It is a dark hour with us, when these comforts are put out ; but David's faith did, and ours may comfort us with this, that he that blew out the candle, can light up another : " Thou, Lord, shalt light my " candle, the Lord my God shall enlighten my darkness." That is, the Lord will renew mv comforts, alter the present sad state I am in, and chase away that trouble and darkness which at present lies upon me : Only beware of offending him, at whose beck your lights and comforts come and go. Michal displeased the Lord, and therefore had no child unto the day of her death, 2 Sam. vi. 23.
Hannah waited humbly upon the Lord for the blessing of chil- dren, and the Lord remembered her; he enlightened her condition with that comfort, when she was as a lamp despised. There is no comfort you have lost but God can restore it, yea, double it in kind, if he sees it convenient for you. And if not, then,
Consideration 13. ConsJder, though he should deny you any inore comforts of that kind, yet he hath far better to hestoio upon yoUf such as these deserve not to he named zclth.
You have an excellent scripture to that purpose, in Isa. Ivi. 4, 5. " For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths ; " and chuse the things that please me, and take hold of my cove- " nant ; even to them will I give in ray house, and within my walls, " a place, and a name better than of sons and daughters ; I will give " them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.""
A T0KT:N for MOUJIXERS. 645
Men^s names are to be continued in their issue, in tlieir male issue especially, and consequently to fail in suoh as wanted is- JSee English sue, Num. xvii. 4. and a numerous issue is deemed no Ajinotatimis small honour, Psal. cxxvii. 4, 5. God therefore pro- on the place, mised here to supply, and make good the want of issue, and whatsoever, either honour here, or memorial here- after, might from it have accrued to them, by bestowing upon them matter of far greater honour, and more durable ; a name better, or before the names of sons or daughters.
It is a greater honour to be the child of God, than to have the greatest honour, or comfort, that ever children afforded their parents in this world.
Poor heart, thou art now dejected by this affliction that lies upon thee, as if all joy and comfort were now cut off from thee in this world.
A cloud dwells upon all other comforts, this affliction hath so im- bittered thy soul, that thou tastest no more in any other earthly com- forts, than in the white of an Gg^. O that thou didst but consider the consolations that are with God for such as answer his ends in afflic- tion, and patiently wait on him for their comfort ! he hath comforts for you far transcending the joy of children.
This some hath found when their children have been cut off from them, and that in so eminent a degree, that they have little valued their comfort in children, in comparison with this comfort.
I will therefore set down a pregnant instance of the point in hand, as I find it recorded bv the grave and worthy author of that excellent book intitled. The fulfilling of the scripture.
Another notable instance of grace, with a very remarkable passage in his condition, I shall here mention. ' One Patrick Mackewrath,
* who lived in the west parts of Scotland, whose heart, in a remark-
* able way the Lord touched, and after his conversion (as he shewed
* to many Christian friends) was in such a frame, so affected with a
* new world, wherein he was entered, the discoveries of God, and of
* a life to come;^ that for some months together he did seldom sleep, ' but was still taken up in wondering. His life was very remarkable
* for tenderness, and near converse with God in his walk; and, which
* was worthy to be noted, one day, after a sharp trial, having his only
* son suddenly taken away by death, he retired alone for several
* hours, and when he came forth did look so cheerfully, that to those ' who asked him the i-eason thereof, and v/ondered at the same in ' such a time; he told them, He had got that in his retirement with ' the Lord, that to have it afterwards renewed, he would be conteiit
* to lose a son every day.'
O what a sweet exchange had he made ! Surely he had gold for brass, a pearl for a pebble, a treasure for a trifle ; for so great, yea, and far greater is the disproportion betwixt the sweet light of God's countenance, and the faint, dim light of the best creature-enjoyment.
646 A TOKEN FOR MOUKKEES.
Would it please the Lord to make this sun arise and shine upon you, now when the stars that shined with a dim and borrowed light are gone down, you would see such gain by the exchange as would quickly make you cast in your votes with him we now mentioned, and say, Lord, let every day be such as this funeral day; let all my hours be as this, so that I may see and taste what I now do. How gladly would I part with the dearest and nearest creature-comforts I own in this world. The gracious and tender Lord hath his divine cordials reserved on purpose for such sad hours ; these are sometimes given before some sharp trial, to prepare for it, and sometimes after, to support under it.
I have often heard it from the mouth, and found it in the diary of a sweet Christian now with God, that a little before the Lord removed her dear husband by death, there was such an abundant outlet of the love of God unto her soul for several days and nights following, that when the Lord took away her husband by death, though he was a gracious and sweet tempered (and by her most tenderly beloved) husband, she was scarce sensible of the stroke, but carried quite above all earthly things, their comforts, and their troubles : so that she had almost lost the thoughts of her dear husband in God. And had not the Lord taken that course with her, she concluded that blow had not been possible to be borne by her, she must have sunk without such a preparative.
A husband, a wife, a child, are great, very great things, as they stand by other creatures ; but surely they will seem little things, and next to nothing, when the Lord shall set himself by them before the soul. And how know vou, but God hath bidden these earthly comforts stand aside this day, to make way for heavenly ones ? It may be, God is coming to communicate himself more sweetly, more sensibly than ever to your souls; and these are the providences which must cast up, and prepare the way of the Lord. Possibly God's meaning in their death is but this : child, stand aside, thou art in my way, and fillest my place in thy parent's heart.
Consideration 14. Be careful you exceed not in your grief for the loss of earthly things^ considering that Satan takes the advantage of all extremes.
You cannot touch any extreme, but you will be touclied by that enemy, whose greatest advantages lie in assaulting you here.