He now prescribeth them another remedy against their carnal
affections and practices; it is proposed with the more earnestness, because of
the calamity then ready to fall upon the people and nation of the Jews.
Be
afflicted, talaipoosate. - What is the meaning? Must we draw affliction and
unnecessary troubles upon ourselves? I answer - (1.) It must be understood of
some commendable afflicting ourselves; and therefore must either imply that our
corporal afflictions and distresses ought to be borne patiently. 'Be
afflicted;' that is, if God bring it upon you, bear it, be content to be
afflicted; it is our duty to be what God would have us to be; let your will be
done when the Lord's is. Or else, (2.) Know your misery, be sensible of it; it
is some happiness to know our misery. Man, in a proud obstinacy, choketh his
grief and stifleth conviction. Or else (3.) It noteth compassion and
fellow-feeling of others' sorrows. A member is sensible of pain as long as it
holdeth the body: Heb. xiii. 3, 'As being in the body,' &c. A pinch or
wound in the arm discomposeth the whole body; members will have a care of one
another. Or else, (4.) And so most properly to the context, humbling and
afflicting the soul for sin; sorrow seemeth to be made for that purpose and
use.
Obs. Observe, if we would not be afflicted of God, we should afflict
ourselves for sin. Voluntary humiliations are always best and sweetest; they
please God best, and they do us most good. God is most pleased then. Christ was
'wounded with one of the spouse's eyes,' Cant. iv. 9. The angels rejoice at the
creatures' repentance, Luke xv. 7. Some say there shall be godly sorrow in
heaven, because there will be memory and remembrance of sins in heaven, and
because it is rather a perfection than an oppression of nature. But that is a
strain beyond elah (Note: highest note in the old musical notation. Ed.); there
all 'tears are wiped from our eyes.' But, however, it is pleasing to heaven, to
God, and angels; and then these self-afflictings do us most good. Voluntary
mournings prevent enforced. 'Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be
comforted.' Mat. v. 4, that do it freely, and of their own accord. It is one of
the attributes of God, 'he comforteth those that are cast down.' 2 Cor. vii. 6.
You see it preventeth misery; if not, it comforteth in misery. This mourning
hath always a joy going along with it. Chrysostom observeth that the greatest
mourner in Israel was the sweet singer in Israel. A Christian is never more
truly joyful than after, yea, in godly sorrow. True conviction of sin is caused
by 'the Comforter.' John xvi. 8. There is consolation mixed with it. Besides,
it is of great profit to the soul. The rain maketh the ground flourish; and
melted metals are fit to receive any stamp. 'By the sadness of the countenance
the heart is made better.' Eccles. vii. 3. It is bitter physic, but it
procureth health. Holy tears are the sponge of sin; a hard heart must be
soaked, and a filthy heart must be washed in this water. We are most
considerate when most pensive. Besides all this, the issue and end of it is
very sweet. God will 'revive the spirit of the humble, and restore comfort to
the mourners.' Isa. lvii. 15. Well, then, be afflicted; it is a hard duty, but
of great profit. Make your sorrow to draw water for the sanctuary; affections,
like the Gibeonites, must not be abolished, but kept for temple uses.
And mourn and weep.-Why so many words to one purpose? The whole verse and the
next is of the same strain. I answer - (1.) It is a hard duty, and needeth much
enforcement.
Obs. 1. Flesh and blood must be much urged to acts of sorrow.
They are painful to the body, and burdensome to the mind. Frothy spirits love
their pleasure and ease: 'The fool's heart is in the house of mirth.' Eccles.
Vii. A loose, garish spirit doth not love to converse with mournful objects, or
to be pressed to mourning duties. It showeth how instant and earnest we should
be in pressing such duties as these. Oh! 'weep,' 'mourn,' 'be afflicted.' It is
one of the fancies now in fashion, men would be altogether honeyed and oiled
with grace; the wholesome severities of religion are distasted. Some that would
be taken for Christians of the highest form are altogether prejudiced against
such doctrines as this is, and think we are legal when we press humiliation.
How may the poor ministers of the gospel go to God, and say as Moses did, Exod.
vi. 12, 'The children of Israel have not hearkened unto me, how then shall
Pharaoh hear me?' Lord, the professors will not brook such doctrine as this is,
how shall we hope to prevail with the poor, blind, carnal world? Certainly it
is very sad that that which was wont to be a badge of profaneness men should
now adopt it into their religion; I mean, scoffing at doctrines of repentance
and humiliation.
Obs. 2. It is a necessary duty; those that will be
Christians must look to mourn. The Spirit descended in the form of a dove, to
note both meekness and mourning. Christian affections will be tender. God's
glory cannot be violated, but your heart will even bleed if it be right: Ps.
cxix. 136, 'Rivers of tears run down mine eyes, because thy law is made void.'
