N00460:144
The mourners cordial against excessive sorrow discovering what grounds of hope Gods people have…
The mourners cordial against excessive sorrow discovering what grounds of hope Gods people have concerning their dead friends / by Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. ; [Five lines from II Corinthians]
Boston: printed by Benjamin Harris, 1691
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
4. This application is not in respect of every one for whom we Hope, of equal evidence. Though the general Rule of faith be sufficiently Demonstrable, viz. chat all the Dead are blessed which die in the Lord: yet the particular inference of hope, hath its different degrees with respect to the persons concerning whom it is exercised: and the reason of this difference lieth here, because ⟨p. 70⟩we have not a like evidence of the being of the thing in those whom we hope for, which is the reason of our Hope; for,
4. This application is not in respect of every one for whom we Hope, of equal evidence. Though the general Rule of faith be sufficiently Demonstrable, viz. chat all the Dead are blessed which dy in the Lord: yet the particular inference of hope, hath its different degrees with respect to the persons concerning whom it is execised: and the reason of this difference lieth here, because ⟨p. 70⟩we have not a like evidence of the being of the thing in those whom we hope for, which is the reason of our Hope; for,
1. In regard to our selves, we may have a sensible assurance of our future good estate: such as may set us down fully satisfied, and which shall not deceive us: Paul could say, we know, 2 Cor. 5.1. and we are always confident, ver. 6. I do not say that every true believer hath this apprehensively; godly men have many clouds that intercept this light, and there are some that sit in darkness ; but he may have it, it is a thing attainable, and he hath the grounds of it in him. That every one that dies in the faith shall rise again in a glorious state, meet Christ coming to Judgment with comfort, and live for ever in his presence, is certain: now they that are united to Christ by a living faith, shall assuredly so die: and there are those discoveries to be made of the truth of this faith which are undeceiving, for it hath its properties which belong to it, and are no where else to be found: they are the things which accompany salvation: so that upon the experience of them in himself, a believer may safely assume, and say, I am united to Christ, by a faith certain, and therefore I shall rise in glory, stand in the Judgment, and eternally possess the incorruptible Inheritance.