The mourners cordial against excessive sorrow discovering what grounds of hope Gods people have…

6. Hence, as these fruits are more or less apparent, so will the strength of our hope concerning them be more or less. This being the ground of the Evidence which affords to our hope its support, it can be no stronger than the ground is upon which it is built: and because this doth not show it self forth in all alike, our hopes concerning them must have different degrees of clearness and comfortableness: concerning some therefore we can have but weak and faint hopes, and those that are mixed with a great deal of fear and suspicion; whereas in respect of others they are strong, prevailing, comforting and satisfying hopes, which enable us to rejoice in them, and rest with abundance of quiet upon our spirits, that it is now well with them, and that their Change is for the better. The particular application of these things will now follow.

6. Hence, as these fruits are more or less apparent, so will the strength of our hope concerning them be more or less. This being the ground of the Evidence which affords to our hope its support, it can be no stronger than the ground is upon which it is built: and because this doth not shew it self forth in all alike, our hopes concerning them must have different degrees of clearness and comfortableness: concerning some therefore we can have but weak and faint hopes, and those that are mixt with a great deal of fear and suspicion; whereas in respect of others they are strong, prevailing, comforting and satisfying hopes, which enable us to rejoyce in them, and rest with abundance of quiet upon our spirits, that it is now well with them, and that their Change is for the better. The particular application of these things will now follow.

1. There are some who have been Religious from their very Childhood, and held on so until their death. They began early to seek after God, and have led a pious and exemplary life ever since, faithfully serving of God in a careful and conscientious observing of his commands; they have not only ⟨p. 95⟩been blameless, but patterns for others imitation: they have made a good Profession, and brought a great deal of Honour to God in their place and generation, their light hath so shined that men have seen their good works and glorified God for them: They have cheerfully both done and suffered for Christ: have been exceeding watchful over themselves, & taken a great deal of hd in the discharging of a relative and personal Duties incumbent on them, in obedience to God: and mean while have solemnly professed to renounce utterly all reliance upon themselves or their own righteousness, depending upon Christ alone for the acceptance of ther persons and services: and they have lived very humbly as well as Conscientiously, When such as these are come to die there is abundant Hope, concerning them, for they have all the discoveries upon them, by which we are advantaged to Judge of mens being truly pious, and in a good estate: these are the visible Characters which the Scripture gives us to look upon as the notes of good and Holy men, yea of such as are eminently so: they do therefore command this Hope from us, they leave a precious name behind them, their very memory is blessed, and we have a good confidence concerning them; & tho it is not impossible but that men may dissemble Holiness so artificially as to impose upon