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,…

Let such as are immoderately weeping for their dead, stop their Tears that they may read, compose their minds for a while at first, that they may consider what is said, and command their Sorrow to give place to Reason and Religion; or if they have not such command over, it, should earnestly pray to God that hath, that they might at last not sorrow with such excess of sorrow, as if they had no hope of the blessed present and future state of those they thus do sorrow for. Let me propound some Questions to you, and let Reason and Conscience in your Sorrow give in their Answer, if it be not sorrow in excess.

Let such as are immoderately weeping for their dead, stop their Tears that they may read, compose t•eir minds for a while at first, that they may consider what is said, and command their Sorrow to give place to Reason and Religion; or if they have not such command over, it, should earnestly pray to God that hath, that they might at last not sorrow with such excess of sorrow, as if they had no hope of the blessed present and future state of those they thus do sorrow for. Let me propound some Questions to you, and let Reason and Conscience in your Sorrow give in their Answer, if it be not sorrow in excess.

Q. 1. Is your sorrow for your Dead so much, as in the degrees of it, tends to the shortening of your own Life; and is it not then too much? Is your Relation dead, and will you therefore kill your self? hath death broken the Relation you had in the Fifth Commandment, and will you go on to transgress the Sixth? hath Death killed one, and will you kill another, and so bring in Death upon Death into your Family, and invite and call it in, to make Freach upon Breach? Do you complain of Deaths doings, and will you do as Death hath done? do you grieve and sorrow for ⟨p. 12⟩the death of another, and by your grief and sorrow will you be your own death, and yet not yield your sorrow is too much? do you sorrow because yours are lodged in the Grave, and do you thus hasten to go to them? though God hath put an end to their lives, yet hath not he bound you by all lawful means to preserve your own? and to avoid whatsoever hath so great a tendency to cut it short? or, do not you know that excessive grief often is the cause of death? Did you never read in the Bills of Mortality, that some, that many have died with grief, and killed themselves with sorrow? or did you never mind the difference given by the Apostle, betwixt godly sorrow, and sorrow of the World, for worldly Losses? and is not your sorrow such in ths case?