Sermon X - An Exhortation to Mourners for Sin - Matthew 5:4
And finally, do not permit yourself to find joy or comfort in anything in this world until you experience a broken heart for your sin. If your heart does not yield in mourning for sin, then it shall not rejoice. Do not allow it to indulge in vain mirth and joy until it breaks. Although you may have previously taken pleasure in certain company and in the use of worldly delights, it is true that it is lawful for a person to find comfort. However, is it suitable for someone like me, who can never mourn for my sin? No, let this be charged upon my heart: first, strive to be affected by sin and mourn for sin. Then, I hope I will find more comfort in both God and His creation than before.
Lastly, take great care not to sin after mourning. If you desire to possess a mournful heart as described in my text, guard against sinning. When God begins to wound your heart for your sin, above all times, you need to be vigilant and cautious. Do not permit yourself to willfully sin again after mourning.
SERMON X OR An Exhortation to Mourners for Sin "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." -
MATTHEW 5:4
I have just a word or two of further exhortation regarding the topic of mourning for sin.
It is an exhortation even for those who have already mourned for sin to continue in their mourning, to make it an ongoing practice. I mentioned earlier that the assurance of the pardon of sin does not hinder mourning for it; rather, it should promote it, as was the case with David. Therefore, you who are the people of God, God expects you to mourn for sin. You understand how sin is a violation of God's holiness and His blessed will more than others. You are aware of the price paid for the purchase of its pardon. Therefore, mourn, for your sins grieve the Spirit of God more than others. While the sins of other men may provoke God's Spirit, your sins grieve God's Spirit.
Your sins do more harm than others, so mourn. You comprehend the immense damage sin causes in the world. It burdens the entire creation, and should you not be aware of the evil that remains in your hearts? You know that sin is a greater evil than any affliction.
Therefore, carry the weight of sin with a heavy heart for as long as you live. God does not have much time left to glorify Himself in your sorrow. It will not be long before you are delivered from your sin.
However, as long as you have this body of sin, God expects you to mourn. God expects you not only to mourn for your own sin but also to mourn for the sins of others. Blessed are those who do so, for they shall be comforted.
Firstly, we are to mourn for the sins of others. We have remarkable Scripture to support this. In Ezra 9:3, we witness the lamentable state Ezra was in due to the sins of his people. He tore his garments and sat down astonished because of their sins. David, in Psalm
119:53, expressed horror gripping him when he observed the wicked forsaking God's law. His heart was struck with horror at the wickedness of men abandoning God's law. In verses 136 and 158, he says, "Rivers of water run down my eyes because they keep not thy law" and "I beheld the transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy word." David's spirit was in a blessed state when he
penned this Psalm, and we see how affected he was by the sins of others. In the famous passage in Ezekiel 9, we find that God takes note of those who mourn for the sins of the places where they live. If we turn to the New Testament, we find numerous examples. The apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12, expresses his intention to mourn and bewail those who have sinned when he visits them. In 2 Peter
2:7, it is said of righteous Lot that "his soul was vexed," and in verse 8, it is stated that "he vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds." The Greek word used in these passages indicates oppression, as much as a burden that oppresses the soul.
The sins of others were burdensome to Lot's soul, causing him distress. That is the meaning of the word. We find the same word in Acts 7:24, where it speaks of Moses helping the man who was oppressed. The word used there is "καταπονουμένῳ," the same as used for Lot's vexed soul. Lot's soul was troubled by the wickedness he witnessed, feeling oppressed by it, just as sickness weakens a person. That is the meaning of the first word in verse 7. Then, the second word in verse 8, "vext," is better translated as "cruciate" in the original. It signifies tormenting a person on a rack. It is as if the Holy Spirit is saying that the wickedness of those among whom Lot lived put his gracious soul on the rack. He experienced the torment of a person on a rack due to the sins of those around him. As for you, the wicked and ungodly, do not assume that you will only suffer for your own sins. You will suffer because of the anguish you cause the godly. Do not believe that your sins do not concern them at all. They indeed wrong them. Suppose you saw a man striking your father in the street, and you approached him to ask why he did it, and he responded, "What's that to you? I did not strike you." But he struck your father. Likewise, when you sin, you dishonor their God, their
Father. This is a form of crucifixion to them.
