The Godly Man's Picture

3. Thou that art a Saint, hast a friend in heaven which thou canst not lose: The Jews have a saying at their^† Funerals, Let thy consolation be in heaven. Art thou a close Mourner, look up to heaven, and fetch comfort thence, thy best kindred are above, Psa 27. 10, ⟨p. 169⟩When my Father and Mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up: God will be with thee in the hour of death, Psa. 23. 4. Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me. Other friends thou canst not keep, God is a friend thou canst not lose; he will be thy Guide in life, thy Hope in death, thy Reward after death.

1. †Sit consolatio tua in caelis.

4 Perhaps God is correcting thee for a fault, and it so, it becomes thee to be patient; it may be thy friend had more of thy love than God, and therefore God did take away such a relation, that the stream of thy love may run back to him again. A gracious woman having been deprived, first of her Children, then of her Husband, Lord (saith she) thou hast a plot upon me, thou intendest to have all my love; God doth not like it, to have any Creature set upon the throne of our affections, he will take away that comfort, and then he shall lye nearest our heart. If an Husband bestow a jewel upon his Wife, and she doth so fall in love with that jewel, as to forget her Husband, he will take away the jewel, that her love may return to him again; a dear relation is this jewel, if we begin to idolize it, God will take away the jewel, that our love may return to him •gain.

4 Perhaps God is correcting thee for a fault, and it so, it becomes thee to bee patient; it may bee thy friend had more of thy love than God, and therefore God did take away such a relation, that the stream of thy love may run bak to him again. A gracious woman having been deprived, first of her Children, then of her Husband, Lord (saith she) thou hast a plot upon me, thou intendest to have all my love; God doth not like it, to have any Creature set upon the throne of our affections, hee will take away that comfort, and then he shall lye nearest our heart. If an Husband bestow a jewel upon his Wife, and she doth so fall in love with that jewel, as to forget her Husband, hee will take away the jewel, that her love may return to him again; a dear relation is this jewel, if we begin to idolize it, God will take away the jewell, that our love may return to him gain.