endeavour to recollect after I have considered the extraordinary Instance of this Text where we find the Prophet Ezekiel is forbidden by God to mourn for the death of his Wife having receiv'd an express order not to testifie his Affection by any of the Funeral Rites and Customs of Mourning used among the Jews on the like Occasion Also the Word of the Lord came unto me saying Son of Man behold I take away from thee the Desire of thine Eyes with a stroke yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep neither shall thy Tears run down For the better understanding of this Passage you must know that this Prophet had for several years publish't the orders of God and denounc'd Judgments in his Name unto Judah and Jerusalem but without the desired fruit of his Ministry without the success of his important Messages and Commission The generality of the People applauded his Rhetorick but continued to do after the Lusts of their Hearts and the sight of their Eyes and would not hearken to his repeated Calls to Repentance or be awaken'd by the most awfull Threatnings of approaching Calamity Hereupon God resolves to take another Method and try if his Sufferings would not be instructive unto those to whom his Preaching had been little so The Prophet himself should be a Sign unto 'em and the surprizing Death of his Wife be made a Warning of what God would do against that Nation And his not being permitted to mourn for her should signifie the (a) Uxcrem nolo lugeas ut signisices in maximis malis con vacaturum Ipsis ut lugeant Grotius Extremity of that Judgment which would quickly overtake them and represent the Horror of their Distress that they should not have leave or opportunity to perform Funeral Rites or make a regular mourning for their Dead Relations The following part of the Chapter declares this to be the general scope and meaning of this Passage Wherein we may consider First The Literal Sence of the words in relation to this Prophet Secondly The Parabolical meaning of them in relation to the People of the Jews Thirdly The Practical Improvement of this Instance as to Ordinary Cases of the Death of Relations and Mourning for ' em The former will tell us what these Expressions signifie in themselves the Second what they were designed by God to represent to the Jews which will make way for what may be instructive from both whenever God takes away the Desire of our Eyes by Sickness or any other stroke Under the First Enquiry we may take notice of three things 1. The Title here given to the Prophet Son of Man 2. The Calamity threatned Behold I take away the Desire of thine Eyes with a stroke 3. The Prohibition in that case not to mourn or weep or use the ordinary Expressions of Funeral Sorrow First This Title of Son of Man we find given him almost an hundred times in this Prophecy That it should be given him as a Type of Christ who is so often called the Son of Man I know no sufficient reason to prove for that Appellation seems to have respect to his Mediatory Office as that true Son of Man or promised Seed who was to bruise the Serpents head and not only to be the Saviour of Israel but a light to the Gentiles and allied unto all Mankind Vnto whom all Power and Authority is given and all Judgment Committed because he is the Son of Man Joh. 5. It may either referr to his mean Original and frailty as a Son of Adam whose Body was formed out of the dust of the ground and must return to it which might help to prevent his being lifted up by the extraordinary Visions and Revelations God had favour'd him with that he might not think of himself above what was meet 2 Cor. 12.7 or count it strange that he should be called to so difficult a Service and prov'd by such an afflicting Stroke since he was but a Son of Adam Or the expression may (b) Cameronis Prelect ad 16 Matth. 27. import no more but simply O man which is usual in all Languages when a Superiour directs his discourse to an Inferior So Rom. 9.20 Secondly N. The Calamity threatned by God I take away the Desire of thine eyes with a stroke By a Plague or Apoplexy or some very surprizing more immediate Hand of God such as the First-born of the Egyptians were smitten with Exod. 12.29 where the word is used The Desire or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Desires of thine Eyes as the Septuagint Translation renders it who this was the eighteenth verse tells us So I spake unto the people in the morning and at Even my Wife dyed 'T is manifestly supposed that she had many qualifications to render her Desireable and make the loss exceedingly afflictive otherwise the dreadful Calamity that was coming upon the Jews would not have been properly represented by it If the Spirit of God had not reckon'd this Instance to have been one of the most smarting and afflictive of all private and particular losses it could not have been fitly made use of here If the loss of a tender Parent or of a beloved Child or any other Relation had been superior or equal to this the death of some or other of those Relations would rather have been mention'd instead of this It may therefore be thought reasonable that when the Inferiour Priests were forbidden under the Law to defile themselves for the Dead save only for their nearest kindred Levit. 