When sins are common, your souls will 'weep sore in secret places,' Jer. xiii.
17. If afflictions light on God's heritage, you will have a fellow-feeling,
Rom. xii. 15. Nay, there will be not only occasions offered without, but
within. Your own sins, your own wants. Your sins: Lam. v. 16, 'Woe is us, for
we have sinned.' Times shall come when you shall have occasion to mourn like
the doves of the valleys. Oh! woe the time that ever I sinned against God! Your
wants and needs: all gracious supplies are to be fetched out this way. The
disciple is not above his Lord. 'By prayers, and tears, and strong cries,'
&c., Heb. v. 7. His requests were uttered with deep sighs. Christ, that
shed his blood, did also shed tears; and if he were 'a man of sorrows,'
certainly we must not be men and women of pleasures. Well, then, do not call
mourning melancholy. The world dealeth perversely with the children of God;
they provoke their sorrow, and then upbraid them with it; your sins and
injuries give them occasion to mourn, and then you blemish the holy profession,
as if it were mopishness and melancholy. Those tears that you see upon the eyes
of God's children are either shed for their own sins or yours. If for yours,
you should not upbraid them, but bear them company; mourn with these doves of
the valleys. If for their own, 'a stranger doth not intermeddle with their
joys.' The sun shineth many times while it raineth: there may be joy in their
hearts whilst there are tears in their eyes. Again, it serveth to press us to
this duty: better be a 'mourner in Zion' than a 'sinner in Zion.' The mourners
were marked for preservation. Though it be a duty against the heart and hair,
yet imitate those holy ones of God that 'watered their couches with tears,' Ps.
vi. 6, that wished 'their heads to be fountains of water,' Jer. ix. 1. It is
likely you will come short of them, but high aims and attempts in duty will do
you no hurt. He that shooteth at the sun, though he come far short, will shoot
higher than he that aimeth at a shrub; it is best to eye the highest and
worthiest examples. Again, it showeth how little of a Christian is found in
them that are strangers to godly sorrow, that bathe and steep their souls in
fleshly delights. Christ was 'a man of sorrows,' and the Spirit is a 'mourning
dove.' I confess some Christians are of a sadder temper than others; the Spirit
acteth with difference and variety; in some more mournfully, in others more
raisedly. Some men's lives are spent in the silence of meditation, others in
the heat of service, in doing and suffering for God. The one makes use of
Christ's love, like holy Niobes, to dissolve and melt away their souls in
tears; the other to quicken themselves to action and more resolution for God.
But certainly every Christian is of tender bowels, and they will find frequent
occasions of mourning; and unless we be well humbled, we can hardly do well or
suffer well.
Obs. 3. The next reason of this multiplication of words is to
show that we must continue and persevere in it. We would soon turn over our
hard lesson, and love not to dwell upon sad thoughts; therefore the apostle
returneth the duty again and again to our care: 'Be afflicted,' and then
'mourn,' and then 'weep.' Sorrow doth not work till it be deep and constant,
and the arrows stick fast in the soul. David saith, 'My sin is ever before me,'
Ps. li. 3. We must be held to it; slight sorrows are soon cured. Mourning is a
holy exercise, by which the soul is every day more and more weaned from sin,
and drawn out to reach after God. Well, then, it checketh those that content
themselves with a hasty sigh, and a little blowing upon the matter: judge you,
is this being afflicted and mourning and weeping? Check such a vain heart as
would presently run out into the house of mirth again. But you will say, Would
you have us turn Heraclites, to be always weeping? I answer - (1.) True it is
that sorrow befitteth this life rather than joy. Now we are 'absent from the
Lord,' under the burden of a 'vile body' and vicious affections; it is our
pilgrimage; we have only a few 'songs,' God's statutes, Ps. cxix. 54. The
communion that we have with God in ordinances is but little. Grace is mixed
with sin, faith with doubts, knowledge with ignorance, and peace with troubles.
Now 'we groan,' Rom. viii. 23. We are waiting and groaning for a full and final
deliverance. We are as they that 'pass through the valley of Baca,' Ps. lxxxiv.
6; the Septuagint read dakruoon, tears. (2.) There are some special seasons and
occasions of mourning, as chiefly in the time of God's absence: 'When the
bridegroom is gone, then shall they mourn,' Mat ix. 15; when we have lost the
comforts and refreshings of God's presence, or the quickenings of his Spirit.
