The Art of Divine Contentment

4. Suppose your child be taken from you,¹ either he was good or bad; if he was Rebellious, you have not so much parted with a child, as a burden; you grieve for that which might have been a greater grief to you: if he was Religious, then remember, he is taken from the evil to come^*, and placed in his cell of felicity. This lower Region is full of gross and hurtful vapours; how happy are those who are mounted into the celestial Orbs! The righteous is taken away; in the Original ⟨p. 62⟩it is, he is gathered^*; a wicked child dying is cut off, but the pious child is gathered. Even as we see men gather flowers, and candy them, and preserve them by them; so hath God gathered thy child as a sweet flower, that he may candy it with glory, and preserve it by him for ever. Why then should a Christian be discontented; why should he weep excessively? Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for your selves^*. So, could we hear our children speaking to us out of heaven, they would say, Weep not for us who are happy, we lie upon a soft pillow, even in the bosom of Christ; the Prince of peace is embracing us, and kissing us with the kisses of his lips, be not troubled at our preferment; Weep not for us, but weep for your selves, who are in a sinful, sorrowful world, you are in the valley of tears, but we are on the mountains of Spices; we are ⟨p. 63⟩gotten to our harbour, but you are still tossing upon the waves of inconstancy. O Christian, be not discontented that thou hast parted with such a child; but rather rejoice that thou hadst such a child to part with. Break forth into thankfulness. What an honour is it to a Parent to beget such a child, that while he lives increaseth the joy of the glorified Angels^*; and when he dies, increaseth the number of the glorified Saints?⁶