The Way of Life, Treatises 1 · Treatise 4
ZACH. 12.10.
And I will poure upon the house of David, &c.
WE come now to a fourth Note, which is this,
Doct. The mourning of a gracious heart for the piercing of Christ, is as bitter and as sad a mourning as any that any man takes up for the greatest and sorest losse that can befall him in his family or kingdome he lives in.
As bitter as any losse: For the most bitter and grievous losse that any man meets with in his family, is the losse of his onelyonly sonne, of his first borne; this sets all the family a mourning; and that not onelyonly together, when they see one another, but it makes them goe aside into corners, both husband and wife condole asunder, and weep bitterly upon such an occassion. The woman of Shunaim, when she had lost her onelyonly sonne, she tels not her husband of her griefe, onelyonly desires his leave to goe to the Prophet; when she comes at him, she could not tell him her mind neither, but falls downe at his feet, whereby he perceived her spirit was much anguished, 2 King. 4.27. her grief was too much to be exprest: And when shee speaks, she saith not, The child is dead, but Did she desire a child? was it not his owne offer to her? as if it were the greatest losse she could meet with. In the like manner our Saviour going by the way, meets with a young man, the onelyonly sonne of his mother, carryed to be buryed, and they wept sore, Luk. 7.12, 13. So Rachel wept for her children, and would not be comforted because they were not, Mat. 2.18. Though Ioseph was not the onelyonly sonne of Iacob, nor Iacob the weakest Christian in his time, but as strong as his grace was, and as many children as he had, yet when he thought Ioseph was slaine, he wept bitterly, Gen. 37.34, 35. and though his sons and daughters came about him to comfort him, he would not be comforted; which shews, that mourning for an onelyonly, or an onelyonly beloved sonne, is matter of greatest lamentation in a family. And it is therefore the greatest, because it is the losse of the Parents in most bowels; it is the losse of the chiefest comforts of their greatest hopes.
But you say, The losse of some husband or some wife would be more grievous then the losse of a child: was not Elkanah better to Hanna then ten sons? 1 Sam. 1.11. though Samuel was more worth then them both, yet they then knew not of Samuel: How then stands it with the wisdome of the holy Ghost, (since conjugall affection leaves sons and daughters to cleave one to another) to expresse the greatest mourning by the losse of an onelyonly child?
I answer, You are to conceive (as it is evident in the Text) that he speaks of such a losse to a family, as shall alike afflict both the Parents, bitterly grieve both the Parents, who though they be the nearest, yet their griefe shall be severed; and if he had spoken of the losse of either of them, he had wanted a fit resemblance of the privacie of their mourning, and therefore he expresses it by such a losse, as may be common to that paire in the family that is most intire one to another.
But secondly, in this losse, the holy Ghost doth not omit the losse of yoke-fellows, though he doe not expresse it in plain words, but by evident consequence in the words following, Like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. There was a great mourning of wives for husbands, and husbands for wives, as well as parents for children, and brothers and sisters one for another.
Now therefore for that, that was a mourning which was caused by the greatest losse that could befall any Common-wealth, it was for the death of good Iosiah, a better Prince then whom the earth never bore, whose losse therefore was the more grievous, because in his losse the wise hearted discerned the utter ruine of Church and State, and families, private and publique persons, all crushed in his death. That mourning is described, 2 Chron. 35.24, 25. upon his death, there was a great lamentation, generall and publique, as the losse it selfe was. And further also it was an ominous and dreadfull losse, foretelling the utter ruine of Church and State. In his death, husbands saw the death of their wives, and wives the losse of their husbands, and both the losse of their children. So great and bitter was this lamentation, that it was written in a book of Lamentations, and all the singing men and women had turned all their songs into mourning, The breath of their nostrils was now stopt, Lam. 4.20. Every man now saw himselfe undone, family, Church, Commonwealth, all undone in his losse. Lam. 2.13. he compares the losse to the breach of the bank of the great Sea, that breaks out and swallows up all before it; and so accordingly was their mourning exceeding great and bitter, an unmatchable mourning. Come hither and see if ever any sorrow was like unto my sorrow, Lam. 1.12. This day of the Lords wrath, is it nothing to you? no cause, nor any expression of sorrow like unto this; In this they saw the captivity of Church and Common-wealth. Lam. 2.11. see how they expresse it, Mine eyes, mine eyes faile through teares, my heart, my heart, my bowels burst forth, &c. They saw their bloud poured forth, they saw the ravishing of their Virgins, the slaughter of the whole City, the depopulation of Church and Temple, the laying wast and throwing downe all the ordinances, and therefore they expresse a great mourning, as for the greatest and most publique losse. And also it was a durable and hereditary losse, and so was it a durable and hereditary mourning: For this was not a mourning of a few dayes and yeares, as Davids was for Amnon, which lasted but three yeares, 2 Sam. 13.38, 39. but this mourning was durable and hereditary, they wrote it in a booke, and left it as an ordinance from age to age, 2 Chron. 35.25. Thus you see what kinde of mourning it is, from which the holy Ghost fetches his comparison. Now such shall be the mourning of every gracious heart, looking upon Christ pierced by him; such a mourning is expressed, 1 Sam. 7.6. when they mourned for their sinne, they drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, as men draw water out of a Well, one Bucket full after another: The people poured out Buckets full of teares in abundance, not drop by drop; but as God pours a spirit of Grace into the heart, so the heart poures out many tears, at least mourning and groans.