21.3 4. that the Wife must be comprehended thò not express'd Allowance being given them to mourn for a Father or Mother a Brother or Sister a Son or Daughter this Relation is much more supposed for whose sake a Man is to leave all others It were needless to tell him he might afflict himself in that case when it is granted as to the lesser and more remote Relatives The Margin of some Bibles would intimate it was forbidden unto a Priest being an Husband among his People to defile himself by Funeral Mourning for his Wife but it may better be read He shall not defile himself for a Chief man or Magistrate among his People therefore much less might he do so for any other save his nearest Kindred and Relations The general reason of such (c) Dr. Spencer de Ritiâ—us Jud. lib. 1. cap. 7. §. 2. a Prohibition seems to have been to keep up the Reputation and Respect due to the Sacred Office and Ministry which by being ordinarily present at Funeral Solemnities might have been lessen'd that he might not being a publick person and employed about the worship of God by any sorrowful indecorous Ceremonies disparage his Office or lessen his Dignity and esteem among the people for it follows v. 6. They shall be holy unto their God and not profane the Name of God i. e. They are peculiarly separated for the service of God and the Offices of Religion and obliged to greater strictness and
having their Brother speedily Recover'd did not proceed from Unkindness or want of Affection tho' there was appearance of them No he bore the same Love unto a sick and dying Lazarus as if he had wrought a Miracle to prevent his Sickness and Death 'T were easie to enlarge upon this Head but I must proceed unto the III. And Principal Observable in the Text The Import and Sence of this Answer And if it be remembred that the Sickness of Lazarus was Mortal there will be found these two General Propositions contain'd in it I. The Sickness and Death of those who are the Friends of Christ do bring a peculiar Glory unto God and the Redeemer II. This one Consideration is sufficient to quiet and support the Followers of Christ under those sorrowful Providences I need not spend time to prove how evidently these Truths are contain'd in this Answer of Christ which though given in a particular Case yet carrieth such a general Instruction as reacheth unto Christians in all Ages of the World 'T is granted that there were singular Circumstances that attended the Sickness and Death of Lazarus and a most glorious Miracle was wrought in raising him from the Dead But notwithstanding there are other grounds which justifie the general Conclusions which are drawn from the words In which 't is manifest as has been observ'd our Lord design'd to quiet and ease the troubled Minds of Lazarus's Sisters who had now a sorrowful Prospect of losing a beloved Brother And in order to this he thought it enough without mentioning his miraculous Raising from the Dead only to inform them That the threatning Sickness of their Brother was for the glory of God and that the Son of God might be glorified thereby This one Consideration when it sinds due Entertainment in and hath a right Operation upon a believing Soul is able to still all the disquieting Motions that Sorrow and Fear have raised there I have not design'd a distinct handling of these Two Propositions 't will be as useful to joyn both together in a plain and instructive Method And therefore shall 1. Give a short Account of the Glory of God and Christ 2. Shew how the Sickness and Death of those who are the Friends of Christ does contribute unto it 3. On what Accounts the Consideration of this hath such a quieting and supporting Insluence upon a Christian and after ward draw some instructive Inferences from these memorable words As to the 1. The Nature of that Glory which belongs unto God and Christ On which I shall only make a very few Remarks because it may be hoped that few Christians are unacquainted with this common Subject Glory in its general Idea or Notion is nothing but some great Excellence manisested and acknowledged whence 't is that it makes so very strong an Impression upon Intelligent Creatures and the desire of it hath so universal an Influence More particularly 1. The Glory of God is the Manifestation of the great and adorable Excellencies which are in the Deity both absolutely and relatively considered When the Virtues as the Greek Expression is 1 Pet. 2.10 of God are shown forth so as to be acknowledg'd and esteemed by his Creatures When his inflexible Justice and spotless Purity his unsearchable Wisdom and infallible Truth his Almighty Power and inexhaustible Goodness do shine forth and are set in a just Light then the Glory of God appears in open view Numb 14.21 God sweareth that all the Earth should be filled with the Glory of the Lord because he intended to display his Justice and Holiness in punishing and consuming the murmuring Israelites Thus 't is said Psal 102.16 When the Lord buildeth up Zion he shall appear in his Glory because that Work would manifest the Power and Veracity of God 2. The Glory of Christ is the shewing forth that Excellence which belongs unto his Mediatory Office accordingly when he wrought his first Miracle at Cana he is said to have manifested forth his Glory