ; but you cheate them in their tythes , and reape that which is by all diuine and humane lawe , as due to their spirituall sowing , as your gownes on your backes , or your bread prouided for your bellies ; But here they , and none but they that did sowe , shall reape . And so you haue the parts of this proposition , which I meane to handle in this order which now I haue propounded , as God and your good patience shall giue mee leaue .

WE begin then first with the seede - The Seede . time , and herein first with the seed , [ teares ] they that sowe in teares . Teares are nothing else but a little water distilled by the heate of our tender braine , through our eyes : and as in all distillations , the thing to bee distilled , ought to bee choise and good : so it must be here ; we must make choise of our teares , these teares are a seed to bee sowne , from whence wee hope to reape ioy : now husbandmen , you know , are euer very choise in their seed , that it be the best , purest , and finest that may be ; for rotten , musty , empty seed can neuer promise any plentifull haruest : So it is with this seede of teares , many sorts of teares there are , but all of them not fit to bee sowne : but only from the best and choysest of them can wee expect to reape ioy . There be three sorts of teares , first , naturall 1 teares in themselues neither good nor bad , but as they are vsed moderately or immoderately : such are the teares which are produced from the sense of worldly losses , as of goods , friends , &c. or sense of sicknesse or iniuries , or the like : these are not the seed here to be sowne , no ioy nor blessing : to be reaped from them , these teares did Esau plentifully sowe when he Gen. 27 34. 38. Heb. 12. 17. lost his birth-right , but from them all could he reape no ioy , nor Fathers blessing : these teares plentifully sowne by Rachel in Ramah , weeping for her children , but she reaped no ioy , for she would not be Ier. 31. 15. Matth. 2. 18. comforted , because they were not . These teares are so far from producing any ioy , as considered in themselues , they produce nothing but death , 2. Cor. 7. 10. 2. Cor. 7. 10. Worldly sorrow causeth death .

The second teares are wicked and pernicious 2 teares , such as are sowne either by wicked men in this life , or by the damned in hell : by wicked men in this life , produced by craft , dissimulation and hypocrisie , from a desire to seeme deuoute , or compassionate , that so they may worke their owne ends : these be Crocodiles teares , good store of them sowne at Achabs feast , to drowne 1. King . 21. 4 , 5. Naboths vineyard : many such teares sowne at the funerals of Parents and Husbands , when there is no more sorrow at the heart , then there vsed to be at the hearts of the Praeficae , who of old were wont to be hired at all funerals to weepe , as now you doe , poore people to come in mourning gownes : many such teares no question sowne , at the long prayers the hypocrites make , when they meane to prey vpon Widdowes houses : these are not the seed here to bee sowne , no Ioy to bee reaped from the teares of Hypocrites , for the haruest and portion of hypocrites , is nothing Luke 1● . 28. but weeping and gnashing of teeth ; nor are here meant , such teares as are shed by the damned in hell , they reape no ioy , but still more weeping , more cursing , from their fellow weepers ; derision and laughter from God and his Saints : so that from them nothing is reaped wherewith as it is in the 129. Psalme , The mower filleth his Psal. 129. ● . hand , nor the gleaner his lap , nor they that passe by say , We blesse you in the name of the Lord . Of these naturall and hypocriticall teares , I will now say no more , they are not the teares to be sowne in the text .

The third sort of teares then are wholesome and sauing teares , which proceede from the holy Ghost , as from the fountaine , and are distilled vnto vs by him who in the Rom. 8. 26. is said to request Rom. 8. 26 , for vs , with sighes which cannot be expressed : not that he himselfe asketh , but maketh vs to aske , not with ordinary and naturall sighes and teares , nor with acted and hypocriticall sighes and teares , but with godly and sauing sighes and teares , which no man is able to expresse , and wring from himselfe ▪ only these teares are this precious seed , as they are called in the next verse , from whence you may expect to reape ioy , and of them onely will I speake ; and though I know , that for the most part a discourse of teares is displeasing , being as some suppose , too sad and melancholly , yet I hope neither shall you be sorry for it , because it is to make you reape ioy , nor I my selfe bee sorry for it , hoping with S. Paul , that this discourse , like his epistle , though it cause a sorrow , yet it shall only 2. Cor. 7. 8 , cause a godly sorrow , a sorrow to repentance , 2. Cor. 7. 8.

