An exposition with practical observations upon the three first chapters of the book of…

First, Because those solemn mourners were usually a great many, they were a company, a Chorus or a Quire, making a doleful lamentation; and so when they were to mourn, they called together or raised up their company of mourners. And the word [raised] is proper for a second reason,¹ because in such mournings, it was customed to rise up very early, or early to raise up one another. As David speaking of musical rejoicing, Psal. 108.2. saith, Awake psaltery and harp, I my self will awake early; The Hebrew is very emphatical in that place, word for word thus, I my ⟨p. 379⟩self will awaken the morning; as if he should say,² the morning shall not awaken me, but I will awaken the morning, the morning shall not find me sleeping, but I will be up first and call up the morning. So those mourners used to awake early in the morning, or rather to awaken the morning; and they had one woman whom they called (Praefica) the leader, the first or the chief of the quire and company of mourners (plangendi Magistra) whose office it was to call up and bring on the rest. It appears in the Gospel of Matthew, that the Jews (in those times) used to call in music to their mournings: For when Christ came to the Rulers house whose daughter was dead, the Text saith, He saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, (Mat. 9.23.) And Josephus relating the story of his own supposed death, shows how all the City of Jerusalem continued a mourning for him thirty days. And he adds, directly to this point, That many musicians were hired, for reward, to lead those songs, or direct the solemnity of those lamentations.

First, Because those solemne mourners were usually a great many, they were a company, a Chorus or a Quire, making a dolefull lamentation; and so when they were to mourne, they called together or raised up their company of mourners. And the word [raised] is proper for a second reason,¹ because in such mournings, it was custom'd to rise up very early, or early to raise up one another. As David speaking of musicall rejoycing,