5 54 The Patriarchal Funeral. Gen. 37. 3 S Geo,4ç.27,.s Gen. 46. 30. Deut.34, S. Thus it pleafeth tiod to permit this happy deceit of envious Brethren, this piojg miftake of an affl dionate Father, not only for a great example. of Paternal love; but alto to teach all Sons tomcafùre their gricfsat their Fathers death, by a cwafidc ration of thole forrows which their Parents would have expreffed, had they die before them: Howfoever 3ofiph was but ¡Mt in this : he made mourning fotb his Father; who hadmourn'd for him. Laftiy, hemade mourningfor his Father, who came down to die with hint, I2 was the old exprellìon of Parents comfort , that at their deaths they might have their children to dote their eyes ; and it hath been equally the defire ofchildceri to be made happy by that occafion, in ¡hewing the Salt teflimony of their duty at their Parents death. Now ,yobwho upon the fuppofed deathof jofph, had Paid, Iwillgo down into the Grave unto my Son; upon the certain intelligence of bis lifeand fafety, refolveth to godown and die with him. For when befaç thewaQoni which Jofeph fent, and his fpirit revived, Iliad faid, it is enough: Jofeph mj Son isyet alive, I willgo andfee him before Idie : and whenJofph firfl prefented himfelf unto him in the landofEgnpt, thefirft words he (poke were thefe,2'ow let me die,, fince I havefeen thyface, becaufi thou art yet alive. Now he.which faid at firft; Iwillgo andfeehimbefore I die, and when he law him, faid,Nowlet me die, refolvect nothing in that journey but to die with Jofeph, eAnd he made amourningform's Father,who camedown to die with him. For all there reafons yofeph mourned ; for his Father, whobegat him, remeto- bring his natural generation ; +or his Father, who loved him, not forgetting his fiógular affection ; for his Farher, who had bleacd him, confidering his double Bcnedi&ìon; for hes Father, who hadmourned for him, meditating a pious reta- liation; forhis Father, who came down to die with him, embracing the oppor- tunity of a dutiful expreffion. And thus I clofe up the fiat general part Of the Text, or the Solemnization ob.the Obfequies. The fecond general Part ofthe fame, prefents us with the Continuation of the Solemnity. Which minilters a doubleConfidcration, one ásconfiftingofnotma- ny (ayes, the other as determining howmany dayes. Andhe madeamourníngfor' his Fatherfevendayet, Immediately after Jacobs death in Egypt, forty , dayes were fulfilled for his em- balming, andthe Egyptians mournedforhim threefcore and tendoes. They which have no hope ofa life to come, may extend their griefs for the lofs of this, and e- qual the dayes of their Mourning with the years of the life ofman. But fo tedious a Funeral Solemnity is ataciteprofe Pion of Infidelity. When Mofes went up into the Mountain of Nebo, and died there, the children of Ifracl wept for him in the plains ofMoab thirty dayes. The plains of Moab were nearer to the Land ofpro- -mile than Egypt was, and force light of the ¡oyes of thelife to;come was difcovered tinder the Law,and therefore more than halfof the EgyptianSolemnity was cut off by the Faith ofthe Ifraelites. But this Patriarchal Funeral was made in Canaan, the band of promife, the Type of Heaven ; it was appointed by Jófpb a bleffed Patriarch, and a Type ofChrift : it continued force dayes, to declare his natural affe_Etion, bet thpfe normany, to exprefs his.religious expeEfation. Had it been extended longer, it had demonftrated more of duty, but lefs offaith,he had phew"d himfelf more a Son, but lefs a Patriarch. But now he is become a great Example, in mourning Somedayes,of filial duty; in mourning fewdayes,of Divinity. Which is our firfh.Confideration. The fecond leadsus to the determinate number of-the (ayes, which are exprefly Seven. 4nd he made a mourningfor his Fatherfeven dayes. TheJews took fpe., cial notice of this at$ of Jofeph, and in the land ofCanaan obferved thenumber of there lay,es_.o Seven dayes do men mourn for him that is dead, faith the Son ctfSirgch,; and,though it be not uoto.us alaw, yet it is a proper fubje&ofourOb- fervation. . It was afterward one ofthe laws ofMofes, he that toucheth the dead bodyof any man, /hall be uncleanfeven dayes. And therefore well did Jofeph teach the Ifrac- liets to mourn the fame number ofdayes, that withtheir tears ofnatural affe&ion, they
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