Mount Pisgah, or, A prospect of heaven being an exposition on the fourth chapter…Movnt Pisgah, or, A prospect of heaven being an exposition on the fourth chapter…

But before I do, Manum de tabula tollere, dismiss this discourse, I do observe divers useful Corollaries and Instructions lye couched in the general improvement of these words, Comforting one another, which will serve as so many branches of information, which (without guilt) I cannot omit, and they are ten.

1. ¹Sorrow not as men without hope, but comfort one another.] Obs. There is a sorrow for departed friends, which God condemns not. We are forbid an hopeless sorrow, v. 13. but simply to mourn for the loss of our gracious Relations we are no where forbidden. He that hath wrapped up natural affections in our bowels, doth not prohibit the due and moderate exercise of them. Those [Greek or Hebrew], persons without natural affections are in the black Roll amongst the most ulcerous and excrescent part of mankind: To be without natural affections is to do violence against Nature her self, and to violate the law of humanity. Covenant breakers without natural affection] are monsters, not men. Christ himself, who knew no sin, yet being acquainted with all our griefs, even had this kind of sorrow for the dead, John 11.35. Jesus wept, and his tears do here instruct us in our duty. Holy Paul blots his Epistle to the Ephesians with his tears for Epaphroditus, Lest (saith he) I should have sorrow upon sorrow; he was sorrowful for his sickness, had he dyed there would have been another flood of tears, sorrow upon sorrow. Where mention is made of the death of public persons, there public lamentations for them is mentioned also: The Spirit of God doth no where reprove those tears, but rather puts a value upon them as so many pearls. As in the mourning for Jacob, Gen. 50.11. for Josiah, 2 Chron. 35.24. for Samuel, 1 Sam. 25.1