A token for mourners, or, The advice of Christ to a distressed mother bewailing…

It is a note of Plutarch, in his Morals, Niocles (saith ¹he) lived not to see the noble Victory obtained by Themistocles his Son. Nor Miltiades to see the battle his Son Cimon wan in the field. Nor Zantippus to hear his Son Pericles Preach, and make Orations. Ariston never heard his Son Plato's lectures and disputations. But men (saith he) commonly live to see their children fall a Gaming, Revelling, Drinking, and Whoring; multitudes live to see such things to their sorrow. And if thou be a gracious soul, O what a cut would this be to thy very heart! to see those (as David spake of his Absalom) that came out of thy bowels to be sinning against God; that God whom thou lovest, and whose honour is dearer to thee than thy very life!

It is a note of Plutarch, in his Morals, Niocles (saith ¹he) lived not to see the noble Victory obtained by Themistocles his Son. Nor Miltiades to see the battle his Son Cimon wan in the field. Nor Zantippus to hear his Son Pericles Preach, and make Orations. Ariston never heard his Son Plato's lectures and disputations. But men (saith he) commonly live to see their children fall a Gaming, Revelling, Drinking, and Whoring; multitudes live to see such things to their sorrow. And if thou be a gracious soul, O what a cut would this be to thy very heart! to see those (as David spake of his Absolom) that came out of thy bowels to be sinning against God; that God whom thou lovest, and whose honour is dearer to thee than thy very life!

1. 1Plut. Moral. p. 222.

But admit, they should prove civil and hopeful children, yet mightest thou not live to see more misery come upon them, than thou couldst endure to see? O think what a sad and doleful sight was ⟨p. 65⟩that to Zedekiah,