Christs Love and Affection Towards Jerusalem, Chapter 4
CHAP. 4.
It is the duty of every one to weepe for the miſeries of others.
LOoke on the miſeries of others, and weepe for them. We reade of three ſeverall times that Chriſt wept, but not that he laughed ſo much as once in all his lifeaSalvian. l. 6. Chriſtum fleviſſe legimus, riſiſſe nunquā legimus.; and ſurely he that lookes on the miſerable face of things here in the world, hee ſhall finde more cauſe of weeping than rejoycing: for though all bee well at home, and with himſelfe yet the miſery of others abroad in the world, that lie bleeding under the hand of God, ſome in one kinde, ſome in another, that ſhould make his heart to bleed, and ſhed teares for them. This very example of Chriſt here in the Text, it preſſeth upon others for imitation in this kinde, and that by many termes of advantage; for,
1 This miſery was to come upon Jeruſalem forty yeares after, and yet even then it drew teares from the eyes of Chriſt, though hee ſaw it ſo farre off, and thought upon it ſo long before; how farre greater equity is there, that every one ſhould lay to heart the miſery of others, which he ſees hanging in the Clouds, ready to fall upon their heads, or that perhaps hath lyen heavy upon them a long time?
2 Chriſt wept thus for Jeruſalem that was a deadly enemy to him, that was a moſt wicked and rebellious City, the very Shambles, as it were, where all the holy Prophets were ſlaine; as Chriſt himſelfe complaines of her,bMatt. 23.37. Oh Ieruſalem Ieruſalem, thou that killeſt the Prophets, and ſtoneſt them that are ſent unto thee, &c. and againe, It cannot be that a Prophet ſhould periſh out of Ieruſalem cLuke 13 33.. Now if Chriſt wept for the miſery of Jeruſalem, that was his enemy, it will conclude more ſtrongly for every one to lay deeply to heart the miſery of his friends: if Chriſt ſhed ſo many teares for the miſery of Jeruſalem, that was the very Shamble of the Prophets; none can doubt, but that hee ought to weep and ſhed teares much more abundantly, when hee thinkes upo… the ruine and aſhes of thoſe flouriſhing Churches that have been ever helpers and honorers of the Prophets.
3 Chriſt weepes for thoſe miſeries whereof himſelfe ſhould beare no part; for they were to come upon Jeruſalem a long while after his death: and therefore it concludes more ſtrongly for thoſe to lay to heart and weepe for the miſeries of others, which may poſſibly bee inwrapped and involved within the compaſſe of the danger. When a man heares of lamentable fires in the fartheſt and remoteſt parts of the Kingdome, though hee have no feare of receiving any perſonall hurt and dammage from the ſame, yet common humanity layes a tie upon him to bee moved and affected with pitie and compaſſion towards the miſery of thoſe that periſh and are conſumed thereby; but when his neighbours houſe, which is the next doore unto him, is all on flame, he hath then more reaſon to be ſenſible of it, and lay it to heart.
4. Chriſt weepes for the miſery of others, when himſelfe had no hand in thoſe ſinnes which were the cauſe of it; but who can waſh his hands from the guilt of thoſe ſinnes that bring publike calamities upon himſelfe or others? and if hee have a hand in the ſinne, there is great reaſon why hee ſhould have a heart more deepely affected with the miſery of others that ſmart for his ſin, as David, d2 Sam. 24.14.Behold I have ſinned, & I have done wickedly: but theſe ſheep, alas, what have they done? When every one elſe is upon his knees, and calling upon his God, there is little reaſon why Ionah, who is the cauſe of all that ſtorme, ſhould ſleepe ſecurely in the bottome of the Ship. If Chriſt weepe for the miſery of Jeruſalem, who is altogether free from the ſinnes of Jeruſalem; little reaſon is there, why any elſe ſhould looke on theſe or the like miſeries of his brethren with dry cheekes. To weepe with them that weepe, is a duty which the Apoſtle calls for; and which every one is bound to performeeRom. 12.15.. As he muſt be ſenſibly affected with the miſeries of others, ſo his heart muſt bleed, and his eye ſhed tears for them.fHeb. 13.3. Remember them that are in bonds, as if ye were bound with them; and them that are in afflictions, as if ye were afflicted in the body. For as it is with brazen veſſels, when they are ſet together, if yee ſtrike one, the reſt will ſound; ſo it ſhould be with men, when one is ſmitten by the hand of affliction, the ſound of it ſhould reach unto others, and make a kindly impreſſion of griefe and ſorrow upon them. So it hath ever beene with the Saints of God; they have beene tenderly affected, and tender-hearted towards others in miſery. And indeed, who can want matter and occaſion of weeping, that layes to heart the miſeries of his brethren? that conſiders how ſome are wounded in their ſpirit with the ſenſe and feeling of their ſinnesgAug. Ser. 44. de verbis Domini. Gemimꝰ plerū que in peccatis fratrum noſtrorum, & vim patimur, & torquemur animo.; how others are weakned in their eſtate with loſſes & croſſes in the world; how others languiſh in their bed of ſickneſſe under the arreſt of ſome grievous diſeaſe; how others are conſumed or ſcattered abroad with the miſerable face of warre; who can refraine teares at the ſight or hearing of theſe miſeries? and yet are not theſe the tythes of thoſe burthens and miſeries that lie upon menhCryſol Anthol. Sac. pag. 234. Q…d dic…m ingentium miſeriatum acervos, clades innumeras, & multipliciū malorum iliadem, quibus noſtri in Chriſto fratres, et ejuſdem magni parentis filii, ante oculos miſerrimè conficiuntur? anſumus tam duri, tam que diſſimiles praeſtantiū hominū, et ſanctiſſimorum, ut ſpectantes et ſciē tes nihil afficiant? Virg. Aencid. 2. Quis talia fando Myrmidonū Dolopumve aut duri miles Vlyſſis Tēperet à lachrymis.; and therefore hee cannot but eaſily incline to weep and ſhed tears, that lookes upon them with an eye of pitty and compaſſion.