These teares now are the seede , but where shall we haue this seed ? for though naturall and hypocriticall teares flow from our selues : yet these precious sauing teares , come not from our selues , but from aboue ; this water of life , commeth from the well of life , for these teares , though when wee shed them , they are Donum or vnguentum effusum ; a sweet oyntment powred forth : for I make no question but that Maries teares , wherewith she washed Luke 9 38. Christs feet , were as acceptable to him as the boxe of oyntment she powred on his head . Vers. 46 For as that in the Gospell , is called a precious oyntment , so in the words after the text , a precious seede . Though , I say , in regard of our shedding them , they are Donum effusum Deo , yet in regard of our receiuing of them , they are Donum infusum à Deo , an oyntment or gift powred into vs by God : and though the words , precious seede , in the next verse , signifieth semen acquisitum , a seed purchased or bought with a price , yet they are not to be accounted semen acquisitum , in that sense in which Diuines ▪ distinguish betweene Habitus infusi and acquisiti , that is , infused and acquired gifts , but only teares here are called semen acquisitum , because they must be aliunde quaesitae quam a nobis , purchased from somewhere else , then from our selues . Where then must we quaerere and acquirere , seeke and purchase this precious seed ? If it be a precious seed , then you must purchase it with a price : what price ? Must we pay money for it ? No , you know in Isai. 55. 1. There is a buying or purchasing without money , Hoe , euery one that Esay 55. 1. thirsteth , come to the waters , buy without money , &c. What then must wee pay for this precious seed ? there is another price besides money , there is operae precium , as wel as pecuniae precium , the price of paines : though it cost vs no money , yet it will cost vs our paines and labour , which is precio aestimabile , though not a penny , yet penny-worth . What labor , what paines , must this precious seede cost vs ? I will tell you . When Jeremy went to seeke this precious seede , he asked the way to the Well head ; hee inquired for some welles and fountaines from whence they were to be had , Ieremy 9. 1. O that my head were a fountaine of teares ! Now how vse men to Jer. 9 1. come by water out of welles or fountaines , not without drawing of it ? In the fourth of John , the woman of Samaria Iohn 4. 11. wondred how Christ should come by the water of Jacobs well without drawing . The well is deepe , and thou hast nothing to Esay 12. 3. draw with , Isa. 12. 3. With ioy shall ye draw water out of the wells of saluation . The price and purchase then of this precious seede , is operae precium , the price of our paines , and this operae , or paines , is haurire , to draw , and wee must bee sure to draw them , nec e paludibus , nec puteis , neither out of pits nor puddles , where there is nothing but myry durt , or standing puddle , such as was in Jeremy his dungeon , such as are all the wells from whence naturall , hypocriticall , and infernall teares are drawne . But you must draw them è fontibus , from wells , and sinae , I called them salutares lachrymae , sauing teares , wee must draw them è fontibus salutis , from the wells of saluation , of which the Prophet speaketh . Now the wels from whence wee may draw these precious teares , are so many , as if wee should seeke for them , as the people of Israel did in the 15. of Exodus , Exod. 15. 27. before we had gone half three daies iourney , as they did , wee should find many more then the twelue Wels or Fountaines , which they found at Elim . But for memory and methods sake , I wil only send you to foure Wels , from whence you may draw your bellies ful of these precious teares ; of which , the more you drink , you will still be , though not the more drie , yet the more desirous to mend your draught , quo plus sunt potae , plus sitiuntur aquae .

The first Well is , the consideration of 1 our sinnes , which ( I hope ) will draw teares from the driest and deaddest eyes that can be . The second Well is , the consideration 2 of the miseries wee are compassed with in this life : and from this Wel wee cannot misse to draw ( in regard of these miseries ) teares ; for this life of ours is not only a Well , but a Valley of teares . As Riuers naturally seeke the Valleys ; so our teares naturally run into this channell . 3 The third Well is , the consideration of Christs passion , and teares for vs , and from this Well wee cannot misse of teares ; the driest eye in the world can giue him no lesse then teares ; if not for teares , yet for torments and bloud . The fourth Well , is the desire of being at home in our owne Country , which is Heauen , the consideration of our absence and exile from God , and our longing to be with him ; and from this Well we cannot misse of teares , when with the people of Israel , sitting by the Waters of Babylon , wee remember our absence Psal. 137 ▪ 1 ▪ from Sion . And as it is the custome in Scripture , to giue names to Wells , so if it please you , for our better memories sake , we will name these Wells too . The first 1 wee may call Adams Well , because it is the consideration of that source of sinne , which is deriued vnto vs from Adam , as the Fountaine and Well of all . The second 2 Well wee may call Jacobs Well , as the Well of Sichem is called by the woman of Samaria , in the 4. of John ; and I Iohn 4 6. giue it the name from Iacob , because the consideration of the miseries of this life we best learne from him , who in one sentence did most significantly expresse them all , Gen. 47. 9. Few and euill haue the dayes of my pilgrimage been . The third Well Gen 47. 9. we may call , fontem Saluatoris , our Sauiours Well , or the Well of saluation ; as it is called by the Prophet , because it is the consideration of his teares and passion , who is both our Sauiour and saluation . And the fourth Well we may call , fontem vitae , the Well of life , or Gods Well , because it is the consideration of our absence from him , with whom is the Well of life , Psal. 36. 9. With thee is the Well of life . Psal. 36. 9 ▪

