Spiritual Refining, Religious treatise · Section 9 · Sermon 81
SERMON LXXXI.
Of Tears and Sorrow for Sin; And that they muſt accompany Converſion.
JOEL. 2. 12.
Turn even unto me, with all your Heart, and with Faſting, and with Weeping, and with Mourning.
THE third part obſervable in the diviſion of this Text, is the effect, or if ye will, the concomitant property of a cordial Converſion to God: for we being not immateriall and ſpirituall ſubſtances, as Angels are, but compounded of a ſoul and a body: therefore many affections are required of us as ſo compounded, which ſpirituall ſubſtances are not capable of: ſuch are theſe in the Text, Faſting, Weeping, and Mourning. So that tears and bitter weeping for ſinne, are a good ſign to evidence an hearty Converſion to God. As for Faſting required alſo in the Text, that is not commanded primarily and intentionally for it ſelfs ſake, but as its inſtrumentall and ſubſervient to prayer and mourning for ſinne; for as precious ſeed ſown in Bogs and Quagmires, can never come to any maturity; ſo neither will any duty of humiliation thrive, where the body is not by faſting or debaſement prepared for it. What ever elſe needs explication in the words, ſhall be diſcuſſed in the Doctrine.
Obſ. That true and hearty Converſion to God from ſinne is to be accompanyed with ſorrow and tears for ſinne. Its not a ſlighty, formall craving of forgiveneſſe Obſ.from God, but the ſoul is ſo wounded and pierced, and in ſuch agonies, that many tears flow from it. The Scripture commands this ſorrow, promiſeth ſuch a melting heart to thoſe that are converted; and we have many examples of thoſe who were hard rocks; but when converted, much water of godly mourning came from them. For a command, (becauſe ſome have thought this afflicted, mournfull ſpirit, to be an old Teſtament-ſpirit, and not beſeeming the ſpirit of Adoption in the Goſpel:) See it in the new Teſtament commanded, James 4. 9. Be afflicted, and mourn and weep, let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into heavineſſe. This is required of Chriſtians in the new Teſtament. And as the Spirit of God did once move upon the waters, ſo he will ſtill upon ſpiritual humiliation. This exhortation is directed to thoſe that were fallen into grievous ſins, and there is no other way for peace, but through this ſalt ſea of tears. Every word is emphaticall foreign, be miſerable and wretched; that is, be inwardly touched with a deep ſenſe of your ſinnes, which make you miſerable. Oh, he that is turning to God from his ſinnes, muſt cry out of himſelf; O miſerable and wretched man that I am, what ſhall I doe? where is any eaſe? who will poure oyl in my wounds? The other word foreign, Mourn, isalluſive to the cuſtome of mourning in the old Teſtament, when they went in Sackcloth and Aſhes. Thy ſoul ought to be full of penſiveneſſe, and bitterneſſe, as Tamars was, after ſhe had been deſtowred, and thruſt out of doors; ſhe teareth her garments, puts Sackcloth on her head, wrings her hands, goes wailing; And I, whither ſhall I goe? So ſinne and the Devil have raviſhed and conſtuprated thy ſoul, which ſhould have been left pure to God. Oh cry out, and make bitter lamentations, for thou art undone for ever, unleſſe the grace of God interpoſe. Let your joy be turned to heavineſſe, foreign, that is, ſuch an heavineſſe and grief as may be ſeen in a mans very looks; Thar all may ſay, What aileſt thou? What troubleth thee? Thus as they abounded in carnall pleaſures, and ſinfull delights; ſo now all muſt be turned contrary; and as this is commanded, ſo our Saviour makes thoſe bleſſed that practiſe it: Bleſſed are they that mourn, Matth. 5. 4. viz. for their own ſinne, and the ſinne of others; for they ſhall be comforted: yea he denounceth a woe to thoſe that laugh and are merrie, that never rend their hearts, or wound their ſouls for the ſins they have committed. Oh then bleſſe God, and count it an happy time, when God ſhall turn thy barren heart which was like a wilderneſs, ininto running ſtreams for ſinne. This is ſo neceſſary, that its a grace particularly promiſed under the Goſpel, Zach. 12. They ſhall mourn, as one mourneth for his only begotten Sonne. See there is the ſpirit of prayer and mourning promiſed under the Goſpel, and that for ſins againſt Chriſt, as cordially, affectionately, and a grieved manner, as a mother cryeth for her onelyonly Son. You have examples alſo for this in the new Teſtament. Did not Mary Magdalen make her head a fountain of tears, that could weep ſuch ſhowrs as ſhe did? Which made Chryſologus ſay, Terrarigat Coelum. Could ſhe have cryed more heartily for the loſſe of her onelyonly child, then ſhe did for her ſins? And thus Peter, after his relapſe, upon his recovery, is it not ſaid, He went out, and wept bitterly. Matth. 26. 75. So that you ſee it abundantlie proved, that our turning to God, ought to be with mourning and weeping: but yet the point ſo generally delivered is ſubject to miſconſtructions; and therefore take notice of theſe particulars.
