Body of Divinity, Book 7 · Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV. Of Sorrow.
THe opposite passion to Joy or Delight, is Grief and Sorrow.
It is a passion which doth tie up, binde and streighten the heart throughIt is a passion whereby the appetite doth abhor with perturbation evil present, whether so in deed or in apprehension. Par. on Rom. the apprehension of evil present.
Grief in it self is a good affection planted by God in mans nature at the first to be a means of causing him to avoid things that were evil for him, and would procure his hurt.
It is procured by the gathering of the worst and grossest bloud about the heart, which causeth a dulnesse in the Spirits, and consequently unlivelinesse in all the other parts, for the bloud and spirits are the instruments of all affections.
To grieve is natural, to grieve for sinne is a strain above nature, Grace doth not destroy but correct nature.
Contrition of spirit is called the Sacrifice of God, Psal. 51. 17. he will not despiseTerror of conscience apprehends wrath, fury, vengeance & damnation, and is thereby perplexed for a time. Contrition looks chiefly to a …ault, and a contrite person is troubled, because he hath deserved damnation. Terrours of conscience drive men (in whom there is no contrition) to vain & idle helps, sports, company, and leave a man desperate. Contrition is joyned alwayes with an humble boldnesse to live to the mercy of God in Christ. it, that is, will most favourably accept it. See Isa. 57. 17. This was signified by the Meat-offering of fine flower mixed with oyl which was to be joyned with their burnt offerings. That fine flower did type forth this contrition, by which the heart is as it were ground to pouder that it may by the holy Ghost be offered up unto God, Levit. 2. 1. Isaiah speaks of this Chap. 66. 2. Contrition of heart is that grace whereby a mans soul is truly humbled in the sight of his sins, Matth. 5. 4. It differs somewhat from the grace of humility. For humility was in Adam during his innocency, and should have been in all of us if we had never sinned, and (as some think) is in the Angels, for all creatures that are truly good, do cast down themselves before God, and make no account of themselves in regard of him, which to do is to be humble: but contrition of spirit doth necessarily presuppose sin, and when the soul doth so apprehend the nature of sinne, and its own sinfulnesse, that it is thereby cast down, abased, afflicted, this is brokennesse of heart. It differs also from terrour of conscience, stiled attrition by the Schoolmen, that looks to the punishment of sinne, this chiefly to the evil of sinne as it is sinne, and to the very fountain of all sin, the corruption of nature from which all actual sins arise.
Few affections or graces contribute more to a Christians welfare then this; a great part of Gods image and the practise of holinesse lies in it.
There is a two-fold sorrow:
1. Sensitive, expressed in a sensible manner.
2. Intellectual. The sorrow of the will or rational sorrow is a being displeased with a thing as having the heart distasted and disliked with it, a feeling of sinne as evil with an aversnesse of the will. Passionate sensible sorrow is such a stirring of the heart as brings forth tears, this follows the bodily temper. Not so much the greatnesse of the sorrow as the efficacy of it must be looked unto, and the motive of it that it be the consideration of the spiritual mischief of sin in provoking God and causing his displeasure, the smallest measure of sorrow thus grounded and working is repentant.
The work of Gods grace in sanctifying it:
1. The Author of it.
2. The true Object.
3. The gracious Effects.
First, Of the Authour of it.
It is the holy Spirit that is the worker of all godly sorrow. It infuseth such a principle that it turns it from all evil objects, and sets it on the right objects in that measure and proportion that the thing requires.
Secondly, The true Object of it.
We must grieve,
First, For the sins of others, even of particular men, and the publick sins, Psa. See Mark 3. 5. & Luk. 19. 4….119. 136. David saith in another place, He beheld the transgressours and was sorrowfull; and Ieremiah saith, He would weep in secret for their pride, Jerem. 13. 17. 2 Pet. 2. 7.
Secondly, For the miseries and calamities of others, which is pity, chiefly publick calamities of the Church and State, as Nehemiah and Mordecai.
Thirdly, Our own crosses and afflictions which befall us in our selves and others, as Iob did mourn when the evils befell him, and David when he was threatned his childe should die, and Paul was sorry for the sicknesse of Epaphroditus.
Fourthly, Our own sins and offences for which we are called to afflict our selves and mourn, and to turn unto the Lord with tears and lamentations.
2. The measure of our sorrow.
1. Simply all our sorrows must be proportionable to their cause.
2. Moderate, not as men without hope neither for friends nor crosses, nor continue overlong.
3. Comparatively, we ought to grieve more for our sins then crosses, for the faults of others then their afflictions. We should grieve most for sinne appretiativè, if not intensivè. It should be a Christians best sorrow for quality, if not his greatest for quantity; Sorrow for sinne is more intellectual and durable, Semper dolet & de dolore gaudet, the matter of this sorrow still continues, yet a Christian is to testifie his godly sorrow, sometimes more then another, 1 Sam. 7. 6. Zechary …2. 10, 11.
The Objects of it, are
Such things as are principally and properly matter of grief to him, either the absence of that wherein their real goodnesse lies, or the presence of a real evil.
1. The want of Gods presence in his favour and grace, the want of his Image and Ordinances.
2. The presence of that which is really evil, Gods wrath and displeasure. David and Heman could have no peace, because God was angry. To lie under the guilt of sin, Psal. 51. to be under the power of corruption, Rom. 7. when Gods name is dishonoured. Psalm. 119. Rivers of tears runne down mine eyes, because men keep not thy Law, Rom. 9. I have great heavinesse of heart, because my brethren are cast off.
