Mourners! Look Away from Thyself and Look UP!

Do not only lie pouring upon the dungeon that thou art in, as it were; but while you are mourning for sin, though yet you has not assurance that your sins be forgiven you, yet look up to the promise. It may be that you think it does not belong to you, but let your eye be upon it. Look up to the brazen serpent if sin has stung you, as those that were stung in the wilderness looked up to the brazen serpent; present the covenant of grace to your soul. As the presenting of the Law has a power to terrify the heart, so the presenting of the gospel  has a power to draw the heart to it. There is a quickening in the grace of the gospel when it is beheld. It is not as a mere object for the eye or understanding, but there is a virtue in it. It comes into the heart, to work upon the heart; many that are mourners, they suffer their hearts to sink down, only to consider of the blackness of their souls, but look not up to the graciousness of the promise. We have a most excellent Scripture for that in Psalm 86:4-5,  “Rejoice the soul of thy servant,” says David. It seems David was in a mournful state; now mark what he says, “Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul;” that is the way for joy. You pray unto the Lord, Oh that you would rejoice my soul; and yet you let your soul fall groveling upon the ground. “But rejoice the soul of thy servant: for, O lord, to thee I do lift up my soul.” This scripture is of exceeding use to mourners, for there is nothing that mourners for sin are more faulty in than when they desire joy to their hearts, yet they suffer their hearts to lie groveling below; they do not stir up themselves and strive to lift up their souls. “For unto thee do I lift up my soul,” says David. And in verse 5, “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon thee.” The Lord is ready, if you can but lift up your soul and be ready. Therefore take heed that the anguish and trouble of your soul does not hinder you  from looking upon the promise, from listening unto the promise that is made unto you.
–Jeremiah Burroughs Sermon IX on the Beatitudes