Firſt, That theſe waters of tears may ariſe from a four-fold Spring or Fountain: As,I. Tears may ariſe from a four-fold ſpring. 1. Naturall.
Firſt, There are Naturall tears; Such which come naturally from the complexion, or peculiar diſpoſition of the bodie at that time. Philoſophers ſay, That onelyonly man of all creatures doth properly weep; and they diſpute much about the efficient cauſe, and nature of teares. Gregory Niſſen, one of the Ancients, that had much learning in naturall Philoſophie, makes the cauſe of tears, to be the vapours that doe upon the apprehenſion of any evill, quickly ariſe by conſent from the commotion and ſtirring of the bowels, which aſcending to the brain, by the coldneſſe thereof are preſently heated and congealed into water; as clouds are by the coldnes of the middle Region: Yet latter Philoſophers reject this: but my purpoſe is to ſpeak of weeping and tears, not as a Philoſopher, but as a Divine. This is certain, there are natural tears, which ariſe from a tender complexion, whereby children and women are more ready to weep then men, and ſome men more then others: yea Ariſtotle obſerveth, ſome Drunkards are very prone to weep while they abound with liquor; we call them, Magdalen Drunkards, that while they are full of Beer, and like beaſts, will then crie and weep, and complain of their ſins: but theſe tears being nothing but the excrementitious humour of vapours within, they are not at all to be regarded. Some Godlie men have complained, that they cannot weep, nor ſhed tears for their ſinnes. They can for other things, Temporall evils, that afflict ſenſe, but not for ſinne. To this I ſhall Anſwer anon.
Secondly, There are worldly tears, and carnall weeping; and that is when we weep for the loſſe of any temporal mercy, or the evill of any miſery come upon us: ſuch tears are daily to be ſeen among us, who live in the world, that is nothing but a Valley of tears. This Chriſt forbade, when he ſaid, Weep not for me, but for your ſelves, Luke 23. 28. And this might be every day publiſhed aloud, Weep not for the loſſe of ſuch mercies, Weep not becauſe of ſuch miſeries, but becauſe of ſin and the loſſe of God. This when immoderate, is an heavy ſin, and it worketh death, as the Apoſtle ſaith, and is repentance that muſt be repented of, 2 Cor. 7. 10.
Thirdly, There is hypocriticall weeping. The tears of Crocodiles, when men faſt and publickly mourn, yet all this is becauſe of temporal reſpects, not becauſe 3. Hypocriticall.that God is diſpleaſed. We have too much of this weeping alſo: God complaineth of ſuch ſorrow among the Iſraelites, and he compareth it to the howling of beaſts. All weeping and crying about ſin, if not for ſin, is but diſſimulation with God.
Laſtly, There is a godly weeping, which is wrought in us by the Spirit of God, and that is becauſe we have ſinned, and grievouſly offended God, which fils our 4. Godly weeping.hearts with Gall and Wormwood: This latter is like the rain of the cloud that comes from heaven, ſweet and refreſhing; the other is like the ſalt water of the ſea, or the muddy filth of boggy places.