The reasons, therefore, why we must mourn for the sins of others as well as our own are as follows. Firstly, it is because the blessed God is greatly dishonoured. Oh, how it must pierce the heart of a godly person to witness the dishonouring of God, whom their soul loves.
God, who is infinitely blessed, glorious, and worthy of all honour from all creatures, is dishonoured by lowly and wretched worms.
There is a story of Cræsus' son who was mute all his life until he saw a soldier attempting to kill his father. The affection he had for his father broke the barriers of his speech, and he cried out, "Why do you kill Cræsus?" Likewise, when we witness the dishonouring of our beloved God, it must inevitably pierce our hearts.
Secondly, our love for others should cause grief. Why? Because when we see others sinning against God, we witness them causing harm to themselves. Doesn't it grieve you when you see individuals harming and destroying themselves? When you hear of houses on fire and the excruciating pain they endure, you mourn for it. It would even soften the hardest heart in the world. You can never witness a person as miserable as one consumed by sin. Sin makes them the most wretched creature in the world. Therefore, if you have any love for your brother, mourn for their sin.
Thirdly, the sins of others bring much evil into the world. What is the cause of the evils present in the world if not the sins committed within it? As long as you live in this world, you cannot help but share in the miseries caused by sin. As Ecclesiastes 9 says, "One sinner destroys much good." So, what do many sinners do? Like vapors ascending imperceptibly but descending in noticeable storms and tempests, the sins of the world may ascend unnoticed, but they will come down in grievous storms.
Fourthly, there is cause for mourning for the sins of others because whenever you see someone commit a sin, you must consider that the root of that sin is in your own heart. It is said of Bradford that he never saw a person commit a sin or heard someone swear an oath (or the like) without saying, "God be merciful to me, a sinner." He recognized the root of that sin within his own heart. It is true that the Lord has restrained you from committing such heinous sins, but the root of those sins still exists in your heart. Therefore, you have cause to mourn when you see sin in others. Blessed are those who mourn in this way.
Firstly, this demonstrates sincerity and reveals much of the Spirit of God. Mourning for the sins of others displays more sincerity than mourning for our own sins, even though there is more reason to mourn for our own sins than for others.
Secondly, by mourning for the sins of others, you free yourself from their guilt. How can you, living in a nation or family, be free from the sins of those you interact with if you do not mourn for them?
However, when you mourn for the sins of others, you free yourself from their guilt. This is especially true when you mourn for the sins of those related to you. For instance, suppose there is a godly child whose eyes have been opened to see their own sins, and they mourn for them. But they worry and wonder if God will show them mercy, considering they come from a lineage with a father or mother who is profane, a drunkard, a swearer, or a scoffer. Now, as a child, you have no means of being delivered from the guilt of your parents' or forefathers' wickedness except through mourning for them. If God has rescued you from a wicked lineage, He expects you to mourn and lament for the sins of that lineage. Similarly, if you live in a wicked family, and God's judgments may befall the family due to its sin, you cannot free yourself from their guilt except by mourning for their
sins, as well as your own. Blessed are you if you do so. If you mourn for their sins, the Lord will not punish you for their sins.
Thirdly, blessed are those who mourn for the sins of others because, through this, they make themselves suitable instruments for God to use in opposing the sins of others. There are no individuals more fitting for God to employ in His service, to halt the progression of others' sins, than those who take those sins to heart. Therefore, above all others, individuals in public positions, those God uses to curb wickedness, should be deeply exercised in the grace of mourning for the sins of others. You, who God has placed as leaders in parishes, towns, or cities, entrusted with the responsibility of restraining sin in your communities, if your hearts are not moved by the sins prevalent in your surroundings, you will be ill-suited instruments for God's honour and the prevention of sin. It is no wonder that people in such positions care little about the consequences of their actions, allowing things to go astray for personal gain. But blessed are those who mourn for the sins of others, for they are the instruments God employs and delights to use in His service.
And then they shall be comforted—those who mourn in this manner.
Firstly, in times of public calamity, they shall find solace. Take Jeremiah, for instance, a great mourner for the sins of others. In Jeremiah 15:11, the Lord promises him protection during such times of distress. Read Jeremiah 9 for a more detailed account. Jeremiah bitterly laments, wishing for his head to be waters and his eyes a fountain of tears, and he longs for a cottage in the wilderness.