Joh. 2.11 All the Evidences which bear Witness unto his Priestly or Regal or Teaching Offices do glorisie the Redeemer 2 Pet. 1.17 3. It must be remembred that the Glory of the Deity is distinct from that of the Redeemer yet they are never separated from much less opposed unto each other 'T is otherwise as to the Glory of God and of a Creature these do often disagree and clash against each other When Herod accepted an undue Honour from a flattering Crowd this took away the Honour that was due unto God Acts 12.23 but the Honour that is given unto Christ doth bring Glory unto God Joh. 17.1 These two are so inseparably joyn'd together that they can never be put asunder Let us now enquire 2. How the Sickness and Death of those who are the Friends of Christ do bring Glory unto God and the Redeemer While our Eye is sixt only upon the dark side or Supersicies of this Object we shall be tempted to put such a Question as once Nathanael did concerning Nazareth Joh 1.46 Can any good thing come from such Evil Can so barren a Soil produce such precious Fruit as the Glory of God Can this dark and dismal Cloud send forth such a refreshing Light At the first view it seems dishonourable unto God when these Bodies which are his Temples are demolish'd and laid in the Dust This I say seems a disparagement unto him who rais'd and dwelt in ' em When these pleasant Plants which stood in the Courts of God are overturn'd this seems a damage unto the Heavenly Husbandman But notwithstanding these Objections of Sense 't is undeniably true that the Sickness and Dissolution of Christians do really contribute unto the Glory of God and Christ The Evidences which confirm this do relate both unto those Christians who are remov'd by Death and unto those who survive 1. With respect unto the Dying Friends of Christ themselves Their Sickness and Death do many ways bring Glory unto God and the Redeemer 1. The Divine Veracity or Truth is glorified by executing the Primitive Sentence which hath been given against all the Posterity of fallen Adam Gen. 3.19 Dust thou art and unto Dust thou shalt return A peculiar Glory redounds unto God when these Declarations which signifie his Councel and Purpose are punctually accomplisht As on the contrary nothing is more dishonourable in its own Nature than Falshood which is counted even by Lyars themselves an intolerable Reproach Compare Num. 14. ver 21. with ver 35. The Death of every Christian doth seal unto the Truth of God 2. The Divine Holiness and hatred of Sin are honour'd by the Sickness and Death of those Christians who have provok'd the Anger of God though they die in Peace We have memorable Instances in Moses in Josiah and the Corinthian Christians some of whom were cut off by Death though not Condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11.30 32. Concerning Moses we read that by his unadvised Language he offended God At
like Calamity before-hand is in some sence true but does not that inflict as much of the Evil before as it takes off afterward For such * Parker's Demonst of the Law of Nat. part 1. §. 28. a fore sight and Expectation cannot be without Anxiety and many sad and melancholly thoughts I mean upon Principles meerly Philosophical it cannot And therefore it is a Disputable point among that fort of men whether it be best to be surprized by an Evil or to pre-meditate and foresee it's approach Both grant we are condemned to be miserable Think upon it before-hand says the one sort that you may feel it the less Never think of it before says the other with equal reason that you may not feel it twice But others more plausibly and with some Weight will be ready to say You knew a Parting Time must come You knew the Matrimonial Union might easily and suddenly be dissolved and broken by Death What did you not know that you and your Relations must Die or did you not live together with this design to help and prepare one another for Death And the Providence of God continued such a suitable Relation to you for so many years might he not have made this breach sooner you ought to be thankful for such a blessing so long Besides it may be added as to the manner of their Disease they had what Art and Care could do to preserve their Lives and earnest prayer to God was added if it did consist but with his Holy Pleasure that they might be longer spar'd And after all they Died quietly on their Beds and went to the Grave in peace and died Lamented and the last Offices of Friendship were perform'd at their Funerals c. Moreover you know not but they are taken away from the evil to come for notwithstanding the beginning and progress of National Deliverances thus far some of us may live to see the Cup of Trembling that our Neighbours and Brethren have drank of come round to us so that the dead may be accounted more happy than the Living As the Prophet speaks Jer. 22.10 Weep not for the Dead but weep for him that goes forth and escapeth Death You know not but such a Calamity may befall this Land this City or their own Family or Dearest Friends as would have made their Lives bitter and miserable if they had been prolong'd And were nothing of all this to be consider'd it might yet be said It is in vain to weep and mourn you cannot call back the Desire of your Eyes to Life again