But to come to the question more directly, we ought to think our estates not so good as they should be, if we cannot at one time or other weep for the sins and miseries of the church. If we can shed tears for outward things at one time or other, and cannot weep for spiritual, it is a bad sign ; for certainly, one time or other ordinarily God's children express their sorrow for their sins, and the estate of the church, by tears. They either
THE ATvT OF MOURNING. 71
have tears for spiritual respects, or else they mourn that they cannot mourn, grieve that they cannot grieve, and desire that they might mourn and tliat they could weep. They wish with Jeremiah that their head were a fountain of tears, they wish they might have their bodies to answer the intent of their soul, that so they might largely express outwardly their inward grief. As Jeremiah feared he should not have tears enough, therefore wished that his head were a fountain of tears, so they desire. Oh that I could mourn, and that I could weep !
Sol. 2. But what shall we say to those that can weep for other things ? Shall they be condemned for hypocrites ?
1. I answer. No; for a torrent may run faster for the present than a continual current ; so on the sudden there may be tears and grief for out- ward things, but yet grief for sin is more because of the continuance thereof. For sin is a continual cause of sorrow.' Whereas sorrow for outward things is but on a sudden, as it was in David when he cried, ' Oh my sou Absalom, my son Absalom ! ' 2 Sam. xviii. 33. What ado is here on the sudden for Absalom ! but yet he wept for his sins more, because that was a continual grief. So in a Christian, there may be some sudden passion, when he may seem to weep and grieve most for outward things, but yet his grief for sin and the misery of the church is more, because it is a continual grief.
2. Again, Spiritual grief comes from spiritual causes. Tears for sin, and for the church of God, do issue merely from spiritual grounds ; whereas in natural grief for outward things, we have both the Spirit and nature that make us grieve. Now when both these meet together, they cany the soul strongly, as in a stream. So that there must needs be more tears and grief for outward things. As when the windows of heavjen were opened from above, and the foundations below were broken up, there must needs follow a great flood. Gen. vii. 11 ; so when we have the Spirit from above, and our nature below, there must of necessity be a great grief for outward things. But yet in these cases, a little of spiritual soitow is better than a great deal of natural, for spiritual grief fats the soul. As the river Nile runs through Egypt, and fats the land, so this heavenly water of tears and grief fattens the soul, and makes it fit for all holy services. They are both good, but one less than the other. Natural grief is allowable, which if a man have not, he is in a reprobate sense ; for the apostle reckons this up as a great sin, that in the latter days men should be without natural affec- tion. So then we see, that for this reason also there may be a great store of grief and tears for outward things.
3. Again, Let them that grieve that they cannot more grieve, know and comfort themselves, that they have the Spirit of God within them, which is an everlasting spring that will in time overcome all carnal and worldly respects whatsoever, and make the heart in a fit temper of weeping and grieving for spiritual respects.
Use. Well, if this be thus, what shall we think of the jovial people of the world, who are so far from this sorrow, that — when a man shall come and ask them when they wept for their sins, when they did ever mourn and send up sighs to God for their swearing, lying, profanation of God's Sabbath, for the wrong they have done to others, or for any of their sins — the time was never yet wherein they ever shed a tear for sin, or had a sigh, groan, or mourning for sin ? In what estate are we born in ? All children of wrath, and heirs of damnation. But when got you out of this state ? You have ever lived in jollity. Therefore as yet you are as you were born, a child of wrath. Do ye think to reap, and never sow ? to
72 THE ART OF MOURNING.
reap in joy, ami never sow in tears ? God puts all his cliiklren's tears in a bottle ; but thou sparest God a labour, because thou never weepest. There are a company that engross all jollity and mirth, as if they had no cause to weep, whose language yet when any man hears, and observes their courses and living in gross sins, he may quickly judge that they of all others have most cause to weep, though there be none more free from mourning, and though they seem to be the only men of the world. But I say to such, go weep, howl, and lament for your sins ; for your peace is not yet made with God. Therefore never rest till thou hast got an assurance from heaven that thy sins are forgiven thee. Many people are ai:gry because ministers tell thum of this, but surely we must be damned if we do not.