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. 8. In kindly sorrow for our dead, we can better sympathize with others exercised with the like dealings of God. Many can sorrow for their own dead, that are not affected with the death of the Relations of others; especially such as are turbulently sorrowful for their own. Vexing Passion in our selves is joined with least compassion to others; as we narrow our Love too much to our selves; and where Self-love is too much, Love to others is the less or none; so the sorrow for the Evils that befall our selves, when vexatious and corroding, is less or none, for the Afflictions that come upon others. T•ey think their Tears are few enough to express their own sorrows, or too precious to be wasted for the sorrows of others: These are more hard-hearted than Jews, who wept with Mary and Martha for their deceased Brother.

Ans. 8. In kindly sorrow for our dead, we can better sympathize with others exercised with the like dealings of God. Many can sorrow for their own dead, that are not affected with the death of the Relations of others; especially such as are turbulently sorrowful for their own. Vexing Passion in our selves is joined with least compassion to others; as we narrow our Love too much to our selves; and where Self-love is too much, Love to others is the less or none; so the sorrow for the Evils that befall our selves, when vexatious and corroding, is less or none, for the Afflictions that come upon others. T•ey think their Tears are few enough to express their own sorrows, or too precious to be wasted for the sorrows of others: These are more hard-hearted than Jews, who wept with Mary and Martha for their d•ceased Brother.

Ans. 9. In kindly sorrow for our dead we shall be more mindful of our own Death, and stirred up to greater Care to make Holy Preparations for it. As soon as David did hear his Child was de•d, h• said, I must go down to it: When you sorrow rightly, following your dead to their G••ve, you will have serious thoughts of your own. My Wife is gone, and I shall shortly follow. My Husband is dead, and so must I be too. Our Mother is loged in the Dust, and after a while we must be carried to lye by her; therefore we will so mourn that we may reserve