A tear dropping from the eye of faith
(Thomas Watson, [url=http://www.gracegems.org/Watson/beatitudes.htm]"The Beatitudes"[/url] 1660)
"Blessed are those who mourn." Matthew 5:8
It is a sign that the Sun of Righteousness has risen upon us, when our frozen hearts thaw and melt for sin. Weeping for sin is a sign of the new birth. As soon as the child is bornit weeps. Mourning shows a 'heart of flesh' (Ezekiel 36:26). A stone will not melt. When the heart is in a melting frameit is a sign the heart of stone is taken away.
"Let your tears flow like a river. Give yourselves no rest from weeping day or night." Lament. 2:18
Tears for sin, are blessed tears.
Tears poison our corruptions. Salt-water kills worms. Just so, the brinish water of repenting tears will help to kill that worm of sin which would gnaw the conscience.
Mourning also fences us against the devil's temptations. Temptations are called 'fiery darts' (Ephesians 6:16), because indeed they set the soul on fire. Temptations enrage anger, and inflame lust. Now the waters of holy mourning, quench these fiery darts! Wet gunpowder will not easily catch fire. Just so, when the heart is wetted and moistened with sorrowit will not so easily catch the fire of temptation.
Penitential tears are precious. Tears dropping from a mournful, penitent eye, are like water dropping from the rosesvery sweet and precious to God. A fountain in the garden makes it pleasant. That heart is most delightful to Godwhich has a fountain of sorrow running in it. 'Mary stood at Christ's feet weeping' (Luke 7:38). Her tears were more fragrant than her ointment. The incense, when it is broken, smells sweetest. When the heart is broken for sin, then our services give forth their sweetest perfume.
Surely, God delights much in tearselse He would not keep a bottle for them. "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book." Psalm 56:8. Tears are powerful orators for God's mercy. Tears melt the heart of God. When a man comes weeping in prayer and smites on his breast, saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner!"this melts God's heart towards him. Tears, though they are silentyet have a voice, "The Lord has heard the voice of my weeping!" (Psalm 6:8). Tears in the child's eye sometimes move the angry father to spare the child. Penitential tears melt God's heart and bind His hand. Tears have a mighty influence upon God.
Repentant tears are sweet. Mourning is the way to solid joy. A Christian thinks himself sometimes in the suburbs of heavenwhen he can weep. Sugar when it melts is sweetest. When a Christian melts in tears, now he has the sweetest joy. When the daughter of Pharaoh descended into the rivershe found a babe there among the reeds. Just so, when we descend into the river of repenting tearswe find the babe Jesus there, who shall wipe away all tears from our eyes.
Tears water our graces and make them flourish. Where the springs of sorrow runthere the heart bears a fruitful crop. The tender-eyed Christian usually brings forth more of the fruit of the Spirit. A weeping eye is the water-pot to water our graces!
If there is so much profit and benefit in gospel-sorrow, then let every Christian wash his face every morning in the laver of tears.
Our mourning for sin herewill prevent mourning in hell. Hell is a place of weeping (Matthew 8:12). The damned mingle their drink with weeping. God is said to have His bottle for our tears. Those who will not shed a bottle-full of tearsshall hereafter shed rivers of tears. "Woe to you who laugh nowfor you shall mourn and weep!" (Luke 6: 25). You have sometimes seen sugar lying in a damp place, dissolve into water. Just so, all the sugared joys of the wicked, dissolve at last into the water of tears!
There is but one way to blessedness, and that is through the valley of tears. If you do not go this way, you will miss Paradise. "I tell you, unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish"' (Luke 13:3). There is only one way leading to heaven, and that is a tear dropping from the eye of faith. A man may have a disease in his body, which twenty medicines will heal. But only the medicine of repentance, will heal the mortal disease of sin.
Think what a sinner you have been. You have filled God's book with your debtsand what need you have to fill His bottle with your tears!
He who weeps here is a blessed mourner. He who weeps in hell is a cursed mourner. If God's bottle is not filled with tearsHis vial will be filled with wrath!
