out in Darkness: Let the Sun of Righteousness arise upon me, with Healing under his Wings. Retrieve the Damage and Lofs as far as may be, by the Methods of thy Providence. I am oppreffed: Undertake for me.

I may open my Sorrows to Men too, if I can get any who will beftow the Charity of hearing my Story. It will eafe the Mind; it will draw forth fomething of Relief from our Thoughts; it will direct and engage their Prayers; it will extort fome Pity: And it is fomething to be pitied in Affliction. Job miffed of this, when he had Reason to expect it. He bath put my Brethren far from me; and mine Acquaintance are verily eftranged from me. My Kinsfolk bave failed, and my familiar Friends have forgotten me: They that dwelt in mine Houfe. I called my Servant, and he gave me no Anfwer: I intreated him with my Mouib. My Breath is ftrange to my Wife: She turned away from me. And all refufe the kind Office to a poor afflicted Man when he most needs it. All my inward Friends abhorred me; and they whom I loved are turned against me. Have pity upon me, · have pity upon me, O my Friends; for the Hand of God bath touched me. To the Afflicted, Pity fhould be fhewn.

The moft earnest Prayer to God for the Removal of an Affliction, or Support under it, is very confiftent with intire Submiffion to the Will of God; and is allowed to the Mourner. thing could be more fubmiffive in a mere Man than that of David: I was dumb, and opened not

No

my

my Mouth, because thou didst it. Dumb, to all murmuring Language, but not to Prayer: For the very next words are, Remove thy Stroke far away from me: I am confumed by the Blow of thine Hand, Pfalm 39. 9, 10. But a greater than David is here. The Lord Jefus Chrift was the perfect Pattern of Patience; and yet none ever prayed more earnestly than he that the Cup might pafs from him; and, being in an Agony, he prayed more earnestly, Luke 22.42. With ftrong Cries and Tears, when in the Days of his Flesh, he spake the Language of Flesh and Blood. He prayed earnestly; with ftrong Cries and Groans. Importunately; for he prayed three Times, as St Paul befought the Lord thrice; and with great Humility, proftrate upon the Ground. And yet this Earneftnefs, Importunity, and Humility, was all confiftent with that Submiffion; Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. Behold the Defires of Nature, and the Refignation of Grace! Nature fays, Let this Cup pass: Grace fays, Let thy Will be done. It is no Rebellion against the Will of God to defire that an Evil may be removed; but when we do infift upon it to be removed, in a manner whether God will or no: That is, when we rage and ftorm, if we have not our Will; or take finful Courses to obtain it.

I am allowed the diligent Ufe of all proper Means, all lawful and appointed Means of removing Affliction. If I cannot prevent it, I will remove it; if I cannot remove it, I will bear it; if I cannot bear it, my next Concern is, that finking under

under it may be rather my Calamity than my Crime; and only prove the Occafion of a fresh A&t of Refignation to the Method he chooses hereby of delivering me from all Evil.

When may our Mourning be efteemed exceffive and immoderate,

WHEN the Lofs of fome one Mercy fhall destroy the Senfe and Relifh of those that remain, is not that exceffive? Let him take all, " fays Paffion, fince he has deprived me of this." But what if God fhould take us at our Word?, How much more miserable fhould we be, than it is poffible for any one Lofs to make us? Are all the Mercies that remain worth nothing, because this one is taken away?

The Comfort of other Relations, the Accommodations of Life, the Health of Body, the Capacities of Mind; a Share in the Pleasure of Angels, in Contemplation of delightful Truths, and Senfe of the Divine Favour; the Means of Grace, an Interest in Chrift, the Pardon of Sin, and the Hope. of Glory. Muft all thefe Things be as nothing, because the Child is dead, or the Hufband, or the Wife is gone before? Is not this enough to provoke God to go on, and make a full End of all ?.. And to fay in his Wrath, "Since thefe Things are "not worth owning, they are not worth continuing:

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"ing: I will take them away. Go, Death, and "kill the Hufband that is left, or cut off that "Wife, or Child, or Friend. Go, Sickness, and "fmite the Body with Difeafe and languishing "Weakness: Take away the Health that is left, "fince it is esteemed as nothing now. Go, Re"proach and Calumny, and blaft the Reputation. "Loffes and Croffes, take a full Commiffion to "make what Ravages you please in an Estate that "cannot now be enjoyed."

Mourner. Ah, but the Flower of all my Comfort is gone! The Glory is departed! I answer: Thy Glory is to do the Will of God, and bear the Burden he lays upon thee. This fecures eternal Glory. Be thankful you are out of Hell. All is Mercy on this fide Hell. And if he has added to that many other Mercies, that are spared to thee, though often forfeited, as well as that which is gone; let the Enjoyment of that Remainder be an Allay of Grief, and a comfortable Motive to Thankfulness.

When we are fo taken up with our own Sorrows, as to regard Nobody's elfe, we exceed. When all our Concern for the Sorrows and Joys of others, and especially of the Church of God, are entirely fwallowed up in our private Griefs; this is to be too much fhut up within our ownselves, and confined within the little Circle of our own Affairs. If a Piece of good Public News will not make a Mourner fmile; if a National Deliverance will not make him forget to weep, at least for some Time; it is a Sign of none of the best Spirit. The Public may juftly leave him to his own Bitterness. Eli's

Family

Family-Afflictions were great; but the public Lofs broke his Heart.

When our Sorrows utterly unfit us for the Duties of Religion and the Services of Life, for any confiderable Time, then they are exceffive. You were overset at first. The Storm came down upon you unprepared; but do not make it your Choice to be overwhelmed. God hath taken away that Person, and you will not pray. Why, is there nothing now worth asking for? Will God fupply you with Breath for nothing but Sighs and Groans? If this Blow will not bring you upon your Knees, he can strike another. It is defperate Language to fay, Let him ftrike; there is nothing now wherein he can hurt me. God expects to hear from you another Way: If any be offlicted, let him pray. God knows how it eases the Mind, and brings in Help. You cannot meditate. You can fit alone for Hours together, thinking upon a dead Creature. Methinks the living Saint in Heaven fhould have a little of our Heart: It fhould not always dwell in a Coffin, and in a Grave. Methinks the everliving God is the more seasonable Object to turn the Mind to. The dear One is dead, but the Lord liveth, and bleffed be my Rock, Pfalm 18. 46. Mourner. I can think of nothing else.

L

Anfwer. There lies the Excefs of your Grief.. But is that the Way to Comfort, to turn our Back upon the Father of Mercies, and the God of all. Confolation? You will not meet him in the Closet, cr in the Sanctuary, because fuch an one is dead : That is, you will not have to do with God, becaufe you are in a Condition wherein you moft

need