Gods Sovereignty Displayed from Job 9:12, Treatise 1 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
HAving diſcovered thoſe Capital ſins for which we have juſt cauſe to think God hath been pouring out his anger againſt City & Country; let me now in the next place Exhort you to mourn bitterly, for theſe and for all your ſins: It is not enough that you mourn for the loſs of a Husband, of a Wife, of a Childe, of your Goods, of your Eſtate, of your houſes; this ſorrow is that which the Apoſtle calls worldly ſorrow, 2 Cor. 7. and it is ſo far from working comfort in the end, that it worketh death; not only death temporal, but alſo death eternal: if this ſort of men weep their eyes out, and their hearts out, for theſe carnal things, yet ſhall they no more partake of divine joy, than the tormented Glutton doth of heavenly comfort. David's mourning for his ſon Abſolom was carnal, and did no way tend to his true comfort; Joab did juſtly blame him for his bellowing and howling for the death of Abſolom. This mourning may be found in Pharoah; ſuch was Eſau's mourning for the loſs of his Fathers bleſſing. The Prophet Hoſea tells us, that wicked men will howl upon their beds, for corn and wine, for the want or loſs of temporal goods, Hoſ. 7.14. They can lament for theſe things, but cannot lament for their ſins, or lament after God; the loſs of God and of Chriſt, is not ſuch a matter of mourning to them.
Neither is it available, to mourn meerly for the Judgements of God inflicted upon us: Oh how did Cain mourn, when the wrath of God was upon him. So did Pharoah under Judgements; and Ahab humbled himſelf greatly; ſo do the damned mourn to eternity in hell: The wicked mourn, not becauſe they have ſinned, but becauſe they are puniſhed: God no more regardeth the howling of ſinners under Judgement, than we regard the howlings of dogs when they are beaten.
Neither is all ſorrow for ſin, godly ſorrow, yet this is an high degree of mourning. Pharoah lamented his wickedneſs, I have ſinned; Judas alſo lamented his grievous ſin, I have ſinned in betraying innocent blood, Mat. 27.3 and now he mourneth in hell for his ſin: and we have ſome examples of men, who ſin and mourn, and then ſin afreſh, and mourn afreſh, crying out, O my pride, O my drunkenneſs, O my ſwearing, O my uncleanneſs! that the beholding their bitter mourning, would make a tender heart to mourn with them; many ſuch there are that mourn on earth for a fit, and mourn in hell for ever. Prov. 5. 11, 12, 13. Death-bed lamentation and mourning for ſin, is not alwaies repenting mourning.
Neither are all that mourn under dreadful apprehenſions of Gods anger againſt them, and terrours upon them ariſing from their ſenſe of ſin, and apprehenſion of Gods wrath, true mourners; yet this like the former, is an high degree of mourning, yet below holy mourning; ſuch a mourner was Cain; the load of terrours upon his heart, preſſed forth all his tears and complaints. There are ſuch examples ſtill of men, who in their fears of death and judgement, and agonies of conſcience, do weep, confeſs their ſins, reſolve to forſake ſin, and yet when they have eaſe, do ſin again, and they are again as prophane, as irreligious as they were before, nay, they become more hardned in ſin, and oppoſite to God and godlineſs than they were before.
Neither do all who mourn after grace and pardon, truly mourn; yet this is one of the neereſt degrees to ſpiritual mourning that is found in hypocrites. An unregenerate man may feel ſuch a load of guilt upon his conſcience, as that he may mourn after grace and pardon, yet not be comforted: as there is a temporary ſorrow for ſin, ſo there is in th…m a temporary deſire after eaſe and deliverance from it.
But all ſuch as mourn in bitterneſs of ſpirit under their ſpiritual wants: Mr. Cartwright gives this as a reaſon,Cartwr. Harmon. Evangel. why in the Beatitudes our Saviour addeth mourning next to poverty of ſpirit, becauſe the want of grace and Gods favour is ſuch a lamentation, that nothing quieteth them ſo long as they are without it. And though God by the hand of his bounty, give them all outward things liberally, as health, ſtrength, riches, friends, yet ſtill they mourn over their ſpiritual wants; theſe are the true mourners, that complain for the want of ſpiritual riches. What is this worlds goods, if I have not the grace and favour of God? As Moſes ſaid, What is the preſence of an Angel, if we have not the preſence of God with us? ſo what is any thing? what are all things? if I have not Gods favour, I am undone for ever.
