2. Consider it. Intensively, as to the degree of the sorrow, it was a bitter lamentation : so pungent, intense, and deep, that the mourning of the Jews for Christ, at the time of their conversion to him, is compared to this mourning for Josiah, Zech. xii. 11. " In that day <' there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of *' Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon." This Hadadrimmon was a little town in the valley of Megiddon, near the place of this fatal battle, whose inhabitants receiving the first tidings of the fall of Josiah, made the town ring with doleful cries and lamentations.
3. Consider it Protensively, in its continuance and duration, it was *' made an ordinance in Israel ;''' and accordingly " the singing-men *' and singing- women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this *' day ;" i. e. Whenever any solemn funeral or public calamity was solemnized in Israel, those persons that were skilful in lamentations, brought in the story of Josiah's death, as the burden of that doleful song or funeral elegy.
II. Let us consider the cause and ground of this lamentation, which certainly was great and weighty enough to justify that sorrow, as great and bitter as it was : for in him they lost a faithful, public, useful, zealous, and tender-hearted instrument, whose life had been eminently useful to the church of God, and whose death opened the gap to all the following calamities upon Judah.
Now, considering Josiah here, especially in his religious capacity, as so faithful, industrious, and useful an instrument for the church of God, rather than in his political capacity as a king, the note from it will be this,
Doct. That faitli fill, active, and puhlic-sjnritcd men in the clmrch of God should not be laid in their graves without great lamentati07is.
When Jacob was buried, a man famous for religion, a great and sore lamentation was made for him. Gen. 1. 10. And when Aaron died all the house of Israel mourned for him thirty days. Numb. xx. 29. When Stephen the proto-martyr died, devout men carried him to his grave with great lamentations. Acts viii. 2. and indeed for any good man to be laid in his grave without lamentation, is lamentable. The living saints have ever paid this respect and honour todead saints.
rUNEEAL OF JOHN rPTON, ESQ.
«s men sensible of their worth, and how great a loss the world sus- tains by their removal.
I know the departed souls of saints have no concernment in these things, yet respect is due to their very bodies, as the temples wherein God hath been served and honoured, as they are related to Christ, who will one day put great glory and honour upon them.
In the explication and conlirmation of this point, I will shew you,
1. Negatlvclij, On what account the death of good men is not to be lamented.
2. Positively, On what account tears and lamentations are due to them, with the grounds and reasons thereof
1. Negatively, There is' not a tear or sigh due to the death of any good man, upon the account of any real loss or detriment that he sus- tains thereby. No, in this case all tears are restrained, all sorrow prohibited by the principles and rules of Christianity, 1 Thess. iv. 13, 14. llehgion differences the sorrows, as well as the joys of its professors, from the common joys and sorrows of the world. Dead saints are better wliere they are, than where they were ; to be with Christ is far better : death to them is gain and infinite advantage, Phil. i. 21, 23. This world is the worst place that ever God designed his people to live in ; for if a state of perfect holiness and purity be better than a state of temptation and corruption ; if a state of rest and peace, be better than a state of labour and sorrow ; if it be better to be triumphing above than sighing and groaning beneath; then it is better for departed Christians to be where they are, than where they were. And could they now communicate their minds to us by words, as they lately did, they would say to us as Christ said, Luke xxiii. 28. " Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for " yourselves, and for your children."' Or, as he spake to his disci- ples under their sad resentments of his departure, John xiv. 28. " If " ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I go to the Father."" So then no tears of sorrow are due to them, or becoming us, upon the account of any real loss or detriment they receive by death.
2. Positively. But the true grounds and causes of our lamentation, are upon divers other weighty accounts ; as,
1 Reason. First, Because so much of the Spirit of God as dwelt in them, when amongst us, is now recalled and gathered up from this lower world. Those precious graces which they exercised among us, in prayer, conference, and other beneficial duties, are now gone with them to heaven.
The church had the benefit of them during their abode with men, but now no more, except only what the remembrance of their holy words and instructive examples (whereby they still speak to us, though dead) may afford unto us.
Theje are choice effusions of the Spirit at the time of our sanctifi- cation, of which the church reapeth the benefit whilst we live ; but all these are recalled at our dissolution, and thenceforth we can be no
124! A SERMON PIIE ACHED AT TKE
farther useful in this lower world : for as the soul is the subject in which these precious graces inhere, so they accompany and go along with the soul into glory.
Now, as it is a real loss to a company when any merchant with- draws a great stock he had running in trade, out of the bank ; so certainly it is a great loss to the church of God, when the precious gifts and graces of the Spirit, dwelling in the saints, are drawn out by death ; so as the church can have no farther benefit by them, their prayers for us, and with us, are now ended ; Abraham knoweth us not, and Israel is ignorant of us.