A39658:281
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.
2. Guard carefully, I beseech you, against those Temptations which probably may accompany this Affliction. It may be Satan will suggest to your heart, what he once put into their lips. Mal. 3.14. What profit is it that we have kept his ordinances, and walked mournfully before him? Where is the fruit of Prayer? What good have I seen of Fasting? What hath Religion availed? Do not prayerless and ungodly Families thrive and prosper? Beware of this. Madam, I doubt not but ⟨p. 153⟩you will acknowledge there have been sins and provocations within your walls, yea within your heart, for which God may as justly and severely judge your house as he did Ely's. Remember the rewards of Religion are not in this World; and should we speak thus, we shall offend against the generation of his Children. All we must expect from Religion, is to save our souls by it.
3. Call not the love of God into question to your self, or yours, because of these severe strokes of God upon you and them: You know Josiah was dear to God, yet he died in the prime of his days, by a violent hand, remote from his own home, and was brought home in the second Chariot to Jerusalem, a Spectacle of far greater sorrow, than your dear Husband was; and yet notwithstanding all these sad circumstances of his death, the Promise of his God was punctually performed to him, that he should die in peace, and not behold the Evil that was ⟨p. 154⟩to come. There is a vanity, saith Solomon, which is done upon the earth, that there be just men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked: again, there be wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous, Eccles. 8.14. But then remember, that it is but in the Earth; here, or no-where, God must chastise his Children.