N00280:63
The high esteem which God hath of the death of his saints. As it…
The high esteem which God hath of the death of his saints. As it was delivered in a sermon preached October 7. 1683. Occasioned by the death of the Worshipful John Hull Esq: who deceased October 1, 1683. / By Samuel Willard teacher to a church in Boston. ; [Four lines of quotations]
printed by Samuel Green for Samuel Sewall, 1683
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.
USE II. For Exhortation: Learn we hence these Practical Lessons.
VSE II. For Exhortation: Learn we hence these Practical Lessons.
1. When the Saints die let us mourn: And there is no greater Argument to be found that we should excite our selves to mourn by, then the remembrance that they were Saints: it should more effect our hearts at the thoughts of this that they were Saints, then that they were our Father, or Mother, or Brethren, or nearest or dearest Friends, for this is that which makes their loss to be greater than any other Relation doth or can; others are natural, but these are pious Tears that are shed upon this account: Another Man may be a private loss when he is gone, his Family or his Neighbours, or Consorts may miss him; but a Saint, though he be a private Christian, is yet, when he dies a, public loss, and deserves the tears of Israel; how much more than when he hath been a Saint providentially put into a capacity of being, and by Grace helped and enabled to be a public benefit by the Orb he moved in? when a Saint Dies there is manifold ground of Mourning; there is then a Pillar plucked out of the Building, a Foundation Stone taken out of the Wall, a Man removed out of the Gap; and now it is to be greatly feared that God is departing, and Calamities are coming, and are not these things to be lamented?
1. When the Saints die let us mourn: And there is no greater Argument to be found that we should excite our selves to mourn by, then the remembrance that they were Saints: it should more effect our hearts at the thoughts of this that they were Saints, then that they were our Father, or Mother, or Brethren, or nearest or dearest Friends, for this is that which makes their loss to be greater than any other Relation doth or can; others are natural, but these are pious Tears that are shed upon this account: Another Man may be a private loss when he is gone, his Family or his Neighbours, or Consorts may miss him; but a Saint, though he be a private Christian, is yet, when he dies a, publick loss, and deserves the tears of Israel; how much more than when he hath been a Saint providentially put into a capacity of being, and by Grace helpt and enabled to be a publick benefit by the Orb he moved in? when a Saint Dies there is manifold ground of Mourning; there is then a Pillar pluckt out of the Building, a Foundation Stone taken out of the Wall, a Man removed out of the Gap; and now it is to be greatly feared that God is departing, and Calamities are coming, and are not these things to be lamented?