The Head of the church, our blessed Saviour, and all his gracious apos- tles, what a Ufe did they live ! The glorious martyrs that sealed the truth with their blood ! And therefore, as the apostle saith, ' If om* happiness were here only, we were of all men most miserable,' 1 Cor. xv. 19. If we judge by sight, we shall condemn the generation of the righteous. We live by sight, when we see any cast down with sight of sin, sense of temptation, distress of conscience, [and] we think him forlorn. Oh, take heed of that ! For those that shed tears here, God will wipe them all away. ' Woe to them that laugh now, for they shall mourn hereafter,' Luke vi. 25. Though we weep here, yet matter of joy enough shall spring up hereafter. ' Afflic- tions will yield a quiet fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby,' Heb. xii. 11. We may not see their ft-uits presently, but after- wards. And therefore be not discouraged for amiihing we can suffer here, or for the church, if we see her under pressure. As darkness is sown for the wicked, the foundation of their eternal torment is laid in their joy ; so the ground and foundation of all a godly man's joy is laid in tears. ' Blessed are they that momni, for they shall be comforted,' Mat. v. 4. Yet for the present there is more matter of joy than grief, if we look with both eyes ; as we ought to have double eyes, one to be sensible of our grief, as we must be, the other of our comfort, that we may not be surprised with gi-ief. There
484 THE MARRIAGE FEAST [SeRMON V,
is a sorrow to death, an overmuch sorrow. It is unthankfulness to God to forget our comforts, as it is stupidity to forget our sorrow. Take us at the worst, have not we more cause of joy than sorrow ? Mark Rom. v. 1, seq.: ' Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, and rejoice under hope of glory.' Nay, afterwards, saith he, ' we rejoice in tribulations.' And why ? upon what ground ? ' Knowing that tribulations bring experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed.' Now we rejoice in God reconciled in Christ. So that as we ought to look with one eye upon the gi'ief, that we may have ground to exercise grace, which we are not capable of without sensibleness, so we must look to grounds of joy. Our life is woven of matter of sorrow and joy ; and as it is woven of both, affec- tions should be sensible of both, that they may be more apprehensive of the grounds of comforts.
When the day of persecution approacheth, this will make us comfortable, for our life is a valley of tears ; and shall not we go through this valley of tears, to this mount where all tears shall be wiped away from all eyes ? When we be dejected with the loss of any friend, they say as Christ said to the women, ' Weep not for me,' Luke xxiii. 28. They be happy, ' and all tears are wiped away from their eyes.' And therefore as it is matter of comfort while we live, so ground of comfort when we die. For there is occasion of sorrow in death, parting with friends and comforts of this world. Then tears are shed in more abundance, and then we bethink ourselves of former sins, and there is renewing of repentance more than at other times ; yet then are we near the time of joy, and nearest the accomplishment of the promise that ' all tears shall be wiped away.'
And so you have the whole state of a Christian life, an afflicted condi- tion. Aye, but it is a comfortable condition. The more afflictions here, the more comfort here, but specially hereafter. The life of a carnal man is all in misery. If he falls to joy, he is all joy ; if to sorrow, he is all sorrow. He hath nething to support him. He is like a Nabal, he sinketh like a piece of lead to the bottom of the sea, 1 Sam. xxv. 37, 88; like Ahithophel, down he goeth, 2 Sam. xvii. 23. When he is upon the merry pin, he is nothing but joy. But a Christian's state and disposition are both mixed. He hath ground of sorrow for his own sins, and for the sins and miseries of the times. So he hath matter of comfort for the present, in the favour of God, in the pardoning of sins, in the presence of God, in delivering him from trouble. He hath special ground of joy in hope of glory in time to come. Therefore, as we have a mixed state, labour for a mixed disposition, and labour to be in a joyful frame, so to grieve, as out of it to raise matter of joy. And when we would joy, grieve before, for joy is sown in grief. The best method of joy is for to take away all that disturbeth our joy. Search the bottom of the heart ! see what sin is unconfessed, unrepented of! Spread it before God, desire God to pardon it, to seal the pardon ! When our souls are searched to the bottom, then out of that sorrow springeth joy ; and out of these sighs and groans that cannot be expressed, cometh joy unspeakable and fall of glory. If a man will be joyful, let him labour to weep first, that the matter that internipteth his joy may be taken away. Those that wiU be joyful, and not search to the bottom, must needs with shame be brought back to sorrow. When we will joy to purpose, let us judge ourselves, that we may not be judged of the Lord ; mourn for our sins, and then lay hold upon the promise, that ' all they that mourn for sin shall be comforted,' Mat. v. 4. And blessed are they that shed tears here, for all tears shall be wiped away.