N00460:203
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.
3. Such providences do loudly call us to a more serious and deep reflection upon our selves and our own ways. This is a crying voice from God unto us, to put us upon the taking of a more strict account how we have carried our selves towards God, and towards them too: whether we have not given him provocation by some grievous sin so to smite us, and whether we have not been greatly negligent in the doing of our duty towards them, when we had the opportunity and many fair advantages for it. This should humble us low before God, and put us upon the renewing of our Repentance, and peace with him; and by thus doing we shall have hope concerning our selves, that such an awful Providence as this is, shall work for our good; and so it shall turn also to our account, and make us the more careful to our selves, and over others, who are yet within the reach of our using the means with and for the bringing of them to obtain salvation.
3. Such providences do loudly call us to a more serious and deep reflection upon our selves and our own ways. This is a crying voice from God unto us, to put us upon the taking of a more str•ct account how we have carried our selves towards God, and towards them too: whether we have not given him provocation by some grievous sin so to smite us, and whether we have not been greatly negligent in the doing of our duty towards them, when we had the opportunity and many fair advantages for it. This should humble us low before God, and put us upon the renewing of our Repentance, and peace with him; and by thus doing we shall have hope concerning our selves, that such an awful Providence as this is, shall work for our good; and so it shall turn also to our account, and make us the more careful to our selves, and over others, who are yet within the reach of our using the means with and for the bringing of them to obtain salvation.
4. It may be no little relief and support to the spirits of Gods Children even at such a time as this is, to be able to say that they have been faithful in doing of their duty to such. If whilst they were with us, and we had the opportunity, we prayed earnestly for them, carefully endeavoured to set before them a pious example in all the duties of Religion, and godly conversation; if we have taken unwearied pains