A51833:104
Advice to mourners under the loss of dear relations in a funeral sermon long…
Advice to mourners under the loss of dear relations in a funeral sermon long since preached / by the late Reverend Dr. Thomas Manton ... And now occasionally published on the much lamented death of Mrs. Ann Terry, who died the 9th of November, 1693. With a short account of some passages of her life, and papers left under her own hand.Advice to mourners under the loss of dear relations in a funeral sermon long since preach'd / by the late Reverand Dr. Thomas Manton ... And now occasionally published on the much lamented death of Mrs. Ann Terry, who died the 9th of November, 1693. With a short account of some passages of her life, and papers left under her own hand.
London: printed by J.D. for Jonathon Robinson, 1694
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.
1st. Be sure to get an Interest in spiritual Mercies. The Doctrine saith, Christians ought so to sorrow, as if they sorrowed not. ⟨p. 27⟩We cannot speak to others in this Language, unless we should persuade Men to slight the Hand of God. We throw Bones to Dogs, but Bread to Children. We cannot comfort you in a carnal way; Psal. 94. 19. In the Multitude of my Thoughts within me thy Comforts refresh my Soul. Mark, thy Comforts. To comfort a Man's self upon carnal Grounds, argueth an Insensibleness of God's Hand, and it is a shrewd Sign that God gives us over to our selves. Therefore if you take Comfort, take it from your Interest in spiritual Mercies. If you cannot look upon them under a Condition of Propriety as yours, (as every Christian cannot) yet at least so far look upon them, that from thence all your Comfort must be fetched. It is a Neglect of Providence to go away with a general Thought. We must not sorrow too much, and yet we are to consider whether we have good Ground why we should be comforted. God giveth wicked Men these Experiences of Sorrow, that he may awaken them, and show them there is no Comfort to be had thence whence they would fetch their Comforts in carnal Delights; Isa. 57. 21. There is no Peace, saith my God, to the Wicked. There is a Peace in their Fancies and Conceits, but no Peace, saith my God. There is a great deal of hurt done this way by ⟨p. 28⟩Sermons, Ministers instruct Men in a Moral way, that they should not grieve too much; but they do not instruct a Man upon what Grounds he should not grieve: You must be sure of better Mercies, or at least look after them for your Comfort. A Man that has an Interest in Christ, is [Greek or Hebrew], a four-squared Man, unmoved in all Conditions. There can be no Peace between a Man's Affections and Condition, till there be a Peace between him and God. Mark that, Eccles. 9. 7. Go thy way, eat thy Bread with Joy, and drink thy Wine with a merry Heart; for God now accepteth thy Works. When God accepteth us, we may then eat our Bread with a merry Heart, let things fall out how they will.