The Patriarchal Funeral. 5 5 5 they might mingle" fome thoughts of their natural pollution. Again, the number of Seven is the number of reft, In ßxdayes the Lord Citadel Heaven andEarth, the Sea, andall that in them is : and be reliedon the Seventh day from all bit works which be hadmade. Now fofeph knew that there reraud i- etha ref to the people ofGod, he was fully affured that as the dayes of the yearsóf his Fathers pilgrimage were evil, fo they ended in reft and happinefs : that as lure'' ashes body was partall wearinefs andpain, fo his foul was placed above all poflìbi- Iity ofgriefor forrow. ADove brought Nbah word into the Ark that waterswere on thefaceof the Earth, and he ftaÿd fevendayes, and thetatheDove feat forth returned , and lot, in her mouth wits an Olive leafpluckt of, fo Noah knew that the waters were abatedfromof the earth. If we mourn for the death ofany perfon departed, and thé waters appear upon the face ofman, yet after the,leventh day, when the Olive leaf is plucks, when we have confidered the peace; and reft; and j oyesof the fouls departed in the feat ofGod, 'cis time for the waterstoabate, for mourning to reale. Thirdly, thenumber ofSeven is the number of holinefs s as God relied the fe- veritli day , fo be blefed, andha/limedit. Seven dayes eAtron and his Sons the Priefts wereconlecrated ; leven dayes an Attonement was tnade,and the AltarWas fan&ifled. Sevendayes hath 3oliph letapart for hisFathers Funeral, to thew that mourning for the dead is fomethingfaded, the tenth of the Egyptian mourning, inad ofPiety, a part ofReligion. The ?cos oblerved that the Circumcilìon was deferred till the eighth day,that a Sabbath might pars uponthe child, and fo fanéiifié itbefore it was circumcifed ; and7ofephappointed feven dayes formoúrningg, one ofwhich malt neceffarily be that daywhichGodbleffedand fan lifted in thebegin- ning,to procure a Waling upon that dutyçand to lan&ifie his forrow. Uponwhich leafonable Confederation I (hall take leave to concludemy medita- tions on theText, and apply mÿ fell to theprefent Solemnity, which gave the oe- cartonto confider it; thatI maymake fuch ule ofthe workof this holy day,as may fanbifie the forrow ofit. And now, molt Honorable Sir, the Jofepph ofthis time, the chief Mourner of this der, bepleafed toendeavour the SanÉhification.ofyour mourning,by thefé re- flexiveMeditations. -- Firft, learn from:henceto meditateupon your own Mortality, and bendwaffu- red, by this near andhome example, that your fellfh all die. This mayTeem but a coldmonition, but a dullrefle&ion; every Grave prdacheth that Doârine, and every Skeleton readeth as good a Lecture: when We comeinto the Houleof God, our feet will learn thus much, and theground we tread upon will thus farinftru& us. 'Tis true, the examples ofour mortality are numerous, but they arenot e- ilüalfy efficacious ; the nearer our relations are to thofe which die, the morewe are concerned in their death, and there is none fo veer inhis concern:bent as that of the Father andSon. There is a differencebetweenthe languageof the Scriptures, and fuch aProphet as 21Latban was ; one tells us that aril men arefinners, the other fa s, thou art the man. So common Funerals tell us all men are mottal , but that of a Father fpéaketh not only plainly, but particularly, thou art fo. From his vi- vacity the Son receiveth life, and in his death muff read his own departure. 'Tit poffìble to imaginean infmortal family, and then the deaths of other's'concern'd that not: bat where the Father's dead, therecan beno pretence or thought ofIm- mortality: Betide there's fomething more than propinquity ofnature in a Father: teligion teacheth us' that our dayes are otherwife bound up in our Parents lived. ;Remember the firfl Commandment with Promife, Honour thy Father and thy Mo- ther, that tlsydayes maybi long in the lAnd: confider that you have loft in his death' all further opportunity of improving.the hopes of thatpromife ; and that youftand nowonly, as to him, upon what comfort youhare inyour former duty, and ih your "part obedience. 'Thus learn' to ñx á móre immediateandmore concerñing;medita- tionof your own mortality,upon thedeath ofhim,in whofelifeyroui§'was involved both by a natural and fpiritual dependance. Secondly, idled upon that love and entire affediofi which you have loft ; àITtl Cede could E+cod,ao. t Gen, a. I. Gon. 5,9,0. Gen. a. ;. a Sam, it. y, Ephef G, a:
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