Secondly, Godly tears they alſo ariſe from a two-fold cauſe. There are tears of hatred and indignation, or great diſpleaſure againſt our ſelves, becauſe we have ſo fooliſhly and wretchedly diſhonoured God, and ventured our eternal undoing for a moments pleaſure. There are alſo tears of love, and joy, which the heart poures out with much melting, partly becauſe they have grieved ſo good a Father, and partly through ioy to ſee ſo much grace vouchſafed unto them. The former kinde of tears, viz. of hatred and grief, Manaſſes abounded with, and Peters eyes guſhed out ſuch. The latter did flow from Mary Magdalen; for our Saviour attributeth all that ſorrow to her much love, becauſe much was forgiven her, Luke 7. 47. and the true Convert is to expreſſe tears of both theſe kinds, of grief, and love; of hatred, and joy; Verus paenitens de peccatis dolet, & de dolore gaudet; The true repenting Convert grieveth for his ſinnes, and joyeth in his grief. Even naturally there is much eaſe in weeping, Expletur lachrymis, egeriturque dolor. And hence Tully complained, that though all his tears were ſpent, yet grief did ſtick at his heart, How much more will godly tears afford ſpiritual joy? Let thy heart therefore be like the Stillatory, which having the hot love of God daily under it, will plentifully vent forth the warm tears of Godly ſorrow for ſin.
Secondly, There may be a ſuperſtitious and Popiſh advancement of tears, and a Chriſtian Scripture-acknowledgement of them. This muſt be alſo remembred, a II. A Popiſh advancement of tears.Popiſh commendation of tears is, when any Merit, Cauſality or Worth is attributed to them. Thus in Popery they make them have a ſpiritual effect, they attribute the waſhing away of ſin to them, they are judged ſatisfactory: But how arrogant is this Doctrine, to make our tears and Chriſts bloud equal? If the bloud of Chriſt only doth purge us from our iniquity, then cannot our tears, which themſelves need waſhing, as he ſaid, Lava Domine Lachrymas meas, O Lord waſh my tears, they are ſo foul. Could we therefore weep an Ocean of tears, yea bloud, yet this could not blot out one debt of ours to God. We do not then require mourning and weeping, as Friers and Popiſh Writers do: And yet on the other ſide we abhor thoſe Antinomian Doctrines, that make all ſorrow and weeping for ſinne to be legal, and unbeſeeming the ſpirit of the Goſpel. No, the Scripture carrieth a mean between theſe two extreams.
Laſtly, This muſt not be forgotten: There is a two-fold ſorrow, or mourning; the one is intellectual, and ſpiritual; which is an act of the ſoul, whereby it deteſteth III. There is a two-fold Sorrow. Intellectuall and Spirituall, And Senſitive.and abhorreth ſin above all evil, and vehemently diſlikes it, chuſing any temporall evill, rather than this evill of ſin. And there is a ſenſitive ſorrow; which is accompanyed with bodily tears, and expreſſed in a ſenſible manner. Even as there is a two-fold prayer, a mental prayer of the ſoul, whereby we immediately make our requeſts known unto God; and a vocall bodily prayer, by the mouth alſo. Thus there is a two-fold ſorrow, one rational, affecting the ſoul of a man, the other ſenſible, diſcovering it ſelf in the eyes, and face. Now the former kind of mourning, which is an act of the underſtanding and will, full of diſplicencie and vehement deteſtation of ſin; this is abſolutely to be preſſed: No man can think he is converted that hath not this. But then for ſenſible and bodily tears, practical Divines give theſe directions: firſt that in the pangs of our converſion, and while the ſoul is in its firſt labour, then many times ſuch Tears abound: whereas afterwards in the progreſſe of ſanctification, they are not powred out ſo eaſily. Be not then preſently diſcouraged, as if thy heart were a rock, and an hard Milſtone, becauſe thou findſt no affection, no melting, no tears; ſay not, Thy heaven is made Braſſe or Iron; for it may be the time hath been, that thy two eyes have been as the Churches in the Canticles are ſaid, to be like the Fiſh-pools of Heſhbon. Remember then the bottles of tears thou then didſt fill. Its not probable that Mary Magdalen could alwayes weep ſo plentifully as ſhe did at her firſt Converſion to Chriſt, and reconciſiation with him.
