Two sermons: The Christians behaviour under severe and repeated bereavements, and The fatal consequence of a peoples persisting in sin: / by John Barnard, A.M.

I. SERMON. The Christians Behaviour UNDER BEREAVEMENTS: Preach'd To the very Reverend Dr. MATHER'S Church in the Time of the Measels, Novemb. 29. 1713.

JOB I.20.

Then Iob arose, and rent his Mantle, and shaved his Head, and fell down upon the Ground, and Worshipped.

THE manifest Design of this Book is, to give us the True Character of a Christian Hero, bright and il|lustrious in every Condition of Life; possessing himself in Prosperity with a constant Devotion to his God, and steadily sustaining the heaviest and repeated Charges of Adversity, with a Firmness of Mind, which evidently declared him to be under the Government of more exalted Views, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 more noble Ends, than could be proposed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all the Enjoyments of this World.

JOB is this Gallant Hero: who whether he de|scended from Uz, the Grandson of Shem, by Aram; or was the I••bab mentioned in the Line of Arphaxad; or came of Huz, the first-born of Nahor, the Bro|ther of Abraham, it matters not. Whoever he was, 'tis evident he was the Greatest Man in his Country: God had blessed him with the Affluence of the Good things of this Life, a Numerous and Promising Posterity, and had exalted him at the Head of the Government.

HOW happily does he spend his Dayes? While every Ear listens to him, and every Knee bows be|fore him, and his Children also Delight him with their close Friendship to One another, and their Dutiful regards to him. And how much like a Christian does he Live? While under all this, he does not grow Fat and Wanton, but keeps his Heart Perfect and Upright towards his God; and is continually offering Sacrifices before the Lord, least his Children, in the height of their friendly En|tertainments, should so far forget themselves, as to do any thing that might cast Dishonour upon the Name of God.

THIS is the Man! the Delight of God, but the Envy of Devils. And 'tis not long before these Ma|licious Spirits fiercely assault him, and thro' the Di|vine Permission bring him as Low, with respect to his Outward Circumstances, and consequently as Low in the Opinion of the World, as before he was High.

HERE now is the Tryal of the Man! Let us then view him in this his Depressed State; his Fortunes sunk and gone, insulted by the Meanest of the People, forsaken and reproached by his Unkind Friends: and how does he bear it all? Like a True Hero! He stands the shock, preserves his Vertue, possesses

his Mind, triumphs over his Adversity; and so Baf|fles the Design of Satan, gains the Divine Plaudite, and stands the Admiration and Emulation of all that come after him.

IN this Chapter we have an Account of the First Method of his Tryal, and his Behaviour under it. His Tryal; in the repeated Messengers of Evil Ti|dings, and Close upon the Heels of one another. The First Messenger comes in with the Unwelcome News that the Sabeans had carryed away his Oxen and Asses, and slain the Servants that kept them; and he only had escaped to tell it. E'er he had finish••d his sad Story, a Second rushes in, in a Fright, and tells him, that Fire from God, the Lightening, had con|sumed his Sheep, and his Servants that attended them, and he only had Escaped. While he is yet Speaking, a Third, who only had Escaped, ac|quaints him, that the Chaldeans had made out a Band and carryed away his Camels, and slain his Servants. So is he spoiled of his Substance; and without allowing him time to breath upon it, a Fourth Messenger breaks in trembling and asto|nished, scarce able to utter his heavy Tidings, That while his Sons and Daughters were feasting toge|ther, a strong Wind from the Wilderness smote the four Corners of the House, and it fell upon the Young Men, and they are Dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. This was a Black-Day indeed! And who but a Christian could out-live it!

JOB like a Prince sits unmoved at the sorrowful Tidings of the Three first Messengers; but this Fourth! Such is his Mien! such the killing accents of his piercing report! His Children Dead! all of them! and in such a dreadful manner slain! This sets Nature a work; it touches the inmost Fibers of his Heart; he can hold no longer; and what

but strength of Grace could have preserved it re|gular? Then Iob arose, and rent his Mantle, and shaved his Head, and fell down upon the Ground, and Worshipped. Which shews us Humane Nature in a bitter Agony, and Grace Triumphant.

1. JOB gives vent to the Sorrow and Grief that struggled in his Breast; He ar••se; 'twas not a time to sit Sedate and Easy; and rent his Mantle; which was Customary among the Eastern Nations, to ex|press their Sorrow and Mourning. So Iacob when he thought he had lost his Ioseph. And Shaved his Head; which also was a Custom that obtained a|mong the Orientals, that when they buryed a near Fe••ation, they cut their Hair Short; or shaved their Head: the contrary to which prevailed a|mong the Romans formerly, 〈…〉〈…〉 to let their Hair grow long, and hang 〈◊〉〈◊〉 about them, (as our Eastern Indians do at this Day,) when any of their near Kindred Dyed. So did Nature work, and Iob Expresses his Sorrow and Grief by the usual Signs of it.

