spent for worldly crosses are all lost; they run all to waste; they are lachrymæ inanes, empty fruitless things: But tears shed for the breach of God's law, are the means to quench God's wrath. The prayers and tears of some few, may avert the punishment of many, yea, of a whole land; and if not so, yet are they not lost, the mourners themselves have always benefit by them, as you have it ia that known places. They that mourned for the common abominations were marked," and the cổmmon desolation took not hold on them. This mourning for other men's wickedness, both testifies and preserves the godly man's innocence. I say, it preserves it, as well as testifies it; it keeps them from the contagion of that bad air they live in; for without this, sin would soon grow familiar. It is good for men to keep up, and maintain in their souls a dislike of sin; for when once it ceaseth to be displeasing to a man, it will, before long, begin to be pleasing to him.

Love

3. If we consider the nature of the godly, we shall see this mourning suit with it exceedingly, both in regard of his relation to God, and to man. God is his Father, and therefore it cannot but grieve, him much to see him offended and dishonoured. to God, and consequently to his law, and love to men, and desire of their good, is the spring of these rivers. A godly man is tender of God's glory and of his law; every stroke that it receives, striketh his heart: And he hath bowels of compassion to men, and would be glad if they were converted and saved. He considers every man as his brother, and therefore is sorrowful to see him run the hazard of perishing in sin. The former sympathy, whereby the godly man tenders the glory of God, is from his piety: This latter, whereby he pities the misery of man, is from his.chiarity; and from these flow the rivers that run down his eyes.

To be too sensible of worldly crosses, and pro

* Ezek. ix.

digal of tears, upon such slight occasions, is little better than childish or womanish; but these tears, that flow from love to God, and grief for sin, have neither uncomeliness nor excess in them. Abundance of them will beseem any man that is a christian. Let profane men judge it a weakness to weep for sin, yet we see David do it. Men of arms and valour need not fear disparagement by weeping thus; it is the truest magnanimity to be sensible of the point of God's honour, which is injured by

sin.

Again, the consideration of this truth will discover the world guilty of very much ingratitude to godly men. It hath always been the custom of profane persons, to seek to brand religion and godliness with disloyalty and turbulency, and to make it pass for an enemy to the peace and prosperity of states and kingdoms. You see clearly with what affection religion furnishes men towards the publick, causing them to mourn for common sins, and so to prevent, as far as in them lies, common calamities. And this is of no little consequence; for truly it is not foreign power, so much as sin at home, that ruins kingdoms. All the winds that blow without the earth, be they never so violent, stir it not, only that which is within its own bowels makes an earthquake. It was a grave answer of Epaminondas, being asked what he was doing solitary and pensive in the time of solemn mirth and feasting? While my countrymen (says he) are so peaceably feasting, I am thinking on the best means to preserve that peace to them, that it may continue. Which, a little altered, is applicable to the godly. They are oftentimes mourning for the sins, and praying for the peace of the places where they live; when, in the mean time, the greatest part are multiplying sin, and so forfeiting their peace.

Rivers of waters. "This is a mournful, melancholy life that these Precisians lead," says the wordling. Yes, truly, if there were no more in it

than what he can perceive and judge of. But besides the full joy laid up for them, and the beginnings of it here, there is even in this mourning an unknown sweetness and delight. The philosopher says, even of common tears, that there is some kind of pleasure in them, as some things please the taste by their very tartness. But of these tears, they that know them, know it to be eminently true, that they are pleasant. But be this exercise as sad as the profane call it, yet why observe they not, that they themselves are much the cause of it, as they may read here, Becay they keep not God's law?

But to pass by divers inferences that the words afford, let us take notice of the duty here practised, and how much we are all obliged to the present practice of it. Who will deny that we have too much matter and occasions of it? Besides the sorrow of Sion, and particularly the blood-shedding and distress of our brethren, and our own danger, what corner of the land, what rank or condition of people is there that abounds not in gross and heinous violation of God's law? They keep not thy law. Magis-. trates and judges turning judgment into gall and wormwood: Ministers remiss in that great care, the care of souls: People wallowing in ungodliness and uncleanness, swearing, &c. The greater oppressing the less, and the less defrauding and wronging the greater. No sensible and notable work of conversion almost to be seen or heard of amongst us, the Lord absenting himself from his ordinances. O that he would dwell in his house, and fill it with a cloud of his glory!

What vile uncleanness and wantonness! What shameful drunkenness and excess! And some so far from mourning for others guiltiness of this sin, that they glory in making others guilty of it, and count it a pastime to make others drunk. And this is a far greater sin, than drunkenness itself; for these men, while they make beasts of their companions, they

make devils of themselves, becoming tempters and provokers to sin. If any such be here, either tremble at the Wo that the prophet Habakkuk, chap. ii. denounceth, or confess that you believe not the scriptures: Wo to him that gives his neighbour drink, end puts the bottle to him to make him drunken. The eup of the Lord's right hand shall be turned to thee; it is full of heavy vengeance. There is a cup, if you like it, to pay you home the cups you give to others.

Again: How is the land filled with oaths and cursings? How are your streets, and almost all companies where a man can come, defiled, partly with tearing the precious name of God, partly with calling on the devil. There would be no end of reckoning up all particulars; sabbath-breaking, fraud and covetousness, pride and malice, and envyings one of another, and the rest. But the sum is this, an universal want of the fear of God and his law.

And the cause of this is, in a great part, ignorance of God and of his law; and truly it is wonderful, under so much light and such plentiful preaching, to find so much darkness, not only in the skirts and remote places, but even in the prime parts of this land. Multitudes that are strangers to the very principles and fundamentals of that religion which they profess; and they that have knowledge, abusing it and sinning against it, continuing in profaneness. And without this true religion, it is as impossible to have renewed hearts and lives, as to have à house without a foundation, or, as we say, a castle in the air. And this atheism and ignorance amongst people, is in a great part to be imputed to the corruption and sloth of ministers: And would to God there were not many congregations, not only altogether destitute, but such as are freezing under a cold and lifeless ministry!

You see then, we want not causes of mourning and humiliation, on all hands; but our want is in

'ward, of that due disposition for it, Softness of heart, and that love to God which should melt and mollify the heart. Let us then stir up ourselves, and one another, to this godly sorrow for the sins of the land. There is need of rivers of tears for these heaps of sin; as they tell of Hercules his letting in a river to that monstrous stable of Augeas, that could not otherwise have been cleansed in the time allotted him.

And truly, as the duty lies upon all the faithful, the ministers of the word ought to be most eminent in it, the chief mourners, the precentors, to take up the tune of these themes". And all that wish the good of church and kingdom ought to bear a part in them, according to their measure. Have we not much need to intreat reconcilement with God, that he prove not our enemy? Yes, surely, and were we reconciled with him, we would have little need to fear the power of man.

Now they that would be profitable mourners for others sins, by all means, must have these two conditions I mentioned; to be careful observers of the law themselves, and to mourn for their own failing and breaking of it. Now to the observing of the law, it is absolutely needful, (1.) To know and understand it, and that not only in the letter and superfice, but according to the spiritual sense and meaning of it: For without this knowledge, a man may light upon some duty by guess, as it were in the dark; but observe the law he cannot. They are not only reproveable that glory in their own sins, and make sport of the sins of others, but they mistake it much, that think it enough to consider their own with grief, and judge the sins of others an impertinency for them to think on. They mourn not right for others that begin not at themselves, so they mourn never aright for themselves that end in themselves. He that here thus weeps for others, made his bed to swim with these rivers for his own sin'. h Joel ii. 17. i Psalm vi. 6.