MOurning is the principal word in the Text, and it is the chief work of the day. The Hebrew word for mourning signifieth sunebri ritu lugere, a Funeral mourning, and that this day calls for: Finally, the mourning of the Text, is for the death of a Royal Person, and that is the dismall occasion of this dayes lamentation.

[Page 2] Lace befits not a mourning Suit, nor flourishes of Rhetorick a mourning Sermon. On such a day and Text as this, the Preachers words should be sighs, his accents groans; and the Auditors tears are the best commen­dation of the Sermon. For this end, I am come this day, Luk. 12. 49. though not (as my Saviour saith in another case) to send fire, yet, to draw water, that this place may now become like that, where the Angel of the Lord delivered his sad message to the Israelites, Judg. 2. 5. Bochin, a place of Weepers; and happy will it be, if as when all Israel were gathered together at Mizpeh, 1 Sam. 7. 6. so the Repre­sentatives of our Israel (if that word may be used, which hath been so much abused) being assembled together in the house of God, may draw water, and pour forth their tears before the Lord, for the Royal blood, which as on this day was poured out, and spilt as water upon the ground: that so that may be fulfilled in us, which was here foretold concerning the Jewes, In that day shall there be a great mourning, as the mourning of Ha­dadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

I shall need no other division of the Text, than that which the repetition of the word mourning prompts me to, since a twofold mourning is the double stream into which the well-head of this Scripture parts it self.

Here is a mourning in Jerusalem, and a mourning of Hadadrimmon.

The former is set down by way of praediction, In that day, there shall be a great mourning in Jerusa­lem.

The latter is brought in by way of allusion, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megid­don; [Page 3] of both which with your patience, by Gods as­sistance

I begin with the praediction, Gen. 1. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, in which there are four circumstances expressed; namely, the Quid, that there shall be a mourning; the Quantus, that it shall be a great mourning; the Ubi, that this great mourning shall be in Jerusalem; and the Quando, that it shall be in that day. But there are other circumstances, such, as though not expressed, must be supplyed for the right understanding of this Prophesie, namely, the Quare and the Qualis, the occasion and the kind of this mourning.

1. We need not go far to find out the occasion of this mourning, the preceding Verse will informe us in the last clause, Verse 10. where it is said, they shall mourn for him, by which it appeareth to be for some person; the clause before that saith, They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, by which is evident, that it was the piercing of some person which should occasion this mourning in them who did it; and if you would know whom, the him, and the me intends, the first clause of that Verse tells you, it is the I who saith, He will pour his spirit upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, and he as the foregoing words expresse, is the Lord Je­hovah; so that the meaning of these words is, that there should come a time, when the Jews should bit­terly bewaile their hainous sinnes, by which they had not only offended but grieved, grieved but vexed, vex­ed but (as much as in them lay) also pierced the holy one of Israel. And if you please further to cast your eyes on that passage in St. Johns Gospel, whence you [Page 4] have a Quotation of those words in the former Verse, Joh. 19. 37. They shall look upon him whom they have pierced, and an application of them to Christ, upon the occasion of the Souldiers piercing him with a speare; we there­by learn, that the particular sinne of piercing and crucifying the Messiah, shall be the occasion of this mourning.

2. But further, whereas

First, The prophesies in holy Writ are of two sorts, namely, threats and promises, both which are fitly signified by those two words, burden and vision, ( though sometimes promiscuously used) threats being burdens of wrath, and promises visions of peace.

Secondly, There is a double mourning for sinne, penal and penitential, the one whereof is forced and involuntary, the other free and voluntary; the one a mourning of desperation, and the other of contrition. It is to be enquired, which of these mournings is here intended; the answer to which is returned by Expo­sitors, both wayes, and accordingly this prediction, may be looked upon either as a threat or as a pro­mise.

1. The Ancients seem to incline to the former con­struction, as if the meaning of the words were, In that day, that is, Die vindictae divinae, in the day of Gods vengeance upon them for their sinnes, and especially for that sinne of piercing Christ, there shall be a mourn­ing in Jerusalem, by reason of the calamities which should overwhelme them. To this purpose Theodo­ret where he saith, Theod. in loc. (speaking of Christs-crucifiers,) when they shall not long after see him coming with Majesty, [...], They shall, though [Page 5] too late, bemoan their own folly and madnesse: and not unlike is that of St. Jerome, Hieron. ibid. Tunc dolebunt à se cruci­fixum, cum viderint in claritate regnantem, They shall then bewaile him whom they crucified through envy, when they shall behold him reigning in glory. This pro­phecy in this sense, Matth 24. 32. is the same with that of our Savi­our, Then shall appear the sign of the Sonne of man in the Heavens, and all the Tribes of the earth shall mourn; and with that of Saint John, Rev. 7. 1. Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wayle because of him. This prediction began to be accom­plished in that day, when Christ came in power to ex­ecute vengeance on Jerusalem by the Romane Army; at which time no doubt they sadly experienced the fa­tall ruine which they had imprecated upon themselves, His blood be upon us. Matth. 27. 25. Though the finall accomplish­ment shall not be till the last and great day of judge­ment, when he shall come in person to inflict that hea­vy doome of condemnation; not only upon those who crucified, but all who reject him: at which time, it is impossible to imagine, what weeping, wailing and gnash­ing of teeth; what howling, roaring and wringing of hands; what despaire, horrour and astonishment; what a bitter mourning and lamentation there shall be.

I would to God, this were seriously, speedily and sadly thought on, by all sorts of impenitent sinners; That as they have their day of sinning, God will (soon­er or later) have his day of punishing: and as the day of a sinners impenitency is a day of carnal rejoycing; so the day of Gods vengeance shall be a day of bitter mourning, Woe unto you, Luk. 6. 25. saith our blessed Saviour, who [Page 6] now laugh, for you shall mourn and weep: Upon which words St. Augustine occasionally thus glosseth, Aug Serm. 4. de [...]anct. Quod in gaudio videntur serere, necesse est illis in luctu & lachrimis recipere. It is impossible, but that wicked men, though they seem to sow with joy, should reape in sorrow; and however sinne may be sweet as honey in the mouth, it shall be bitter as gall and wormwood in the helly. The Author of the Book of Wisdome passionate­ly sets forth, the despairing language which the wick­ed utter at such a time, Wisd. 5. 7, 8, 9. Groaning for anguish of spirit, they shall say within themselves, we wearied our selves in the way of wickednesse and destruction, yea, we have gone through deserts where there is no way [...] for as for the way of the Lord we have not known it. What hath pride profited us? or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us? all these things are passed away as a shadow, &c. I, the pleasure of sinne passeth a­way, but the sting remaineth to torture the sinner to eternity. Believe me (brethren) sin is big with sor­row and shame, which it must bring forth at the ap­pointed time, In that day there shall be a great mour­ning.

2. But though this be an usefull meditation, I con­ceive the other to be the most genuine Interpretation, which construeth the mourning here spoken of to be penitentiall. Indeed some Expositors glance at the mourning of the women, Luk. 23. 27, 48. which was in die passionis, in the day of our Saviours passion, when beholding his sorrowes, their bowels yearned, and their eyes melt­ed with tears, at which time also, others of the spe­ctators smote their breasts, and were astonied. But this mourning in Jerusalem was to be (as appeareth [Page 7] by the former Verse) not by the spectators, but the actors in that cruell Tragedy, those who pierced him: and since it is set down as an effect of the Spirit of grace and supplication, ( or as some read it lamentati­on) which was to be poured out upon them; it can­not rationally be expounded any otherwise, than to intend that godly sorrow which shall in that day, that is, die conversionis eorum, in the day of their conversi­on, be expressed by them for so hainous a crime.

