3. A third reason may be drawn from the cause of our spiritual mourning and spiritual joy ; for these are fruits that grow both from the same root. Spiritual joy and spiritual mourning, they come from the same fountain, from the same Spirit. The same Spirit it causeth us to weep over him whom we have pierced, and it causeth us also to rejoice in the Lord whom we have pierced : ' The fruit of the Spirit is joy,' saith the apostle, Gal. V. 22, The same Spirit manageth and guideth both the one and the other. Carnal passions and affections they oppose one another, they fight one with another, because they are carried on headlong, without any guide or order at all. But spiritual affections they are subordinate and subservient one to another ; the one labours to further and to advance another. Thus the more a man joys, the more he grieves ; and the more he grieves, the more he joys. Joy melts the heart, and gives it a kindly thaw ; grief, on the other side, it easeth the heart, and makes it cheerful and lightsome.
4. Lastly, a reason may be drawn from the effects of (jodhj mourning. If they be considered, it will be cleared, that he that mourns spiritually shall end in comfort at the last ; for this spiritual mourning, what will it do ? First, it takes off the power and strength of corruption. It weakens sin, it pricks the bladder of pride, and lets out our corruption. Spiritual mourning it takes down a man, it humbles him ; and an humble heart is always a cheerful heart, so far as it is humbled. Spiritual mom'ning, again, makes way for prayer. For spiritual mourning sends a man to God. It
SPIRITUAIi MOtJENING. 285
causeth him to utter himself in petition, in confession, and complaints to his Father ; to pour out himself to the bosom of his God in speeches, in sighs, and tears, in lamenting one way or other. All this tends to comfort. The more a man prays, the more he hath comfort. ' Pray,' saith Christ, ' that your joy may be full,' John xvi. 24. If a man will have fulness of joy, he must be frequent in prayer. Now, the more a man mourns spiritually, the more he prays ; and therefore the more he is filled with true joy. Again, this spiritual mourning, it is a wondrous help of faith. It is an hopeful mourning ; it helps a man's faith in the promises touching remission of sins. He weeps for it ; he sues out his pardon in Christ's name. It helps his faith in the promises of our Saviour : ' Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.' If they ' sow in tears, they shall reap in joy,' &c. Now, the more a man's faith and hope is furthei'ed, the more his joy is furthered. Still, the apostle speaks that they should rejoice in believing. The more a man beHeves and reposeth himself upon the promises, the precious promises of the word, the more his heart is joyed and comforted still. Now, the more he mourns, the more reason he hath to believe that that furthers his faith ; and therefore it advanceth his joy and comfort.
Let us look, then, upon the reasons that hath been given, and the case is clear enough. Whosoever he be that mourns in an holy manner, that man shall certainly, first or last, be comforted. This mourning tends to comfort. It is made to draw it on. His joy will overtop his sorrow, and overcome all at last. Joy and mourning go together. They are branches of the same root, and therefore the more we do the one, "the more we have the other. This godly mourning it makes way for prayer, it makes way for faith ; and therefore it makes way for comfort and consolation. This point then being thus cleared, let us a little make some use of it to ourselves. The use is threefold.
Use 1. First, Here is one use of information touching others. Since those men are certain to have comfort in the end that mourn holily, here we may learn to determine now that grand question that hath been so long controverted, namely, who is the happiest man in the world ? And for the deciding of this question, we must not go with it to Solon, to Plato, or to the philosophers, but come to a judge, the Lord Jesus. And what saith he to'the point ? Blessed and happy, saith he, are they that mourn. His reason is, * for they shall be comforted.' So that here, then, is the trial of a man's state that is blessed. The signs of a blessed estate are these two in this verse. The first is, if so be he mourn well ; the second, if he speed well for his comfort. So that that man, then, that hath the best sorrow and the best joy, that man then is the happiest man. Now the Christian man is this man. He hath the advantage of all other men, in his joy and in his sorrow ; and therefore he is the only happy man in this world. First, for his joy, happy is he, saith Christ, ' he shall be comforted' with those comforts that a man cannot buy too dear, though he shed many tears for them, though he spend many nights in sighing and mourn- ing and lamenting. Though it cost him much he cannot over-rate it, he cannot over-prize it. This comfort cannot be bought at too high a rate. Now what is this comfort ? What is the Christian's joy better than another man's joy ? In many respects,