You only torment and hurt your self for heaviness in the Heart of Man makes it stoop it dries the bones and deadens the Spirit and very much unfits for the Duties and Comforts of Life Yea which is worse Immoderate sorrow for your departed Friends does but prove that you love this World too well it shews too plainly that your Faith concerning the Invisible Future World is very weak that you your selves as yet are too unprepar'd to die or count upon tarrying longer here than it may be God intends you shall These and such like considerations have all their influence and use in their proper place to contribute somewhat to our support but of themselves are not sufficient There are four things among others that a Christian Mourner ought to consider for his Relief 1. Whose Hand it is that gives the stroke who it is that does it 2. The Faithfulness of God to his Covenant Promise notwithstanding any such Providences 3. The Gain of those who Die in the Lord by our loss of their Company 4. Our Belief and Hope of meeting them again with all the Children of the Kingdom and being with them for ever with the Lord in Glory And let me add our Expectation of knowing them there for that to me is more than probable First We should not Grieve immoderately when Dear Relations are remov'd by Death because it is the Lord that doth it he who hath a Soveraign Authority and unquestionable Right to dispose of us and them as seems him good I take away the Desire of thine Eyes with a stroke I have done it saith the Lord. We mistake our Tenure if we think he may not call for for his own whensoever he pleaseth The Lord gives and the Lord takes we must adore and bless his Holy Name in both He is not responsible at our Bar or Accountable to us for every thing he does He hath not given us an account of all his matters He does not think fit to answer all our Questions or say all he can to vindicate the Righteousness and Wisdom of his present proceedings therefore why dost thou strive with him Job 33.13 Asa Ruler it is true he hath shewed us reason enough in the general for such Providences but as our absolute Lord and Owner he need not It may be we importunately prayed for their Recovery that God would spare them longer But if we did not pray with a humble submission to his holy Will our very Prayer was a Provocation and we need to repent and mourn for our selves And do not all holy Parents pray more earnestly for the Salvation of their Children and yet you know they are not all answer'd in kind if they were all the World would be saved for doubtless holy Noah prayed for all his Children and they if they were holy would do so for them c. But do we not daily supplicate for the honour of Gods Government for the Glory of his Name the accomplishment of his Councels and the fulfilling of his unerring Will and shall we Repine and Murmur when our prayers are answer'd Consider then whose Hand it is It is He hath taken who gave thee that and all thy other Mercies and prolongs innumerable ones which thou hast forfeited And shall we not receive evil at the hand of God as well as good Job 2.10 Especially since he may have the same kind and merciful design in taking as he had in giving and hath promised that all things this not excepted shall work for good It is He hath done it who is Infinitely Wise and Gracious who loves and pities and spares us as a Father does a Child And shall we not drink of that Cup which our Heavenly Father hath put into our hands His Soveraignty might justly silence us but his Goodness Righteousness and Wisdom should calm and settle our Hearts and make us resign our Will to his It is He hath done it who hath purchased a people out of the World and is collecting them one after another so soon as they are ready and have served the ends of his Glory upon Earth And how shall the many Sons and Daughters be brought to Heaven for which end the Son of God was incarnate and dyed if we and others should have our wish that God should take whom he would and when he pleased but our Relations should be excepted It is He hath done it who told us
that whosoever loves Father or Mother Wife or Child more than Christ cannot be his Disciple Luke 14.26 It is He unto whom our Relation is nearer sweeter and more indissoluble than that unto any of our Friends on Earth can be It is He hath done it who said Father I will that those whom thou hast given me shall be where I am to behold my Glory John 17.14 And when he would remove any of such a Character how dear soever unto us shall our Reluctant will oppose and gainsay his Wife and Just and Holy Pleasure Shall any of us dare say in such a case that he is mine or she is mine I cannot yield to let them go would we insinuate that they are more ours than his did he not make them did he not renew them and make them meet for Heaven and ought he not rather to dispose of them according to His Will than ours ought not ours to subscribe to his Secondly Consider the Faithfulness of God to his Covenant promises notwithstanding such Providential Tryals Whatsoever change He makes in our Families and conditions the Blessed God is still the same what and where he was tho our Relations and Friends are not what they were or where they were Thô a House be broken up and a Family dissolv'd tho one or more of the principal Members of it be snatch'd away we who are left may yet with David encourage our selves in the Lord our God 2 Sam. 23.5 saying Tho' my house be not so with God yet hath he made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure and this is all my Salvation and all my Desire And is not this All enough Ought we not so to reckon it that tho' we should be forsaken of all Creatures God will never leave us nor forsake us that we shall not be left alone he will still be with us the Husband of the Widow and the Father of the Fatherless shewing Mercy to them that sear him and to their Seed after them and his Righteousness or promised Mercy to their Childrens Children Psal 103.7 Can he not be better than all Relations could any one of them be a Blessing or a Comfort to us without him Was it not from God if any of them were so how easily might he have imbitter'd their Company who were the Delight of our Eyes And can he not supply that Loss out of his own fulness Was he the Author of all the Comfort we enjoyed in and by them and cannot he make amends for their Absence Is not the Presence of the God of all Consolation equivalent to theirs May he not make us Gainers and oblige us to own by Comfortable Experience that in very faithfulness he hath thus afflicted Did we better clear up our Covenant-Interest in the Alsufficiency of God it would be a special Means of our Support in this and all other afflicting Cases Thirdly Let us look from our selves to Them whom God hath taken from us and compare their Gain with our Loss and that will infer a Defect either in our Faith or in our Friendship if we Mourn immoderately for those who Dye in the Lord and sleep in Jesus I Confess the Death of Wicked Relations is a very perplexing and humbling Case But yet we must remember God is Wiser and more Merciful than we and doth all things for his own Glory And we cannot doubt but when we come to Heaven our Minds and Wills shall be entirely Conform'd to his And for the present it cannot well be Answer'd Why one or two of our particular Kindred that Dyed in Sin shou'd be so much more lamented than the many Hundreds and Thousands that every Week or Month are cut off under Damning Guilt Let us thank God for his distinguishing Grace if He have brought us to Repent and Believe and Obey the Gospel and do what we can that others also may especially those of our Kindred and Acquaintance with unfeigned Sorrow that we have done no more to further their Conversion and Salvation and then we may rejoyce in the Glory of God and our Blessed Redeemer by the Faith and Holiness of those that are or shall be saved Were this our Temper as it ought to be we should not be apt to grieve excessively at the Death of our Holy Friends For they are delivered from the Guilt and Power of Sin and have received the End of their Faith and Patience and Hope They have overcome the difficulties that we must longer Conflict with and have safely pass'd those Changes we must yet be proved by We have many Dangers yet to escape many hazardous Temptations yet to resist a difficult Warfare yet to manage against the Enemy of our Souls many weary Dayes and Hours to pass under the troublesome Effects of Sin and the Assaults of the Devil We must yet tarry in the Wilderness and know the Tryals of a sojourning State while they are got safe to the Promised Rest We must yet toil and labour and strive under the Cares and Fears and Wants and Difficulties of many kinds inward and outward Personal and Relative publick and private but they are beyond the reach of either they shall be allur'd or disquieted by the suggestions of the Devil no more they shall be in fear of Hell and under Apprehensions of Gods Displeasure no more they shall be in hazard of infection by bad Company or grieved by the scandals and ill Examples of the Ungodly no more for they are joyned to the Holy Society above in the blessed Visions Services and Rejoycings of that better World Not only are they deliver'd from what is now afflictive to us but bountifully rewarded and Happy in the Knowledge and Love of God Not only have they their iron Fetters knock'd off from their feet but a Crown of Grory put upon their Heads Not only stript of their filthy Garments but cloathed with the pure and immortal Light Not only all their Sorrows vanisht but their Souls filled with unutterable Joy waiting for the Completion of it at the Resurrection of the Dead We think it may be we stand in need of their Company we are certain they need not ours having left an Imperfect Dark Desiling Tempting Troublesome Miserable World and are gone to a Blessed Society and State of Holiness and Peace from Doubts and Darkness and Complaints to the Bosom of Insinite Love where they shall Complain and Weep no more for ever And therefore tho our Saviour Wept when Lazarus dyed because it is said he loved him the reason seems to be because our Lord knew that †Isid Pelus L. 2. Epist 173. Lazarus was to return to be upon the Earth again he knew that it was for the Glory of God that he should be raised from the Dead and return to be Tryed and Tempted and Troubled again But it is not so with our departed Friends Oh let us believingly look upward where they are and think what they are doing and remember how