Although he mourns partly for the slain of his people, he also mourns for their sins. In Jeremiah 15:11, God assures him that he will find refuge. The famous passage in Ezekiel 9 instructs a person with a pen
and inkhorn to mark all those who mourn for the sins of others. God takes notice of them and promises mercy, providing for them despite the calamity befalling their surroundings.
Secondly, you shall be comforted by knowing that all the wickedness of humanity will be subdued. A time will come when God will no longer be dishonoured by the sins of people as He is now. The refuse will be cast aside, and there will be rejoicing at the righteous judgments executed upon the wicked. While we mourn when we witness God being dishonoured by the wicked among us, there will come a time when we no longer mourn their sin but rejoice in God's righteous judgments upon them. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Therefore, by way of use, let us deeply consider the sins of those around us—not only in our parishes and families but also the sins of the nation. I will mention just a few instances, but even those who struggle with meditation will easily recognize numerous others.
Firstly, let us mourn for the great injustice prevailing in our midst today. There is ample cause for mourning due to oppression and injustice. Isaiah 59:11-15 describes how we roar like bears and mourn sorely like doves. Why? Because we expect judgment and salvation, yet they seem distant. Verse 14 continues, "Justice is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment." The sin of injustice is further aggravated by the present time. The Lord has, by His outstretched arm, delivered us from oppressors. Yet now, we oppress one another. The cry for the sin of injustice must be reaching the heavens like never before. However, some may complain without
valid cause. Woe to us! There is significant cause for mourning due to widespread injustice among us.
Secondly, mourn that Christ is not embraced more widely. We have unprecedented opportunities to welcome Jesus Christ into our lives, as fair as any throughout history. Jesus Christ is presenting Himself to us in the most inviting way, yet a spirit of malignity has risen among us. We seem ready to declare, "We will not have this man to reign over us." Mourn for the ignorance and profanity of the people in our land. Despite the liberty of the Gospel (unlike ever before), many turn away from it, judging themselves unworthy of eternal life and spurning the grace of the Spirit. Romans 9:2 reveals Paul's deep concern for his countrymen, to the extent that he could wish himself cut off from Christ. He was troubled by their ignorance and rejection of Christ. One would expect that, given the wondrous works God has done to bring us the liberty of the Gospel, people would eagerly embrace it. Yet, we find the opposite—a vile spirit against godliness has emerged among men.
Thirdly, mourn the divisions among us. The devil realizes he cannot easily lure many towards profanity and Popery as before. Therefore, he now seeks to spoil religion through divisions, even among the godly. Satan's cunning is most evident in this. Many are affected by the divisions in the land, but it is often because others do not share their opinions. Their mourning is self-serving, as they desire to claim all esteem, honour, dignities, and preferments without any accountability. They cry out against divisions, but their lamentation is mostly selfish. There is a lack of genuine spiritual mourning for the sins that cause divisions among us.
Furthermore, mourn for the abuse of our liberty, the wantonness prevailing in our society. The Lord has granted us more freedom
than our ancestors ever had or could have imagined. Yet, what an abuse of this liberty! People indulge in all kinds of licentiousness, using the plea for true liberty of conscience as an excuse. They blaspheme and commit wickedness.
Mourn, too, for the unthankfulness that pervades our society.
Because we do not have everything exactly as we desire, we are quick to say, "Nothing has been done." Such an ungrateful statement is abhorrent. God has done immeasurable things for our nation, worth more than your life or the lives of ten thousand others. To claim that nothing has been done because it does not align with your desires is a wretched display of ingratitude. Reflect on this and let it pain you.
Lastly, mourn for the scandals and stumbling blocks present among us. Many who profess religion cast stumbling blocks in the paths of those seeking righteousness, causing them to abhor the ways of godliness due to their wicked lives.
And lastly, let us mourn for the failures of good men when they face trials. This is a grievous evil that we witness in our time. Never before has there been a kingdom where so many godly individuals held positions of power in government and ministry. Yet, oh, the shortcomings we observe in them. Many of them follow the same principles as their predecessors but in different ways. We see the truth of the saying, "Put men in power so they can have power over others." We witness their strange spirits, even in those we once thought had broken hearts and mourned for the sins of others in positions of authority. Together with their brethren, they used to fast, pray, and cry out to Heaven against the wrongdoings of those in power just a few years ago. Now, as they hope to obtain the same power, they are treading the same path as their predecessors. My brethren, I speak these things with a sense of duty, laying them on
our hearts to bewail them with bitterness in our souls. I do not say this to reproach anyone, as there is enough reproach already.