As it is here foretold, it was afterwards accomplished. On the day of Pentecost the Spirit of God did in a visible and glorious manner, decend upon the Apostles, to furnish them with gifts, and fill them with courage for preaching the Gospel. At that time, one of the Apostles S ^t Peter preached to the Jews, and set be­fore them them the hainousnesse of the fact which they had committed, and when they heard this ( saith the Pen­man of the Acts) they were pricked in their hearts, Act. 2. 37. and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, men and brethren what shall we do? Whilest they heard S ^t Pe­ters Sermon, the Spirit of grace was poured upon them, and so at once their ears, their eyes and hearts were opened to hear reproof, and see and bewail their wickednesse. Nor was it a slight and superficiall sor­row, but a great and deep mourning: so deep that it went to their heart; and so great, that according to the Emphasis of the Greek word, [...], there used, it was as if the sharpest points of many poisoned Daggers, and Scorpions stings, [...] quasi [...] scindo. had been all at once fastned in their hearts; And of the word here used by the Septu­agint, it was such a sorrow as did cut, and vexe, and wound their spirits: nor yet was their sorrow confined [Page 8] to their hearts, but it breaketh out at their lips, and no doubt testified it self in their gesture, for the He­brew word in the Text properly refers ad externum gestum, to the outward behaviour. They that had shed the bloud of Christ by the instigation of the Devil, shed tears by the effusion of the holy Ghost; and as they had cruelly wounded him to the death, they are penitently, mercifully by his Word and Spirit themselves wounded with repentance unto life.

From this part of my Text thus unfolded, give me leave to present you with these five Meditations.

1. The day of a sinners Turning is a day of mourning: true conversion is ever attended with contrition. Man is described by the Philosopher to be animal rati­onale risible, a reasonable living creature, endued with the power of laughing; but the new man is de­scribed by the Divine to be animal spirituale flebile, a spiritually living creature, endued with the grace of weeping. When God doth inspirare, breath in his Spirit, the sinner cannot but suspirare, breath forth sighs; when he doth infundere, pour in his grace, the sinner begins effundere, to pour out tears. Turn you unto me saith the Lord with all your heart, [...]ccl 2. 12, 13. with weeping and mourning, rent your hearts and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God; where you may observe, that turning to God must be accompa­nied with weeping, mourning, and renting the heart with sorrow for our sins, whereby we have turned from him: and which seemeth a riddle, but is an un­doubted truth, we must at once turn to God with all our hearts, and with a broken heart; yea that we [Page 9] may turn to God with our whose heart, we must rent our hearts.

Indeed on the one hand, conversion could it be with­out contrition, will not serve, Non sufficit mores in melius commutare, saith St. Angustine, nisi etiam de his quae facta, Aug. satisfiat deo per penitentiae dolorem, humi­litatis gemitum, & contritionis sacrificium; It is not e­nough to amend our manners for the time to come, un­lesse we make satisfaction for what is past, by the sorrow of repentance, groans of humility, and sacrifice of con­trition. But on the other hand, it is impossible, true conversion should be without contrition, Wash you, make you clean, saith God by the Prophet Isaiah, to the Jews, to intimate, Isai. 1. 15. 2 Cor. 7. 10. that we cannot be made clean, unlesse we first wash our selves with the tears of penitential grief. Godly sorrow ( saith St. Paul,) worketh repentance, as the sharp needle maketh way for the thred. Conversion is a Regeneration, a new Birth, which cannot be with­out pangs, though not in all alike, yet in all some; the building which is raised high must be laid low, so must that reformation which is to salvation, be founded in a sincere humiliation.

2. Mourning for sinne must not onely be internal, but external. True, Joel 2. 13. the Prophet Joel saith, Rent your hearts and not your garments, but that must be taken as a comparative, not an absolute negation. In that day, Isai. 22. 12. saith the Prophet Isaiah, did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping and mourning, to baldnesse and to girding with sackeloth, where every word refers to external expression; weeping to the eye, baldnesse to the head, sackcloth to the body; and the Hebrew word for mourning ( the same with this in the Text) to the [Page 10] behaviour of the outward man. We see in natural mourning, when the heart is grieved it will find a vent. We observe in civil mourning what correspondency there is in the habit: and think we that religious mourning ought not to shew it self as well as either; such I mean (as the Text intends) not closet sorrow for secret, but publick for open sinnes.

This I am sure was the practice of the people of God of old, who at the times of their solemn humiliation, were wont to rend their garments, sprinkle ashes upon their heads, put on sackcloath, and the like. And if we reflect upon the practice of the primitive Christians, we shall find penetents prostrate at the Church doore, with neglected haire, hollow eyes, withered faces, bare feet, begging the prayers of Saints, washing the feet of Lazars, never thinking they could abase themselves sufficiently.

But alas! how is the face of Christendome, especi­ally in our parts altered? Repentance is grown stately, and even upon such dayes as these, and that in the so­lemn Assemblies, instead of bare feet, we may behold na­ked breasts; of weeping eyes, wanton looks; of dejected countenances, patched and painted faces; of ashes upon the head, powdred hair, and of rough sackcloath, gorgeous and fantasticall attire. Oh! let us not deceive our selves with the pretences of a sorrowfull spirit, whilest our out­ward behaviour proclaimeth the contrary: let us say what we will, and pretend what we can, I shall as soon believe him to be sober who reeleth up and down the streets; as him to be charitable, whose hands are not reached forth to the poore; as him devout, whose ge­sture is unreverent in Gods worship; or him penitent, [Page 11] whose posture is bold when he cometh to bemoane his sins before God. True it is, the most humble posture abstracted from a suitable frame of mind, is of no ac­count with God: but it is as true, that that God who abhorreth the vizor, liketh well the face of repen­tance. To disfigure our faces that we may be seen of men, Matth. 5. 7. indeed is pharisaical, but yet with the penitent publican, Luke 18. 12. we ought to expresse our fear by standing a­far off; our shame, by hanging down our heads; and our sorrow, by beating our breasts. These external ex­pressions are, effecta, indicia, & incitamenta, the ge­nuine effects, manifest testimonies, and strong incentives of our internal affections. Which way soever the soul goeth, it draweth the body after it; we cannot testifie to men our inward disposition, but by our outward de­portment; yea, Ambros. rectius in re affectatâ mens conservatur si corpus simul adhibeatur, the mind cannot but be more intent upon any service when the body accompanieth it: that therefore our sorrow may appear to be hearty, yea, that the sorrow of our heart may be enlarged in it self, and testified to others; let us not only grieve but weep, mourn but sigh, break our hearts, but beat our breasts, and use all kind of penitential expressions.

3. Great sinning calls for great mourning, Ambros. ad Virg. laps. c. 8. Grandi pla­gae prolixa est medicina, grande scelus grandi indiget sa­tisfactione, saith St. Ambrose truely, violent diseases re­quire strong potions, festred sores, eating corasives, and haynous sins heavy sorrow. Quam magna deliquimus tam granditer defleamus penitentia crimine minor non sit, said St. Cyprian; Cypr. Serm. de lapsis. before him, our repentance must not be lesse than our crime, but how much we have put into the scale of sin, so much we must put into that of sorrow; [Page 12] Not that there can be an adequation betwixt the guilt of sinne which is infinite, and our mourning which how great soever can be but finite; but that there should be some analogy and proportion between the measure of the one and the other. Not that this is required per modum solutionis, as a payment of the debt, to which our sins obliege us, that must be done by Christs blood, not our tears. Could we weep an Ocean, it were not a satisfactory compensation to God for the least offence, much lesse for great faults; but that hereby we may expresse that we have a sense of sin in some sort propor­tionable to the haynousnesse of it. Accordingly we find this to be the practice of penitents in holy Writ, Ma­nessah was humbled greatly, 2 Chron. 33. 11. St. Peter wept bitterly, not drops but rivers of tears ran down Davids eyes, Psal. 119 136. and Mary Magdalens were in such abundance that they Matth. 26. 57. washed her Saviours feet. Luke 7. 38.

There are too many who have but one kind of sorrow for all sin, and that ( God knoweth) but slender nei­ther; when they have told a lye, sworne an Oath, or committed any sin, though of a grievous nature, A, God forgive me, I am sorry for it, is with them, suffi­cient repentance. But, Be not deceived, God is not mock­ed with such slight sorrow, for such offences. Our Sa­viour speaketh of a Devil which cannot be cast out, but by prayer and fasting, Mark 9. 29. nor can notorious faults be repent­ed of without mourning and weeping. He that falleth into the midst of the River, must swim hard to get to shore, whilest he who falls in by the bank side easily creepeth up; he that sinketh into the mud, must take more pains to cleanse himself, than he that only steps into a puddle. Idle words should trouble us, but rash [Page 13] oaths must p [...]plex us; unclean thoughts call for a sigh, but actual adulteries for deep groans; if we have drawn iniquity with cords and cartropes, we must not think to draw repentance with threds; if our sins are not only clouds but thick clouds, we must not look to escape without a shoure of tears: Cypr. L. D. excellently St. Cyprian ex­postulateth with the Apostate, Putas ne tu Deum cito posse placari? &c. Dost thou imagine that God will quickly be appeased, whose Temple thou hast sacrilegi­ously violated, and whom thou hast perfidiously denyed? Dost thou think he will easily have mercy on thee, when thou wouldst not own him to be thine? And may not the like be said of those who blaspheme and dishonour his name by any gross sinnes. Surely as that Father excellently goeth on, Id. ibid. Orare oporlet impensius, diem lu­ctu transigere, vigilijs noctes ac fletibus ducere, &c. it behoveth all sorts of great sinners, to pray and beg ear­nestly, to spend their day in sorrow, and their night in tears; yea, their whole life in dolefull lamentation, to grovel upon the ground, and rowle themselves in the dust, because of their abominations. As our afflictions abound, 1 Cor. 1. 3. saith St. Paul, our consolations abound much more: it is true here, as our transgressions abound, so must our humiliations; if our sins have been red as scarlet, our shame must be red as crimson; if our sins have been a floud, our tears must be a river. Finally, if the cry of our crimes hath been as the roaring of a Ly­on, our sighs must be as loud thunder claps.

