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,…

A•s. 6. In kindly sorrow for our dead, we shall be more ready to justify God in his dealings with us, and rather accuse our selves than him, and say, The Lord is righteous in his ways, and holy in all his works: I have sinned, but he is just; I am bad, but he is good; and though I think his Hand is heavy upon me, yet he hath laid less upon me than mine Iniquities have deserved: Hath he laid my Relations in the Grave? he might have lodged me in Hell. Hath he denied longer Life to one I could have wished might have longer lived? ⟨p. 59⟩he might deny to me Eternal Life. Hath he bereaved me of the Comforts of a Creature? he might deny me all the Comforts of his Spirit. Doth Natural Affection move me to mourn for my Loss? so Natural Reason teacheth me, that God herein hath done me no wrong, because all is his own, in that he is the Maker of all; and the Light of Nature doth instruct me, God might give or take away whatsoever is his own, and I may not call him to an account; saying to him, What dost thou, or why hast thou done so? And whilst my sorrow is not yet risen to be turbulent, I have leisure to look what Scripture saith, and to see what the light of Grace doth show. That God hath a right to mine, because he had redeemed them with his Blood, and sanctified them by his Grace and Spirit, and thereby set the Mark and Character of his own upon them; and what had I to do to desire to keep his own with me, when he had a purpose to call them, and take them home unto himself? If I had forfeited the Mercy of their staying with me, God retained his right to dispose of them at his pleasure; therefore tho I have much to say against my self, I have nothing to say against God, or his proceedings with me, in what he hath done unto me, or taken from me.

A•s. 6. In kindly sorrow for our dead, we shall be more ready to justifie God in his dealings with us, and rather accuse our selves than him, and say, The Lord is righteous in his ways, and holy in all his works: I have sinned, but he is just; I am bad, but he is good; and though I think his Hand is heavy upon me, yet he hath laid less upon me than mine I•iquities have deserved: Hath he laid my Relations in the Grave? he might have lodged me in Hell. Hath he denied longer Life to one I could have wished might have longer lived? ⟨p. 59⟩