THE Lord Jesus, in the opening sentences of His remarkable Sermon on the Mount, delivers to His disciples and the multitude a number of striking beatitudes, brief in form, but profound, searching, and comforting in character. He declares those persons blessed who are possessed of certain spiritual characters which were not unknown in the letter to the many among His hearers who were acquainted with the Old Testament, or in personal experience to the small company who truly feared the Lord, but characters which were foreign to the general religion of the day as represented by the Scribes and Pharisees. Such gracious dispositions, as poverty of spirit, godly sorrow, meekness, hunger and thirst after righteousness, to which He attaches the divine blessing, were conspicuous by their absence. His was indeed strange language to those who were “rich and increased in goods,” and had “need of nothing,” because they were ignorant of their spiritual wretchedness, poverty, blindness and nakedness. And even those who knew something already of themselves and of spiritual truths He addresses, in order that they might grow in the knowledge, appreciation, and experience of those graces with which the favour and blessing of God are so vitally connected, and without which no sinner can have a place in the kingdom of grace here, or in the kingdom of glory hereafter. “Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.” It is to the second beatitude that we desire at present to call attention, and in doing so we shall notice, first, the special character Christ gives of those He pronounces blessed, and secondly, the blessedness which He holds forth as attached to that character.
I.—The Special Character Christ Describes: “They That Mourn.”
1. Observe That the Mourners Spoken Of Are Plainly the True Children of God as Such.
They are a mourning people. The wicked, who are careless and indifferent about divine things, are not included, or referred to at all. The context proves this. It is the same class of persons who are described throughout the beatitudes, though viewed from different standpoints. The mourners are the poor in spirit and the meek. Their mourning springs from poverty of spirit and is attended with lowliness of heart. Moreover, they are declared to be a blessed people. None of these things are asserted in the Scriptures of those who are still in their sins. It is written certainly that “many sorrows shall be to the wicked” (Psalm xxxii. 10); but these are sorrows which flow not from the blessing but from the curse. Still further, is not the beginning of divine life in the soul, when a sinner passes out of darkness into light, associated with mourning, the mourning of true repentance? “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke xv. 10); and repentance here plainly includes the whole motion of a soul that turns savingly to God; it carries with it saving faith as well as repentance strictly so-called. The true child of God is a mourner at the beginning of his experience. He mourns under a sense of his guilt as a breaker of God’s most holy law, “Against thee, thee only have I sinned”; and he mourns under a sense of his guilt in relation to Christ and the gospel; “they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for an only son.” He rejoices and mourns at the same season. A sight by faith of a crucified but risen Redeemer fills him with the joy of deliverance, pardon and peace, and at the same time with a heart-melting contrition and sorrow for the sins whereby he has dishonoured so gracious a Lord, and brought Him to the dust of death. There is thus a strange commingling of joy and mourning in the heart of the believing soul at the time when he enters into Gospel liberty. No doubt these emotions differ in degree in the experience of true Christians. In some, the sorrow may predominate; in others, the joy; but none are wholly strangers to either. We must go still further and affirm that the children of God are mourners in more or less degree all through their life on earth. Jesus here says not, “Blessed are they that have mourned,” but “Blessed are they that mourn.” The tense is not past, but present. The mourning is not something left behind at conversion; it continues as a gracious exercise of the believing soul, and will be the Christian’s companion until death. As long as there are grounds for sorrow within the heart itself or in the world outside, the child of God will be among those “that mourn.” Not “until the day break and the shadows flee away” will sorrow and sighing take their departure for ever. And this leads us to observe:
2. Some of the Evils on Account of Which the Children of God Mourn.
They may be summed up under two heads, personal and general.
(1) Personal Evils.
