CHAP. I. The Introduction and Explication of the Text.

THe Survivor (according to his Cir­cumstances) by sympathizing Per­sons, will be allowed to unload his burthened heart, by pouring out his Complaints in some such manner:

Hath God afflicted me? Hath he chastised my Children? both me and them with such a [Page 2] smarting Rod, as Death bereaving me of the choicest outward Comfort of my Life, and re­moving out of the World from them a tender Mother, that brought them into it, and there­by caused us all to drink deeply of the Waters of Marah, and filled our Eyes with overflow­ing Tears, and our Hearts with over-whelm­ing Sorrow, and is it not time to cast about what Remedy Scripture doth yield, which Na­ture cannot afford? Do I stand before you this day in such Circumstances, as in Preaching for the space of almost forty years, I never did, and may I not borrow from you some hours in your hearing to speak to my self and them, deprived of so great a Mercy? Paul was in a great strait whether he should chuse to live or dye; and I am in a strait how I should with­out sin Sorrow for my dead. For if defect of Sense and Sorrow in this case be a Sin, I will strive to Sorrow, that through stupidity I might not Sin. If regular Sorrow be my duty, I will study and pray that it might be so regulated, that whilest I Sorrow and not Sin, I might please and delight my self in this Sorrow, and take some comfort from my Sorrow: If excess be my weakness, without Divine Assistance I cannot remove it, therefore bent my mind to muse upon these words, I would not have you to be ignorant, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope.

But may not that which is my Sorrow to day, be some of yours to morrow? Or within a lit­tle time will it not, must it not be done to you and yours, which at the present is done to me and mine? Are not your Relations mortal as well as ours was? And if you have not sinned so much as we, yet have not you so much Sin, as might call Death into your Houses? Will not Death shortly knock at your doors, and enquire who lives here, upon this design that there they may die? Will it not break through your strongest Gates, scale your highest Walls, climbe up to your Windows, enter into your Chambers, come into your very Beds, and take the Wife out of your Bosome, and the sucking Child from the Mothers Brest? Will it not in a few Days and Nights more, tear and rend from you the desire of your Eyes, tho you would hold them fast in your Arms? Shall not the shriekings be heard in your Houses, as lately were in mine, and the doleful cry go round; while one Child begins, saying, My Mother, alas, my dear Mother is dead! and ano­ther shall eccho to the voice of the former, with weeping Eyes, with wringing of Hands, and bitterness of Soul, shall say, What shall I do? what shall I do? My tender, loving Mother is dead! my Mother is dead! I could never say so before, and the first time it is said, it is a sor­rowful saying. May Sin invite Death into your Families, saying, Come in thou Messenger [Page 4] of the Lord, come in; here is one deserves to dye, and there is another, seize him, and hale him out, apprehend him, and take him away; he lives not as he should, let him die as he ought. May it shortly be said by you, my Wife is dead, my Husband is dead; and is Grace and Nature in you so equally poized, and have you such a just temperament and mixture of both, as not to sorrow less or more than you ought; that now your Relations are round about your Ta­bles, and no ones place is empty; you might not at present hear, for time so shortly to come, what might be said concerning Sorrow for the dead, and cure your ignorance con­cerning them which are asleep; that you sorrow not as others which have no hope: or tho they dye, yet you sorrow not, as such do not, that have neither Faith, nor Hope, nor natural Affe­ction.

Nature and Religion binding me to pro­mote the temporal and spiritual Good of so near a Relation all a long, pressed more hard upon me to give my utmost diligence to assist her in her last Sickness by Night and Day, by Prayer and Discourse, that she might (and God through his rich Grace and Mercy in Christ to her Soul did enable her) with abiding comfort, and setled hope of Heaven, look Death in the face, overcome this King of Terrors, and con­quer the Fears thereof, when Death by its stroke without a Sting did conquer her.

This Portion of Scripture from the Text to the end of this Chapter was the last I read and urged, before she left her own to go to her Fa­ther's house, which I do make the first to ex­plain and apply in this place for my own and your sake: Wherein are three generals.

1. A Doctrinal Conclusion concerning Sorrow for such as sleep in Jesus, or dye in the Lord, v. 13.

2. The Confirmation of it, by many argu­mentative Reasons, and are helps against sinful Sorrow by excess; from ver. 14. to the 18.

3. The Application of this Doctrine so confirm­ed, or the use of Comfort to be made of it against such Sorrows, V. 18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The Doctrinal Conclusion laid down in the Text, consists of these particulars.

1. A familiar Representation of Death, that the thoughts of it might be more easy to our minds; to dye, sounds more harsh; to sleep, is a softer expression of Death. Death and Grave you would every day avoid; Sleep and Bed, you every night desire; yet Death is but as a Sleep, and the Grave is but as a Bed; and both so called in the Scripture.

[Page 6]2. The Deportment and Behaviour of the Survivers, in reference to such as sleep the sleep of Death, which relates unto their Sorrow upon this occasion. And in this, these two things are couched in the Text.

1. A Sorrow supposed, granted, and allowed to the living for their dead. For should the living be as senseless as the dead, when Death hath taken away Life, and Breath, and Mo­tion from them, shall Sin take away all work­ings of natural Affections from us? Shall Death snatch them out of our Bosoms, force them out of our Arms, and tear one piece of our selves from our selves, take the one half away, and leave the other behind, and we stand and look on without a Tear in our Eyes, without Sorrow in our Hearts, as if we had neither sense of Gods heavy Hand, nor love to them, nor feeling of the stroke that thereby is laid upon our selves? Sorrow we may, tho not as others.

2. Excess of Sorrow is corrected. Lay not the Reins loose upon your Affections, lest they carry you to Sin in your Sorrow. La­vish not those Tears in washing your dead, which should be kept for lamenting of your Sins. Let there be a difference betwixt your Sorrow, and the Sorrow of others, as there should [...] betwixt those that have hope, and those that have no hope of a joyful Resurre­ction [Page 7] to Eternal, Glorious Life. The Hea­thens have no such hope, for they are with­out Christ, the cause of hope; without the Church, the place of hope; without the Co­venant, the ground and reason of hope: While you are allowed to mourn as Men, do not exceed the bounds and limits be­coming Christian Men. The Heathens mourn for their dead beyond all bounds of Mode­ration, while they lament them as such that shall live no more. But let Christians limit their Sorrow, as for such, that tho they be dead, shall live again, and after that shall die no more.

3. In the Text, is the Cause of excessive Sor­row for the dead, that is, Ignorance concern­ing the State of the Dead, now and hereafter, at the present and for ever, both as to Body and to Soul.

4. The cure of excessive Sorrow. Knowledg, Meditation, and firm belief of the present and future State of those that dye in the Lord. I would not have you to be ignorant; o­thers are, and therefore mourn to excess; but I would not have you so to be, that you may not sorrow as they do. Did ye know, think, and believe, that their Death is but a Sleep, out of which they shall certainly a­wake; their Graves, their Beds, out of which, when the morning of the Resurrection shall come, they shall arise, and that their Souls in [Page 8] the mean time are with God, and Christ, and the Eternal Spirit, admitted into that glorious Society of Angels and Saints above, perfectly Loving, constantly delighting, per­petually Praising and Triumphing in that God that did chuse them, in that Jesus that did redeem them with his Blood, in that Holy Spirit that made them meet to be partakers of that Inheritance of yonder Saints in Light, and Life, and Love; would you groan while they rejoyce? Would you mourn while they sing Songs of Praise? Are you grieved because they are exalted? Do you take on, as if they were for ever lost, when by saving Mercy they are now for ever found in the glorious Presence of their Lord, and Father, and Re­deemer? Could you hear them speak to you, they would say, you are in daily Trouble, we in everlasting Rest, and Peace, and Triumph; you are in the Field, we have got the Victo­ry; you are in danger of Sin and Satan, we are freed from them for ever; your love unto our Lord and yours, is imperfect love, while ours wanteth no degree; you know not what we do know of God, and Christ, and Glo­ry; you see not what we do see, nor enjoy so much as we enjoy, therefore spend your Tears upon your selves, and not for us; weep for your selves, and not for us; lament your selves being yet in a sinful World, and not us that are lodged in a pure, spotless Place [Page 9] and Kingdom. You pray, and wait, and hope to be where we are, but we have no desire to be where you be. We have a bet­ter House than you live in, better Compa­ny, and better Work, and sweeter Imploy­ment; therefore Sorrow for your selves, and not for us.

But Earth is a place for Sorrow, which we must tast in handling the first Doctrine; and after we have pleased our selves with it, from love to them, we will endeavour and seek for Comfort as to them in the se­cond.

CHAP. II. The First Doctrine, proved by Scripture Instances and Reasons.

Doct. I. THE Actings and Workings of Sor­row in the Living, for the Dead, are allowed, and lawful, and ought to be.

For he saith not, Do not sorrow at all; this defect or want of sorrow is so far from becoming Christians, that it is unworthy of a Man as a Man. How incongruous is it, for a Man to sorrow for a dead Beast, that lays not to Heart the Death of a Child, or of some nearer and greater Relation? There are too many Stoicks in practice in this point, that are not so in O­pinion. At the Losses of the World, sorrow fills their Hearts; you may see their Tears, you may hear their Groans, and bitter Com­plaints, I am undone, this Loss is my Ruine: And the sense of this, and sorrow for it shall last long, m [...]y [...]hey will not stick [...]o tell you, they shall never get over it, but it will break their Hearts: But these that melt like Wax for a Worldly Loss, are as hard and sensless as a Stone, not regarding the D [...]th of a Wife of their Bosom, of a Child of their Loins, or a Brother from the same Parents; but have a [Page 11] secret gladness in their Hearts, when their Chil­dren die, because they have the fewer to main­tain; or a weak and sickly Wife by Death is ta­ken away, because the burden of the charge is thereby eased. Lord! what kind of Chri­stians are these, that have not so much value for an Humane Body, nor an Immortal Soul, as for the more ignoble things of this World, without Life, or Sense, or Reason! This horrid and unnatural Sin against the Lives of their Parents, is in too many Children, who expect­ing the Possession of their Goods and Estates at their Death, think they live too long, long for their Decease; and though they may cloath themselves in Mourning to follow them to their Graves, yet secretly please themselves that they are gone, and their Riches come to them. Neither may any please themselves with Stoi­cal Apathy, or want of grief and sorrow for the Death of Relations, because they were wicked and ungodly, lived and died in Sin, which should rather increase than diminish their mourning for them; for must not that Man have an Heart of Stone that is neither moved for the Death of the Body, nor for the Damnation of the Soul of any so near in relation to him? Is it nothing to such a Man that the Bo­dy is consumed in the Grave, and the Soul tor­mented in Hell? Is it nothing that the Body is meat for Worms, and the Soul a prey to Devils? As there is no greater alleviation of [Page 12] our sorrow for the dead, than well-grounded hope that the Soul is lodged with God above; so there can be no greater aggravation of sor­row for the death of the Impenitent, than the Thoughts that the Soul is Damned, before the Bo­dy can be Buried. Who or what manner of Man is he, that can forbear to grieve and sor­row for the death of a Wife, or a Son, because she was a froward, graceless, or a wicked Wife; or because he was a disobedient Son; yet was not the one a Wife, and the other a Son, and both had Immortal Souls? And if you had no ground to hope at death they were recei­ved into Heaven, must not you conclude they were then cast down to Hell? And take on and say, Ah my Son, my Son, how miserable, for ever miserable art thou, my Son, my Son? Did I beget thee to be a prey for Devils, to be Fuel for the Flames of Hell? The Son of my Loins, a part of my self is for ever lost, because he died in his Sin. He sinned, and never repented; he went on in Sin to his dying day, and never turned to the Lord, and when he died was condemned. Oh my Bow­els, my Bowels for thee my departed Son! thy Death I could have better born, if Damnation af­ter death by dying in thy Sin had not been thy Portion. What! gone from me to Devils? What! from my House to Hell? While thou in Hell, and I on Earth; I cannot but sorrow on Earth, when I think thou art tormented in Hell. I have lost thee, and that is bad; and thou hast lost God, and that [Page 13] is worse, infinitely worse; because the God that thou hast lost is infinitely good. If you cannot sorrow for the death of a Relation because he was bad, that will be no proof that you your self are good. And if you justifie your self, though you sorrow not at all; do you not condemn the practice of David in mourning so much for an Incestu­ous, Murderous, and Rebellious Son, because he died in his Sin, and unprepared for Death, and a better state in another World? 2 Sam. 18.33. And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absolom, my son, my son Absolom, would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son. This is the first thing in the Survivers Carriage for the dead; sorrow is allowed: The defect is both their Sin and Shame.

That we may and ought to give a lodging to sorrow in our Breasts, even for those whose Souls are lodged with God above, and whose Bodies being lodged in the Grave do there sleep in Jesus, will be apparent and justified by these Arguments pleading for it.

First, The approved Practice, and commendable Examples of Holy Persons Recorded in Sacred Scripture, mourning and sorrowing for their de­ceased Relations. Instances we find in the seve­ral respective Relations in which they stood while they did live together, that the Survi­ving [Page 14] did mourn for, not only in habit but in heart, when death had parted [...]h [...] [...]der.

1. [...] Death had dissolved the Conjugal Ʋ ­ [...] be wixt [...]usband and Wife, the Surviving Husband (that wa [...] la [...]ly s [...]) mourned for his deceased Wife. So Abraham for Sarah. Gen. 23.2. And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba, the same is Hebron, in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. Tears for a departed Wife are not unworthy of a Man, nor unbecoming; but he that hath not a Tear to shed upon such a sorrowful occasion, was unworthy of a Wife. Abraham wept for Sarah. So Wives for their Husbands. The Tidings that Ʋriah was dead, were grievous to Bathsheba, and caused her to mourn. 2 Sam. 11.26. When the wife of Ʋriah heard that her husband Ʋriah was dead, she mourned for her husband. Powerful Death hath made many sorrowful Hearts, because it hath power to do that which all the Created Powers in Heaven and Earth could not do; that is, to separate those that God by his Institution had join­ed together. This Knot of unfeigned Lovers none but Death could untye: This Ʋnion none but Death could dissolve. God that hath gi­ven a charge that no Man should part asunder such as he had joined together, hath given a Commission, Alas, he hath given a Commission to Death to part them (as to that relation) [Page 15] for ever: In one instant I could say, this Wo­man is my VVife; in the next, thou, even thou, O powerful Death, didst both stop her Breath, and tye my Tongue, that I could no longer call her mine: Mine, and not mine, in that in­stant, and not in this that was joined to the former. Lord, give me leave to sorrow, that that which was most mine, is no longer mine.

2. VVhen Death snatcheth away Children out of their Parents Arms and Bosoms, which before were in their Loins, the Parents have sorrowed, and lamented Deaths doings. Jacob when he did but suppose his Son Jos [...]ph was dead, did grieve and sorrow as though his Heart would break, and refused to be comforted. Comfort me! Is Joseph dead, and do ye speak of Comfort? My Son dead, and I admit of comfort? no, I will give place to sorrow: My Son is dead, and my sorrow shall live as long as I live; and I will go sorrowing to my Grave, to him. Gen. 37.32. And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father, and said, This have we found; know now whether it be thy sons coat or no. 33. And he knew it, and said, It is my sons coat: an evil beast hath devoured him: Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. 34. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 35. And all his sons, and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, and he refused to be comforted; and he said, for I will go down into the grave unto [Page 16] my son, mourning: thus his father wept for him. David grieved for the death of his Son Am­non. 2 Sam. 13.37. David mourned for his son every day: and for his son Absalom. 2 Sam. 18.33. and 19. 1. It was told Joab, Behold the king weepeth and mourneth for Absolom. 2. The peo­ple heard say that day, how the king was grieved for his son. 4. The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom my son, my son.

(1.) This sorrow is used to express degrees of sorrow for the afflicted Church. Should not we mourn for the Miseries of the Church, for the Calamities of the best Men? Should we not grieve and sorrow, when the Sword of an Enemy, and fear is round about us? When the Spoiler comes upon us? And should not the degree of our sorrow be equal to the degrees of the evil that befalls us? What are those degrees? Such as are equal to the de­grees of sorrow of Parents for the death of an only Son: When the Spirit of God chuseth out such sorrow for a pattern of sorrow for the Church in great distress, doth it not im­port that such sorrow for Children removed by death is great sorrow? Jer. 6.25. The sword of the enemy, and fear is on every side. 26. O daughter of my people, gird thee with sack­cloth, and wallow thy self in ashes: make thee mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentati­on; [Page 17] for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon thee: Let Parents that are little affected with the death of a Child, inquire where are their na­tural affections, their sense and feeling of the Hand of God in so severe a blow, when God himself ranks girding with sackcloth, wallowing in ashes, bitter lamentations, and mourning for an only Son, as equalizing each other in degrees of sorrow.

(2.) To set forth the degrees of sorrow under sore and heavy Judgments. When God threatneth to bring such sore and heavy Judgments that shall cause Mens Mirth to cease, their Joy to be banished, their Sorrow to be multiplied; he compares it to the mourning for an only Son; as what useth to be in highest degree. Amos 8.10. And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation, and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.

(3.) The degrees of sorrow of convinced, repenting Sinners. This manner of mourning is used to set forth the great degrees of sorrow that the repenting Jews should have, when they should be convinced of their Barbarous and Bloody Fact in Murdering of the Son of God. Zech. 12.10. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace, and of supplications, and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and [Page 18] they shall mourn for him, How much? As one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first­born. All these shew not only what sorrow is al­lowed, but what degree also is required, and hath been in Parents for the death of Chil­dren, that have had a due sense of God's af­flicting Hand in taking their Children from them by death; Even sorrow setting forth, (1.) The sorrow for the Calamities of the Church. (2.) The greatness of the sorrow Men are filled with when God's heavy Judg­ments are upon them. (3.) The sorrow of true Penitents for their sinful carriage to God's own Son. Though the parallel will not hold in all respects, yet the greatness of the sorrow of the one is made use of to declare the greatness of the others; which is sufficient evidence that such sorrow is great in it self.

Though Love doth descend from Parents to Children, more than it doth ascend from Children to Parents, yet Children the more dutiful they were to their Living Parents, the more they mourned for them when remo­ved from them by Death. (1.) For their Father. So Joseph with the rest of his Brethren for Jacob. Gen. 49.33. When Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered to his people. Gen. 50.1. And Jo­seph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, [Page 19] and kissed him. 7. Joseph went up to bury his fa­ther. 8. And all the house of Joseph, and his bre­thren, and his fathers house. 10. And they came to the threshing-floor of Atad, which is beyond Jor­dan, and there they mourned with a very great, and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourn­ing for his father seven days. 11. The inha­bitants of the place when they saw the mourning, said, this is a very grievous mourning. (2.) The Death of Mothers hath been no less lamented by their Children. Isaac mourned for his Mo­ther, Gen. 24.67. When David would ex­press the greatness of his sorrow for others, he aggravates it by this, I was bowed down as one that mourneth for his mother, Psal. 35.14.

3. When breaches have been made by Death be­twixt Brethren and Sisters, the Surviving have greatly sorrowed for those that were removed from them. Mary and Martha lamented the death of their Brother Lazarus. John 11.19. Ma­ny of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. 31. The Jews which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily, and went out, followed her, saying, she goeth to the Grave to weep there. 32. When Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33. Jesus saw her weeping. Can Brethren and Sisters that descended from the same Parents, [Page 20] that were bred in the same Womb, sucked the same Breasts, brought up together in the same Family, see any of them carried to the Grave before them, and not follow with weeping Eyes, and sorrowful Hearts?

4. Ministers heretofore have not died unla­mented, nor followed to their Graves with­out Weeping and Sorrow. They that watched over the People while they lived, were be­wailed by the People when they fell asleep. When Death did tye their Tongues, and si­lence them; when the Seers eyes have been closed, and the feet of them that brought the glad tidings of Salvation to lost Sinners, are fettered by the bands of Death, that they can come and bring no more: When they that brake the Bread of Life, became meat for Worms, and could pray with them, and for them, and preach to them no more; when they had done their work, then the Peoples sorrows did begin. The children of Israel wept for Moses thirty days, Deut. 34.8. And for Aaron, Numb. 20.29. When all the congrega­tion saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel. When Samuel died, all the Israelites were ga­thered together, and lamented him, 1 Sam. 25.1. Stephen was not buried without much sorrow, Acts 8.2. Devout men carried Ste­phen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. But now Ministers Widows and [Page 21] Children might mourn, when many others are not concerned for them living or dy­ing.

5. Tho now in our Iron Age some can scarce sorrow for departed Relations, yet in former times they have greatly mourned for servants that have died out of their Families. Deborah, that was Rebecca's Nurse, belonging to Isaac's house, had her Funeral attended with Tears, Gen. 53.8. Deborah, Rebecca's nurse, died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak; and the name of it was called Allon Buchuth, that is the oak of weeping; because of the many Tears that were shed at her burial.

6. The compassionate Bowels, the troubled Heart, the weeping Eyes of our Lord Jesus for a departed Believer, are significant Indications of the Sorrow there should be upon such Dispen­sations of Divine Providence. When Lazarus was dead, Mary and Martha wept; the Jews wept; and when Jesus came after he was bu­ried, he wept also; he was troubled with them that were troubled, and wept with them that wept for their dead, on which occasion he was troubled, he groaned, he wept, John 11.33, 35.

If all these did thus sorrow fo their dead, may not we for ours? Dear Jesus! when thou didst not rebuke Martha and Mary weeping for their deceased Brother, but didst weep with them; didst not shew thine Anger, but [Page 22] thy Pity to them in their Sorrow for the re­moval of a Brother from them; keep us that are concerned, because afflicted, from sinful Sor­row, and shew thy Compassion to us, whilest we do case our burthened Hearts by venting of our Sorrow, and weeping out our Grief. Since we have so many approved Examples of Holy Men and Women that in the like case have sor­rowed in the like manner.

Secondly, Defect of Sorrow, where there is true cause of Sorrow, is a falling short of the exercise of those Affections, which God himself hath implanted in our Hearts. Why hath God given us the Affection of Love, but that it may be set upon obj [...]cts of Love? And the Affection of Delight and Joy, but that we may rejoyce when God affords us matter of Joy? And why the Affection of Grief and Sorrow, but that we should duly grieve when his deal­ings with us call aloud, and provoke us to it? And if Losses are causes of, and calls to Sorrow; what greater loss in things below, than the loss of such as should be dearer to us than all things here below? Religion doth not destroy Na­ture, but rectify it. Grace doth not abolish natural Affections, but directs them to their Objects, and keeps them in their due Propor­tion, that as they should not be excessive, so not defective in their measure.

Thirdly, Love to, and delight in Relations while they live, must needs constrain our Sorrow [Page 23] when by death removed from us. What is that which you truly and duly love, and delight in the enjoyment of, that you can forbear to sor­row for the loss of? Nay, if it be unduly loved (as a worldly Man doth his Riches) when lost, can sorrow be concealed? And shall not we be allowed to love near Relations, more than worldly Riches, and so to sorrow more for the loss of the one, than of the other. I do know what it is to meet with losses of the World; but I do not know that they did break my Sleep; but I cannot deny, but my late loss of one so near, hath kept mine Eyes waking in the deep silence of the Nights. How any should have due due degrees of Love to Husband, Wife, Parents or Children while they live, and not have equal Sorrow for them when they dye, is not easy for me to give a rational Account of. For if the Goodness of the Object beget love to it, the Absence of it excites desires af­ter it; the loss of it must fill us with Sorrow for it. Want of Sorrow, when they are taken from us, doth argue want of Love while they were continued with us. If you groan not at their Death, there is room for this question; Were not you burdened with their Life? Did you look upon that Relation when alive, as one of your Enjoyments, when you do not look upon the Death of such a one, as one of your Afflicti­ons? When Husband and Wife are known not to live in love, every one hath a Tongue to say, [Page 24] Such will not mourn for her Death. How should he afflict his heart with Grief, when separated by Death, when it was empty of Love when joyned in Life? David's different Carriage at the death of his Son Absalom, and of his young Child, doth not shew, that when he had so much Sorrow for the one, he had no Sor­row for the other, but that he had something to moderate his sorrow for the one, which he had not for the other; when he had hopes that the one was saved, and fears that the other was damned.

Fourthly, The want of lamentation and mourn­ing is a punishment that God inflicts upon Sinners at their Death. Job 27.13. This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almigh­ty. 15. Those that remain of him shall be buried in death, and his widows shall not weep. That Husband was unkind, while he lived, or his Widow unnatural, that cannot weep when he is dead. Psalm 78.64. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation. When God takes away his loving-kindness and Mercies from men for their great wicked­ness, while they live, as a token of his wrath, he will not have them lamented when they die, Jer. 16.3. Thus saith the Lord concerning the sons, and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat [Page 25] them in this land. 4. They shall die of grievous deaths, they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried, but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth, and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by the famine, and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. 5. For thus saith the Lord, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament, nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, even loving-kindness and mercies. 6. Both the great and the small shall die in this land, they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them. 7. Neither shall men tear them­selves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give the cup of conso­lation to drink for their father, or their mother. Dying by Sword and Famine, denial of bu­rial, the Flesh of the dead lying as Dung upon the Earth, devoured by the Beasts, consumed by the Fowls, and no Sorrow, no Lamentation for them, are Judgments of God upon wicked Men: And should those that dye in the Lord, be no more lamented, than those that dye in their Sin, and for their Sin deserve no Lamen­tation? Tho the Name and Carcase of the wicked rot in the Grave together, yet should not the name of the righteous be had in re­membrance? And can we remember their Name without Sorrow, that we have not [Page 26] their Presence and Company, and opportuni­ty of getting good by their Counsel and Ex­ample?

Forms usual in Mourning for the dead; as, Ah my Brother, or ah my Sister; My Wife; Ah my Husband; are foretold by God should not be used concerning Persons by Name, as a Judgment upon them for the wickedness of their Lives. As concerning Jehojakim, Jer. 22.17. Thine eyes, and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence to do it. 18. There­fore, thus saith the Lord concerning Jehoja­kim, the son of Josiah King of Judah, They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother, or Ah my sister: they shall not lament for him, say­ing, Ah Lord, or Ah his glory [or Majesty]. 19. He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem. Jehoram for his wickedness was punished by God in his Life, his Person with an incurable disease in his Bowels, pained therewith for the space of two years, at the end of which time, his Bowels fell out by reason of his Sick­ness; at his Death, in his Name and Reputati­on; in that the People made no burning for him, like the burning of his Father, that is, did not honour him at his burial, by burning of precious and sweet-smelling Spices, as they did for Asa, 2 Chron. 16.14. But Jehoran de­parted without being desired. 2 Chron. 21.18, [Page 27] 19, 20. And shall those that lived to the Lord, and died in the Lord, be no more sorrowed for, than those that lived and died in their Sin? Shall not leave be allowed that such that were desired in Life, might be lamented at their Death? Oh, let not that saying be used of a­ny that sell asleep in Jesus, He, or She, lived un­desired, and died unlamented.

Fifthly, Sorrowing and Lamentation for the death of others, hath been appointed and command­ed by God in Honour to them in whom real good and worth was found while they lived. Jeroboam (his Child being sick) sends his Wife in a disguise to the Prophet, to know what should become of the Child; Who bid her return to her House; and when her Feet entred into the the City, said, Her Child should die, and that all Israel should mourn for him, and bury him; for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, be­cause in him is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam: The Child died, and they buried him, and all Israel mourned for him according to the Word of the Lord, which he spake by the hand of his servant Ahijah the Prophet, 1 King 14.12, 13, 17, 18. Josiah was buried, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him, and Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, and all the singing men and singing wo­men spake of Josiah in their lamentations, and made them an ordinance in Israel, and behold they are written in the Lamentations, 2 Chron. 35.24, 25. [Page 28] True and real goodness, the Image of God in meaner Persons is precious and honourable, tho in Persons of higher Rank is more honour­ed, and might make them more useful while they live, and so the more lamented when they die; yet as Angels convoy the Souls of poorest Believers to Heaven, and shew their Love and Respect to them in conducting them thither; so those that live, should lament and sorrow for the death of their Bodies, as re­maining still united to Christ.

Sixthly, It is complained of by God, and con­demned as an Evil, that Righteous Persons should be taken away by Death, and those that live do not lay it to heart, Isa. 57.1. And can it be laid to heart, without any sorrow in the Heart? Some may sorrow without Tears, but most shew the sorrow abiding in their Hearts by the Tears running from their Eyes? Shall a god­ly Man, an holy Woman be removed by Death, and lamented by none? Not by those of the Family from whence they were taken? Lord, let not this complaint be made by thee, nor this charge brought against any of the Family more immediately concerned in thy late af­flicting Providence that did befall all of them.

CHAP. III. Want of Sorrow blameable. Conclusions premised.

IT being made manifest that the Apostle al­loweth, and taketh it for granted, that sorrow for those that are fallen asleep may be, should be in those that do survive, for two Rea­sons I will study Answers to these Three Que­stions in this case, in so many Uses to be made.

1. For my own sake, and the sake of my Chil­dren, that when we hear, we may sorrow, and Natural Affections spurs us on thereto, we may take heed of sinning in our sorrow, and may turn our Natural sorrow to our Spiritual advantage; that in much sorrow we might not be defective in our sorrow, nor sorrow with sorrows displeasing to God.

2. For your sakes, because our case will be shortly yours; and you may be to seek how to govern your sorrows, as we are at present put to it to study and pray, how we ought to rule and manage ours. And for both you and us, because it is a subject I have not read of, and I suppose, you seldom hear: The Theme of moderating our sorrow for the dead is more usual and ordinary, and an Ʋse of Con­solation [Page 30] for the comforting of the Living at the Burial of their Dead, is more frequent in Fu­neral Discourses. And tho the Natural Af­fections of many need rather a Bridle to hold them in, than a Spur to put them forwards, yet it cannot be denied, that some have so little sense and feeling of the death of near Re­lations, that they are a shame to Humane Na­ture; or if they do sorrow and mourn, it is with a sinful, passionate, vexatious, but not with a right and kindly sorrow.

Quest. I. What are the Aggravations of defect or want of sorrow for our Dead? In an Use of Reproof.

Quest. II. When is our sorrowing for our Dead kindly and pleasing unto God? and when turbulent Passion, a meer vexation of Spirit, and provoking to God? In an Use of Exami­nation of our selves concerning our sor­row.

Quest. III. When is our sorrow Spiritually defective, when it is naturally abundant? Or when it is too little as we are Christians, when it is never so much as we are Men? In an Use of Caution.

ƲSE I. Tho some are to be blamed for sorrowing too much for the dead, yet it cannot be denied but that there are those that are weary of their Relations while they live, wish [Page 31] they were dead, and rather please themselves because they are eased of them by death, than sorrow because they are dead. The death of a Child, of a Wife, of an Husband, of a Fa­ther or Mother is an heavy stroke; and as some lay it too much to heart, and mourn as if they had no Grace to moderate their sor­row; so some make so light of it, as if they had no natural Affection to move them to mourn on such a mournful occasion. O Lord, are not thine Eyes upon the Truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved, Jer. 5.3. These turn not to the Lord that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts, Isa. 9.13. But to prevent mistakes, misinterpretations and misapplications, I judge it necessary to pre­mise these Conclusions.

