who can, if he please, imprefs a kind of natural force upon the difunited Parts, and cause. 'em to move to one another, as readily as the filings of Iron to a Loadstone, tho mingled with millions of Particles of Sand.!

The infinite Knowledg, together with the irresistible Power of God, anfwers all Objections against the Refurrection of the Body; the fame Being having plighted his Faithfulnefs for this Event, promifing that the Dead thall be raised. And this is one great Doctrine which St. Paul in the Text aims to fet in a clear and certain light, that the Theffalonians who feem'd to be fhaken, might be confirm'd in their belief of this important Article of the Chriftian Creed: Brethren, I would not have you to be ignorant concerning them that are asleep for them that fleep in Fefus, will God bring with bim: 9. d. 'Tis true, your Friends are fallen afleep, but 'tis not an eternal one, for they fhall be awaken'd from it; they are dead, but they fhall revive and rife again; for God our Saviour fhall bring them with him, when he comes in the Clouds of Heaven. Here I might make feveral very profitable Remarks upon the Apoftle's care to correct and remove the Mif takes thofe Chriftians had imbibed to whom he wrote, but my time will not fuffer me to stay upon this Head. I proceed therefore to the

II General, which is a diffuafive from im moderate Sorrow upon the death of thofe that are pious. I would not have you to be ignorant, Brethren, concerning them which are afleep, that ye forrow not even as others that have no hopes The defign of these words is very obvious, viz. to temper our Grief, to regulate and bound

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Our

our Sorrows for thofe religious Friends that are fnatch'd from us by Death. St. Paul does not diffuade from all kind of Mourning, but from that which is exceffive; a moderate Sorrow is due to the Memory of our deceased Friends.

And we find fome, whofe Characters fhine. brightest in the Scripture-Hiftory, under a Cloud of Sorrow, when their Relations have been remov'd by Death; yet 'tis no where, that I know of, charg'd upon 'em as a Crime, that they wept for the Dead. Abraham, who has an honourable mention among the OldTeftament Worthies for his great Self-denial, as well as the strength of his Faith, in being. ready to offer up his only Son at the Divine Command; yet gave a vent to his Grief, and pour'd out a flood of Tears, when Sarah the Delight of his Eyes was taken away with a ftroke: And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, Gen. 23. 2. and wept for her

011

And Job, that Mirror of Patience and Pro- Job 1. 7. bity, that had none like him in the Earth, as

God himself to to Satan, yet, as we read,

rent his Mantle, hav'd his Head, fell upon his ver. 20. face to the ground, when he heard of the death of his Children; there were the Ceremonies then in ufe as the figns of a deep mourning: yet we are told, that in all this be finned Ver. 2 not, nor charged God foolishly.

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But that Inftance which is beft futed to my purpose, and free even from the fufpicion of a Crime, is that of our Bleffed Saviour, who tho never guilty of the leaft Excels, yet joins with the Jews in their Sorrow for Lazarus: for when he faw Mary, and thofe that attended her, weeping for her dead Brother, the Text

fays,

fis

John 11.33. fays, he groaned in the Spirit, and was troubled; but when he came nearer to the Grave, his Grief flow'd out at his Eyes, for the Bleffed Now whatever

Ver. 34 Jefus is faid to have wept.

Ver. 36.

might be the occasion of his Grief, whether his love to Lazarus, or the Jews Infidelity, or any other reason, 'tis plain that those who stood about the Grave took it in the first sense; therefore they presently cry out, Behold how he loved bim!

Thus you fee from the brightest Examples in Scripture, that a moderate Sorrow for the Dead is allowable. Moreover, let me remark, that the contrary Carriage under the lofs of our Friends would look like a Contempt of the Divine Hand; for as we are not to faint under the Rebukes, fo we are not to defpife the Chaftening of the Lord. The Wife-Man tells us, Ecclef. 3.4. that there is a time to mourn and a time to

weep, as well as for other things; certainly it cannot be an unfit feason to weep, when God takes away our pious Friends, that have been eminently useful, and publick Bleffings to a, Nation. And 'tis obfervable how the Prophet complains of the grofs Stupidity of the Jews, who were infenfible under the figns of the Divine Displeasure; The righteous perifheth, and no man layeth it to heart. And we find also that 'tis threaten'd as a Judgment, when any die Jer. 22. 18. without being lamented; yea, 'tis faid to be the Portion of the wicked from God, and the Heritage of the Oppreffor, that they are cut off, and their Widows fhall not weep. So that upon the whole 'tis very evident, that St. Paul in my Text has no defign, in his Diffuafive from immoderate Sorrow, to recommend the Stoical Apathy: for the Rules of the Christian Institution have

Job 27. 13, 14, 15.

по

no tendency to eradicate our Paffions, but to correct and govern 'em.

And here I cannot but remark, that what has been faid cafts no favourable Afpect on the Doctrine of the Stoick Philofophers, which teaches that Men are to ftifle all natural Affections both of Joy and Sorrow; that no outward Emoluments should move the Affection of Joy: and that a Perfon fhould be as eafy and as free from the Paffion of Grief in a violent Paroxism of the Gout or Stone, as if he were in perfect health in the midst of the most ravishing Delights. 'Tis reported of Poffidonius a Stoick Philofopher, who paffed a great part of his Life under very acute Diseases, that being visited by Pompey at Rhodes, he entertain'd him with a Philofophical Difcourfe; and when his Pains were the most sharp and violent, he chid 'em in fuch Language as this: * In vain doft thou assault me, Pain; the thou art troublesome, thou shalt never force me to confefs thou art evil. Indeed could

the Pomp of words abate our painful Senfations, there would be fome fhew of Reafon in this Philofopher's method; but fince the contrary is evident by univerfal Experience, 'twas an instance of great Pride, and the most ridiculous Folly. And 'tis worth remarking, that the greatest Masters in this Philofophy, when they fell into sharp Adverfity, fuddenly funk into fuch deep Despair and Impatience, that they laid violent hands upon themselves. I need only name Cato and Brutus, the most eminent among 'em," who (as one obferves) profeffing "themselves to be wife in their Speculations, "became Fools in Practice, and were confoun

* Nil agis, dolor; quanquam fis moleftus, nunquam te effe confitebor malum.

"ded

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"ded with all their Philofophy, when they "should have made ufe of it." Which brings to my mind a Paffage I have read of Seneca, who was not a little inclin'd to the Stoick Philofophy; who tells us, that at the death of his dear Friend Annaus Serenus, he was found of the number of those whom Grief overcame. Upon which, one remarks; "That Nature was too "ftrong for his Philofophy, tho at other times

none out-braves the Misfortunes of Life, or "the Terrors of Death at a higher rate, as if "they had not the least power to move his "wife Man." So that upon the whole we fee the Infufficiency of Philofophick Axioms to fupport a Mind overwhelm'd with Sorrow. But that which Philofophy has vainly attempted, Divine Revelation has fully compleated and finish'd; as will be evident, when I confider the Arguments St. Paul ufes in the Text to dif fuade from mourning as thofe that have no hope.

I

But before I touch upon them, I must be a little more particular in this other matter. have already told you what kind of Sorrow for the Dead, the Scripture indulges; but that which is without hope, you fee our Text condemns. Now our Mourning may fall under this Charac

ter;

First, When 'tis exceffive in the Measure and Degree.

Secondly, In the Length and Continuance.

First, When 'tis exceffive in the Measure and Degree; as it may be deem'd.

* Epift. 63. Inter exempla corum fui quos dolor vicit.

J. When