2. IN the midst of this Agony of Nature, we find Iob••s Grace Triumphant, and correcting the Sinful Excesses and Defects of it; He Fell down upon the Ground, and Worshipped. Iob was not such a Stock, so destitute of Natural Affections, as to be Untouched at the Death of his Children; nor was he so wholly under the Government of his Passions, as to sink beneath the Burden; but he maintains an Unbroken Heroick Mind; a Mind Subsisting in God, and Supported by Him; He fell down and Worshipped. This therefore is the Doctrine I shall at present discourse on.

DOCT. THAT, tho' under Severe and Repeated Be|reavements, Nature may be allowed it's proper Opera|tion, yet it becomes a Christian to Correct the Sinful Defects and Excesse•• of Nature, by Acts of Grace: That when he rends his Mantle and shaves his Head, expressing his Grief and Sorrow, he should remember to fall down and Worship his God.

I shall not spend time to prove, that a Christian may meet with Severe and Repeated Bereavements; A Iob is a convincing Evidence of it: and alas, that we also have seen some sad Instances of it of Late. All I shall attempt shall be briefly, as the Season requires, to shew,

I. THAT under such Bereavements, Nature may be allowed its proper Operation.

And,

II. THAT the Sinful Defects and Excesses of Na|ture should be Corrected by acts of Grace, by falling down and Worshipping our God.

I. I shall shew that under such Severe and Repeated Bereavements, Nature may be allowed its proper Operation. The God of Nature has formed us with Reasonable Powers, apprehensive of Evil at a distance, and perceptive of it when it overtakes us. He has endowed us with Passions and Affecti|ons suited to the different nature of Objects, whe|ther Good or Evil: and while some Objects work upon our Love and Liking, others do so upon our H••tred and Aversion; while some are suited to give us •• Joy and Pleasure, others call forth our▪ Grief and Sorrow. Now those things which hav•• in ••he••selves, or in their circumstances, a contrar••ety

to us, either to the Body, or to the Mind, they are the Objects of our Aversion; Hence we dread them while at a distance from us, and are filled with Grief and Sorrow when they Seize upon us. Thus the Bereavement of any Desirable Enjoyment, stands in opposition both to Flesh and Spirit, con|sidered in a State of Nature, and therefore when we meet with such, our Natural Aversion will disco|ver it self; the sense of our Loss will Evidence it self, in the Shock which it gives us, the Pain and Uneasiness it throws the Mind into.

IN Vain does the most hardened Stoick boast such a Power over himself, as to be unsusceptible of any Impression from Afflictive Evils, and remain untouched by Bereavements. Tis impossible to us, in our present State, to be wholly Insensible of Pain; and if it were possible, it would be very Ir|regular: because a Sorrowful sense of our Afflicti|ons is but suited to our present make, while we are cloathed with Flesh, and invested with Passions, that will, and ought to be affected with Joy, or Sorrow, according to the different Nature of the Objects that strike upon them. An Arm can't be taken off, but Sense, while in Health, will per|ceive it, and recoil at it; and the Passions will be stirred up according to their Sensation of Pain. So a desirable Good can't be taken away from us, but the Soul will be apprehensive of the Loss, and Grief necessarily follows. Iob can't hear of the Death of his Children, but his Sorrowful resent|ments are kindled at it.

THE Design of Grace is not to destroy Nature, but to correct it. God therefore does not require of us that we Eradicate our Natural Affections and Passions out of our Souls, and that when he afflicts us we be like Stocks and Stones, altogether insensible

of it; but 'tis our Duty to be sensibly touched therewith, to feel the Stroaks, and let Nature work, and run in its proper Channel of Grief and Sorrow. The Man JESUS Himself could allow of it; as when apprehensive of the Misery that was ap|proaching upon Him, He was in a bitter Agony, and said, Math. 26.38. My Soul is exceeding Sorrow|ful, even unto Death. And hence we find the Best of Gods Children, upon Record in the Sacred Pages, Mourning over their departed Friends: As Abra|ham for his Sarah, and Iacob for his Son. —

AND 'tis allowable to Express our Sorrow and Grief in proper wayes, to let the World see that we are in Heaviness because of our Loss, and that our Hearts are full; and that not only by our Words, but by our Actions and Gestures, and those decent Signs and Tokens of it, which may be the Custom of the Country where we Dwell. Iob rends his Mantle, and shaves his Head, in Token of his Sorrow and Mourning.

