A39690:146
A token for mourners, or, The advice of Christ to a distressed mother bewailing…
A token for mourners, or, The advice of Christ to a distressed mother bewailing the death of her dear and only son wherein the boundaries of sorrow are duly fixed, excesses restrained, the common pleas answered, and divers rules for the support of Gods afflicted ones prescribed / by J.F.
London: printed for Robert Boulter, 1674
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.
Secondly, Own and admire the bounty and goodness of God manifested to thee in this affliction; that when death came into thy family to smite and carry off one, it had not fallen to thy lot to be the person; thy Husband, Wife, or Child is taken, and thou art left: Had thy name been in the Commission, thou hadst been now past hope.
O the sparing mercy of God! the wonderful long suffering of God towards thee! Possibly that poor creature that is gone, never provoked God as thou hast done; thy poor child, never abused mercies, neglected calls, treasured up the thousandth part of that guilt thou hast ⟨p. 46⟩done: So that thou mightest well imagine it should rather have cut thee down, that hadst so provoked God, than thy poor little one.
O the sparing mercy of God! the wonderful long suffering of God towards thee! Possibly that poor creature that is gone, never provoked God as thou hast done; thy poor child, never abused mercies, neglected calls, treasur'd up the thousandth part of that guilt thou hast ⟨p. 46⟩done: So that thou mightest well immagine it should rather have cut thee down, that hadst so provoked God, than thy poor little one.
But oh the admirable patience of God! Oh the riches of long suffering! Thou art only warned, not smitten by it: Is there nothing in this worth thy thankful acknowledgement? Is it not better to be in black for another on earth, than in the blackness of darkness for ever? Is it not easier to go to the grave with thy dead friend, and weep there; than to go to hell among the damned where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth?