But

under the burden of sin, in the effects of it, as the Apostle speaks, Rom. viii. 32; but sin itself, is man's enemy, he being that reasonable creature to whom the law was given. Now in the general, it is a matter of grief to a godly mind, to consider the universal depravedness of man's nature; that he is a transgressor from the womb; that the carnal mind is enmity against God, not subject to His law, neither, while it remains such, can it be. Rom. viii. 6. And this grief will go the deeper, by remembering from whence he is fallen. When he was new come forth of the hands of his Maker, that image of God which He stamped upon him, shined bright in his soul: the whole frame of it was regular and comely, the inferior faculties obeying the higher, and all of them subject unto God. how soon was he seduced, and then what a great change ensued! Quantum mutatus ab illo! There is ever since, such a tumult and confusion in the soul, that it cannot hear the voice of God's law, much less obey and keep it. Hence is that complaint of the Psalmist oftener than once, They are all gone out of the way, and become abominable: there is none that doth good, no, not one. Mundus immundus, ἐν ἀδικίᾳ κεῖται, lies buried in it, as the word is used in the inscription of tombs, vlade nɛITα. Look abroad in the world, and what shall ye see, but a sea of wickedness over the face of the whole, which draws from a godly, discerning eye that beholds it, these rivers of tears? The greatest part not knowing the true God, nor the true religion and the true way of His worship. And for those that do, yet, how unlike are they to it in their lives! The reformed churches this way, how unreformed are they in a great part!

But more particularly to branch this out a little in respect to several sorts of men, this godly grief is a very large sphere; it will extend to remote people, remote every way, not only in place, but in manners and religion, even to heathens and gross idolators. Yea, the very sins of enemies, and of such as are professed enemies to God, yet move the tender-hearted Christian to sorrow and compassion. Of whom I now tell you

so too.

weeping, says St. Paul, that they are enemies to the cross of Christ. Phil. iii. 18. Enemies, and yet he speaks of them weeping. What he writes concerning them, he would have written in tears, if that had been legible. Thus you see the extension of this grief. But yet, out of all question, it will be more intense in particulars of nearer concernment. It is the burden of the pious man's heart, that His law who made the world and gives being to all things, should be so little regarded, and so much broken through all the world; but yet more especially, that in His own Church, amongst His own people, transgression should abound. Sins within the Church are most properly scandals. God manifests Himself (so to speak) most sensible of those, and therefore the godly man is Whether they be the continual enormities of licentious and profane persons, which are by external profession in the face of the visible Church; (though indeed they be in it but as spots and blemishes, as the Apostle speaks; 2 Pet. ii. 13,) or whether it be the apostacy of hypocrites; or (which sometimes falls out) the gross falls of true converts; all these are the great grief of the godly. The relations of men, either natural or civil, will add something too; this sorrow will in such cases be greater than ordinary in a Christian: he will melt it in a particular tenderness for the sins of his kindred, parents or children, husband, or wife; and most of all, ministers will grieve for the sins of their people. How pathetically does this appear in St. Paul! And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall

bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness, and fornication, and lasciviousness, which they have committed, 2 Cor. xii. 21. A man cannot but be more particularly touched with the sins of that nation, and of that city, and congregation, and family, whereof he is a member. So we read of Lot, 2 Pet. ii. 8: For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul, from day to day, with their unlawful deeds. The sins of more eminent persons, either

in Church or Commonwealth, will most affect a prudent Christian, because their inclinations and actions import the public much. Therefore the Apostle, when he had exhorted to supplications and prayers for all men, particularly mentions kings, and such as are in authority. 1 Tim. i. 2. And truly, when they are abused by misadvice and corrupt counsel, some of these tears were very well spent, if poured forth before God in their behalf: for in His hand, as that wise king confesseth, are their hearts, there compared to rivers of waters; let their motion be never so impetuous, yet, He turneth them whithersoever He pleaseth. Prov. xxi. 1. And who knows but these rivers of waters, these tears, may prevail with the Lord to reduce the violent current of that river, a king's heart, from the wrong channel?