Reas. 1 Taken from the object of mourning; there can be no sadder or greater occasion of mourning: It is the greatest cause that doth befall the sonnes of men, to mourne for those sinnes above all other, wherein they have sinned against Christ. It is much cause of griefe to wrong either husband, or wife, or parent, but considering the wrong is done against Christ, nothing is answerable to this cause of mourning. David could not but be sensible that he had wronged Vriah in causing him to be put to death, and Bathsheba, in defiling her, both these could not but deeply afflict him; yet all this was nothing in comparison of the wrong he had done to the Lord, Against thee, thee onelyonly have I sinned, and done this evill in thy sight, Psal. 51.4. He doubles it, he would have you know there lyes his griefe; What, against thee onelyonly, and not against Vriah and Bathsheba? Yes, these were very burdensome, and therefore he cryes out, Deliver me from bloud-guiltinesse, ver. 14. but yet that was not the thing that did so much afflict him as this, that it was done against God, he had thereby caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. No sins like to sins against Christ and his grace; The sins of Sodome, though so abominable as not to be named, for which God consumed them with fire from heaven, yet the sins of Chorazin and Bethsaida were worse then theirs, Mat. 11.20. to 24. because Sodoms sins were at the worst but sins against Angels, creatures like themselves: but when a man sins against the grace of Christ, this is the greatest object against which men can sinne; and therefore the mourning needfull to be proportionable.
Againe, there is this more in the object, Gods wrath which is kindled upon this occasion, is the most grievous evill the soule can conflict withall. Psal. 130.3. Now a gracious heart is very sensible of Gods wrath, being provoked by it.
And yet it is not the greatest neither, but there is a third thing in the object, and that is the losse a man feeles his heart to sustaine, when he looks upon Christ whom himselfe hath pierced; he sees not onelyonly that he hath done wrong to a deare Lord and Saviour, but the spirit of Grace helping him to see Christ pierced by him and for him, so his heart thereupon begins to feele the losse of Christ by piercing him, such a heart conceives in its first looking towards Christ; and in that such a losse, as wherein he loses not onelyonly a sonne, or a deare parent or friend, but he loses all these together, he loses all the comforts of this life, and all the hopes of a better, so that he looks at his losse as unmatchable; had he lost an husband, or wife, &c. he could have borne it, but to lose a Saviour, in that he loses all at once. As it was with Mary, Ioh. 20.11. she sate by the Sepulchre weeping, and this was the matter, they have taken away the Lord: Thus it is with every soule when they find Christ pierced by them, they are taken up with thoughts, that doubtlesse by piercing of him they have lost him, made him utterly away for ever from being comfortable to them, and therefore now they have no hope to find him, and this is such a cause of mourning, as that then which there is no greater.
But then, when they look upon him as pierced for them, and so as in time they shall come to enjoy him, and find some sprinkling of comfort of his bestowing himself upon them, that aggravates their griefe; It is as much as if a man should say, That Christ hath dyed and done all this for love of me, and this afflicts him much. I reade of Austin, of a certaine uncleane woman which made away her selfe for the love of him, which when hee knew, it afflicted him very much; thereupon he goes to God, and saith, Here a wicked woman hath lost her life for me, and see how I can weep; but yet the Lord Jesus hath not been unwilling to lay down his life for very love to me, and yet my heart is not able to mourn for him. As if the soule should consider it thus, That one of such worth as Christ is, the Prince of life and glory, that he should take such a long journey from heaven to earth, and live here such a miserable life, and to do such service to me, to work so many miracles, to be buffetted and scourged, to lose his friends, to be excommunicated out of Church, to be censured by the Judge, to be crucified, and all this for my soules sake, he is content to lose his life, and the favour of God, which is better then life, and all this for the love of my soule, yea, and had he not done thus for my soul I had never been saved; This is such an object of lamentation, as indeed no sorrow like unto this sorrow.