1. Sorrow for the Dead, as such, is no spe­cial Grace; nor as such, and in it self consi­dered, acceptable unto God; because it hath been, and may be in Heathens, as much as in Christians.

2. In this Discourse, sorrow for the Dead is not to be separated from a sense of Gods afflict­ing Hand, which should be in Christians more than in Heathens. A Sparrow falls not to the ground, nor a Body to the Grave without God's Hand, which we should mind.

3. Tho sorrow for the Dead, as such, be no Grace, yet it becometh Christians, and should be [Page 32] their care so to exercise their Grace in and about this sorrow, that their sorrow might not be provo­king, but pleasing unto God. Many Graces in our sorrow are to be drawn into Act, as our Faith and Hope concerning their Resurrection to Eternal Glorious Life: Patience under his Rod, Love to God, tho he doth afflict us, Bles­sing God when he taketh from us, as well as when he giveth to us; and thankfulness to God for his Mercy and Grace to our departed Friends for their preparation for death, and his assistance in inabling them to conquer the fears of death, for the happy End that they did make, and rejoicing in God for the receiving of their Souls to the Mansions in our Fathers House; sorrow for the dead, that is no Grace, mix­ed with the Actings of these Graces, and re­gulated by them, is more becoming Christi­ans, than when it is alone, and separated from them.

4. Tho Loss of Relations befalls none but such as have sinned, and thereby made a forfeiture of their Lives; yet the death of Relations might not be inflicted for any Sin committed by the Survi­vors beyond the Case of others that have their Relations yet continued with them. Job had se­ven Sons and three Daughters in one day re­moved by a strange and sudden Death, and yet he had this Testimony from God himself, that he was a perfect and an upright Man, and one that feared God, such a one that there was [Page 33] nor such another, Job 1.8, 18, 19. Tho we have many Humane Infirmities come to our Thoughts after their Death, which being be­wailed, for Christs sake shall be pardoned; yet when no Sin above Saints in an imper­fect state, or no Conscience-wounding, wast­ing Sin; or but what is common to the good, and is too often found in the best Men, upon se­rious search, under such a Loss, hath been committed by them when joined in Life, the Loss is more easily born, than when some ag­gravated Sin remembred, after they are par­ted by death, and proves the sting of that Affliction. Therefore be advised, to live in Love with them, discharging carefully and con­stantly all Relative Duties in Life, that you may part with less stinging sorrow, and more quieting comfort; whoever in the Family be first taken from the rest by death. It will be no small Comfort to the Surviving when the dy­ing Relation shall give them thanks for all their Love to them while they lived with them, and as great a Terrour to those whose Con­sciences are not past feeling, if they leave a complaint behind them on a dying Bed; My Husband to me hath been a bitter Husband; or my Child to me hath been a disobedient Child, and a grief unto my Heart; or if they do not, if an awakened, reflecting, accusing Conscience doth, will cause sorrow at parting; and when their Bodies are consuming in their Graves, [Page 34] will be filling and loading your Hearts with griping grief.

5. Persons might be filled with sorrow at the death of Relations, when it is not for their death, but for their own Self-interest in the World. As when a Man had an Hundred Pound per An­num by the Life of his Wife, and loved the Estate more than her, doth sorrow for the loss of his Wife upon no other account, but because by the loss of her he lost so much of the World. Such selfish sorrow as this, is base, and might be in those that have no right sorrow for their dead.

6. Sorrow for the Dead upon Spiritual Reasons, because we are deprived of the Spiritual Good, we might have got by their continued Life, or are made more uncapable of doing good by their death, tho it relate to our selves, is to be cherished, but the want of such sorrow is to be reproved.

7. Whether we sorrow, or not sorrow for our dead, is easily known by our selves. Such as do, need not apply this reproof to themselves, nor be offended at it: Such as do not, should take it to themselves, for they are to be re­proved, tho they be offended. We must have the Tongue of Christian Preachers, tho some Hearers have not the Natural Affections of Heathen men.

8. Whether the death of Relations be a Punish­ment to some, or a Chastisement to others that re­main alive, a Penal Evil, or a Correcting, Try­ing, [Page 35] (since it is a Smarting) Rod, all should have such a sense of Gods Hand, as to produce feeling sorrow in their Hearts; want of sorrow un­der both, is a Sin thus aggravated.

CHAP. IV. Ten Aggravations of Want of Sorrow for our Dead.

1. WAnt of sorrow, and sense of Gods Af­flicting Hand, is not Patience but Stupidity; not Submission but Rebellion; not He­roical Fortitude of Mind, but a Sottishness of Spi­rit. Is that Patience, when you feel no smart or suffering? Is that Submission to his Will, when you have no feeling of his Rod? Is it pa­tient yielding to his Hand, when you have no sense of the smart of the Rod that by his Hand is laid upon you? Submission in this case hath these Requisites in it. (1.) A desire of the con­tinuance of the Relation, before it was taken from us. (2.) A thankfulness of Heart, if God would have continued the Relation to us. (3.) A sense of the Loss that hath befallen us. (4.) A reckoning of all the Inconveniences, and discomfort of our Lives by their removal by Death; and yet, (5.) A quieting of our Hearts under God's dealings with us in taking them away from us; because it was his Will in his Wisdom so to do unto us. But if you did not desire [Page 36] their continuance; but rather, for Carnal, Worldly, Selfish Ends, their removal; could not have been thankful for their Life, but se­cretly glad of their Death, still for sinful, sel­fish Ends, have no sense of the Loss, nor did esteem it a Loss, but some Advantage, and please your selves with reckoning the conveni­ences you have by their Death; will you blind the World, or your selves, by calling your un­sensibleness of Gods Hand in their Death, a submitting to the Hand and Will of God? However, take heed, that you go not about to impose upon God himself the Searcher of your Hearts, with such a blind as this is. When you have such love unto, and care of, and de­sire after the continuance of your Children [...]s Job had, and such a sense of their Death, as he, of his, and y [...]t carry it, as he did, we will call yours a submission, as his was, Job 1, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. so [...] sense and sorrow un­der God's Afflicting s [...]nd in this kind, is hardness of Heart, when such a lash can make no print, nor impression of the Rod: It is stiff­neckedness when such a burden will not make it bow. It is stout-heartednes [...] against God, when such a severe stroke doth not make you relent, and melt, and yield to him.

2. It is accompanied with the Loss of that Spi­ritual good which y [...]u should have got by s [...]ch an Afflction; so in it self, tho by you not looked upon to be so. When you are corrected, [Page 37] should not you be reformed? When you are scourged, should you not be amended? When i [...] the Furnace, should not you be purified? When in the School of Affliction, should not you learn the Lessons there to be taught? Is all this, or any of this like to be, when you make light of Gods heavy Hand in the death of your near relations? And do not you make light of it, when you have no sorrow for the stroke, nor sense of the Wound inflicted by it? The loss of a Relation is a great loss, but the loss of a sanctified Improvement of it for your Spiritual and Eternal good, is a greater loss, because the one might be a Penal Evil, the o­ther is a Sinful Evil. The one an Affliction, the other a Transgression; the one is a stroke of God upon you, the other is a Sin in you a­gainst God. Jer. 5.3. Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou h st consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock, they have refused to return. The death of your Child, of your Father, Mother, Wife, Hus­band, should have been improved so, as to have be [...]n the death of your Sins, but behold they are dead, and your Sins alive; they are rotting in their Graves, and your Sins are still raging and ruling in your Hearts.

3. Want of Sorrow from the want of the sense of Gods [...]fflicting Hand in this case, argues want of the sense of Sin, that did procure it, of Gods dis­pleasure [Page 38] that did inflict it, and hinders your Repen­tance for those Sins, and humbling your self under the Hand of a displeased God. Tho the death of Relations might not always be for the Sins of those that do survive, yet sometimes it is: Tho God may not always take them away in dis­pleasure to those that remain, yet sometimes he doth: and thus it may be with those that are in a state of Grace; as with David, 2 Sam. 12.14. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee, shall surely die. Should not you then search and en­quire, What is my Sin? And what is my offence? And wherein have I displeased God? Have I sinned, and shall I not sorrow for my Sin? Is God displeased, and shall I not seek to have him pacified? Is my Relation broken by my Sin, and shall not my Heart be broken for my Sin? Or do I make light of the death of my Father, or Mother, Husband, Wife, or Child, and of my Sin, and God's displeasure too? Or can I have any sorrow for the Cause, when I have no sor­row for the Effect: Tho many might have sor­row for the Effect, when they have no sorrow for the Cause thereof? Many might be full of sorrow for the death of Relations, that have no sorrow for the Sin for which God by death did take them away from them that yet do liv [...]; but can a Man have sorrow for the Sin, and for Gods displeasure for that Sin, that hath no [Page 39] sorrow for the death of the Person, caused by the Sin of the Living? Can you grieve, or re­pent of the Sin that caused the death, and not be grieved, nor sorrow for such of your dead? Surely this should make you sorrow for your dead, more than others, that by their Sin did not hasten their death, saying, Oh what have I done! What have I done! Have I sinned my Child into his Grave! Did I sin against God, and hath God taken away my Child, my Father, my Mother, my Wife, my Husband from me, for my Sin? Have I shortned their days, and provoked God to cut in two the Thread of their Lives? And so sinned against a Living God, that cannot die, and against my Living Relations, which for my Sin, now are dead. This would cause sorrow upon sorrow, when many have cause to sor­row for both, do yet sorrow for neither. In­deed God was displeased with David for his Sin, and for his Sin his Child did die, and yet after the Childs death we do nor read he sor­rowed for the Child that died for his Sin, with such sorrow that he did for Absalom that died in his own Sin. But is your Case and David's alike? He sorrowed for his Sin, and humbled himself for his Sin, and fasted and prayed with weeping Tears to God, but did you do so? He obtained the pardon of his Sin, but have you also? Is it not to be questioned when you have no sorrow for Sin, nor God's displeasure, nor the dead, when your Case (which is not [Page 40] the case of all) was such, that one did cause the other.

4. Want of Sorrow for the dead taken from them, from want of sense of God's hand upon them, and against them, argues, That they are spiritually Blind, and cannot see; spiritually Deaf, and cannot hear; spiritually Benummed, and cannot feel. When your living fall down dead, God's hand is lifted up, and you do not see. You see them fall into the Grave under your fe [...]t, but you do not see the hand of God lifted up over your head. Isa. 26.11. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see. When your living Relations do dye, there is Gods rod upon you, and it hath a Voice, a loud, a sh [...]ill, and doleful crying Voice; but you do not h [...]ar, did I say, a Rod? Nay, God hath been in your House with his Ax, hewing down your Living, lopping off the Children, as so many Branches; cutting off the Father, or the Mother, or both, and plucking up the Fa­mily by the Roots, and yet you do not hear the sound of the Rod, nor of the Ax, nor consider who it is that did appoint both. When your Relations dye, it is a stroke of God upon your selves; he kills them, and smitteth you, and yet you have no feeling of his blow. What! are the living dead, while they do live? Are the living become like unto their dead? Ha­ving eyes, but do not see; and ears, but do not hear; and flesh, but cannot feel? You stand [Page 41] before them, but they do not see you; you call to them, but they do not hear you; you strip them, and put on them their Grave-clothes, and remove them down your Stairs, and carry them from your House to their Lodging-dust, and let them down into the pit, and all this while they do not feel you. So are you towards God, as they towards you. God, a displeased God, is come into your House, into your Cham­ber, but you do not see him, nor his anger: He calls to you by your Dead that lies b [...]fore you, but you do not hear his Voice: He is punish­ing, correcting of you, but you do not feel the smart of his stroke. Behold, the dead burying their dead! men spiritually dead, burying their naturally dead. The Lifeless corps do not sorrow that they are let down into the Grave; and the Liseless-living (living a Life of Nature, but not a Life of Grace, not having the Sense of Christians, nor of Men, of the death of their dead, nor of Sin, nor of God's displeasure) do not mourn to see th [...]m lodged th [...]re.

5. Want of Sorrow in this case, from want of sense of God's hand that brought you into it, argues, That you wanted love to them, and a pri­zing, and a valuing of them. Love your Money, and do not sorrow when you lose it. Love your Health and Ease, and do not grieve when you want it in sickness and in pain. Will you say you cannot? How did you love your Child when li­ving, if you cannot sorrow for its Death? How [Page 42] did you love, and prize, and value the Com­ [...] [...] [...]f Father or Mother, Husband or [...] live without Sor­ [...] [...] them? If Sor­ [...] [...] of what was be­ [...] [...] bear some [...] of Lov [...], then how [...] was the love to them when living, when th [...]re is no sorrow for them when dead? The s [...]ying of a poor Man, seeing a rich Man bury­ing his Child, told me, was this, 'Tis the pri­viledge of the rich to bury their Children, when the poor must keep theirs. Are not Children, Husbands, Wives, Fathers, Mothers, a burden to such that look upon it as a Priviledge that they may dye, that they may be buried? What hearts have they that do not sorrow for their dead, when want of Sorrow argues they want­ed love, and yet the thoughts of their want of form [...]r love to them, doth not fill them with present Sorrow? But something to this hath been said before.

6. Want of Sorrow in this Case, argues, A contemning, and a despising of the afflicting hand of God. When God gave you a good Husband, or Wife, or Parents, or Childr [...]n, and you did not prize them when you had them, this was a de­spising of Gods merciful and good Hand unto you; when God took them from you by death, you laid it not to heart; this is a despising of the chastening Hand of God upon you. When living, [Page 43] you were not thankful; when dead, you were not sorrowful; in the one, you despised his love; in the other, you despised his anger: As if you should say, Let God do what he will, you will despise all his doings. God's command to Man, is this, Heb. 12.5. Despise not the cha­stening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebu­ked of him. One man despiseth that rebuke from God, which another is ready to sink un­der: One bears it without feeling of it, when another faints at the smarting of it. When it is a small Affliction, a man despiseth it, this is a light thing, and easily born. When it is a great Affliction, man fainteth because of it, saying, No man's Affliction like to mine; no man's Sorrow like to mine; my Flesh faileth, my Strength faileth, my Heart and Spirit fail, for this is grievous to be born; but behold the Man we are speaking of, is under a great Affliction, (for such is the loss of a near and good Relation) and yet being not sensible, despiseth that which another finds heavy to bear.

7. Want of Sorrow in this case, argues, a man to be pred [...]min [...]ntly a selfish man: To have love to, or care of none but himself. What if a Child dye, so long as he himself doth live? What if a Father or Mother dye, while he himself doth live? And yet, which is more, what if a Wife be laid under ground among the dead, so he himself hath Life and Strength to [Page 44] walk above ground amo [...]g the living? He can set the comfort of his own Life a [...]nst all Sorrow, tho he see all in his Fa [...]ly removed by Death; and tho he be l [...]f [...] a [...] alone, it is all one to him, for himse [...] alone is all to him. It was fitter for such a man to have lived alone in some Cav [...]rn of the Earth, than to have been troubled with Wife, or Children, whom he can part with without any trouble to him­self.

8. This w [...]nt of Sorrow in the [...]xpl [...]ed Sense, is a prov [...]cation to God to afflict [...] more and more, till he is sensible of the Ass [...] [...], and of the hand that laid it on God [...]e [...] [...] one Child by Death, and you [...]ave [...]o sens os the breach made in your Hous [...], nor sorro [...] for it; you do not feel the smarting [...]. God removes a second, and y [...]t y [...]u do not f [...]l it; God proceeds from a Child to a Wife, and yet you do not feel it; n [...]xt he comes unto your sels, and then you feel, and lays you dead also, and makes you as to your Body, till the Resurrection, to be past feeling.

9. Want of Sorrow in this Case, makes you worse than many Heathens. They sorrow too much, and you too little. They are excessive; the Man called Christian is defective in his Sor­row. They act more like men; the Christian (so called) worse than the Bruits, who shew their Sense and Sorrow when deprived of their young.

[Page 45]10. Want of Sorrow in this Case, fills Fu­nerals with Dissemblers; and they follow the Corps acting the Hypocrite openly in the Streets; he walks with Mourning on his Head, and Back, and Hands, without mourning in his Heart. Others think he sorrows, but he knows he doth not, and yet he pretends he doth; if People knew him, as he knows him­self, would say, either get a mourning Heart, or put off your mourning Robes. If I have said in your Judgment too much upon the want of Sorrow, bear with me, for I have said it out of a detestation in my heart of such, more than brutish Temper in many towards their deceased Relations, worthy to be lament­ed, when yet the better they were, by some are sorrowed for the less. If you think there are none guilty in this Case, it is a sign you are not much acquainted with People in the World.

CHAP. V. Resolves this Question: When is our Sorrow for our Dead, kindly and pleasing unto God? and when a turbulent Passion, and vexation of Spirit, and provoking to God?

USE II. IF your hearts be filled with Sorrow for your Dead, and with a Sense of God's hand upon you; examine your Sor­row, what manner of Sorrow it is: For Sorrow, meerly as Sorrow, I have not been pleading for, nor reproving the want of, under such a smarting Dispensation of Divine Providence; which may be the better managed by resol­ving the second Question propounded, which is this, ‘When is our Sorrow for the Dead, kindly and pleasing unto God? And when a turbulent Passion, a v [...]xation of Spirit, and provoking to God?’

Ans. 1. Kindly Sorrow for our Dead, and pleasing unto God, is joyned with lively Prayer. What is all our weeping for them in the Grave, without praying to God in Heaven? What is all our Lamentation for them without Suppli­cation [Page 47] to God? And the more kindly your Sorrow is, the more your Heart will relent, and melt, and the more servent your Spirit in Prayer will be. While they were in their Health with you, it may be you tendered up Sick prayers to God; when they did live, your Prayers were dead, and dull, and slothful Pray­ers; when they were waking with you, you prayed with them in a drowsy, sleepy manner; when God roused you by their Death, you prayed after with more Life; when they fell asleep, God awaked you to more earnest and importunate Pleadings with him at the Throne of Grace. If fear, lest Mother and Children should be put to death by Esau, moved Jacob to mix his fearing and sorrowing, with Prayer and Wrestling; should not feeling of the stroke of Death upon a Mother, a Wife, a Child, put us on to the like praying to, and pleading with God? If he, when his case only was, it may be they must die, now should not we, when we must say, He, or she is already dead? If he did it to preserve life, may not we for the loss of their Life? He for the good of Preservati­on, we under the sense of our Af [...]l ction. Gen. 32.9, 10, 11, 24, 25, 26. Hos. 12.4. He wept and made supplication to him. Job lost ten Children in one day; to express his Sorrow, he rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground; all which he did not under all his former losses, till the sad tidings of the Deat [...] [Page 48] of his Children were brought unto him: And in all this great Sorrow, what did he do? He worshipped, he bowed down before God, and gave Divine Worship unto him by Prayer and Praise. Job 1.19, 20, 21. in all this he plea­sed God, for in all this he sinned not, ver. 22. What if we weep night and day, but pray not neither night nor day? What if we pour out our Tears, but do not pour out a Prayer? Could we weep our selves blind, kill our selves with Sorrow, or rent our Garments, and wring our Hands, and tear our Hair, and never Wor­ship, all this is exorbitant Sorrow, turbulent Passion; neither profitable to our selves, nor pleasing to God, nor advantagi [...]us to the Dead. Some Persons when one lieth dead in the House, tho on a Lord's day will stay at home and weep, but not go out and worship God in Holy Duties; but when you have any dead, it is better drop your Tears into God's Bot­tle, than with them wash your own Faces, or wet your Hankerchief from such turbulent Sor­row.

Ans. 2. Kindly Sorrow in this Case will usher in Sorrow for our Sin, especially such Sins as at such a time come to our Thoughts, relating to the Persons w [...]ose Death we mourn for; as neglect of our Duty to them, unjust and un­grounded grieving of them, or any sinful and unsutable Carriage towards them, when they lived with us. As, do I mourn for the dead Corps, [Page 49] I will shed my Tears for omission of my Duty, for the good of the living Soul. That I did not in­struct them, nor did I pray with them, nor for them; did not teach them how to live, nor help them to prepare to die. When Nathan came to David, his Child died; when David was convinced of his Sin, for which his Child did dye, David turns his Sorrow for his dead Child, into Sorrow for his Sin; and laments, and weeps, and wails for the one, much more than for the other. Psalm 51. Title and Psalm compared. So you, Shall I lament my dead child, and not my dead heart? shall I shed tears because it is under the power of natural Death, and have not I one tear to drop, because my Soul is under the power of spiritual Death? Do I look upon its pale Face, and feel its cold Flesh, and thereby pierce my self through with many and bit­ter Sorrows? And do I feel my own cold Affe­ctions to God and Christ, and all that is good? Do I see the deformity of my Soul by reason of Sin, and am I more loathsome in the sight of a pure and holy God, by reason of my sin, and shall I be grieved more for the lesser than the greater evil? Is it not sin that hath captivated my Soul, worse than Death that hath taken my Wife, or Husband, my Father and Mother, and carry them Prisoners to the Grave? O my Soul! correct thy Sorrow, and turn the stream of thy Tears into another Channel; abate thy Sorrow for the Dead, and increase thy Sorrow for thy Sin. If thou Sor­row [Page 50] never so much, thy Dead shall live here with thee no more; but if thou Sorrow not for thy Sin, thou must be shut out from living with God for evermore. Natural Sorrow had almost swallow­ed me up; and for want of Spiritual Sorrow I am in danger of being cast down into Eternal Misery. Therefore, tho I will sorrow for my Dead, I will sor­row more for my Sins: The loss of God, and Christ, and Heaven by my Sin, will be a greater loss, than the loss of my dearest Relation by Death, infinitely greater: The one by my Natural sorrow cannot be recovered; the other by Penitent-gospel-sorrow may be prevented; therefore while I do the one, I will take special care that the other be not left un­done.

But if your Sorrow be only turbulent Passi­on, you add sin to sin in your Sorrow. And instead of sorrowing for former Sins, you will be falling into new, and sorrow neither for new nor old. You will vent your Passion by the act­ings of Corruptions, saying, Oh, that I had never been born! Since my Relation is dead! Oh, that I might also dye! God hath dealt with none so bitterly, as he hath dealt with me. My Hus­band dead! H [...]w shall I be maintained? My Fa­ther and Mother dead! and I not disposed of in the World; who is there to take care of me? My Wise dead! My bosem Companion dead! the com­fort of my Life fallen into the Grave? When I am sick, and in danger of Death, who have I to take care of me, now my meetest help is gone? How! [Page 51] is this your sorrowing for your Dead? Do you thus mingle your Sin with your Tears, and your Corruption with your Lamentation? If your Father, or Mother, or both be dead, in your Pas­sion and turbulent Sorrow, do you forget that God doth live? If your Husband be dead, can­not God provide for you without him, that did provide for you by him? If Children dye, is not God more to you than many Children? If your Wife be taken from you, cannot God help as much as such a Crea­ture did, or could to bear your Burdens and Afflictions; cannot he provide or prevent? Oh, let us bridle our turbulent Sorrows, and vexatious Passions, lest they hurry us from God, and cause us to yield to great Tempta­tions.

Ans. 3. Kindly Sorrow for our Dead will move us to seek for relief and support in a regular way, dispose us to r [...]ceive Divine Impressions by the Word and Spirit of God, and belief of the great Articles of Faith beyond the reach of Reason, La­zarus was dead; Mary and Martha mourned, their Hearts were filled with Sorrow, their Eyes with Tears, and their Mouths with La­mentations. What did they do? Sit still and feed their Sorrow? Give place to Grief, and yield unto dejection and despondency of Spi­rit? Or seek out for Counsel and Direction in their sorrowful Circumstances? It was told Martha, Christ was coming; Is Christ coming? [Page 52] I shall have some help from him; he will teach me, and instruct me. He will say, and do something for my succour and support. Where­fore as soon as she heard that J [...]sus was coming, she did not stay till he came, but immediately went out meet to him: If Christ be coming to her, she will be going to Christ. When she met with him with Tears, declared her Sorrow, and the Ground and Reason of it; Lord, my Bro­ther is dead, but if thou hadst been here, he had not died. What Christ said to her, she belie­ved and received, and declares her Faith con­cerning the Resurrection of the Dead at the last day, concerning the Power and Will of God to give to Christ whatsoever he should ask of him: Concerning his Person, that he was the Christ, the Son of God, that was to come in­to the World. When she had thus discoursed with Christ, she returns to her Mourning Sister Mary, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that Christ was near, she rose up hastily to go out of the Town to meet him also, falls down at his feet, makes known to him the Death of her Bro­ther, and her Faith in his Power; That if he had been present, he could and would have pre­vented his Death; for she said, If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. Christ ask­ed, Where have you laid him; they and the Jews that mourned with them, entreated him to go unto his Grave, saying, Lord, come and [Page 53] see. Jesus cometh to the Grave, commands the Stone that lay upon it to be taken away. Martha obj [...]cts, His Body is corrupted, for he hath been dead four days. Christ replies, Did not I tell thee, if thou wouldst beli [...]ve, thou shouldst see the p [...]wer of God. They that wept and mourned, obeyed, and did as C [...]rist com­manded. His words made an Impression upon them, and they yi [...]ld Obedience to him, and had Faith in him, even to and for the raising of the Dead. John 11.19, to 45. Kindly Sorrow leaves room for Faith and Obedience; Faith and Obedience keeps Sorrow from degenera­ting into a turbulenc Passion, which is nourish­ed by Unbelief and Disobedience; and in this Sorrow men can deride what they should be­lieve. Luke 8.49. Jairus his Daughter was dead. 52. They wept and bewailed her. Christ said, Weep not, she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53. They laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. But Christ by his call and command to arise, brought her Soul into her again, to the astonishment of the Father, and the Mother of the Maiden, 54, 55, 56. who in their kindly Sorrow did believe, what others in their turbulent Passion did de­ride.

Tho we have not Christ visibly, corporally present with us in our Sorrow to go unto, yet we have his Word to go unto, and his Ministers to go unto, and to hear the words of Christ [Page 54] opened and applied to us by his Servants, and under such an Affliction, what Impressions might be made under a Sermon, when you hear of Sin, the evil of it, the aggravations of it, the bitter effects of it; how will you when Sorrow is already working, be inclined, and disposed to sorrow for your Sin? The word of God doth tell me, Sin is bitter, and I do find it so. That Sin brought in Death, and I am mourning for such doings of Death by reason of Sin. That the Life of man is short, a vapour, a shadow, and quickly gone, and I do find i [...] so; what else mean these Tears that I do shed for my departed Friend? What else doth mean this Sorrow in my Breast for my deceased Relation, that t'other day was in my Bosom, but now in the Bowels of the Earth? When you are pressed to prepare for your own Death, by the Necessity and Advantage of such holy Preparations, you heart will more readily yield now than at another time, when this will be the Language of your Heart, Speak Lord, and I will hear; make known my duty, and I will obey.

Ans. 4. In ki [...]dly Sorrow for the dead, the heart is much quieted by returns of prayers made by God, to the Requests that in our Sorrow we made to him. When we prayed while they li­ved; and we prayed that they might longer live, if our Prayers were consistent with his pur­pose, or that by his Grace and Spirit he would help them to dye prepared, and to make [Page 55] an happy and comfortable end, and give us grounds of hope, that if they may not live with us on Earth, they should live with him in Heaven. That if God would take them from us, he would take them to himself; out of ours, into A­braham's Bosom: The one he did deny, which we thought would have been good for us that live; the other he did grant, which in sober Rea­son, and in a composed Mind, we cannot but judge to be better for them; they did dye contrary to our prayers; they did dye with peace, and comfort, and hope of Heaven, according to our prayers, in our kindly Sorrow for them when dead; the Heart is much quieted, the Mind composed; we grive, but are sedate; we Mourn, but the Spirit is calm within; we Sor­row with bitter sorrow, but our Sorrow is sweetned, that when God did deny our pray­ers, he did hear our prayers; when he denied them in one kind, he heard them in another; which in his Wisdom he saw best, for the Persons prayed for. Thus David praying, and fasting, and mourning for his Child when Sick, that it might live, or be saved, if it died, when it was dead; his heart was quiet, in hopes that his Prayers were heard, that tho the Body was for the Grave, yet the Soul was for Heaven, whither he also hoped he himself should go to it.

So after the Relation is dead, we go and pray against the Workings of Corruption by rea­son of God's Dispensation, that we might not murmur, nor repine, nor charge God foolish­ly for his dealings with us; we find Sin stirring, we cry to God, and they are crushed; we feel Temptations assaulting of us, we call to Heaven s [...]t help to resist them, and they are repelled; we are sensible of our own weakness with Patience, and due Submission to bear so great a Trial; God by his Grace comes and makes it more easie than we thought it could have been; our sorrow for our dead, being kindly sorrow, gives place to our minding of these returns of Prayer; that in my sorrow, I have so much leisure for consi­deration, as to observe and say, Tho God hath taken away my dear Relation, for whom I prayed, and therefore do sorrow; yet he hath taken away my S [...]n, and taken [...]own the power of it, against which I prayed, t [...]a [...] in my sorrow I might not sin, and my sorrow shall not s [...] far blind me, that I should not s [...]e what at my Prayers God hath done for me: He hath taken my Relation from me, but I have prayed he would not take away himself, nor his quickning Spirit, nor the sense of his Love, and he hath not; the Creature is gone from me, but God continues with me; the one I shall see no more in this World, but God I often since have conversed with, and he hath shewed his Love to me, and such returns must quiet my Heart in the time of my grief and sorrow.

But turbulent sorrow, not meerly natural, but becoming Vitious and Exorbitant by the workings of Corrupt Nature, stirred up by the grievousness of our Affl [...]ction, hinders the exer­cise of Grace, and blind [...] us that we cannot see, nay, makes us to deny that God doth hear our Prayers (though he doth) while our Afflicti­on do [...]h remain. Job 9.16. If I had called, and he had answered me, yet would I not believe that he had hearkened to my voice. God takes a Mercy from you, and yet he gives demonstra­tions of his Love unto you; but in your turbu­lent sorrow you say, You will not believe that God is reconciled to you, you will not believe but his anger and displ [...]asure is kindled, and burns against you. He he [...]rs your Prayers, but you cannot see it, and you will not believe it. This is sorrow, not of meer but of corrupt Nature.