Secondly, Divines give another good Rule, which is to regard thy purpoſe, and well adviſed forſaking of ſinne, ſo as never to return to it, more than any tears whatſoever; for Hypocrites have ſhed tears, and they many times ariſe from the bodily Conſtitution: Some can weep when they liſt; as there were women hired to mourn: and experience tels us, of many that will weep and cry for their ſins, and yet for all that commit them again. Doſt thou therefore finde that thy ſoul loatheth ſin, and that thou dareſt not, or canſt not entertain any ſin in thy life? never then queſtion thy condition, becauſe thou canſt not ſhed tears, for theſe are accidental and ſeparable, but the other is eſlential to grace; and this diſcovers the hypocriſie of manie, that becauſe they can ſometimes weep and crie, when they ſpeak of their ſins, they therefore conclude all is well, though they go on in the practice of ſin. No, its inward hating, and outward forſaking of them upon ſpiritual grounds, will more teſtifie thy Converſion then rivers of water flowing from thy eyes.
Thirdly, If thou haſt mourning and ſighing, becauſe thou canſt not be ſo paſſionately affected with thy ſins, as with temporal evils: This may alſo ſtay thy heart, thou canſt not go out and weep bitterly, thou canſt not water thy bed with tears, as David did. Oh, but doſt thou groan and …igh after more degrees of godly ſorrow? this may ſatisfie thee: for they that hunger and thirſt are bleſſed; and if the Spirit of God work in thee groans unutterable, this is greater ſorrow than weeping; Groans of heart, are more than tears in the eye. When one Pſannenitus an Heathen ſaw his friend put to death, he wept abundantly; but afterwards, when his Sons were brought to ex-cution, he did not weep. The reaſon was asked, and this was returned, Leves curae loquuntur, ingentes ſtupent, Light grief may be vented, but infinite grief ſtupifieth; and ſo many times the godly heart is in ſuch an amaz…ment and aſtoniſhment that ſtupifieth it.
Laſtly, Then onelyonly is want of Tears for ſin, matter of trouble, when it is becauſe of want of hatred to ſin, want of meditation, or want of love to God. As for example, Thou haſt loſt thy husband, thy friend, ſuch an eſtate, and thy daily thoughts of this aggravating every circumſtance, makes thee weep many ſhowrs. Now if thou didſt ſeriouſly ſet thy ſelf to meditate about ſin and all the aggravations of it, thy heart would melt as abundantly alſo; but thy negligence, thy worldly cares, thy hard heart, thy careleſneſſe that makes thee ſo ſenſeleſſe. Know in this caſe, the want of fears is thy fault, and thou doſt not meditate and pierce thy heart with ſharp conſiderations that water may guſh out.
Now let us ſee, why Converſion is to be with mourning and weeping: And Why mourning and weeping muſt accompany converſion. 1.Firſt, Becauſe the evill of fin is far greater both in the loſſe it brings us, and the poſitive damage it plungeth us into, than any outward evill whatſoever. What a ſhame then is it, to ſee people weep over their dead friends? Oh none have ſucha loſs as they have, and not to weep over their dead ſouls, for there is no ſuch loſſe as that by ſin: Shall that ſuperſtitious man make ſuch a waiting for his Idols that were taken away, and ſhalt not thou mourn bitterly, becauſe thou loſeſt God and heaven by ſin. Its the bitter evill of ſin, that makes all other afflictions bitter; there had been no other evill in the world to provoke tears, had not ſinne been: This brought not onelyonly Thorns and Thiſtles on the ground, but on every thing elſe; why then ſhall we not have mourning for that which is the fountain and root of all other ſad things?