II. But to proceed: the second thing to be considered in this affection, is, the nature of it. (1.) It is not a stoical apathy, and affected carelessness; much less a delightful partaking with sinful practices. (2.) Not a proud setting off of their own goodness, with marking the sin of others, as the Pharisee did in the gospel. (3.) Not the derision and mocking of the folly of men, with that laughing philosopher: it comes nearer to the temper of the other who wept always for it. It is not a bitter, bilious anger, breaking forth into railings and reproaches, nor an upbraiding insultation. Nor is it a vindictive desire of punishment, venting itself in curses and imprecations, which is the rash temper of many, but especially of the vulgar sort. The disciples' motion to Christ was far different from that way, and yet he says to them, You know not of what spirit ye are. They thought they had been of Elijah's spirit, but he told them they were mistaken, and did not know of what a spirit they were in that motion. Thus, heady zeal often mistakes and flatters itself. We find not here upon the breakers

a desire of fire to come down from Heaven

of the law, but such a grief as would rather bring water to quench it, if it were falling on them, Rivers of waters run down mine eyes,

III. The degree of this sorrow: it is vehement, not a light, transient dislike, but a deep resentment, such as causeth not some few sighs, or some drops of tears, but rivers-Palge maijim. Pelagus aquarum. It is true, the measure and degree of sorrow for sin, whether their own or others, are different in divers persons, who are yet true mourners; and they are also different in the same person, at divers times, not only upon the difference of the cause, but even where the cause is equal, upon the different influence and working of the Spirit of God. Sometimes it pleaseth Him to warm and melt the heart more abundantly, and so He raises these rivers, in those eyes, to a higher tide than ordinary; sometimes they remove again. But yet, this godly sorrow is always serious and sincere; and that is the other quality here remarkable in it. It is not a histrionical weeping, only in public; for the speech is here directed to God, as a more frequent witness of these tears than any other; who is always the witness of the sincerity of them, even when they cannot be hid from the eyes of men. For I deny not but they may, and should, have vent in public, especially at such times as are set apart for solemn mourning and humiliation. Yet, even then, usually these streams run deepest, where they are stillest and most quietly conveyed. But surely they should not be fewer and less frequent, alone, than in company, for that is a little subject to suspicion. See Jer. ix. 1. Oh, that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people. And xiii. 17: But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride, and mine eyes shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried away captive.

IV. The subject of this affection is, not the ungodly themselves, who are professed transgressors of this law; they rather make a sport of sin, as Solomon speaks; they play and make themselves merry with it, as the Philistines did with Samson, till it brings the house down about their ears; but the godly are they that are affected with this sorrow, such as are careful

observers of the law themselves, and mourn first for neir own breaches for these are the only fit mourners for the transgression of others.

Now to inquire a little into the cause of this, why the breaking of God's law should cause such sorrow in the godly, as here breaketh forth into abundance of tears. We shall find it very reasonable if we consider, 1. The nature of Sin, which is the transgression, or breach, of the law, as the Apostle defines it. 2. The nature of this sorrow and these tears. 3. The nature of the godly.

1. Sin is the greatest evil in the world; yea, truly, in comparison, it alone is worth the name of evil, and therefore may justly challenge sorrow, and the greatest sorrow. The greatest of evils it is, both formally, in that it alone is the defilement and deformity of the soul, and causally, being the root from whence all other evils spring; the fruitful womb that conceives and brings forth all those miseries that either man feels, or hath cause to fear. Whence are all those personal evils incident to men in their estates, or in their bodies, or minds, outward turmoils and diseases, and inward discontents, and death itself, in all the kinds of it; are they not all the fruits of that bitter root? Whence arise those public miseries of nations and kingdoms, but from the epidemic national sins of the people, as the deserving and procuring cause at God's hand, and withal, oftentimes from the ambitious and wicked practices of some particular men, as the working and effecting causes? So that every way, if we follow these evils home to their original, we shall find it to be sin, or the breaking of God's law. Ungodly men, though they meddle not with public affairs at all, yea, though they be faithful and honest in meddling with them, yet, by reason of their impious lives, are traitors to their nation: they are truly the incendiaries of states and kingdoms. And these mourners, though they can do no more, are the most loyal and most serviceable subjects, bringing tears to quench the fire of wrath, rivers of waters. And therefore, sorrow and tears are not only most due to sin, as the greatest