obliges us to fympathize with the Miseries of each particular Man, to weep with those that weep, as the Apoftle fpeaks; does much more require us,to lament the common Miseries of Human Life. This therefore is a very proper Caufe of Chriftian Mourning.

Asis alfo, in the Third Place, the Confi.21& deration of the Vanity and Emptiness of all Worldly and Created Good.

The general 4.2/5.

Caufe of most of the Difcontent and Melancholy that is in the World, is becaufe Men cannot get fo much of Worldly Good,as they defire; not at all queftioning its Fanity, But, on the contrary, fuppofing that if they could compass fuch and fuch Things, they fhould be happy; and their only Trouble is, that they cannot get them. Now this is properly Worldly Sorrow; and comes from an ill Principle, either from Covetoufnefs, Luft, or Am bition. But now there may be a vertuous and laudable Difcontent, as well as a vicious and fordid one: And that is, When a Man mourns, and is troubled; not becaufe he cannot compass fuch and fuch Created Goods; No; perhaps he would not eat of the Fruit, if he could reach it: but purely because they are all empty and vain, and cannot fatisfie. He does not grieve because he wants them, for it may be he chufes to be without them; but because they are wanting in themselves, and have not that in them which can ever make

him happy. And, indeed, it is enough to caft a Damp upon the Spirit of any Confidering Man, to think that what is fubftantial and fatisfactory is out of his Reach, and that all is Vanity and Vexation that lies within it that the former he cannot enjoy, and that the latter cannot fatisfie. To be throughly and inwardly convinced that all Fruition is a Cheat, and fo to have nothing in Expectation, no one Glimpfe or Profpect of Enjoyment before one, to invite one to live longer: This is a fad Reflection, and fuch as must needs cause Sorrow and Mourning. But then, 'tis a very laudable one, and fuch as proceeds from an excellent Principle. 'Tis a Sorrow that arifes from Increase of Wisdom, Ecclef. 1. 18. from a right Notion and Understanding of Things, from Contempt of the World, from a due Consciousness of our own Powers and Capacities, and from the more than ordinary Afpirings of the Soul to God, who alone is able to fatisfie her. And, to be forry upon fuch Principles as these, is to forrow in a Rational Way, and after a Godly Sort.

To inftance one more: Another very proper Cause why a Christian should mourn, is the Confideration of the Uncertainty of our Salvation, and the infinite Mifery of those who shall miscarry in fo momentous a Concern. As to the Certainty of our Salvation,

it is not fo great, as fome are apt to imagin: For, tho' I can be affured of this Propofition with a certainty of Divine Faith, it being Matter of express Revelation, that the Faithful and the Penitent fhall be faved; yet that I believe and repent, can be known to me only on the Grounds of Experimental Knowledge, which is an Human, and therefore Fallible Teftimony: And confequently, the Conclufion always following the weaker Part, I cannot be affured of my Salvation with a Certainty of Divine Faith, but only with an Human and Moral Affurance; which, indeed; to call it by a right Name, is no more than an high Probablility, a strong Presumption.

But yet, if even this Moral Affurance were Abfolute and Irreversible, and were to take in the Future, as well as the Prefent; 'twere yet a confiderable Stay and Security. But it is not fo with us: That Affurance which we have, is abfolute only for the Prefent; and reaches not the Future, but only upon Condition; fuppofing that we perfevere in the prefent Difpofition; which, confidering the Mu tability of our Wills, and the Multitude of our Temptations, and the frequent Examples of Apoftacy, is a thing not only ofuncertain, but of hazardous Confquence.

And as we are not, cannot be abfolutely fure that we shall not miscarry; fo, on the

other

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other hand, 'tis moft certain, that we shall be unfpeakably miferable if we do. For a Man to fall off from his laft End, and only true Good, without any hopes or Poffibility of Recovery, is a thing that can hardly be thought of without Confufion and Amazement. Now let a Man put thefe two things together, That, whether he fhall be faved, or no, is a Matter of a depending and uncertain iffue; and, that if he miscarry, his Cafe is intolerable; and then tell me,whether this be not a juft Caufe for Trouble and Sadness; and whether this Salvation, this uncertain Salvation, be not to be wrought out with Sorrow and Mourning, as well as with Fear and Trembling?

Certainly it is: And were it not for this, it would be no eafie thing to give an Ac count, why Gravity, Serioufnefs, and Sobri

<ety of Spirit fhould be fuch decent and commendable Qualities in Men. For otherwife, Why fhould not a Man give himself up to the utmost Gaity and Jollity, and exprefs it in all manner of odd Poftures and Geftures, up to the heighth of an Antick Diffoluteness? I fay, Why fhould not a Man do this? But only because this is not agreeable to the Part he is to act; who being in a State of Probation and Doubtfulnefs, and having fo great an Intereft depending, ought rather to temper and correct the Luxuriancy of his Spirit,

with fome Grains of Sadness, and Penfivenefs; and beware of laughing too much here, left it fhould be his Turn to weep and mourn hereafter.

These are the principal Causes of Mourning. And from hence we may gather, who the Chriftian-Mourners are, who are concerned in this Beatitude; thofe, namely, whofe Mourning proceeds upon thefe, or fuch like Grounds; which are at laft reducible to either of these two Principles, Zeal for the Honour and Glory of God, or a Concern for the Good of Mankind. They who mourn upon the Score of Piety or Charity, are true Chriftian-Mourners.

It remains that we now confider, in the laft place, wherein confifts their Bleffedness. St. Auftin, in his Confeffions and Meditations, very frequently speaks of the Grace of Tears; and as often prays for it: And well he might, fince it is attended with fuch happy Effects, and has fuch a Bleffedness intailed upon it. Its Bleffedness is both prefent, and to come. What the prefent Bleffednefs is, we may learn from the Wife Man, who tells us, That by the fadness of the countenance the heart is made better. It is fo; for by this it becomes more foft and tender for all Divine Impreffions, for the Love of God, for Devotion, for Charity to our Neighbour, for Mercy and Compaffion, for Repentance, and the