Though the true children have passed from a state of nature to a state of grace, they are not as yet perfect in their souls, or their circumstances. They mourn on account of “the body of this death,” the old man who is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. (Rom. vii. 24; Gal. v. 17; Ephs. iv. 22.) The flesh wars against the spirit, and the poor believer has much occasion for mourning in connection with the violent motions of indwelling sin. His cry is (though in weaker degree) with the Apostle Paul when he exclaimed, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Happy is he if he can also add with the apostle, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Let all those professors who mock at this phase of Christian experience be reminded that if they know nothing about it, it is not because they are more advanced in religious attainments, but because they are ignorant of the new birth without which we cannot see the kingdom of God. They mourn, also, on account of the sin which doth so easily beset them. The apostle exhorted the Christian Hebrews to lay aside this sin, which some have understood to mean indwelling sin in general, others, the special sin of unbelief. Apart from this discussion, it may be noted as a matter of observation and experience that men in general have some besetting sin or other, a sin that carries them more easily captive than others. One is afflicted with one evil; another with another. The children of God are painfully conscious of this, and every one who is in a healthy condition of soul, will be frequently mourning over his besetting sin. It is not a sign of piety when people are found sparing and nursing their besetting sins. The sincere children of God are mourners over the sin which doth so easily beset; and they long for its complete mortification. Again, they mourn on account of how little conformity they have to the image and will of Christ. They oftentimes feel as if they had no conformity at all. The standard is, “Be ye holy, for I am holy,” and they discern so much impurity in their thoughts and affections and so much unholiness in their lives that they have abundant materials for sorrow. Still, where this mourning is, there is a deep, intense desire for deliverance from all corruption, and nothing will satisfy but that ultimate perfection which Christ designs and promises to bestow upon His Church when she will not have spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but be holy and without blemish (Ephs. v. 27). Still, again, they mourn on account of Satan’s temptations. The temptations of the adversary are greedily swallowed by the careless sinner, but they are a great source of trial and sorrow to God’s people. They often mourn under his insidious assaults, and especially when they find themselves yielding to his suggestions. “For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me” (Ps. cxliii. 3, 4). Lastly, as to personal evils, they mourn under the hiding of God’s face. They do not always walk in the light of comfort, but experience many changes in this respect. None, as far as our observation goes, bask in unchanging sunshine. The Lord, in the exercise of His wise sovereignty, or as a chastisement for sin, often hides His face, and manifests His fatherly displeasure. When this is so the true believer mourns and will continue to do so, until “the Sun of righteousness” again arises “with healing in his wings.”
(2) General Evils.
It is the native tendency of the true grace of God in the soul to be concerned not only about individual welfare but about the welfare of others—the prosperity of the cause of God throughout the world. Thus it is, that where there is godly sorrow for private and personal evils, there is the same for public and general ones also. The genuine followers of the Lamb are deeply concerned about the inroads of evil, and the signs of God’s displeasure, wherever these are to be found.
Evils in the Visible Church.
They mourn on account of evils in the visible Church. These are not few in the present day. They lament, for example, the absence of convincing and converting work. They see that the Spirit of God has withdrawn His presence largely from the public means of grace. Apart from the multitudes who disregard divine worship altogether, they observe it is only a very few among those who regularly attend the means of grace, who are abidingly impressed with what they hear. No doubt, the Holy Spirit is sovereign in His operations, but still where these are withdrawn to a great extent, it is an evil sign upon the generation. Zion’s spiritual barrenness is ground for godly sorrow. The children of God very particularly mourn the absence of converting work among their families and friends, whether under the drop of the gospel or elsewhere. Again, they mourn the removal of God’s witnesses by the hand of death. The prophet Isaiah regarded it as a sign of coming evil when the righteous and the merciful were taken away, and he also deplored it as an indication of great declension and spiritual death when no man laid this to heart. “The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart.” No doubt it is well with the righteous in death—and this is the only idea that occurs to selfish professors of religion—but it is not well with the generation who are deprived of their example and influence, and so the truly exercised followers of Christ sorrow deeply over their removal. Such, we further observe, also mourn the presence of lukewarmness, coldness, and worldliness among those who profess to love the gospel. These are evils too common in our time and are a source of grief to them who are lively in the things of God. Still again, they mourn the introduction of unscriptural innovations and carnal practices into the worship and service of the Most High. If ever there was a day in which men have gone mad in the adoption of their own inventions in this respect it is the present. “Bright and Attractive Services,” “Pleasant Sunday Afternoons,” “Christian Brotherhood” entertainments, and so forth are all the cry, poor deluded blind leaders of the blind thinking that by such fleshly methods they will advance the true kingdom of God in society. They are only bringing down the Church to the level of the world, and sending people on to eternity with a flimsy profession, labelled as Christians, while all the while destitute of the saving grace of God. What a fearful awakening such professors will have at death! These things are an occasion of sorrow to God’s true people. Finally, we observe that they mourn the maintenance and preaching of unsound doctrine in the professing Church. Error in a hundred forms is popular in the present age. The infallibility of the Holy Scriptures is denied in the larger number of religious communities and a false Arminian scheme of salvation is proclaimed from the pulpits. The wise mourn over this widespread apostasy from “the faith which was once delivered to the saints.”
Evils in the State.
