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Sin hardens the hearts of men!  “But exhort one another daily, while it is called to day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:13).  The hard hearted do not mourn their sins or the sins of others.  Instead, they are arrogant, prideful, and rebellious.  Paul describes their obstinacy in Romans 1:32, “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death,  not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Contrast this heart condition with the hearts of the righteous.  Two examples will illustrate the difference.  The first is Jeremiah, the weeping prophet.  In Jeremiah 9:1 he writes, “Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!”  Jeremiah lamented the apostasy of God’s people who had forsaken the LORD for idols.  He knew the impending destruction that would befall them because of their sin (Jeremiah 8:18-22).  The second is Jesus.  Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stoneth them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”  Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew 24.  In Luke 19:41, Luke writes, “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it” (Luke 19:42-44).  Matthew Henry said, “The sins of sinners are the sorrows of the saints.”
David in Psalm 119:136, weeps for the sins of others.  “Rivers of waters run down my eyes, because they keep not thy law.”
The Source of This Mourning
The source of this mourning is the sin of the sinner.  Nothing affected David’s heart more than the dishonoring of God’s law whose glory shines through His word and His judgments.  When God’s law is dishonored, God is dishonored.  A godly man is deeply moved by the dishonoring words and deeds of the unrighteous.  Another source of these tears is the compassion of the righteous.  The sins of others are the sorrows of the saints!  The righteous understand the fierceness of the wrath of God.  They can see and predict the doom of the ungodly.
The Nature of This Mourning
First, let us note what this mourning is not.  It is not apathy.  Apathy is disinterest, lack of concern.  The righteous are not indifferent to the rampant sin of the world.  John declares that the whole world lies in darkness (I John 5:19).  This causes deep grief and is unsettling to every righteous person.  It is not a proud setting off of their own goodness or a holier than thou attitude.  It is not derision or mockery.  It is not bitterness or anger.  It is not vindictiveness or revenge.  It is sorrow of the soul that produces rivers of tears.
Second, it is an act more useful to make us more careful of our own souls.  The righteous understand the peril that sin brings to the soul.  Mourning the sins of others makes us more careful of our own steps lest we fall into the condemnation of the LORD.
Third, It is a barrier to temptation.  The soul cannot bring itself to do what it legitimately mourns in others.  The righteous do not envy the ungodly.  Rather, they weep for them.  The righteous have a true insight into the spiritual consequences of sin. That reality molds the conscience and provides a barrier to sin.
Fourth, it is the height of compassion that sees the appalling spectacle of a world of people apostatized from God.  The shear numbers are staggering when you consider that more than 7.5 billion people inhabit the planet.  Only a small percentage have found the one, true, and living God (Matt. 7:13-14).
Fifth, It is a reflection of a great and intense love for the precepts, ways, and judgments of God.  David affirmed, “O, how love I thy law!  It is my mediation all the day” (Psa. 119:97).  A lack of response to the sins of others may betray a distance between ourselves and God.  Part of the slow and steady compromise with sin involves a lack of passion and devotion to God.  Jesus observed, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matt. 24:12).  Love dies where sin has free course in the hearts of men.  The saints of God are not immune to this malady of the soul.  When we love God and His Word, our sorrow is greatly increased when people trample Him and it under foot.
Sixth, It is the realization of the horror of horrors.  Jesus said, “Except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24).  To die outside of God’s mercy is the greatest calamity that could befall a human life.  When we realize that a precious soul is doomed to eternal punishment–it is a cause for deep sorrow and rivers of tears.
Seventh, It is grief–abundant sorrow–shown when the greatest love goes unrequited.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31). When God’s love for the world is rebuffed and rejected it is cause for deep sorrow.  When anyone turns away from God’s love, he/she is destined to face God’s wrath!
The Effect of This Mourning
This mourning serves to warn the unrighteous.  When holy men weep, the world should ask, “What’s wrong?”  This mourning serves to instruct the ungodly.  The righteous exemplify godly sorrow.  Godly sorrow is sorrow that is generated in the human heart that understands its transgression against God, that fears the wrath of God, and is genuinely grieved by sin and its consequences.  The righteous teach the sinner the pathway to the heart of God involves a river of tears (II Cor. 7:10-11).  This mourning serves to invite the ungodly to seek a remedy for sin.  The solution to this type of mourning is the joy that comes through salvation.  Godly sorrow leads to repentance which in turn leads to salvation.  Those saved from their sins rejoice (Acts 8:39; 16:34).  The righteous rejoice (Luke 15).  Heaven rejoices (Luke 15:10).
Where Do We Begin?
David mourned his own sins.  “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears: (Psa. 6:6).  He cried for mercy, ‘Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed:” (Psa. 6:2).  Joy returns when sin is forgiven and the conscience is cleared and cleansed.  “For the LORD will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies” (Lamentations 3:31-32).  “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy” (Psa. 126:5).