Characters of a Sincere Heart, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of Sorrowing and Mourning for others Sins.
Sect. 1 A Fifth Character of a ſincere Heart Charact. 5. Mourning for others Sins. 1.is Sorrowing and Mourning for others Sins. A true godly Mourner, (whoſe heart is upright with God) doth not confine and terminate his ſorrow within the narrow compaſs of his own …reſt, and not let it extend any further, but he laies to heart, and unfeignedly mourns for the ſins of others. Though (as it's commonly ſaid) Charity begins at home, yet it muſt not end there; there muſt be a plus ultrà for our Charity; it muſt be diffuſive, and extended to others. And this is a great ſign of love, when we are aſſected with, and affected for the ſins o… others, as well as for our own. Every good man is not only grieved for his own ſins, but for the ſins of others. Of this excellent temper was David, the man after God's own heart; who from his heart profeſſed, Rivers of tears run down mine eyes, becauſe they keep not thy Law, Pſal. 119. 136. But many there are whoſe motions Qui ſpiritu Dei aguntur hi ſentiunt tales dolorum ſtimulos, ut Loth cum videret ſcelerū omnium colluviem regnare Sodomae, &c. Mollcrus.are excentrick to that good man; for they are ſo far ſtrangers to mourning for other mens ſins, as they make their ſins a matter of ſport, mirth and mockery: However, they would be loath to be branded for fools, yet they cannot eſcape Solomon's cenſure, Prov. 14. 9. Fools make a mock at ſin. When men make ſin a matter of pleaſure and jeſting, and make that a matter of laughter, which ſhould be a cauſe of mourning, they ſhew themſelves to be notorious fools. Many there are who deſervedly may be rank'd amongſt the chiefeſt and worſt ſort of fools, who when they ſee men drunk, or hear them ſwear or curſe, or talk laſciviouſly, and belch out ſuch words as (even the Heathen could ſay) corrupt good manners, 1 Cor. 15. 33. then foreign. Menander.thoſe men are tranſported with laughter and merriment, and they talk with delight and complacency, pleaſing themſelves with the remembrance of others ſins. Theſe have Solomon's brand for fools; and their folly will appear to their ſhame, when they ſhall mourn for their laughter, and weep for their wicked pleaſure and jollities. When ſome wrote Books in a jeſting and deriding manner, concerning ſeveral faults of great men, after Mr. Greenham, a Reverend and Learned Divine, had read thoſe Books, he was much offended at them, ſaying, That ſins ought to be made V. Greenhams works.odious, and not onelyonly made ridiculous. Whatever ſins we either diſcern in our ſelves, or in any other, we ought to mourn for them, and not to make a ſport of them. A good Chriſtian, who is acquainted with the pangs of the New Birth, and is ſenſible of that great filthineſs and abomination that is in every ſin, and that every ſin grieveth and vexeth God, and is odious and abominable in his ſight, ſuch a man (I ſay) whereever he finds ſin, he hates it, and mourns for it; and therefore he is not an idle Spectator, or over-curious Inquiſitor, but a real Mourner for other mens ſins. And whilſt he mourns for others ſins, he reflects upon himſelf as a perſon made of the ſame mould, and one of the ſame paſſions, and having the ſame corrupt nature. That excellent Father St. Bernard makes mention of an old man, who when he had heard that one of his Brethren had committed a ſcandalous ſin, he wept bitterly, ſaying, He ſin'd to day, Vid. Bern. in Feſt. St. Martini.I may ſin to morrow. We are all by nature children of wrath, as others, Epheſ. 2. 3. Nature makes no difference between us and the vileſt of men: Who art thou then that boaſteſt of a good nature, and a ſweet diſpoſition? though theſe things are very commendable amongſt men, and much to be deſired, yet there's much more required; for the beſt nature, without ſanctifying grace, is no better than poyſon in a golden Cup. Hath then God endowed thee with a greater meaſure of grace than thy Brother? remember that it is thy duty to acknowledg with all thankfulneſs, that what grace thou haſt, is the free gift of God. And what hast thou which thou hast not received? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not 1 Cor. 4. 7.received it? Not the goodneſs of thy nature, but the free grace of God makes thee to differ from thy Brother. O therefore with all thankfulneſs acknowledg God's reſtraining grace, and ſanctifying grace, whereby thou kept from running with others into the ſame exceſs of riot. All ſorts of grace come from God; as antecedent, concomitant, and ſubſequent; and a Chriſtian hath need of them all, that ſo he may begin any good work, proceed, and perſevere therein. If the Lord ſhould leave thee to thy ſelf, and let thee be fill'd with thy own ways, and give thee up to thy own hearts luſts, thou wilt quickly deſtroy thy ſelf, by breaking out into ſuch horrid ſins, as the vileſt of men give themſelves to commit with delight and complacency. It was a good Prayer in an ancient Letany, Lord, deliver me from my ſelf. That rare Father St. Bernard prayed, Lord, deliver me from the evil man, (i. e.) my E…ipe me a malo homine, a me i… ſo. Bern. de i…ter. Dom….ſelf. Thus he counted himſelf the evil man, and thus he diſcovered ſingular humility.
Sect. 2 Let's not neglect our duty, in being both affected with, and afflicted for the ſins of others, as remembring, that we are men of like paſſions; and we are duſt and aſhes, frail creatures, our Fathers being Amorites, and our Mothers Hittites; notwithſtanding we are preſerv'd from the commiſſion of many ſins which others ordinarily commit, we have great cauſe of thankfulneſs, but not the leaſt cauſe of being proud. If through riches of mercy we have hopes of a ſaving intereſt in Chriſt, (we not knowing the ſecret Decree of God) for ought we know others may be fellow members of Chriſt's Body, and fellow Citizens of the new Jeruſalem; we ought therefore to ſympathize with them, and be alike affected with variety of Diſpenſations towards them, as the Apoſtle commands, Rom. 12. 15 Rejoyce with them that do rejoyce, weep with them that weep. For any one to ſay as Cain, Am I my Brothers keeper? What am I concern'd in anothers matters? let every one look to himſelf: ſuch ſpeeches as …elare ſcriptum eſt a Platone …on a nobis ſolum nati ſumus, ſed ortus noſtri partem patria, partem pareates ve…dicant, partem amici. Cic. off. lib. 1.theſe are ſo far below a Chriſtian ſpirit, as they come ſhort of a moral Heathen: For one of the beſt of Heathen Orators cites Plato, (and commends his ſaying) We are not only born for our ſelves, but our Country, our Parents; our Friends challenge a part of us. And Sympathies and Antipathies are critical Diſpenſations, and diſcriminate Friends from Enemies. If then our Brethren be in adverſity, then we ſhould mourn with them; if they be in proſperity, we ſhould rejoyce with them. Solomon tells us, Eccleſ. 3. 11. that God hath made every thing beautiful in his time, alſo he hath ſet the world in their heart. And that ſhews the beauty of Providence; for God hath abundantly diſcovered his beautiful ordering of all the affairs of the World, repreſenting his infinite Wiſdom and gracious Providence. Now ſeaſons of Providence are to be obſerved, and we ought to act accordingly; as the ſame Wiſe man exhorts, Eccleſ. 7. 14. In the day of proſperity be joyful, but in the day of adverſity conſider: God alſo hath ſet the one over against the other, to the end that man ſhould find nothing after him. And as we ought to take notice of Providences in general, ſo we ſhould take notice of the particular conditions of others, as conſidering that all things come by a Providence, either permitting or approving. No ſin is approved of, but altogether abhorred by Almighty God; yet God permits that which he approves not of. For the greateſt of ſins which the Jews committed, in embrewing their hands in the blood of Chriſt, came to paſs by Divine permiſſive Providence; (as St. Peter ſpake Acts 2. 23.) Him being delivered by the determinate counſel and foreknowledg of God, ye have taken, and by w…cked hands have crucified and ſlain. That which was an Act of the higheſt Malice in the Jews, was an Act of great Providence in God.
Wherefore though we cannot (though if we could we ought) prevent and hinder the commiſſion of ſins in others, yet (be they never ſo bad) we ought heartily to mourn for them. So did Lot mourn for the abomination of the Sodomites; though they were ripe for vengeance, by reaſon of their exceeding great wickedneſs, (as if they had attained unto the higheſt degree of ſinning) yet Lot grieved and mourned for them, who no way grieved nor mourned for themſelves. Of Lot's mourning for thoſe wicked Sodomites, St. Peter ſets an eſpecial remark, 2 Pet. 2. 7. And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy converſation of the wicked. The word imports more then an ordinary ſorrow and vexation foreign, Significas opprimi, fatigari, gra…ter aſſligi. Gerh. in Loc.for their wickedneſs, for it ſignifies to be oppreſſed, wearied, and grievouſly afflicted. And it's further added; For that righteous man dwelling among them, in ſeeing and hearing, vexed his righteous ſoul from day to day with their unlawful deeds, 2 Pet. 2. 8. And here is another word expreſſing a greater grief or vexation; the word is foreign. The word implies a ſifting and ſearching; ſo in Ariſtophanes, & others note upon the word: So that many have been queſtion'd by ſuch ſearching and torturing to force confeſſion. 2. The word ſignifieth to Vid. Rev. 14. 10. foreign.vex, rack and torment; and it expreſſeth the torments of Hell. Lot was as it were upon the rack, and for the time imagin'd himſelf to be ſo tormented in his Soul, as if he was in Hell, by ſeeing and hearing thoſe abominations of the Sodomites. And as Lot, ſo the Prophet Jeremy was a true Mourner for the ſins of others; he wept abundantly for the dreadful judgments inflicted on the Iſraelites: his Rhetorick is rais'd to a high pitch. My bowels, my bowels; I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noiſe in me, I cannot hold my peace; becauſe thou hast heard, O my Soul, the ſound of the Trumpet, the alarm of War, Jer. 4. 19. And he ſtrains himſelf to a higher piece of Rhetorick, Jer. 9. 1. O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the ſlain of the daughter of my people. But he not only weeps for the judgments, but in an eſpecial manner for their ſins, Jer. 13. 17. But if ye will not hear it, my Soul ſhall weep in ſecret places for your pride. By what hath been mention'd, let's utterly deteſt the careleſs, heedleſs temper of Cain, Gallio, &c. and let us look upon our ſelves concerned, not only to mourn for, and bewail our own ſins, but mourn for, and bewail the ſins of others alſo.