BUT I pass to the Second thing, which is,

II. TO shew how the Sinful Defects and Ex••esses of Nature should be Corrected by Acts of Grace, by Falling down and Worshipping our God. He fell down up|on the Ground and Worshipped. To Worship God im|plyes, the giving to Him the Glory that is due unto His Name; it means such a suitable Deport|ment of our selves under our Bereavements, as is answerable to the Character we sustain, as becomes our Relation to God, and the Profession we make of His Name. Now such a Carriage will certainly Correct the Sinful Defects and Excesses, which otherwise our Natural Grief, and Uneasiness at o••r Bereavements, might throw us into. All I have

to do therefore is, to shew more particularly, how under our Bereavements, we are to fall down and Worship our God.

AND,

1. WE are to Acknowledge the Hand of God in all that befals us; that 'tis He that hath taken our Desirable Enjoyments from us. He fell down and Worshipped; Whom but his GOD? the only Object of Religious Worship. By this he plainly Acknowledged that all came from God. And ac|cordingly, we find Iob saying in express terms, (v. 21.) The Lord hath taken away. So whatever we have taken from us, whether our Name, our Estate, our Relations and Friends, we must Ac|knowledge, that 'tis the Lord that hath done it. God sayes, Amos 3.6. Shall there be Evil in the City, and the Lord hath not done it? The Afflictive E|vils which befal a Person, or People, all comes from God, as the Prime Efficient Cause of it.

NOW this Acknowledgment Corrects that Defect, of ascribing to Chance and Casualty the Allotments of Divine Providence, and the looking only to Se|cond Causes, which tends to stir up our Anger and Revenge. Iob had as Good a Plea for this as any Man; he could have said the Chaldeans and Sabeans have taken away my Goods; and have At|tributed his Loss to the Casualty of the Thunder and the Winds; but we find his Grace over-ruling and correcting this gross Defect; we see him fall down before the Lord, acknowledging that this Trouble did not spring out of the Ground, but the Lord order it for him. Whatever be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Means and Instruments, still 'tis the Lord 〈◊〉〈◊〉 has done it; and much more should we 〈…〉〈…〉 own His Hand, when He more Immedia••ely▪ Be|reaves us of our Enjoyments: and the 〈◊〉〈◊〉

Death of our Relations and Friends may be looked upon as such.

2. THE Divine Sovereignty over us and all that we Enjoy, must also be Acknowledged by us. He fell down upon the Ground, as at the Foot of his So|vereign Lord, and Worshipped▪ Acknowledging Gods Right to deal with him as He Pleased, without giving him any account of his Matters. God is the Sovereign Lord of all his Creatures, and He doth with them whatsoever He Pleaseth; He Sa|veth Alive, and He Killeth, as Pleaseth Him. We our Selves are the Workmanship of His Hands, He made us, and He bestows all upon us that we Enjoy. Hence God has an Original and In|herent Right in us, and is the only true Proprie|tor of all our Mercies. God's bestowing this and the other Blessing upon us don't relinquish His Right to them; He only I ends them to us, or rather makes us Stewards of them; hence as our Sovereign Lord, whose we are, and whom we ought to Serve with all that we have. He takes our Enjoyments out of our Hands when He sees good, and 'tis but His Own that we Surrender to Him.

NOW the Acknowledgment of this Divine Su|premacy, will Correct the Excesses of Murmuring and Complaint, of Fretting and Quarrelling with God: This will keep our Passions from ••••yling over, and throwing out their Froth and Foam; and make us Think and Speak reverently of God, tho' He severely Chasten us. For who are we Worms of the Dust, that we should enter a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with the Almighty? Shall the Potsherds of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quarrel with their Maker▪ and say, Why hast 〈◊〉〈◊〉 done thus unto me▪ 〈…〉〈…〉, let Him:

do what seemeth Him Good, is the Language that becomes us; as Good Old Eli said when he re|ceived the Sorrowful News of the Death of his Children, I. Sam. 3.18. So should we acknowledge Gods right to take from us the Dearest Enjoy|ment of this World; tho' He repeat His strokes upon us, and take away till there is none left, 'tis all Thine Own, O Lord; I have nothing but what I received from Thee; Naked came I into the World, thy Bounty hath enriched me with many Comforts, and if Thou take them from me again, I will not complain; I have not a Word against it; nor would I angryly say, Where|fore has Thou done so; I will be dumb and not Open my Mouth, because thou did•••• it, Psal. 39.9.