4. Our greatest mourning for our sins ought to be, because by them we have pierced God. That of Christ to the women, Luke 39. 26. Weep not for me, but weep for your selves, would in this sense be inverted; we must not [Page 14] weep so much in reference to our selves as him: not so much because of the calamity our sins will bring upon us, as the injury and dishonour that is done to God. What was Josephs argument for prevention of sinne to which he was tempted, Gen. 39. 3. How shall I do this wicked­nesse and sin against God? should be our reasoning in humiliation for the sinnes we have committed. I have done this wickednesse and sinned against God: it was so with David, who therefore in his penitential ac­knowledgement, cryeth out, Psal. 51. 3. Against thee, against thee only have I sinned; and with the predigall, who con­fesseth, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and be­fore thee. For this reason it is that penitential sorrow is called by St. Paul [...], a sorrow according to God, 2 Cor. 7. 10. because for sin chiefly, not as it is inflictum paenae, that which brings punishment on us, but offensi­vum Dei, that which is offensive unto God.

5. Lastly, This mourning for Christs piercing is not to be confined to Jerusalem, since all, Gentiles as well as Jews are guilty of it. The Jews were the instru­mental causes, by whose instigation, but all men were the meritorious causes, for whose transgressions he was pierced; Isai. 53. 6. and therefore saith the Prophet Isaiah, The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. It was the hypocrisie of our hearts that mocked him, the bribery of our hands which buffeted him, the oaths of our mouths that spit in his face; we betrayed him with our wanton kisses, we whipt him with the cords of our oppression, and gave him gall and vinegar to taste by our intempe­rance; our pride in hair, apparrel, ornaments, platted a crown of thorns upon his head, and stript him of his garments; Finally, our many mighty sinnes, were the [Page 15] nails which pierced his hands and feet, and the speare that was thrust into his side. The Lord of glory was brought to shame for our shamefull lives; The Lord of life was put to death for our deadly sinnes, and the word became speechlesse for our crying sinnes. So that I may justly bring this home to every man in this Congregation, with Nathans, Matth. 26. 8. Tu es homo, Thou art the man that piercedst Christ; and every one of us, were that question put to us seriously, which was to him scoffingly, Prophesie who smote thee? may without the gift of prophecying returne the answer, It is we that smote him.

And now methinketh every one of us should look upon him whom we have pierced, and bespeak him in this or the like penitent language, Blessed Jesus, my sinnes pierced thy side, and hands, and feet, shall they not my heart; they bruised thy body, shall they not my soul; they fetched blood from thee, shall they not tears from me; they made thee heavy to the death, shall they not make me penitent to life; the Heavens were hung in black at thy passion, and shall not I be cloathed in mourning; the rock rent and clave asunder at thy suffering, and shall my heart be more stony and obdurate than the rock. Oh! my brethren, let us both duly meditate on our Redeem­ers sufferings, and our sins as the cause of those suffer­ings; and that so long, till our hearts be not only brui­sed but broken, our head not only become dew but wa­ters, and our eyes not as a bucket but a fountaine of tears.

And thus I have given a dispatch to the mourning, Gen. 2. which was the matter of the prediction, I now proceed to the other, which is brought in by way of allusion, in those words, As the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

[Page 16] Which words I shall desire you to look upon with a double aspect, to wit, as they are in themselves, and as they stand in connexion, and accordingly there is a double assertion to be handled.

The mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Me­giddon was a great mourning.

The mourning of Jerusalem, shall be as great as the mourning of Hadadrimmon.

1. I begin with the absolute consideration of the clause which implyeth the mourning of Hadadrimmon to be very great; in discussion whereof I shall en­quire,

What the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon was?

Wherein it appeared to be a great mourning?

What reason there was for the greatness of that mourn­ing?

1. In answer to the first of these, it will not be amiss to take notice of the various reading of, and glosses up­on these words.

1. The Septuagint construe Hadadrimmon and Me­giddon, as appellatives, and read the clause thus, [...], of a pomegranate cut down in the fields, of which reading the Greek Fathers give a double construction. Theod. in loc. Cyril in loc. Theodoret borroweth the allusion from the noise which the woodcleaver maketh, when in hewing down a pomegranate or any other tree, he fetch­eth as it were a groan at every blow he maketh: but St. Cyril more probably conceiveth, that it alludeth to the grief of the owner, whose Orchard of pomegra­nates is cut down against his will; as we have some­times beheld in the late war, a goodly Grove or Or­chard [Page 17] for the safety of an adjacent Garison hewed down, to the sorrow of the possessour.

2. The Generality of Interpreters, and most pro­bably construe Hadadrimmon and Megiddon to be pro­per names, but yet with variety.

By the more learned among the Hebrews saith Va­tablus, Hadadrimmon is thought to be the name, Vat. ou­jusdam viri insignis ac cluri, of some famous and emi­nent person, who was cut off at Megiddon, to the great sorrow of the people. Cald. Par. The Caldee Paraphrast takes it to be the name of him, who slew Ahab the Son of Omri: But S ^t Hierom and most rationally conceiveth it to be the name of some Fort, or Town, or Village, near to Megiddon. We read in the Sto­ry of the Kings, that King Josiah going forth against Pharaoh Necho King of Aegypt, was slain by him at Megiddon; 2 King 23. 29. and consequently the mourning in the valley of Megiddon, is the mourning for Josiah, who was there slain: And it is called the mourning of Ha­dadrimmon, either because near that place he receiv­ed his deaths wound, or in that place the mourning for him began.

2. That which is next to be resolved is, Wherein this mourning appeareth to be great? The Answer to which is returned from that in the Chronicles, 2 Chron 35. 24, 25. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah, and Jere­miah lamented for Josiah, and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an Ordinance in Israel, and behold they are written in the Lamentations. Where we may observe the greatnesse of the mourning in three respects, namely the measure, the extent, and the [Page 18] duration: It was Luctus intensus, publicus, perpetu­us, a vehement, a common, a permanent, and con­sequently a great mourning.

1. The mourning of Hadadrimmon was a very in­tense mourning: [...] the first word which is there used, signifieth to mourn as one doth, ob rei charissimae a­missionem, for parting with what is most dear; and certainly where there is a dearnesse of affection, there cannot but be an excessive lamentation: The Greek there rendreth it [...], a word very significant al­so to note an high degree of sorrow. It is not un­worthy our observation, that the two preceding simi­litudes of a first-born and onely Son, are designed to expresse intensivenesse of sorrow: for though that con­ceit of St. Hierom be ingenious, Hieron. in loc. that he whom they pierced was unigenitus proprietate naturae, & primo­genitus à mortuis resurgentium, the only begotten by the propriety of his divine nature, and the first begot­ten of them that rise from the dead, the only Son of his Father, and the first born of his Mother, and that in that respect there is a congruity; yet doubtlesse the true reason of using those comparisons, is upon the ac­count of the mourning. The losse of any Child, much more of a Son; of a younger, but especially of the first-born; of one among many, chiefly of an only Son, cannot but be matter of exceeding grief: and yet as if these were not full enough, here is another similitude annexed, which therefore doubtlesse was a sorrow exceeding the former, and consequently this mourning of Hadadrimmon was very intense.

