A36322:152

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,…

Name: The mourner directory, guiding him to the middle way betwixt the two extremes, defect,…
Author: Thomas Doolittle

The mourner directory, guiding him to the middle way betwixt the two extremes, defect, excess of sorrow for his dead to which is added, The mourners soliloquy / by Thomas Doolittle ...The mourner directory, guiding him to the middle way betwixt the two extreams, defect, excess of sorrow for his dead to which is added, The mourners soliloquy / by Thomas Doolittle ...

Thomas Doolittle 1632?–1707London: printed by J.A. for Tho. Cockeril, 1693

[8], 238, [2] p. · 58k words · Wing D1888 · ESTC R17535

Title page: Internet Archive scan of the Early English Books microfilm (opens the Internet Archive in a new tab)

THE Mourners Directory. › Chapter 8: Contains Eight Rules concerning the degrees of Sorrow for the Dead.

Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.

[ Earlier:149–164 of 390

:149p. 93

Rule 7. In mourning for those that lived holily towards God, and Conscientiously in their Relative Duties towards us, our sorrow is for our own sakes more than for theirs: The common saying our Loss is their Gain teacheth that the sorrow is for the Loser, and not for the Gainer: And indeed if we search to the bottom of our sorrow, to find the reason of our sorrow for those that lived to the Lord, and died in the Lord, and after death do live gloriously and happily with the Lord; it will appear we are sorrowing more for our selves than for them: We call it mourning for the dead, when it is indeed mourning for our selves yet living; for let us enquire,

:150p. 94¶1

1. Do we mourn because their Souls are perfectly Holy and Happy with God and Christ above? No, this is matter of our Comfort, Delight and Joy. Did not we earnestly pray for them, sick and well, that when they left Earth they might be received up to Heaven? And do we sorrow that God heard our Prayers, and hath saved their Souls? Do we thus take on for this? Are our Tears shed because God hath Crowned their Grace with Glory? Are we grieving on Earth because they are rejoicing in Heaven? Are we groaning here, because they are triumphing there? For shame we cannot say, this is the reason and ground of our sorrow, and that in this respect it is plain we do not sorrow for their sakes.

:151p. 94–95¶2

2. Do we mourn because they are fallen asleep in Jesus? Because they are gone to rest in their Beds? Because their Bodies in that state in which they are, remain united to Christ? Are these grounds of sorrow? Should we weep, and waste our Tears because these things are said of them? Or is it not matter of Comfort and Joy unto us, that it is so well with their very Bodies, as these things declared by God himself do import unto us? Is it not better to die in Christ than to live in Sin? Is it not better to sleep in Jesus ⟨p. 95⟩

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The book

Title as printed

Author

Thomas Doolittle 1632?–1707

Place

London

Printer

J.A.

Bookseller

Tho. Cockeril

Year

1693

Size

[8], 238, [2] p.

Words

57,630

Catalogue

Wing D1888 · ESTC R17535

Text

EEBO-TCP A36322

Passages

390

Sections

Title page

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,…

CHAP. IX. Eight Questions propounded to such who pierce themselves through with almost-distracting sorrow for those that lived wickedly, and died impenitent.

Transcription key

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

CHAP. IX. Eight Questions propounded to such who pierce themselves through with almost-distracting sorrow for those that lived wickedly, and died impenitent.

Transcription key