3. WE must pay the Profoundest Submission and Resignation to the Will of God under the severest Bereavements. He fell down and Worshipped; manifesting thereby the intire Resignation of himself and his Enjoyments to the Divine Good Pleasure. By this he paid the greatest Homage to God; and did Him the Highest Honour by this profound Submission to Him.

More Particularly,

(1.) WE must highly Approve of the Methods of Gods dealings with us. Our Understanding must be so resolved into the Divine Mind, as highly to approve of what that Infinite Understanding Di|rects and Orders for us. Without this, there will be a Repugnancy in our Wills, and a Tumult in our Affections at the Divine Disposals. We must therefore be entirely Satisfyed in the Wisdom, Justice, and Graciousness of the Lords dealings

with us; and that not only when we may see thro' the Meaning of Providences, but when Clouds and Darkness surround the Most High, the goings of the Lord are a great Deep, and His Footsteps are Unknown to us.

THUS we must approve of the Divine Wisdom in our Bereavements. The Infinite Wisdom of God will so over-rule all things, as shall be most for His Own Glory▪ and it will so Temper the bitterest Mixture as shall be Best for His Children. Thus therefore should we Worship before Him, acknowledging Him to be the only Wise God, who knows what is Best for us, and would not have ordered this Bereavement for us, if In|finite Wisdom had not seen it needful; and tho' we know not now, yet we shall see hereafter some|thing of the Unsearchable Depths of Divine Wis|dom in His Providential Dispensations.

THUS we must approve the Rectitude and Iustice of the Divine Administrations. God is Righteous in all His Ways, and Holy in all His Works, Psal. 145.17. Righteousness and Iudgment is the Habita|tion of His Throne. And all the Divine Admini|strations are according to the Rules of Relative Justice. If we had no Original Guilt to answer for, our Transgressions are eno' to deserve the Chastisements we meet with; or if we had never been Actually Guilty in our Own Persons▪ the Original Guilt we derive from our Degen••••••t•• ••arents is sufficient to vindicate the Justice of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in all His Infli••••ions▪ but seeing both of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 meet in us, 〈…〉〈…〉 living Man 〈◊〉〈◊〉, a Man for the 〈…〉〈…〉 his Sin, Lam. 〈…〉〈…〉. This then should 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••ur L••nguage when

God Chastens us, tho' never so severely; Righte|ous are Thou, O Lord, and Upright are Thy Judgments, Thou has Punished me far less than my Iniquities Deserve.

THUS we must approve of the Graciousness of God in what He orders for us. If He Chasten His Children, 'tis for their Profit to make them Partakers of His Holiness; 'tis to recover them from their Wandrings from Him; 'tis to fix their Love more intensly upon Him, that He takes from them created Objects of their Affection; and by this means also He Advances their Crown of Glory. Now such gracious Ends and Intentions should be highly approved of by us; and it be|comes us to say, Gracious art Thou. O Lord, and full of Compassion, when Thou str••west my Way with Thorns, and waterest my Path with Tears to make my Walk more Circumspect and Fruitful; when Thou takest Earthly Delights from me, to fill me with Heavenly Joys and Consola|tions; and when Thou carryest me thro' Fire and Water, to bring me to the Possession of the Eternal Crown of Glory. So should our Minds be resolved into the Infinite Understanding of God. This was the Language and Frame of Iob when he bowed the Head and Worshipped, Lord, I ap|prove of all that Thou hast done unto me.

(2.) WE must entirely Res••on our Wills up to the Will of God: our Wills must be perfectly Go|verned by the Divine Will. Now this Resignation lies not in the Divine Dispensations ••••rmonizing with our Natural Will and Choice; but when there appears a Di••••greement between the Will of God, ••••••ering this or that Bereavement for us,

and our Will, which has a Natural Reluctancy to such Evils; then for us to Supercede our own Will, by resolving it into the Divine, and sincerely and heartily Choosing the Affli••tion, because God has Chosen it for us; This is indeed to fall down and Worship 〈◊〉〈◊〉 God! Th•• Will can't Choose Evil, and Embrace Affliction•• as such: but we must have it well reconciled to what is most harsh and difficult to Flesh and Blood from this Principle, because 'tis the Will of God that it should be so; and we are sure He will never do us any Hurt. Thus we find Holy David when driven from his Throne, saying to Z••dock with the profoundest Sub|mission: II Sam. 15.25. Carry back the Ark of God into the City; if I have found favour in the Eyes of the Lord, He will bring me again, and shew me both it, and His Habitation; but if He say thus, I have no Delight in thee; behold here am I, let Him do unto me, what seemeth Good unto Him. And so our Blessed Sa|viour, when He earnestly Prayed the Cup might pass from Him, N••vertheless, says He, not as I will, but as Thou 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Math 26.39. If it be Thy Will, that I shall drink of this Cup of Sufferings, as Thou wilt; what Thou choosest, I choose also.