Again, ſuch as mourn bitterly for ſin, they truly mourn. Lam. 5.16. Wo to us, for we have ſinned. Woe is the time that ever I ſinned againſt God; Wo is me that ever I did curſe, ſwear, and blaſpheme the holy name of God; wo that ever I was drunk; wo that ever I ſinned againſt the Lord: ſuch a mourning was that of St. Peter, he went forth and wept bitterly: wo is me that ever I did deny my Lord and Maſter. Such a mourner was Mary Magdalen, who waſhed the feet of Chriſt with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head: ſo David made his bed to ſwim, and watered his couch with tears, Pſal. 6.6.
Again, ſuch as mourn for ſin, not only becauſe it doth terrifie the conſcience, but becauſe it doth pollute and defile the ſoul; who mourn for ſin, not only becauſe it is a ſoul-damning evil, but becauſe it is a God-diſhonouring evil, theſe are true mourners. Thus David mourned, Againſt thee, againſt thee have I offended, Pſal. 51.4. This was that which troubled his ſpirit, that he ſhould off…nd a gracious God, a loving Father, and diſhonour his holy Majeſty, and violate the holy Law of God.
Moreover, ſuch as mourn for ſin, and repent for ſin, that bewail and forſake ſin; theſe men are ſorry after a godly manner, 2 Cor. 7.10. For godly ſorrow worketh repentance to ſalvation, never to be repented of. Theſe holy tears are very acceptable unto God, when our ſins are put into the morter of our hearts, and there pounded with the peſtel of compunction, and ſo brought into duſt, and moiſtened with the waters of our tears,Savanarol. meditat. in Pſal. 51. then is there made thereof a ſweet ſmelling Oyntment and ſacrifice unto God, as one well noteth. The Angels in heaven do rejoyce over one ſinner that repenteth, Luk. 15. They much rejoyce to follow ſuch a ſinner, carrying the tears, of godly compunction in his eyes, and of godly ſorrow in his heart: Which is not unaptly figured, Luk. 22. where the Diſciples of Chriſt went after the man which carried the veſſel of water, and in that houſe prepared the Paſſeover of the Lord: ſo in a ſpiritual ſenſe; the man carrying this veſſel of water, is the penitent ſinner, whoſe heart and eyes are full of tears of godly ſorrow, whom the Angels following, do enter the houſe of his ſoul, and there do prepare an holy banquet for the Lord; for which cauſe St. Bernard ſaith, The tears of holy penitents, Lachrymae ſanctorum, Vinū Angelorū. Bern.are the ſweet wine of Angels; becauſe in them is the ſavour of life, the taſte of Chriſt, the ſmack of pardon, the health of the returned, the joy of reconciliation, and the ſweetneſs of conſcience. Bonaventure ſaith,Bonavent. Meditat. this is one reaſon why God made Paradiſe, that our firſt Parents might hate and deteſt ſin the more hainouſly and eagerly, which had caſt them out of ſo pleaſant an habitation: God would therefore that Adam ſhould feel what hee had loſt by his ſin, that he might ſeek to regain another Paradiſe by repentance, that he who had loſt paradiſe on earth, ſhould more earneſtly ſeek after that heavenly Jeruſalem: ſo my Brethren, you that have been lately driven out of your houſes, by that lamentable Conflagration; God thereby ſheweth you, that he would have you to hate and deteſt ſin the more vehemently, which hath caſt you out of your pleaſant habitations; God would have you to feel what you have loſt by your ſins, that ye may ſeek to regain better Manſions by repentance; that you who have loſt your houſes on earth, may more earneſtly ſeek after a building of God, an houſe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.2 Cor. 5.1