Repentant tears are but finite. It is but a short time that we shall weep. After a few showers fall from our eyes, we shall have a perpetual sunshine. "God shall wipe away all tears!" (Revelation 7:17). When sin shall ceasetears shall cease! "Weeping may endure for a nightbut joy comes in the morning!" (Psalm 30:5)
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We have posted another precious chapter from the above book by Thomas Watson, "[url=http://www.gracegems.org/Watson/beatitudes3.htm]Gospel Mourning[/url]"
[url=http://www.gracegems.org/]Grace Gems[/url]
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[i]It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.[/i] Ecc 7:2
Great effort and with much reluctance to express anything in this season ... It was quite staggering to happen upon this, this morning when it is an absolute precision of state I find myself. Mourning.
Feeling the effects of sin.
Mine, ours ... theirs, the world, all on a death march to eternity. A paradox of knowing far too much to allow heaping of misery upon ruin. Depression a condition and contradiction or emblematic expression of the same,
[i]Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.[/i] Psa 42:5
Yet,
[i]Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me. [/i] Isa 38:14
Mourning like a dove.
[i]And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.[/i] Joh 10:16
And to hear it not, unable to discern His voice, brings great tears.
The root of bitterness, pride and resentment all rearing up at conditions and circumstance and how easily depravity would court conspiracy by imagination. When it is not by design nor intent possibly overlooking, perhaps ramifications of no consideration, more likely than not ... that not a moment of thought to adding burdens upon responsibilities, duty upon fatigue, misery upon ruin, a certain obliviousness to it all. And indeed how can one know, the state of any one soul at any given moment,
[i]For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.[/i] 1Co 2:11
To elicit sympathy or far worse the fakery of patronizing a more cruel blow than a purging fire, that a delight by contrast, it has an end and a result.
All these things then must I recall to remembrance as set forth by the Lords hand, that it is not mere happenstance, that nothing escapes His grasp nor His gaze and therefore in mourning truly there can be praise. Strange thing all this eloquent, if it truly be that, speaking, prose whatever it is, the reluctance to even allow this ... There is much sadness over some, over the things the Brethren would seemingly slice each others throats over, yes a hyperbolic overstatement, but such seems the expression sometimes of ... position over disposition, it is a wonder of expression whether we are greatly trampling upon Paul's admonishen;
[i]And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.[/i] 1Co 13:3
24 instances on that word, charity ...
If all that is too misleading by way of insinuation, indeed the condition of expression presently seems to be much about this other season, namely Christmas. For it, against it ... but nowhere in the middle dare we be? Either it be completely 'pagan' or bound up in no consideration of anything which ever camp has set themselves up as being more ... certain? Is this the word? Would smite nor accuse no one whichever way you turn, there is enough to consider without equivocation.
But the heart ... that I must always wonder at and it is that which causes so great a mourning, what fuel, fuels our supposed indignation. In some sense could but wish the whole thing was more decidedly pagan indeed. That the 'pagans' would indeed bow down and worship their Christmas trees and pray to some moon god, burn incense to their stockings, certainly then it would be easier to apply all these historical attributes and derivatives. But that is what is so bothersome for so much of this, that in effect the more heavy handed of this ilk, this mindset would have to draw them in to more true paganism to justify lofting off their heads! I digress, again it is hyperbolic overstatement to stress the point and to nay-say all the troubles and problems associated would be just as fallacious.
It just does seem that there can be a true sense of peevishness, even pettiness from one side or even a misunderstanding of those who would rather not partake having or giving off a sense of superiority in another. Problem with a statement like that is it is too far general and blanket to cover it all.
Am trying to only be both sincere and somehow impartial, even if I have in times past felt and enjoyed this very interesting atmosphere often called 'The Spirit of Christmas'. It is difficult to shake it, codify it or even explain it. Some years it has all but been just the smallest sense of being 'in the air' others and mostly past years much more more profound. It always drew me towards consideration of eternal matters. It always seemed to me to be Gods Spirit that I was sensing, feeling ... even when I was otherwise far from having Him in my thoughts.
Children.
[i]If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?[/i] Mat 7:11
Have said too much already _________________ Mike Balog
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