Expositions Upon Matthew 1-10, Treatise · Chapter 5 · Section 3 – Section 5
Means to ſpiritual poverty.
1 Look upon the mixture of corruption in your beſt and holieſt ſervices, this will make you cry out with ſighs, Oh that my ways were directed that I might keep thy ſtatutes: Pſal. 119.5. Oh wretched man who ſhall deliver me! Rom. 7.13. Neh. 13.22. Remember me O my God, concerning this, and ſpare me according to the greatneſs of thy mercy.
2. Look on thy woful eſtate, both before and after calling; before calling, poor, and blind, and wretched, and miſerable, Rev. 3.17. owing ten thouſand talents and not able to pay a penny; Matth. 18.24. and after calling not able to think a good thought without grace. 2 Cor. 3.5. What have we that we have not received? 1 Cor. 4.7.
3 Look on the humble diſpoſitions of Saints of moſt grace. Abraham counts himſelf duſt and aſhes, Gen. 18.27. Job abhors himſelf in duſt and aſhes, c. 41.6. Agur ſaith, I am more brutiſh then any man, Prov. 30.2. Aſaph ſaith, So fooliſh was I and ignorant, I was as a beaſt before thee, Pſal. 73.22. Jacob, I am leſs then the leaſt of thy mercies, Gen. 32.10. John Baptiſt, I have need to be baptized of thee: I am not worthy to looſe the latchet of his ſhoes, Matth. 3.14. Luke 3.22.
4 Spiritual conviction, that the ſpirit let us ſee our worthleſſeneſs, Rev. 3.17. q.d. thou art, but thou knoweſt it not, that thou art poor and blinde and naked, Joh. 16.10. he ſhall convince of ſin, ſo that as the ſun gives a light whereby we behold, as the gloriouſnes of the ſun, ſo the loathſomneſs of the dunghil, ſo the ſpirit convinces of our own vileneſs, and his own fulneſs.
5 Preſent to your ſelves abaſing conſiderations, as, What was I before I had mercy? how unprofitably ſpent I my time? what will theſe glorious things of the world be in time to come, wherein we are apt to be conceited, when heaven and earth ſhall be on fire? ſince we were called, how have we diſcredited our profeſſion? how barren and watchleſs are we? how ſhort are we of that we might have been?
6 Believe the promiſes made to ſouls poor in ſpirit; I will look to him that is poor and of a contrite ſpirit, Eſa. 66.2. Yea dwell with him, and revive him, Eſa. 57.15. yea Chriſt came to preach glad tidings of the goſpel to ſuch, Luk. 4.18. Matth. 11.3. Rev. 2.9. I know thy poverty, but thou art rich. God will feed ſuch ſouls with grace and comfort, Zach. 11.7. Luke 1.53. yea, God will be a ſtrength to ſuch in their diſtreſs Eſa. 25.4. Pſal. 69.33.
7 Look upon thy own wants and weakneſs; the more thou ſeeſt them the more wilt thou truſt in God, Zeph. 3.12. From heaven did the Lord behold the earth, to hear the groaning of the priſoner, Pſalm 102.19, 20. I am poor and ſorrowfull, let thy ſalvation ſet me up on high, Pſalm 69.29.
For theirs is the Kingdome of heaven] That is both kingdome of grace, Eſai 61.1. For the poor have the Goſpel preached to them, Mat. 11.3. but eſpecially the kingdome of glory is meant, Luke 12.32. Matth. 25.34. though ſuch perſons are beggarly in their own feeling, being ſenſible of their lack of faith, love, joy, hope, yet have they an intereſt in the riches of grace and glory.
We may apply this to comfort the poor in ſpirit, who are full of miſeries inward and outward. The worlds proverb is, Bleſſed are the rich becauſe theirs is the kingdome of the earth, but Chriſt pronounceth, Bleſſed are the poor in ſpirit, for theirs is the kingdome of heaven.
V. 4. Bleſſed are they that mourn, for they ſhall be comforted.
By mourning Chriſt means ſuch mourning as is for offending God, whether it be by ſighs, groans, or an inward grief of heart; ſuch perſons though they may ſeem miſerable in the eys of the world, yet are they bleſſed.
1 God is wont to make comforts to abound according to their ſorrows, 2 Cor. 7.6. God comforts them that are caſt down, and this proportionable to our ſorrows, 2 Cor. 1.5, 7.
2 God is wont to bottle all their tears and ſorrows, Pſa. 56.8. Pſalm 55. Conſider how I mourn in my complaint.
3 There's a time coming when God will turn the mourning of Saints into dancing, and their ſackcloth into gladneſs, Pſalm 30.11. John 16, 20. Ye ſhall weep and lament, but your ſorrow ſhall be turned into joy. There is not onelyonly a fountain of juſtification ſet open for ſuch mourners now, but a ſtate of glorification hereafter, Zach. 12.10, 11, 12, 13, compared with Chapter 13.1.
Hence ſee, 1 The miſtake of the world, who think happineſs to be placed in delights and pleaſures, and ſhun thoſe things which may procure any ſorrow or croſs, as confeſſion of perſecuted truths; againſt this Chriſt ſaith, Mourners ſhall be comforted.
2 It's conſolation for diſtreſſed conſciences; If thou canſt truly mourn for thy tranſgreſſions, thou ſhalt be comforted. Let what ever diſtreſs come upon an afflicted heart, yet if thou canſt mourn for offending God, thou ſhalt be comforted.
3. It's conſolation to perſons who have afflicted eſtates in this world; there's a day coming when comfort ſhall come, provided that with mourning for thy miſeries thou ſpecially mourns for thy ſin, Luke 16.25. Now he is comforted and thou art tormented. Though thy comfort come not yet, yet in Gods time it ſhall come. They are not bleſſed who mourn for the loſs of their wealth, or death of their friends, but they who mourn for offending God.
