“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4)

Blessed are those who mourn… For sin, for their own sins; the sin of their nature, indwelling sin, which is always working in them, and is a continual grief of mind to them.

Blessed are those who mourn…for the unbelief of their hearts. For their daily infirmities, and many sins of life, because they are committed against a God of love, grace, and mercy, grieve the Spirit, and dishonour the Gospel of Christ.

Blessed are those who mourn…for the sins of others, for the sins of the world, the profaneness and wickedness that abound in it, especially for the sins of those by which the name of God, and ways of Christ, are evil spoken of.

for they shall be comforted: here in this life, by the God of all comfort, by Christ the comforter; by the Spirit of God, whose work and office it is to comfort; by the Scriptures of truth, which are written for their consolation; by the promises of the Gospel, through which the heirs of promise have strong consolation.

for they shall be comforted: by the ministers of the word, who have a commission from the Lord to speak comfortably to them. Then are they comforted, when they have the discoveries of the love of God, manifestations of pardoning grace, through the blood of Christ, and enjoy the divine presence.

and they shall be comforted: hereafter; when freed from all the troubles of this life, they shall be blessed with uninterrupted communion with Father, Son, and Spirit, and with the happy society of angels and glorified saints.

Adapted from commentary by John Gill “John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible”