Watson: "After your funeral begins your festival. Long for suppertime."

I am continuing my afternoon sermon series through the beatitudes of Matthew 5:1-12 and reading Thomas Watson's exposition as I go.  I closed last Sunday's reflection on "Blessed are they that mourn:  for they shall be comforted" with Watson's reflections on the eternal comfort awaiting those who mourn for their sins:

Who would not mourn for sin that are sure to meet with such rewards! 'They shall be comforted’. The marriage-supper will make amends for 'the valley of tears’. O saint of God, you who are now watering your plants and weeping bitterly for sin, at this last and great feast your 'water shall be turned into wine’. You who now mortify your corruptions, and 'beat down your body’ by prayer and fasting, shall shortly sup with Christ and angels. You who refused to touch the forbidden tree shall feed upon 'the tree of life in the paradise of God’. You impoverished saint, who have scarce a bit of bread to eat, remember for your comfort, 'in thy father's house there is bread enough’, and he is making ready a feast for you, where all the dainties of heaven are served in. O feed with delight upon the thoughts of this marriage-supper! After your funeral begins your festival. Long for suppertime. 'The delay is long which separates us from our honey-sweet joys’. Christ has paid for this supper upon the cross, and there is no fear of a 'reckoning’ to be brought in. 'Wherefore comfort one another with these words’.

JTR