4 In all our confeſſions and profeſſed humiliations, ſee that you do not declare them onelyonly hiſtorically, but mourn for them. Pſalm 38.17. I will declare mine iniquities, and will be ſory for my ſin. When thou prayes, let thy heart mourn in prayer, Pſalm 55.2. When thou ſpeaks of ſin, ſpeak mournfully of it. Now to move us hereto conſider,
1 God hath the joy of the Holy Ghoſt in ſtore for mourners, Eſa 61.1, 2, 3. The ſpirit of the Lord is upon me, to give the oyl of joy for the ſpirit of mourning and heavineſs. Saints ſeldome finde ſuch comfortable revivings, as when they are moſt mournful.
2 This mourning is more comfortable then the lowd laughters of the world.
Properties of Mourning.
1 Let it be continued, that length of time may not wear it out; length of time eats out worldly griefs.
2 Univerſal. That King that was ſory for his conſent to Daniels death, Dan. 6.14, was not ſory for his denial of the truth, in refuſing to venture all in a good cauſe. Herod was ſory for Johns death, but could rejoyce in Herodias.
3 After converſion as well as before. It's a vain opinion to think we need not ſorrow after converſion, and that a Chriſtians ſtate is altogether a ſtate of joy. Joy and ſorrow may ſtand together in the ſoul, but not about one and the ſame object; joy in God, and ſorrow for ſin.
4 Let thy mourning be, not onelyonly in regard of the damning power of ſin, but principally in regard of the contrariety thereof to the nature of God, and to the nature of him that loves thee, Luke 7.38, compared with v. 48. Mary having a ſenſe of Gods love weeps bitterly, and waſhes Chriſts feet with her tears.
5 Let it be joyned with faith. Firſt Chriſt looks upon the ſoul, and gives ſome teſtimony of his love to it, and then the ſoul looks on Chriſt with a ſad heart, Matth. 26.75. Chriſt firſt lookt on Peter, then he went out and wept bitterly. Its the nature of faith to apply the wounds and ſorrows of Chriſt unto it ſelf, Eſa 53.5. thence follows mourning, Zach. 12.10.
6 This mourning for ſin is the greateſt; hence reſembled to the mourning for an onelyonly ſon when dead, Zach. 12.11. to the drawing of water, 1 Sam. 7.6, as if it had been in buckets. The ground whereof is, becauſe they apprehend ſin as the greateſt of evils: 1 Becauſe it is the cauſe of all evils, Deut. 28.
2 It keeps off the greateſt good.
3 It cannot be purged away but with the greateſt price, even Chriſts bloud.
4 There's more evil in ſin then in any thing: hence followes, 1 A reſolution not to meddle with ſin, as Jehoſhaphat, when he had ſmarted by joyning with Ahab in ſending out a fleet, he would not joyn with his ſon Ahaziah, though ſollicited. When a man hath had a fall from a reſty horſe which had like to have broke his neck, he will hardly come upon his back again. 2 He will not be hired for any gain of ſin againſt God; he will not ſell himſelf as Balaam did.
Tryals of thy Mourning.
1 True mourning that comes from the ſpirit of grace, looks at God who hath been diſhonoured, and at Chriſt who hath been crucified, Pſal. 51.3, 4. Mine iniquitie is ever before me; againſt thee, thee onelyonly, have I ſinned. Hoſ. 6.1. Come let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn us and he will heal us. Luke 15.18. Father I have ſinned againſt heaven and before thee: ſo it looks on Chriſt as crucified, Zach. 12.10. They ſhall look upon him whom they have pierced.
In oppoſition to this, there is a mourning flowing from the ſpirit of bondage, which is a forced work; this differs from the other, as the motion of a clock, from the motion of a living creature: the one is moved from a principle of life, the other from weights; in the one a man is humbled, in the other he humbles himſelf.
2 True mourning hath a change of heart going with it, Jer. 4 14. Luke 7.38. thoſe eys that had been employd in wanton glancings now they weep; thoſe hairs that had been laid out to entangle now wipes Chriſts feet; thoſe lips that had kiſt wantonly now kiſs Chriſts feet. Hypocritical mourners have no change of heart, they are like thievs who forbear ſtealing while in priſon onelyonly.
3 If thy mourning for ſin be right, outward contents will not take it off. David had the delights of a Court, yet did not this take off his mourning, Pſalm 51.3.38.6.
4 If thy mourning for ſin be right, it will be on this ground, becauſe it turnes away the face of God, 2 Chron. 7.12, 13.
5 Thou wilt mourn for ſecret ſins as well as for open, Pſalm 19.12. Cleanſe me from my ſecret ſins, as vain thoughts, Jer. 4.14, &c.
6 Thou wilt mourn eſpecially for thy great ſins, as David doth for his adultery and murder, Pſalm 51, 14. and Paul for his blaſphemy, 1 Timothy 1.13.
7 Thy mourning will be eſpecially for thy maſter ſin, Pſalm 32.4, 5. All Davids mourning was nothing, till he came to touch upon this ſin of murder, to mourn for it.
8 Thou wilt mourn for it, not onelyonly in times of extremity, as Pharaoh, Exod. 9.27. and Judas, Matth. 27.4. but likewiſe in times of proſperity.
9 True mourning looks at Gods face and favour, 1 Sam. 7.3. Pſalm 51.8, 12. Ezek. 7.16. Hypocrites mourning is to have temporal judgements removed, 1 Kings 21.27. and ſo Jehoram, 2 Kings 6.29, 30. and thoſe who howled upon their beds for Corn and Wine, Hoſ. 7.14.