Secondly,1 It was to show, how little pleasing to God Funeral mournings are, for they were made unclean by them: they were made unclean by their Funeral mournings, for this bread of mourners is the bread that they eat in their Funerals. The Gentiles did mourn for their dead in an inordinate manner, exceedingly; and God would have a difference between his peoples mourning for the dead, and their mourning,2 because that he would keep up his people faith, and the hope of resurrection from the dead, whereas had they had liberty to mourn so excessively as the Heathens ⟨p. 167⟩did, by this means the very faith and hope of resurrection from the dead might in time even almost have been extinguished, therefore God would have them take heed of that, and therefore he did so ordain in the Ceremonial Law,3 that all the mourners for the dead they should be unclean for so long a time. As for any that doth give liberty in their natural affections, and doth not hold the reins of them in their mourning for the dead, I would apply to them that Scripture, in Jer. 31. 15, 16. Thus saith the Lord, A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, and bitter weeping, RACHEL weeping for her CHILDREN, refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. But now, Thus saith the Lord, Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears, thy work shall be rewarded, and thy children shall come back again. So it followed afterwards. Do not weep as others, let us not mourn as others that have no hope, remember that the mourners for the dead in the Law they were to be unclean for seven days.
Secondly,1 It was to shew, how little pleasing to God Funeral mournings are, for they were made unclean by them: they were made unclean by their Funeral mournings, for this bread of mourners is the bread that they eat in their Funerals. The Gentils did mourn for their dead in an inordinate manner, exceedingly; and God would have a difference between his peoples mourning for the dead, and their mourning,2 because that he would keep up his peopl• faith, and the hope of resurection from the dead, whereas had they had liberty to mourn so excessively as the Heathens ⟨p. 167⟩did, by this means the very faith and hope of resurrection from the dead might in time even almost have been extinguished, therefore God would have them take heed of that, and therefore he did so ordain in the Ceremonial Law,3 that al the mourners for the dead they should be unclean for so long a time. As for any that doth give liberty in their natural affections, and doth not hold the reins of them in their mourning for the dead, I would apply to them that Scripture, in Jer. 31. 15, 16. Thus saith the Lord, A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, and bitter weeping, RACHEL weeping for her CHILDREN, refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. But now, Thus saith the Lord, Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears, thy work shall be rewarded, and thy children shall come back again. So it followed afterwards. Do not weep as others, let us not mourn as others that have no hope, remember that the mourners for the dead in the Law they were to be unclean for seven daies.
- 1Funeral mournings▪
- 2Why, if imonderate; not pleasing to God▪Why, if imōderate; not pleasing to God▪
- 3Why they were to be so long unclean that mourned for the dead.