I can make these foure Wels , but two , and deuide these teares in lachrymas amaras ac dulces , salt teares , and fresh or sweet teares , teares of hatred , & teares of loue , teares of griefe , and teares of ioy : the teares we must draw from Adam and Iacobs Well , we may call salt teares , teares of hatred and griefe , because we shed them out of a detestation of sinne , and being wearied of the miseries of this life . The teares wee draw from our Sauiour and Gods Well , we may call fresh sweet teares , teares of loue and ioy , because they are shed out of a desire to be at home in our owne Country with God and Christ . And these two larger Wels of griefe and ioy , wee may wel compare to the waters of Noahs Gen. 7 ▪ 20 , 21. Floud , which were wholly caused by God ; yet partly from the Springs of the Depth , which were let loose below , partly from the excessiue Raines which fell from Heauen aboue . For our teares of griefe , and hatred , proceed from the consideration of our sinnes and miseries which are here below : our teares of loue and ioy , from our consideration of Christ and God , who are aboue ; yet all these teares , like the whole waters of the Deluge , are from God . Sure , if the consideration of our sinnes and miseries , can not fetch teares from vs , yet the consideration of Christ and God will doe it . If Moses first smiting will not , yet his second Exod. 17. 6. smiting shall fetch water out of the stony Rock . But I will let this latter deuision of teares passe , and hold my selfe to our first foure Wels. And though I know , that in this valley of teares , there needeth no great seeking after Wels ; for we may haue iust occasion of teares euery where ; yet it is our best course to draw them from the Well-head ; Dulcius ex ipso fonte bibuntur aquae ; and of these foure Wels , now I will speake in order . If onely first I tell you , that by the teares , here to be drawne from these Wels , wee must not vnderstand strictly , onely the moystnesse and water of our eyes , but the griefe and sorrow of our hearts , which many a time runneth ouer , when we cannot shed a teare ; leues loquuntur curae ingentes stupent . But as all teares are worth nothing , without the mourning of the heart ; so many times the heart may bee drowned with griefe , when the eyes are drie ; and we shall reape in ioy , though we sowe not in teares , but in sorrow : blessed are they , not onely that weepe , but mourne : for they shall be comforted , Mat. 5. 4.

WE begin with the first Well of sorrow , 1 Adams Well . or teares , which I called Adams Well , because it is the consideration of sinne , which by Adam entred into the world ; and who would not shed teares for sinne , if he do but consider , what a lamentable thing it is , that it is nothing else , but one offending and grieuing of God , & al his creatures ; making vs like Ismael , setteth our hand against euery man , and Genes. 16. 12. euery mans hand against vs ? It is a grieuing of God ; for it was onely sinne which made God grieue and repent , that he had made man . It grieued the Sonne of God ; the sins of Ierusalem ( in the 19. of Luke ) Luke 10. 41. made him weepe : our sinnes made him grieue in the Garden , and drew not onely Matth ▪ 2● . 38 ▪ his teares , but his bloud from him on the Luke . 23. 33. Crosse : It grieueth the holy Ghost ; therefore Ephes. 4 ▪ ●0 . in Scripture are we forbid to grieue 〈…〉 ▪ and quench the Spirit by our sinnes . It grieueth the Angels ; for as they Reioyce at Luke ●● ▪ ● the conuersion of a sinner to God , so ( no question ) after a sort they grieue , as God is said to grieue for the auersion of a sinner from God . It grieueth all sorts of men ; good men , whose eyes gush out with Psal. 119. 136. teares , when they see , that the wicked will not obserue Gods Law . It offendeth wicked men , whom sinners draw into sinne by their bad example ; and though perhaps yet they doe not grieue at it , yet it is the cause of many teares to them afterwards , and perhaps of weeping , and gnashing of teeth for euermore . It grieueth and offendeth all the rest of the creatures , because it turneth them out of the seruice of God , into the seruice of sin and Satan ; for God created the Heauens , Elements , and al other creatures , to serue man , and to waite vpon him in his seruing of God ; but now , when man turneth himselfe out of Gods seruice , all the creatures , while they serue sinfull man , are , as it were , turned out of Gods seruice too , and , not without grieuing , are compelled to waite vpon a wrong Master ▪ in which regard , the creatures , in the 8. Romans , Rom. 8 22. 22. verse , are said to groane , and to be in trauell : nay , which you would wonder at , sinne grieueth and offendeth the very damned in hell ; for the more the number of the damned is increased , which is done by sinne , the greater is their torment , their groaning , weeping , & gnashing of teeth : for that must needs bee the cause why the Rich Glutton in the 16. of Luke , did beg of Abraham , that Lazarus Luk. 16. 27 , 28. might be sent to his friends and kindred , to forewarne them of comming thither . One damned can aske nothing out of charitie , but out of selfe-loue , lest his torment and griefe should be increased , by seeing his brethren there . Now , who would not shed teares , and grieue for sinne , which maketh all the Persons of the Trinitie , Angels , good men and bad , all the rest of the creatures , nay , the very damned in hel to grieue , and will one day , if they be not wept for here , make vs weepe and gnash our teeth for euermore ?