2. Yet further this monrning was great in the extent, because a common and publick mourning: The mourn­ing [Page 19] might begin at Hadadrimmon, but it went through all Judah and Jerusalem. Countrey and City, rich and poor, high and low, People and Prophets, (for Jeremiah is mentioned in particular) do all be­moan his death: Indeed all were concerned in his death, fit it is that all should share in the sorrow: a publick losse calls for publick mourning.

3. Adde to this, that it was a continued mourn­ing: It was made an Ordinance in Israel, either that every year there should be a sorrowfull commemorati­on of him, or that the singing men and the singing wo­men, should upon all mournfull occasions speak of him in their lamentations: yea to perpetuate the mourning, Jeremiah composed Lamentations, which some conceive to be that which is extant, those words seeming very apposite to Josiah where it is said, The breath of our Nostrils, Lam. 4. 20. the annointed of the Lord was ta­ken in their pits, of whom we said under his shadow we shall live among the Heathen. But the whole scope of that Book plainly refers to the Captivity, which was after Josiahs death, and therefore it was some other which Jeremy composed, thereby endeavouring that what Venus saith in the Poet concerning her Adonis, Ovid. Metam. l. 10.

the mourning for Josiah might be continually renew­ed. No wonder if upon all these considerations, in progressu temporis abiit in proverbium, as one well ob­serveth, it became a Proverb among the Hebrews, [Page 20] planctus Hadadrimmon, as planctus Adonidis was a­mong the Gentiles, and both designed to expresse an exceeding great sorrow.

3. But why this great mourning of Hadadrim­mon? that is the last Question, which when answer­ed, we shall find that it was not a foolish humour, fond passion, but a just and rational, though a great mourn­ing.

More particularly there are eight Considerations, which did serve to greaten the mourning of Hadadrim­mon.

1. The occasion of their mourning is Death: not a slight wound that might be healed; not taking cap­tive, for which a ransome might have been accepted, but death, from which there is no return to life: When we mourn for the dead, we mourn (in this respect) as without hope of enjoying their society any more in this world, and therefore no wonder if it be in a great measure.

2. The death which occasioneth this mourning, 2 Sam. 3. 18. is of a King: Know you not (saith David concerning Abner) that a great man is this day fallen in Israel, Zech. 11. 2. yet he was far inferiour to a King. Howl ye Firre­trees, ( saith the Prophet) for the Cedar ( a tall and stately Tree) is fallen: The King is not only superi­our, but supream in his Kingdome, so that when he dieth, the Sun as it were sets, fit it is a night of sad mourning should follow. 2 Sam. 18. 3. Thou art worth ten thousand of us, say the people to King David, not flatteringly but tru­ly; as one Sun is worth ten thousand Stars, In uno Cae­sar insunt multi Marij, there are many Mariuses in one Caesar: so that in mourning for a King, we mourne [Page 21] not for a mean but a great Person; nay, not for one, but many thousands at once. What heart so hard, which will not mourn bitterly to see ten thousand men lye dead in the fields?

3. The King whose death is bemoaned, was their King who mourned for him, it was the King of Judah whom all Judah lamented. 2 Sam. 5. 1. Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh, (said the Tribes of Israel to David,) so may all people say of their own native King; can it choose but grieve a man to have his bone broken, or flesh mangled; yea, what the head is to the body, that is the King to his Kingdome, if any one of the members be in pain, the rest are sensible of it, but surely all of them cannot but be affected when the head is to be cut off.

4. This their King whose death they bemoaned was a good King, and that must needs aggravate their mourning. Cald. Parap. The Chaldee paraphrast maketh mention here, of a mourning for two Kings, Ahab the son of Omri, and Josiah the son of Ammon. Ahab was a wicked King, and yet lamented; it seemeth he is a very bad King, for whose death the people have not cause to mourn. Josiah was a good, a very good King, (how good will appear anon,) no wonder if there were a great mourning. Those characters, The light of our eyes, and The breath of our nostrils, though in some sort they belong to all, yet more especially to good Kings: well may our eyes weep when their light is put out, and we sigh, when the breath of our no strils is ready to expire. A good King is, Pastor populi, the Shepheard of the people, no wonder if the sheep be scat­tered, when the Shepheard is smitten. Pater patniae, [Page 22] The Father of his Countrey, well may the children grieve when their Father dyeth. Sponsus Ecclesiae, The Bridegroome of the Church, and shall not the Bride mourn when the Bridegroom is taken away.

5. The death of this good King of Judah was un­timely in the slower and strength of his age. Had he dy­ed as David did when he was old and stricken in years, it might justly have been expected, but to dye in the midst of his dayes, whilst he was young, was sadly to be lamented.

6. This early death was not by some disease, but by slaughter. 2 King 23. 26. Had he with Asa been diseased in his feet, or any other part of his body, and dyed in his bed, it were not so dolefull; but to be snatcht away whilst he was in full vigour and health of body, could not but be matter of sad complaint.

7. This violent and immature death was that which their sins brought upon him. This good King used his utmost endeavour to quench the fire of Gods displea­sure; 2 King. 22. 30. but notwithstanding (saith the Text) The Lord turned not from the fiercenesse of his great wrath, where­with his anger was kindled against Judah: and accord­ingly he began the execution of his wrath, in bereaving them of so good a King; and had they not reason to mourn for his death, whenas it was that which their own sins had accelerated.

8. Lastly, The fall of this King was a presage of fatal ruine to this Kingdome, what the pillar is in the house, the corner stone in the building, that is, a pious King to his people; and surely as the removing of the pillar, and taking away of the corner stone, weakneth the edifice, so doth the death of such a King (especially) [Page 23] shake his Kingdom. Besides God had declared by Hul­dah the Prophetesse, to this King and people, 2 Chron. 34. 28. That he would gather him to his Fathers in peace, that his eyes might not see all the evill which he should bring upon Jerusalem: whereby is clearly implyed, that soon after his departure, evil should come upon them, and had they not reason bitterly to lament his death. So that to sum it up, since it was not captivity but death, and that not late but early, natural but violent, of no mean man but a King, and he not a stranger but a native, not a Tyrant but a good King; and this both the conse­quent of their sins, and forerunner of their ruine, just cause there should be a great mourning of Hadadrim­mon in the valley of Megiddon.

2. There remaineth nothing now to be discussed in refe­rence to the Text, but the particle of similitude As, which knits the two mournings together by way of resem­blance of one to the other, and foretels, that the mourning in Jerusalem should be as great as that of Hadadrimmon.

The mourning of Hadadrimmon (as you have already heard) was great in three respects, but as the known say­ing is of similitudes in general, that they do not run upon all four feet; so I may say of this in particular, it doth not hold in all three.

The mourning of Hadadrimmon was general, so was not this in Jerusalem, the greatest part of the Jews remained obdurate, and so continue to this day. But as the mourning of Hadadrimmon was perpetual, so no doubt was the mourning of the converts in Jerusalem to their dying hour. And in the mystical Jerusalem, the Church of Christ, the mourning for our crucified Jesus, shall continue to the worlds end. And as to [Page 24] that which the similitude chiefly aims at (being as it were the edge of the knife) the measure of the mourn­ing; this particle as, is not only a note of quality, but equality, nay, redundance, and intimateth, that the sorrow for Christ pierced, should be as great, nay, greater than that which was for Josiah slain, and good reason upon a double account.

1. The mourning for Josiah, was by them who were only spectators of his death, yea, assistants to him in the battell; whereas these were the enemies of Christ and actors in that dismal Tradegy, who had so much the more cause to weep bitterly, for that blood whereof themselves were so deeply guilty.

2. Besides (which is principally considerable as it was said of Solomon, so may I of Josiah, Behold a grea­ter, ey, and a better than Josiah is here, one of whom he was but a Type, Luke 11. 31. and to whom therefore far inferiour: so that what it was said by Lamech of Cain and himself in case of vengeance, Gen. 4. 24. may be fitly used concerning Josiah and Christ in case of sorrow: If Josiah were to be lamented seven fold, truly Jesus seventy times seven, the guilt of his bloud being not seventy times one­ly, but seven thousand times seven, yea, infinitely great­er than that of Josiah.

That which I shall observe from hence is, that whereas the cause of the mourning of Hadadrimmon was an evill of afflliction, and the cause of the mourning in Jerusa­lem was an evil of sin, Our sorrow for sin ought to be as great, nay, greater than for any outward trouble what soe­ver. It is very considerable to this purpose, that the Pro­phet maketh use of so many comparisons drawn from our mourning for worldly losses, and those of the saddest [Page 25] nature; as if one, two, nay three, were not sufficient to expresse the greatnesse of that sorrow which ought to be for our sins. The truth is, the least iniquity is a greater evill than the greatest calamity, and consequent­ly the committing of the one, ought to be matter of sadder lamentation, than the suffering of the other.