Ans. 5. In kindly sorrow for our dead, there will be an hearkning to, and a receiving of Alle­viations of our sorrow propounded to us by men, upon grounds of Reason and Religion. Arguments for [...]gating of our g [...]f from the Promises of God, from the common case of all Men, even most beloved of God, that they have died, as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses, Aaron and Samuel, the Prophets, Apostles, and all believ­ing Primitive Christians, and more still must: From the happy state of those that die in the Lord, the Evils they are delivered from, the Good they are possessed of, the Joys they are [Page 58] filled with, the Holy, Heavenly Work they are imployed in, will find Entertainment with you, and will be hearkened to, and considered by you. But turbulent Passions of corrupt Nature will put by all that tends to the asswaging of it, after all Arguments from Reason, and all Topicks from Religion, will refuse to be com­forted. Thus Jacob's sorrow for Joseph, when he supposed he was dead, was too Exorbitant, when all his Sons, and all his Daughters rose up to comfort him, and he refused to be com­sorted. When if they had not spoken one word of Comfort to him, the very sight of so many Sons and Daughters living might have asswaged his sorrow for one (supposed to be) dead. Gen. 37.33, 34, 35. So Rachel, Jer. 31.15. A voice was heard in Ramah, lamenta­tion and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

A [...]s. 6. In kindly sorrow for our dead, we shall be more ready to justifie God in his dealings with us, and rather accuse our selves than him, and say, The Lord is righteous in his ways, and holy in all his works: I have sinned, but he is just; I am bad, but he is good; and though I think his Hand is heavy upon me, yet he hath laid less upon me than mine I [...]iquities have deserved: Hath he laid my Relations in the Grave? he might have lodged me in Hell. Hath he denied longer Life to one I could have wished might have longer liv­ed? [Page 59] he might deny to me Eternal Life. Hath he bereaved me of the Comforts of a Creature? he might deny me all the Comforts of his Spirit. Doth Natural Affection move me to mourn for my Loss? so Natural Reason teacheth me, that God herein hath done me no wrong, because all is his own, in that he is the Maker of all; and the Light of Nature doth instruct me, God might give or take away whatsoever is his own, and I may not call him to an account; saying to him, What dost thou, or why hast thou done so? And whilst my sorrow is not yet ris [...]n to be tu [...]bulent, I have leisure to look what Scripture saith, and to see what the light of Grace doth shew. That God hath a right to mine, because he had redeemed them with his Blood, and sanctified them by his Grace and Spirit, and thereby set the Mark and Chara­cter of his own upon them; and what had I to do to desire to keep his own with me, when he had a purpose to call them, and take them home unto himself? If I had forf [...]ited the Mercy of their staying with me, God retained his right to dispose of them at his pleasure; therefore tho I have much to say against my self, I have nothing to say a­gainst God, or his proceedings with me, in what he hath done unto me, or taken from me.

But when our sorrow comes to be turbulent Passion, we mu [...]mur and think we do well; we [...]ep [...]e, and justifie our evil Act; and Sorrow, and think we do well to sorrow on till it break over all Banks and Bounds of Mod [...]ration, like [Page 60] Jonah, when God himself did ask him, Dost thou well to be angry? Answered yes, I do well to be angry even to the death? Jon. 4.9. In this case such a one being asked, do you well to sorrow thus, when you see God hath done his holy Will; And all your sorrow is unprofitable to the dead, and hurtful to your self? in Ex­cess of passionate sorrow doth reply, Yes, I do well to sorrow even unto death: God hath af­flicted me, and I am afflicted, and I am sorrowful, and will be so. Will you? But pray you take he [...]d what thoughts you have of God the mean while, for in turbulent sorrow its hard not to have hard and unworthy Thoughts of God, and to justifie him in the midst of vexing sor­rows.

Ans. 7. In kindly sorrow for our dead, our Eyes are more clear to see our Mercies in our Af­fliction, and what God continueth to us, as well as what he taketh away from us. So when Chil­dren thus mourn for their dead Mother, they can see Mercy in a Living Father; or for a Fa­ther taken from them by death, can read (tho with Tears in their Eyes), God's sparing Mercy in continuing their Mother. Parents mourning for the death of one Child, can take notice of the goodness of God in preserving the rest from the Jaws of Death, and say, Where God hath taken away one, he might have taken two; where two, he might have taken all; he hath taken away some, and therefore we sorrow [Page 61] under his heavy hand, but yet he hath pleased to leave more with us, than he hath removed from us, and therefore in our Affliction come upon us, we can see God's Mercy to us; or if he hath taken more than he hath left; yet we have one still, and in our sorrow for our dead, we can see much Mercy in one Child that doth Live.

But when our sorrow for our dead comes to be turbulent, and the Actings of corrupt Affe­ctions, the sense of the Less of one Relation takes away all thankfulness for, and content in all the r [...]st. Parents setting their Hearts upon one Child more than all the r [...]st; and the Love they had to that one, did equal the Love to all the oth [...]r, they loving that most, and too much; God singles that out first for a Prisoner of Death, and then the remaining can scarce be called M [...]rcies; if moved to mitigate their sorrow for the one that is dead, by the sight of those that live, say, What tell you us of these, when the other is gone? What are these, tho with us, when the other is taken away from us? Thus Jacob coul [...] t [...]ke no comfort from all his Sons and Da [...]ghters, whe [...] he supposed his Son Jo­seph was d [...]ad, Gen. 37.33, 34, 35. But cor­rect your turbulent [...]orro [...], which hinders the sig [...]t of [...]d' [...] Mercy in th [...]m tha [...] live, l [...]st he by death remove them also, and make you groan, and sigh and s [...]b f [...]r them when dead, which yo [...] could see no Mercy in, because one did die before.

Ans. 8. In kindly sorrow for our dead, we can better sympathize with others exercised with the like dealings of God. Many can sorrow for their own dead, that are not affected with the death of the Relations of others; especially such as are turbulently sorrowful for their own. Vexing Passion in our selves is joined with least com­passion to others; as we narrow our Love too much to our selves; and where Self-love is too much, Love to others is the less or none; so the sorrow for the Evils that befall our selves, when vexatious and corroding, is less or none, for the Afflictions that come upon others. T [...]ey think their Tears are few enough to express their own sorrows, or too precious to be wasted for the sorrows of others: These are more hard-hearted than Jews, who wept with Mary and Martha for their d [...]ceased Bro­ther.

Ans. 9. In kindly sorrow for our dead we shall be more mindful of our own Death, and stir­red up to greater Care to make Holy Preparations for it. As soon as David did hear his Child was de [...]d, h [...] said, I must go down to it: When you sorrow rightly, following your dead to their G [...]ve, you will have serious thoughts of your own. My Wife is gone, and I shall short­ly follow. My Husband is dead, and so must I be too. Our Mother is lo [...]ged in the Dust, and after a while we must be carried to lye by her; therefore we will so mourn that we may reserve [Page 63] some Tears of Repentance for our Sin, that as our Bodies must go to her Body in the Grave, so our Souls may go to her Soul in the highest Heaven.

But turbulent sorrow for the dead is as if they again should never live, and hinders their thoughts of their own Mortality, as if they should never die. While they are thinking in how many days they shall Bury their dead, they are ho­ping how many years yet they shall live. What turbulent, discomposing, besotting sorrow is this, that when these Mourners stand and see the Corps they mourn over let down into the Grave, cannot see where e're long they them­selves shall be lodged?

Ans. 10. In kindly sorrow for our dead we shall be moved to perform our Relative Duties with more Tenderness and Kindness, with more Care and Love to those Relations that yet are with us. When the Mother is dead, the Father must shew more Care than he did before, or did need to do, because their Mother did much ease him of it. So when the Father is dead, the more the Mother should take Care accord­ding to her Capacity. When Father, or Mo­ther, or both are dead, the natural kindly sor­row for them will dispose their Children as Brothers and Sisters to discharge their Relative Duties, and live in greater Love than ever. When Jacob was dead, Joseph mourned, all his Brethren mourned, all went up to Bury their [Page 64] Father, and at his Burial mourned greatly: After this Joseph and his Brethren returned in­to Egypt; they rememb [...]ing how cruel they had been to Joseph, said, Now our Father is dead, our Brother will certainly requite us for all the Evil we did to him; but Jos [...]ph was but new­ly come out of the House of M [...]urning, and he said, Fear not, I will nourish you and your little ones, and he comforted them, and spake kindly to them, Gen. 50.15, 21. Our mourning for the dead, should end in the mending of our Carriage, and the regulating of our Affections towards the Living. When we are mou [...]ning for the loss of one, we should be seeking the Temporal and Spiritu [...]l good of the rest that yet are found with us: When God hath made a Breach in our Family, for whi [...]h we sorrow; we must be m [...]king up the Breaches of our Duties, by filling up what before was wanting. Death hath made a br [...]ach in our Houses, a wide b [...]each which cannot be repaired, (for our Dead shall never be restored to us) and Sin hath made a breach in our Comforts by the breach it made in our Duties; the mourning for the breach by death in those taken from us, should issue in repairing the breaches in our Duties to those that are continued to us. Do we sorrow much for them that are dead, whom we loved too much while they did live? Let the greatness of our sorrow for the one, moderate our Love unto the other. Do we sor­row [Page 65] for our dead, because we did not Love them with as great a Love as we should while they were with us; let this sorrow produce due greater Love to them that do remain: If sor­row for our dead do not mend our faults to­wards the Living it is a dead, and fruitless, ineffectual sorrow. The Living should find some advantage by our sorrow for the dead. Were you froward in your Family before, and shall not your sorrow meeken your Spirit for time to come? Did not you take care for the Religious Education of a Child that is dead, and shall not your sorrow for him, and the neglect of your Duty to him, move you to make up to the Living what was wanting to the Dead? Did not Children obey their Father before he di­ed? If they mourn kindly for a dead Father, will they not yield better Obedience to their Living Mother? And say, Dear and Sorrowful Mother, we were wanting in our Duty to our Fa­ther when he was with us, for which we are s [...]rry now he is taken from us, but be not grieved over-much, and we will supply the want of our Duty to him, by making up the more to you, as long as God shall lend yon unto us: We were a grief to him, but we will be a comfort unto you: We will indea­vour to be as good to you as we were bad to him: On his Dying Bed he did complain of us for our stubborn Carriage towards him, but, Mother, since you have lost a Loving Husband, and we a tender Father, for whom you and we do now sorrow, we [Page 66] will carry our selves towards you with that reve­rence, obedience and honour to you, that you shall not complain of us on your Dying Bed as our Fa­ther did on his.

CHAP. VI. Resolves this Question; When is our Sor­row for our dead spiritually defective, tho it be naturally abundant? Or, when is it too little as we are Christians, be it never so much as we are Men?

ƲSE III. A Caution to the Mourners for their Dead is necessary, be­cause sorrow as sorrow, or sorrow as great sor­row is not all in this case to be minded, but how it ought to be regulated, not only as we are Men, but also as we are Christians. If we sorrow not at all we are unworthy of the name of men, because without the workings of those natural Affections in the Principle com­mon to all men. If we sorrow with turbulent Passion, vexatious, fretting Grief, we sorrow as sinful men; we may sin in our sorrow as well as in the want of it: Which is worst let the offending judge. If we sorrow as the meer fruit of Natural Affection, with a kindly sor­row, [Page 67] and not turbulent, we sorrow but as men, because we do no more than the Human Nature prompts and puts us on to do. But a greater Task lyeth upon us as Christians, and to an higher step it becomes us to ascend in our sorrow, as we have a Principle of Grace higher than all Principles of Nature; and the Scripture a more perfect Rule to govern our sorrow by, to purifie and refine it, than the Light of Nature is. In the first Ʋse we spake to such as for want of sorrow under the Loss of near Relations, and of sense of God's Afflict­ing Hand that took them from us, seem not to be men, while we see them to be men; but below the Rank of men, in the shape of men. In the second Ʋse we pointed at them that sor­rowed as men, with a kindly sorrow, distin­guishing them from those that sorrow as sinful men, with a turbulent sorrow, vitiated with the Actings of corrupt Nature. In this third Ʋse we shall speak of sorrow in our present case, not meerly as Humane, but as Christian, and distinguish the one from the other.

Do not think me over-tedious on this Sor­rowful Subject, for herein I do not only consult the helping of my self to bear the Hand of God upon me, and the searching of my own sorrow, of what kind it is, but the common good of mortal men, whose case in one House or other, one House or other! In many Houses in this great City, wherein many Hundreds [Page 68] die every Week, this must be the common case of many every day. When I sit in my Study, and hear the sound of that which you call the Passing-bell in the next Parish to us [Cripplegate], Lord, think I, how many art thou calling to mourn as well as me and mine! And tho you speak of a Passing-bell in common course of Speech, and have not your H [...]arts affected with t [...]e hearing of your Ears, yet to me it makes a doleful sound, while I think it is a Passing-bell; for whither are they passing? their Bodies from their Houses to their Graves; from the Company of their Friends and Rela­tions to be Companions of Worms; and their Souls, into Eternity of Joy or Torment; to God, and Christ, and Holy Angels; or to the Devil and his Angels for ever; and so pass from us, as no more to return unto us, out of one World into another, and so pass from this to that, as to find no passage from that to this any more for ever.

Those that have past from us to the World of Immortal Spirits, out of Time into Eter­nity, have left us behind as Mourners not for their Gain, which is cause of Joy, but for our own Loss, which to us is cause of sorrow; and our Duty is to enquire further into the Na­ture of it; which because you must die, may be useful to your sorrowful Relations, or your Re­lations must die, and leave you to mourn for them; and many every day have cause of sor­row [Page 69] by the death of some or other, the Case being a common Case, but the Question not a common Question, I shall propound it, and endeavour to resolve it.

Ans. 1. When we sorrow for the breach of the Relation made by death, we sorrow as men, tho in great abundance, for so an Heathen may do; but do not sorrow for Sin as Sin, commit­ted against God in the neglect of our Relative Duties while the Relation was continued, for so only Christians can do. Tho our Natural Sorrow doth abound in the first respect, it is spiritually defective in the latter respect. Two things taken for granted.

1. Here it is taken for granted, That the most Loving Relations may Sin and fail in their Relative Duties one to another; for as much as we cannot yield perfect Obedience to any one of the Ten Commandments, among which the Fifth contains Relative Duties: And who can say, tho I have transgressed all the rest, yet this I have perfectly fulfilled? I have heard that some have asserted, that they have lived Twen­ty or Forty years in a Conjugal Relation with­out [Page 70] an angry word, or unkind act betwixt them; if so, might not we say, O peaceable Spirits that were in these! O rare Example, and seldom found! But be it so, is there no other Sin in these Relations but anger and angry words? What! Did they pray also daily to­gether, or as much one for another as they ought, and as fervently as they should? Did they by all ways and means appointed by God help each other in their Spiritual Concerns as Duty did require? Were there never no sinful Thoughts in their Minds one against another? there is one can tell you, his sinful Thoughts a­gainst some Related to him, hath filled his Heart with more sorrow, his Eyes with Tears, and his Mouth with secret Confessions to God, and cost him more Sighs, and Sobs, and Groans in pleading for Pardon for the Sin of his Thoughts (tho re­sisted) than any angry Words or unkind Actions ever did. For the one might be more easily prevented than the other, because we have a more absolute government over our Tongues and Hands than over our Thoughts. What! Can any Persons in any Relation suppose Hus­band and Wife, Parents and Children say they did never Love too much, or at no time too lit­tle? never did take too much care, or never too little for their Relations, but had that just proportion and measure of Love to them and Care for them, as the perfect Rule requires: So much as God commanded, and no more [Page 71] than God allowed? For my part, my Prayer shall be, Lord forgive my Relative Sins, whilst others boast and bless themselves, and say, O God, I thank thee I am not in this as other Men be, nor as this Man. And, Lord, let not me be as Blind as that Man, that can see no Relative Sins to confess to thee, or to be humbled for at thy Throne of Grace, when thou wilt find some to judge him for at the Bar of thy Ju­stice.

2. The reigning Sins, or Sins of Infirmities what they were, or are, in their kinds, degrees, frequency, and all Aggravations committed in our respective Relations, must be left to the scru­tiny of every man's Conscience, or to God, that was an Eye-witness, if Conscience was fallen asleep; and will be an Impartial Judge, if Con­science for the present perform not its Office of Witness, Accuser, and Judge.

These being granted, that your Father or Mother, Husband or Wife, or Child is dead, you sorrow and grieve, you weep and wall, you lament and mourn; there is your Humani­ty and Natural Passion, because your Relation is broke; but where is your Christianity in this sorrow, when you had not one Tear (a­mongst so many) for the Sins against God and them, while you stood in that Relation? And yet do not you see, while your natural sorrow is abundant, your Spiritual sorrow is defective, or none at all in this respect? Where are your [Page 72] Tears for your disobedience to your Father or Mother when alive? Where is the Husband's sorrow for undue and unjust grieving of his Wife, sadning her Heart, and sending her by his unkindness to her Knees in secret to open her Case, and pour out her Tears and Soul be­fore God in Prayer? Did you without cause make her weep when alive, and shall not this in all your sorrow for her when dead, make you sorrow for sinning against God and her before she died? According as your Relative Sins were, more or less, greater or smaller, when the Relation held; it's time, it's high time to sorrow for them, when by death it is broke; and so shew your self a Christian, as well as a Man in sorrowing for your dead. And do this now, if you have not hitherto; tho your Father or Mother, Husband or Wife, or Child, be long since dead and turn­ed into dust, their rotted Flesh and dry Bones, and bare Skull in the Grave do cry to God against you. Therefore while you sorrow for their dead Bodies, sorrow also for your own sinful Souls, because you sinned so much against them in their Life-time.

2. When you mourn for the loss of that com­fort and delight that you had in loving of them, and in being beloved by them, be your Sorrow never so much, you sorrow only as Men; for so an Hea­then might do; but you sorrow not for the Dis­pleasure of God, by reason of those Sins which [Page 73] Conscience doth justly and truly charge you with, committed in that Relation; your Sor­row is defective as you are Christians. You sinned as you were an Husband, and for your sin God was displeased; you sinned as you were a Father, or a Mother, and God was dis­pleased for your Sin; you sinned as you were a Son, or a Daughter, and for your Sin God was displeased; and God hath by Death taken away your Wife, your Child your Father, or Mother; you Sorrow because they are dead, with great Sorrow, and herein you do no more, than a Man or Woman, as such, might do; but you do not Sorrow that God is displeased, which is not so much as a Christian should do. You Sorrow, because you are afflicted; but where is your Sorrow because God is displea­sed? You have many Tears for the loss of your Creature-comforts, but have you drop­ped one for the loss of that Comfort that should arise from the sense of the Love of God unto your Soul? You mourn for the smarting Rod that lies upon you; Nature, Flesh, and Blood, will make you feel the smart, and cry out, because of it, but you do not grieve; that by the Sin in your Relation, you grieved the Spirit of God; that Grace must inable you to do. Are not you herein like unto a Child that is scourged by his Father, he cries aloud, he weeps, and sobs, he groans, [Page 74] but what is it for? Not because his Father is displeased, this he is not troubled at, but be­cause of the smart and pain that the Rod doth make him so sensible of. Do not you see, he doth not mourn as he is a Child, and stands in that Relation, but as he hath Flesh that is pained by the strokes? Might not he cry out under the Rod, and yet be a stubborn Child, a disobedient Child, and not desire his Father's love in the way of his Duty, nor lay to heart his Father's displeasure for the Evil he hath done? Will you ask me, Sir, Are you sure God is displeased with me, because by Death he hath removed my Relation from me? I will ask you, Are you sure that he is not? Which doth it look most like, Love or Dis­pleasure? And if you are not sure he is not displeased with you under such a Rod, should not you sorrow lest he should be displeased? Is the displeasure of God so small a thing in your Eye, that the fear of it should not be ground of your Sorrow? And say, what if God should be angry with me in what he hath taken from me? What if my Father should be displeased, and the Death of this Relation be the fruit of it? Is not here ground to sorrow as a Christian, as well as a Man?

The loss of a good Husband, or Wife, Father, Mother, or Child, is a burden heavy to be [Page 75] born; but the loss of the favour of God is greater, and his displeasure presseth more hard upon a Soul sensible of it; and there­fore prays, O Lord, if thou rebuke me, let it not be in thine anger; if thou chasten me, let it not be in thy sore displeasure, Psalm 6.1. The loss of a Relation is a Rebuke, it is a chastening, and it may be in anger and displea­sure; when it is so, Sorrow for God's displea­sure as Christians, as for your own Affliction as Men.

3. When you Sorrow more for the loss of your Temporal Good by the Death of your Relation, than for the Spiritual Advantage you might have gained by the continuance of their Lives; You sorrow too much as Men, but too li [...]tle as Christians. You may sorrow for the one, as well as for the other; but you should not sor­row so much for the one, as for the other, because the one is better than the other, and the loss of the one a greater loss than the other. By their Death you sustain the loss of some out­ward Comforts for your Body, and loss of some inward Advantages for your Soul; as now they can instruct and teach you no more, they can pray with you, and for you, no more, they can help you to answer your doubts about your Spiritual State no more, nor give you Argu­ments against your own Corruptions, or Sa­tan's Temptations any more, nor reprove you for your Sin, nor comfort you under your Af­flictions, [Page 76] nor exhort you to be making holy Preparations for Death, nor direct you there­in any more for ever; nor by their continued Example stir you up to secret Prayer to main­tain Communion with God, all these were great Advantages you had by the Life of your holy Relations, and by their Death they cease; For this you do not sorrow, saying, My God­ly Father, my Holy Mother made many a Prayer, shed many a Tear for me; they pleaded with God for Grace, and Mercy, and Pardon for me; but Death hath broken off the continuance of their Prayers, and what a loser am I thereby: They did observe and watch my Life and Actions; what was Evil, they reproved me for, what was Good they did inc [...]urage and countenance me in; but Death hath closed their Eyes, that they can now see neither Good nor Evil in me, and hath tied their Tongue, that they can speak no more to me concerning the one, nor the other; and who can tell the greatness of my loss for my Immor­tal Soul, that I am under by their Death? The like might be said concerning a Religious Husband, an holy Zealous Wife. Wherefore if you mourn never so much for your loss by their Death, as to your Bodies and outward Estate, and not so much as to your loss to your Soul, and spiritual Condition, it's more like Men than Christians.

[Page 77]4. When you Sorrow more for the want of their Company in Life, than you do for want of a sanctified improvement of their Death, you sorrow too much as Men, and too little as Christians: Nature helps you to the one, but it must be Grace that must inable you to do the other. Your Father or Mother, Husband or Wife, or Child is dead, and you sit down, and sorrow, and say, I shall never see these in my house any more, they shall never sit with me at my Table any more, they shall lodge in my Bed no more, and dwell with me on Earth no more for ever. I shall see them no more, whom I did love to look upon; when they were absent from me a Week or two, a Month or two; A Month! a Day or two, how glad was I at their return? If their absence filled me with Sorrow, their presence again did drive away my Sorrow, and renewed my Joy. If I parted with them when to go a Journey, I did it with Tears of Grief; but when they returned, I received them with Tears of Joy? If I sorrowed that they were gone, yet the hopes of their safe return did asswage my Sorrow. But now they are gone without re­turn: They have taken a long Journey, and ne­ver to me will come back again: They were use to take their leave, and say farewel, till I see you again; but now they took their leave, saying, The Lord be with you, for I shall be with you no more. Oh, this word no more, doth even break [Page 78] my heart; what my Father, or Mother gone, and shall I see them no more; my Wife, or Hus­band gone, and shall I set mine Eyes on him, or her no more? My dear Child gone, looking on whom did delight my Eyes, and must I see him no more? I look for my Relations at my Table, but their place is empty, and I cannot see them there; I lock, but I cannot see them. I go to the Cham­ber where they did use to sit and Work, or to the Closet where they did use to Pray, but I cannot see them there. I see the Work, but them I can­not see; I see their Hand-writing, but them I cannot see; I see their wearing Clothes, but them that did use to wear them, I cannot see; to see these, and not them, doth renew and encrease my Sorrow; when I can see these every day, and no day can see them, the more I multiply my Sorrow, and methinks this Sorrrow is pleasent Sorrow; and this Grief is delightful Grief; and when I feel Sorrow added to Sorrow, at the remembrance of them I must see no more, methinks it pleaseth me to remember them, tho it grieves me that I can not, must not see them, nor enjoy their Compa­ny, nor my comfort in their Company any more for ever.

Is this your Sorrow? And have you nothing else to do than to feed your Sorrow? And please your self with this kind of Sorrow? What do you call it? Natural Sorrow? Sor­row of Men, as Men? But where is your [Page 79] Christian Sorrow? And the Sorrow you should have as renewed, sanctified Men? Or should tend by the spiritual Improvement of the Death of your Relation to make you such? Should you not say, Is my Child dead, and my Soul not mended by its Death? My Heart as hard, and as worldly as before? Hath God been smi­ting me, and cannot I feel? Hath God been cor­recting me for my Sin, and cannot I yet grieve and groan, weep and sorrow for my Sin? Hath Death separated me and my Relation, and do I sorrow for that? And hath not Sin separated God and me, and do not I sorrow for this? Do I sit and sorrow, because I shall enjoy the company of this Relation no more, and have I no grief and sorrow, that by my Sin I have forfeited the en­joyment of God for ever? Is not God better than the Creature, and the Enjoyment of God better, sweeter than the Enjoyment of the Creature; and the lose of God a greater, and more bitter loss, than the loss of my Relation? And yet have I so many Tears for the loss of the lesser, and not one for the loss of the greater Good? Did I take the Creature for my God, that I sorrow more for the loss of it, than I do for the real loss of him that is indeed the only True, Living and Eternal God? Hath God been laying Gall and Wormwood on the Creatures Breast, to wean me from the Love of this present World; and do not I improve his stroke, to call off my Affections [Page 80] from it? When my Children did live, I then pretended that my worldly Cares was to make Provisions for them; hath God taken them away, and do my worldly care still remain as much as when I had them to provide for? May I not see the deceitfulness of my heart, and turn my sorrow from mourning for my Dead, to mourning for making no better Improvement of their Death? Did I give that Love to them, which was due to God, and now I have not them to l [...]ve, should not God have my love, and more of it? Did I place so much comfort in their Life, and should not I seek my comforts now from God, when I find my Creature-comforts thus do fail me? Did I take delight in conversing with them, and now that delight is ceased and gone, should not I improve this disappointment, in seeking, and endeavouring after, and labouring for more Communion with God? And if I cannot find this Affliction sanctified to me, should not I sor­row less for the loss of my Relation, and cease mourning so much as I am a Man, and turn my mourning into sorrowing far want of an holy Improvement of my loss, and at lost begin to sor­row as a Christian man in this case should sor­row.

5. When you sorrow more for their Death, than that you are yet so much unprepared for your own. And that you have improved your time, and means of Grace no more, to get [Page 81] ready for Death, and Judgment after Death, and Heaven after Judgment? Your Father or Mother, Husband or Wife, died with well-ground­ed hopes of Heaven, on their Dying-bed con­quered the Fears of Death, and rejoyced in the hope of the Glory of God; expressed their thankfulness to God, that they had had that Communion with God, the experience whereof did so much then delight them, that they would not have been without for all the Riches of the World. And you are yet under doubts and fears; afraid to think of Death, because you do not know whether then you shall be damned or saved; because you cannot tell whe­ther you have believed or repented, and yet you sorrow for them, as men, go sorrow, because of your own Fears and Dangers you are in.

6. When you sorrow more for your own loss, than you do for your discontent, and impatient murmuring at the Hand of God because of your loss, and do not sorrow for your excessive Sorrow. Natural Sorrow, when it is vitiated with the acting of corrupt Nature, will soon work up to discontent and impatience, to repining, and harbouring of hard thoughts, and some­times blasphemous Thoughts against the bles­sed glorious God. If God did love me, why hath he dealt thus with me? If he had a kind­ness for me, why hath he taken his kindness from me? If God govern the World by his Wisdom; [Page 82] why doth he take away those that are a comfort to their Relations, and continue those that are a cross, and a curse, and a plague unto them? For­bear, say no more, think no more these Thoughts; but if in your Sorrow, you have such things unworthy of God arising in your mind, cease sorrowing for your Dead, and spee­dily begin and hold on to lament, and bitterly bewail such abominable Motions in your hearts, and spare your Tears to mourn for this great Wickedness, and pray, That these Thoughts of your heart may be forgiven you: For should God's afflicting hand lay you down at his Foot, and doth your corrupt heart let fly such sinful Actings in his Face? Or will you mourn for your Affliction by the Instigation of natural Affection, as a Man, and not at all grieve and groan, sigh and sob, lament and bewail the Exorbitancy of your Passion, tho it work to so great a Provocation of a Just and Powerful God, and by such discontent risen to such an height shew your self a corrupt Man, and by not sorrowing for these sinful workings of heart, shew your self to be no Religious Man.

7. When you sorrow more for your outward worldly loss by the Death of your Relation, than you do for your distrust in the Promises and Pro­vidence of God to provide for you. A Wife had a dependency upon her Husband, and Chil­dren on their Father under God. He dies, [Page 83] and their trust in God dieth with him. What shall we do now for a maintenance? For supply of our wants? Who shall give us Bread to eat, and Raiment to put on? Is not this to mourn more like an Heathen than a Christian? Can God provide for you no way but one? By no other means than by him that was an Husband, or a Father to you? You are short in your Chri­stian Sorrow, while you are excessive in your Turbulent Sorrow.

8. When you sorrow more for the dead Body of your Relation, than you do for the want of greater Faith and Hope, and quieting thoughts of a joyful Resurrection which should be the Fruit of that Faith and Hope. You see the dead Corps in the Coffin laid in the Grave, thither your Thoughts run daily (when you do not) to mourn over them in the Grave, fixing your thoughts how they putrify and rot, how they consume and moulder away, and this pierceth your heart. But you do not meditate as one that believes they shall live again, and be glo­rious Bodies; and in this your sorrow is defe­ctive as you are a Christian.

CHAP. VII. The Second Doctrine, and the general Method propounded.

Doct. II. THat Christians ought so to bound their Sorrow for the Dead, that it be not excessive and immoderate.

Am I the first amongst you, whom God by his Providence hath called to regulate my Sorrow for the Death of a dear Relati­on? Not by many. Shall I be the last a­mong you, that shall be thus exercised? Not by many. Many of you have followed Husbands or Wives, Parents or Children, to their Grave; and more of you shortly shall; and afrer that, others shall follow you to your long home, and see you lodged in the Dust. And where there was Love in living together, there will be Sorrow at your last parting asunder. I understand the Com­munication of two Religious and Tender Mo­thers in this place, since I began this sor­rowful Subject, that had buried some of their Children. The one said, I fear I sor­rowed too much for my Child, and sinned by excess of Sorrow. The other said, I buried [Page 85] mine, and I doubt I was not sorrowful enough, and I fear I sinned in being short in my sor­row. To have a due sense of the Death of Relations, and of the hand of God in taking them from us, and yet to keep our Sorrow in due Bounds, is an hard Task that lieth upon us. Two things I have prayed for in my Affliction of this kind, That I might not be unsensible of God's hand, nor exces­sive in my Sorrow for the outward Com­fort of my life removed thereby: And for the helping of my self in both, my thoughts have been so long working on this Text, which I might have kept secret in my Study, and not have brought them unto you, but the Consi­deration of the common Case of all (being mor­tal) that Death will enter into your Houses, and take your Living from you, and that there are in all, Affections common to Human Na­ture, which being corrupted, tend to Sin in over-loving of them, and over-joying in them while they live, and in over-sorrowing for them when they dye, hath moved me to communicate to you, what I thought for my self, that in the like case it might also be a Guide, and Direction, and support unto you.

