The Fountain of Life Opened

First, The Lamentation of the Daughters of Jerusalem for §1Christ. Concerning them, we briefly enquire who they were, and why they mourned.

First, The Lamentation of the Daughters of Ierusalem for §1Christ. Concerning them, we briefly enquire who they were, and why they mourned.

First, ¹Who they were? The text calls them Daughters (i. e.) Inhabitants of Jerusalem. For it is an Hebraism as Daughters of Zion, Daughters of Israel. And it's like the greatest part of them were women: and they were many of them; a troop of mourners that followed Christ out of the City, towards the place of his execution, with Lamentations and Wailings. What the principle and ground of these their Lamentations was, is not agreed upon by those that have pondered the story.² Some are of opinion, their Tears and Lamentations, were but the effects and fruits of their more tender and ingenious natures: which were moved and melted with so tragical and sad a spectacle,³ as was now before them. It's well observed by a judicious Author, that the Tragical story of some great and noble personage, full of heroical virtue and ingenuity (yet inhumanely and ungratefully used) will thus work upon ingenious spirits who read or hear of it — which when it reaches no higher is so far from being faith, that it is but a carnal and fleshly devotion, springing from fancy, which is pleased with such a story and the principles of ingenuity stirred towards one, who is of a Noble Spirit and yet abused. Such stories use to stir up a principle of humanity in men unto a compassionate love, which Christ himself at his suffering found fault with, as being not spiritual nor raised enough in those women that went weeping to see the Messiah so handled. Weep not for me (saith he) that is, weep not so much for this to see me so unworthily handled by those for whom I die. This is the principle from which some conceive these tears to flow.