Reas. 2 Taken from the subject that doth grieve and mourne. What person is it that grieves? it is the spirit and heart of a man, which is not ordinarily afflicted, but wounded, and onelyonly wounded with this stroke, Prov. 18.14. wounded for sins against God and Christ, and who can beare that? that mourning is an unsupportable mourning: Any other mourning the spirit of a man can sustaine him in, as losse of husband, or wife, or child, &c. but when the heart comes to be wounded, who can heale that? none but onelyonly the mighty and powerfull spirit of God, without which a man would utterly swallowed up of despaire, an uncurable wound, unlesse by the same hand that wounded it.
Reas. 3 Taken from the principle from whence such a mourning springs; a principle greater then that which is in the world, 1 Ioh. 4. Worldly sorrow cannot reach this; the spirit of Grace in the heart is greater then the world; nothing can work that which the spirit of Grace can doe; it teacheth us to cry with sighes and groans unutterable, Rom. 8. 26. A soul cannot tell God how much it grieves in such a case as this, because the principle of it is the spirit of grace; we are shallow, and can soone run our eyes and hearts dry for any griefe we take up our selves; but where the spirit of Grace works, the griefe that it puts forth cannot be expressed; as it comes from a deeper fountaine, the eternall love of Christ, so it hath a deeper work, it searcheth the deep things of God, it is a profound spirit, and so it works a profound work.
Vse 1 For tryall of any mans estate, whether his mourning be sincere and sufficient or not. Many a soule will say, I have been humbled, but did I know my humiliation were sufficient, it would be some comfort to me, but alas! I cannot discern that it is enough. Why so? If it come from a spirit of Grace, it is then enough. But how shall I know that? Why, if it be such a mourning as is greater then any mourning, if as great or greater then for the losse of an onelyonly child, or of such a Prince, as in whom thou losest all thy comfort. Hath a man then lost husband, wife, child, &c. yet if he have but Christ, he hath enough: a signe then that a man hath mourned more for Christ then for these. Again, doth a man that hath parents, wife, children, and every thing according to his desire, and yet saith, Yea, but I want Christ, and I cannot be satisfied with these things? Then is thy mourning for him as the mourning for the losse of an onelyonly sonne: for though thou hast all the comforts of this life, yet the Lord Jesus thou art doubtfull whether thou hast him or no, and notwithstanding standing all these comforts, thy soul goes drooping for want of him, it is a signe all these comforts doe not countervaile the want of Christ, and that is deep mourning for Christ. I know godly sorrow runs very shallow in many good hearts, yet this you are sensible of, though you have other comforts at will, yet because you feare you want Christ, you are more uncomfortable for the want of him, then all your other comforts can refresh you: How shall you know that? It appeared Iacob loved Ioseph better then all his other children, because when he was gone, though he had all his other children about him, yet could not be comforted by them all, and all because he wanted Ioseph. So Ioab said to David, I see thou lovest Absalom more then the whole kingdome, 2 Sam. 14.6. How knew he that? Because when Absalom a Traitor was slaine, and his Kingdome now at peace, he yet weeps for Absalom, and wishes that himselfe had dyed for him: it was a carnall spirit that David did expresse at that time. A good man may sometimes be more besotted in one darling child, then in a whole Towne or Kingdome besides: but Ioab told him right, and just so it is in this case. If a man can see, that though he have all the comforts of this life, and yet is not satisfied in them, and all for want of Christ, then thou truely mournest for him. It is true, there may be for a time some reason why a man can expresse lesse griefe for the one then for the other. Some man wil say, Were my wife or child dead I could weep day and night, but I cannot tell that I ever wept yet so for the losse of Christ, how then doth it appeare that I mourne more for Christ then for outward losses? Let me tell you, expressions for outward losses may sometimes be great: First, because all causes concur to make a mans expression of griefe for outward things very great. When you see the windowes of heaven open, and the fountaines of the great deep broken up from beneath, there must needs be a great deluge. Gen. 7.11. here were all causes concurring, no impediment stood in the way to hinder the flood, yet as great as it was, it was not so durable as great, but in a certaine number of moneths it was dryed up, and never returned againe from that day to this; and when it was come to the height, it went no farther, but decreased: but now in our mourning for Christ, though the windows of heaven be opened, yet many times the fountains of the great deep are not open; we have hard and stony hearts, which much hinder spirituall sorrow: You