But alas! how unlike is our practice to this predicti­on? how far short is our mourning for sin, of our world­ly sorrow? if God be pleased to take from us any near or dear relation, any earthly comfort whatsoever, we are ready to fall into a bitter passion, and mourn even to murmuring; but though we provoke our gracious God by our sins, we passe it over with little or no con­trition. Like Ulisses, who wept more for the losse of his dog than his wife, and that Citizen, who was more grieved for the losse of his Hen called Roma, than the ruine of the City called by that name: we can weep flouds of tears for the miseries we endure, whenas we have scarce a tear at command for the iniquities we com­mit.

Oh! let us be exhorted to heighten and enlarge our mourning for our sin, and as those Disciples prayed, Lord increase our faith, so let us, Lord increase our repentance. It is easie to exceed in worldly, but not in godly sorrow: Let our tears for afflictions be only to the ankles, but let those for our transgressions be to the knees, nay, chin; they cannot be too high unlesse over head and ears.

I must not shut up this without a slave for weak Christians, who may perhaps conclude against them­selves as destitute of godly mourning, because they are sometimes more affected with, and afflicted for worldly troubles.

[Page 26] In order to which I shall propose this threefold con­sideration.

1. If our mourning be not greater intensively, yet it may and must be extensively for our crimes than our crosses; our tears for a worldly misfortune may be like a land-floud, more violent; but for sin, they must be like a river, more permanent.

2. Though our mourning be greater for afflictions expressively, yet it may and must be greater for trans­gressions appretiatively. There is a sensitive and there is a rational sorrow that maketh a great noise whilst shallow, whereas this being deep is silent. We have oft-times heard one sick of the gout or toothach, roar extream­ly, whilst he that is sick (perhaps) of the plague, saith nothing, and yet this latter doubtlesse is inwardly more sorrowfull, by how much the disease is more desperate; our passion may break forth more violently upon some emergent losse, and yet our will may be far more dis­pleased at the sin we have acted, than the comfort we have lost.

3. Lastly, If our godly mourning be not so great, effectu in act, yet I hope it is, and certainly it ought to be greater affecta in desire and endeavour. If we can­not mourn so much as we ought, let us mourn that we can mourn no more, and let us to our utmost, strive that our penitential sorrow may exceed all other what­soever.

And thus I have done the Composers part in setting as it were the several letters of my Text; I shall now endeavour to perform the Printers in laying on the sheets, and as it were pressing it home by a punctual and particular Application, to the dolefull occasion of this dayes solemn Assembly.

[Page 27] This Scripture (as you have already heard) speak­eth of a double mourning, The one, principal and di­rectly intended, to wit, mourning for Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who was pierced to death by nails upon the Crosse. The other collateral and allu­sively applyed, to wit, mourning for Josiah King of Judah, who was shot to death with an arrow in the fields. And loe, this day minds us of a third mourning, to wit, for Charles the First, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, who was sentenced to death, and executed upon a Scaffold by an Axe. That as he was a Martyr cloathed in red, so we should be mourners cloathed in black.

The mourning in the Text as it was for two persons, so it was of two sorts, a mourning of contrition for the horrid crime of piercing Christ; and a mourning of compassion for the untimely slaughter of Josiah, both of these meet together in that mourning which this day calls for.

Here is damnum irreparabile, a losse, a grievous losse, such as could hardly be repaired, and that calls for the mourning of Hadadrimmon.

Here is crimen incredibile, a crime, an hainous crime, such as will not easily be believed, and that calls for the mourning in Jerusalem.

Oh! let us mourn this day with the mourning of Hadadrimmon, for the losse of Charles the First; and well we may, if we observe the parallel: For

Charles the First is dead.] Those who first raised a rebellious Army against him, went so far as to secure, (that is, in plain English, to Imprison him,) and their Army will not stay there, they go on to Behead him. [Page 28] Indeed as himself tells us, King Charles his Book, chap. 28. there are but few steps be­tween the Prisons and Graves of Princes, but yet whilst only a Prisoner, there was hope of being released. Charles the Second, our gracious Soveraign that now is, was for many years banished from his Territories, an Exile in forreign parts, and is through Gods mercy re­stored, but Charles the First is dead and gone, never more to appear upon earth.

Besides, He whose death we bemoan, was no lesse than a King, one of the greatest Monarchs in Europe, was our King by the indubitable right of succession to the Crown. And he dyed not in an old decreped age, but in the strength of his manhood, having not lived a Decad of years more than Josiah; and being of that age of forty eight so vigorous, as that he was likely to have lived beyond this time. Nor did he dye the com­mon death of men, in his bed, but that of Malefactors, upon a Scaffold: where (by the way) the strange pro­vidence of God would be observed, Oliver the Wolfe dyeth in his den, whilst Charles the Lamb is brought to the slaughter.

But though these thoughts may justly move tears, yet there are other Considerations far more cutting.

Such is that which fixeth our eyes upon, not so much the greatnesse as the goodnesse of King Charles the First; in reference to which I shall not doubt to say, and say­ing to make it good, that he was another Josiah. To which end I must intreat you to sit down, whilst I shall let you see how clearly the various lineaments of the one are to be discerned in the other.

1. We do not find any grosse personal crime laid to Josiahs charge. It is said by the son of Syrack, that [Page 29] except David, Eccles. 49. 5. Hezekiah, and Josiah, all the Kings of Judah were defective, he meaneth apostatizing from God to Idols: otherwise we know David was grosly culpable in the matter of Bathsheba and Uriah, but no such sins are fastned upon Josiah. His act indeed of go­ing to war with Pharaoh Necho is questionable, but at worst we must call it a sin of ignorance, since no doubt, he that believed and trembled at the book of the Law, would not have gainsaid Pharaoh Nechos disswa­sion, had he been sure that what he spake, was from the mouth of the Lord. But as to those vices which too often Kings, especially whilst young, indulge unto; we read not that he is charged with them. Such an one was Charles the First, unspotted either with incontinence or intemperance, so that even his most malici­ous enemies could not lay either to his charge; in­deed, he was an exemplary pattern of the contrary virtues.

2. It is said of Josiah, 2 Chron 34. 2. he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and declined neither to the right hand nor to the left. This was verified in Charles the first, who declined in matter of practice both hypocri­tical precisenesse, and prophane licentiousnesse, and in matters of Religion, turned neither to the faction of the Schismatick, nor the superstition of the Papists: for which cause he commended the Church of Englands Religon to his Son Charles the Second, King Charles his Book, chap. 27. as keeping (to use his own language better than which I cannot) the middle way between the Papists superstitious Tyranny, and the meannesse of fantastick Anarchy.

3. Josiah was very solicitous to raise money and pro­vide workmen for repairing the house of the Lord, which [Page 30] had been long neglected and much decayed. Great was the zeal of our Charles in this respect, witnesse that Mother-Church of St. Pauls in our Metropolis, to which himself contributed very largely, he excited many o­thers; and in the repairing of which he had made a faire progresse. And though the iniquity of the late times, (perhaps as well out of spleen against him, as irreve­rence to God,) hath debased, defaced, and almost ruin­ed it, by making it at once a den of thieves, and a sta­ble for beasts: Yet (I hope) the piety of this present age being so highly encouraged by our Soveraigne that now is, will make haste to fulfill that religious design in re­edifying, beautifying, and restoring it to its pristine splendor.

4. Josiah had a great regard to the Priests and Pro­phets of the Lord, it is said of him, that he set the Priests in their charges, 2 Chron 35. 2. and incouraged them in the service of the Lord: he advised with Hilkiah the high Priest, sent to Huldah the Prophetesse; and Jeremiahs lamenting his death, intimateth, that he countenanced him in his life; yea, he would not suffer the dead bones of the man of God to be touched. 2 King. 23. 18. How justly may it be said of our Charles? upon all occasions he shewed himself a fast friend to the Clergy; he counted them worthy of the double honour, both of Reverence and Maintenance, and therefore would not suffer either contempt of their Of­fice, or alienation of their Revenues. Hear his own words, which we all know were seconded with his deeds. I am so much a friend to all Churchmen, King Charles Book, chap. 24. that have any thing in them beseeming that sacred Function, that I have hazarded my own interests chiefly upon conscience and constancy to maintain their Rights, whom the mere I [Page 31] looked upon as Orphans, and under the sacrilegious eyes of many cruel and rapacious Reformers; so I thought it my duty the more to appear as a Father, and a Patron for them in the Church. No wonder if the Jeremiahs of the Land mourned bitterly for the losse of such a Patron.

