How to Mourn for tiJt 'Dtad. they are npt into the highell Joycs with Chrill; and Love fuould teach you to rejoice with the; If:.. 57· 1. that rejoice, and not to mourn as thofe that have no hope. 5· You know not what mercy God . !hewed to your friends, in taking them away from the evil to come; you know not what futfer.. ~.~IJ!.t. ::.1, :;. ing the Land, or Church is falling into; or at leafi, might have faln upon themfdvcs: nor what fins they might have been tempted to. But you are fure that Heaven is better than Earth ; and that it is: far beuer for them to be with Chrifl. 6. You allwayes knew that your friends mull die: To grieve that"they were mortal, is but to f_ricve that they were but men. 7• If their mortalKy or death be gtievous to you~ you fhould rejoice that fhey are arrived at the flare of Immortality, where they mull Live indeed and dte no more. 8. Remember how quickly you mull be with them again, The ex. peCl:ation of living long your fclvcs, is rhe caufe of your excellive grief for the death of friends. If you lookt your fdves to die to morrow, or within a few weeks, you would lefs grieve that your friends are gone before:. you. 9• Remember that the world is not for one Generation only : Others rilUfl: haVe our places when we are gone : Go~ will be fcrvcd by fucceffive Generations, and not only by one. IO• lf you are Chrifiians indeed, it is the highefi of all your Dejim and Hoper to be in Hr.ven: And will you fo grieve that your friends are gone thither, wbere you moll Dejire and R>pt to be. 9· 19· Obj•. AU ibis is reafon if my fried ''"" gon," to Heave• : But he dyed impenitently, -.d how jhould I be comforted for afoul that I have '""fe to think.. i1 Jamned? An[w. Anfw. Their mifery mull be your grief: But not fuch a grief as £hall deprive you of your greatet Helpsro mo· Joyt:s, or difablc you for your greater duties. 1· God is fitter than you to judge of the meafures deraf.eou~ for· of his mercy and his judgement~, and you mufi: neither pretend to be more merciful than he, nor to ~:;n~d.' e reprehend his ]ufiice. 2· All the works of God arc Good; and all that is G.ood is amiable: Though the mifery of the <rcature be Bad to it, yet the works of Juflice declare the Wifdomand Holinefs of God: and the perfecter we are, the more they will be amiable to us. For, 3.God himfelf, and Chrifl who is the mcrcihll Saviour of the World, approve of. the ~amnation of the finally ungodly. 4· And the Saints and Angels in Heaven do know more of the mifery of the fouls in Hell, than we do: And yet it abateth not their Joyes ? And the perfecter any is, the more he is like-minded unto God. 5· How glad and thankful fhould you be to think that God haih delivered your fclves from thofe eternal flames> The rnifery of others·fuould excite your Thankfulncfs. 6, And fhould not the Joyes of all ~he Saints and Angels, be your Joy, as well as the fufferings of the wicked be your farrows? But above all the thoughIS of the Blcffed•rfs and Glury of God himfclf, fuould over-top all the con– cernmcnts of the creature with you. If you will mour,n more for the Thieves and Murderers that are hanged, than you will rejoice in the Jufiice, profperity and honour of the King, and the well– fare of all his faithful fqbjech, you behave not your felves as faithful fubjeets. 7· Shortly you hop< to come to Heaven: Mourn now for the damned, as you Chall do then; or at kall, Jet not the diftl:· tence be too great ; when that and not tbiJ is your pe1t1J {late. • I A Form
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=