In treating on this Subject of Sorrow, that it might be moderate, as becometh Christi­ans [Page 86] that have hope, and not like Heathens that have no hope of a joyful Resurrection of the dead (omitting many things in so copious a Subject, endeavouring to contract as much as I can), I shall cast my Mattter into this Method.

1. I shall lay down some Rules concerning the kind and degrees of Sorrow for the Dead.

2. I shall give you an account, when our Sorrow for the Dead is excessive and immode­rate.

3. I shall shew you the Cure, or bring you some Remedy against excess of Sorrow.

CHAP. VIII. Contains Eight Rules concerning the de­grees of Sorrow for the Dead.

First, THe Rules concerning the kinds and degrees of our Sorrow for the dead, are such as these.

Rule 1. Our Sorrow is not so much for the Death of a Stranger, as for the Death of a suitable and intimate Acquaintance. At the hearing of the Death of one, whom we had no Conversation with, we might entertain some Sorrow as he was one partaker of the same Humane Nature with us; as he was one that became liable to Death by the Sin of Adam, the common Parent of us all; as Death is a penal Evil upon Mankind, as Adam's Off-spring, and which God would not remit, nor except us from, when he cal­led Adam to an Account for the Sin he had committed; and as he had a Rational and Immortal Soul, that is passed into Eternity, tho we know not to what State in that Eternity.

Rule 2. Our sorrom is not usually so much for an intimate Acquaintance when he dies, as for the death of Relations, excepr there be some other Circumstances that might alter the Case. For an intimate Friend that dieth, the sweet Converse, the Affableness of his Car­riage, the Comfort in his Company, the Kind­nesses he hath done, might oblige me to mourn for an evil (as death is) that hath befallen him; for if it would have been matter of sorrow to me to hear he was Sick, or cast into Prison, would not the same Principle and Love bind me to sor­row, when he is lodged in the Grave: But all these and such like enumerated Circum­stances there might be in a Relation; and besides these, some nearer natural Obligation, as partakers of the same Flesh and Blood, in a more immediate sense than all Mankind in Adom were; and this might add degrees of sorrow to what is the sorrow for an in­timate Friend when he dieth. For being nearer by Bonds of Nature to us, the greater the sorrow when by death those Bonds are broke asunder.

Rule 3. The nearer the Relation is, usually the greater is our sorrow for the breach there­of by death: So sorrow for those that are [Page 89] near us by Consanguinity ordinarily exceeds the sorrow upon the account of meer Af­finity. So also the sorrow of P [...]rents for the death of Children, and of Chil [...]ren for the death of their Parents, being nearer in Blood, ariseth to greater degrees, than that for others more remote. But the Conjugal Re­lation being the nearest, whereby two become one Flesh, and breeds the strongest Affecti­on, the dissolving thereof by death, begets, and feeds, and maintains the greater grief, pierceth deeper, and is more hardly born. For death cannot deprive us of a nearer Mercy than a part of our selves: As Chil­dren are by Multiplication, Husband and Wife (that walk suitably to th [...]ir relation) by such an Ʋnion that cannot be dissolved but by death. Therefore that Relation that calls for the strongest Love of all others, while it holds; the dissolving of it calls for the greatest sorrow, when death doth cause it. If a Man must forsake his most Loving Father, and his most Tender Mother, to dwell with his Wife, because of greater Love he ought to have to her, then he should have greater sorrow for the death of this Relation than for the death of Father or Mother. For proportionable to the Love and Joy in the Object injoyed must be our sorrow▪ when we are totally and finally deprived of it.

Rule 4. The more persons did answer the ob­ligation of a Conjugal Relation in mutual, real, constant Love to, and care of each others Tem­poral, and Spiritual, and Eternal Welfare, the greater degree of sorrow as to the loss of the Survivor there may and ought to be: Though these may part at death with greater Com­fort, because they filled up their Relation with Duty in time of Life. The more Fear and Love to God, the more Love and Care concerning their Relations, the more Conscientious performance of Relative Du­ties, the more meekness of Spirit, the more kind Carriage and Sweetness of Temper and Disposition, the most suitableness in all re­spect there was in both, the more grievous the separation by death to the Survivor must be: And who can forbear to sorrow for so great a Loss, when he doth sit so­litary, and ponder deeply how great it is?

Rule 5. A Wicked Husband that is a constant Curse, and a daily Cross unto his whole Fami­ly, whose Wife is in a worse condition for Bo­dy and Soul, than if she were a Widow, and whose Children by reason of his want of Affecti­on to them, and Care for them, are more ex­posed to Ruine, than if they were Fatherless, [Page 91] leaves little reason behind him, why they should grieve and sorrow for his Death upon their own accounts. For who can sorrow for a deliver­ance from a daily Cross? Who can grieve for being eased of a Burden under which they so long did groan? Who can sorrow upon their own account that one is gone that did rather Hate than Love them, and filled their Hearts with daily sorrow, their Eyes with flowing Tears, and their Mouths with Heart-piercing Complaints? And why should any dissemble sorrow for such, by whose Wickedness and Sin against God and the Family, God was dishonoured and the Family ruined, when by death he is taken off from doing so upon Earth any more? Do you ask, who ever taught this Doctrine before? Job did, Job 27.13. This is the por­tion of a wicked Man with God, and the He­ritage of Oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty. 15. Those that remain of him shall be buried in death; and his Widows shall not weep. Were there [...]ver any such Wi­dows? Yes, Psal. 78.64. Their Priests fell by the Sword, and their Widows made no Lamen­tation.

Rule 6. In mourning for such Relations that neither did their Duty to God, nor to their Family, but lived to God's dishonour and their dai­ly [Page 92] grief, and died without Repentance for both, our sorrow must be for their sakes, and not our own: For the ungodly and unnatural, as dying im­penitently in their Sins, and for the Loss of their Souls, and Misery in the other World, as David did for Absolom; for tho our grief for them cannot mitigate their Torments, nor our Tears quench their Fire, yet it can­not but be a grief to us, that our Relations should live and die in their Rebellion against God, and neglect of their Duties towards us, but did dishonour God whom they should have glorified, and overthrew the Family by their Sin and Wicked Lives which they should have built up and maintained: And as for their Sin while they lived, so dying impenitent for their Misery after death. The death of some puts an end to those Troubles, and Disquiet, and Crosses which they caused in their Families while they liv­ed, that for their own sakes the Living can­not find a reason why they should mourn be­cause they are dead. But when they con­sider their death was the beginning of their Intolerable and Eternal Misery, for their sakes they cannot but give place to sorrow: [...]or while these Thoughts are working, my Husband is dead, and his Soul is Damned; it will be hard to keep sorrow from the Heart. And tho such sorrow doth not profit the [Page 93] Damned Soul, yet unaccountable sorrow is not easily cast off: Nor can we always cease to sorrow, when we cannot give a reason of any good that is the fruit of our sor­row. But yet a reason will be here sug­gested, it was my Husband, or Wife, or Son, or Daughter that lived wickedly, and died impenitently; and the Soul of one so near is lost, is for ever lost. And Religion teaching us that the Souls of such are miserable, Nature will be working in us to lament their Misery; and this is sorrow for their sakes.

Rule 7. In mourning for those that lived holily towards God, and Conscientiously in their Relative Duties towards us, our sorrow is for our own sakes more than for theirs: The com­mon saying our Loss is their Gain teacheth that the sorrow is for the Loser, and not for the Gainer: And indeed if we search to the bot­tom of our sorrow, to find the reason of our sorrow for those that lived to the Lord, and died in the Lord, and after death do live gloriously and happily with the Lord; it will appear we are sorrowing more for our selves than for them: We call it mourning for the dead, when it is indeed mourning for our selves yet living; for let us enquire,

[Page 94]1. Do we mourn because their Souls are perfectly Holy and Happy with God and Christ above? No, this is matter of our Comfort, Delight and Joy. Did not we earnestly pray for them, sick and well, that when they left Earth they might be received up to Heaven? And do we sorrow that God heard our Prayers, and hath saved their Souls? Do we thus take on for this? Are our Tears shed because God hath Crowned their Grace with Glory? Are we grieving on Earth because they are rejoicing in Hea­ven? Are we groaning here, because they are triumphing there? For shame we cannot say, this is the reason and ground of our sorrow, and that in this respect it is plain we do not sorrow for their sakes.

2. Do we mourn because they are fallen asleep in Jesus? Because they are gone to rest in their Beds? Because their Bodies in that state in which they are, remain united to Christ? Are these grounds of sorrow? Should we weep, and waste our Tears because these things are said of them? Or is it not matter of Comfort and Joy unto us, that it is so well with their very Bodies, as these things declared by God himself do import unto us? Is it not better to die in Christ than to live in Sin? Is it not better to sleep in Jesus [Page 95] than to be naturally awake, and spiritually asleep in Sin? Is it not better for the Bo­dy to lye still, and rest free from Actings of Sin, than to be able to walk in a constant course of wickedness? Is it not more mat­ter of Comfort to have the Bodies of our Friends united to Christ in the Grave, than to have our Relations above ground sepa­rated from Christ, and not united to him? If it be, let us cease over-sorrowing for them with whom it is better, tho in the Grave, and begin to sorrow for those with whom it is worse, tho they live with us. Which is matter of greater sorrow, a departed Saint, or a living Sinner? And shall we drop more Tears for one departed Saint than for twen­ty living wicked Relations? Why so? When all these wicked ones are in danger of Hell, but the departed Saint is past that danger: The ungodly that do live are in danger of Eternal Torments both as to Body and Soul: The departed Saint is past the danger there­of, both as to Body and Soul: For when the Soul is once safe in Heaven, the Body is for ever past all danger of Hell. Is this it that we sorrow for? No verily, we do give thanks to God, that the Body is in these Circumstances, though in the Grave.

But you say, you mourn because they are dead, and taken from us. Dead! But are not we sp [...]king to Believers that live, con­cerning depart [...] [...]liev [...]rs? And should not we beli [...]v [...] what God saith concerning them? And think and speak of them in their Graves, as the Scripture sp [...]aketh. See what the Living God saith concerning their Bodies, and say if you sorrow for their sakes be­cause the Bodies of your departed Relati­ons are of that number that sleep in Jesus, 1 Thes. 4.14. And that rest in their Graves as in a Bed, made easie by Christ's Body lodging there before theirs: Isa. 57.2. Look upon the Circumstances of their Bodies with a believing Eye, through the Glass of Scrip­ture, and change the manner of speaking, common to the bad, into Scripture Language peculiar to the good, they say, He or she is dead; do you say, He or she sleeps in Jesus, and do you indeed try if you can sorrow for that?

3. If upon Scripture grounds believed and improved we have no reason to sorrow for the sakes of our holy Relation that are dead; for what do we sorrow, and for whom? Is it because we have not the Comfort of their Com­pany? Is it because we are deprived of that [Page 97] good by their falling asleep in Jesus, which we enjoyed while they lived with u [...], either in reference to our own good Temporal or Spiritual? And is not this sorrowing for our selves more than for them? For can we say we sorrow because they have not the En­joyment of our Company, when they were such that we are groundedly sati [...]fied that they have the Enjoyment of God in the Company of innumerable Angels and Saved Souls above? And tho they loved our Com­pany while they lived, do we, or can we think that they are not better pleased with that Society where now they are? Or that tho we sorrow for want of them, that they sor­row for want of us? For want of us! If we want them, they want not us. And if we sorrow that they continued no longer with us, they rejoice at what we do sorrow. And shall we sorrow at that for which they do rejoice? Upon a due debate with our selves in a composed frame of Mind, when the hurry of passionate sorrow is over, we see we might change the form of speaking of mourning for such of our dead, and more rationally call it a mourning for our selves because of the loss we sustain while we live, by their falling asleep in Jesus.

Rule 8. Our sorrow for the dead, that died in final Impenitency after they had lived wick­edly all their days, should not be such as doth deprive us of all our spiritual Delight and Joy in God, and make us unfit and uncapable for the performance of those great Duties we stand engaged unto to God and Man. It is in­deed an Heart-piercing consideration to sit in our Mourning Chamber, and think, my Husband, Wife, Son or Daughter is Dead, and Buried, and Damned too: To think the Body is meat for Worms, and the Soul a prey to Devils: That the parts of one so near us, being separated, are so disposed of, as that one is lodged in a dark Grave, and the other cast into outer Darkness and Eter­nal Torments, which wounds some so deep­ly as brings them near unto distraction, and sit and aggravate their sorrow, saying, The death of my Relation I could bear, but the Thoughts of his Damnation do press me down; that I have lost him is a loss under which I could find some Comfort to support me; but that his Soul is irrecoverably lost, and that it is under the loss of God, and Christ, and all the Happiness of Heaven, and is fallen into the Company of Devils, and all the Miseries of Hell; the more I think of it, the more my Soul refuseth to be com­forted; [Page 99] the deeper is the Wound, and the greater is my sorrow.

But yet in this sorrowful case take heed of sinning in your sorrow; for by Sin you deserve to follow him both to Grave and Hell. Take heed of Sin, which doth expose your own Soul, to be cast into the lamented condition of your Dead and Damned Rela­tion: I say the third time, take heed of sinning in your sorrow, for such sinful sor­row must be sorrowed for, and when you have by sinful, excessive, turbulent sorrow, contracted guilt upon your own Soul, you must bitterly bewail such Sin; and sorrow for your own Sin, added to the sorrow for his damnation, will make you a Man, a Woman of such sorrow that will be indeed an heavy load, and a burden that will bow you down.

Because it is a Case too common for god­ly Parents to have wicked Children, and so other Relations, to have such as live and die impenitent, upon whose account they are filled with distracting sorrow; I shall pro­pound these following Questions to their se­rious Thoughts, and by that time they have given a sober, considerate Answer to them upon due deliberation, may see cause of ta­king [Page 100] heed tha [...] they do not go beyond the due Bounds of sorrow in this case; or if they have, to go and sorrow for their sorrow, and so restrain it, that their unquestion­able duties might not (by reason of it) be neglected.

CHAP. IX. Eight Questions propounded to such who pierce themselves through with almost-distracting sorrow for those that lived wickedly, and died impenitent.

Q. 1. DID you sorrow for their Sin while they lived, as you do for their Dam­nation (dying impenitently) now they are dead? Did you shed as many Tears for the one, as you do for the other? Did the one cause as deep abiding sorrow in your Heart as the other doth? If it were so, your sorrow for their Sin might asswage your sorrow for their Damnation, because you sorrowed for the cause as well as for the effect: For that whereby they did dishonour God, as well as for their Misery that hath befallen them: If it were not so, what kind of sorrow is this, that you sorrow for the hurt of a C [...]eature, and did not sorrow for that dishonour which that Creature did to God? What kind of sorrow do you call that, wherein the Misery of a Creature lyeth nearer to your Heart, than his Eclipsing and Clouding the Glory of God by his Sins, and Impenitency under [Page 102] them, ever did in the time of his Life? Exa­mine by this sorrow for the Creatures Mise­ry, and not for God's dishonour by his Sin, which was in your Eyes and esteem the greatest evil, sin against God, or the Creatures suffering for his Sin?

Q. 2. Did you do your Duty while they lived, to recover them from a state of Sin, that they might have prevented this Damnation, you are now so sorrowful, that by final impenitence and unbelief they are fallen into? Did you se­riously admonish them of their Duty, re­prove them for their Sin? Warn them of the Wrath to come? Tell them of their danger, the Extremity and Eternity of those positive Torments, and the greatness of the Loss of God, and all the happiness of Hea­ven, their wilful sinning did expose them to? Did you call them to Repentance, and shew them the necessity of forsaking Sin, and turning unto God, and of Faith in Christ, and sincere Holiness, that they might escape the Damnation of Hell, and be par­takers of Eternal Glory in Heaven? And when you did not prevail with them, did you go to your Knees and pray to God, Lord change my Husbands Heart, convert and sanctifie his Soul, that when he dies he might not be Damned? Lord, shew my Son his Sin [Page 103] and Danger, convince him, melt and break his Heart for Sin; awaken his Conscience, make him feel the burden of his Sin now, that he might not bear the heavy Load of thy powerful Wrath for ever: Tho he should be Poor, yet let him not be wicked; if thou wilt not give him Riches, yet give him thy Grace; or if thou hast given him the one, good Lord deny him not the other: Afflict him in this World rather than Damn him in the next: Deal as thou pleasest with him in Temporals, but deny not my Prayer for him, for Special, Spiritual Grace, and for the Eternal Salvation of his Soul. If you did your Duty, you may have peace on Earth, tho he hath no rest in Hell: And the remem­brance of this may be your Comfort in your sorrow. If you did not, it is safer for you to sorrow that you sinned, than that he is Damned; while you neglect to sorrow for the neglect of your Duty in endeavouring to prevent his damnation. Sorrow for his Misery will never help him out; but pe­nitent sorrow for your own Sin is one ap­pointed means to escape that Misery you la­ment that he is in.

Q. 3. Which is most fitting in your Rea­son and Judgment, That God should be just in the Damnation of an impenitent Sinner, tho he were your Relation; or that he should deal [Page 104] with his separated Soul in a way of Mercy, contrary to his Truth, because he was your Re­lation? Is it not more sitting that God should punish him for ever for his sinal [...] unbelief, and impenitent hardness of Heart, tho he were your Husband, or your Son, than that God should viol [...]e his own word in saving him in an unconverted state, because he was your Husband, or your Son? Do not you know that God is no respecter of Persons? Rom. 2.11. And would not this be a respect o [...] a Person, to save him in his Sin, when he died in his Sin meerly because he was while he li [...]ed so related unto you? Think of this to quiet your Heart, and make your sorrow less Passionate, but more Rational, and so more moderate: For is not his dam­nation more grievous to you, because he was yours, than the damnation of another ne­ver related to you, tho the Soul of the one is equally Immortal and Miserable as the other? And why should you have harder Thoughts of God in your sorrow for pu­nishing yours, because yours, than of punish­ing of others, when yours were equally sinful in Life, and equally impenitent at death, as others were?

Q. 4. Is not God and Christ the only Sa­viour of Souls, infinitely more merciful than [Page 105] you? And yet if the Father of Mercies, and the Saviour of Sinners do approve of the Damnation of your impenitent Husband, or Wise, Father, or Mother, Son, or Daughter, why should you be filled with turbulent, disquieting sorrow? Should you appoint to him the measures of his Mercy, or the Per­sons he should shew it to? Doth he owe it to you or them, or any other? Is it not free, so that he may have Mercy on whom he will have Mercy, and Compassion on whom he will have Compassion? Rom. 9.15. May not God act as a just God, but you will sorrow as if he were not a Merciful God? If the most Merciful God, and Compassionate Saviour approve of the Everlasting Punish­ment of your Impenitent Relations, as an Act of Justice, and therefore good, and therefore amiable; Why should you so ex­cessively grieve, as if your Mercy was be­yond the Mercy of the Father and the Son?

Q. 5. Have not you more cause to Joy and Rejoice at, to give Thanks and Praise to God for your well-grounded Hopes of Heaven, than to disc [...]mpose your self for this W [...]rk by your vexing sorrow, because others are lost without hopes of finding Mercy? What if the nearest to you in Relation shall for their wilful, fi­nal [Page 106] refusing of Remedying Grace perish for ever, should not you admire and magnifie, praise and celebrate the free distinguishing Grace and differencing Mercy of God to you, that you shall be for ever saved? And say, Will God shew Eternal Mercy to me, when he will pour out his Eternal Wrath upon my Fa­ther or Mother, Brother or Sister, Husband or Wife, or Child? What was I more than they, that they should be Damned, and I should be saved, after Death? Was not I equally invol­ved in the Guilt of Adam's Sin as they were? Was not I born a Child of Wrath as well as they? Was not my Heart as bad, my Sin as great, my Nature as corrupt as theirs was? Was not I as backward to good, as prone to evil as they were; and it may be more too? Should not I with others cry out and say, Eph. 1.3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us, (and me amongst them) with spiritual blessings in hea­venly places in Christ? Should not I give thanks and praise to God for blessing me with such blessings which tend to Eternal Glory, which Christ hath purchased, promised, prepared and possessed for me, tho others near to me are Cursed with an Everlasting Curse in Hellish Places, justly inflicted on them for their Sin, and continuing finally Impenitent under the same? And can you be lifted up in such high [Page 107] praises of your God for his Mercy to you, when you are so cast down into depths of sorrow at the Thoughts of God's punishing Justice with others?

Q. 6. Do not the Holy Angels and Blessed Saints above, know as much of the Torments of Hell, and of the Misery of the Damned as you do, and yet are they filled with such sorrow because of any being there, as you are? Do saved Souls above sorrow there because they do not find the Souls of others there whom they knew on Earth, and were Re­lated to, that died before them? As they do rejoice to see others there whom they were here acquainted with and Related to? And will you pretend to be more Com­passionate and Merciful than Angels and Saints in a perfect state of Bliss and Glo­ry?

Q. 7. Shall not you your self, being a Peni­tent Believer, approve the Righteous Sentence of Damnation upon those that were your nearest Relations in this World, but died impenitently in their Sins? Do not you know the Saints shall judge the World; final-unbelieving Men, and Apostate Angels? 1 Cor. 6.2, 3. And shall you sorrow then, or rejoice at the Condemning Sentence of Jesus Christ [Page 108] upon all the ungodly, tho many of your Relations should be amongst them? And if you are to come as near to pleasing of God, and being pleased in what he doth, now as what you shall hereafter be, why should you have so much vexing sorrow at that now▪ for which you shall have none in that day, tho others be condemned? Do you think this Self-tormenting sorrow for the Damned proceeds from such Mercy in you to them in your imperfect state on Earth, when you shall have no Mercy to them, nor sorrow fo [...] them in your perfect state in Heaven?

Q. 8. Should not your Zeal for, Love to, Desire after, Delight in the Glory of God, over­power, and overcome all your passionate sorrow at the concernment of the Creature? Is your own Salvation to be sought in subordination to the Glo [...]y of God? And would you have the salv [...]tion of yours stand in compe­tition with it, or be pr [...]ferred before it? Would you have God lose his Glory in giving [...]ing to your Relations? If they did not, an [...] indeed would not glorifie him by p [...]ent conf [...]ssing of their Sin, by serious tu [...]ning to him, by thankful consenting to a S [...]viour free [...]y and fr [...]quently offered to them, but went on in Sin, despised his Grace, [Page 109] and slighted his Mercy, and abused his Pa­tience, and finally refused the only Saviour, and all this to his Dishonour in this World, (while they lived), would you have God also to lose the Glory of his Justice, Holi­ness, Power and Truth in not punishing them for their Sin thus persist [...]d in (when they died) in the other World? Should you so sorrow beyond all bounds, when you mourn for their Death, to mourn so much for their Damnation, when God most righ­teously glorifieth himself in most just punish­ing them for their Sin, who by their Sin did so wickedly dishonour him?

As for the Eternal state of Infants whom the sorrowful Religious Parents follow to the Grave, and lodge them in the Dust, I shall not now discourse it; but think they are to hope well concerning them; and tho they be their Parents, not to take upon them to be their Judges; and when they have passed a Sentence upon them accord­ing to their [ungrounded] fears, next tor­ment themselves, and pierce themselves through with self-wracking Sorrows.

CHAP. X. The Ninth and Tenth Rule. Five Rea­sons for great Sorrow for the Death of Ministers.

Rule 9. OƲR sorrow for such as die full of Days, and full of Grace and Hopes of Glory, should not be so deep as for such that are holy, but taken from us in the midst of their Days. When an Holy Per­son, Converted when Young, hath led an Holy Conversation, filled up his Duties in his General and Particular Calling, been useful and serviceable in his respective Cir­cumstances, hath fought a good Fight, hath kept the Faith, and finished his Course; when the Lease of Man's Life, [Seventy years] is almost out, is ripe for Heaven, and Nature is worn, parts of the Body de­cayed with Age, and with such a Consti­tution in a Course of Nature could not live much longer, but with grief and pains, with aches and groans, like ripe and mellow Fruit without violent shaking fall to the ground, we have more cause to give thanks to God they lived so long, served him so much, were useful so many years, [Page 111] and such a long-standing Comfort to Rela­tions, than to be bowed down with sor­row, to be filled, straitned, and loaded with grief that they died at last. Wherefore the Survivors of such should reckon up their Mercies, take an account of their many Comforts, and remember Blessings old and new, had and received in the long Enjoy­ment of such a Relation in Life, and then let thankfulness and sorrow, joy and grief con­tend for Victory, and strive which should ex­ceed the other; and when all is laid toge­ther, and duly weighed by a Soul that is desirous that God should have the praise of his manifold Mercies in a Relative state al­most for Forty years, as well as himself have a sense of his loss, if Nature prompt him to be sorrowful, Grace would provoke him to be thankful; but yet if the Contest re­main, as his Condition is mixt with Mercy and Affliction, so let his frame of Heart be mixt with a Tincture of both; and let them take their turns, that one while he may be sorrowful for his loss, another while be thankful for so many Mercies before that loss did befall him.

Rule 10. Our sorrow for the Death of Godly and Zealous Men that were in a Publick Station and Capacity admits of greater degrees [Page 112] than sorrow for our own Relations as private Persons. Tho our sorrow for these may be more sensitive and passionate, yet the sorrow for the other may exceed in degrees, as more Judicious and Rational. Sorrow for Godly, Religious, Zealous Magistrates, for Able, Holy and Laborious Ministers when taken away by Death should be more ex­tensive and intensive than for others that did only live a private Life; that is, there should be more Mourners in number, and all these should mourn with greater degrees (at least) of Rational sorrow for publick Persons than for private. Thus all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah with a ve­ry great mourning, 2 Chron. 35.24, 25. When Samuel died, all the Israelites were ga­thered together and lamented him, 1 Sam. 25.1. The hearing that a Minister is Sick, should fill many Hearts with much sorrow. The hearing that he is recovered is matter of Joy, Phil. 2.26, 27, 28. But the hearing that he is dead should multiply the sorrow of many. And there are great Reasons of great sorrow for the death of such.

1. The Death of such publick Persons is a publick loss. And the more general the loss is, the more general the sorrow should be. When a private Person dieth that was [Page 113] godly, as he was a Praying Christian ma­ny are losers by his death, for he pray­ed for many while he lived, yea, for all Mankind in common, and for the Church of God in special; and therefore such a Man's death should be lamented by many; but when a Publick Preacher dieth, many do lose his Preaching Labours, as well as the benefit of his fervent Prayers, and all that are losers should be Mourn­ers.

2. The death of such is a Spiritual Loss. Can we sorrow for the Temporal Losses that befall us by the death of private Per­sons, and shall we not sorrow for our loss in Spirituals by the death of such that in their Life were helpers of our Souls in our way to Heaven? Was he a Spiritual Father to many, and might have been to more? Is a Spiritual Birth a greater Mercy than our Natural Birth, And shall our Natural Parents be lamented when they die, and no sorrow for the other, when they can Preach to us, and Pray with us, and for us no more? How many Persons may one Mi­nister instruct? What a number might such a one at once, and from day to day teach and direct in the way to Eternal Sal­vation? And when such a one dieth, what [Page 114] a loss would it be, if God in M [...]rcy did not raise up others when he falleth into his Grave?

3. By the Life and Labours of such, the Kingdom of Sin and Satan is battered and shaken, and the Kingdom of Christ is encreased and carried on; therefore all that are desi­rous that the Devil's Kingdom should be destroyed, and the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus should be promoted and propagated, must be mourners, in Heart, tho not in Ha­bit, at the death of those that God did please to use for the one, and for the o­ther.

4. Such sorrow argueth our selves to be of a publick Spirit, and not to have such little nar­row Souls as to be only concerned for our Car­nal Self-interest. You are afflicted in your own Person, or in your own Family; and you sorrow and mourn, who will thank you for it? What Grace or good Nature is manifested in your selfish sorrow? Or who will call this good Nature in you, when you are so selfish to sorrow only for Self-concerns?

5. The Labours of Godly Ministers in their Life, have immediate reference to your holy Liv­ing, to your happy Dying, and to your Well-being [Page 115] to all Eternity. Is there any thing in this World concerns you more than to lead an holy Life, to die an happy death, and to be saved when you die? Do they die that should direct you in all these? And is there no cause of sorrow for the death of such, which puts an end to all their Labours?

CHAP. IX. Resolves this Question, When is our Sor­row for our Dead, excessive and immo­derate?

THe Second Part of the propounded Me­thod in treating of this sorrowful Subject, is to shew, When our Sorrow for our Dead, is ex­cessive and immoderate?

That in some it is Defective, especially in Spiritual Respects, hath been already shewed, and wherein it doth come short of what it ought to be; that it is excessive and immode­rate in others, the Practice of many deprived of their Relations by Death, is a visible Proof, and the Caution and Charge given in the Text, doth suppose that some do exceed the bounds, and that their Tears do overflow the Banks of Moderation, and make a Land­stood in their Families.

So far as it hath already been discovered to be turbulent, it is excessive; which here should be reviewed; to which some more might be added.

The Apostle's Golden Rule should be our Christian Directory, for the moderating of our Joy and Sorrow, in having or losing the outward Enjoyments of this Life. 1 Cor. 7.29. But this I say, Brethren, the timt is short; it re­maineth that both they that have wives, be as though they had none. 33. And those that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoyced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashi­on of this world passeth away. In which Rule we might note these things. (1.) Some have their Wives, Husbands, Parents, Chil­dren yet continuing with them: Others have none, because by death taken from them. 2. Those that have them, are apt to [...]ver-joy in them; those that have lost them, are prone to over-sorrow for them. (3.) Those that have them, shall shortly be in the same circumstances as those that are by death deprived of them: Ours are dead, and yours shortly will be so. Life is so short, and the end of all so near and sure, that there is little and no long difference betwixt the state of one and of the other. (4.) Those that have Wives and other Relations, should sometimes suppose themselves to be in the Circumstances of those that have none; that the thoughts that shortly they [Page 118] shall have none, might correct their excessive joy while they have them; for though you have them, you should he as though you had them not: looking upon Relations that short­ly will not be, as if now already they were not, is a point of prudence, for the modera­ting of our joy in them. Those that have them not, should suppose this will be the case of those that have, for the allaying of their sorrow; that now this is their present state. (5.) The reasons of this indifferency of our Spirits, in these different Circumstances of our Life. (1.) The time is short; those that have Fathers and Mothers, Wife, Husband or Children, shall have them but for a short time: Why then are your hearts transpor­ted with so much joy, when you might stand and see the end of them? those that are deprived of them, have themselves but a lit­tle time to live: Why then are you so much cast down for so short a want of them? (2.) All these things are but as a shadow, or an appearance of good, rather than that good wherein our happiness doth lie, and the solid, spiritual abiding comfort of our life doth consist: it is but the fashion of this world, an accidental and External Fi­gure without substance, the surface and outside. What is all that is in this world, that is of the world, but a meer surface, [Page 119] and vain outside? why then do we joy so much, or sorrow so much, whether we have them, or be without them? (3.) They are in continual change; like Water in the Ri­ver, is continually, every moment passing away. What! are these things neither sub­stantial, nor continual, and shall we be over-affected with the having, or the losing of them? Christians should do as to Temporals, as Worldings do in Spirituals; these pray as if they prayed not; they can confess sin, and neith [...]r weep without, nor sorrow within: they are under the loss of the fa­vour of God, and yet are as contented as if they were not; they can ask for an in­terest in Christ, pardon of sin, and eter­nal Salvation, and yet not be much trou­bled for the present, though they go with­out them for ever: they can sit and hear the threatnings of God, and never fear nor grieve; can sit and hear the glad tidings of the Gospel, and never rejoice; hear all as if they heard them not; or if they have some movings of Affections, they are not deep, they reach not the heart: they do not break their hearts for sin against God, nor for the loss of God, so much as some do for the loss of a Creature.

