A token for mourners, or, The advice of Christ to a distressed mother bewailing the death of her dear and only son wherein the boundaries of sorrow are duly fixed, excesses restrained, the common pleas answered, and divers rules for the support of Gods afflicted ones prescribed / by J.F.

4. Rule.

If you would bear the loss of your dear Relations with moderation, eye God in the whole process of the affliction more, and se∣condary causes and circumstances of the matter less.

I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it, Psal. 39. 9. Consider the hand of the Lord in the whole mat∣ter: And that

First, As a Soveraign hand, which hath right to dispose of thee and all thy com∣forts without thy leave or consent, Job 33. 13.

Secondly, As a Fathers hand correcting thee in love and faithfulness, Prov. 3. 11.

Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, as a Fa∣ther the Son in whom he delighteth. O if once you could but see affliction as a rod in a Fathers hand, as proceeding from his love, and intended for your eternal good; How quiet would you then be!

And surely if it draw your heart near∣er to God, and mortifie it more to this vain world; it is a rod in the hand of special love: If it end in your love to God, doubt not but it comes from Gods love to you.

Thirdly, As a just and righteous hand: Hast thou not procured this to thy self by thy own folly? Yea, the Lord is just in all that is come upon thee: Whatever he hath done, yet he hath done thee no wrong.

Fourthly, Lastly, As a moderate and merciful hand that hath punished thee less than thine iniquities deserve; he hath cast thee into affliction, he might just∣ly have cast thee into Hell. It's of the Lords mercy that thou art not consumed. Why doth the living man complain?