A39658:316
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.
Many other excellent Rules may be added; try these, and the blessing of the Spirit accompany them.
To conclude, be not swallowed up of sorrows for what you have lost, but balance all the troubles of this life, with the hopes of the next. Your dear Children are gone, your sweet Husband is gone; but consider who took them, and whither. It is said of Enoch, Gen. 5.24. He walked with God, and was not; for God took him. Mr. Upton is not, and yet he is: He is not with men, he is with God: He ceases not to be, though he cease to breathe: He is taken away, but God took him: He is better where he is, than where he was: Though he be not in your Bosom, he is in Christ's.
Imitate his Zeal, Plain-heartedness, diligence in Duties, and you shall shortly meet him again, and ⟨p. 174⟩never part any more. For this we say by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain to the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. 1For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive, and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Did you but know the deep Emphasis of these words, ever with the Lord, I doubt not but you would find Comfort enough in them for your self, and a great overplus for the comforting of others.
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