Now when I tell you , that wee must shed teares for sinne , I meane not onely your owne sinnes , though them principally , but the sinnes of others too , the sinnes of the time , aswell as the sinnes of your persons : for as we find Dauid washing Psal. 6. 6. his bedde with teares for his owne sinnes , so finde wee his eyes gushing with Psal. 119. 136. teares , because the wicked would not obserue Gods Law . Christ had no sinnes of his owne to mourne for , yet wept he for the Luke 19 41. sinnes of Ierusalem . Dearely beloued in the Lord , when you haue cried for your owne sinnes , spare some of your teares for the sinnes of the time : for vnlesse they be mourned for , Gods plague will bee powred out vpon the place , aswell as their persons : and if you doe not mourne and crie for the sinnes of the time , no body else will , for the sinners themselues will not weepe . When the Sea for Jonas his Ionas 1. 4. sinne raged , the men of the ship were crying hard , and throwing their-things into the Sea ; when Ionas , for whom all this Uers. 5. tempest was raised , had got himselfe downe to the bottome of the ship , and there was laid fast asleepe . Christs Disciples sleepe , when he is in an Agony for Mat. 26. ●0 , 43. their sins . Wicked men , for whose sins all the tempests , wherewith the Church is tossed , arise , neuer shed one teare in the storme , but stretch themselues along vpon beds of Yuorie , and short aloud vpon Amos 6. 4. the pillowes of securitie : it is onely the godly in the meane time , who must pleade , and pray , and cry , and shed teares for the sinnes of the time ; like Daniel , who Dan. 9. 16 , 17. in the time of his peoples captiuitie , in fasting and teares , was confessing his owne sinnes , and the sinnes of his people ; onely such mourners are fit to stand in the breach , with their payles of water in their hand , I meane ▪ with their teares , and strong cryings , like Moses , to quench the flames of wrath , which goe out from the Lord to consume vs for our sinnes .

Now concerning these teares which we are to shed ▪ both for our owne , and other mens sinnes , you shall doe well to take notice of these two things ; first , the necessitie of them ; and secondly , the vertue of them . The necessitie of them 1 appeareth , first , by precept ; secondly , by 2 practice . By precept of God in the old Testament , continually calling vnto his people by his Prophets , Ioel , Ieremie , and the rest ; Turne you vnto me with weeping , Ioel 10. 12. fasting , and mourning . And in the ninth of Ezechiel , marking out all those for life , Ezech. 9. 4. who did weepe for their owne sinnes , and the sinnes of the people . In the new Testament , by the precept of Christ , who forbade the daughters of Ierusalem to Luke 23. 28. weepe for him , who was no sinner , but commanded them to weepe for themselues who were sinners : and by the precept of his Apostle Saint Paul , who commanded the Corinthians to weepe for the vncleannesse of the incestuous person , 1. Cor. 5. 2. 1. Cor 5. 2.

The necessitie of them appeareth by the practice of all the Saints , who haue been chiefe mourners for their own , and other mens sinnes . In the old Testament Dauid deserueth to haue the place of the chiefe mourner , since he vsed his teares for sinne , not onely for Physick , and a Bath , as it is in the sixth Psalme ; I washed Psal. ● 6 my bed euery night with my teares ; but for food : for my teares were my meate day and night . If he , who was a man according to Gods owne heart , did thus weepe for his sinnes , how should we , who walke according to the lusts of our owne hearts , mourne for our sinnes ? In this traine of mourners you shall see Lot , whose righteous 2. Pet. 2. 7. soule was grieued and vexed for the filthinesse of the Sodomites . You shal see Ezra , Josiah , Jsaiah , Joel , Ieremy especially calling for fountaines of teares , for teares day and night , for powring out their soules like water before the Lord , writing whole bookes of Lamentations for their owne sins , and the sins of their times . In the new Testament wee haue a new traine of mourners and weepers , in which traine you shall see Christ , the chiefe mourner , weeping for the sinnes of Ierusalem ; so prone vnto teares , as Luk. 19 41. that the solemnitie of the time , the ioy of the people , the shoutings and acclamations of Hosanna , could neither drowne his voyce , but that he lifted it vp : nor dry his eyes , but that hee wept : after him , Luke 22. 62. commeth Peter weeping bitterly for his deniall : Mary Magdalen wiping Christs Luke 9. 38. feete with teares for her sinnes , and then Saint Paul crying out by reason of his sinnes : but O miserable man that I am , who Rom. 7. 24. shall deliuer mee out of this body of death ! You haue seene sufficiently the necessity of these teares for sinne : see a little the vertue and efficacy of them .

First , these teares and sighes for our 1 sinnes , make vs the better to know our sinnes , both for their colour and weight . Alas , so long as we take ioy and delight in sinne , so long sinne seemeth little , light , easie and sweete vnto vs : but he that here increaseth his sorrow , increaseth his knowledge : when we once come to smart , to grieue and groane vnder sinnes , then we will confesse , that the remembrance of them is grieuous vnto vs , and that the burthen of them is intolerable . As a penny in the bottome of a bason of water , sheweth as bigge as a shilling : so our sinnes , which to vs seeme but little , steept once in the water of our teares , shew themselues in their iust quantity and proportion .

Secondly , as our teares for sins make 2 vs know them , so they wash and doe our sins away , so as we shall neuer see them , nor need to know them any more . I dare say , the teares wherewith Mary Magdalen Luke 9. 38. washed Christs feete , did not more wash away the dust from Christs feet , then they did the sinne from her owne soule : for immediatly after her teares did she heare that happy sentence , Thy sins are forgiuen Vers. 47. thee : therefore are these teares called by the Fathers , Our second Baptisme , by which our sinnes are washed away ; compared by them to the waters of the red Sea , in which Pharaoh and his hoast , that Exod. 14 27. is to say , Satan and our sinnes are drowned : To the waters of Jordan , in which , 2. King . 5. 10 , 14. if like Naman , we wash our selues seuen times , that is to say , often we shall be cured of the leprosie of sinne : to the waters of the poole of Siloam , because if wee John 9. 7. bathe our selues in them , we shall be cured of all spirituall diseases and infirmities : so that if you vse to extoll and magnifie some waters , which you distill from hearbs and flowers , because they are good against sore eyes , burnings and heats , what doe you then say of these teares , which if you can but distill from your owne eyes , they will cure the lust of the eyes , the pride of life , and all carnall heates and desires .

Thirdly , these teares for sinne , doe 3 not only wash away sinne for the present , but wipe them out of all bookes of account , so as they discharge vs of our sins for euer : for you must know , that euery sinne we do commit , we write , as it were , in the booke of our owne conscience , a bill of our hand against our selues , wherby we acknowledge our selues debters to Gond , & lyable to his Iustice . Now vnlesse this debt bee discharged , and the bond cancelled , we must be cast in prison for it , and there lye , til we pay the vtmost farthing , which God knoweth will bee long enough , for we our selues are not worth one farthing . This bond is principally cancelled by Christ , who , as the Apostle speaketh , nayled vnto his Crosse the Coloss. ● . 14. hand-writing of ordinances which was against vs , who by his blood did wipe out the letters of this black bill , which was against vs Now what Christ did with the blood of his body , that we in some sort doe with the blood of our soules , that is , our teares : for so they are called by the Fathers : and they doe indeede wipe and eate out that which we haue written against our selues by our sinnes , and stand where those letters did : as one colour laid vpon another doth away the former , and remaineth it selfe : iust so , when the booke of our conscience shall come to be opened ; if we haue shed teares for our sinnes , there is no score nor register of our sinnes to be found in the Booke . Whensoeuer a sinner shall repent himselfe ( say some translations , Ingemuerit ) bemoane himselfe for his sinnes , J will put away his iniquities out of my remembrance , saith the Lord . Then our sighes and teares put them out of Gods remembrance , dash them out of his Register , and now our teares doe come in place of them : for saith the Psalmist , Are not all my teares in Psal. 56. 8. thy register , Psalme 56. 8 ? Our teares then are registred as our discharge and acquittance for our sinnes ; for when hee findeth our teares registred , hee lets vs goe as those , who were marked for Ezech. 9. 4. mourners , in the ninth of Ezechiel , who by their teares were acquitted from destruction .