Matthew 5:4

They that mourn.

The mourners who are not entitled to the blessings here named

I. Those who indulge the sorrow of discontent.

II. The inordinate sorrow for worldly losses.

III. Sorrow for wounded pride.

IV. A despairing spirit as to their acceptance with God. Those who are blessed:-

1. There is a mourning arising from a sense of having offended God.

2. Those who mourn under the afflicting dispensations of God’s providence.

3. A few words to those who enjoy worldly contentment: you are no mourners.

4. May God give us grace to mourn so as to be comforted. (H. Alford, M. A.)

Spiritual mourning

I. What we are to understand by the mourning mentioned.

1. It is not the mourning of a melancholy disposition.

2. It is not sorrow over temporal distress.

3. It is not sorrow in adversity.

4. It is not sorrow because of disappointed hopes. It arises purely from religion.

II. What are the causes of this mourning?

1. Sin is one-

(1) Because it dishonours God;

(2) Because it cleaves to himself.

(3) The prevalence of sin causes him to mourn

(4) because of the punishment it shall receive.

2. Another cause of his mourning is the absence of spiritual joys.

3. Another cause is the imperfect and afflicted state of the Church.

III. The import of the gracious promise made by the Saviour.

1. Spiritual mourners shall be comforted by an assurance of their personal interest in Christ.

2. By the assurance that the causes of their present mourning shall be removed.

3. By the expression of Divine approbation.

4. If the Christian be thus comforted here, what must be his comfort in heaven?

To conclude.

1. How mistaken is the world in its decisions! It supposes the mourner miserable; he only has joy.

2. Are you a spiritual mourner? (J. Jordan.)

The blessed mourners

I. Their character. We do not say that piety is never clothed in the garb of sorrow. The things which excite grief in the ungodly cause it in the godly. But while the sorrow is common, they do not mourn in the same spirit. Sorrow for sin chiefly meant in the text: no source of sorrow equal to this. Mourn for the sins of others; their own small attainment in grace.

1. Their sorrow is sincere.

2. It is bitter, not superficial.

3. It is godly.

4. They mourn in faith.

II. Their blessedness.

1. They may think that they are far from being in a blessed state.

2. By whom shall they be comforted? By God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

3. How shall comfort be imparted to them? By clear views of Christ and of His grace, etc.

4. By what means does God usually comfort the mourners? Prayer, worship, work, converse, sacrament. (D. Rees.)

The blessedness of sanctified sorrow

I. What that mourning is which Christ thus pronounces blessed. Not every kind of mourning. There is the sorrow of the world that worketh death:-

1. Such is the mourning that springs from a bad source. From pride or discontent.

2. Such is the mourning that is the expression of a bad spirit. But

(1) Blessed are they who mourn for themselves;

(2) Who mourn for their Christian brethren;

(3) Who mourn for the Church;

(4) Who mourn for the world.

II. What is the blessedness of that comfort which the redeemer here assures us is attached to this mourning.

1. It is present and positive.

2. There are comparative and contrasted blessings connected with this sorrow; the situation of such is less dangerous than that of others.

3. It is less equivocal than that of others. “Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth.”

4. This blessedness is peculiar to themselves. (Dr. T. Raffles.)

Zion’s mourners comforted

Administration of Divine comfort to the subjects of godly contrition, the benevolent purpose of Messiah (Isaiah 61:3; Luke 4:18). Immediately on entering His ministry the prediction was accomplished.

I. The mourners addressed. The nature, cause, and evidences of their sorrow.

II. The consolation promised. Spiritual, seasonable, abundant, gracious (2 Chronicles 30:9; Isaiah 55:7; Hosea 6:1; Zechariah 1:3; Luke 15:7; Luke 17:21; Luke 17:24; Luke 17:32). (Anon.)

I. The mourning intended. Not murmuring, natural sorrow, or grief, but the sorrow connected with sin-“godly sorrow”-the mourning in the house of affliction, and mourning in Zion-sighing over the abominations of the people, etc.

II. The blessing promised. The sorrow, whatever its nature, shall not overwhelm. The comfort is certain. (W. Barker.)

I. What is the sorrow that is blessed? Not the vulgar sorrow that every man feels, etc. But-

1. Sorrow at the recollection and the sense of sin-for sin rather than for the consequences-secret sins-sin seen in the light of Christ’s countenance-”godly sorrow.”

