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,…

Attend then, O my Soul, unto the Expression, wherewith thy Lord doth represent the death of thy holy Relation now deceased, as a sleeping in Jesus. And if thou mournest because she is dead, yet try if thou canst mourn because she sleepeth in the Lord. For this doth Sorrow fill thine Heart? or mayest thou not rejoice, that being dead she so sleepeth? for if she sleep in Jesus, shall she not do well? and if she shall do well, shouldest thou not rather rejoice, than thus lament ⟨p. 223⟩and grieve? When didst thou sorrow, when she went to bed, and slept and took her natural Rest? And now she sleeps in Jesus, is she not at rest in her Grave, as in her bed, from all troubles from men, from Sickness and Pain, and from all Sense thereof? from all worldly cares, and piercing Sorrows that did usually accompany those cares? and if her Death be but a Sleep, how easy is it for Almighty Power to awaken her out of her Sleep? And if she sleep, she shall awake; for if in the usual Course of Nature, waking followeth after sleeping, wherefore dost thou doubt, or sear that Death being but a Sleep, that it will be a perpetual Sleep? And if she went sick, and weary, and weak to sleep, when she shall awake, shall she not be more refreshed, and revived in the Morning of the Resurrection? If the time of her sleeping seemeth long to thee now waking, and not to her now sleeping, why dost thou trouble thy self with that, with which she is not at all concerned about? If in the time of her Life, thou sawest her sick, and could not sleep, this was a grief and trouble to thee, would it not much more have added to thy sorrow to see her languish, filled with pain, hear her sigh, and sob, and groan upon a sick bed, and could neither recover, nor yet fall asleep, and yet dost thou take on that when by all means used, and learned, careful, and ⟨p. 224⟩pious Physicians consulted, she could not be recovered, that now she is fallen asleep? Why dost thou molest and trouble thy self at the thoughts of the Length of her Sleep, when it is no more trouble nor disquiet to her, than the Length of time is to one that is fast sleeping in his Bed, tho it may be tedious to one that sitteth by, and waketh while he sleepeth. Remember, O my Soul, and let the remembrance thereof assuage thy sorrow, that it is her last, but not an everlasting sleep;

Attend then, O my Soul, unto the Expression, wherewith thy Lord doth represent the death of thy holy Relation now deceased, as a sleeping in Jesus. And if thou mournest because she is dead, yet try if thou canst mourn because she sleepeth in the Lord. For this doth Sorrow fill thine Heart? or mayest thou not rejoyce, that being dead she so sleepeth? for if she sleep in Jesus, shall she not do well? and if she shall do well, shouldest thou not rather rejoyce, than thus lament