The mourner directory, guiding him to the middle way betwixt the two extremes, defect,…The mourner directory, guiding him to the middle way betwixt the two extreams, defect,…

Ans. 4. In kindly Sorrow for the dead, the heart is much quieted by returns of prayers made by God, to the Requests that in our Sorrow we made to him. When we prayed while they lived; and we prayed that they might longer live, if our Prayers were consistent with his purpose, or that by his Grace and Spirit he would help them to dye prepared, and to make ⟨p. 55⟩an happy and comfortable end, and give us grounds of hope, that if they may not live with us on Earth, they should live with him in Heaven. That if God would take them from us, he would take them to himself; out of ours, into Abraham's Bosom: The one he did deny, which we thought would have been good for us that live; the other he did grant, which in sober Reason, and in a composed Mind, we cannot but judge to be better for them; they did dye contrary to our prayers; they did dye with peace, and comfort, and hope of Heaven, according to our prayers, in our kindly Sorrow for them when dead; the Heart is much quieted, the Mind composed; we grieve, but are sedate; we Mourn, but the Spirit is calm within; we Sorrow with bitter sorrow, but our Sorrow is sweetened, that when God did deny our prayers, he did hear our prayers; when he denied them in one kind, he heard them in another; which in his Wisdom he saw best, for the Persons prayed for. Thus David praying, and fasting, and mourning for his Child when Sick, that it might live, or be saved, if it died, when it was dead; his heart was quiet, in hopes that his Prayers were heard, that tho the Body was for the Grave, yet the Soul was for Heaven, whither he also hoped he himself should go to it.

Ans. 4. In ki•dly Sorrow for the dead, the heart is much quieted by returns of prayers made by God, to the Requests that in our Sorrow we made to him. When we prayed while they lived; and we prayed that they might longer live, if our Prayers were consistent with his purpose, or that by his Grace and Spirit he would help them to dye prepared, and to make ⟨p. 55⟩an happy and comfortable end, and give us grounds of hope, that if they may not live with us on Earth, they should live with him in Heaven. That if God would take them from us, he would take them to himself; out of ours, into Abraham's Bosom: The one he did deny, which we thought would have been good for us that live; the other he did grant, which in sober Reason, and in a composed Mind, we cannot but judge to be better for them; they did dye contrary to our prayers; they did dye with peace, and comfort, and hope of Heaven, according to our prayers, in our kindly Sorrow for them when dead; the Heart is much quieted, the Mind composed; we grive, but are sedate; we Mourn, but the Spirit is calm within; we Sorrow with bitter sorrow, but our Sorrow is sweetned, that when God did deny our prayers, he did hear our prayers; when he denied them in one kind, he heard them in another; which in his Wisdom he saw best, for the Persons prayed for. Thus David praying, and fasting, and mourning for his Child when Sick, that it might live, or be saved, if it died, when it was dead; his heart was quiet, in hopes that his Prayers were heard, that tho the Body was for the Grave, yet the Soul was for Heaven, whither he also hoped he himself should go to it.