2. It reproves the insensibleness of good men, who are apt too slightly to pass over such tremendous strokes of God : For this it was that God reproved his own people, Isa. Ivii. 1. No man layeth it to heart. Where the want of affection is charged upon the want of consideration, none considering their worth, their use, or the conse- quences of their fall. Such rebukes of God do certainly call for a deeper sense and sorrow, than is found in most men.
3. It reproves the very best of men, who though they do bewail and lament the loss of such men, yet they do not lament it in the due manner. They lament it one to another, saying, Alas ! alas, such a worthy is fallen, such an eminent instrument in the church or state is dead; but they do not lament it in prayer to the Lord, they mourn not over the matter to him, as David did, Psal. xii. 1. *' Crying, Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth.''' Help, Lord, the remnant that is left ; help, