Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give yourself no relief; let not your eyes rest.
Read Chapter 2
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Upon. Hebrew and Septuagint, "O wall", ver. 8. (Haydock)
The Savior also wept over the city of Jerusalem because its inhabitants had not repented; and Peter washed out his triple denial with bitter tears, thus fulfilling the words of the prophet: “rivers of waters run down my eyes.” Jeremiah too laments over his impenitent people, saying, “O that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for … my people!” And farther on he gives a reason for his lamentation: “do not weep for the dead,” he writes, “neither bemoan him, but weep bitterly for him that goes away, for he shall return no more.” The Jew and the Gentile therefore are not to be bemoaned, for they have never been in the church and have died once for all (it is of these that the Savior says, “Let the dead bury their dead”); weep rather for those who by reason of their crimes and sins go away from the church and who, suffering condemnation for their faults, shall no more return to it. It is in this sense that the prophet speaks to ministers of t...
Think how great that weeping must be that deserves to be compared with a flood of waters. Whoever so weeps and says with the prophet Jeremiah, “let not the apple of my eye cease,” shall straightway find the words fulfilled of him: “mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” If righteousness and truth terrify him, mercy and peace may encourage him to seek salvation. - "Letter 122.3"
From these tears those are vastly different that are squeezed out from dry eyes while the heart is hard, and although we cannot believe that these are altogether fruitless (for the attempt to shed them is made with a good intention, especially by those who have not yet been able to attain to perfect knowledge or to be thoroughly cleansed from the stains of past or present sins), yet certainly the flow of tears ought not to be thus forced out by those who have already advanced to the love of virtue, nor should the weeping of the outward person be with great labor attempted, as even if it is produced it will never attain the rich copiousness of spontaneous tears. For it will rather cast down the soul of the suppliant by his endeavors, and humiliate him, and plunge him in human affairs and draw him away from the celestial heights, wherein the awed mind of one who prays should be steadfastly fixed, and will force it to relax its hold on its prayers and grow sick from barren and forced tear...
Not every kind of shedding of tears is produced by one feeling or one virtue. For in one way does that weeping originate that is caused by the pricks of our sins striking our heart, of which we read, “I have labored in my groaning, every night I will wash my bed; I will water my couch with my tears.” And again, “Let tears run down like a torrent day and night; give yourself no rest, and do not let the apple of your eye cease.” In another, that which arises from the contemplation of eternal good things and the desire of that future glory, owing to which even richer well-springs of tears burst forth from uncontrollable delights and boundless exultation, while our soul is thirsty for the mighty living God, saying, “When shall I come and appear before the presence of God? My tears have been my meat day and night,” declaring with daily crying and lamentation, “Woe is me that my sojourning is prolonged,” and, “Too long has my soul been a sojourner.”
In another way do the tears flow forth, wh...
Then also: "Cry aloud" like blaspheming the Lord. That is, against the Lord God and against the walls. As if the destruction of the city (Jerusalem) could be an occasion for blasphemy. Also, as if the Lord God was not powerful enough to defend (such walls). As Exodus: 16:8 asserts: "Your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord."
Again: "Cry aloud to the Lord! O daughter of Zion!" Namely, the Jewish people, just like one is taught to set forth their grief of heart in tearful prayer. Like Psalm 119 (118):145 declares: "With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!"
Second, one is invited to a multitude of tears. As Verse 18 continues: "Let tears stream down like a torrent day and night!" For, Jeremiah 9:1 says: "O that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears."
Third, one is invited to a continuance of the struggle. As: "day and night! Give yourself no rest, your eyes no respite!" That is, both within prosperities and adversities. Or, literally, at all tim...