(3) OUR Passions must be kept under a Good Regula|tion. Tho' we are allowed to give some vent to our Passions, in Mourning over our Departed Friends; yet we must not suffer them to get the Upper-hand of us▪ ••o depress our Spirits, or break forth into Storm and Rage; For this will be, on the one hand, to Paint in the Day of Adversity; and to fly in the Face of God, on the other. The Passions therefore must be regulated, Soothed and Calmed, that we may still possess our selves with something of Sedateness, and Ease. Till these

ruffling Passions are lulled, we shall be like Bul|locks unaccostomed to the Yoke, kick and fling, and yield no due Submission to the Will of God, nor Worship Him as we ought to do: but when our Sanctifyed Mind has got the Ascendant over these, maintains its Empire and Dominion in the Soul, scatters the thick Clouds that surrounds us, makes us Patient in Tribulation, and Easy within when all things without us are Tempestuous; this is to fall down and Worship the Lord, as Iob with|out the least Sinful Disorder and Ruffling of his Soul. And thus we find Holy David, when Shimei Cursed him, and Abis••••i would have taken severe Revenge upon him for it, how Calm? how Easy is he? Let him alone, says he, and let him Curse, for the Lord hath bidden him, II. Sam. 16.11. And so when he had lost his first-born by Bathsheba; tho' he had fasted and wept sore before, in hopes to obtain the Life of the Child, yet now he rises, washes, anoints himself, changes his Apparel, and with Composure of Mind, goes into the House of God and Worshippeth, II. Sam. 12.20. Thus are we to fall down before the Lord and Worship Him, by the Profoundest Resignation of our Selves and all that we have to His Disposal.

4. WE must Humble our Selves deeply before the Lord when under such Bereavements. He fell down upon the Ground Prostrating himself, (so some render the Words) betokening his Deep Humiliation, and Self-Abasement. Hence we are called upon, I. Pet. 5.6. Humble your Selves under the Mighty Hand of God. When Gods Hand is upon us, it becomes us to lay our selves low, as in the Dust before Him; to have our Souls filled with Weeping and with Mourning, and to be covered as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Sackcloth and Ashes.

THERE is requisite, not only a Sorrow that arises from our Natural Affections, but a Sorrow and Grief of Heart that arises from Spiritual and Heroick Principles in us: a Sorrow from a Sense of the Hand of God upon us. It should abase us, and make us Humble, to see the Frowns in the Countenance of our Heavenly Father, and feel such heavy Tokens of His Displeasure. When He Chastens us, He expects that we should be grieved at it, and lay our selves Low at His Feet.

AND much greater should be our Humiliation and Sorrow, from a Sense of our Deserving His Chastisements. The Sense of our own Sinfulness, which is the first Cause of all our Afflictions and Bereavements, should make us to Walk Softly, in the Bitterness of our Souls; and produce in us that Godly Sorrow that worketh Repentance. For surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have born Chastisement, I will not offend any more; if I have done Iniquity, I will do so no more; Behold, I am Vile before Thee, wherefore I abhor my Self, and Repent in Dust and Ashes.

5. LASTLY; WE must Carefully Attend all those Religious Acts of Worship and Homage which we Owe to God. He fell down upon the Ground, and Wor|shipped: Then under the Surprise and Confusion, which one would have expected he should have been thrown into at the hearing of such Dismal Tydings, he did not forget the Homage and Wor|ship which he owed to his God▪

〈◊〉〈◊〉 thus the Christian▪ whatever be his 〈…〉〈…〉, Severe▪ and often Repeated his Be|reavements

may be, still he won't suffer his Mind to be Unhinged, and Unfitted for the Duties of his General Calling, but keeps himself in such a Frame, as to Bow down and Worship his God, in all the Methods of his appointment.

THERE are some Acts which are more peculiar|ly termed a Worshipping of God; as Prayer, and Praise, whether in Publick or Private: Now all such Acts of Religious Worship must be carefully Attended, under the Sharpest Fight of Afflictions; Nay, the more exact and frequent should we be in our Performance of them, because of our Af|flictions. For thus we Read, Iam. 5.13. Is any Man Afflicted let him Pray? Then is a special Season for This, and all other Acts of Religious Worship, and this will be the most likely way to fetch in suitable Help and Support.