The gracious Effects or Fruits of godly sorrow.
Eccles. 7. 3. that is, by the sadnesse of the heart exprest in the countenance, the heart is made better, 2 Cor. 7. 10, 11.
1. In general, it is a marvellous help to Repentance, it brings forth Repentance never to be repented of. There are two comprehensive duties Faith and Repentance, Repentance is the turning of the soul from evil unto good, it stands chiefly in our affections, and consists in turning them from evil, godly sorrow and hatred do this.
2. More particularly, it worketh great care and fear of being overtaken with sin, indignation and zeal, it makes the soul very humble.
3. It is an excellent help to patience and meek subjection to the hand of God, I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him.
Some think it is a crime to mourn for their own sins, and those that would be counted Christians of the higher form, they say▪ Ministers which presse this duty are legal, the Gospel taketh not away the conscience of sinne, though it doth the fear of damnation. To scoff at mourning and humiliation was once a badg of prophanenesse; Those that say justified persons must not mourn for sins, may as well say they must not have an heart of flesh.
Marks of godly Sorrow:
Consider, 1. When we mourn, whether we grieve for sinne when we are quiet from crosses, and when our sinne is kept from the world, and when we have no terrours of conscience, then our sorrow for sin is because we have offended God. Sin is made grievous indeed by the other effects, and when they come the sorrow is made more and more troublesome.
2. For what sins we mourn, If for such sin as will not bring discredit in the world, yet if they offend God more we grieve more, this is a good sign.
3. In what sort we behave our selves in mourning, if we go to God, complain against our selves to him, confesse to him, lament before him, seek to reconcile ourselves to him. Iudas ran crying to the high-Priest; Peter wept to God in secret.
Motives to godly Sorrow:
First, It is a great evidence of thy love to God, Ezekiel 16. later end, the Church mournes when he was pacified to her, to thinke how she had grieved him.
Secondly, Often meditate of the wonderful fruit godly sorrow brings forth in the soul of man, the mournfull Christians which grieve when God cals for sorrow, are the most fruitful in afflictions.
Means or Helps to godly Sorrow:
1. Meditation, 1. Of the necessity and profit of it, if we bewail not our sinsInt…eamur quemadmodum ubi Deum dixit nolle sacrificium, ibi Deum ostendit velle sacrificium. Non vult ergo sacrificium trucidati pecoris, sed vult sacrificium contriti cordis. Aug. de civ. Dei, lib. 10. c. 5. we cannot attain pardon of them, for Christ is sent to binde up the broken in heart, to comfort mourners, to refresh and give rest unto the weary soul, Zech. 12. 10, 12. & 13. Iames 4. 8, 9. Voluntary sorrow or remorse of heart whereto the soul doth of it own accord strive to work it self by taking pains with it self, is exceeding medicinable, it hath a purging power, a healing vertue, Gods Spirit doth work with and by it, to the making clean of the heart and hand; Godly sorrow breedeth Repentance, that is, Reformation of heart and life. Only the bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ can cleanse from the guilt of sinne, and deserve by way of merit the remission of the punishment thereof, but the tears of penitent sorrow will help to wash away the stain and filth of sinne, and to break the dominion of it from off the soul, and to confirm the heart against it, a man must grieve for his sins here, orMeditate what mourning and sorrow sin hath cost thy Saviour howl for them hereafter, and by this he shall prevent many chastisements, and be armed against carnal sorrow, and be made capable of sound consolation.
2. Prayer to God that he would perform his promise of taking away the stony heart, and giving a fleshy heart in stead of it.
3. A good man must represent his sins unto his own soul, as exceeding grievousOften remember and reade over the evils that thy soul is guilty of. and dangerous and loathsome. He must aggravate sinne to himself, and cause his understanding to apprehend it a very vile thing, worthy to be lamented and wept for more then any thing in all the world besides, and to that end he must consider,
1. How exceeding many and innumerable his sins are?
2. The greatnesse of some of them in regard of aggravating circumstances, most grosse and palpable for matter, presumptuous for manner, against plain and evident light, conscience, reproofs, purposes, vows and all helps, made even a trade of them. I know your great sins, saith the Prophet; And this people hath committed a great sin, saith Moses; and so David, Forgive mine iniquity for it is great.
3. The hatefulnesse of sin in regard of the vile effects thereof.
First, It doth wrong and offend God in his Soveraign Authority and greatnesse, and in his wisdom, and in his right to the creatures who is so excellent and great.
Secondly, It hath brought much misery upon all the creatures, the earth is barren, the Sea troubled, the air infected, and every thing out of order, because of sinne. We have lost the state of innocency, are cast out of Paradise, deprived of Gods favour, his Image, the dominion over the creatures that we had, forfeited our right to heavenly glory, lost our knowledge of God, and of all his excellent creatures. The soul of man is dead in sins by reason of sin, and his body mortall, and both subject to eternall death. We are cursed in all that we put our hands to, because we have transgressed the Law of God.
Thirdly, Consider Christs sufferings, in which we may see the odiousnesse of sinne.
Fourthly, The torments of hell which the damned do suffer, because they did not in time bewail their transgressions, and we shall endure if we grieve not.
Fifthly, Call to minde the examples of those which have mourned for sins, David, Peter, Mary Magdalen.
The affections of the irascible appetite follow, viz. those which respect their object with difficulty of attaining or avoiding of it.