A39658:16
The balm of the covenant applied to the bleeding wounds of afflicted saints First…
The balm of the covenant applied to the bleeding wounds of afflicted saints First composed for the relief of a pious and worthy family, mourning over the deaths of their hopeful children; and now made public for the support of all Christians, sorrowing on the same or any other account. To which is added, A sermon preached for the funeral of that excellent and religious gentleman John Upton of Lupton esq; by John Flavell, preacher of the gospel at Dartmouth in Devon.The balm of the covenant applied to the bleeding wounds of afflicted saints First composed for the relief of a pious and worthy family, mourning over the deaths of their hopeful children; and now made publick for the support of all Christians, sorrowing on the same or any other account. To which is added, A sermon preached for the funeral of that excellent and religious gentleman John Upton of Lupton esq; by John Flavell, preacher of the gospel at Dartmouth in Devon.
London: printed for J. Harris, 1688
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.
But, Madam, 'tis high time to recall your thoughts and bound your sorrows, which the following Considerations would greatly assist you in.
But, Madam, 'tis high time to recal your thoughts and bound your sorrows, which the following Considerations would greatly assist you in.
1. What is the very ground and reason of our excessive sorrows for the •oss of earthly Comforts? •s it not this, that they are ⟨image 6⟩perishing and transitory? that is, that you find them to be as God made them. And can you expect that God should alter the Laws of Nature to please and humour us? It is as natural to our Relations to die, as it is to Flowers to wither, or the Moon to wane. 2. That there is no such necessary connection betwixt these things, and our comfort, that whenever God removes the one, he must needs remove the other with it. Christ and Comfort are indeed so united, but nothing beside him is or can be so. I ⟨image 6⟩hope you will shortly experience the truth of this Conclusion, by the Comforts God will give you in the absence of those Comforts you have lost. Can you not now have as free access to God as before? Yea, do not these very Afflictions send you oftener into his presence? And if God meet you in those duties (as in days of distress he uses to meet his People) then it will be evident to you that your Joy and Comfort lives, though your Husband and Children be laid in their Graves. ⟨image 7⟩3. That the removing of your earthly Comforts hinders not but that yo• may still pursue the great end and business of you• life, and carry on all you• designs for Heaven as successfully as ever. Indeed, Madam, had we been sent into this World to raise Estates, contract Relations, and then sit down in the midst of them, as our Portion, then our design had been utterly dashed and disappointed; but you know this is not your main end, or great business upon Earth, but to honour God by an holy fruitful