Philosophers and physicians generally reckon sorrow among the chief causes of shortening life. Christ was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and this some think was the reason that he appeared as a man of fifty, when he was little more than thirty years old, John viii. 57. But his sorrows were of another kind -f.
* Worldly sorrow is after the manner of the world, arising from the love of it. Estius on the place. f These things write I unto you, who have wept so immodersitcly, that I am be-
620 . A TOKEN FOR MOURNERS.
Many a man's soul is to his body, as a sharp knife to a thin sheath, which easily cuts it through ; and what do we by poring and pon- dering upon our troubles, but whet the knife that it may cut the deeper and quicker ? Of all the creatures that ever God made (devils only excepted) man is the most able and apt to be his own tormentor.
How unmercifully do we load our bodies in times of afflictions ? How do we not only waste their strength by sorrow, but deny relief and necessary refreshment ? H'hey must carry the load, but be allow- ed no refreshment : If they can eat the bread of affliction, and drink tears, they may feed to the full ; but no pleasant bread, no quiet sleep is permitted them. Surely you would not burden a beast as you do your own bodies : You would pity and relieve a brute beast, groaning and sinking under an heavy burden, but you will not pity nor relieve your own bodies.
Some men's souls have given such deep wounds to their bodies, that they are never like to enjoy many easy or comfortable days more whilst they dwell in them.
Now, this is very sinful and displeasing to God ; for if he have such a tender care for our bodies, that he would not have us swal- lowed up of over much grief, no, though it be for sin, 2 Cor. ii. 7. but even to that sorrow sets bounds ; how much less with outward sorrow for temporal loss ? May not your stock of natural strength be employed to better purposes, think you, than these.'' Time may. come, that you may earnestly wish you had that health and strength again to spend for God, which you now so lavishly waste, and pro- digally cast away upon your troubles, to no purpose or advantage.
It w^as therefore an high point of wisdom in David, and recorded no doubt for our imitation, who, when the child was dead ceased to mourn, arose, washed himself, and eat bread, 2 Sam. xii. 20.
Fifthly^ when affliction sours the spirit with discontent, and makes it inwardly grudge against the hand of God, then our trouble is full of sin, and we ought to be humbled for it before the Lord.
Whatever God doth with us, or ours, still we should maintain good thoughts of him. A gracious heart cleaves nearer and nearer to God in affliction, and can justify God in his severe strokes, ac- knowledging them to be all just and holy, Psal. cxix. 75. " I know " also that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness " hast afflicted me." And hereby the soul may comforiably evi- dence to itself its own uprightness and sincere love to God ; yea, it hath been of singular use to some souls, to take right measures of their love to God in such trials : to have lovely and well-pleased thoughts of God, even when he smites us in our nearest and dear-
come an example (which I always abhorred) of those whom grief hath overcome. Yet tills unreasonable conjluct I now condemn myself for. Senect
A TOKEN FOR MOUJfeNERS. 62l
gst comforts, argues plainly that we love him for himself, and not for his gifts only. And thus his interest in the heart is deeper than any creature-interest is. And such is the comfort that hath resulted to some from such discoveries of their own hearts by close smarting afflictions, that they would not part with it, to have their comforts (whose removal occasioned them) given back in lieu of it.
But to swell with secret discontent, and have hard thoughts of God, as if he had done us wrong, or dealt more severely with us than any ; O this is a vile temper, cursed fruit springing from an evil root ; a very carnal, ignorant, proud heart ; or at least from a very distem- pered, if renewed, heart. So it was with Jonah when God smote his gourd : " Yea, (saith he) I do well to be angry even unto death,"" Jonah iv. 9- Poor man ! he was highly distempered at this time, and out of frame ; this was not his true temper, or ordinary frame, but a surprize ; the effect of a paroxism of t&mptation, in which his passions had been over-heated.
Few dare to vent it in such language : But how many have their hearts imbittered by discontent, and secret risings against the Lord ? Which, if ever the Lord open their eyes to see, will cost them more trouble than ever that affliction did, which gave the occasion of it.
I deny not but the best heart may be tempted to think and speak frowardly concerning these works of the Lord ; that envious adver- sary, the devil, will blow the coals, and labour to blow up our spirits at such times into high discontents: The temptation was strong even upon David himself, to take up hard thoughts of God, and to con- clude, " Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain ;" q. d. How lit- tle privilege from the worst of evils hath a man by his godliness ? But he soon suppressed such motions: **If I should say thus, I should " offend against the generation of thy children :'" Meaning, that he should condemn the whole race of godly men through the whole world ; for who is there among them all, but is, or hath been, or may be, afflicted as severely as myself ?
" Surely, it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastise- " ment, I will not offend any more," Job xxxiv. 31. Whatever God doth with you, speak well, and think well of him, and his works.
Sixthly, Our sorrows exceed due hounds when we continually ex^ cite and provoke them hy willing irritations.
Grief, like a lion, loves to play with us before it destroy us. And strange it is that we should find some kind of pleasure in rousing our sorrows. It is * Seneca's observation, and experimentally true, that even sorrow itself hath a certain kind of deligfht attendinf^ it.
The Jews, that were with Mary in the house to comfort her,
* Sorrow itself has a certain kind of pleasure attending it ; when the parents call to mind the pleasant sayings, the cheerful conversation, and the filial affcctiou of their children, then their eyes are refreshed as it were with a kind of joy.
622 A TOKEN FOR AlOURNERS.
" When they saw that she went out hastily, followed her, saying, " she goeth to the grave to weep there,'' John xi. 32. as they do, saith* Calvin, * that seek to provoke their troubles, by going to the * grave, or often looking upon the dead body.'