(1.) First, I must, because God bids me, because the time calls for it. Therefore I must. Because my own need requires it, therefore I must weep. I find I am dead, and drowsy, and sluggish ; and carelessness and sleepiness will creep upon me except I stir up myself to mourn. And then, as I must, so
(2.) I maij. David, and Paul, and Jeremiah could weep upon spiritual occasions. So may we in case we will go to the same means, to the same God. Our nature is capable of godly sorrow. We see in them who was their Father, even God, who gave them a tender heart. He can give it us. You know the Spirit of God is a spirit of weeping. It is a Spirit of sup- plication. It will make us to look to him whom we have pierced, and to weep, &c., as it is Zech. xii. 10. Now Christ hath promised that he that asks for this Spirit shall have it.
■ Let us go to the Lord, and say. It is possible that we should have so fit and tender hearts to shed tears for our own sins and the sins of others, as David and others before us have done. It is possible for me so to do if I go to God and ask such a heart. God hath promised that he will give his Spirit if we call for it ; and therefore let us call and desire the Lord to smite our rocky hearts, as Moses smote the rock, that he would cause water to gush out of thee as he did out of the rock.
(3.) Thirdly, As we may, so let us resolve that tve tvill do it. Let us come to resolve. W^ell, I see the time calls for it ; I see my brethren and myself have need of it, I will do it, I will set upon it ; I will take a time
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■when I will cast up all my reckonings between God and myself; I will take a time to uuweep my former carnal sorrow ; I will take some time from my carnal laughter for this. Take the time now, defer it not ; now it is a fit time. You use to cast up your shops at this time of the year, then come and reckon how your estate stands, my brethren ; cast up your shop with God ; rifle your souls and see how matters stand betweeii God and you ; see whether you go backwards or forwards. Mourn there, anu bewail your sins that you have committed against God, and the sins of the time ; and one day spent in this manner between God and thy soul will do thee more good than all the feastings and merriments, and all the sports that you meet withal this time. That is for the second use.
Use 3. Now there followeth a third. Here is a word of comfort to those that mourn — comfort in regard of the whole church, and comfort in regard of the particular members of the church. For the whole church ; here is comfort for the people of God in affliction. It is the time of Jacob's trouble, saith Jeremiah, but he shall come out, Jer. xxx. 7. He hath a time of trouble, but he shall be delivered, he shall have a time of comfort ; he is weak, but then his Redeemer is strong. Jacob hath strong friends and strong means. All that is in heaven is for Jacob, for the church, I mean ; all the saints in earth pray, and these prayers are not in vain. There will come comfort out of them at the last. Fear not, then, 0 worm Jacob, saith the prophet, fear not ; though thou be as a v/orm, be not afraid, Isa. xli. 14.
Obj. Oh, but Jacob's grief is more than his fear.
Ans. Why should the people of God grieve ? Do they grieve because the enemies insult ? Let them answer the enemies in the words of the church: 'Rejoice not against me, 0 mine enemies: for though I be fallen, yet shall I rise again ; and while I sit in darkness, God shall be a light to me.' Do they grieve because they are in darkness, and are encompassed with many sorrows and distresses ? Hear what the Lord saith, Isa. Ix. 1, ' Arise, and shine ; put on glory ; I will cause light to shine in darkness.' And saith another place, ' 0 thou tossed and afflicted with tempest, I will make thee walls of carbuncles,' Isa. liv. 11. They were before of ordinary stone, now they shall be made of precious stones ; the Lord will make the conclusion of his children an happy conclusion. Mark the righteous, the end of his life is peace ; and so the end of every particular temptation, of every particular affliction, is peace. All shall end well with him. It shall be well on his side.
Here, then, is comfort for the church. The church of God is afflicted, but she shall be comforted. She is despised, but she shall be honourable and magnified, and her enemies shall lick the dust of her feet. The church of God is opposed and put hard to it. But her Redeemer is might}'-, and her hoofs are made of brass, and her feet of iron, to trample to dust and powder all the enemies that rise up against her. She is in the everlasting arms, as Moses speaks of the almighty God there, Deut. xxxiii. 27. She finds rest there ; she finds peace and comfort. In the greatest miseries, this is comfort for the church. The Lord will comfort her and her mourners too : Isa. Ivii. 18, ' He will comfort Sion and her mourners.' All Sion, the church of God, shall be comforted ; all the friends of the church that mourn in her mourning, and that take to heart her sorrows and desolation, they shall be comforted too. All that mourn with her shall be comforted. This is comfort for the church in general. Now, for every Christian, for every member in particular, here is comfort.