Secondly, Therefore we are to turn from ſin to God with mourning; Becauſe there is a condecency, and congruity of Juſtice in it. Its the greateſt reaſon and juſtice 2.in the world, that as thou haſt by delight and pleaſures in ſin offended and provoked God; ſo thou ſhouldſt by grief and bitterneſſe for ſin manifeſt thy love to him: ſhal there be a time when ſin was ſweet and ſhal there not be a time when it ſhal alſo be bitter? Oh conſider this all you who have found the ſhort and momentaneous honey of ſin, but not the ſting of it; that have found it ſweet in the mouth, but not like Ezekiels Roll, bitter in the bellie.
Thirdly, Its neceſſary there ſhould be bitter mourning in our Converſion; Becauſe of the manner or method God takes in bringing men from ſin; which for the 3.moſt part is accompanied with ſuch ſtrong convictions of ſin, ſuch tremblings, and agonies of ſoul, that as the woman by Gods appointment is to bring forth in pangs and travail; ſo doth the heart of a man labour till Chriſt be formed in it. Gods method is generally to convince of ſin, the hainouſneſs of it, all the bloudy circumſtances that aggravate it, and that in a powerful, particular way; ſo that he ſeeth and ſeeleth himſelf to be this ſinner: Then God diſcovereth the exactneſſe of the Law, the ſpirituall extent of it, the innumerable curſes that it threatens to every diſobedient perſon; and laſtly, it diſcovers an impotency, and an utter inability in a mans ſelf and in all the world to help him, ſo that he is deſpairing wholly of himſelf, and receiving a ſentence of condemnation upon his ſoul, onelyonly the grace of God comes in, before the ſoul be over-whelmed: That ſtretcheth out the hand, as Chriſt did to Peter, before he ſink in the waters. Now tell us, Can all theſe exerciſes, fears, conflicts, and commotions of heart be without mourning and weeping? It is true in ſome Converts theſe pangs and conflicts are greater than in others; yet it being Gods ordinary way to bring about Converſion by Conviction out of the Law, here muſt be needs great diviſions and troubles of heart.
Fourthly, There will be mourning and weeping in our Converſion to God, Becauſe of the ſympathy and natural conjunction of ſoul and body together; ſo that 4.what the ſoul is exceſſively affected with, there is an over-flowing and redundancy of this upon the body. Thus David is ſo often in ſenſible paſſionate expreſſions of tears and deſires after God, becauſe his ſoul and heart did ſo affectionately burn after God; Inſomuch that not onelyonly his heart, but his very fleſh (he ſaith) longeth after God, Pſal. 84. 2.
Uſe is, Severely to reprove that ſtonineſſe and hardneſſe of heart upon many ſinners: When did they ever turn to God with bitter lamentations, and mourning, Uſe.and weeping? When was their laughter and joy turned into heavineſſe? You have indeed ſometimes ſeen them wring their hands, cry aloud they were undone, becauſe their eſtates are loſt, their friends are dead, great pains and aches of body have tormented them; but not a ſigh, not a tear for their ſin. Oh know that in hell there will be weeping and wailing, and gnaſhing of teeth; then thy ſins will be apprehended in a more horrid and ghaſtly manner than now they are. A tear in the eye for ſin, is more commendable than a jewel in the ear: and if thou canſt not weep, yet ſigh and mourn like the Dove. O ſmite upon the thighes, knock on the breaſt, ſay, Even Rocks (Lord) when thou haſt ſmote them have given us water; but thou haſt ſmitten by thy Word, by thy Judgments upon my heart, and yet no mourning at all. The tears of the hearers are the commendations of a Sermon: Did you hear aright, you would pour your hearts out like water, as the Scripture expreſſion is. Neither doe thou think it a childiſh weak thing to weep for ſinne: For David, who had more knowledge than all his Teachers, yet how plentifull in thoſe ſhowers! Neither doe thou think it an Argument of an ignoble ſpirit; for beſides that Homer makes his Heroical ſpirits foreign, eaſie to weep, who more warlike and potent then David? yet how many penitential and mournful Pſalms doth he make for ſin.