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,…

Q. 9. Is not that sorrow for your dead over-much, when it all runs out to them, that you are not sensible of, nor concerned for the Calamities of the Church, nor Afflictions and Sufferings of the People of God? All your sorrow is contracted, and all your Tears run in this one Channel for your dead Father, or Mother, Husband, Wife, or Children; are not the Concerns of the Church of God greater than your Selfish Matters? Are not the Sufferings, and Calamities, Martyrdom by Burning, and Wracking, and Torturing of many dear to God, greater Evils than the Natural death of your Relations? Did Christ shed his Blood for his Church, and amongst all your Tears for your dead, cannot you drop one for the Suffering Church of God? Are Men shedding their ⟨p. 132⟩Blood, and for this cannot you shed a Tear, when you have so many for one dead Child, or Husband, or Wife? Should not the Concerns of the Glory of God in Public Affairs lye nearer your Heart than a dead Relation, and wound deeper, and make you sorrow more? You are ready to die with grief for one Child. I will tell you of one that lost two Sons in a Battle at once, when also the Ark of God was taken; and when he heard of the death of his two Sons he bore up, but as soon as mention was made of the taking of the Ark of God, he fell down and died. This was Eli, 1 Sam. 4.17, 18. And his Daughter in Law that was with Child near to be Delivered, hearing that the Ark of God was taken, fell into Travail; the Women about her comforted her, saying, Thou hast born a Son, but she made them no answer, and regarded it not. She called the Child's Name Ichabod, that is, Where is the Glory? For the Glory is departed from Israel, because the Ark of the Lord is taken. She sorrowed indeed for her Husband that was dead, and for her Father-in-law that was dead, but more for the Ark of the Lord that was taken by the Enemies; for she mentioneth this over and over, and gives up the Ghost and dies, 1 Sam. 4.19. to the end. David ⟨p. 133⟩when his Child was dead, leaves sorrowing for him, and prayeth for the Church, Psal. 51.18. But you cannot mitigate your sorrow for your dead so much as to sorrow for the Evils that befall to the Church, nor pray to God to help her to bear them, or that he would remove them; and while it is so, your sorrow for your dead is excessive and immoderate sorrow.