2 o TheTraili o f Mourning; or, ofall thofe giftsand endowments that they had. Andas inthedefe&, fo lìkewjfe iii the excefs there is guilt, When a man idolifeth the creature too much, and crat- ed, too much to the arm offlefh : when he fetteth toogreat a price upon men, he may apprehend the difpleafure ofGod, takingaway his brother, that was (as it were) a curtain that flood betweenGod andhim, taking away thofe thathid God from his eyes. Upon there occafionsand grounds,the fervants ofGod have refle&ed upon them- felves, feting the death ofothers, that are near, and dear unto them, and have drawn from thence, matter and caufe ofmourning: Ier3.3. Nay, it is a thing that the Lord looks for : Thou haft [mitten them, and they have not grieved, When God takes away any that are ufeful to us, there is a fmiting , and a corre&ion in it , even to thole that live, to thofe that were intimateand inward withhim,and God experts that men (hould mourne,andgrieve forit. Vfe. I briefly note this(for I intend not toLand upon it) again(t that Stoical Apethy, that flupidity, I cannot fay whether it have feized on the fpirits'ofinen, or whether men affe& it in themfelves: but they account this a matter ofpraife,,a vertue praife- worthy , to feenothing doleful, nothing worthyofmourning in the death ofany one. We fee it is quite contrary to the very courfe oftheScripture. °Ilefl. But it willbe obje&ed. We are bid to mortifie our earthly afffeftiens: and ifwe mutt mortifie our affe&ions, we mutt mortifie allour affeéions, that offorrow, au well as anger, and the like Anfw. I anfwer briefly. The Scripture indeed biddethus mortifieouraffeiliom, but it A twofold doth not bid us take away our affeftions: it biddeth us onlymortifie, and purge A is outthe corruption ofour affe&ions. Now there is a twofold corruption , and di- mrns afhéfi- temper in the affeftions ofinen. The firft is,when they are mifplaced,and fer upon ons. i. a. i Thef.4.13 Deut. i4. wrong obje& : fo we mourn for that we fhould rejoyce in,or we rejoyce in/hat weihould mournfor. Secondly, when they are either exceffiveor defe&ive: either we overdo, or we do not, eithernot at a11, or not in that proportion, and meafurethat we fhould. Thus, when weover- grieve for worldly croffes, and too little for fin ; toomuch for thelofle of earthlyfriends and too littlefor the Joffeof Gods favour,and fpiritual wants: this is a diflemperof the affeftions in the defe&, etranged fromGod. Then there is theexceffe : that the Apotlefpeakscf, when he exhorts them, not tomourn at men without hope : whether he fpake there of the Gentiles, as Tome think ; that cut their heads, andmade themfelves bald, in theday of their mourning,anaffetted kindofoutwardThew they had to mourn, which the Lord forbad the peopleof /five/ to do : or whether(as indeed it is )becaufe they did not retrain inwardly, and bridle the exorbitant exceffe oftheir affe&ion, we fhould not mourn as the Gentiles, but as menof hope : mournas men that can fee, the changes that Godmakesin the earth, and in your Families, and can fee how neerGod cometh toyou, and what ufe Godwould haveyoumake of every parti- cular tryal and aflli&ion : mourn fo far as you fee your ownguilt, in not making ufe of the opportunities youhave had in enjoying your friends, and fo far as you fee any evidence ofdifpleafure from God:fofar we Ihould mourn,but not as men without hope. ButI briefly paffe this, intending not to Tout uponit, only by occafion, becaufe Solomon makestheplace whereany die, thebaufe ofmourning, We come now to the proofof the point,why going to thehoufe ofmourning, taking thefeoccafionstoaffeftour hearts, is betterobeneagot to the hotsfeoffeafling, thento take occafions ofdelighting our felves in outward things.What's the reafon It is double. Firt , This is the endofall men. What is the end of all men? Thehoufe ofmourning. That which he nteaneth by the houfe of mourning here , is that which he calleth the endof all men , that which putteth an end to all men, and to their a &igns upon earth, and that is Death. So
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