2. Sorrow because of the sins that we see around us (Jeremiah 9:18; Psalms 119:36). Sins of the world, and sins of the Church-inconsistency, etc.

3. Sorrow because of the little progress of Christianity.

4. That we are able to do so little.

5. Sorrow that makes one sometimes long to be “ absent from the body,” etc.

II. They who sorrow thus shall be comforted. There is a comfort in such sorrow, as well as beyond it. Such sorrow is blessed in its endurance, and at the close of it. It is Divine, complete, unalloyed comfort. (Dr. J. Gumming.)

The mourning here intended is that which arises from the due consideration of our own sins, and the sins of others.

I. Such was the godly sorrow of David (Psalms 51:4).

1. The same kind was that of the woman who “was a sinner,” and whose conversion is briefly related by St. Luke (chap. 7.).

2. Peter mourned when his Lord looked on him after his cruel denial. He went out and “wept bitterly.”

3. Such was the sorrow of the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 7:11).

II. The generous spirit of the Christian deeply mourns the sins of others.

1. Thus saith the pious king of Israel: “I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved,” etc.

2. Such was the lamentation of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 9:1).

3. The most perfect illustration of holy sorrow is seen in our Lord (Luke 19:41). (J. E. Good.)

The mourning which will entitle a man to blessedness hath these qualifications

I. It is spontaneous and free.

1. It must come as water out of a spring, not as fire from flint.

2. Tears for sin must be like the myrrh which drops from the tree freely, without cutting or forcing.

II. It is spiritual, that is when we mourn for sin more than suffering. We must mourn for sin as it is

(1) An act of hostility and enmity that

(2) affronts and resists the Holy Ghost;

(3) An ingratitude, in its unkindness against God;

(4) A privation that keeps good things from us, and hinders our communion with God.

III. It sends the soul to God. When the prodigal son repented, he went to his father.

IV. It is for sin in particular. There must, be a particular repentance before we have a general pardon.

V. It is with hope. Believing that though our tears drop to the earth, our faith must reach heaven.

VI. It is joined with self-loathing.

VII. It must be purifying. Our tears must, make us more holy. The waters of holy mourning are like the river Jordan, wherein Naaman washed, and was cleansed of his leprosy.

VIII. It must be joined with hatred of sin. We must not only abstain from sin, but abhor it. The dove hates the least feather of the hawk; a true mourner hates the least motion to sin.

IX. It is joined with restitution. If we have eclipsed the good name of others, we are bound to ask them forgiveness; if we have wronged them by unjust, fraudulent dealing, we must make them compensation.

X. It must be speedy.

XI. It must be constant. The waters of repentance must not overflow in the morning, at the first hearing of the gospel; and at mid-day, in the midst of health and prosperity, grow cold and be ready to freeze. It must be a dally weeping, a daily mourning. (Thomas Watson.)

Spiritual comforts are pure

They are not muddied with guilt, nor mixed with fear-they are the pure wine of the Spirit; what the mourner feels is joy, and nothing but joy. The comforts God gives His mourners are-

I. Sweet. The love of God shed into the heart is said to be better than wine (Song of Solomon 1:2).

II. They are holy. Divine comforts give the soul more acquaintance with God.

III. They are satisfying. They fill the heart and make it run over.

IV. They are powerful. Strong cordials.

1. They strengthen for duty.

2. Support, under affliction.

V. They are abiding; abound in us, and so abide ever with us. Worldly comforts are still upon the wing, ready to fly. The comforts of the Spirit are immortal and eternal. Oh, how rare and superlative are these comforts! (Thomas Watson.)

Mourners comforted

I. The grief which is here specified. It will be proper:-

1. To ascertain its cause.

(1) He is led to view the immense debt of obedience due to the blessed God as the Sovereign Ruler of the universe.

(2) The awful consequences attending the non-payment of this debt.

(3) His utter inability to make restitution.

2. To ascertain its character.

(1) It is voluntary and sincere; not forced or artificial.

(2) It is deep, not superficial.

(3) It is evangelical and spiritual.

(4) It is characterized by a hatred and an abandonment of sin.

II. The consolation with which it is associated. “They shall be comforted.” This intimates certainty as well as the futurity of the comfort. But some may ask-

1. What is this consolation? It arises from the satisfaction Christ has made; none so rich, free, and satisfying as this.

2. Whence does this comfort proceed? From the free favour of God.

3. How is this comfort applied? It is the work of the Holy Spirit. (R. May.)