may have a land-flood run downe a channell, or a plain gravell that makes a great noise, and carries all before it, but a deep river runs more slowly, and makes lesse noise: so worldly sorrow it runnes an-end, all causes concurring, heart soft towards children and parents, &c. and grace concurs to mourn for them; windows from above are opened, that is, Grace, and the great deep from beneath is broken up, that is, Nature, and now here must needs be a great expression of sorrow: but now when a man comes to mourne for sinne, there is an hard heart in the way, a heart full of weeds, and thorns, and bryars, many cares, and lusts, and worldly businesses, and these so choak the current of our godly sorrow, that when it should run and overflow, it is dammed, and the expression much hindered. But yet the greatest worldly sorrow is but a torrent, it makes a great noise, but it wants a spring in the bottome, and will in time decay. David mourns for Absalom, and for Amnon, two or three yeers, but in time the sense of their losse grew out, wanting a spring it was not durable, whereas godly sorrow comes from an everlasting spring, Ioh. 4.10, 14. though sometimes stopped, yet it will break forth againe, and it lasts while life lasts: And which is more, the spirit of Grace helping us to mourne, it will make our griefe to grow to be more at the last then at the first: worldly sorrow is ever more at first then at last; it will slack in time, and in the end vanish quite away; but godly sorrow increases, as a man grows in grace, so he grows in griefe. Doe therefore thus much for your selves, as to consider whether your mourning for outward things be such, as that the love of Christ cannot moderate it, then thou yet wantest a spirit of Grace; but otherwise if no comfort can satisfie thee, because thou wantest Christ, it is a sure evidence of the spirit of Grace.
Vse 2 To teach Christian men to cherish godly sorrow: If you would have godly sorrow, you see it comes from a spirit of Grace: Look therefore at sins against God, as greatest, especially sinnes committed against the bloud of Christ, against the motions of the Spirit, and the word of Grace, and look at these as thy greatest evils. And if God give thee but so much grace as to mourn for Christ, labour to maintaine it in thee, pluck up all the weeds that choak the free passage of it; if there be any seeds of pride, or hypocrisie, or of any distemper in any kind in thee, away with them all, they will damme up this sorrow, at least for a while. In every Ordinance observe how thou hast sinned against Christ, and so daily observe what sins in an especiall manner have been committed against Christ, and specially such as are against his Gospel and Grace. Consider seriously, what Christ hath done for thee, as that he was content to come and live a poore beggers life for thee, was content to suffer death, and to suffer suffer losse of his Fathers favour for thee, and this will in time reare thy heart to such godly sorrow, as thou shalt mourne abundantly for all the evils thou hast done against Christ. And to encourage you to this, consider that by how much the more thou shalt take to heart thy sins against him, thou wilt find this issue of it, the lesse will any outward losse or crosse in the world stick neere to thee; though thou shouldst lose thy goods, and be cast into prison, &c. thy heart would be able to beare all, as Iob did, The Lord hath given, and he hath taken away, blessed be his name, Iob 1.21. What helped Iob to this? why, he feared God, and he eschewed evill, and he knew that his Redeemer lived, and that so quieted his heart, that though he had lost all the world, yet he could tell how to be comforted in all; he loved wife and children well, but when all failed him, his heart failed him not, because he had learned to mourne for Christ. That day in which a man hath not seene Christ, that day if any crosse befall him, he will not beare it well, but will be disquieted upon every occasion. Well then, if thou wouldst be Lord of the world, and of all the crosses that befall thee, then observe your daily sins against Christ, and mourn for him.
Vse 3 Of the Prothesis, which is the former part of the comparison, Hadadrimmon signifies a place of store of Pomegranats: From hence learne, Hath God been pleased to exercise thee with the losse of a deare husband, or wife, or child? take example by that griefe, and apply it to the Lord Jesus Christ; turne the streame of it into that channell; Did God never afflict thee in that kind? then be the more thankfull; and especially for you that are in authority, as ever you desire to dye lamented, and much desired, then be like Iosiah, who while he lived, mourned for the sinnes of his people, 2 Chron. 34.27. So all you Governors, if when you die you would be sadly lamented, that all about you might mourne to think of your losse, then mourne you for the sinnes of your children, friends, Townes, and Countries; take you to heart the sins of the times and places where you live, and God will take care that there shall be a great and a lamentable mourning for you when you die.