5 5 66 `Ti é Patriarchal t ugerál hould no otherwife befog; bift by lofing him, inWhomvtlived; Love isof that excellent nature, that it is efteemed by the belt of men; and accepted from the perlons ; what then isthe affeLìion of a Father ! what is the purity ofthat fire whichGodandNaturekindles in the breft ofman! what were theflanteswhidr ever burnt Upon the Altar ofyour Fathers heart, who never hated any man ! See but the nature of Paternal love in David ; who, when Abfalom, his Son," but à a Samaâ.ts. moft rebellious Son, openly fought his life and Crown, and denied that unnatu- ral attempt, went up into his chamber and wept, and al, be went; thus be faid, O my Son Abfalom, my Son, my Son Abfalom ; mould Clod 1had diedfor thee, O Abfalommy Son; my Son : Meafure by this eàampl¢ the.aff'ec'tion you have fo lately loft, who never gave any offence as Abfalomdid; and yet had in your Fa- thers eye all the reafonsof love which Abfaloin could have. Know thényoumake a mourning, as Yefeph' did, for a Father that lovedyou : remember that the love of 7acob was divided between twelveSons, and therefore, though it was high; it could not be whole andintireto yofeph, as for many yearsyour Fathers hash been unto you. Thirdly, I fpeak not this oui ofdefign Co renefv"or advanceyóùr grief,' to tell you what you have loft alone ; but I propound this privation, that I may con- trive it for your imitation; endeavouring tofttr up the famefire, and to kindle the fame affection in your Pelf, who now are wholly to be confidered inthe famérela- tion.. Whatyou were to him, others arenow tóyou ;' and what he was tàyou, you are now wholly unto them. Before your natural affe&ion was partly taken up with duty, refpe&, honour and obedience, due to a Father from a Son it is now taken off from thofe exprefflons, as to him, that it maydefcend the more entire upon thole which come from yot# as you from him. Thus far yon have been the fofeph of the Text, be now the Jacob ; that thofe two great names may be concealednot only in the Text, but in your bread. Thus far you have been the better part of eA'bfalom, learn now to be the David that we may truly fay,' that tender affetlion, that Paternal love, diednot with your Father; butCavities in you to ourand his poft'erity. Fourth!; I delire you to lobe not only upon that which yoü hae loft, but alto upon that which he bath left behind him. Vulgar and common per: Eons, as they carry nothing 'out of this world, fo they leave nothing in it receive no eininency in their birth, they acquire none in their life; they have none when they die, they leave none at their death Biit hontirable¡ perlons , as they die like common' men ÿ fo that only dieth' with them' which was common' unto all degrees of men; theirfmgùlar refpetls, the privifedges Of their greatnefs, their honours forvive them, and defcend unto their Heirs with their inheritance. Give me leave then yet to fpeak unto you as to the Heir of your Fathers Honors ; confider what the nature and defign of honors are ; remember they were firlt gracioufly conferred as a rewardof the virtues ofyour Anceffors, and were as wifely continued upon a prefumption, and as an encouragementsof the fame virtues in their Succeffors. Your Honor knows how long the greatnefs"of your Family bath been preferved : acknowledg- firft the vigilant providence and infinite goodnefs of God in the prefervation of it, while fo many glorious Titles have been loft, fo' many noble Families cut' off. Next , ftudy to preferve and advance it further by the esercife of thofe Venues upon which it was firft built, and bath been liince continued: endeavour to uphold not only your own, bur theverynameofHonour inthis Age, in which partly the want'of Inch verrues as are neceffary to fupport ir, partly theWeaknels of that power which firft gave life unto it, partly the unrealonablenels of,foolirh men, whoendeavour to call a dif-eiteem upon it, have too much eclipfed the glory of it. EceltC 1E. sti,. Laftly, as I have advifed you; with the Son of sirach, to let tears fall upon the 17. dead, and to ufe lamentation' as be it worthy ; fo L Ihall conclude with his following advice, when that is done, thencomfort thy Pelfforthy heavinefs ; that is, not only becomfortedafter forrow,that confolationmay fucceedyourgriefs, this is the com- Mon
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