Let such as are immoderately weeping for their dead, stop their Tears that they may read, compose t [...]eir minds for a while at first, that they may consider what is said, and command their Sorrow to give place to Reason and Religion; or if they have not such command over, it, should earnestly pray to God that hath, that they might at last not sorrow with such excess of sorrow, as if they had no hope of the blessed present and future state of those they thus do sorrow for. Let me propound some Questions to you, and let Reason and Conscience in your Sorrow give in their Answer, if it be not sorrow in excess.

Q. 1. Is your sorrow for your Dead so much, as in the degrees of it, tends to the shortning of your own Life; and is it not then too much? Is your Relation dead, and will you therefore kill your self? hath death bro­ken the Relation you had in the Fifth Commandment, and will you go on to transgress the Sixth? hath Death killed one, and will you kill another, and so bring in Death upon Death into your Fami­ly, and invite and call it in, to make Freach upon Breach? Do you complain of Deaths doings, and will you do as Death hath done? do you grieve and sorrow for [Page 12] the death of another, and by your grief and sorrow will you be your own death, and yet not yield your sorrow is too much? do you sorrow because yours are lodged in the Grave, and do you thus hasten to go to them? though God hath put an end to their lives, yet hath not he bound you by all lawful means to preserve your own? and to avoid whatsoever hath so great a tendency to cut it short? or, do not you know that excessive grief often is the cause of death? Did you never read in the Bills of Mortality, that some, that many have died with grief, and killed themselves with sor­row? or did you never mind the difference given by the Apostle, betwixt godly sorrow, and sorrow of the World, for worldly Losses? and is not your sorrow such in th [...]s case? 2 Cor. 7.10. for godly sorrow work­eth r [...]pentance to salvation, not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death: That sorrow that is for worldly los­ses and crosses, proceeding from the over-much love of these Creature-Comforts, doth hu [...] the Body, and hasten death temporal; and doth wrong the Soul, because sinful, and doth deserve death eternal; for the wages of every sin is death temporal and eternal. Rom. 6.23. and will you so sorrow for another dead body, as thereby to deserve the dam­nation [Page 122] of your own Soul, and yet not say it is too much? When your Spirit is bro­ken, your heart is broken, how can you live? and what will break it? Prov. 15.13. By sorrow of the heart, the spirit is broken. Prov. 17.22. A broken spirit drieth the bones. Psal. 6.7. My eye is consumed because of grief. Immoderate sorrow drieth the Bones, breaks the Heart, preys upon the Spirits, consu­meth the Vital Parts, and by all, hastens death; and therefore not to be cherished, but avoided.

Q. 2. Is not that sorrow that must be sor­rowed for, exc [...]ssive sorrow? See the strait you bring your self into: You sorrow too much, and because you do so, you must sorrow more; and so add sorrow to sorrow' when it is, and because it is too much already; you have more than you ought, and yet you have not so much as you should: you must have sorrow for your sorrow, and yet you want sorrow for your sorrow: Your eyes run down with tears for your dead, more than they should; and when you should weep for your excessive sorrow, you ha [...]e not a tear to shed. Why do you waste your tears? for what, and more than you should? and then want tears for what you ought to shed them for: Excessive [Page 123] sorrow is a sin, because it is excessive; and sinful sorrow must be sorrowed for, and repented of, or how will you else get the pardon of that known Sin? What do you mean then by sorrow, to draw on sorrow? and so to weep that you must weep over your weeping? and to shed tears over again for the tears that you have shed? if you cannot bear this sorrow that you are fil­led with already, why by this sorrow do you make way for more? and fo depth of sorrow calling for depth of sorrow, you at last must swim in tears, where you cannot wade through.

Q 3. Is not that sorrow too much, that doth hurt, and no good? is sorrow good in it self as sorrow? Then all sorrow would be good: Whereas much sorrow is often evil, and too much is always evil; because as such it doth hurt, and not good. Whom doth your sorrow do good unto? not to your dead, be it never so much; not to your Relations that live, for you, grieve them by over grieving, and makes your company a burthen, and un­profitable to them: not to your self, neither to Body, o [...] to Soul, for it is pre­judicial unto both, as before was made ma­nifest.

Q. 4. Is not that sorrow too much for your dead, which would be too much for your sin? Many are defective in sorrowing, for sin; few sorrow too much for sin; yet men may be, and some are excessive in their sor­row for sin, insomuch that their sorrow for sin is turned into sinful sorrow; as when they are so overwhelmed with sor­row for sin, as unsits them for other Go­spel Duties, and drives them from Christ, and sinks them into despair; which sorrow is excessive; and God gives caution and charge against such sorrow sor our sin. 2 Cor 2.7. So that cantrariwise, ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him; lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with ov [...]rmuch sorrow. When sorrow for sin doth more hurt than good, it is over-much, and so is our sorrow for our dead.

Q. 5. Is not that sorrow too much for your dead, which is more than you have for your sin? Is not sorrow upon the account of some present evil that is upon us, as joy is for some present good? and should not the degree of our sorrow bear some proportion to the greatness of the evil that is the cause and reason of our sor­row? [Page 125] Is not sin against God a greater evil than any (besides sin) doth fall upon us? Is not your own dead heart, and cold af­fections towards God, a greater evil than the dead Corps, and cold Flesh in the Grave, which is the cause of all this sorrow? Now when your sorrow is more for the lesser evil, than it is for the greater, judge if your sorrow for the greater is not too small, and your sorrow for the lesser [...], over-much and excessive?

Q. 6. Is not that sorrow over-much, which carries our thoughts down into the Grave, to think of their Dead Corps, but hinders them from ascending into Heaven, to meditate upon the the Eternal Ever-living God? What a shame and reproach is it to us, that a dead Wife, or a dead Child, or a dead Father or Mother, should have more of our Thoughts, than God, and Christ, and things above? and that the Bodies of our departed Relations con­suming in their Graves, should have more of our thoughts, than their Souls triumphing in Heaven have? that it is so, our excessive sorrow doth testifie to our faces; for we cannot say, nor do pretend to sorrow for the Soul in Heaven; [Page 126] is it not then for the Body in the Grave? And why should not the Joy the Immor­tal part is filled with, abate our Sorrow for the Corruptible part, though it be consuming, if our thoughts were as much with the Soul in Heaven, as they are with the Body in the Grave? Let these Excessive Mourners ingenuously confess, if they have not twenty thoughts of the Dead Body, for one serious heart affecting Thought they have of God and Christ, and the living triumphant Soul above? for would not the one cause Joy, as others do Sorrow; and so our Joy mitigate, be equal to, or exceed our Sorrow? if it be not so, it is easy to judge your sor­row is over-much.

Q. 7. Is not your sorrow over-much, when it hinders you, and keeps you from rejoycing in God, from praising of him, and giving thanks unto him, for the mer­cies you have mixed with your affliction? Have not you more Mercies left, than you have lost? have not you greaeter Mer­cies continued, than are removed? is your Earthly Father dead? but have not you still a Father in Heaven? is your Wife dead? but is not your Soul married to Christ? and though the Conjugal Union [Page 127] be broken by Death, yet doth not the Mystical Union betwixt Christ and you still remain? have not you the pardon of Sin, the favour of God, the sense of his Love, and Hopes of Heaven? seriously set these over against your Dead, and say, if you have not more cause to rejoice in God, and give him thanks for these, than you have to mourn for your Dead; and whether God doth not command you more, and give you a stricter charge sor these to rejoice in him, than to mourn for your Dead? and consequently is the grand constant Duty you owe to God all the days of your Life; and are you so much indebted to your dead as you are to the Living God? Was their Life of so much worth to you, as your Re­lation to God is, and your Receivings from him? see your Duty, and cease from that which hinders your perfor­mance of it. Phil. 3.1. Finally, my Brethren, rejoice in the Lord. Whatsoever state you are in, serve God with joyful hearts. Phil. 4.4. Rejoice in the Lord al­way, and again, I say, rejoice: Always rejoice in the Lord: What? wh [...]n my Father, or Mother, or Child, Wife, or Husband lieth dead in my House, or is newly lodged in the Grave? Is [Page 128] it not alway you are commanded to rejoice? is there this Exception, when you have any Relation dead, that then this should be no Duty? Have not Christians always greater cause of rejoycing in the Lord, than they have of sorrow for Worldly Losses? is not holy joy in the Lord, and a thankful praising of God, the very Flower of Religion, and makes us most like the Angels and Saints above? but can you thus rejoice, and praise, and magnifie God, and triumph in his Love and Grace, when you are over­whelmed with sorrow for the loss of Worldly Comforts? and is not that sor­row too much, that unfits you for this constant, standing Duty? 1 Thes. 5.16. Rejoice evermore; 17. Pray without cea­sing. 18. In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ concerning you. Whatever a true Believer doth lose, he should rejoice, because the Grounds, and Reasons, and Causes of Joy do still remain: and in every Case and Condition of life, should give thanks to God; for as much as the Good that continueth to him, doth exceed the E­vils that do befal him: This is God's revealed Will; making it our [Page 129] Duty, for the great Blessings we receive from him by Christ. Job's sorrow for the loss of ten Children in one day by a strange unusual death, added to all his for­mer Losses (making his Case more sorrow­ful than yours) was kept within such Bounds, as that he was able, even then to bless and praise the Lord. Job 1.19. —They are dead— 21. He said, naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither; the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. In your sorrow, try if you can do so; if not, judge whether it be not over-much.

Q. 8. Is not that sorrow for your dead over-much which doth deaden your Heart towards God in all Holy Duties? You were wont to pray with a lively Heart, and to hear the Word of God with warm Affections, but now you pray with a dead Heart, and hear with dull Affections. Your Love, and De­sires, and Delights are become as cold in your Duties, as your Relations Corps are in the Grave: What have you done in your sorrow, taken away a lively Heart towards God, and laid a dead Child, a dead Father, or Wife in the room of it? Like the Wo­man in Solomon's Reign, whose Child did die in the Night, and there being another [Page 130] Woman in the House that had a living Child, rose, and while the living Child's Mother did sl [...]ep, took her living Child out of her Bosom, and laid her dead Child in her Bosom in the room of the living Child: But these two Women contended before Solomon, one saying, The living Child is mine, but the dead Child is thine; the o­ther also said, The dead Child is thine, but the living Child is mine, 1 Kings 3.16 to 24. Solomon commanded a Sword to be brought to divide the living Child, and to give half to the one, and half to the other. The true Mothers Bowels yearning towards her Child, said, O my Lord, give her the living Child, and by no means slay it; the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it; whereby the King discern­ed the Natural Mother, and commanded the living Child to be given to her, ver. 24, 25, 26, 27.

Love filled your Heart to your living Child, Sorrow fills your Heart for your dead Child. You had a lively frame of Heart, when your Child was living, but now it is dead through over-much sorrow, you have laid your dead Child in your Bosom in the room of that Activity of Soul that before you had towards God, and you lay claim to the [Page 131] dead Child, this dead Child is my Child: Alas this Child that is dead is mine! But whose is your H [...]art and Love, God's, or your Child's? Take heed, this be not the true answer during this fit of excessive sor­row, it is not all God's, [...]or all the Child's, but you have divided it between both, and given half to the Living God, and half to the Dead Child. That sorrow that causeth you to make this division is excessive sor­row.

Q. 9. Is not that sorrow for your dead over-much, when it all runs out to them, that you are not sensible of, nor concerned for the Cala­mities of the Church, nor Afflictions and Suf­ferings of the People of God? All your sor­row is contracted, and all your Tears run in this one Channel for your dead Father, or Mother, Husband, Wife, or Children; are not the Concerns of the Church of God greater than your Selfish Matters? Are not the Sufferings, and Calamities, Martyrdom by Burning, and Wracking, and Tortu­ring of many dear to God, greater Evils than the Natural death of your Relations? Did Christ shed his Blood for his Church, and amongst all your Tears for your dead, cannot you drop one for the Suffering Church of God? Are Men shedding their [Page 132] Blood, and for this cannot you shed a Tear, when you have so many for one dead Child, or Husband, or Wife? Should not the Concerns of the Glory of God in Publick Affairs lye nearer your Heart than a dead Relation, and wound deeper, and make you sorrow more? You are ready to die with grief for one Child. I will tell you of one that lost two Sons in a Battel at once, when also the Ark of God was taken; and when he heard of the death of his two Sons he bore up, but as soon as mention was made of the taking of the Ark of God, he fell down and died. This was Eli, 1 Sam. 4.17, 18. And his Daugh­ter in Law that was with Child near to be Delivered, hearing that the Ark of God was taken, fell into Travail; the Women about her comforted her, saying, Thou hast born a Son, but she made them no answer, and regarded it not. She called the Childs Name Icha­bod, that is, Where is the Glory? For the Glory is departed from Israel, because the Ark of the Lord is taken. She sorrowed indeed for her Husband that was dead, and for her Father-in-law that was dead, but more for the Ark of the Lord that was taken by the Enemies; for she mentioneth this over and over, and gives up the Ghost and dies, 1 Sam. 4.19. to the end. David [Page 133] when his Child was dead, leaves sorrow­ing for him, and prayeth for the Church, Psal. 51.18. But you cannot mitigate your sorrow for your dead so much as to sor­row for the Evils that befall to the Church, nor pray to God to help her to bear them, or that he would remove them; and while it is so, your sorrow for your dead is ex­cessive and immoderate sorrow.

Q 10. Is not that sorrow for your dead ex­cessive and immoderate, whereby you do dis­credit Religion, become a stumbling-block to those that are already too much prejudiced against the Holy Ways of God. While they see you thus all in constant Tears, how are they ready to reflect upon and reproach your Profession, and say, Is this their Hope and Confidence in God, whereof they spake when all was well with them? Is this their living by Faith, when Creature-Comforts fail them? Is this their boasting of God as their All-suffici­ent Portion; and that they could find satis­fying Comfort in one God, when all outward Enjoyments are taken away? Where is their trusting in the Promises of God, and their re­lying upon his Word? Where is their profiting by so much hearing? And where is the return to all their praying? They said, All things work together for their good; if they find it so, [Page 134] why do they weep and mourn as if all things did work together for their hurt? They said, There were such props and stays in their Reli­gion as to b [...]ar up their Hearts in the sorest Affl [...]ction, why then are they thus disquieted a­bove other Men? And why do their Hearts sink, and their Spirits fail them more than o­ther Mens? They could speak comfortable words to others in Affliction, but now it is come up­on them, they find no comfort in their own words, were they any more than words, vain and empty talk? Are they not ready to re­tort up [...]n you as Job's Friends upon him, Job 4.3. Behold thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. 4. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. 5. But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; [...]t toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. 6. Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways? Do you harden Mens Hearts by your ex [...]essive sorrow, and is not that too much by which you ren­der Religion less Amiable in the Eyes of Men?

Q. 11. Is not that sorrow for your Dead ever-much, whereby your submission to the Will of God is caused to be suspected? if you sub­mit, why are you not quieted? If you ac­quiesce [Page 135] in God's Dealings, why do you carry your self as if you were discontented at his doings? Do not so many, and so long-continued Tears look like the Tears of a murmuring, repining, discontented Mourner? Is not your Carriage more like a Disputer with God, than a patient Bearer of his Hand? You might have a sense and feeling of his Rod, and yet submit; but what so [...]row is inconsistent with submission, is too much.

Q. 12. Is not that sorrow for your dead, whereby you lose much of your little time to be allowed you, excessive and immoderate? Are not your days few, your Life short, and hasting away; and have you nothing else to do with your time but to waste it in such mourning for those that are removed out of time into Eternity? Have not you much greater, and more necessary work to do for your own Soul? Have not you the Pardon of Sin to get, which every day you do commit? Have not you many Corrupti­ons further to subdue? Have not you many Duties to perform for your self, and to­wards your Relations that yet do live? Have not you Children to instruct in the Principles of Religion? Have not you many Temptations to resist, and many vain and sinful Thoughts to pray against, and beg that [Page 136] they might not lodge in your Mind, nor find any quiet Entertainment there? Have not you many Doubt s to be resolved, and many Fears to be expelled? Have not you Assurance yet to seek, and your own Death to be prepared for; if all this Work stand still, while your time is passing away in mourning for your dead, your sorrow is immoderate.

CHAP. XII. The Remedies against Excessive Sorrow for our Dead. The First, That their Death is a sleeping in Jesus. Four Notes a­bout it: Ten Meditations upon it.

THE third Work we have to do, is to enquire after an effectual Remedy against excessive sorrow for our dead. What is easie unto others might be hard to me in the practical part of this Inquiry. It is less La­bour to prescribe the Cure than to feel the powerful working of it. It is hard to have a due sense of God's smarting Rod, and yet a patient submission to his Will. Man's Heart is either stony and stupid under Gods Afflicting Hand, and doth not feel it; or in the sense of it doth murmur and re­pine: Either when God smites we do not grieve at all, or if we are sensible of the Wound, do mourn too much. Both these Extreams have been already considered; now Lord direct me to the Golden Mean, and guide me to the middle way which lies betwixt these two Extreams, that I might grieve because of thine Hand, and yet might not over-grieve be­cause it is so heavy.

The Cure of excessive sorrow for our dead will be the better found by finding out the cause thereof. The cause of it, God by his Apostle acquaints us is Ignorance con­cerning the state of Believers after the se­paration of the Body and the Soul: Or if we are not wholly ignorant, yet do not well consider what we know; or if we do consider, yet do not firmly believe what we do consider of. In opposition to these as the cause of ex [...]essive sorrowing as those do that have no hop [...]; knowledge, due consideration, and an unshaken belief of the state of de­parted Believers will come in as a Cure, Help an [...] R medy of such immoderate grief. Tho ma [...]y things might be had out of the whole Word of God, which would much enlarge this Discourse, yet I shall (that I may Contract) pick up the Apostles Argu­ments in the Text and following Verses of this Chapter, as Alleviations of sorrow in this Case, because therein he treats de­signedly upon this Subject: Concerning which it is as if he had said, Those that are ig­norant of, or do not believe the Resurrection of the D [...]ad, and a better Life hereafter, have ever sorrowful Thoughts of those that are taken away by Death, and mourn for them to ex­cess. But I would not have you to cherish and [Page 139] maintain such immoderate sorrows by Ignorance of their Case at present and hereafter.

The Helps against Immoderate Sorrow for our dead given in this Chapter might be reduced to these Four General Heads of Argument.

1. The consideration of the state of the Bo­dies of departed Believers. They are fallen a­sleep; and if they sleep in Jesus (as they do, v. 14.) they shall do well.

2. The Knowledge and Belief of the state of the separated Soul. Their Souls are with Christ Triumphant in Heaven, while their Bodies are sleeping in the Grave; and these Souls he will bring back with him when he comes.

3. The certainty of the Resurrection of the Dead by the Re-union of the same Souls with the same Bodies, and so Christ will bring the entire Man with him at the day of Judg­ment. Thus the Hope in the Text, is the Hope of the Resurrection of the Dead, and confirmed by the next words.

4. The Antecedent, Concomitant, and conse­quent Circumstances of the Resurrection. That [Page 140] is what shall go before, what shall accom­pany, and what shall follow after the rai­sing of the dead; and all these are laid down in the following part of this Chap­ter, which is a Spring and Fountain of Li­ving, Lively Comfort against excessive sorrow for the dead: And methinks I feel it already to begin to work: It warms my Heart, it doth begin to burn within my Breast: My Affections move, and it seems to me that my sorrow is turning into joy, and my hea­viness into rejoicing, and am put to a stand, whether now I shall call my Tears for my dead, Tears of Sorrow or of Joy. Have we been sorrowing because she is dead? Me­thinks I cannot but joy that she sleeps in Je­sus: Have we been mourning because the Body is in the Grave? Oh how delightful is it to me to think upon such good grounds, that the Precious and Immortal Soul is above in yonder glorious Heaven, in the presence of the Father, and Redeemer, and Comforter, and in the innumerable company of Angels and saved Souls, perfectly Holy and Happy for ever? Have we been so much troubled because the Body did fall at the parting stroke of death; methinks my trouble is allayed when I am considering and cer­tainly sure that it shall rise and fall no more; Is it an aggravating sorrow to look back up­on [Page 141] the Circumstances of the Funeral: The Bearers carrying the Corps upon their Shoul­ders, the Mourning Relations following, and many sorrowful sympathizing Friends coming after to see the dead Body lodged in its long Home? Methinks another Affection is ready to take its turn, and to act its part, even Delight and Joy, when I look forward and foresee the Lord a coming, and all his Holy Angels with him, calling the dead to rise; they hear and come forth from their sleeping places, and after Judgment go with their Lord into the highest Heavens, in Body and Soul, not only to their long, but last, yea, Everlasting Home, to Live, and Love, and Joy in God to all Eternity. Oh what difference is there between be­lieving Thoughts of these great and glori­ous certain things, and those that have been daily running to the Grave, looking upon a consuming Body? What wrong have I done my self in hastening to this part no more, and coming to it no sooner? Why have we been looking so long in the Grave, in which as such we can see nothing but death, and cry out, as the Men to Elisha concerning their deadly Pottage, O thou Man of God, there is death in the Pot, 2 Kings 4.40. So we, there is death in the Grave. But when Elisha said, Then bring Meal, and [Page 142] he cast it into the Pot, and he said, pour out for the people that they may eat; and there was no harm in the Pot. So we should have looked upon the Grave as a place where Christ before had been laid, and as a Bed for the Bodies of Believers to sleep in till the Lord shall come, and we should have seen no such great harm in the Grave to fill us with excessive sorrow.

Concerning this representation of death by sleeping, four things may be premised as to this manner of Scripture expression.

1. Tho Beasts do die, yet their death in Scripture (that I know of) is never called a Sleep; for they die to live no more. Death puts an end to their Life without a Resur­rection to it any more. They are only in this World, and not to have Life in that World that Men are hastening too. They are not capable here of Moral Government, of Sin or Grace, and so shall not be raised to undergo Eternal Punishments, or to re­ceive Eternal Rewards hereafter. Tho they do sleep while they live, yet their death is not a sleep, because they shall die, but ne­ver wake.

[Page 143]2. The death of ungodly Men is sometimes in Scripture called a sleep, tho more seldom. The worst as well as the best, all Mankind in gene­ral, shall be raised at the last day. As death is common to all, so shall the Resurrection of the dead also be: Tho as there is a difference in their death, so shall there also be in their Re­surrection; but because they shall awake, there­fore to them death also is a sleep. Tho they had better to sleep on, than to awake and rise to be tormented. Dan. 12.2. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the Earth shall awake, some to [...]verlasting Life, and some to Shame and Everlasting Contempt; Expressed by Christ in these words, John 5.28. All that are in their Graves shall hear his voice. 29. And shall come forth, they that have done good unto the Resur­rection of Life, and they that have done evil to the Resurrection of Damnation.

3. It is most frequently used concerning the death of holy and believing persons, that they may familiarize it to themsel [...]es, and get as great a willingness to die, as to go to Bed and sleep. So God said to Moses, he should sleep with his Fathers, Deut. 31.16. So of David, 2 Sam. 7.12. So Mat. 9.24. When Christ said our Friend Lazarus sleepeth; the Disciples thought he spake of his taking natural rest in sleep, but after explained his meaning, saying, [Page 144] he is dead, John 11.11, 12, 13. So Acts 13.36.

4. The Expression of sleeping in Jesus is to be understood peculiarly of the death of true Believers that shall be awaked to live with him in Eternal Glory, 1 Thes. 4.15. Impeni­tent Persons go night after night to their Beds, and sleep in their Sin, and at last die in their Sin. But it is peculiar to san­ctified Persons to die in the Lord, and sleep in Jesus.

Carnal unbelieving Men might laugh this Doctrine to Scorn, as they did Jesus that taught it, and say, We know that they are dead. And death is death whatsoever name you call it by; and what Comfort can we have from Words and Names against such a real Evil as death is. Luke 8.49. Thy daughter is dead, trouble not the Master. 52. And all wept and bewailed her, but he said weep not, she is not dead but sleepeth. 53. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. But since the most Wise and Ever-living God hath called death so often by such a Name, there is some sup­porting Comfort in it against the fears of our o [...]n, and excessive sorrow for the death of ot [...]ers. Let's search and try.

[Page 145]1. Our Dead are sleeping, therefore they are at rest from all Troubles from men. Those that would not suffer them to rest in Life, can­not hinder their rest in Death: They that would not let them rest in their Beds in their Houses upon Earth, will let them rest in the Bed of the Grave, the house appointed for all the living, in the Bowels of the Earth; or if they should dig up their dry Bones, yet they cannot hereby disturb their rest, for they are not sensible of any more trouble. To go to Bed and sleep, and to go to Bed and take our rest, are words importing the same thing. Isa. 57. 1.—The Righteous are taken away from the evil to come. 2. He shall enter into peace, they shall rest in their Beds. Job 3.11. Why dyed I not from the Womb? 13. For now should I have lain still, and been qui [...]t, I should have slept: then had I been at rest. 17. There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary be at rest. 18. There the Prisoners rest to­gether, they hear not the voice of the Oppressor. 19. The small and great are there, and the Ser­vant is free from his Master.

2. Death as a Sleep affords us the meditati [...]n of that freedom that our Dead have from those pains, and sense of them which they had before they fell Asleep: Then they did complain of pain in one part, and sometimes in another, and another while that their pain was all over in every part: Are not the sound of their [Page 146] words yet in our Ears, You do not know what we do feel. All their wearisome days are now over, and their tedious nights are past and gone; there is no more wishing in the Even­ing, O that it were Morning; nor in the Morn­ing, O that it were Evening: There is no more complaining, This Night is a long Night, be­cause it is a painful Night; and this Day is a te­dious Day, because it is a Day of so great and sharp Affliction: Their Life is gone, and all their Sickness, Pain and bodily Griefs are all gone. As when a Person in his Sickness hath something given him to cause him to sleep, in his sleep he is not sensible of his Sickness; so those that are fallen asleep, in that sleep are no more sensible of such Pains that with us they complained of.

3. Death as a Sleep, yields us these Thoughts, that our Dead are freed from all worldly Cares, and piercing Sorrows those Cares did bring along with them. If Persons have had their Heads full of worldly Thoughts all the Day, and have busied them in buying, and selling, and trading, in contriving and projecting for their worldly Interest and Advantage, yet when fast asleep in their Beds, they mind none of all these things; they matter not, nor do they regard what others awake are doing, nor whither they are going; nor the Plea­sures they are taking, nor the Evil they are suffering, nor the Sin they are committing. [Page 147] All these things that took up their Thoughts when alive, they are freed from when fallen asleep. 2 Kings 22.20. Behold I will gather thee to thy Fathers, and thou shalt be gathered in­to thy Grave in peace, and thine eyes shall not see all the Evil that I will bring upon this place: In this Sleep they are so quiet, that they do not so much as dream of any of these things.

4. Death as a sleep, tho it be a deep sleep, helps us to the Thoughts how easie it will be for God to awaken them: They sleep so fast, that no crea­ted power can raise them out of their sleep, but it is more easie to Almighty Power to awaken those that are sleeping in their Graves, than for you to awaken one that is sleeping in his Bed. Lazarus was sleeping in his Grave, Christ gave a call, spoke the word, Lazarus come forth, and he that was dead, came forth; and tho' he was bound hand and foot with Grave-cloaths, yet he came forth, Joh. 11.43, 44. So Christ with a word, with a call, waked Jai­rus his Daughter out of the sleep of Death, Jesus called, saying, Maid arise, and her Spirit came again, and she arose straightway, Luke 8.54, 55. So also the Son of the Widow of Naim, dead and carried out to be Buried, Christ did but touch the Bier, or Coffin, and say, Young man, I say to thee, arise, and he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. Luk 7.14, 15. If Death be a sleep, this is our Comfort, it is easie for God to awaken them.

[Page 148]5. Death as a Sleep administers this comforta­ble matter to our minds, that it will not be a per­petual sleep: For being but a sleep, they can be awakened, and because it is a Sleep, they shall be awakened; for if your Child, or Father, or Mother, or your self at Night go to Bed and sleep, do not you reckon and suppose you shall wake in the Morning? And you are not troubled to lay your Child asleep, when you have hopes and expectation it will wake again: When did you go to sleep, without waking after sleep? This Comfort, this re­presentation of Death doth bring unto us, that as we saw the time when ours fell asleep, so there will be a Day when they shall a­wake.

6. Death as a Sleep suggests to our Thoughts, that the Bodies of th [...]se that Sleep in Jesus shall be much altered for the best, when they awake out of their sleep. If you are weary with Working or Travelling all the Day, you go to sleep at Night, and in the Morning you say, tho you went weary to Bed, yet by Sleep you are greatly refreshed, and as fit to Work or Travel as you were the Day before. When your Child complains he is not well, you ha­sten to have him to Bed, and say, go to sleep, You will be better after you have slept. Sure I am, these Bodies that are sick, and weak, and weary, when they fall Asleep in Jesus will be wonderfully refreshed, and be [Page 149] much better, when after this Sleep they shall awake.

7. Death as a Sleep teacheth us, that it is no trouble to them that are in their Graves, that they do not know when they shall awake. Is this any trouble to a living Man fast asleep in his Bed, that he knows not when the day will dawn, and the Morning-light appear, and he awake? he sleeps on, and concerns him­self with no such Thoughts. We that are alive think, when shall our Dead arise? how long must they sleep there? That which troubles us is no trouble unto them.

8. Death it self, as a Sleep, ch [...]cks our Im­moderate Sorrow for those that are fallen asleep. They sleep, and you take on as if you had no hope that they would ever wake. What saith the Text, they are fallen asleep; do not ye sorrow as those that have no hope. When did you mourn, because your Relation in due season went to sleep? If they have been Sick, and could not sleep, it grieve your Heart, and so it also would, if your nearest Friends lay sick, and full of pain, torment­ed day and night, with sighs and groans piercing your Ears and Hearts, should they long lie thus, and could not recover, nor yet dye, it would grieve you that they could not dye, insomuch that by such sights and hearings of the Sick and pained, whom they loved with entire Love, some have gone to [Page 150] their knees, and begg'd of God to give them a release by Death; and were better satis­fied when they were fallen asleep, and there­by delivered.