5. Josiah was very carefull to restore the worship of God to its antique and primitive administration; as appeareth in that famous Passeover, which was celebra­ted by him and his people, according to the Ordinance of Moses, and at the observation of which, that it might be the more solemn and splendid, were the Singers im­ployed according to the Command of David. It was not for nothing, that the name Josiah was given him, which according to the most probable Etymology I have met with, is as much as the fire of the Lord. He was indeed ignis Dei, [...] and that both consumens and consum­mans: The fire of his zeal did purge the Land from that idolatry which had been committed, 2 Chron. 34. 45, &c. breaking down the Altars of Baalim, the Images that were in high places, cutting down the groves, and the carved and molten Images and Idols that were in the Land; and withall, it did renew and refine the worship of the true God, which had been disused and depraved in his Predecessors Reigns.

It is likely some of our fanatick zelots, will be ready to blame King Charles, for not imitating Josiah in pulling down those things and places which had been abused to Romish superstition, as he did those which had been the instruments of Heathenish Idolatry. But truely such zeal had not been a divine fire, but wilde fire, nor would Josiahs pattern have warranted it. It [Page 32] was not lawfull for the Jews to make use of the idola­trous places for the worship of the true God, since they were confined to that particular place which the Lord had chosen, neither were the Images and Idols capable of being so made use of. But here the case was far o­therwise, since those places and things were easily converted to a religious, which had been perverted to a superstitious use. Besides, I suppose none will assert, that there is as vast a distance between a Protestant and a Papist, as there was between a Iew and a Gentile, or is now between a Christian and a Pagan; and there­fore the like degree of zeal is not requisite against the one as the other.

As for our late Soveraigne, ( however falsly calum­niated in this particular,) he was (though a prudent) yet a real and zealous adversary to whatsoever is true­ly called Popery, nor was he backward upon all just oc­casions to shew himself so. But the truth is, (as our sad experience informeth us) there were another sort of men, whose head-strong violence at that time deserved and required his just indignation. As to the matter of Gods worship, his desire and design was (like Iosiahs) that it might be decently and solemnly performed, that the ancient and primitive usages (when Christianity first began to flourish,) might be brought again into practice: and as it is said concerning the Passeover kept in Iosiahs time, 2 Chron. 35. 18. that there was no Passeover kept like it by any of the Kings of Iudah: so may I truely affirme, the publick outward worship of God was not so reverent­ly, decently ( and yet not superstitiously) celebrated in any time of the former Kings of England, as it was in the former part of the Reign of King Charles the first.

[Page 33] 6. Iosiah was a man of a very tender heart, when he heard the curses which were denounced out of the Book of God against Ierusalem and the inhabitants there­of, 2 Chron. 34. 27. he rent his cloaths and humbled himself before God, bewailing and trembling at the miseries which we [...]e coming upon his Subjects. And was not Charles the First a tender hearted King? how did his heart smite him for giving way to the death of the loyal and wise Earl of Strafford, Will you believe his own words? This tenderness and regret ( saith he) I find in my soul for having had any hand (and that very unwillingly, King. Charles his Book, ch. 3 God knows,) in shedding one mans bloud unjustly, though un­der the colour and formalities of justice, and pretences of avoiding publick mischiefs, which may (I hope) be some evidence before God and man to all posterity; that I am far from bearing justly the vast load and guilt of all that blood, which hath been shed in this unhappy War. How deeply was he sensible of the Irish outragious cruelties? Hear his appeal, God knows, Chap. 12. as I can with truth wash my hands in innocency, as to any guilt in that Rebellion; so I might wash them in my tears, as to the sad apprehen­sions I had to see it spread so far and make such waste. When through the unhappy division between him and his two Houses of Parliament, and his enforced recesse from them, he foresaw what calamities were likely to befall his Kingdom of England, how did his heart bleed? with what earnestnesse did he once and again importune his enemies to a Treaty, and when with much ado he obtained one, what fair terms of peace did he offer? Shall I give you his own language? Though I could seldome get opportunity to Treat, yet I never wanted desire or dis­position to it: Chap. 18. and again, I was willing to condescend as [Page 34] far as Reason, Honour and Conscience would give me leave.

7. That expression concerning Iosiah is very empha­tical, 2 Chron. 34. 26. Now the rest of the acts of Iosiah and his goodnesse, [...] or (according to the Hebrew) kindnesses. What emi­nent kindness did Charles the First vouchsafe to his faithfull servants in particular, and to all his Subjects in general; he seldome (or never) suffered any service done to him to passe unrewarded, and he was still ready to, yea, accordingly did Pass many Acts of grace and favour to his people.

8. Finally, In the close of the narration concerning Iosiah its said, Verse 27. and his deeds first and last. Behold they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Iudah. Manasseh his first deeds were bad, exceeding bad, but his last good, very good. Iehoash his first deeds were good, 2 Chron. 33. 2, 3. & 12. 14. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, all the dayes of Iehoidah the Priest; Chap. 24. 1, 2. & 17. 18. but his last deeds were bad, hearkening to the wicked counsel of the idolatrous and bloody Princes of Iudah, but Iosiah his deeds were good first and last. In the eighth year of his Reign, whilst he was yet young, ( as being but the six­teenth year of his age,) he began to seek after the God of David his Father; Chap. 34. 3. and so he continued to the last year of his Reign and day of his life. Our Charles was at the first in his tender years a Prince of great hopes, nor did he forsake that path of Religion and virtue, which at first he had taken up to the last. Notwithstanding ma­ny strong temptations and sore tryals, he retained his integrity. Hear his own words, What tumults and Ar­mies could not obtain, King Charles Book, chap. 23. neither shall restraint. The fear of man shall never be my snare, nor shall the love of liberty [Page 35] entangle me; neither liberty nor life are so dear to me as the peace of my Conscience, the honour of my Crown, and the wellfare of my People, and how fully did he verifie his saying? The cursed proposals of his cruell enemies, he with scorn refused, even then when death (as it were) looked him in the face, having no doubt before his eyes that of our Saviour to the Angel of the Church of Smir­na, Rev. 2. 10. Be thou faithfull to the death, and I will give thee a Crown of life.

And surely though I may justly take up the words of the son of Syrack concerning Iosiah, in reference to King Charles his eminent goodnesse. The remembrance of Charles the First, Ecces. 49. 1. is like the Composition of the perfume that is made by the Art of the Apothecary, it is sweet as honey in all mouths, and as musick to a banquet of wine; yet with all the remembrance of his death, by which we were bereaved of so excellent a Prince, cannot but be bitter as gall and wormwood, and would be accompani­ed with sighs and groans. So much the rather, when we sadly take notice (what I shall by and by enforce) that this good King like Iosiah suffered for the badnesse of his people: and withal, duly consider, what dismal miseries upon the people followed the death of this good King. When Augustus dyed, Patercul. (saith the Historian) Orbis rui­nam timueramus, we feared the ruine of the world was at hand. What fears of utter ruine to come upon City, Countrey, Kingdom, did possesse our spirits when our Caesar was taken from us? That malice which depri­ved us of him, debarred us of the rightful Heir, so that for many years there was no King in Israel. The basest of the people were instead both of our Princes & our Priests; now a single, and then a many-headed monster usurped [Page 36] the rule over us; during whose Tyrrany, what heresies and blasphemies, what confusions and distractions, what decimations of the Laity, Silencing of the Clergy, mur­thering of both, slavery and bondage upon all, so that we were no better than captives in our own Land. Who can lay these things to heart, Jerem. 9. 1. and not wish with the Prophet Ieremy, Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a foun­tain of tears; that I might weep day and night for the slaughter of the Father, and ruine of the daughter of my people. What as on this day thirteen years, and for a long time after was only done apart, and in the closets, whis­pering our sighs to Heaven; let us this day do together, and openly pour out our lamentations before God and man, nor let the distance of time abate our sense of that grievous blow which was then given: yea, let it be mournfully remembred to all Generations, and that not only with tears of commiseration for the sad loss, but chiefly of compunction, for the great sin, which is the other branch of the Application.

