Plea 7. You press me to moderation of sorrows, and I know I ought to shew it ; but you do not know how the case stands with me, there is a sting in this affliction, that none feels but mjself ; and, O ! how intolerable is it now ! I neglected proper means in season to preserve life, or miscarried in the use of means. I now see such a neglect, or such a mistake about the means, as I cannot but judge greatly to contribute to that sad loss which I now, too late, lament.
O my negligence, O my rashness, and inconsiderateness ! how doth my conscience now smite me for my folly ! and by this aggra- vate my burden beyond what is usually felt by others. Had I season- ably applied myself to the use of proper means, and kept strictly to sucli courses and counsels as those that are able and skilful might have prescribed, I might now have had a living husband, wife, or child : whereas I am now not only bereaved, but am apt to think I have bereaved myself of them. Surely there is no sorrow like unto my sorrow.
Answer 1. Though it be an evil to neglect, and slight the means ordained by God for recovery of health, yet it is no less evil to ascribe too much to them, or rely too much on them ? the best means in the world are weak and ineffectual, without God's assistance and concurrence, and they never have that his assistance or concurrence, when his time is come ; and that it was fully come in your friend's case, is manifested now by the event. So that if your friend had had the most excellent helps the world affords, they would have availed nothing. This consideration takes place only in your case, who see what the will of God is by the issue, and may not be pleaded by any whilst it remains dubious and uncertain, as it gencrrally doth in time of sickness.
Answer 2. Do you not unjustly charge, and blame yourselves for that which is not really your fault, or neglect ! How far you are chargeable in this case, will best appear by comparing the circum- stances you are now in, with those you were in when your relation was only arrested by sickness ; and it was dubious to you what was your duly, and best course to take.
Possibly you had observed so many to perish in physicians hands, and so many to recover without them, that you judged it safer for your friend to be without these means, than to be hazarded by them.
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Or, if divers methods and courses were prescribed, and persuaded to, and you now see your error, in preferring that which was most improper, and neglecting what was more safe, and probable ; yet as long as it did not so appear to your understanding at that time, but you followed the best light you had to guide you at that time, it were most unjust to charge the fault upon yourselves, for choosino* that course that then seemed best to you, whether it were so in itself, or not.
To be angry with yourselves for doing, or omitting what was then done, or omitted, according to your best discretion, and judgment, because you now see it by the light of the event, far otherwise than you did before ; it is to be troubled that you are l)«t men, or that vou are not as God, who only can foresee issues and events ; and that you acted as all rational creatures are bound to do, according to the light they have, at the time and season of action.
Answer 3. To conclude. Times of great affliction are ordinarily times of great temptation, and it is usual with Satan then to charge us with more sins than we are guilty of, and also make those thino-s to be sins, which, upon impartial examination, will not be found to be so.
Indeed, had your neglect or miscarriage been known or voluntary, or had you really preferred a little money (being able to give it) before the life of your relation, and did deliberately choose to hazard this, rather than part with that ; no doubt, then, but there had been much evil of sin mixed with your affliction ; and your conscience may justly smite you for it, as your sin ; but in the other case, which is more common, and I presume yours ; it is a false charge, and you ought not to abet the design of Satan in it.
Judge by the sorrow you now feel by your friend, in what degree he was dear to you, and what you could now willingly give to ran- som his life, if it could be done with money. Judge, I say, by this, how groundless the charge is that Satan now draws up against you, and you are but too ready to yield to the truth of it.
Plea 8. But my troubles are upon a higher score, and account : my child or friend is passed into eternity, and I know not how it is with his soul ; were I sure my relation were with Christ, I should be quiet ; but my fears of the contrary are overwhelming ; O it is terrible to think of the damnation of one so dear to me.
Answer 1. Admit what the objection supposes, that you have real grounds to fear the eternal condition of your dear relation ; yet it is utterly unbeseeming you, even in such a case as this, to dispute with, or repine against the Lord.
I do confess it is a sore and heavy trial, and that there is no cause more sad, and sinking to the spirit of a gracious person : their death is but a trifle to this; butyet if you be such as fear the Lord,methink3 his indisputable sovereignty over them, and his distinguishing love and mercy to you, should at least silence you in this matter. Vol. V. T t
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First, His indisputable sovereignty over them, Rom. ix. 20. « Who art thou, O man, who disputest with God ?" He speaks in the matters of eternal election and reprobation. What if the Lord will not be gracious to those that are so dear to us .? Is there any wrong done to them or us thereby ? Aaron''s two sons were cut off in the act of sin, by the Lord's immediate hand, and yet he held his peace. Lev. x. 3. God told Abraham plainly, that the covenant should not be established with Ishmael, for whom he so earnestly prayed, 0 let Ishmael live before thee I and he knew that there was no salvation out of the covenant, and yet he sits down silent under the word of the Lord.
Secondly^ But if tJiis do not quiet you, yet methinks his distinguish- ing love and mercy to you should do it. O what do you owe to God, that root and branch hath not been cast together into the fire ! that the Lord hath given you good hope, through grace that it shall be well with you for ever. Let this stop your mouth, and quiet your spirit, though you would have grounds for this fear.
Answer % But pray examine the grounds of your fear, whether it may not proceed from the strength of your affections to the eternal welfare of your friend, or from the subtilty of Satan, designing here- by to overwhelm and swallow you up in supposed, as well as from just grounds and causes ? In two cases it is very probable your fear may proceed only from your own affection, or Satan's temptation.
Firsts If your relation died young, before it did any thing to de- stroy your hopes. Or,