Instead, we should mourn for these failings. God forbid that we should speak in a manner of reproach. No, let our words be words of lamentation, for these failings have been greatly detrimental to God and the public good. If we could set aside our quarrels for a while and mourn together, reformation would progress in a different manner than it does now.
Moreover, there is another evil to mourn: men mourn because they cannot have their own way, and their mourning stems from a spirit of revenge. Many times, even their fasting becomes a fast for strife.
We should mourn for our own mourning.
Now, let us turn to the final point in my text. Blessed are those who mourn for the afflictions of the Church. It is evident in Scripture that the saints often mourn greatly for the sufferings of God's people.
Nehemiah, for instance, though at the royal court with a high position and in a state of ease with abundant riches, appeared sad.
He did not want the king to be surprised by his sorrow while the Church was in such a dire state. A significant passage in Luke 19 describes how Jesus wept as He approached Jerusalem, grieving for their sins and the impending misery. He lamented, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes." Note that Jesus did this at a time when He was not personally undergoing great affliction. In fact, in the very next verses, it is depicted that people cut down branches, spread their garments in the way, and hailed Him with cries of "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" Jesus received great honour at that time. Yet, His heart was not solely occupied with the honour bestowed upon Him; He was still moved
by the miseries of others. As He approached, He wept. This should teach us that, regardless of our own favourable circumstances— whether our tables are well-furnished, and we receive honour and respect from others—we should not allow these comforts to dampen our concern for the afflictions of our brethren. Romans 12 commands us to weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn. Hebrews 13:3 states that we must even consider ourselves as being in bonds with those who are in bonds. We should be affected by their sufferings as if we were experiencing them ourselves. This is what God requires of us. The examples of Jeremiah, David, the prophets, and Paul, among others, serve as reminders of this duty. It would be endless to list all the examples found in Scripture. But blessed are those who mourn. There is ample reason for us to do so.
Firstly, those in afflictions are not just strangers; they are our brethren, close to us, the saints of God.
Secondly, we have the same root within ourselves. Can you, in all conscience, believe that such men should be in a state of affliction while you feel nothing yourself? Shouldn't you, with all that you possess, experience the same hardships? Is there any reason why these excellent saints, who have served God so faithfully, should be cast out of their homes, while you sit at a table filled with abundance, surrounded by your wife, children, and a well-furnished house in peaceful conditions? What reason can be given? Is there not as much in you to provoke God as there is in them? Have you done more for God than they have? If you do not have a heart of adamant, this thought should break you.
Yet, there is another reason. Consider the dishonour God experiences through the afflictions of His people. Truly, the Lord suffers when
they suffer. In all their afflictions, He is afflicted. As the Church declines, the wicked gloat and triumph, and wickedness prevails.
This should touch your heart. God, in a manner of speaking, declines, and His cause declines with the suffering of the saints. The glory of God is intertwined with the well-being of His people, and He suffers in their afflictions.
You might ask, if God suffers, why does He allow the saints to be so afflicted? To that, I answer: The Lord permits their afflictions to distinguish between the true and the false. He also brings glory to His name in various ways. However, even though God brings praise through the sufferings of the saints, we should still mourn and lament because, in the meantime, God is suffering, and these afflictions greatly dishonour Him, although He, in His infinite power, can derive honour from them.
Furthermore, if you only consider the magnitude of the evils in these times, you will see that now is the time to mourn for the afflictions of others. Those who stand as witnesses for the truth have every reason to prophesy even in sackcloth. If only we understood the woeful evil and miseries of war. It is an evil that contains an abundance of evils within it. It is the cup of God's anger, and its wine is as red as blood.
It is a mixed wine, its ingredients being murder, robbery, rape, deflowering, cruelty, torment, famine, and pestilence. These are the elements in this cup. Although we may sit quietly in our homes and not experience the dreadful evils of this civil war, others can testify.