For like as it is with a veſſell that is full of water, or any other liquor; if it be moved, or ſhaken, it will eaſily run over: ſo the heart that is full of tender pitty and compaſſion towards others, when it comes to be moved and affected with their miſery, it will eaſily runne over, and ſhed teares. There are not examples wanting in holy Writ, of thoſe who have ſhed teares for the ruine of their enemies. Samuel i1 Sam. 15.35.wept for Saul, even then when God had rejected him: and the Prophet Eſay, kEſay 15.5. & 16.11.he cryed out for Moab in the day of her miſery; but much more plentifull are the examples of thoſe who have wept and lamented for the miſery of their friends: So it was with good Nehemiah, when the King wondered to ſee him much dejected, and his countenance caſt downe, thinking his royall favour more than ſufficient to make him cheerefull; he makes this anſwer and apologie for himſelfe,lNehem. 2.3. Why ſhould not my countenance be ſad, when the Citie and place of my fathers ſepulchres lies waſte, and the gates thereof are conſumed with fire? He thought the miſery of the Church matter enough to make his thoughts ſad and penſive; even then when hee had all other contentments that royall favour could heape upon him. So it was with the Prophet Ieremy, mJer. 9.1.O that my head were full of water, and mine eyes a fountaine of teares, to weepe day and night for the ſlaine of the daughter of my people! And againe,nLam. 1.16. For theſe things I weepe, mine eye, even mine eye caſteth out water, becauſe the Comforter that ſhould refreſh my ſoule is far away from me. So it was with Chriſt, when hee ſeeth Mary weepe, and the Jewes weepe with her for the death of Lazarus, it makes teares to ſtand in his eyes, andoIohn 11.35. hee weepes too. So it was with Saint Paul, p2 Cor. 11.29.Who is weake, and I am not weake? who is offended, and I burne not? The Lord himſelfe complaines of the want of this,qAmos 6.6. They drinke wine in bowles, and anoint themſelves with the chiefeſt oyntment: but no man remembreth the afflictions of Ioſeph, &c. And it is a pittifull moane and complaint that the Church makes, becauſe ſhe was neglected in this kind:rLam. 1.12. Is it nothing to you, and have ye no regard? O all ye that paſſe by, behold and ſee, if there was ever ſorrow like unto my ſorrow, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce wrath! And therefore when the face of the Church gathers blackneſſe, when ſad and lamentable times fall upon her, all her children, yea all her friends muſt lament with her, and weep for herſGreg. Nyſſen. ut citaturin 2. Nice. Sym. Act. 4. c. 2. Cum vidiſſet immolationis Iſaac imaginē, ſine fletu trāſire non potuit..
It is reported of Gregory Nyſſen, that when hee ſaw but the ſhew and repreſentation of the ſacrificing of Iſaac, it made ſuch an impreſſion upon him, that he could not forbeare weeping: and if an imaginary ſhew of miſery could doe ſo much, there is great reaſon why the reall calamities of others ſhould fetch teares from the eyes of ſuch as looke upon them.
As in the naturall body there is no lively member but will ſympathize and ſuffer with the reſt, and be ſenſible of the ſmart and paines that other members feele; when the foot is troden upon, (though there be a great diſtance between that and the head;) yet the head complaines, ſaying, Why doſt thou tread on mee? Even ſo it is in the politicke body both of Church and Common-wealth; it is a ſigne of a liveleſſe member, when hee doth not take to heart, nor ſhed teares for the affliction of the body; like as it is with a wooden leg, or an Ivory tooth, or an eye of glaſſe, which doe not partake with the body in paine, becauſe they doe not ſhare with it in life; ſo it is with thoſe who can looke on the miſerie of others with dry cheekes; nay which is much worſe, inſult and trample upon them in their miſery; like the wicked Edomites, that crytPſal. 137.7. Downe with it, downe with it, even to the ground. It is a ſigne of a wicked Shimei to curſe David in his affliction, and to adde to his miſery. It is the devils propertyuforeign: Id eſt, qui g…udium et laetitiā percipit ex alienis calamitatibus. Ariſt. Eth. 2. cap. 7. to rejoyce in evill, and take pleaſure and delight in the miſery of others: butx1 Cor. 13.6. love rejoyceth not in evill; but with Chriſt here ſheds teares at the ſight of it.