A39658:243
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.
Now as it is a real loss to a Company when any Merchant withdraws a great Stock, he had running in Trade, out of the Bank; so certainly it is a great loss to the Church of God, when the precious gifts and graces of the Spirit, dwelling in the Saints, are drawn out by Death; so as the Church can have no farther benefit by them, their Prayers for us, and with us, are now ended; Abraham knoweth us not, and Israel is ignorant of us.
Secondly, 1The death of the Saints deserves a bitter lamentation, ⟨p. 130⟩because thereby a breach is made, a gap opened, to let in the Judgments of God upon the Remnant that is left. It is said of Moses, Psal. 106.23. Therefore he said, that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, lest he should destroy them. A Metaphor from a besieged City, when a breach is made in the Walls, and an Enemy ready to enter; but some Champion stands in the breach to defend the City. Such a Champion was Moses, who by his constant and fervent Prayers, put a stop to the inundation of God's Judgments against Israel. And such another was Lot, Gen. 19.22. whose Prayers for that wicked place he lived in, bound up the hand of Judgment insomuch as the Lord told him, I can do nothing till thou art gone. But when the Lord by death removes such men, he thereby makes a way to his anger, as the expression is, Psal. 78.50. Hence the death of eminent Saints, especially when ⟨p. 131⟩many are taken away at or near the same time, hath been ever looked upon as a direful Omen, and dreadful Presage of ensuing Judgments, and that not without good Scripture-authority,