2. As there was to be a great mourning in Ierusa­lem for the Crucifixion of Christ; so let there be a mourning this day in the Cities of London and Westmin­ster, yea, throughout the Kingdomes of England, Scot­land and Ireland, for the Decollation of King Charles the First. I would not in this be misconstrued, as if I went about to equalize the sufferings of my Soveraigne with those of my Saviour; far be it from me, could those glorified Saints know what was done here below, as (I am sure) the blessed Virgin Mary would be enraged against the Papists, for attributing (as it were) to the mo­thers milk, what only belong to the sons blood; so I doubt not but that blessed Martyr Charles, would be in­censed [Page 37] against any who should name his death the same day with his Saviours, as if there were any comparison between the value of the one and the other.

And as I do not equalize the blood of my Soveraigne with my Saviours, so neither the guilt of his murthe­rers with theirs who put Christ to death. But yet (I hope) without offence, we may take notice how near a resem­blance there was, and how as in some respects the guilt of the one was far greater, so in some the charge lyeth heavier against the other.

To which end be pleased to observe.

1. In putting Christ to death, they put to death an innocent man; they did so in cutting of Charles. True here was a disparity, Christ was perfectly innocent from all kind of sin whatsoever, so was not he nor any other son of Adam; yet thus far a congruity, that as there was no just cause for the Crucifying of Christ, so neither for Beheading him. Indeed his impudent ene­mies drew up a charge against him, ( so did the Iews a­gainst Christ,) but that as full of falshood as malice. They charge him with raising a war against the Parli­ament, how justly, let the date of the Commissions on both sides decide, it is his own Appeale, and that not long before his death. They accuse him for being a Traytor to his people, which was so far from being true, that it was impossible, since he never received any trust from them. I cannot here passe by that which was ve­ry remarkable, that even those who raised the war a­gainst him, voted his concessions at the Isle of Wight to be so far satisfactory, as that they were a just ground for a peace; notwithstanding which, the Rebels Army pro­ceeded to compass his death, and yet (I doubt not) but [Page 38] some of the Centurions beholding his behaviour at his death, said within themselves, certainly this was a righ­teous man.

2. In putting Christ to death they crucifie a King, so the Magi affirm; where is he that is born King? si­mulnatus simul Caesar, Matth. 2. 2. he was a King by birth. So was he who was on this day murthered, 1 Sam. 26. 9. Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords annointed and be guiltlesse? was Davids Question, and justly; nay, will you hear one of their own putting the Question? Who did ever hear of any King put to death for any crime? ( never indeed till in this monstrous age) the greatnesse of his Person being in worth above any crime as civil. Tho. Good win Aggravations of sin, p. 12. The truth is, Kings are Gods Vicegerants upon earth, their persons inviolable, and their actions unquestionable, yet these Miscreants lay violent hands upon the Lords annointed.

Indeed here the disparity is vast, since he whom the Iews pierced was not only a King but a God, God Man, and in respect of his Deity, the eternal Son of God, equal with the Father. But still in this a congruity, that as Christ in respect of his humanity, was by descent from his Parents Heir to the Crown of Iudah. So was Charles to this of England, and consequently in this the paral­lel is good, that the crime in both was the murder of an innocent King.

3. The murther of the Messiah was not done in a cor­ner, but openly, not sodainly, but deliberately, and that in a formal way of arraigning, accusing, condemning and executing, was it not so here? they would not strangle him in his Chamber, he was not slain in heat of blood, but he is brought with premeditation to the Bar as a [Page 39] Malefactor; a charge is drawn up against him; a sentence passed upon him with deliberation: his enemies adding (to use his own words) the mockery of justice to the cru­elty of malice, and at length in the presence of his peo­ple, at the Gate of his Pallace he is triumphantly Exe­cuted.

4. Christ was pierced by the Iews, his own Countrey­men, Rom. 9. 4. of whom he came according to the flesh, by those who of right ought to have been his Subjects, and to whom he had vouchsafed many kindnesses; yea, he was betrayed into their hands by one of his own Disci­ples. Was it not so here? his own Countrey-men sold him, his own Subjects killed him; nay, some of them that had been his own Servants, and obliged to him by manifold favours, were actors in his death. And though comparing the persons murdered, the aggravation was far, infinitely far greater on Christs part; yet if we com­pare the persons murdering, there are several circum­stances which render King Charles his murderers more inexcusable. For

1. Though the Iews accused him, and instigated the Romans against him, yet the Iudg that condemned, the Souldiers that executed him were Romans; Here, the Accusers, Witnesses, Iudges, Souldiers and Executioner were all of his own people: whereas the Romans were heathens, and the Iews Moses his Disciples; These, were such as called themselves Christians, nay, profes­sed the same Reformed Religion with him whom they destroyed.

2. St. Paul saith of Christs murderers, 1 Cor. 2. [...]8. Had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; these Miscreants knew, acknowledged, yea, in [Page 40] their very Charge call him their King.

3. There were no promissary Obligations from the Iews to Christ; but these Rebels had by manifold pri­vate and publick promises, protestations and oathes, en­gaged themselves to preserve not only his life but honour.

4. Finally, Pilate wanted not the stamp of Caesars authority to constitute him a legal Iudg; This Court of Iustice (as they were unjustly called) had not the least shadow of Authority. Should both Houses of Parliament have conspired to erect such a Iudicatory, (which God forbid) it had been altogether illegal, much more, if onely one? The whole House of Commons have not, nor (when rightly constituted) ever did, challenge to them­selves alone, (except in reference to their own Mem­bers) a Iudicatory power over the estate or life of the meanest Subject, much lesse over their lawfull King. But in this case, not both Houses but one, and that the House of Commons; and that not the whole, nor yet the half, but only a remnant, (the rest of their fellow Members having justly deserted them, or being violent­ly secluded from them) most illegally gave a power to some of themselves, the Army and others, to undertake and accomplish this desperate and horrid design.

So that in this one Fact, there was a concatination of many sins. Malice and murder, ingratitude and hy­pocrisie, insolence and impudence, false-swearing and forswearing, rebellion and treason, wilfullnesse and ob­stinacy, are those black lines which do all center in this one black design and dismal fact, of taking away the life of Charles the First. And now tell me, if all this con­sidered, there be not great cause of great mourning for so great wickedness.

[Page 41] Those whom this mourning doth in the first and chief place concern, are the surviving murderers; Sure­ly if King David watered his couch and his bed with tears for the murder of Uriah his Subject, what flouds of tears ought they to pour out day and night, who be­ing▪ Subjects, rebelliously and traiterously murdered their King. Oh! let it be our hearty prayer in their behalf, that by an unfeigned and propo [...]nal sorrow, for shedding the blood of their King, and through faith in the bloud of Christ, they (with some of those who cru­cified him) may obtain remission of their sins, and sal­vation of their souls; and well may we, when the Roy­al Martyr himself did so affectionately and zealously pray for them, as you may read at large in the last leaf of his incomparable Book.

But if through Gods just judgment, John 1. 44. ( like their Father the Devil) they be given up to impenitency, yet let us mourn, and that partly for them, even upon this ac­count, that they do not mourn for themselves: accord­ing to that example of a devout Father, Hieron. who told a wicked wretch, Hoc plango quod teipsum non plangis, I bewail this, that thou dost not bemoan thy self.

Chiefly for the sin it self, and that not only upon our own account, it being our duty to mourne for the abo­minations which are acted by others, least otherwise they in some sort become our own; but principally up­on the account of Religion, which hath been made to stink (that I may allude to Jacobs phrase) in the nostrils even of Turks and Pagans, Gen. 34. 30. by the committing of this horrid fact.

Nor yet is this all, I must this day require all those to mourn, who did in any kind either by tongue or pen, [Page 42] purse or person, contribute to, or assist in, that rebellious war which made way for this traiterous murder. Be­lieve it, there is a remote, as well as an immediate guilt. As their hands were imbrewed in his blood which were lifted up at the sentence in the Hall, so all their hands are sprinkled with it, which were stretched forth against him in the field. He that maketh another drunk, is not only directly guilty of his drunkennesse, but indirectly of what other sins he then commits, though perhaps it was far from his intention, that he should commit them. It was not I believe at first in the design even of them that acted this villany, much less in the thoughts of ma­ny others, who ingaged in the war; but neverthesse, the assistance to that Rebellion involveth in the guilt of, and therefore engageth to a deep sorrow for this blood which prosperous successe at last emboldned the Rebels to shed.