AND here suffer me to Suggest; whether it ought not to be esteemed a Fault among Christians, for any to Absent themselves from the Publick Worship of God, while under their Bereavements, upon pretence that their Spirits are too much over|whelmed, or their Outward Circumstances are such as will not suffer them to Appear in the Habit of Mourners? This I am sure of, that those Acts of Worship, which it would be our Duty to Attend, were it not for the Death of a Relation, ought by no means, purely for that Reason to be neglected, when ot••••r Circumstances will allow our Perfor|mance of them.

BUT then, there are those Duties▪ which Reflect Honour upon God, and are therefore to be esteemed a Worshipping of Him; such are all Moral Duties,

and our steady Obedience to the Divine Command|ment; these therefore ought Carefully to be ob|served by us under the heavyest Chastisements; and no Affliction should prevail with us to Omit them; nor should we take any Methods contrary to them to Deliver our Selves out of our Troubles▪ For this is the Homage which we forever owe to our God, to Govern our Selves by His Laws; and we cease to Worship Him, when we do it not.

THUS is the Christian, when exercised with Be|reavements, or indeed any Sort of Affliction, to fall down upon the Ground and Worship his God: and when he does so, he appears a Perfect and Up|right Man, One that Feareth God and Escheweth Evil; for these are some of the Characters of the truly Christian Heroick Mind, which renders him Illustrious among Men, and a Delightful Spectacle to the Holy Angels.

I Proceed now to make some Improvement of this DOCTRINE.

USE. 1. HENCE; we may infer the Excellency of True Christian Principles. The great pretenders to Phylosophy may reason with themselves all their Days, and form as many fine Schemes and Projects as they please, to support and strengthen their Minds, and preserve them calm and steady in the midst of the uncertain Changes of Providence, and the thick and black Storms that may beat upon them; they may boast as long as they Please, of their greatness of Mind, and their remaining un|touched by the Sharpest Adversity; but 'tis certain after all, they have but put a trick and cheat upon themselves, and formed Artificial Passions (as One

expresses it) in hopes to Suppress their Natural Ones; and yet their hopes are but vain; for their Natural Passions will certainly rise upon them, break in upon their Quiet, and disturb the Peace of their Minds, in spite of all their Reason and Philosophy; As has been Evidently seen, in the Deportment of the severest Philosophers; Especially in Cato, that Celebrated Man, who gained the Title of Severe from his Government of his Passions; yet after all his Prentences, when Distresses grew thick and heavy upon him, how did he discover the Bastard|lyness of his Spirit, and his Fears to meet his ap|proaching Fate, by meanly rushing upon his own Sword, to escape Death in the form of an Enemy, or being lead Captive to Grace the Triumphs of a Generous Conquerour.

BUT here lyes the Superiority of Truly Reli|gious Principles, over all meerly Natural or Ac|quired Habits of the Mind, that they will enable a Man, with a Steady and Composed Countenance, to meet the Allotments of Divine Providence, to face the greatest Dangers, and bravely walk thro' the Flames, and receive all the Fire with an Un|daunted Resolution, when it meets him in the way of his Duty: and tho' the Stormy Shower may fall never so thick and heavy upon him, these Christian Principles will Support his Mind, keep him Serene and ••air within, and cause Light to arise in Darkness to him; this will give him a Presence of Mind, a Sedate Temper, and Cool Thought under all Exigencies; will enable him to Quit himself like a Man of Conscience and Honour, with a just Deference to his God, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Serious regard to the Welfare of his own Soul 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a Faithful Discharge of all Relative 〈◊〉〈◊〉 So does the

Christian Religion shew us a more Excellent and Perfect way, than Reason and Philosophy with all their Art and Contrivance can pretend to.

2. HENCE; A Stupid Insensibility of the Hand of God, when He bereaves us of dear Enjoyments, is very unbecoming a Christian. This is the Guilt the Prophet Charges upon the Jews: Isai. 26.11. Lord, when thy Hand is Lifted up they will not see! They refused to see the Hand of God smiting of them, might think of this or that Reason of their Affliction, but did not see God in it; or else like the same hardened People whom God com|plains of: Isai. 42.25. It Set him on Fire round about, but he knew it not; it burned him, but he laid it not to Heart. So Stubborn was he grown, as not to feel the Blows that were struck upon him. Now such a Wilful refusal to see the Hand of God; such a hardness of Heart as, like the Anvil, resists to the Blows that are struck upon it, is altogether unbecoming the Character of a Christian; for it argues a Secret Atheism in the Heart, and Disbelief of God's Governing Providence, which is most contrary to an Acknowledgment of Him, and Worshipping before Him.