9. Death as a Sleep, thô it be a long sleep, teacheth us, that it seems not long to them that sleep. A M [...]n that is fast asleep, and sleepeth long, he doth not tell the Clock, nor num­ber the Hours, nor thinks it long that he doth sleep, and when he wakes, he thinks the time was not long, but quickly gone; when to one that watcheth while he sleepeth, it seems to be a tedious time. When they that live and wake, while others in their Graves do sleep, reckon the days, then the weeks, next the months, at last the years that our Father, or Mother, Husband or Wife, or Child hath been dead; and say, so long, so many years they have been sleeping in their Graves: It is long to you but not to them, they know no Nights or Days, no Weeks, or Months, or Years to reckon by, a thousand years is no longer to them than an hour seems to you. Adams Body hath been sleeping some thou­sands of years already, and yet all those years, and what are yet to come till he shall awake, but like one hour unto him. Why should we discompose our Minds with the thoughts of their long Sleep, when they themselves are not concerned at it, nor to them doth it seem long?

[Page 151]10. Death as a Sleep, because it is a sleep that is Death, brings us these tydings of Comfort, that they are sleeping their last Sleep, and when they a­wake shall sleep no more: For when they live a­gain, they shall dye no more; therefore now let us moderate our Sorrow for those that are asleep in Jesus, for they are at rest from pains and cares, God can easily awaken them, and he will, after their Sleep they shall be refresh­ed; tho it be a long Sleep it seems not so to them: it is indeed their last, but not an ever­lasting sleep; they sleep quietly, let not us sorrow excessively, but every Night when we put off our Cloaths, think we must put off this Body, and lie down in our Graves as we do in our Beds, and shall our selves sleep in the Dust with them that are gone to sleep before us.

CHAP. XIII. The Second Remedy against excessive Sor­row, is the Glorified State of the Soul immediately after its separation, proved. The Souls Triumph in its first entrance into Heaven. The Meditation thereof— The Survivors Comfort.

THE Second Remedy against Excessive Sorrow for the Death of those that dy­ed in the Lord, is the knowledge and belief of the Glorious State of the separated Soul, while the Body lies sleeping in the Grave.

The Body is the more ignoble part, the Grave a more formidable place; yet from thence there is something of Support, when both are considered according to what is s [...]id of both in the Scripture, as to such as were truly holy when they lived: But if we call off our Thoughts from the Body and the Grave, that they may ascend and follow the Soul, the more precious part, into the high­est Heavens, the most Glorious place, what cause of Joy, what matter of Rejoycing, what re [...]son of changing our Mourning into Garments of Praise, and our Spirit of heavi­ness into gladness and lively thankfulness to [Page 153] God, that those that are gone from us are re­ceived by him: That whom we have lost, he hath found, and those whom we must enjoy on Earth no more, are enjoying God in yon­der glorious highest Heavens for evermore.

Controversies are not profitable at this sea­son, nor suitable to the present temper of our Spirits, in the Circumstances now we are under, nor consistent with that brevity that I labour for, therefore two things only I shall now endeavour: First, To select some Texts of Scripture that do assure us what state of Joy and Happiness the separated Soul of a Child of God doth pass into. Se­condly, What ground of Comfort against our Sorrow; this is to us that yet are left be­hind.

1. What clearer Evidence, what surer Ar­guments, what better Proof, what greater sa­tisfaction can we have in this Point, than what Scripture doth afford? For cannot God that is the Father of Spirits, and the Dispo­ser of Souls, after their Dissolution, and be­ing separated from the Body, best tell what doth become of them? And will he that is faithful, and Essential Truth deceive us? Or need he, that is absolute Lord and Sove­raign, perfectly happy in himself, to flat­ter us, or to gain our Obedience to him, by promises of Eternal Rewards, and everlast­ing Joys and Glory, if there were not such a [Page 154] Ssate prepared for us? Where God speak­eth, let us believe, and his Veracity is rea­son why we should. Then let us hear. Luke 16.22. It came to pass that the Beggar dyed, and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bo­som. Luke 23.43. Verily I say unto thee, This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. Act. 7.29. And they stoned Stephen, calling up [...]n God, and saying, Lord Jesus receive my Spirit. 2 Cor. 5.1. For we know, that if our earthly house of this Tabern [...]cle were dissolved, we have a Building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. 2. For in this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon, with our house which is from Heaven. 4 For we in this Tabernacle do groan, being burthened: not for that we should be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 6. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the Body, we are absent from the Lord. 8. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the Body, and to be pre­sent with the Lord: Phil. 1.23. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better. Heb. 12.23. To the spirits of just men made perfect.

2. Then why do we Mourn on Earth for those that are Rejoycing in Heaven? Do we weep for their Joy? Is that our Love unto them, to have such Sorrow for them? What if there be one, or two, or ten fewer in our Fa­mily [Page 155] on Earth, if there be so many the more in Heaven? What mean these bleared Eyes, this pale and macerated Face, what means this washing of your Cheeks with Tears, these sighs, and sobs, and groans? Are they got safe into the place they prayed, hoped, longed for? and do we grieve they have their Pray­ers answered, their Hopes obtained, and their Longing Souls are fully and for ever sa [...]isfi­ed? What if as they went to Heaven they took Death in their way? could they have gotten thither without dying? Is dying a greater Evil, than all the Joys and Happiness they are possessed of, is good? Would they leave that State above, to choose to be here below, as they were before? Conceive if it be not beyond all your Conceptions, what Joy, and Praise, and heavenly Delight and holy Triumph the separated Soul of your dear ho­ly Relation was filled with at its first behold­ing the Lord Jesus Christ in his Majesty and Glory in the other World. Who can tell its ravishing Pleasures, its transporting De­lights, its fullness of Joy at the first view of its blessed Lord and Saviour? Is this the Je­sus that was buf [...]eted, and scourged, and spit upon, that is thus Beautiful as now I behold him? Is this that Blessed Lord that was fals­ly Accused, unjustly Condemned, and cruel­ly Crucified, that I now do see sat down up­on his Glorious Throne? Is this he that was [Page 156] vilified more than any Man, that I see thus exalted above all these Glorious Angels round about? I heard of his Majesty, and Beauty, and Glory from Ministers in their Sermons, but what they said was not equal to what I see: O the Love, the Love, the Love that I do feel to him that dyed for me, that Re­deemed me by his Blood to bring me to this glori­ous [...]lace, this glorious place! I never before was in, I never saw such a glorious place, such Glo­rious Company. I heard of it, but before I ne­ver saw the like; the like there is not to be seen. Christ in Heaven, and I with him! all these Angels in Heaven, and I with them! all these Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, and happy, holy Souls in Hea­ven, and I with them! I see such things I never saw, I hear such things I never heard! I feel, I feel such Love and Joy, that doth transcend all the thoughts I had of Heaven before I came into it. O happy day that I came hither! O joyful hour, I left my Body till it be raised, and partake with me in what I do enjoy! I am but newly come into this Glorious State, I am but now entred into this triumphant Society; and what praises are these? What Songs and Hallelujahs? what divine and heavenly melody do I hear? And what is my de­light, and Love and Joy? it is great, it is great, I never knew the like it is so exceeding great: Love, and never doubt whether I do love! Be lo­ved, and never question whether I am beloved! Question and Doubt! here is no room for such [Page 157] doubtings: Do I enjoy what I enjoy, and can I doubt whether I do enjoy it? it is so full, I can­not doubt: it is so sweet, I cannot Question it. O blessed Day, in which I was made thus blessed! O blessed be this God that chose me to this blessed place! O Blessed Saviour, that by thy Blood didst Redeem me, and purchase this Glory for me! O Blessed, Eternal Spirit, that didst fit me, and prepare me for it, and didst guide me to it! and being here, I shall be here for ever. I am where I would be, and do not desire to be but where I am: And this I know, that where I am, I shall for ever be, and this God I shall ever love, with perfect love, and the more is my love, the more is my joy, and because my Love shall be perfect for ever, my Joy shall be compleat for ever?

Is this the Soul we are Mourning for, be­cause it is separated from its Body? Is this the State, and infinitely beyond this, that the Souls of our departed Friends are gone unto, and do we sit and sob as if we were un­done? Do we weep and wail, and lay their absence from us to Heart so much, that makes us look more like their Enemies than their Friends? and more like Strangers to that State above, than Expectants of it? or as if we were rather Unbelievers, than Believers of Christ, his Word, and of the happiness of Heaven? Think, O think, but alas it is more than you can think, what departed holy Souls enjoy from that moment, or day, that you [Page 158] saw them draw their last breath, and ra­ther desire to be with them, than Mourn that they are gone from you.

CHAP. XIV. The Resurrection of the Dead great ground of Comfort in our Sorrow for them: As also the Qualities and Endowments of their Bodies, when raised.

THE Third Remedy against Excessive Sorrow for the Dead, is sure knowledge, and firm belief of the Resurrection unto Life: Death is opposed to Life, as being the pri­vation of it; the Resurrection is opposed to Death, as being a restoration to Life: The one is the cause of our Sorrow, the other is a solid ground of Christian Comfort. It is a Doctrine unknown by the Light of Nature, it is undeniably proved by the Holy Scrip­ture. The Heathens hearing Paul preach the Resurrection of the Dead, did deride and mock, Act 17.32. for they did judge it a thing incredible, that the dead should be rai­sed, Act 26.8. This was the reason they sorrowed for their de [...]d so immoderately, be­cause they had no hope that they should live [Page 159] again; and the Resurrection and Christian Hope are conjoyned, the one being the Foun­dation of the other. Act. 23.6. Of the hope and resurrection of the dead, I am called into question. Act. 24.14. And have hope towards God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. If the Resurrection be grant­ed, hope must be allowed, and the more hope of this, the more mitigation of sorrow for the Dead, because they shall live again.

In this copious Subject, I must omit many things, and content my self with so much as is sufficient for my present design, which may be done in these two things: (1.) That there is sufficient foundation for our Faith, that the Dead shall surely live again. (2.) That their Bodies for which we mourn, because d [...]ad and bu­ried, shall not only be the same for substance, but in respect of Qualities, shall far exceed what they were while they lived, or when they dyed: And the Faith of this wi [...] be as much cause of Joy, as their Death was of Sorrow, and more a­bundant.

In the first of these, three things give me full satisfaction. 1. Taken from God. 2. From Christ. 3. The absurdities that must unavoida­bly follow the denial of the Resurrection of the Dead.

First in this Article of our Faith (from whence I check my Sorrow for the Dead, [Page 160] that it may be kept within bounds) three things in God, (so considered by us, tho one in him) remove my Doubts, confirm my Hopes in this Case: 1. The Wisdom. 2. The Power. 3. The Will of God.

1. God being Infinite in Wisdom and Know­ledge, I am fully satisfied, that he knoweth the number of the dead, and where their Bodies were buried, or consumed, and which are the bones and Skull, and Dust of one, and which of another: for this is knowable in it self, and therefore God knows these, and all other circumstances of the Dead, or else his Knowledge would be limited and finite Knowledge, and not ex­tended to every thing that may be known, which is contrary to Natural Reason, to Scripture and Religion, and to the Infinite Perfection of the Divine Nature; to deny this Knowledge in God, is to Blaspheme him.

2. God being Infinite in Power, is able to raise all the Dead, all which, and every par­ticle of all of them being thus known to him; to raise the Dead is an Act of Power, and not of weakness, and is possible, and not a con­tradiction. Cannot the same Power that made all things out of nothing, cause these dead-out of something to live again? Cannot the same Power that at first formed Mans Bo­dy of the dust of the ground, and caused it to live, make these Bodies to live again, thô [Page 161] they be turned into dust? Cannot God do what he hath done? Cannot he do all that is possible to be done? Is not that which hath been done to some, possible to be done to others? Are there not many Examples in the Scripture that this hath been done? Have not many Dead been raised to Life? The Resurrection of the Dead being in the rank of things possible, comes within the reach of Divine Almighty Power, which to deny is to blaspheme, these two being manifest; to compleat the Argument, add,

3. God hath declared his Will and Purpose that the Dead shall live again. We cannot argue from the Power of God, that a thing shall be, because he is able to do it, because he doth not will to do all that he can do; but we might argue from his Will, that what he doth will to do, shall be done, because he hath Power to do whatsoever he will. Men might have a will to do some things, but they have not Power answerable to their Will, and they often would, but never can; but tho' God be not Omnivolent, to will eve­ry thing he can, yet he is Omnipotent, to do whatsoever he will.

Wherefore our reasoning issueth in this, Whether it be the Will of God that the Dead shall be raised to life? The fundamental Error of the Sadduces denying the Resurrection of the Dead, Christ shews was in their Ignoronce [Page 162] of these two Principles, the Power and the Will of God, which is revealed in the Scrip­ture. Mat. 22.29. Jesus answered, and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. The Scriptures do a­bound in this, fully assuring us that it is his Will, that all the Dead shall be raised, the Wicked to Damnation, the Righteous to Life everlasting: If you doubt, read these Texts, Job 19.25. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth. 26. And thô after my skin, Worms destroy this bo­dy, yet in my Flesh shall I see God. 27. Whom I shall see for my self, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, thô my reins be consumed within me. Joh. 5.28. The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the Graves shall hear his voice. 29. And shall come forth, they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life, and they that have done evil to the Resurrection of damnation. Joh. 6.38. For I came down from Heaven, not to do my own will, but the Will of him that sent me. What's that? 39. And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. These are comfortable words of Christ to us: What a strict Charge is here of the Father given to Christ! My Son, I give you so many men, and charge you with them, that you lose not any one of them, but that you raise every one of them at the last day, and set them [Page 163] before me in Body and Soul in my heavenly King­dom. Do you fear, lest among so many millions to be raised, any one of yours should be left in the Grave, and never raised? Would not then such be lost? and is not that contrary to the Charge given to Christ? and contrary to the Fathers Will? Are not you satisfied that Christ hath, and will do his Father's Will in every Point? Hear his words: 40. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one that seeth the Son, and believ­eth on him, may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Are not you yet satisfied with these words of him that is able, and can, and faithful, and will, do what he saith, reaching to every one, without the lo­sing of any one? The Father that sent me, hath declared his Will that I should, and so I will raise every one of these at the last day. Believe, and sorrow for your Dead with no more degrees of Sorrow than becometh one that doth believe that Christ will raise them up at the last day. John 11.24. Martha said to him, I know that he shall rise again, in the Re­surrection at the last day: 25. Jesus said unto her, I am the Resurrection and the Life, he that believeth in me, thô he were dead, yet shall he live. John 6.44. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me, draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 54. Whoso eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood, hath Eternal [Page 164] life, and I will raise him up at the last day, 1 Cor. 15. throughout. Rev. 20.12. And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God — 13. And the Sea gave up the dead which were in it, and Death and Hell [or the Grave] delivered up the d [...]ad which were in them. Now the Grave and Death hold your Relations that are under their Power fast, so fast that now there is no help, and you therefore sorrow; but the day will come, when Death and the Grave shall deliver them up, and hold them no longer; here is matter of Hope, there­fore do not sorrow as those that have no Hope.

Secondly, The indissoluble connexion betwixt the Resurrection of Christ, and Believers that sleep in him, may assuredly satisfie us, that such shall also be raised. Firmly believe the one, and you cannot, or need not doubt of the o­ther, 1 Cor. 15.12. Now if Christ be preached, that he rose from the dead, how say some among you, that there is no Resurrection of the dead. 13. But if there be no Resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 15. — Whom he raised not up, if so be the dead rise not. 16. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised. 1 Thes. 4.14. For if we believe that Jesus dyed, and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him.

Thirdly, The gross Absurdities that unavoi­dably follow the denial of the Deads being [Page 165] raised, may confirm us that they shall be raised. They are such as these:

1. Then Christ is not risen, 1 Cor. 15.13.

2. If Christ be not risen, and so the Dead shall not be raised, then Ministers preaching, and Peoples believing is all in vain, v. 14.

3. Then the Apostles were Liars, and false, for they affirmed both, 1 Cor. 15.15. and in other Texts.

4. Then those that are Dead in Christ, are perished, v. 18.

5. Then the best men are the most misera­ble, v. 19.

6. Then a floodgate is opened to all wick­edness, v. 32.

7. Gods People then are weakened for do­ing or suffering, v. 58.

8. Then Gods Covenant with his People is broke, Mat. 22.39, &c.

Secondly, Besides the certainty of the Re­surrection of the Dead, the consideration of the Properties, Qualities and Endowments of their Bodies which shall arise, administers more Comfort to us, and consequently will be a further mitigation of our Sorrow. God hath not only assured us that these dry Bones, con­sumed Bodies shall live, but also hath foretold us what manner of Bodies they then shall be, far more noble and excellent than when they lived or died.

[Page 166]1. They shall be raised Immortal and Incorruptible Bodies. While they lived with us they were al­ways mortal, and did admi [...]ister matter of fe [...]r unto us, while we of [...]en said, [...] thought, What if my Husband should die? or what i [...] my Father or Mother should die? These were fretting fears, and caused many distr [...]cting Cares, or trou­bled us sitting at our Table, or lying in our Beds, because we knew they were always subject to Death, and li [...]ble to its stroke, and we kn [...]w not how soon (tho in Health) they might be taken from us; and so the fe [...]rs of their dying abated our Comfort in th m while they were living, because we look­ed upon th [...]m as dying Comforts, and going from us, whilst they were with us. But when the [...], live again, they shall die no more, Death sh [...]ll have no more dominion over them: Then th [...]y shall be above the stroke of death and the fears thereof, and it shall be no more a King of Terrors unto them: But as Christ their He [...]d hath said, Rev. 1.18. I am he that liveth, and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore. Amen; so all these his Members shall say, We are they that live, and were dead, and behold we are alive for evermore. Amen. This is truth, so it is. When Death came in by Sin, all mankind became subject unto Death: When Sin was turned out by death, and these Bodies shall be raised, no more pol­luted with it, they shall be as free from [Page 167] Death as they shall from Sin; before they did die, they were to die: When they were dead, and shall live again, Death hath done its worst, hath done its all, and hath no more that it can do. Death did conquer them, and laid and kept them Prisoners in the Grave; but when they shall be raised to Life, and redeemed from the Grave, they sh [...]ll conquer Death, and then this last Enemy shall be destroyed, and in the morning of the Resurrection these revived Bodies, united to their Souls, shall sing that triumphant Song, O Death where is thy sting! O Grave where is thy victory? Death and Grave did swallow us up, but now the Destroyers are destroyed, the Spoilers are spoiled, and both are swallowed up in victory. Thus the Bodies that were sown in corrupti­on, shall be raised in incorruption, 1 Cor. 15.42.54, 55. then Mortality shall be swal­lowed up of Life, 2 Cor. 5.4.

2. They shall be raised powerful and impassible Bodies. While they lived here, they were weak and suffering Bodies, enduring hunger and cold, and thirst; crying out of Pains and Sickness, or torments by Chollick, Gout and Stone, and Rheumatisms, shaken by Agues, and scorched by Feavors, and swelling with Dropsie, torn with Coughs, overflowed with Catarrhs, and liable to hundreds of Diseases, insomuch that they died daily, yea died ma­ny Deaths before they died, and many Sick­nesses [Page 168] put them to more and greater pains in time of Life, than Death it self did put some of them to in the point of Death; but when they shall live again, as they shall die no m [...]re, so they shall suffer no more, nor be sick any more, feel hunger and thirst no more, and so shall grieve, nor groan, weep or sigh, or sob no more for ever; no more aking He [...]ds, no more pained Bowels, no more Griefs of any sort whatsoever.

Indeed the Bodies of the Wicked shall be raised Immortal, but subject to suffering, they shall feel more pains and torments af­ter they are raised, than ever they did be­fore they died, and their Immortality shall be the aggravation of their misery; for die again they would, but cannot; return to their Grave again, where they felt nothing, they would, but must not; because they must live for ever, they must be tormented for ever. Immortality of Bodies at the Resurrection, to the Wicked is a Curse and Plague, to the Godly it is a Blessing and a Favour conferred upon them, for tho' they were sown in weakness, they shall be raised in power, 1 Cor. 15.43.

3. They shall be raised Spiritual Bodies, not turned into Spirits, for then they would not be Bodies; Spirits have not material Eyes, with which Job said he should see his Redeemer at the last day with those he then had, and not with others; if it were not the same Bodies [Page 169] in substance, it would not be a Resurrection, but a new product on. They shall then be Spiritual Bodies, in this respect, that their manner of Life, shall be like the Life of Spi­rits, having no need of Meat, or Drink, or Sleep, or any such things whereby our Na­tural Bodies in this Life are supported and maintained. In which respect Christ asserts that they shall be as the Angels, Mat. 22.30. In the Resurrection they neither marry, nor are gi­ven in Marriage, but are as the Angels of God in Heaven. This will be a great priviledge of Bodies raised from the dead at the last day, for n [...] we spend a great part of our Life in Sleep, for the refreshing of our Natural Bo­dies, ar [...] in that time we are not, nor can­not be taken up with Admirations of God, nor Contemplations of Divine things, but af­ter the Resurrection there shall be no inter­ruptions nor intermissions in our praising of God, in our Loving of him, and delighting in him. Our Natural Bodies now require time to be fed, in sitting at our Tables: when they are empty, we are pained with hun­ger, when they are full, we are indisposed for Holy Work, and Heavenly Praises; but a whole Eternity shall be filled with constant Hallelujahs, and Spiritual Rejoycings, when our Bodies shall be raised Spiritual Bodies, and such they shall be, 1 Cor. 15.44. It is sown a natural Body, it is raised a spiritual Body. There [Page 170] is a Natural Body, and there is a Spiritual Bo­dy.

4. They shall be raised glorious Bodies. Now our bodies are vile Bodies, Phil. 3.21. How full of ill Humours, and loathsome Corrupti­on! Why should any be proud of a comely Face, when he might think what he is with­in? Now they are Cottages of Clay, Taber­nacles of Earth, a Mass of breathing, walk­ing Mould. God did mend the Matter, else our Bodies are as vile as the Earth we tread upon; for out of it they were taken, and in­to it they are returning; but this is wonder­derful, that Bodies so vile while they live, and more loathsome when dead, and rotting in the Grave, should at last be raised as glori­ous as so many glittering Stars, Dan. 12.3. Did I say, as glittering Stars? Christ saith as so many shining Suns. Mat. 13.43. Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who can express the difference betwixt a dead Body in the Grave, and the Sun shining in the Heavens? Yet so much shall be the difference between the same Body in the Grave, and raised at the last day. 1 Cor. 15.43. It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory.

5. They shall be raised perfect and beautiful Bodi [...]s. If they were maimed here, they shall be entire then; if blind now, they shall have Sight to see the Lord Redeemer, and the [Page 171] Glory of the Place above, and of the Com­pany in that Palace of the King of Glory▪ if they were any way deformed here, any part redundant, any part exorbitant o [...] de­fective, this deformity shall be removed, and Beauty shall be their Cloathing all over: for whatsoever came in by sin, and is the Pu­nishment and Effects of Sin in such respects upon the Body, when the Cause is removed, such Evils shall [...]ot remain.

6. They shall be raised holy and without the least spot or stain of Sin, or inclinati [...]n to it. Now the Body is defiled with sin, and the parts of it are too often the Instruments of Sin: Eyes beholding Vanity, and Windows to let in wickedness into the Heart and Thoughts; our Tongues too often speak to Gods dishonour; our Feet too often run into the wayes of Sin, our Appetite too often over-rules our Reason, and we have cause to cry out, Who shall deliver us from this Body of Sin and Death? Who shall? God when he delivers our Bodies from Death, and raiseth them out of their Graves, will deliver them from all filthiness of the Flesh, and Christ shall present them pure and spotless, with­out wrinkle, or any such thing, [...]ph. 5.27.

7. If I cannot say all, let me say that which comprehends all, they shall be rais [...]d like to Christs glorified Body: Say our Souls in Heaven shall be like Christs Soul, and our [Page 172] Bodies raised and taken thither shall be like Christs glorious Body. If we cannot utter the Excellency of the heavenly Qualities and Endowments of the Bodies of those that sleep in Jesus, when they shall be awaked, say they shall be like to Christs glorious Body: If you cannot conceive it in your Minds, think they shall be like Christs glorious Body; and if you cannot think how great that is, do not mourn that your holy Friends are gone before in their Souls to see that glorious Jesus, whose Glory is so great, that it doth transcend all your thoughts; and spend your time in holy pre­paring, and earnest Looking for his coming, than in excessive sinful Mourning for their dead Bodies, that shall be made like his at his coming. Phil. 3.20. For our conversation is in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Sa­viour, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21. Who sball change our vile Body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body. Lord, how can this be, that such Clods of Earth, and lumps of Clay, when turned into Dust in the Grave, should be made like to the Body of the glori­ous exalted Jesus? How! according to the work­ing whereby he is able to subdue all things to him­self. There must be great ability and power to make this change, a body so vile to be so glo­rious, this Power must be Almighty Power, even such as can do any thing, as can subdue all things; and this Power so mighty must be [Page 173] working Power, to make such a Body that all the Power of all the Angels in Heaven is too weak to do.

Now let those that overmuch sorrow for their Dead that sleep in Jesus, consider if they have any cause or reason so to do. You look upon their dead Bodies in the Coffin, before they are nailed up; and your Eye is filled with tears, and your Heart with sorrow. You think of them as they are mouldring and rotting in the grave, and you can scarce bear these thoughts. Have you not another Eye? Can you have no other thoughts? Have not you an Eye of Faith to look beyond the Coffin and the Grave to a joyful glorious Resurrecti­on? and see what Bodies they shall be when they shall be raised? They are in their Graves, and you can see them no more: but you can say, Tho their Grave is filled up, and I can­not set mine Eyes upon them, yet methinks I see how there they lie, and how they do con­sume: and if you had an Eye of Faith, which makes things to come as if they were present, you might say, Methinks I see their Bodies raised; methinks I see how beautiful, how power­ful, how glorious they be; methinks I see them shining as the Sun; if you did, would not this delight your thoughts, stop your excessive Tears, and remove your immoderate sorrow? but if you are purblind and cannot see afar off, your sorrow will be nearer.

CHAP. XV. The Fourth Remedy against excessive Sor­row, the Antecedents, Concomitants, and Consequ [...]nts of the Resurrection of those that sleep in Jesus. The First, Christ Hims [...]lf will come for their Redemption from the Grave.

THE Fourth Argument for the mitigating of our Sorrow for our Deceased that sleep in Jesus brought by the Apostle, is the Antecedents, Concomitants and Consequents, that is, the things that shall go before, accompa­ny, [...]d follow after their being awaked out of their sleep, and Resurrection from their Graves: All of them exceeding wonderful and glorious, and when known and believed firmly will be exceeding comfortable unto us, as they are in themselves greatly desirable. Oh that God would give us that Faith, that might enable us to look upon them as sure and near at hand, yea that may presentiate them unto us, tho yet they are future, that it may be the substance, or subsistence, or as it were the ready presence of such things hoped for, and the evidence or convincing demonstra­tion of things not yet seen, as if we did now behold them with our Eyes, which is the na­ture, [Page 175] power, and working of a lively Faith, Heb. 11.1. then should we now wipe tears from our Eyes, in the fore-believing views thereof, as God will do then, when we shall actually behold them; then our Sorrow would now be turned into Joy, and our Heaviness into Rejoycing; now we know, and say, they are dead, and therefore Sorrow filleth our Hearts; but let us believe what is revealed concerning them, that they shall be raised, and what great and glorious things shall then be done to them, and for them, and let the Faith of the one make us as joyfull, as the Knowledge of the other at present makes us sorrowfull. These Remedies for the asswa­ging of our sorrow, may be reduced to these five general Heads: But remember, it is not the bare Notion of them, nor cursory talking of them, nor superficial thinking of them, but our serious pondering, and powerful, practi­cal Believing of them, and the Spirits effectu­al applying, and laying them warm to our Hearts, that must he the Cure to those that are deeply sorrowfull for their Dead.

1. The Lord Himself will descend from Hea­ven, to fetch them out of their Graves, v. 16.

2. The Solemnity of his Coming, and his At­tendants waiting upon him, and the Call that shall then be given to them to awake, arise, and come forth out of their Graves. For he shall come with a shout, with the Voice of the Archan­gel [Page 176] [and of others,] and with the Trump of God, v. 16.

3. The Prerogative of those that sleep in Jesus above those that then shall be found alive, the Dead shall have the precedency of the Liv­ing, that the Dead shall be raised, before the [then] Living shall be changed. V. 15. For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the Coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. V. 16. — the Dead in Christ shall rise first.

4. The Dead in Christ being raised first, and after that the Living changed, both shall be caught up together in the Clouds, to meet the Lord in the Air. v. 17. Are our Hearts almost dead with sorrow? Where is our Faith? Here is the Word of the li [...]ing, faithful God, declaring Wonders that shall be done for the Dead in Christ, but where is our Faith? Here is our sorrow, but where is our Faith? Behold, the Lord comes down from Heaven; behold, the Dead come up out of their Graves, behold, they that long lodged and slept under ground, are caught up, and carried from off this Earth in­to the Air, where their Lord and they do meet: O happy, joyful meeting! not only Bo­dies and Souls do now meet, after so long a parting, but which is more, their Lord and they do meet, after so long sleeping: Lord, here is our Faith, and our sorrow is abated.

[Page 177]5. The eternal Enjoyment of God and Christ in the highest Heavens. V. 17. —and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Now we see where they that are Lodged in the Grave, sleeping in Jesus, shall at last be Lodged, rejoycing in Jesus, and therefore now let us be the less sorrowfull. And that our Faith concerning these may be encreased, and thereby our sor­row may be diminished, let us take them up, and view them again.

