MourningpreferredbeforeMirth. and taking notice of things. There is underftood here, a ferious pondering( an often èonudering of it , as it is Paid ofMarie,the layedthofe [dying: to heart ; and fo Iacob, he laved the jayings offofeph toheart. It is fuch a ferious confide- ring, and pondering, and difcuffrngof every thing, as theymay bring it to fome ufe, may draw fome fruir, andbenefit out ofit to rhemfelves. So thatthe futirme and fubftance of the words is thus mtich ; It is a better thing for aman tobeconverfant about the thoughtsof death, and to tale hold of all occafons that may bring the ferious conSderation thereof into his heart, then to delight bimfelfin thole worldly pleafures, and fenfual delights , wherein for the moll part menfpend their. lives. The reafon is, becaufe their is fame benefit that arïfeth thereby to theinwardman , fme advantage gained to the foule: whereas by the o- ther, there isnone at all, there is machhinderance andhurt , but nofurtherance and benefit, The words then you fee confift ofa Isropfition; And a proof or confirmation ofhhewor s, ofthat Propofition. The Propofition. It is better togo to the bottle ofmourning , then to go to the hosife ofpalling. The confirmation or ptoofeof it, is double; firft, bccaufe thisù the end ofall men i fecondly, 'becaufe the living will lay it to his heart. This latter part is tha which I purpofe moft to infiift upon. In the former. Hecalleth the houfe whereinany one dies;the houfe of mourning. it is better to goe to the boufe ofmourning. Where you fee; that theDeath of men, with whom we live, is a juts oceafion pbfervstt. r, of,mourning to fome. The death of The holyGhoft would not have defcribedthe houfe wherein a man dies in this others, 1ta manner, if their were notfome equity, and juftice in mourning, upon lush au occa- Ìutt creation fion. For he fpeaks not here ( as I conceive) only with reference, andrefile& to of Mourning. the common cuftome ofnature! and worldly men; but with refpeot to the natural difpofition, and affe&ion, that is in the heart ofman, and the equity of the thing. There should be mourning, and there is in it a ¡Lift occafron, when men are taken away by death. WhenSarah died,the text faith thatAbrahamcame tomournfor Sarah,&to weep Gen.:;. y, for her. And Efate, when he fpeaks of the death ofhis father lfaac, he calleth the time of his death the time of mourning, the daps ofmourning Pr my father Gen. 27.4e are at baud. So lofeph when his father was dead, it is laid that he mournedfor his Gen. ço. o, fatber( even dayes. When Samuel was dead, all the Ifraelites weregatheredtogether s. sam. z;,r. and lamentedhim. When lofiah was dead, there was filch a great lamentation for him, that it becamea pattern of exceflive mourning; In that day there !hall bea great mourning in lerufalem , as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Zach, it. so. Megiddon. Our Saviour Chrift , whenhe looked upon Lazarus, he wept, be- caule hewas dead. And thole Ephefians, this was it that broke their hearts, they John. t t: f crowed molt of 411 for the words which S. PatalIfrake, that they fhonld fee hisface no more. Aft, to. 38. I neednot Rand upon theproofof the point.Thereis great reafon forit,firftifwe refile& men in their ufefulnefs to others. There is no man but is of fomeufe : 2eaf. a. and fo farre As a man is ufeful to another, there is juts ground of mourning, for the loffe or fuch a one. Therefore David, he mourned for the death of Saul, thoughhe was a wickedman,hecaufehewas ufeful inhis time by wayofgovernment. And esthete is more ufefulnefs, fo there is more caufe of mourning, as we fee in the death of Samuel, and to//ab, and others. Secondly, becaufe when thofe that are ufeful, aretaken away, a man feeth fome effeas partlyof his own guilt, and partlyof Gods, difpleafure. Of his ownguilt Reaf.`t, Ifthofe die.that are evil, that he did not do them that good that hemight, while they lived, he did not convèrfe fo profitably, as be might have dine , to further their fpiritual good. If they be good and gracious, that he receivednot benefit by them, that he did not mannage the opportunities, as he might havedone, to have made that ufeoftheir fociety and cpnference, of their prayers, and fpirirual help of
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