Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 5 · Verse 4
Vers. 4.
Blessed are they that mourne, for they shall bee comforted.
Here is Christs second rule touching blessednesse: wherein consider…. Rule. two points; first, the parties who are blessed, they that mourne: secondly, wherein their blessednesse consists, namely, in receiuing comfort. For the first: by mourners, we must not vnderstand eueryevery one that is any way grieued, but such as hauehave iust and waightie causes of griefe, and doe therfore mourne: for the words import an exceeding measure of griefe,foreign such as is expressed by crying and weeping, as is plaine by Saint Luke, who thus relateth Christs saying; blessed are ye that now weepe. And yetLuk. 6. 21. foreign eueryevery one is not blessed, that mourneth vnderunder grieuous distresse; for Caine, Saul, Achitophel, and Iudas, were all deepely affected in soule with their most woefull estates, though farre from this blessednes. This rule then, must thus be vnderstood; that they are blessed, who with their mourning for waightie causes of griefe, doe withall mourne for their sins: for so was the former Rule to bee vnderstood, of those that with the sense of their outward distresse, had adioined an inward feeling of their spirituall wants: and this verse is but a more full explication thereof, as if he should hauehave said, they are blessed that are poore in spirit. Yea, put case a man bee distressed for most waightie causes of griefe, so as hee howle and crie vnderunder the burthen of them; yet if withall, hee can vnfainedly mourne and waile in heart for his sinnes, notwithstanding all his pouertie and distresse, he is truely blessed.
This blessed sentence vponupon them that mourne, serues sundry waiesVses. Consolations. for a soueraigne salue to the conscience of a Christian. As first; put the case a man were distressed with grieuous calamities, and withall were1 ouertaken with some hainous sinne, whereupon not onelyonly his body is afflicted, but his conscience also wounded, and so hee is cast into the gulfe of desperation: yea say further, that by reason of the terror of his conscience, his flesh were withered, and his marrowe consumed in his bones; were not this a cause of exceeding mourning? yet loe, our most blessed Physition Christ Iesus, hath made a plaister for his sore; for if this man of distresses, can withall truely mourne for offending God through his transgressions, he is vndoubtedly blessed: for Christ hath said it, whose word shall neuer faile, though heauen and earth come to nothing. A blessed text, which beeing well applied, will not onelyonly support the heart in great distresse; but recouer the conscience from vnderunder deepe despaire. Secondly, put case a man were grieuously sicke,2 and that he felt the very pangs of death without all ease to seaze vponupon him, so as both speech and sight, with all outward comforts began to faile him; this state were lamentable: yet if in his soule he can truly mourne for his offences, euen in this extremitie, he is blessed. Thirdly,3 put case a man were taken of his enemies, and his wife and children slaine before his face, hauing their braines dashed out vponupon the stones, afterward himselfe put to a most wofull racke and torture: this were an estate more wofull then death: yet herein a man must not iudge himselfe a cast-away, but with mourning for this miserie, he must labour to be sorrowfull for his sinnes, and then he neede not feare what flesh can doe vntounto him, for he is blessed. Christs word must stand, let thy distresse be what it will, if vnderunder it thou mourne for thy sinnes, blessed art thou. We cannot conceiue while we enioy peace, of the worth of this rule in the euill day: neither doe we know how neere the time is, wherein we shall hauehave neede thereof; and therefore we must now learne this neuer to be forgotten, to season all other mourning with godly sorrow for our sinnes.
II. Point. Wherein this blessednes consists; namely, in that their mourning shall hauehave an ende, and be turned into true comfort. That this is true happines will appeare by the contrarie: for the woe and sorrow that is here begun, and continued in the world to come, is the punishment of the damned spirits, & the portion of the Reprobate, which is endles miserie: & therfore vntounto thē that mourne, it is true happines, that they shall receiue comfort. This promise of Comfort is accomplishedFoure waies of comfort. foure waies. First, when God tempers and delaies the sorrowes and1 afflictions of them that mourne, according to the measure of their strength: 1. Cor. 10. 13. God is faithfull, and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able to beare. This was promised to Dauid and his seede, that if they did sinne, he would correct them with the rodde of men: but not take his merciemercy quite from them. 2. Sam. 7. 14. Secondly, 2when God remooues the griefe with the causes thereof: thus he comforted Manasses, who for his abominable Idolatries and witchcrafts, was carried captiue into Babylon, and there laid in prison, fettered in 2: Chr. …3. 13.chaines of iron: yet when he did mourne vnderunder that affliction, and withall humbled himselfe vntounto God for his sinnes, the Lord comforted him, by bringing him out of that captiuitie and prison, to Ierusalem into his owne kingdome. Thirdly, when God giues inward comfort to the heart and3 conscience, by his word and spirit. In this case Paul said, we reioyce in Rom. 5. 3.afflictions, knowing that the louelove of God is shedde abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost, which is giuen vsus: yea, when he was exceedingly afflicted aboue his strength, so as he receiued the sentence of death in himselfe, hauing no hope of life, yet euen then he professeth, that as the sufferings of Christ abounded toward him, so his consolations through 2. Cor. 1. 8. with v. 4. 5.Christ abounded in him. Fourthly, when God by death puts an ende to4 all their miseries, and brings their soules to eternall life. Thus was Lazarus comforted, as Abraham saith vntounto Dives, Luk. 16. 25. and thus doth Christ comfort the Theefe vponupon the crosse (who with his bodily torment for his leud life, was vndoubtedly touched in conscience for his sinnes, and therefore desires Christ to remember him when he came into his kingdome) by telling him, that that day he should be Luk. 23. 43.with him in Paradise.
Here then we hauehave a notable remedie against the immoderate feareVse 1. of death, whether naturall or violent, and of any other iudgement of God: for when death it selfe, or any other miserie whatsoeuer, shall befall vsus, if we can there with bewaile our transgressions, we neede not feare, still holding fast this promise by faith in our hearts, that we shall be comforted. Secondly, this promise well obserued, may teach vsus to2 auoide the perill of this false conceit; That true faith doth alwaies minister present comfort. Many doe herewith perplexe themselues, measuring their estate towards God, by that which they feele in thēselues, so as if in time of trouble they finde not present comfort, they iudge themselues voide of faith, and cast out of Gods fauour: but herein they greatly wrong themselues: for though the apprehension of comfort from God in distresse, be a fruit and worke of faith, yet a man may hauehave true faith, that wants this sense and feeling of present comfort. Doubtlesse none are blessed that want faith, yet many are blessed that want feeling: for here it is saide, they that mourne for sinne are now blessed: and yet it is not said, they are now comforted, but they shall be comforted; meaning afterward, in Gods good time.