The absence of the sun maketh the earth languish; when you have lost the shine
of his countenance, you should cry after him. So in times of great guilt,
public or personal: 'Deep calleth on deep, and floods to floods;' the deluge of
sins upon the flood of holy tears. So in times of great distempers, and the
growing of carnal lusts. The persons to whom the apostle speaketh were envious,
proud, covetous, ambitious, and he biddeth them 'weep and mourn,' &c. Salt
water and bitter potions kill the worms; so doth bitter weeping fleshly lusts:
the exercises of repentance are the best means for the mortifying of carnal
desires. So in times when judgments are threatened. Thunder usually causeth
rain; and threatenings should draw tears from us. So in times of calamity, when
judgments are actually inflicted: Isa. xxii. 12, 'Then the Lord called to
sackcloth, and baldness, and ashes.' So also in times of great mercies, it is a
fit season to remember our unkindness; the warm sun melts: she wept much,
because she was pardoned much, Luke vii. 38, with 47. When Christ had washed
her soul with his blood, she washed his feet with her tears.
Let your
laughter be turned into mourning. - He meaneth their carnal rejoicing in their
outward comforts and possessions, they being gotten by rapine and violence, as
in the context. Observe hence: -
Obs. 1. That it is a good exchange to put
away carnal joy for godly sorrow; for then we put away a sin for a duty, brass
for gold; yea, we have that in the duty which we expected in the sin, and in a
more pure, full, and sweet way. God will give us that in sorrow which the world
cannot find in pleasure; serenity, and contentment of mind. When the world
repenteth of their joy, you will never repent of your sorrow, 2 Cor. vii. 10.
Solomon saith, Prov. xiv. 13, 'The end of that mirth is heaviness.' Worldly
comforts in the issue and close grow burdensome; but who ever was the sadder
for the hours of repentance? Job 'cursed the day of his birth,' but who ever
cursed the day of his new birth? In this exchange of laughter for sorrow, you
give that which is good for nothing for that which is useful to your souls.
Eccles. ii. 2, 3, 'I have said of laughter, thou art mad;' that is, it bringeth
forth no solid comfort or profit. When we turn our laughter into mourning, God
will turn our mourning into laughter: John xvi. 20, 'Ye shall be sorrowful, but
your sorrow shall be turned into joy.' Out of these salt waters God breweth the
wine of spiritual consolation. It is the curse of wicked men that their joy
will be 'bitterness in the issue:' their wine proveth at length to be like 'the
gall of asps;' a cup of deadly drink to their conscience. Well, then, be not
prejudiced against godly sorrow. Planctus lugentium are better then plausus
theatrorum, the saddest duties are sweeter then the greatest triumphs, and the
worst and most afflicted part of godliness is better than all the joys and
comforts of the world. It is better to have your good things to come, than
here: Luke xvi. 21, he lived in jollity, but his good days were past. Do not
measure things by the present sweetness, but by the future profit; that which
droppeth honey may prove wormwood. See Luke vi. 25, 'Woe unto you that laugh
now, for you shall weep,' &c.
Obs. 2. That an excellent way to moderate
the excess of joy is to mix it with some weeping. He speaketh to men drunk with
their present happiness, and his drift is to awaken them out of their senseless
stupor. The way to abate one passion is to admit the contrary: in abundance
there is danger; therefore in your jollity think of some mournful objects.
Nazianzen reporteth of himself that this was his practice, when his mind was
likely to be corrupted with happiness, tois threnois suggignomai, &c., to
read the Lamentations of Jeremiah, and to inure his soul to the consideration
of matters sad and mournful. It was God's own physic to Belshazzar, in the
midst of his cups to bring him to think of his ruin by a handwriting upon the
wall. Well, then, when your mountain standeth strong, think of changes; evils
come upon us unawares when we give up our hearts to joy. The secure carnalist
would not so much as suppose a possibility of his death that night, Luke xii.
19. Better it was with Job, chap. iii. 25, 'The evil which I greatly feared is
come upon me.' The cockatrice killeth us not if we see it first.
And
your joy to heaviness. - In all the context he noteth them as carnal, and as
glorying in oppressing one another; such a joy and laughter is intended by
which secure sinners please themselves in their present success, putting off
all thoughts of imminent judgments.
Obs. That prosperous oppression is
rather matter of sorrow than joy to us. You laugh now, but God will laugh
hereafter when your calamities and fears come, Prov. i. 20, Ps. xxxvii. 12, 13.
Wicked men and carnal oppressors have never so much cause to be humbled as when
they are prosperous; it is but a sure pledge of their speedy ruin. Now you
despise others, scoff at the servants and ways of God; you puff, and the
children of God sigh; see Ps. xii. 5. Oh! how will you hang the head when the
scene is changed, and you are become objects of public scorn and contempt, and
the children of God in a holy admiration shall say, as those in the prophet,
'Where is the rage of the oppressor now?' Isa. li. 13. Oh! that men would
awaken conscience, and say, I am a-laughing and triumphing; have I not more
cause to howl and mourn? &c.
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