And now I heartily wish, that may call for mourning might end here. But I must crave leave to call upon those who assisted and endeavoured his welfare, to mourn also for their oaths and curses, intemperance and incontinence, loosenesse and profanenesse, by which God was provoked to blow upon his Counsels, blast his Ar­mies, and deliver him up to the will of his enemies. Josiah was slain by an Aegyptian, but the sins of his people caused God to take him away. Christ was put to death by the Jews, but we all procured it by our sins; it was so in this case, the Scotch Rebel-Army basely delivered and sold him to the English Rebels Army, who barbarously condemned and executed him. But even the English Royal loyal Army were too too guilty, whilst notwithstanding, the goodnesse of their Cause, [Page 43] through the badnesse of their lives, they lost the Field, upon which those sad events followed. So that The Presby­terian. brought him to the block, and the Independents cut off his head. what hath been no lesse truely than commonly said in another way, I may sadly allude to upon this account, and just­ly say, That whilst the malice of the Sectaries cut off his head, the wickednesse even of the Royalists helped to bring him to the block.

Let us all therefore lay our hands upon our hearts, smite upon our breasts, and every one say in the bitter­nesse of our souls, I am that Jonah, for whose sake that terrible tempest came upon the Pilate and the Ship, King and Kingdom.

And yet further, let us mourn, yea, mourn and weep, that notwithstanding our sins brought such dreadfull judgments upon our King and Kingdom, our persons and families, those judgments have not wrought any refor­mation in our lives, so that though we have been hum­bled we are not humble, and have been sorely smitten, we have refused to receive instruction.

Nay once more, let us mourn, yea, be afflicted, and mourn, and weep were it possible a Sea of tears, to con­sider, that notwithstanding God hath pleased in the midst of judgment to remember mercy, and command­ed an unexpected and blessed change for us; so that instead of usurping Tirants, we enjoy our native Right­full King; instead of that black, (so the Martyr justly calls it) we have a white Parliament; that instead of no Lords, new Lords, by no just power; we have both old and new Lords of a right extraction, an House of Lords spiritual and temporal, according to its ancient constitu­tion; that so much villified Order of Bishops, being by the providence of that God who only worketh great mar­vels, [Page 44] (as it is in the Collect) restored to their pristine splen­dor; that in the roome of a pack of bloody Rebels, we behold a full House of Commons, whom for their loyalty to the King, and zeal for the Church, all generations shall call blessed; and whose dissolution I hope I shall not see, till the house of David and the house of Aaron be more firmly seiled. That by the means of such a King and such a Parliament, we obtain safety, liberty, tranquility and prosperity, together with that which is far more prctious, the liberty, and shall we trust in due time, the uniformity of Gods publick worship. I say, that notwithstanding God hath punished us lesse than our ini­quities deserve, and hath given us such a deliverance as this, we do again break his Commandments, and that with an high hand, hard heart, and stiffe neck, most un­gratefully returning monstrous iniquities for miraculous mercies.

Nor must we think we have done enough in mourn­ing, ey, though it be a great and bitte [...] mourning, no, there is something further required, that our humilia­tion may find acceptation, and therefore give me leave to commend unto you a double item.

1. One (and that which in some measure I am pre­vented in,) is that pretious Royal bloud, which on this day was villanously shed, must not only be deeply mourned for by all, but throughly avenged by those to whom the sword of justice is committed. Justice, justice was the loud cry of that hellish Crew, to that infernal Court, may it not be justly the cry of all Loyal Subjects now. That good King whilst he lived, prayed for mer­cy, but now dead his blood calls for vengeance. In the dark night of persecution, we often prayed to God [Page 45] how long Lord holy and true, wilt not thou avenge; O! let not God have cause to say to us, how long will not you avenge?

2. But secondly, those sins which any way procured this dayes fatal blow, would not only be mourned for, but turned from by our selves, and (as much as may be) suppressed in others, I have already intimated, There were sins, ey, and those grievous sins on both hands.

On the one hand, Schisme, Sedition, Rebellion, Trea­son, were those sins which did instrumentally procure his death, & you have done well, (Loyal Worthies) exceeding well, to use the best means for the restraint & reformati­on of them by severe and extensive Laws. Taking care that Rebellion (to which the other sins are subservient) may be destroyed in that which was its principal engine, the Illegal League and Covenant made by a faction in two Nations, without the consent, yea, against the com­mand of their lawful Soveraign, and in its rotten princi­ples, those doctrines which give power to two Houses of Parliament in some cases, to take up Arms without or against the Kings command, and distinguish betwixt the personal and politick capacity of a King, as to the point of resistance, which till they be utterly disclaimed both by Clergy and Laity, there may be just suspition of new Insurrection upon the first occasion.

On the other hand, Swearing and Drunkennesse, Chambering and Wantonnesse, Pride and Profanenesse, are among the number of those sins which were the meritorious causes that wrought His and his Kingdoms ruine. Oh! let not these escape your severest censure. Revive and reinforce the old Laws, and if it be need­full, prepare new, for the more carefull observation of [Page 46] Gods publick worship upon all holy dayes, especially the Lords-day; together with effectual restraint of those want on vanities and wicked vices which abound among us. That you may the better prevaile with others by your Laws for a speedy and thorough reformation, be­gin it I beseech you at your own persons and families, that you may be patterns to those among whom you live, of piety, sobriety, and all manner of virtue.

And oh that that Prophesie of Isaiah concerning the Jews might be accomplished in the people of this King­dome, Isai. 4. 4. Mal. 3. 3. That the time might come, when the Lord should have washed away the filth of the daughter of England, and should have purged the blood of London and West­minster from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judge­ment, and by the spirit of burning. And that that of Malachy concerning Christs coming in the flesh, might be spiritually fulfilled among us; that his spirit may come and passe through the whole Land, and sit as a re­finer and purifier of silver, upon both those parties which have been so long divided. That so we may from the bottome of our hearts, bemoan, detest and abandon, not only one the sin of the other, but both their own sins. Oh my Brethren! would but the one party mourn for, and leave of their execrable hypocrisie; and the other their abominable profannesse; the one their mock cant­ings, and the other their fond rantings; the one their spiritual, and the other their corporal pride and drunken­nesse; the one their impious forswearing and false swear­ing, the other their vain and rash swearing; the one their schismatical separation from, and the other their atheisti­cal neglect of the publick worship. Finally, the one their seditious and rebellious, both principles and practices, [Page 47] and the other their vicious & licentious conversations; & both their mutual strifes, envyings and animosities, there would be no need either to fear the return of those judg­ments, under which we so long groaned, or to doubt the continuance of those blessings which at present we enjoy.

It is high time that I should now dismiss you till the Evening Service, when I doubt not but the abler gifts and longer warning of my Reverend Brother, will sup­ply my manifold defects. Nothing now remaineth but our praises and prayers, our praises in behalf of the Father, our praises and prayers in behalf of the Sonne: And I beseech you let us all joyn together

In hearty thanksgiving to Almighty God, for Charles the First of glorious memory; that excellent pattern which he gave (as on this day) of meekness & charity, and with­all of courage & magnanimity, in the midst of his suffer­ings. For Charls the Second our now gracious Soveraign, that he hath at length recompensed his and his Fa­thers deep sufferings upon his head with choice blessings; So that God seemeth by his happy return and settle­ment, Psal. 51. 10. to promise that he will comfort him and us ac­cording to the years wherein he hath afflicted him, and the dayes wherein he hath seen evil.

In earnest supplications, not for Charles the First (he needeth not our Prayers) but Charles the Second (who I am sure deserveth them) that he may be such a one every way as his Royal Father was, except his suffer­ings; that he may be like to Josiah, except in the fewness of his dayes, and sadness of his end. Finally, that he may have a long, peaceable, prosperous and glo­rious Reign over us, that so whereas our mourning for the Fathers Decollation, is like that of the converted [Page 48] Jews, for killing the Prince of life; our Joyes for the Sons Restauration, may be like that of the Shepheards, yea, the Angels at the birth of Christ, when they sang that heavenly Anthem, Glory to God on high, on earth peace, good will towards men; and as our mourning for the one is like that of Hadadrimmon for Josi­ahs slaughter, our Joy for the other may be like that which was in Jerusalem at King Solomons Corona­tion, And let all the people say, Amen.