They mourn also on account of evils in the State. These also are many in our age. Three can only be mentioned meantime. There is, for one thing, abounding Sabbath desecration. The Lord’s Day is trampled under foot, and treated as a common holiday. The loss of the Sabbath is not merely an interference with a day set apart for bodily rest, but also for the worship of God and the preaching of the gospel. Sinners, therefore, who set at nought the Sabbath, despise everything that is sacred and necessary for the salvation of their souls. Law and Gospel are thrown away as things of no value, and carnal pleasure and amusement are chosen instead. They prefer the world to Christ, hell to heaven. This is a sorrowful state of things indeed. Again, they mourn as they see Popery making rapid progress in our land. It advances under the guise of Ritualism in professedly Protestant Churches. And every person who has the cause of Christ at heart must regard this as a matter of real lamentation and grief. Then, thirdly, they mourn over how little dread of this evil appears among nominally Protestant people. Here is the greatest danger of all in this connection. There is so much false charity among Protestants, and some of those who stand upon Protestant platforms are nourishing the very seeds of the evil they profess to condemn, in their own immediate spheres of labour. These things are occasions of sorrow to those who desire to be faithful to Christ and His truth.
So much at present for the evils, both personal and general, which are deplored by those of whom Christ speaks in this beatitude. We now go on to notice:
II.—The Blessedness Which Belongs to Them That Mourn.
1. They Are Blessed as Mourners After a Godly Sort.
It is plain that they are “blessed,” because they are mourners after a godly sort. Such are, to begin with, true penitents for their personal sins, and repentance on earth gives joy in presence of the angels of God, yea, to God Himself. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” The Lord rejoices over His penitent people with joy and singing. “Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still” (Jeremiah xxxi. 20). They are blessed in this way, because they are manifestly made new creatures—possessors of the image of God renewed upon their souls. Godly sorrow for sin is one of its first and most constant exercises. Then, they are blessed in virtue of their union to Christ. All those who have looked upon Him by faith and mourned, are brought into vital union with Him, and are thus under the blessing and favour of a reconciled God. The curse has been eternally removed, and they are blessed in Christ, and shall be blessed world without end.
2. They Are Blessed in Virtue of the Promise of Comfort: “They Shall Be Comforted.”
The Lord has provided comfort for His mourners—partial comfort in time, and perfect comfort in eternity. “They shall be comforted” as to the personal evils over which they sorrow. He promises to give deliverance from the body of corruption. It is already under sentence of death—condemned to be destroyed—in consequence of Christ’s victory and death. “Our old man is crucified with him” (Rom. vi. 6). They may depend upon divine help against it now, and look forward to complete deliverance at death. “They shall be comforted” as to the sin that doth so easily beset them; for the inspired Apostle saith, “Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Rom. vi. 14). Sin may obtain temporary victories, but it shall not reign permanently over those who deeply mourn its presence. “They shall be comforted” as to their want of conformity to Christ’s image and will. “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. i. 6). He will gradually conform them more and more in the spirit of their minds (largely perhaps unknown to themselves) to the blessed image which they will one day wear in perfection. Oftentimes the children of God, who are deeply exercised, are more conscious of “the old man” than of “the new creation.” They discern their sins and not their graces. This is over-ruled for the great ends of sanctification—that sin may be effectually mortified, and that the new creation may rise into its full development without spot or wrinkle at the end of the day. “They shall be comforted” as to Satan’s temptations. The Lord will not allow them to be tempted beyond measure, but will make “a way of escape.” “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom. xvi. 20). And “they shall be comforted” as to the hiding of the divine countenance. He will not be angry for ever. “For his anger endureth but a moment, in his favour is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm xxx. 5). Here is their blessedness.
“They shall be comforted as to the general evils which they mourn.” Though the Lord is not doing convincing and converting work in the visible Church to the extent that He has done in past days, yet He still liveth and reigneth, and they may hear occasionally of one here and another there brought to the feet of Christ. Things in general indeed seem to be getting darker and darker, but still the Lord has promised to have His witnesses while sun and moon endure, and He may raise up some to stand for His name and cause at times when least expected. He may also introduce re formations into Church and State in dark days when things get into extreme disorder. It is written that “when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah lix. 19). He has given many great and precious promises in His word concerning glorious days that are yet to come upon earth, when “the kingdoms of this world” shall be “the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ,” and they must draw encouragement from these promises in backsliding and discouraging times. These promises are intended for their comfort, and when they are brought home with power, “they shall be comforted.” Then, lastly, we remark that the fundamental grounds of their comfort with respect to all God’s purposes in relation to His kingdom upon earth are embodied in the thoughts from which Christ, their glorious Head, derived comfort in the days of His flesh, thoughts expressed in such words as these: “All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me: and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. . . . And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” Here He rested and was comforted, and here must they also find abiding rest, and everlasting consolation. “Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.”