The proud philosopher thought it was not philosophical to weep, a proud stoical humour,! but Christians desire it.
And therefore we ought to labour to be more sensible, that we might make our peace, and reverence the justice of God, and be more sensible of
* That is, ' draw pity from any man.' — G. t That is, ' inseusihle.' — G. X One of the commonplaces of Stoicism. — G.
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him afterwards. It is most true, that Sapiens miser, plus miser ; the more wise any man is, the more sensible of misery. And therefore of all men, the best men have most grief, because they have most quick senses. They be not stupified with insensibility and resoluteness, to bear it bravely, as the world ; but they apprehend with gi'ief, the cause of grief And as they have a more sanctified judgment than other men, so they have a more wise aiiection of love, and a quicker life of grace. Where life is, there is sense ; and where there is a clear sight or cause of grief, there is most grief. Therefore the best men have most giief, because they be most judicious, most loving.
Then they have most grace to bear it out of all others. Therefore, con- sidering there is cause in ourselves and in others of grief continually, we ought to labom- to be sensible of it, else it were no favour to have tears wiped away.
So that there is cause of tears, and tears is a duty of Christians, sensible of the cause both of sin and misery upon one and another.
Use 2. And as it is an unavoidable gi'ief, so it is good ive should giieve. We must stoop to God's course, we must bring our hearts to it, and pray (that since our necessities and sins do call for this dispensation, that we must under coiTection, he will make us sensible of his rod), that he would make good his covenant of grace, ' to take away our stony hearts, and give us hearts of flesh,' Ezek. xi. 19, that we may be sensible.
Most of gi'aces are founded upon affection, and all gi-aces are but affections sanctified. What would become of grace, if we had not aftections ? Therefore, as there is cause of grief, and tears from grief, we ought to grieve. It is a condition, and a duty : a condition following misery, and a duty following our condition.
Take heed of that which hinders sensibleness of troubles and judgment, that is, hardness of heart, forgetfulness, studying to put away sorrow with sin. For we ought to be sensible, and ought to labour to be sensible, to know the meaning of every cross in ourselves and others.
But suppose we have crosses, and we must be sensible of them, then it folio weth, ' God will wipe away all tears from our eyes.' Is there nothing for the present, no ground of comfort ? Yes. As we ought to be sensible of grief, so we ought to be sensible of matter of joy for the present, specially if we consider the time to come. The life of a Christian is a strange kind of life. He ought to grieve, and he ought to joy. He hath occasion of both, and he ought to entertain both ; for that that we ought to aim at specially is joy, and if we grieve, it is that afterwards we might joy. We must be sensible of any atHiction, that we might joy afterwards, and we ought to labour for it. For is not the joy of the Lord our strength ? Are not we fit to do service, when our spirits are most enlai'ged ? And is it not a credit to religion, when we walk in comfort of the Holy Ghost ? Is it not a scandal, when we droop under the cross ? We ought to be sensible, yet not so as to forget matter of joy and comfort. And therefore, as we ought to" grieve, so we ought, when we have grieved, to keep up the soul with consideration of joy for the present as much as we can, yea, to pick out matter of comfort from the veiy cross. That is the heart of a Chris- tian, not only to joy in other matters, but to pick comfort out of grief. God suffers me to foil into this or that condition. It is a fruit of his fatherly love. He might suffer me to run the broad way, to be given up to a reprobate sense and hard heart, but he doth not do so. Pick out matter of comfort from grief.
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482 THE MARRIAGE FEAST [SeRMON V.
Then consider the presence of God in it. Indeed, I have matter of grief, but I find God moderating it. It might be far worse, it is his mercy I am not consumed ; I find God by it doing me good, I find myself better by it, I cannot well be without it. Who would not labour to be sensible of a cross, when he looketh up to God's cross, and justice, and mercy? He hath rather cause to joy, than to grieve in the very cross itself.
But specially mark what the Holy Ghost saith here. We ought not to be cast down overmuch with any cross, considering God ' wiU wipe away all tears from our eyes,' that is, all natural tears, and the miseries of this life. There shall be no more misery, no more sickness, no more trouble.