If only you could see the mournful miseries they have witnessed: people of good standing and reputation, who lived comfortably and were prominent saints, now driven from their homes like beasts. If only we could see what has happened in Ireland. They cry out to us,
"O you who pass by, is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow." It would be of great
use to expose the woeful misery of others. But let me show you how blessed are those who mourn for the afflictions of others. They are blessed.
Firstly, they possess much of the Spirit of Christ within them. Their spirit resembles that of Jesus Christ when He lived on earth, and that was a blessed spirit.
Secondly, they demonstrate that they are members of the same body.
If you can hear of the woeful evils suffered by the churches and not mourn, it is evident to the whole world, and God tells you in your conscience, that you are but a dead member, not a living member of the body of Jesus Christ. However, when your hearts are affected by the miseries of the churches, you have assurance in your souls that you are living members of Jesus Christ.
And blessed are you because, in this, you walk with God. You follow God's ways. When God shows mercy to His church, you can rejoice.
And when God is in a season of affliction, you mourn. This is walking with God, having our hearts respond according to the different aspects of God's providence. Blessed are those who walk with God.
"You shall be comforted." That is, Firstly, know that there will come a time when God's people will be delivered from all their sorrows. Every tear will be wiped away from their eyes. There will be no more prickling briars or grieving thorns.
This is promised to the saints, and I believe this time must come even in this world. The saints will be honoured just as they have been dishonoured, and wicked men will no longer persecute them.
Instead, the wicked will be brought under their dominion. There is a day when the saints will have victory over the wicked and the ungodly. You who mourn for the afflictions of the saints shall find
comfort in this. "O you afflicted one, tossed with tempest and not comforted, behold, I will lay your stones with colourful gems." Yes, the foundation of the Church will be like that, a burdensome stone to all who persecute it. "Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you." This is what the Lord says to the churches: "Comfort, comfort My people! Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned." Such a time will come when the people of God will be comforted, and the saints will rejoice in the salvation of God, saying, "This is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us." Indeed, such a time will come.
Moreover, there are many promises for those who mourn for the afflictions of the saints. In Psalm 41, it is declared, "Blessed is he who considers the poor." Those who consider the afflicted are blessed. In Isaiah 57:18, the Lord promises to restore comforts to His church and to those who mourn with her. Both the church and her mourners will be comforted. In Isaiah 66:10, there is a promise to those who mourn with the people of God. They will rejoice. And in Zephaniah
3:18, there is a promise for those who consider the reproach of the solemn assembly to be a burden. God will gather them. The saints of God are reproached and persecuted, while others may rejoice.
However, those who find it burdensome will receive a gracious promise from the Lord.
Again, those of you who mourn for the afflictions of the saints are blessed. For when God brings affliction upon you, He will acknowledge your souls in the day of affliction. If your children, dear wives, or anyone close to you should be afflicted, you can confidently go to God and pray, "Lord, comfort me in my affliction, and comfort my wife, my children, my father, my mother in their afflictions." You can find comfort because you mourned for the afflictions of His
children. God will say, "Here is someone who is afflicted. What about the man's child or wife who is facing affliction? Ah, I remember when my children were afflicted, and they mourned for my children. Now that their children are afflicted, I will take it to heart and have compassion on them in their affliction." Therefore, blessed are those who mourn.
Now, let's apply this message. First, it should serve as a rebuke to the jollity of people's spirits in these sad times. It is wicked to have a carnal, jolly spirit during such solemn moments. Certainly, God gives you permission to find comfort and rejoice in Him. You may argue that we are commanded to rejoice always, and that spiritual joy and mourning can coexist. However, know that God expects you to temper your carnal joy. I will present two Scriptures that are quite severe against those who are merry and jolly in times of sorrow. The first is from Isaiah 22:12: "And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth.
But behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!'
Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of hosts: 'Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die,' says the Lord God of hosts." This Scripture is alarming for those who indulge in the flesh during these times. I implore you, if you believe that this Scripture is the word of God, to lay it upon your hearts and consciences when you return home. God says, "When I called for mourning and weeping, there was instead joy, gladness, mirth, and drinking of wine. This iniquity will not be atoned for until you die." God will not forgive it.
It is spoken of as an unpardonable sin, although I believe it is not as unforgivable as the sin against the Holy Ghost. Nevertheless, even if God grants you a heart to see its evil, you may suffer consequences in this world. Just as the Lord dealt with Moses, He would not listen to him and commanded him to speak no more on the matter, leading to