Expositions Upon Matthew 1-10, Treatise · Chapter 5 · Section 6
Means to mourning.
1 Urge the Lord with his Promiſe of taking away thy ſtony heart, Ezek. 36.26. Zach. 12.10. God promiſes to pour upon the houſe of David, and the Hieruſalem of Jew and Gentile, a ſpirit of grace and ſupplication, and they ſhall mourn, &c.
2 Be frequent in ſelf-examination, Pſalm 22.28. They ſhall remember themſelves and turn to the Lord, Lam. 3.39. Jer. 31.19. after Ephraim was brought to know himſelf he lamented.
3 Keep thy heart under the powerfull diſpenſation of the Word, Jer. 23.29. The Word is a Fire and Hammer, Acts 2.37.
4 Look often on Chriſt crucified. Hard is thy heart if it mourns not when thou remembreſt the dying of Chriſt, Zach. 12.10. looking on him they pierced, they mourned.
5 Pray for the Spirit of grace to be poured upon thy ſoul, Iſai 32.15. When the Spirit is poured from on high, the Wilderneſs will be a fruitfull Field, that is, thoſe hearts that were like Wilderneſſes and Foreſts, when the ſpirit was poured from on high, became fruitfull Fields.
6 Get aſſurance of thy intereſt in Chriſt crucified. A man cannot mourn heartily for ſinning againſt the Lord, ſo long as he knows not but God may damn him in time to come: but when Gods love is manifeſted, there will be great ſorrow.
7 Mournfull conſiderations, as that thou haſt broken an holy Law, thou haſt offended a tender Father, that thou haſt lived an unprofitable life, that thou haſt ſadded righteous men, and gladded wicked men, that thou haſt been partaker with other men in their ſins, that thou haſt often ſlidden back from God, that thou haſt been ſo dead-hearted in thy ſecret approaches to God.
8 Conſider the benefits of holy mourning, as, 1 Joy is wont to follow it, Pſalm 97.11.126.6, 7. as a joyfull Harveſt follows a weeping Seed-time, when the poor Farmer mourns to caſt away his precious Seed which his Family ſo much wants, Luke 6.25. Iſai 57.18. Iſai 6.1, 2, 3.
2 Such perſons are marked in an evil time, Ezek. 9.4. Job 5.11.
3 Such perſons are not without bleſſedneſs, though they be without comfort; for, Bleſſed are they that mourn. Yea a time is coming when the Lord ſhall be thy everlaſting Light, and the days of thy mourning ſhall be ended, Iſai 60.20.
4 This is one of the effects of Repentance, 2 Cor. 7.7. Joel 2.12.
5 Godly mourning is a ſpecial means to compoſe the diſſoluteneſs and looſneſs of our affections, which are apt to be ſcattered too much among carnal joys, James 4.9, 10. Be afflicted and mourn, let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into heavineſs.
9 Practiſe duties, as, 1 Private admonition, 2 Sam. 12.7. Pſalm 141.5.
2 Take a fit ſeaſon for plowing up thy heart, Jer. 4.3. when ſoftened by outward trouble.
3 Get a particular knowledg of thy evils, 1 Sam. 12.19. We have ſinned in asking us a King.
2 The Reaſon why mourners are bleſſed, For they ſhall be comforted; here in part, 2 Cor. 1.4. and hereafter fully in Heaven, James 1.12. Apoc. 7.17.
V. 4. Bleſſed are the meek, for they ſhall inherit the earth.
Obſ. Meek perſons are bleſſed.
1 What meekneſs is.
2 Why the meek are bleſſed.
1 What it is: it is a certain moderation of minde, ſpeech and geſture, whereby a man becomes gentle and tractable towards thoſe with whom he converſes, ſo that he is not ſharpened unjuſtly at their follies, and frowardneſs, and ſmaller offences they commit againſt him.
2 Why meek perſons are bleſſed.
1 Becauſe Chriſt pronounces them bleſſed, Pſalm 149.4. The Lord taketh pleaſure in his people, he will beautifie the meek with ſalvation. Pſalm 147.6. The Lord lifts up the meek. The meek ſhall increaſe their joy in the Lord, Iſai 29.19.
2 Chriſt promiſes ſuch perſons reſt, Matth. 11.29. Learn of me, for I am meek, and ye ſhall finde reſt for your ſouls. Now what reſt is this, ſave the reſt of grace and glory?
3 A meek ſpirit is of high price in the ſight of God, 1 Peter 3, 4. God exalts ſuch ſouls in bleſſedneſs. Hence Preachers are ſent to preach good tidings to the meek, Iſai 61.1. Pſalm 76.9.
4 Let us learn this duty, 1 We have the example of Chriſt herein, Matth. 21.5. Behold thy King cometh, meek, riding upon an Aſs, 2 Cor. 10, 1, I beſeech you by the meekneſs and gentleneſs of Chriſt, 1 Peter 2, 23, Iſai 53, 7,
2 We have Saints commended for it, Num, 12, 3, Moſes was a very meek man above all the men of the earth: Stephen Acts 7, 60, Jer, 11, 19,
3 It's a great point of prudence to be of a meek ſpirit, Jam. 3, 13, q, d, a meek and a temperate carriage doth point out a prudent man.
4 God hath promiſed ſundry bleſſings to ſuch, as,
1 Guidance and teaching in his way, Pſalm 25, 9,
2 Satisfaction, Pſalm 22, 26,
5 The infirmities and ignorance of thoſe among whom we live, Gal, 6, 1, We live not among perfect perſons, but among thoſe who are apt to be overtaken with faults.
6 Meekneſs will make our lives comfortable and pleaſant.
This meekneſs hath theſe properties.
1 It moderates anger, impatience and revenge, John 8, 48, 49, when the Jews told Chriſt he had a Devil, he anſwers, I have not a Devil: with this caution, that when Gods glory lies at ſtake then it ſpeaks, as in Moſes, Exod, 32, 27, who broke the Tables, though a meek man.
2 It ſhews it ſelf by gentle anſwers and calm ſpeeches, Prov, 26, 11.