Obs. Observe, if we would not be afflicted of God, we should afflict ourselves for sin. Voluntary humiliations are always best and sweetest; they please God best, and they do us most good. God is most pleased then. Christ was ' wounded with one of the spouse's eyes,' Cant. iv. 9. The angels rejoice at the creatures' repentance, Luke XV. 7. Some say there shall be godly sorrow in heaven, because there will be memory and remembrance of sins in heaven, and because it is rather a perfection than an oppression of nature. But that is a strain beyond elah ; ^ there all ' tears are wiped from our eyes.' But, however, it is pleasing to heaven, to God, and angels ; and then these self-afflic tings do us most good. Voluntary mournings prevent enforced. ' Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted,' Mat. V. 4, that do it freely, and of their own accord. It is one of the attributes of God, ' he comforteth those that are cast down,' 2 Cor. vii. 6, You see it preventeth misery ; if not, it comforteth in misery. This mourning hath always a joy going along with it. Chrysostom observeth that the greatest mourner in Israel was the sweet singer in Israel. A Christian is never more truly joyful than after, yea, in godly sorrow. True conviction of sin is caused by ' the Comforter,' John xvi. 8. There is consolation mixed with it. Besides, it is of great profit to the soul. The rain maketh the ground flourish; and melted metals are fit to receive any stamp. ' By the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better,' Eccles. vii. 3. It is bitter physic, but it procureth health. Holy tears are the sponge of sin ; a hard heart must be soaked, and a filthy heart must be washed in this water. We are most considerate when most pensive. Besides all this, the issue and end of it is very sweet. God will ' revive the spirit of the humble, and restore comfort to the mourners,' Isa. Ivii. 15. Well, then, be afflicted ; it is a hard duty, but of great profit. Make your sorrow to draw water for the sanctuary ; affections, like the Gibeouites, must not be abolished, but kept for temple uses.
And mourn and lueep. — Why so many words to one purpose ? The whole verse and the next is of the same strain. I answer — (1.) It is a hard duty, and needeth much enforcement.
Obs. 1. Flesh and blood must be much urged to acts of sorrow. They
^ The highest uote in the old musical notation. — Ed.
374 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [Jas. IV. 9.
are painful to the body, and burdensome to the mind. Frothy spirits love their pleasure and ease : ' The fool's heart is in the house of mirth,' Eccles. vii. A loose, j^arish spirit doth not love to converse with mournful objects, or to be pressed to mourning duties. It showeth how instant and earnest we should bo in pressing such duties as these. Oh ! ' weep,' ' mourn,' ' be afflicted.' It is one of the fancies now in fashion, men would be altogether honeyed and oiled with grace; the wholesome severities of religion are distasted. Some that would be taken for Christians of the highest form are altogether prejudiced against such doctrines as this is, and think we are legal when we press humiliation. How may the poor ministers of tlie gospel go to God, and say as Moses did, Exod. vi. 12, ' The children of Israel have not hearkened unto me, how then shall I'haraoh hear me ? ' Lord, the professors will not brook such doctrine as this is, how shall we hope to prevail with the poor, blind, carnal world ? Certainly it is very sad that that which was wont to be a badge of profaneness men should now adopt it into their religion ; I mean, scoffing at doctrines of re- pentance and humiliation.
Ohs. 2. It is a necessary duty ; those that will be Christians must look to mourn. The Spirit descended in the form of a dove, to note both meekness and mourning. Christian affections will be tender. God's glory cannot be violated, but your heart will even bleed if it be right: Ps. cxix. 136, 'Rivers of tears run down mine eyes, because thy law is made void.' When sins are common, your souls will ' weep sore in secret places,' Jer. xiii. 17. If afflictions light on God's heritage, you will have a fellow-feeling, Eom. xii. 15. Nay, there will be not only occasions offered without, but within. Your own sins, your own wants. Your sins: Lam. v. 16, ' Woe is us, for we have .sinned.' Times shall come when you shall have occasion to mourn like the doves of the valleys. Oh ! woe the time that ever I sinned against God ! Your wants and needs : all gracious supplies are to be fetched out this way. The disciple is not above his Lord. ' By prayers, and tears, and strong cries,' &c., Heb. v. 7. His requests were uttered with deep sighs. Christ, that shed his blood, did also shed tears ; and if he were ' a man of sorrows,' certainly we must not be men and women of pleasures. Well, then, do not call mourning melancholy. The world dealeth perversely with the children of God ; they provoke their sorrow, and then upbraid them with it ; your sins and injuries give them occasion to mourn, and then you blemish the holy profession, as if it were mopishness and melancholy. Those tears that you see upon the eyes of God's children are either shed for their own sins or yours. If for yours, you should not ujjbraid them, but bear them company ; mourn with these doves of the valleys. If for their own, ' a stranger doth not intermeddle with their joys.' The sun shineth many times while it raineth : there may be joy in their hearts whilst there are tears in their eyes. Again, it serveth to press us to this duty : better be a ' mourner in Zion ' than a ' sinner in Zion.' The mourners were marked for ])reservation. Though it be a duty against the heart and hair, yet imitate those holy ones of God that ' watered their couches with tears,' Ps. vi. 6, that wished ' their heads to be fountains of water,' Jer. ix. 1. It is likely you will come short