Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

4. He comforted the woman, who followed weeping after him as he went along. And there followed him a great company of people and of Women, ¹which also bewailed and lamented him; but Jesus turning to them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me, but weep for your selves, and for your Children. In the midst of his misery he forgets not mercy; in the midst of all their tortures and loudest out-cries of contumely, of blasphemy, of scorn, he can hear his following friends weeping behind him, and neglect all his own sufferings to comfort them, Weep not for me. He hath more compassion on the Woman that follow him weeping, than of his own mangled self, that reels along, fainting and bleeding unto death: he feels more the tears that drop from their eyes, than all the blood that flows from his own veins: we heard before that sometimes he would not vouchsafe a word to Pilate that threatened him, nor to Herod that entreated him, and yet unasked how graciously doth he turn about his blessed bleeding face to these weeping women, affording them looks, and words too, both of compassion and of consolation, Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me, but for your selves.—and yet observe, he did not turn his face to them until he heard them weep; nor may we ever think to see his face in glory, unless we first bathe our eyes in sorrow. It is a wonder to me that any in our age should ever decry tears, remorse, contrition, compunction; how many Saints do we find both in the Old and New Testament, confuting by their practises these gross opinions? the Promise tells us, that They that sow in Tears shall reap in Joy; he that follows Christ,² or goeth forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

4. He comforted the woman, who followed weeping after him as he went along. And there followed him a great company of people and of Women, ¹which also bewailed and lamented him; but Jesus turning to them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me, but weep for your selves, and for your Children. In the midst of his misery he forgets not mercy; in the midst of all their tortures and loudest out-cryes of contumely, of blasphemy, of scorn, he can hear his following friends weeping behind him, and neglect all his own sufferings to comfort them, Weep not for me. He hath more compassion on the Woman that follow him weeping, than of his own mangled self, that reels along, fainting and bleeding unto death: he feels more the tears that drop from their eyes, than all the blood that flows from his own veins: we heard before that sometimes he would not vouchsafe a word to Pilate that threatened him, nor to Herod that entreated him, and yet unaskt how graciously doth he turn about his blessed bleeding face to these weeping women, affording them looks, and words too, both of compassion and of consolation, Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me, but for your selves.—and yet observe, he did not turn his face to them until he heard them weep; nor may we ever think to see his face in glory, unless we first bathe our eyes in sorrow. It is a wonder to me that any in our age should ever decry tears, remorse, contrition, compunction; how many Saints do we find both in the Old and New Testament, confuting by their practises these gross opinions? the Promise tells us, that They that sow in Tears shall reap in Joy; he that follows Christ,