3. HENCE; Neither is it agreeable to the Christians Character, to Sink under the Weight of his Bereavements. Tho' we may Sorrow and Mourn, when we are Bereaved, yet we must not Sorrow, as those that are without Hope; nor, with Rachel▪ Refuse to be C••mforted. We must not conclude that all is gone, and we are undone, because this Va|luable Earthly Enjoyment is taken from us. For this Sinking, Fainting, Desp••nding Frame argues, that there is a Disagreement between our Wills▪

and the Will of God in ordering this Providence for us; whereas we have seen, that the Christian is to fall down and Worship his God, by an en|tire Resignation of his Will to the Divine. And this is the holy Apostles advice: Heb. 12.5. My Son, despise not thou the Chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art Rebuked of Him.

4. HENCE; We owe Our Thankfulness to God for the many Mercies He is Pleased yet to con|tinue to us. If when He Bereaves us of the Com|forts of this Life, we are under all still to fall down and Worship Him, certainly then we are to Worship Him when He continues His Smiles upon us; and our Thankfulness to God for His Mercies, is but the Natural Worship which as Crea|tures, who have our whole Dependance on Him, and receive all our Enjoyments from His Bounty, we owe unto Him. We are to Bless God even when He takes away; As Iob, in the Verse fol|lowing my Text, The Lord hath taken away, Blessed be the Name of the Lord: Then certainly we should Bless and Praise Him for what of His Favours He continues to us. And those of us who have Ex|perienced His Goodness, in Restoring our Selves, or those that belong to us, from Sickness, and Pre|serving us from going down to the Pit, when, it may be, we have been brought to the Edges of the Grave, Such certainly owe this Tribute of Praise. Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me, Bless His Holy Name; Bless the Lord, O my Soul, who Healeth all thy Diseases; who ransometh thy Life from Destruction, and Crowneth thee with Loving Kindness and Tender Merc••, Psal. 103.1, 2, 4.

BUT,

5. LASTLY; Let us all then Labour after Iob's Religious Frame, when under the Divine Be|reavements, To fall down and Worship our God. We all of us have our Tryals, and meet with Afflictions of One Sort or Other; and some of us have sadly stood as in Iob's stead, have met with Bereavement upon Bereavement, and till there is none Left. And whose condition it shall be next to pass thro' the like Fiery Tryal, God only knows. Well then, Let us all endeavour after this devout Frame of Mind, that when we are called to rend our Mantles and shave our Heads, to Weeping and to Mourning, and the Expressions of our Sorrow and Grief by our Outward Actions and Deportment, our Souls may at the same time, Fall down and Worship our Maker.

IN order to work us up to this Frame of Mind,

1. MAINTAIN a Steady View of Gods Gover|ning Providence. How would it Prostrate us before the Lord, compose all the Tumults and Uneasy|ness of our Minds, to uphold a continued fixed Belief of Gods Government of the World? To consider that all things are of His ordering, and Nothing comes to pass without His Knowledge and Direction; that the very Hairs of our Heads are all Numbred by Him; that not a Sparrow falls to the Ground without His Good Pleasure, much less does any of our Relations▪ (the Dear Objects of our Love, whom God has given to us very much for this End, to Solace our Selves in the Enjoyment of them) fall into the Grave without the Concurrence and Direction of His Governing Providence.

2. LET GOD Himself have our highest Esteem, and Maintain a Low Opinion of the Best of the Things of this World. If God be the Object of our highest Affection, and we have chosen Him as the Portion of our Souls; and can Sincerely say, I have none in Heaven but Thee, and Desire nothing on Earth in Comparison of Thee; then tho' we should be bereaved of the Best of our Earthly Delights and Comforts, or of all of them, yet our Treasure will abide by us still; Our God can't be taken away; No; not Death it self can Sepa|rate us from His Love.

AND if we have a Low Opinion of the Things of this World; Consider them as truely they are, Perishable Things; then it will not be hard to part with them, we shall be able to bear the Loss Patiently, and Weep as tho' we wept not; as we are advised, 1 Cor. 7.30. This now will tend to keep us in a Religious and Devout frame of Mind.

3. EYE the Example of those that have gone before us in the like Sufferings. Set before us the Example of our Saviour. Whose Sorrows are like unto His Sorrows? View Him in every State and Condition of Life, and we shall find Him a Man of Sorrows and Acquainted with Griefs: and what was His Deportment under them? but the Deepest Devotion, and a Constant Adoration and Worshipping of God His Father. And herein Christ hath Suffered for us, leaving us an Example, that we should tread in His Steps: As the Apostle tell us, 1 Pet. 2.21.

