A51833:154
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.
PAPER VIII.
When thy Judgments, O Lord, are abroad in the Earth, the Inhabitants should learn Righteousness. What's the Lesson that I and all Persons ought to learn by the late dreadful Earthquake? Hath it not a Voice? Doth it not cry aloud, and tell us, that our Sins have reached Heaven? that God is angry and displeased with us? and that, except we repent, we shall likewise perish? We are as grievous Sinners as any, therefore have just cause to think God hath a Controversy with us in this Kingdom. In a neighbouring Nation God hath seen meet to lay his afflicting Hand in a tremendous manner; he hath visited them with a sore, amazing, and dreadful Judgment, in permitting thousands to be destroyed by a lamentable Earthquake and ⟨p. 68⟩Inundation of Water. And who, or what are we, that we should expect to be exempted from the same or worse Judgments? We, whose Sins have exceeded theirs, may rationally look to drink the Dregs of their Cup; for we in England have had more Means of Grace than they, but we have not improved them: we have had the Gospel, but we have slighted it: we have had the Offers of Salvation, but we have rejected them: we have had Sabbath upon Sabbath, Sermon upon Sermon, and yet have not made a due Improvement of these precious Opportunities. So that it's but just with God to destroy us, and our Habitations, in which we have too too often dishonoured our good God, and brought a Scandal on that Holy Profession which we have made: We have the Name of Christians, but too many amongst us live like Devils Incarnate. How much Swearing, Lying, Stealing, Killing, and filthy Lewdness is to be found in this Land and Nation, and especially in this City? O the horrid Oaths and Imprecations that are every Minute uttered, is dreadful to consider! What little Conscience is made of keeping the Sabbath, that is as a Day of Recreation to most; and those that spend it best, do too much think their own Thoughts, and speak their own Words, and ⟨p. 69⟩do their own Actions? So that every one must lay their Hand upon their Mouth, and cry, Guilty, Guilty. Have not we in this Nation cause to expect great and amazing Judgments, when in our Land those Sins are found, that a moral Heathen would blush to commit? Our Sins, as well as the Ninevites, have reached to Heaven. O that our Repentance was as real, universal, and unfeigned as theirs;