24o AbrahamsTurchafe, or, contrae, yet that there is a care remaining from the Dead, a love to that, though not as to a Wife : the refpectsof Manand Wife are carnal and fle(hly, Death com- ethand cutteth down the flefh, therefore cutteth off that refpeét too : btìt becaufe the was dead, and there was filch bondsbetween them formerly,therefore a man is boundto lament and Furrowfor his dead, as Abrahamdid here, to love the memory of the dead, to fpeak well of thedead when occafron ferveth, to commend them for their venues, to ufe thefriends of the dead ( as far as is in their power ) with all courtefie, to be good to the childrenof the.Dead, thòfe that the inother hath left, and not to caft them into the hands ofa furious woman, a new Wife, that neither careth for dead nor living: but to have a fpecial regard to the bonds and familiarity, and that fpiritual acquaintancethat Godmade in this life : and fo tobe good toall that come of that iffue for their fakes, Let me burymydead. Laflly it followeth, why he would burybis dead. Out of myfight. A ftrange thing, Out ofmy fight. Was his grief foaggravated, as he couldnot fill behold her fact? or was it neceffary that the carkafs it Pelf muft be conveyed away ? mull itneeds be thatthe body being nownoway amiable,but noifome,mult be conveyed out ofa mans fight ? The belt friend in the world cannot endure the fight ofa deadbody, it is a gaftlyf,git,efpeciaily when it cometh to thatdiffolution, thatthe parts begin to have an evil favour and fine% as all have when they are dead : then to keep themfelves inlife and health, it is neceffary to avoid them, to burytheir dead out oftheirfight.:" And what fo Tweet a /ht once to bleffed eAbrabam,as Sarah ? What fo fweet a fpeaacle to the world as Sarah? Thegreat Kingsof the world, fee her as aPar_ ragon, and the came no where but her beauty enamoured them : thewas a fweet profpe&.in all eyes, every man gazedon her with great content, to fee the beauty of God,as info many lines marked out in the face of Sarah. Yet now the is odious, every eye that looked upon her hefore,nowwinks andcannot endure to look upon her, The mat be taken out offight. Oh bethink your felves of this, you that take pride in this frail flelb, that prank up your felves, to makeyougraceful in every eye ; you that ltudy topleafe the be- holders,you that arc the great Minions of the world ; you that when agebeginneth to purle your faces, begin to redeem your felves with paintings ; think of this. Mother Sarah the beautifulleft woman in the world,isloathfometo herhnsband,her fweetef friend therefore I befeech you in the fear of God, leave thefe fooleries, and vain fancies : remember what danger Sarah: beauty caft her into though it were a great gift of God, yet thehadbetter have beenwithout it, thin to havethat hazard of foul and body, that the was brought toby Abrahams travels andne- ceffity': and know it that your bell beauty is to pleafe the eye of God, to look beautiful in his fight : for the fight ofGod isnever weary; thefight ofmen will be w earyofyou, the belt friends you have will loath to fee you dead,you willthen be grifly in theeyes ofmen, but the eye ofGod it is all one even in the dult, andno- thing tanmakeyou fo ill-favoured,but God will like you: therefore labourto pleafe Godseye that never ceafeth : nothingwill make him alter his affeaion, whereasthe eyesof men, this life is fo full afoul alterations, as the leaftficknefsbringeth an a- bomination unto them. I fee the time prevents me. Iwill fpeak a littleto the prefent occafion. Wehave here.*depofitum, a gage, a pawn of a dear Sifter of ours, a womanknown to you all to be of a holy Chriftian converfation : a neighbour fullof peace and quiet, and ofgood works according tohercalling. She was alto in the fpiritual part a woman of à very good inclination, loving theWord of God, curious and attentive in the hearingof it ; She was much delighted in it,and defired to communicate theknow- ledge thehad in the Scriptures to otlrers,andto fpeak of it as often as occafron per- mitted. By thisstudy it pleafed the Lord to work a confant and livelyfaith inher, to put all her truft and confidence in him. She was now taken upon the fudden, therefore the Lordbath left her asa pattern for es to look upon,to take heed ur felveto
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=