I. Is it nothing for the asswaging of our sorrow, that our Lord will come himself from Heaven, to raise them up out of their Graves? If you say, Who can cause these dry Bones to live, and cloath them with flesh, and cover them both with skin, and bring them out of these deep and dark sleeping places? the An­swer is ready, the Lord can: He can, but the Question is, whether he will? he hath decla­red and promised that he will. He will? While he was on Earth he raised some, but now he is gone to Heaven, and there he doth abide, and except he come from Heaven, the Dead must abide in their Graves. Say you so? weep not: for he HIMSELF will come, and he will surely have them forth. Did he at his first coming die for their Bo­dies as well as for their Souls, and will he be content to have their Souls only with him in the Heavens, and their Bodies to lie always in the Grave? Did he purchase their Bodies as [Page 178] well as their Souls with the price of his own most precious Blood, and will he for ever lose such a part of his purchase? Are not the Bodies as well as the Souls of Believers Christs own by right of Redemption? 1 Cor. 6.20. and will he lose his own so dearly bought for want of looking after them? Hath he redeem­ed them from Sin and Hell, and will not he redeem them from the Grave? And is not the deliverance out of the Grave called the Redemption of the Body? and do his People and Redeemed ones while they live wait, believe, and hope, and like a Woman in Travel groan for Deliverance, and long for the Blessed In­heritance, and full possession of the Blessed State above both in Body and Soul at the Re­surrection, and will he suffer them to be dis­appointed? Are they Adopted hereunto as well in their Bodies as in their Souls, and did they here receive the Spirit of God as the Pledge and Earnest, and First-fruits of Glory, and shall he let them be for ever without it? Rom. 8.23. Were they Sanctified in their Bo­dies as well as in their Souls and Spirits? 1 Thes. 5.23. and shall not their sanctified Bodies be glorified Bodies at the coming of Christ? Did their Bodies partake with their Souls in the serving of their God, in Hearing, Praying, and Religious Fasting, and shall not they partake with the Souls in the hea­venly and Eternal Reward thro' the Riches [Page 179] of his Grace? Did they present their Bodies (when alive) a Living Sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God, giving up their Bodies wholly to him, to do and suffer what he did call them to, tho' it were to Death? Rom. 12.1. and will he suffer them to remain for ever as Prisoners of Death? and not call them from thence to be partakers of Eternal Life? Did both parts serve and yield Obedi­ence to him, and shall one only be saved and rewarded by him? He was the Redeemer and Sanctifier of both, and he will be the Saviour of both: And if Angels sent from Heaven cannot deliver them out of their Graves, he will come HIMSELF and bring them out. When he would redeem Israel from the Bondage of Egypt, he sent Moses; but to Ransom, Redeem, and set the Bodies of those that died in him from the bonds of Death, with which they are tyed hand and foot, it being a Work too great for any meer Creature, he will come himself, and break these bonds, that tho' they be dead, yet they shall live. Christ will not stay, abide, nor rest in Heaven, when the appointed Day is come, till he hath opened their Graves, and brought them forth. To the moderating of our Sorrow, these things concerning his Com­ing when the Dead shall be raised, are the Ingredients whereof this Cordial is compound­ed.

[Page 180]1. The Certainty of his Coming. Do you say, if we were sure Christ would come, for this amongst other ends, it would be some allay unto our Sorrow: why do you doubt? Is this any new Doctrine? was it not prophesied by Enoch the seventh from Adam? Jude v. 14. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints. Have not the best of Men believed it? why else do the Generation of the Righ­teous look for it? Phil. 3.20, 21. Tit. 2.13. and wait for it? 1 Cor. 1.7. and pray for it? Rev. 22.20. and is made the Character of a Christian to Love and Long for it? 2 Tim. 4.8. Will you believe the Testimony of An­gels from Heaven? you have it, Act. 1.11. Will you believe it if it were spoken with his own Mouth: then read Joh. 14.2. I do go to prepare a place for you. 3. And if I go to pre­pare a place for you, I will come again, and take you to my self, that where I am, there ye might be also. The Souls of Believers being with Christ immediately after their separation from the Body, this Promise of Christs coming, and then taking them to himself, must be under­stood of the Consummation of the Happiness both of Body and Soul, and in the Consum­mation of the whole Church in one Body, that when he comes again, all his shall be with him, and all of every one, both Body and Soul. Why then do you sorrow so much, as if you had no Hope, when it is so sure and certain ground of good Hope?

[Page 181]2. The Nearness of his Coming. You say, and therefore sorrow on, he will come, but who knows when? How long must the Dead lie there before the day of his Coming, and their Rising? Small Comfort to tell us of their living after so many years, and how many, is unknown to Angels, or Men, as we find Mark 13.32. Say you so, when it may be sooner than you, or any Man, or Angels might think of? However, tho it may not be in our days, and we are like to be among the Dead, a [...]d not the Living at his Coming, yet he will quickly come, and will not tarry long before he comes. Heb. 10.37. For yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. Tho' to Unbelief and Impatience it might seem long, yet it is but a very little time till Christ will come, and raise the Dead, and fulfill our Hopes; and he will not delay, nor tarry at all, not one day nor hour beyond the due appointed time. We must not mea­sure God's time by the measures of Men, as days, months and years, for one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, 2 Pet. 3.8. and it is not te­diously long to the Soul in Heaven, nor to the Body in the Grave; only it seems so to us, but is not really so to God, nor estima­tively so to them. It is the last Promise in all the Scripture, and turned into a Prayer, Rev. 22.20. He that testifieth these things, faith, [Page 182] surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus. Believe then, in Gods Account, that Christ will quickly come, and the Dead in Christ shall be quickly made to Live again, and do not sorrow as if you had no hope, that this quickly will be done, and all our sorrow quickly will be over.

3. The Publickness of his Coming. When his Coming shall he seen by all, it shall be denied by none. Is the Lord come, then shall be no Questi [...]n, no Doubt, for all the World shall be Spectators of it, Rev. 1.7. He was seen by some upon the Tree, but he shall be seen by all upon his Throne, Mat. 26.64. If Faith were now in the stead of that sight then, as that sight will fill us with Joy, so this Faith would moderate our Sorrow.

CHAP. XVI. The Shout, the Voice of the Arch-angel, the sounding of the Trumpet: The mini­stration of Angels. The Dead shall be raised, before the [then] Living shall be changed. Both shall meet the Lord in the Air.

IS it nothing to asswage our Sorrow, believ­ingly to consider the Shout, the Summons, and Call that shall be given to the Dead, to awake, arise, and come forth of their Graves, and the Attendance and Ministration of the Glorious Angels, in reference to the Dead then raised? 1 Thes. 4.16. The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a Shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the Trump of God. 1 Cor. 15.52. In a moment, in the twink­ling of an Eye, at the last Trump, (for the Trumpet shall sound) and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. What a potent Call, what a mighty Sound, what Almighty Power shall that be, which shall quicken all the Dead in a moment, in the twinkling of an Eye? What is shorter than a moment? what is sooner done than the twinkling of the Eye? and yet with such quick dispatch the Dead [Page 184] shall be made to live, they are sleeping in their Graves as before: Christ comes, the Trumpet sounds; the Lord calls, the Dead arise; they all start up, they all come forth, and look up, and see the Lord is come, and who it was that made them Live. Concern­ing this Trumpet of God, this hath been said of old,

What this Shout, this Voice of the Archan­gel, and Trumpet of God shall be, is diversly interpreted. [...] properly signifieth such Voices and Cries that Mariners use one to another, as a sign when all should put sorth their Oars to row together; or of men heaving at some weighty burden, do use as a sign when all should heave together, and joyn their strength together to lift it up: And then it is spoken after the manner of Men, for tho' the raising of all the Dead be a great Work, yet God will do it easily, and needs not the help and assistance of Angels there­unto; or else to express the Joy that the Dead in Christ shall rise, and to increase [Page 185] the Terrour of the Ungodly at that Day.

The Trumpet at the Last Day that shall be sounded in order to the raising of the dead, is three ways judged of.

1. Some apprehend it shall be a proper, re­al and material Trumpet, sounded by Angels. Mat. 24.31. And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet. As when God came down to give the Law, there was Thun­derings and Lightnings, and the Trumpet sound­ing, Exod. 19.16, 18, 19. So when the Lord shall come down to raise the Dead, and to judge the impenitent Transgressors of his Law.

2. Some understand it figuratively, alluding to the manner of Men, who sound a Trumpet to gather Assemblies together. Num. 10.2. God spake to Moses saying, make thee two Trum­pets of Silver —that thou mayest use them for the calling of the Assembly, and for the journey­ing of the Camp. So when the year of Jubilee came, the Trumpet of the Jubilee was to sound throughout all the Land, Levit. 25.9. The Day of the coming of Christ, and of the raising of them that sleep in Jesus, will be to all Believers their Jubilee, and the Trumpet shall sound throughout all the World.

3. Some conceive this last Trumpet shall be Christs own audible Voice, Calling and Com­manding the Dead to arise, and come forth [Page 186] of their Graves. And they give these Reasons:

1. The express Letter of the Word. Joh. 5.28. The Hour is coming, when all that are in the Graves shall hear his Voice, and shall come forth. The Lord Jesus shall utter his Voice, and the Dead shall hear it, and come at his Call.

2. In raising of particular dead ones, he usu­ally used his Voice. Luk. 7.14. And he said, Young Man, I say unto thee, arise. Joh. 11.43. And he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus come forth. At the last day, when Christ shall say, Arise all ye dead, arise, come forth, they shall all hear, and come out of their Graves.

But others say what the Sound of the Trum­pet shall be no man can tell, and so do not determine whether it shall be the one or the other, but say, The Lord himself coming down in his visible Humanity from Heaven, shall call the World together, as men call Assemblies, by shout, by Voice, or by a Trumpet; so shall Christ by his unknown way, called the Voice of the Arch­angel, and the Trumpet of God. But when the Trumpet is sounded, and the dead are raised, the holy Angels of God shall be employed con­cerning them: For they do not only come along with Christ as his Attendants to set forth the Greatness of his Majesty, as Lords, and Dukes, and Earls waiting upon an Earth­ly King, but also to execute Christs Com­mands concerning those that shall be raised; for as they did attend them at their Death, [Page 187] and were the Convoy of their separated Souls into the place of Rest and Joy, so they shall also be serviceable to them at their Restora­tion unto Life.

I. In gathering the Elect of God together. They died and were buried in distant places, far remote each from other, some in one part of the World, and some in another, and lie scattered far and near; but God shall use the Ministration of Angels to gather them toge­ther. Mat. 24.31. And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet, and they shall gather together his Elect from the four Winds, from one end of the World to the other. If you have one godly Relation dieth in England, and another in the East, and another in the West-Indies, trouble not your thoughts hereat, how shall they be brought together at last; if some die at one end of the World, and some at another, God by his Angels will find out where they were buried, and bring them together. Mar. 13.27. And then shall he send his Angels, and shall gather his Elect together from the four Winds, from the uttermost part of the Earth, to the uttermost part of Heaven. None shall be lost or left behind; this might be a stay and support to some that are mourn­ing for their dead Relations, with this Ag­gravation, We know not where they died, nor where they were buried: Thô you do not, God will find them, tho they died in [Page 188] the uttermost parts of the Earth.

II. In separating those that died in the Lord, from those that died in their sins. W [...] [...] buried promiscuously in common B [...]- [...] ­ces, where the Bodies of the Worst a [...] B [...] are laid together? sometimes in one com [...] Grave, and in succession of time a Wi [...] mans body laid in the same Grave where [...] body of a Believer before was buried [...] these are raised together, shall not th [...] one be mistaken for the other? No grou [...]d of such Fears, for the Angels shall [...] [...]he one from the other. Mat. 13.49. So s [...] it be at the end of the World, the Angels sha [...] [...]e forth, and sever the wicked from among th [...] [...]ast. But if thoughts arise in your Hearts, tho An­gels be perfect in Knowledge, yet it is finite: they are not the Knowers and the Searchers of Hearts, and how can they distinguish an Hypocrite from one that was sincere? You may be fully answered, That God hath wayes that we know not of, to direct them in making this separation: However, to remove all doubting thoughts, we are assured that Christ himself, that is God as well as Man, and knows what every Man was, as surely and as easily as a Shepherd knows a Sheep from a Goat, doth he know an Hypocrite from one sincere; he shall see, and will take care that there be not one Impenitent person among all the Company of the holy Ones; and that there [Page 189] shall not be one sanctified Person left among the great multitudes of Impenitent sinners that stand trembling to hear the Sentence of Condemnation to be past upon them. Mat. 25.31. When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy Angels with him, then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory. 32. And before him shall be gathered all Nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a Shep­herd divideth his Sheep from his Goats. Weigh all this, and try what Comfort it will yield you. When you hear the Sound of the Pas­sing Bell, and what others may ring on the Funeral Day, the hearing of your Ear fills your Heart with Sorrow; think then that the Sound of the Trumpet shall be heard for the raising of those that are lodging in the Dust, and let that moderate your Grief, especially when you consider your Dead hear­eth not the one, and is not grieved at the sound thereof; but He or She shall hear the other, and hearing rejoyce. When you see the common Bearers letting down their Corps­es in a common Burial-place, remember, tho the Wicked were laid on every side, yet when they shall be raised they shall be seve­red, and those that slept in Jesus shall all be set at his right Hand, without the mixture of one ungodly Person amongst them all: And is it no Comfort to you, that yours shall be amongst them?

[Page 190]III. May not the Priviledge that those that sleep in Jesus shall have above those that shall be found alive at the Coming of Christ, be some allevia­tion of our Sorrow? Why else doth the Apo­stle alledge it as a ground and Reason a­gainst excessive Sorrow, when he designedly treats upon this Subject? and doth Preface so solemnly before he delivers this Doctrine as ground of Comfort? Ver. 15. For I say unto you by the Word of the Lord; that which I am to say, are not my words but the Lords: if I had not had it from him, I could have told no such thing; that we that are alive and re­main unto the Coming of the Lord, shall not pre­vent them that are asleep. V. 16. The dead in Christ shall rise first. The like Order and pre­cedency he affirms 1 Cor. 15.52. The dead shall be raised Incorruptible, and we (those that shall be alive) shall be changed. We think that those that shall be found alive, will have an ad­vantage above those that are dead. But they shall have this advantage above the then Living, that they shall be first raised, and be made im­mortal, glorious and incorruptible Bodies soon­er and before those that shall be alive: As they put off the mortal and corruptible Body be­fore them, so they shall put on the Immortal and Incorruptibble Body, sooner than they. These died a Temporal Death, which the other shall not; but they shall live an Im­mortal Life sooner than those that are not [Page 191] to die a Temporal death. The Living must wait for their Change, till those that were changed from Life to Death, shall be again changed from Death to Life. Do you mourn because your holy Relations are dead, and do not Live? Rejoyce also that they shall Live, and have the preeminence before those that shall not die, but only be changed, be­cause God hath told you how mindfull and careful he will be of those that sleep in Jesus: Forgotten by Men, remembred by God.

IV. Is it nothing to moderate your sorrow that Christ and yours shall surely meet? Death was a parting you and them, and that part­ing day was a sorrowful day: And you re­cord the day of their Death, and your part­ing, and mention it with Grief and Tears▪ Remember a meeting day will come, not on­ly when they and you shall meet, but when they and Christ shall meet, and let the Thoughts thereof cause you to rejoyce. What tho you and they shall meet no more while you live, yet Christ and they and you also if you believe shall meet and never part. But where shall this Meeting be? In the Air. But how shall they get up? They shall be caught up, by the Power of God; or be such agile and nimble Bodies, that they shall be as able to move upwards, as now they are proue to fall downwards. You follow them to the Grave, and see them there let down, and [Page 192] you are filled with Sorrow: Think again, as if you saw that Body raised again, and mounting aloft as swiftly as any winged Bird into the Air to meet the Lord; and let such a Foresight abate your present sorrow.

CHAP. XVII. After their meeting with the Lord, THEY shall be with HIM for EVER. Com­fort from all Recollected.

SHall not a believing Prospect, that those that sleep in Jesus, shall awake and live with the Lord for ever, make some abatement of our sorrow? or rather turn it into Joy in the hopes thereof? This is the last, and highest and most Soveraign Remedy, the Apostle giveth in this place against Excessive Sorrow, say­ing, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Short words, but matter of lasting, everlast­ing Joy: Soon said, but not so soon under­stood, for indeed they contain more than we can conceive, and none know so well as they that are with him: Yet that we may have a relish of this Remedy, and a taste of this Spi­ritual Comfort, for the correcting of extra­vagant Sorrow, let it be enquired,

[Page 193]1. With whom it is that these must be? with the Lord: and what it is to be with him?

2. Who they are here meant that shall be with the Lord? We.

3. How long? for ever. Blessed shall they be, whoever they be, that thus shall be with the Lord for ever.

1. It is the Lord himself with whom these shall be: And to be with him is the summ of all our Hopes, the end of all our Prayers, and the top of all our Happiness. The Misery of the Ungodly and Impenitent when raised, judged and condemned, is, that they must depart from the Lord, and be in flaming fire, and then with Devils. The Happiness of the Godly then acquitted and absolved, will be to be called to come to the Lord, and to go with him into Glory, and there abide and remain with him. Mat. 25.34, 41, 46. Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World. 41. Then shall he say also to them on the left hand, Depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Some are called to come to him, the others commanded to depart from him; some to be with Him, the rest to be with Devils, therefore those are declared to be blessed, the other accursed; for 46. These shall go away into everlasting Punishment, but the Righ­teous into Life Eternal. Do we believe these [Page 194] things, or do we not? All these things are spoken of Men when raised from the Dead, and judged and sentenced, and the Sentence put into Execution; and do not you by Faith see with whom they shall have their abode that now do sleep in Jesus? enjoying the bea­tisick Vision, living in the comfortable, glori­ous and immediate Presence of God the Fa­ther, of Christ the Redeemer, and of the Eternal Spirit their Sanctifier. Now your Thoughts run to the Grave, look down into it, and you see them with Worms and with Rottenness, and therefore sorrow: Let your Thoughts run as far as the day of Christs com­ing, and then suppose you look for them in the Graves, you will not find them. The Voice will be, They are not here, for they are ri­sen, come see the places where they lay. Where are they? Look up, they are gone to meet the Lord in the Air, and whither are they next to go? to be with the Lord: And is there nothing in the belief of all these things, not only to asswage Sorrow, but also to beget great Joy? but because we are of so little Faith, therefore we are of so much Sorrow?

2. Who are these that are to be with the Lord? What we doth the Apostle mean? whom doth he say this great thing of? of all those that shall be caught up in the Clouds, to meet the Lord in the Air. Who are they? those that shall be alive, and remain, when the Lord [Page 195] shall come: Together with them. Who are they? the Dead in Christ that did rise first, before the Living were changed; so then it com­prehends those that slept in Jesus, and shall be raised, and those Believers that shall be found alive, and changed, and caught up to­gether into the Air to meet Christ, who will adjudge them to Everlasting Life, and so af­ter that shall be with Christ in Glory. Are these the Dead we Mourn for? and why? because they are dead in their Gr [...]ves, and with the dead: but have we no F [...]ith in this Word of the Lord. If we hav [...], let us set their Resurrection over against their Death, and Heaven over against their Gr [...]v [...]s, and their being with the Lord hereafter over a­gainst their present being with the Dead, and try if a firm, and lively acting Faith will not bring to us greater Joy, than Sense now fills us with disquieting Sorrow: Or shall we walk by Sense, and not by Faith? Sense tells us, they are in the Grave, there our Eyes saw them laid; and doth not God tell us, they shall be with him? and have not we Faith to believe him? and if we have, cannot we rejoyce in the Hope thereof, but sor [...]ow on, as if we had no such Hope? Do we sit and ponder upon the loathsomness and darkness of the Grave, and weep while we ponder, that our Dead are there? and cannot we sit and meditate upon the holiness, happiness, and [Page 196] the shining Glory of Heaven, and rejoyce that our dead shall live, and dwell in that glo­rious Place hereafter? especially when we consider they then shall be with the Lord, so as before they never were. Admit their Souls are now with Christ, yet their Bodies are not: It is but one part of them that now is Glorified; but the Day is coming, and it hasteneth, that all Believers, and all of every one, the Body as well as the Soul, shall be with the Lord. Did Paul judge it far bet­ter to depart, that his Soul may be with Christ, tho he left his Body to the Grave, and was it the matter of his Desire? Phil. 1.23. And shall not we judge it to be best, that we and ours shall be with Christ, both in Body and Soul; and since it shall be so, make it matter of our Joy, tho for the pre­sent it is not so? for tho it be to come, and so is the Object of Desire and Hope, yet Faith should look upon it as sure as if it were pre­sent, and so make it the ground of our Joy: As sure as their Bodies are now in the Grave, so sure they shall be with the Lord in Hea­ven. What ails us we cannot rejoyce in the one, as sorrow for the other, especially when the one is a greater Good, than the other is an Evil?

3. The Eternity of their abode with the Lord in Body and Soul from the Second Coming of Christ, should asswage our Sorrow for the short space [Page 197] of time their Bodies are to remain in the Grave. While Children Live, we think how long is it since they were born? When Per­sons in a Conjugal Relation continue toge­ther, sometimes they reckon how many years since they were Married? and these are plea­sant Thoughts: But alas! Death comes and makes a Change, and snatcheth away the Children, and breaks the bond of Marriage, and then after a while the Enquiry is, How long hath my Child, or Husband, or Wife been dead? and these are sorrowful Thoughts: But is there no Remedy, no relief against them? What if you ask, when our Dead that sleep in Jesus shall be raised, how long shall they be with the Lord? How long! in­conceivably longer than they shall be in the Grave. How long shall they be in the Grave? not for ever: Blessed be God, they shall not be there for ever. How long shall they be with the Lord? for Ever: Eternal thanks unto our God, they shall be with him for ever.

But we sit and think, it will be a long, a long, a very long time that they shall be in their Graves, and no man knows how long, and for this Sorrow fills our Hearts: Doth it? think again when they shall be raised. How long shall they be with the Lord? a long, a long, a very long, not time, but Eternity, and no Man can conceive how long it will be. And when you have thought of as many years [Page 198] as you may imagine they may be in their Graves, all of them will not amount to so much as one hour, if compared with that Eter­nity in which they shall be with the Lord. Concerning their being in the Grave, you may see an end, for an end of their being there will be: Concerning their being with the Lord, you can conceive no end, for there is no end to be conceived, for they are to be with him for ever; in the Grave for a time, and after that with the Lord of Glory in a State of Glory for ever! For ever! O blessed word! shall they come forth of their Graves after a while, and be with the Lord for ever? O happy, happy, for ever happy are their saved Souls above, that shall live in the presence of their Lord for ever. Blessed are the Dead that die in the Lord, for when they shall live again (which sh [...]ll surely be) in their Bodies uni­ted to their Souls, they shall be with the Lord for ever: This will be the Joy of their Joy, that they shall enjoy their Lord for ever: This will be the Life of their Life, that with their Lord they shall have everlasting Life: This shall be the Crown of their Crown, that it shall be Incorruptible, as they then shall be both in Body and Soul: It will be the Hell of Hell, that the Damned must be there for ever: It will be the Heaven of Heaven, that their being with the Lord therein shall be for ever; without this their Joy would not be [Page 199] pure Joy, but mixt with fears of losing of it; without this their Joy would not be full, for the Thoughts, it would not always last, would diminish their Joy, and if diminished, it could not be full; without this their Joy would not be constant Joy, but there would be stops, and gaps, and intermissions in their Joy, and they would have their fits of Sor­row, and turns of Grief. Now they would rejoyce because they are with the Lord, and anon they would grieve because they are not to be with him for ever, and so they would be miserably happy, and sorrowfully joyfull, which is not the happiness and Joy of Heaven, which for degrees is full, for duration ever­lasting; full, because they are with the Lord, everlasting, because they shall be with the Lord for ever. Methinks I hear their trium­phant Songs, their Holy Admirations: O what is the difference betwixt these Bodies now, and what once they were! Behold the Glory of this Place, how far different it is from those Graves where we did lye, and are now delivered from! We were in our Graves for a time, that time is out, its past and gone, and we are with the Lord, for ever, we are with the Lord for ever! O this is it that is she Crown of all, we are with the Lord for ever! In this Eternity there is no Nights and Days, no Weeks, and Months, and Years, here is no Death and Graves, and end, for we shall be with the Lord for ever!

ƲSE. What is the Use of all? what should it be, but what the Apostle makes of it? v. 18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words: What words? Review them, and Re­collect what hath been said upon them.

(1.) As sure as Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, so sur [...]ly our dead shall rise; Comfort your selves, and one anoth r with these words.

(2.) Those that shall be found alive, shall not prev [...]nt them that are asleep, but the Dead shall be raised before the Living shall be changed; they in their Graves shall have the preceden­cy and preheminence before the Living, and tho the one are dead, and the other living, yet the Dead shall be made Immortal and In­corruptible before the Living: Comfort your selves, and one another with these words.

(3.) Rather than the Dead shall lye in their Graves for ever, Christ as soon as the appointed time is come, will Himself in his own Person come, and with a shout, with the Voice of the Archangel, and sounding Trum­pet call them out of their Graves, and they shall hear, and shall come forth: Comfort your selves, and one another with these words.

(4.) When the Dead in Christ shall be rai­sed, and the Living changed, they shall all be caught up together in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air, and shall there be acquitted and ab­solved, and adjudged to everlasting Life; there­fore [Page 201] comfort your selves, and one another with these words.

(5.) After this they shall go into the high­est Heavens in Body and Soul, to be with the Lord for ever; wherefore comfort your selves, and one another with these words.

Now upon the survey of the whole matter, what have you most cause for, your Sorrow, or your Joy? What if yours do not live with you? is it not better that they died in the Lord, than to live [as such] with you? what if they are in the Grave for a while, and af­ter that shall be with the Lord for ever? Cease Excessive Sorrowing, and encourage, and comfort your selves, and one another, (as the Death of any requires) with the live­ly Belief, the joyful Hopes, and often men­tion of this most Blessed Time and State.

CHAP. XVIII. Additional Questions propounded to Mourn­ers, for the Moderating of Excessive Sorrow.

BUT if your Sorrow be Excessive after all these Remedies alleadged, made known to us by Divine Revelation, doth it not ar­gue [Page 202] Want or Weakness of Faith, and slowness of Heart to Believe? If you do not believe, will you reason the Case with your self, that we may bring it to this Issue, that your Im­moderate Sorrow is irrational, contrary both to Faith and Reason: Which will appear by that time you consider the Matter well, and give in a deliberate Answer to these following Questions briefly offered to you.

1 Quest. If a particular Resurrection now could be, as formerly hath been, would you desire that your Relations that died in the Lord, might now be raised from the dead, to live and dwell with you in your House upon Earth again? If it were possible, would you have your holy Father, or Mother, Husband or Wife raised as Jairus his Daughter, Lazarus, Tabitha, and others were; and come and sit at your Table, and live with you in the same Circumstances as they did be­fore? If you would not, how unreasonable is all your excessive Sorrow, because they are dead, and yet would not have them live with you again, thô you may? What! will nothing content you? Is their restoration to Life now, no matter of your desire, and yet is their death such matter of so great abundant Sorrow? Will you be pleased neither way, concerning them dead or alive again? If you would desire this, do you consider what it is you do desire, and how injurious you would be to them, that you may have your will, and [Page 203] as you say the comfort that before you had in them? Tell me

(1.) Would you indeed have them from the glorious presence of God and Christ, and the eter­nal Spirit to live with you? Could they have that Delight and Joy in your Company, as now they are filled with in the presence of their glorious God and Redeemer?

(2.) Would you have them leave the Society of Angels and saved Souls above, to come and dwell among sinfull men again?

(3.) Would you indeed have them return from Rest to Trouble? from Joy to Sorrow? from Praising to Mourning?

(4.) Now they have got out of the reach of Satans Temptations, would you have them live here again, to be buffeted again, and tempted and assaulted by that roaring Lion? And af­ter they have got the Victory, and won and wore the Crown, would you have them to come into the Field again, and conflict with the Powers of Darkness again?

(5.) Were you grieved for them on their dying Beds, to see what they endured, and what cold Sweats the Pangs of Death did put them to? and yet would you have them live again, that they may die again? Do you sor­row that they have died once, and will you sorrow on, except you could have them live again, that they may die twice? would you have them have two deaths for one? Is this your Love to them?

[Page 204](6.) Is once mourning for them so grievous, and would you have them live again, and so die again, and you Mourn again for their Se­cond dying, if you should out live them, or leave them behind you, for them to Mourn for you; whereas where they are now, they have done Mourning, and are strangers to it?

(7.) Would not you be more Kind to your self and them, to prepare and desire to go to them, than to have them return to you, if such a thing could be? Do not you know which to choose, and yet sorrow in this manner?

2 Q. If you would have them Live again, can your sorrow multiplyed ten times more, help you to your Will? May you not by this sorrow bring your self to the Grave, sooner than fetch them out? Say what good this excessive sorrow doth, or else moderate it.

3 Q. Who hath done this, that you mourn so much for? Was it not by the Providence of God? And will you quarrel with him, or call him to an account, why he hath done so? Or should not his Hand quiet your Heart? Read Job 33.13. 1 Sam. 3.18. Psal. 39.9.

4 Q. Do not you hereby contradict your Pray­ers? Do not you pray his Will might be done, and submitted to when it's done? Do not you see it was his Will to have your Re­lation from you, and is this your submission to it? Is it so done in Heaven, as you do it upon Earth?

[Page 205]5 Q. Hath God herein taken any from you, but what he first gave unto you? Who gave you your Children, or Husband, or Wife? were they not the Gifts of God? Did not this quiet Job? Chap. 1.21.

6 Q. Whose was He or She that is dead, that you so Immoderately do Mourn for? Do you say, it was my Child, my Father, or my Mother, my Husband or my Wife? If it had not been mine, I should not thus have mourn­ed. But were they not Gods own, more than your own? When God gave them you, did he give away his own right? Might not God do what he will with his own, but you must take on, as if he had taken something he had no right unto? What had you to do to keep his Own from him, when he would have them with him?

7 Q. Is not God Soveraign Lord, and abso­lute Disposer of all in the World? Are not Kingdoms and Nations, Princes, Lords and Nobles at his disposal? And what are you above all others in the World, that you and yours should be exempted from the disposing Hand of God?

8 Q. Did your Happiness lie in the Enjoyment of the Creatures you have lost? In them or in God? If in them, you are miserable; if in God, tho they are dead, yet he doth Live: Why then do you thus mourn, so long as your Happiness remains?

[Page 206]9 Q. Tho your Relations are cut down and withered like Grass, yet doth not the Word of the Lord stand and continue for your Support? Isa. 40.6, 7, 8. And cannot you find as much Comfort in all the standing Promises of God, as you did in a withering Creature? Go and try, by reading, believing, applying of them as your Case requires, and by turning Pro­mises into Prayers.

10 Q. Did not your Relation live out the Time appointed by God? Job 14.5. Or did he not die, when God did foreknow he would die? And do you thus take on because Gods Pur­pose is performed? Would you have a Child tarry in the Womb beyond its appointed time, or in the World beyond what God in­tended it should?

11 Q. Did not you know your Relations were mortal, or do you sorrow because they were so? Is not that to sorrow because they were Men, or Women, or Children? Would you have had them to have been here Immortal, that they might not have been subject to Death? Did you ever see any Men, Women or Chil­dren that were not mortal?

12 Q. If so, did not you know a parting time would come? Was there not some Intimation and mention of Deaths separating you in your conjugal Covenant? And do you now mourn as if something had befallen you, that you never knew or heard of? Is it so intole­rable [Page 207] to you to see a dying Creature, dead?

13 Q. When would you have been willing to have parted with them? If God had continued your Child ten years longer, would not you have been more unwilling, and so more sor­rowful than now you are? After Forty years would you be willing?

14 Q. Hath any thing befallen you, that hath not been the common Case of all the Generations before you, will shortly be of all this Age, and of following, except those that shall be found alive at the Coming of Christ? And would you have your State to be singular? Or if it be not, will you be sullen?