BUT then, we have the Example of Holy Men; Men like our Selves, as frail by Nature as we are, subject to like Passions with us, to whom their Relations and Friends were as dear as ours to us, and who had as Natural an Aversion at Parting with them, as we have; We also have the same Helps with them, the same Religious Principles, the same Divine and Gracious Spirit to Strengthen and Support us. And how did they bear their Bereavements? You have heard of the Patience and Religion of Iob; Let us then take our Bre|thren for an Example of Suffering Affliction, and of Patience, and be fired with an Holy Ambition, to do like them.

4. CALL to Mind the Recompence of Reward that shall be given to them, who thus Govern their Natural Passions by Acts of Grace. It may be they shall be Rewarded in this Life, and like Iob, have made up to them abundantly in the same kind that was taken from them, and their Latter End be better than their Beginning.

BUT however, there are Rewards in the ••uture Immortal World, for them that behave themselves aright under the Dealings of God with them; thro' Faith and Patience they shall come to inherit the Promises: For we shall Reap if we faint not, says the Apostle. Gal. 6.9. Our Light Afflictions, which are here but as for a Moment, shall work for us a far more Exceeding and Eternal Weight of Glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. And how should the Thoughts of this make us to fall down and Worship our God.

5. LIVE in Expectation of all Sorts of Afflictions and Bereavements while in this World. We are told, Act 14.22. Thro' much Tribulation we must enter into the Kingdom of God. If we Live in Expecta|tion of them, consider our Selves in a Mutable World, perpetually Subject to Changes; a World where none of its Enjoyments are Sure and Certain; then when we are Disappointed in our best laid Designs, Crossed in our most valuable Interest here, and Bereaved of our Sweetest and most Comforta|ble Enjoyments, we shall not think Strange con|cerning the Fiery Tryal, as tho' some Strange Thing had happened to us; we shall not be thrown into Dejection and Despair, into Impatience and Murmuring; but shall be enabled to meet our Tryals with a Composed Mind, and Sustain the Shock that may be given to Nature by them, with a true Christian Heroick frame.

6. LASTLY; And when Bereavements and Af|flictions do overtake us, Exercise Prayer and Faith. This is indeed part of that Worship, we must Pay to God under them; and 'tis also a proper Method to lead us to the whole of that Homage, which God Challenges of us, when He Rebukes and Chastens us.

THUS then, let us earnestly Pour out our Sup|plications before the Lord, thereby making known all our Wants to Him, entreating His favourable Support under our Bereavements, His Gracious De|liverance out of our Tryals, and a Sanctifyed Use and Improvemen•• of them. This will be the way to Unbosome our S••uls, to give a proper vent to the Griefs and Sorrows of our Hearts, to breath out our

Troubles, and to fetch in of the Divine Consolations which are not small. So will it Buoy up our Spirits, and keep our Hearts from fainting.

AND then Exercise Faith, relying upon the Mercy of God, who is more ready to Communicate than we are to Ask or Receive: trusting to His Goodness (tho' with the Pr••foundest Submi••••io•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 His Will, as to the Time, and Manner) for our Assistance and Deliverance: 〈…〉〈…〉 upon the Infinite Merits of Christ Jesus, who by His Suf|ferings has Purchased for us, that our Afflictions of Curses shall be turned into Blessings, that all things shall work together for Good unto them that Love God; and Humbly perswading our Selves, that this our Merciful High Priest, who is touched with the feeling of our Infirmities, will find out a way for our Escape, and bring all to a happy Issue for us.

THUS let us work our Selves up unto Iob's happy frame of Spirit, that when we are Bereaved of what is most Delightful to us here, we may with him fall down upon the Ground, and Wor|ship the Lord our God. Then shall we be Per|fect Men in Christ Jesus, wanting nothing to make us Comfortable here, and Happy hereafter: For this Frame will be our Perfection and our Hap|piness. Our Perfection; because by this Means, there will be a good Agre••men•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 our Wills and the Will of God▪ wh••••h is t•••• Perfection of the Gloryfied Spirits Ab••ve 'Twill will be our Hap|••••••es•• also; because this will ••eep us Temperate, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and Easy; and our Happ••••••ss arises not so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from our Enjoyments here▪ as from the

Frame and Temper of our Minds. Besides, this will be a Comfortable Evidence of our Adoption, that we are the true Children of God: for thus we are assured, Heb. 12.7. with which Words I Conclude, If ye endure Chastisement, God dealeth with you, as with Sons; for what Son is he, whom his Fa••her Chasteneth not?