USE III Of lamentation. Here was a stately building, man carved like a fair palace, but now lying in ashes: let us stand and look on the ruins, and drop a tear. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation. Could we choose but to weep, if we saw our country ruined, and turned by the enemy into a wilderness? If we saw our houses on fire, and our households perishing in the flames? But all this comes far short of the dismal sight, man fallen as a star from heaven! Ah! may not we now say, O that we were as in months past, when there were no stains in our nature, no clouds on our minds, no pollution in our hearts. Had we never been in better case, the matter had been less: but they that were brought up in scarlet, do now embrace dung-hills. Where is our primitive glory now! Once no darkness in the mind, no rebellion in the will, no disorder in the affections. But, ah! How is the faithful city become an harlot? Righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. Our silver is become dross, our wine mixed with water. That heart which was once the temple of God, is now turned into a den of thieves. Let our name be Ichabod, for the glory is departed. Happy wast tho O man, who was like unto thee! No pain or sickness could affect thee, no death could approach thee, no sigh was heard from thee, till these bitter fruits were plucked off the forbidden tree. Heaven shone upon thee, and earth smiled: thou wast: the companion of angels, and the envy of devils. But how low is he now laid, who was created for dominion, and made lord of the world! The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us that we have sinned. The creatures that waited to do him service, are now, since the fall, set in battle-array against him; and the least of them having commission proves too hard for him. Waters overflow the old world, fire consumes Sodom; the stars in their courses fight against Sisera; frogs, flies, lice, &c turn executioners to Pharaoh and his Egyptians; worms eat up Herod: yea, man needs a league with the beasts, yea, with the very stones of the field, Job. v. 13. having reason to fear, that every one that findeth him will slay him. Alas! how are we fallen? How are we plunged into a gulf of misery! The sun has come down on us, death has come in at our windows; our enemies have put out our two eyes, and sport themselves with our miseries.
USE III Of lamentation. Here was a stately building, man carved like a fair palace, but now lying in ashes: let us stand and look on the ruins, and drop a tear. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation. Could we chuse but to weep, if we saw our country ruined, and turned by the enemy into a wilderness? If we saw our houses on fire, and our housholds perishing in the flames? But all this comes far short of the dismal sight, man fallen as a star from heaven! Ah! may not we now say, O that we were as in months past, when there were no stains in our nature, no clouds on our minds, no pollution in our hearts. Had we never been in better case, the matter had been less: but they that were brought up in scarlet, do now embrace dung-hills. Where is our primitive glory now! Once no darkness in the mind, no rebellion in the will, no disorder in the affections. But, ah! How is the faithful city become an harlot? Righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. Our silver is become dross, our wine mixed with water. That heart which was once the temple of God, is now turned into a den of thieves. Let our name be Ichabod, for the glory is departed. Happy wast tho O man, who was like unto thee! No pain or sickness could affect thee, no death could approach thee, no sigh was heard from thee, till these bitter fruits were plucked off the forbidden tree. Heaven shone upon thee, and earth smiled: thou wast: the companion of angels, and the envy of devils. But how low is he now laid, who was created for dominion, and made lord of the world! The crown is fallen from our head: wo unto us that we have sinned. The creatures that waited to do him service, are now, since the fall, set in battle-array against him; and the least of them having commission proves too hard for him. Waters overflow the old world, fire consumes Sodom; the stars in their courses fight against Sisera; frogs, flies, lice, &c turn executioners to Pharaoh and his Egyptians; worms eat up Herod: yea, man needs a league with the beasts, yea, with the very stones of the field, Job. v. 13. having reason to fear, that every one that findeth him will slay him. Alas! how are we fallen? How are we plunged into a gulf of misery! The sun has come down on us, death has come in at our windows; our enemies have put out our two eyes, and sport themselves with our miseries.