15 Q. Could your Relations Souls have gone to Heaven, if their Bodies had not died? Or would you have had them never lodged there, except as Enoch and Elias, without seeing Death? If the Soul could not have been hap­py above, except the Body dyed, and took the Grave in its way to Glory, are you ex­cessively troubled for a dead Body, which must be, for the greater advantage of the Immor­tal Soul?

16 Q. Would not you have been as loth to leave them behind you, as now you are sorrowful they are gone before you? And will you be plea­sed neither way? Would you have died all together? You are sorrowing now for Wise and Children, because removed by Death; and if God had laid you upon a dying Bed, [Page 208] then your trouble would be for them, if alive, because you are like to be taken from them, and say, What will my small Children do if I die? And what will their Mother d [...] when their Father leaves the one [...] Widow, and the other Fatherless? I could have been glad if God would have spared my Life, to have seen them well brought up. It is hard for you to say which would be less trouble to you, to leave them behind you, or have them go be­fore you. But if you have that which you had rather have, why do you so sorrow, when you have that which is best for the rest of your Family.

17 Q. Do not you know that all your Family have sinned; and that therefore they have all deserved to die? Why then do you sorrow so much for one captivated by Death, when you should be admiring the Patience of God, and praising him for his Mercy that so many are continued in Life?

18 Q. Is not this Ingratitude to God, that the loss of one should make you unsensible of the many Mercies of your own Life? Is all gone in one? Look about you, and you will see the abun­dant goodness of God to you, in your out­ward. Accommodations in this World, many spiritual Blessings, as Pledges of Eternal Glo­ry, and will you bury your Thankfulness for these in the Grave of your dead?

19 Q. Do not you provoke God hy your sinful [Page 209] excessive Sorrow to go on to make more Breaches by Death, that you might have something more to sorrow for? Do you sorrow thus for one? Might not God say, There is another Child, Death, lay it dead, and bring it out, and lodge it by the other. There is an Husband, or a Father yet left, Death go and seize him, and have him away, and if they are delighted in such discontented Sorrow, let them hav [...] more to sorrow for.

20 Q. Have not they lived a long life before they die, they enter into Eternal glorious life when they die? Do you sit and sorrow, and say, if he had not died so soon, if he had not died so young. How soon? if he lived to be Con­verted, to be sanctified and prepared for Heaven, did he not live longer than a Man at Sixty, and then dies in Sin, and is Damned at last? Do you reckon length of Life by multitude of years, or ripeness and fitness for Heaven? When you Sorrow he died so soon, Bless God he lived so long as to be saved when he died.

21 Q. Will you compare with God in point of Wisdom in governing and disposing of his Crea­tures, with all the circumstances of Life and Death? Are you wiser than he? dare you entertain such a Thought? would you not resist it with abhorrence? why then do you think it would have been better for you that your Relation should have lived longer? Is not this to set [Page 210] your Folly against Gods Wisdom? Doth not he best know what is the most fitting time for any to be born, how long to live, and when to die? If so, why do you oversorrow for that which is done with highest Wisdom?

22 Q. Why hath God implanted such Graces in your Heart as are suitable for a time of Affli­ction, but that you should exercise them in their season? As Faith, and Patience, and Submis­siveness of will to his holy Will and Pleasure: Are not Habits given for Act? and when will you act your Patience and Submission, but when Tryals are upon you? but doth your excessive Sorrow look like Patience under, or fretting against the hand of God?

23 Q. Do you say you did exceedingly desire their Eternal Good in Gods accepted time, and excessively sorrow for their Death, and can you re­concile those Desires with this Sorrow? If you did desire it, when God should please to be­stow it, why do you so sorrow now (by death the way of all Believers to it) they have obtain­ed what you did desire? when without the one they were not to have the other.

24 Q. Are not you your self being made men for Heaven, near unto that Place and State where you shall sorrow no more; neither for any thing concerning your self, nor any other? while you mourn, and say, This Husband, or Wife, Father or Mother that was mine, now is no longer mine: Seriously meditate, and deeply [Page 211] consider, and say, Yet God is mine, and Christ is mine, and the Spirit is mine, the Promises and Pri­viledges are mine, and Heaven is mine, and there I shall shortly be with God, and Christ, and the Eternal Spirit, with Angels, and saved Souls above, where I shall love God with perfect Love, and praise him, and my Redeemer and Sanctifier with Eternal Praises; and see and know, and delight in the Company of those that are gone before, for whom I am mourn­ing upon Earth, and joy and joyn with them in ho­ly Hallelujahs, and triumphant Songs of Praise, where all sorrow shall be taken from my Heart, and all tears wiped from mine Eyes, and I and they shall know sorrow and grief, and groans and sighs no no more; I stand at the door of Eternity every day, waiting, looking, hoping for Eternal Joys: Therefore blessed Lord, to all these reasonings of thy Ministers, add the effectual working of thy Spirit, that I might not sorrow as those that have no Hope. Amen.

CHAP. XIX. Containing the Mourners Soliloquy, or Rea­soning with himself concerning his Sor­row for his Dead, for the moderating of it.

DEad! Alas! wo is me! my Father, Mo­ther dead! my Wife, or Husband, or Child dead! can I with Comfort live? are not my comfortable days past and gone, when he or she is dead and gone? Gone! no more to return to live with me on Earth! Let me look upon the Body in the Coffin, before it be lodged in the Grave, for after that I shall look upon it no more: mine Eyes shall see it no more. Look! behold its pale Face, its clo­sed Eyes, its Jaws tyed and muffled up; these Eyes did see me, but now Death bath shut [Page 216] them, that they cannot: This Tongue did use to talk with me to my great delight, but now Death hath tied it, and my Ears shall hear the sound thereof no more: These Feet did often walk with me, yea, we went to the Ordinances of God together, but now Death hath fettered them, that they can move no more; and must I follow it to the Grave, and see it covered with Earth, and there leave it? and when returned home, look for it at my Table, but it is not there; or in my Cham­ber, but it is not there? The Cloaths the Body was often dressed with are there, but the Body is not there. Now it is so many Weeks since it was buried, she is gone, but my Sorrow doth remain: Remain! it comes more and more, and doth increase: My Soul is grieved, my Heart is loaded, and my Spi­rit fails within me, the more I muse, the more I Mourn; the more I think of mine thus captivated by Death, and buried out of my sight, the more my Sorrow is renewed. Alas! I can contradict that Old Proverb, Out of Sight, out of Mind; for he, or she hath been so long out of my sight, but hath not been a a Day, or Night out of my mind; and the more and longer I remember, the more and longer I do sorrow.

Sayest thou thus, O my Soul? is it God or a Creature, the loss of whom thou mourn­est for? If of God, weep on, and Sorrow and [Page 217] seek him till thou findest him, for he is a li­ving and Gracious God, and may be found: But if of a Creature, forbear thy Tears, and moderate thy Sorrow, for if thou shouldest weep thy self blind, and break thine heart with grief, being dead and gone, cannot be any more found, wherever upon Earth thou seekest for it: Wilt thou then examine thy Sorrow, whether it be pleasing unto God, or whether it be turbulent Passion, and meer fruitless Self-vexation? whether thou Mourn­est like a Christian, or an Heathen? whether thy sorrow be not sinful, and excessive, and therefore sinful because excessive? Dost not thou know, hast not thou read and learned, that thou shouldst not sorrow as those do that have no Hope? are thy tears more boundless than the Ocean? for that hath bounds, and shall thy Tears have none? The Waves thereof go so far, and then are stay'd; and shall thy Tears continually drop, and have no limits set unto them? or wilt thou suf­fer them to run waste, and shed enough to wash thy Dead, when thou shouldst keep them to pour out before God upon thy bend­ed Knees, that by the Blood of Christ thy Sins might be wash'd away? Have thy Tears so blear'd thine Eyes, or thy Sorrow so di­sturb'd thy Reason, that thou canst not see thy Sorrow to be Excessive Sorrow? and thy Grief to pass all bounds of Christian Mode­ration? [Page 218] Measure it by Reason and Religi­on.

And then tell me, O my Soul, if that Sor­row be not Excessive for thy Dead, whereby thou hastenest the death of thy own Body, and invitest Death to lay it dead? Tho God by Death hath taken away the Life of thy Relation, yet hath he not commanded thee to use all means lawful, and to abstain from all those things (amongst which Immoderate grief is one) that doth endanger thine own Life? and wilt thou thereby become guilty of thy own Death? Besides, is not that Sor­row too much, that must be sorrowed for? and those Tears too many, that must be wept for? and more follow them, because they are so many? Hast thou Sorrow too much al­ready, and must thou still have more, be­cause thou hast too much? Dost thou not see what straits thou bringest thy self into, that while thou dost abound in Sorrow, thou wantest Sorrow, because as yet thou hast not sorrowed for this too much abundant Sor­row?

For give me an answer, O my Soul, if that be not too much abundant Sorrow, that doth more hurt than good? and would be too much if it were for thy Sin, which for Sin, tho the greatest Evil, would be too much, when it doth more hurt than good? and doth it not do so, when it driveth to despair, keeps [Page 219] off the Soul from Christ, and from hoping in his Merits, or God's Mercy: and is it not too much, when it is more for thy Dead than for thy Sin, for when thy Sorrow should bear its proportion to the Evil thou sorrow­est for, and Sin is a greater Evil than the Death of thy nearest Relation, be thou thy self the Judge, if sorrow for the lesser evil be not too much, when it is more than that which thou hast for the greatest Evil?

Moreover, O my Soul, wilt thou not grant, that Sorrow is excessive, which causeth thy Thoughts to run into the Grave, and hinders them from ascending into Heaven? and to have many self-piercing and self-tormenting Thoughts of thy dead, for one serious and Heart-affecting Thought thou hast of the Li­ving and Eternal God? and which makes thy Heart as cold in all thy Duties unto God, as the Body of thy dead Relation is in its Grave?

Besides, is not thy Sorrow too much, when it hinders thee from Spiritually rejoycing in God, and giving Thanks to him for all the Mercies, which in thy Sorrow thou dost over­look? Especially when let thy Condition be what it will as to Temporals, thou hast much more cause to bless God for Spiritual and Eternal Mercies, than to grieve for the loss of Temporals.

Add to this, O my Soul, and then judge, that thou grievest so much for thy Dead, [Page 220] that thou hast left off sorrowing for the Mi­series of the Church of God; and losest much of thy little remaining Time, where­in thou hast many Duties to perform, many Graces to get, and more degrees thereof, many sins to mortifie and subdue, many Temptations to resist, a deceitful Heart to watch and search, Children and Servants to instruct and teach, and holy preparations to be made for Death, and another Eternal World, and while thou sorrowest, all these are neglected. Is it not too much?

By this time, and from these Evidences, O my Soul, art thou not convinced that thy sorrow for thy dead hath been, and still is excessive sorrow? that thou hast and dost transgress the bounds of Christian Modera­tion, and thereby offend thy holy Lord, wrong thy self, discredit that Religion thou dost profess, discourage the good, and cast a stumbling-block in the way of the ungodly, and wilt thou still proceed herein? Canst not thou sensibly feel the stroke of his hand, and yet patiently submit unto his will? How long wilt thou thus be cast down, how long wilt thou thus be disquieted within me? Is thy Relation fallen asleep, and are thy Graces slumbering? Is thy Faith as dead in thy Heart, as thy Relation is in the Grave? Shall Nature wôrk thus strongly in thee, and Graces so feebly? If natural Affections be [Page 221] exorbitant, hath not God implanted Grace in thee, that it may correct, moderate and govern them? Art thou only a Rational, and not a Believing Soul? Yea dost thou thus Immoderately grieve, as if thou wast neither believing, nor rational in thy sorrow? If there be nothing in the common Book of corrupted Nature that thou canst read, but what doth add grief unto thy grief, yet is there not enough in that special Book of sacred Scripture that might turn thy sorrow into Joy for those of thine that sleep in Je­sus? Or hast thou thrown it by, and neg­lected to look and search into it? Or if thou readest, dost thou understand what thou readest, or dost thou consider what thou dost understand, or believe with an unsha­ken Faith what thou dost consider, whilest thy sorrow doth continue so excessive? Hath not God revealed therein such certain Truths concerning the Bodies of those that dye in the Lord, such glorious things concerning their separated Souls for the present, such wonderful work that he will hereafter do, in reuniting the same Souls with the same Bo­dies, in raising them from the dead, and Re­deeming them from the Grave, such desirable Glory that their Souls and Bodies thus reuni­ted shall be joyntly partakers of, and be made perfectly and eternally holy and hap­py in the enjoyment of the Father, Son, and [Page 222] eternal Spirit, in the innumerable Company of glorious Angels, and the vast multitudes of such as with them were chosen, redeem­ed, sanctified, and shall be for ever saved, singing triumphant Hallelujahs, when they shall all be gathered together in the Imme­diate presence of their Lord and Saviour, and be possessed of those Mansions in their Fathers House, which were prepared for them? Hath he made known such things as these, and are they sure, and infallibly cer­tain, and yet for want of Faith, and Hope, and Love, dost thou sit here and sigh and sob, and grieve and groan, as thô those thou mournest for, were for ever lost, as if they were so dead, that they should live no more? or as if they were so fast bound in their Graves, that they never should come forth, nor be taken from that dark place, to the Palace of glorious Light above?

Attend then, O my Soul, unto the Expres­sion, wherewith thy Lord doth represent the death of thy holy Relation now deceased, as a sleeping in Jesus. And if thou mournest because she is dead, yet try if thou canst mourn because she sleepeth in the Lord. For this doth Sorrow fill thine Heart? or mayest thou not rejoyce, that being dead she so sleepeth? for if she sleep in Jesus, shall she not do well? and if she shall do well, shouldest thou not rather rejoyce, than thus lament [Page 223] and grieve? When didst thou sorrow, when she went to bed, and slept and took her natural Rest? And now she sleeps in Jesus, is she not at rest in her Grave, as in her bed, from all troubles from men, from Sick­ness and Pain, and from all Sense thereof? from all worldly cares, and piercing Sorrows that did usually accompany those cares? and if her Death be but a Sleep, how easie is it for Almighty Power to awaken her out of her Sleep? And if she sleep, she shall awake; for if in the usual Course of Nature, waking followeth after sleeping, wherefore dost thou doubt, or sear that Death being but a Sleep, that it will be a perpetual Sleep? And if she went sick, and weary, and weak to sleep, when she shall awake, shall she not be more refreshed, and revived in the Morning of the Resurrection? If the time of her sleep­ing seemeth long to thee now waking, and not to her now sleeping, why dost thou trou­ble thy self with that, with which she is not at all concerned about? If in the time of her Life, thou sawest her sick, and could not sleep, this was a grief and trouble to thee, would it not much more have added to thy sorrow to see her languish, filled with pain, hear her sigh, and sob, and groan upon a sick bed, and could neither recover, nor yet fall asleep, and yet dost thou take on that when by all means used, and learned, carefull, and [Page 224] pious Physicians consulted, she could not be recovered, that now she is fallen asleep? Why dost thou molest and trouble thy self at the thoughts of the Length of her Sleep, when it is no more trouble nor disquiet to her, than the Length of time is to one that is fast sleeping in his Bed, tho it may be tedi­ous to one that sitteth by, and waketh while he sleepeth. Remember, O my Soul, and let the remembrance thereof asswage thy sorrow, that it is her last, but not an everlasting sleep; tho it be long it shall not alwayes last, and because it is a sleep that is called Death, it shall be the last that she shall sleep, for when awaked she shall sleep no more for ever: And yet is this the Body that thou thus bewailest? and for this dost thou thus Night after Night break thy sleep? and when she sleepeth qui­etly in the Lord, and dreameth not of any of the things that are done in this World, canst not thou rest nor sleep in thy Bed, with­out dreaming of her that is so unconcernedly sleeping in the Bed of the Grave? Let her quiet and resting Body rebuke, O my Soul, thy unquiet and restless thoughts.

Moreover, consider, O my Soul, whose State thou hast more reason to lament and bewail, thine own, or the state of the Soul of thy Relation that was converted and sanctified, that did repent and believe, be­fore Death made the separation betwixt thee [Page 225] and her, or betwixt her Body and her Soul? Dost thou not believe that her Soul being absent from her Body, is now present with the Lord? and being so, is perfectly freed from all sin, sorrow, Temptation, Inclina­tion to sin, and from a possibility of sinning? and is possessed of all good, filled with all Joy, perfect in the Knowledge of God and Christ, and in Love to, and Delight in all the Persons in the (to us) unsearchable Tri­nity? Whilest thou thy self art grieving, groaning under the Burden of remaining sins, conflicting with Satan and the Powers of Darkness, clogged with the Flesh, and ensna­red with the Allurements and Affrightments of this evil and deluding World? Thou in a state imperfect and Militant, the Soul of thy Relation in a state perfect and Trium­phant? Is it not thy frequent Doubts and Fears whether thou lovest God, and whe­ther God loveth thee, with a differencing, special and peculiar Love? Are they not thy often Complaints, that thou hast but little Enjoyment of God and Communion with him in his Ordinances, and sometimes none at all? That thou seekest God but canst not see him, and searchest for him but c [...]nst not find him? That thou goest from Me­ditation to Prayer, from Praying to Hear­ing, from Hearing to attending upon [...]im at his Table, and after all, thy sorro [...]ful [Page 226] saying is, I sought him whom my Soul loveth and longeth for, I sought him, but I could not find him? That thy Sin had interposed betwixt thy God and thee, and caused him to hide his Face from thee? Were not these the Complaints also of thy Relation, while with thee, and didst not thou endeavour to satisfie her grieved and disconsolate Spirit, by reason of Gods fre­quent withdrawings from her Soul, and la­bouredst to resolve her Doubts, to remove her Fears, and to answer all the Objections she did make about the Sincerity of her Love to Christ? And is her separated, saved, glo­rified Soul now above all these Doubts, and Fears, and Jealousies? Is it now above Hope, and Desire, because possessed of what it hoped for, and desired after? Is it now perfectly Loving, and delightfully Praising of its Lord and Saviour? Is it now con­stantly beholding of Him, and rejoycing in Him, and can doubt no more, and question his Love to it, and its Love to Him no more for ever, because it feels, and is filled with the lively sense of both? And dost thou sit here Mourning, whilest it is eternally Rejoycing? Cease sorrowing for her whose Soul is perfectly happy and triumphant, and save thy Tears to bewail thine own Hazards, Dangers, and Sins in this Imperfect state, and to pour them out before God in fer­vent [Page 227] Prayer, that thou when separated from this Body, mightest be received into that place of Light, and Life, and Love, into that glorious Kingdom of the Ever-living God, and all-sufficient Saviour, to which her Soul is gone before, and is now singing, re­joycing, and triumphing in.

But above all, O my Soul, why art thou troubled and disquieted most of all, for what hath befallen the Body of thy dear Relation? Why dost thou sit in thy Cham­ber, where thou sawest her breathe her last Breath, and give up the Ghost, and [...]use how thou sawest her pale, and didst handle her cold Face, when layd in her Coffin? And while thou sittest here, thy thoughts so often run unto the Grave, and co [...]sider­est how the Body is mouldring and consu­ming, and turning into Rottenness and dust? And while thou say [...]st, For this here is my sorrow, let me ask the [...], in the mean time where is thy Faith? Hast thou an Eye to see how the Body lyeth in the Grave, and hast thou not another Eye to see how it shall be raised up? Canst thou not look beyond the Coffin and the Grave, to a joyful, glo­rious Resurrection?

Wake, O my Faith, awake, that I may firmly and steadfastly believe this great and comfortable Article of the Resurrection to Life Everlasting, and joy more that it shall rise [Page 228] again, than be cast down because it is cast into the Grave, and for a while is lodged there? Hast thou not, O my Soul, solid Foundation for thy Faith in this particular? Doth not thy Lord, that is infinite in Wis­dom know where every one is buried, or where the Body doth consume? Doth not he know, which Bones, and Skull, and Dust belong to this Body, and which to that? If this be knowable, doth not he know it? Or else is not his Knowledge limited and finite Knowledge, because not extended to every thing that may be known? And hath he not Almighty Power, and so can do all acts of Power, all things possible to be done? Cannot he that made this great World, and yonder larger Heavens out of Nothing, out of something make these dry Bones to live? Cannot he that formed the Body of Man at first of the Dust of the Ground, and caused it to live, New-make these Bodies, tho turn­ed into Dust? Or doth this seem incredible to thee, that God should raise the Dead? Cannot he do what he hath done? Did not he raise Lazarus, and the Son of the Wi­dow of Naim? and Jairus his Daughter? and himself, when he had layn for a time in the Grave? And as he can, so hath he not declared that he will? How often hath he spoken it? How frequently hath he pro­mised it? Is not this the Fathers Will that [Page 129] sent his Son, that of all that he had given him, he should not lose any one, but raise them up at the last Day? And, O my Soul, dost thou not believe that the Son hath and will do the will of his Father in every point, and particularly in this, when he so often hath said, he will raise them up at the last Day? O be not Faithless but Believing, and so cease thy excessive sorrowing. Blessed Lord! increase my Faith, that my immode­rate sorrow may decrease. I have shewn my Unbelief by my excessive sorrow: Now help me, Lord, to shew my Faith by my abating of my grief for my Dead, because tho Dead, yet shall certainly Live again.

Lord, confirm my Faith in this, That as sure as Christ is risen from the dead, so sure­ly shall my dead, and all others be also raised: because I read in thy holy Word, that if Christ be raised, then those that sl [...]ep in Jesus shall also rise, and if these shall not, then Christ is not risen, and if Christ be not ri­sen, we are all in our sins, and all Preach­ing, Praying, Believing, and all Religion is in vain; which being absurd and false, the other must be certain and sure: And by the belief of this (thanks be to my God) I find, I feel, my Sorrow is turned into lively Hope, earnest Desire, and comforting Joy.

Besides this, O my Soul, be further satis­fied and quieted within me, forasmuch as [Page 230] thy Lord hath not only said that those that sleep in Jesus shall rise again, but hath also foretold what Bodies they shall then be, tho the same for substance, yet their Properties, Qualities, and Endowments far more excel­lent, than when they lived or died. Dost thou sorrow because her Body was Mortal and did die? why dost thou not rejoyce, be­cause it shall be raised Immortal, and then shall die no more? Art thou grieved at the remembrance of its weakness, sickness and pains, why art thou not comforted at the believing Foresight that it shall be raised a Powerful and Impassible Body, and shall be sick and pained no more for ever? Or art thou cast down because that Natural Body by Food and Physick could no longer be sup­ported, nor maintained in Life? Why doth not this raise thy Comfort, that it shall be raised a Spiritual Body, and need Food, and Physick, and Sleep, no more than the An­gels in Heaven? Is it matter of thy trouble to co [...]sider how vile and loathsom Death hath made it; why doth it not delight thee to believe, it shall be raised in such Glory, that it shall shine as a glittering Star, yea as the Sun in the Kingdom of God; and that Beauty shall be its Cloathing all over? Why doth so [...]row daily fill thy Heart, be­cause the Soul is gone, and left the Body a lifeless piece of Earth, a mass of breathless [Page 231] Mould, and dost not rejoyce, that the Soul already is made like to Christs Glorious Soul; and the day is coming, and it hastens when the Body shall be fashioned like to Christs glorious Body? Like to Christs Glorious Bo­dy! Lord, who that doth believe these words of thine, may not cease to sorrow in excess, because now the Body is so like the dust in which it lodgeth, and begin to joy, that in thine appointed time it shall be like the Glo­rious Body of an exalted Jesus.

Holy Lord! how great is the difference betwixt the same Man, as if he were not the same, when he looks upon his Dead with an Eye of Sense, and Carnal Reason, and when with an Eye of Faith, according to thy Word? For when I sit and muse, and say, Methinks I see how the Body of my dead lyeth in the Grave, and how it mouldreth and consumeth, I am a sad and sorrowful Man, and my Heart is grieved within me; but when I sit and consider, and believe, and say, Methinks I see it Redeemed from the Grave, methinks I see it raised an Immortal, Powerful, Spiritual, Beautiful, Glorious Body, shining as the Sun, and like to Christs Glorious Body, I am a chearful, joyful Man, and Comfort flows a­bundantly into my Soul.

Moreover, O my Soul, thy Sorrow might be turned into Joy, when thou dost believing­ly consider, that rather than the Dead should [Page 232] always be captivated by Death, and ever held by the bonds thereof, the Lord HIM­SELF will come down from Heaven, and fetch them forth: Rejoyce, and be exceed­ing glad, that when the appointed day is come, the Lord Jesus will not stay, nor rest in Heaven, till he hath opened their Graves, and delivered them from the Power of death. Blessed Jesus! Help me to rejoyce in thy Mighty Power, and abundant Love, in that because the raising of the Dead is a work too great for all the Angels in Heaven, thou wilt come thy self, and cause them to live again. Methinks I hear thy Voice, Ye Dead arise; Methinks I hear the mighty Shout, and the Trumpet sounding; methinks I see the Lord in his Glory coming down from Hea­ven, and calling to the Dead, and methinks I see them in great numbers coming up out of their Graves: He calls, they tho dead do hear, and tho dead, at his Command do Live. Lord at thy pleasure they fell into the Grave, and at thy Voice they do come forth. O powerful Voice! Oh joyful glori­ous sight! Oh the difference betwixt a Fune­ral, and the Resurrection day! the one was a sorrowful, the other will be a joyful day.

Especially, O my Soul, when the day of Death was a parting day, the day of the Re­surrection will be a meeting day. Thou and thine at Death did part, and that did fill [Page 233] thy Heart with sorrow, but then thou and thine shall meet again, and never part. Thou and thine! that's not all, thou and thine shall meet the Lord in the Air. Wond [...]rful! Bodi [...]s but now in the bottom of the Grave, anon the same mounting up into the Air; there to be owned, acknowledged, and open­ly acquitted, and from thence to go along with their Lord Redeemer into the highest Heavens, to be for ever with the Lord. Once in the Grave, and after that with the Lord! A long time in the Grave, and after that long time is out, and over, be with the Lord for ever, which never will be out, and over! O blessed Day! O desirable Day! Lord when shall it be? When shall it come? Dear Jesus! gather in the chosen of the Fa­ther effectually, all the number that is or­dained to be with thee for ever, and then come, yea come quickly, that those of thine that are sleeping in their Graves may awake, and meet thee, and be with the Lord for ever.

Thus, O my Soul, hast thou followed thy Dead unto the Grave, and dost know and believe that this Body shall rise again, and be an happy and glorious Body, prepare to follow, cease excessively to sorrow, rejoyce in Hope that the Lord will come, when his shall be with him for ever.

Be with with him for ever! Are they now [Page 234] dead amongst the Dead, and shall live with him for ever that doth live for ever? Is not this it that Christ did bleed, and sweat, and suffer and die for? Is not this it that Christ did rise from the dead for, that those that sleep in him might also rise? Is not this it for which he ascended to Heaven, to pre­pare a place for them? Is not this it for which he intercedes, that all those that the Father hath given him might be where he is, that they may behold his Glory? Is not this it for which he will come again, and take (the Quick and Dead in him) all of them unto himself, that where he is, there they might be also? Lord, hast thou said it, and shall I not believe it? Lord I believe, help thou my Unbelief.

And dost thou indeed believe these sayings of thy Lord, O my Soul, and yet sit sor­rowing with excessive sorrow for thy Dead, that shall so surely live, and be with him? Doth not some other Frame and Temper more become thee? Dost thou believe the future happy State of their Bodies, whose present death thou dost bewail, yet canst thou not abate thy sorrow? nor turn it yet into the actings of some other Affections, nor into the exercises of some Grace? which if thou dost, will it not more tend to the Glory of God, to thine own Comfort, and to the Encouragement of thine own Relati­ons, [Page 235] which yet do live with thee, and to the setting off the Power of the Christian Reli­gion, when thou shalt believe the Promises and Principles thereof, and behave thy self as one that is endued with such Faith, and hast such firm Foundation for thy Faith?

Blessed Lord, by thine assistance now I can, and by thy helping Spirit now I will endeavour that I might no longer sorrow as if I had no hope, when the sincere dying Christian hath hope in his Death, and after he or she is dead, the Living have such grounds of hope that the Dead by Christ shall conquer Death, and that the day will come, when if they be looked for in the Grave, there they shall not be found, but may be said, they are not here, but are ri­sen, come see the place where they did lye, but are not here, but gone to meet the Lord, and to be for ever with him in the highest Heavens.

Then Lord, I will no longer droop, but hope. Awake my Hope, and let my Sorrow give place to thee. Hope! Oh how sweet is this, how pleasant and delightful? If my Sorrow was as bitter as Gall, this Hope is as sweet as Honey: And this I do begin to feel, the more lively is my Hope of their joyful glorious Resurrection, the more my Sorrow doth abate, tho now for the pre­sent [Page 236] they be the captives of Death. Indeed had it not been that I had got this Hope, my Heart would break with Grief, but through Grace I have obtained this good hope, and by it my Spirit is revived, my Sorrow is more moderate.

And having this Hope, my Sorrow is turn­ed into desire, and longing for the Day and Coming of my Lord, that all that sleep in Jesus might awake, and their Immortal Souls be cloathed with Immortal, glorious Bodies: Oh how much better do I find it, to groan with desires that they might live, and come up out of their Graves, than to groan thro grief that they are dead, and cast into them? O Time, make haste and flye with greater speed, that this day of the Coming of the Lord, and rising of the Dead may come! It is approaching, it is approaching, it is nearer by every Day, by every Night, by every Hour that comes and passeth away. As time doth wear away, so let my Sorrow, as to its excess wear off, and that by my desiring in­stead of sorrowing.

Yet thou must wait patiently, O my Soul, tho thou dost so earnestly desire it; and tho this Morning might not dawn before the night of Death doth overtake thy Body, yet wait while thy Life doth last, and leave thy Body, in hope that thine and theirs that be already [Page 237] dead, shall surely live again in a Glorious, Blessed and Eternal Life: For doth the Hus­bandman cast his Seed into the Ground, and know that it shall rot, yet patiently wait till it rise out of the Ground, and grow un­till the Harvest, when it shall be gathered in with great advantage; and canst not thou, O my Soul, be patient, and wait for the Re­demption of those Bodies, that are rotting in the Grave, till the Harvest-day shall come, and they be gathered with so great Advantage into the Kingdom of their God?

And while thou dost desire and wait, thou mightest also, O my Soul, rejoyce and be exceeding glad, because that what thou wait­est for, and dost desire, thou hast such well-grounded Hopes, that it will surely be: And tho the Object of Desire and Hope is good, as absent, and the Object of Joy is good as present and enjoyed, yet let thy Faith make that as present which is yet to come, that thou mayest rejoyce therein, as if it were al­ready present.

O Lord, notwithstanding all my Sorrow, while my Faith and Hope were sleeping, yet now by thy good Spirit of Grace they are awake: my Sorrow is turned into Joy; thou hast put off my Sackcloth, thou hast turned my Weeping into Hoping, Desiring and [Page 238] Rejoycing in the firm Belief that my Dead shall rise to Glorious Life; and being not ignorant of this, Lord pardon my Sin that hath been in my Sorrow, and let me sorrow no more as one that hath no hope.