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,…

4. When you Sorrow more for the want of their Company in Life, than you do for want of a sanctified improvement of their Death, you sorrow too much as Men, and too little as Christians: Nature helps you to the one, but it must be Grace that must enable you to do the other. Your Father or Mother, Husband or Wife, or Child is dead, and you sit down, and sorrow, and say, I shall never see these in my house any more, they shall never sit with me at my Table any more, they shall lodge in my Bed no more, and dwell with me on Earth no more for ever. I shall see them no more, whom I did love to look upon; when they were absent from me a Week or two, a Month or two; A Month! a Day or two, how glad was I at their return? If their absence filled me with Sorrow, their presence again did drive away my Sorrow, and renewed my Joy. If I parted with them when to go a Journey, I did it with Tears of Grief; but when they returned, I received them with Tears of Joy? If I sorrowed that they were gone, yet the hopes of their safe return did assuage my Sorrow. But now they are gone without return: They have taken a long Journey, and never to me will come back again: They were use to take their leave, and say farewell, till I see you again; but now they took their leave, saying, The Lord be with you, for I shall be with you no more. Oh, this word no more, doth even break ⟨p. 78⟩my heart; what my Father, or Mother gone, and shall I see them no more; my Wife, or Husband gone, and shall I set mine Eyes on him, or her no more? My dear Child gone, looking on whom did delight my Eyes, and must I see him no more? I look for my Relations at my Table, but their place is empty, and I cannot see them there; I lock, but I cannot see them. I go to the Chamber where they did use to sit and Work, or to the Closet where they did use to Pray, but I cannot see them there. I see the Work, but them I cannot see; I see their Hand-writing, but them I cannot see; I see their wearing Clothes, but them that did use to wear them, I cannot see; to see these, and not them, doth renew and increase my Sorrow; when I can see these every day, and no day can see them, the more I multiply my Sorrow, and methinks this Sorrow is pleasant Sorrow; and this Grief is delightful Grief;

4. When you Sorrow more for the want of their Company in Life, than you do for want of a sanctified improvement of their Death, you sorrow too much as Men, and too little as Christians: Nature helps you to the one, but it must be Grace that must inable you to do the other. Your Father or Mother, Husband or Wife, or Child is dead, and you sit down, and sorrow, and say, I shall never see these in my house any more, they shall never sit with me at my Table any more, they shall lodge in my Bed no more, and dwell with me on Earth no more for ever. I shall see them no more, whom I did love to look upon; when they were absent from me a Week or two, a Month or two; A Month! a Day or two, how glad was I at their return? If their absence filled me with Sorrow, their presence again did drive away my Sorrow, and renewed my Joy. If I parted with them when to go a Journey, I did it with Tears of Grief; but when they returned, I received them with Tears of Joy? If I sorrowed that they were gone, yet the hopes of their safe return did asswage my Sorrow. But now they are gone without return: They have taken a long Journey, and never to me will come back again: They were use to take their leave, and say farewel, till I see you again; but now they took their leave, saying, The Lord be with you, for I shall be with you no more. Oh, this word no more, doth even break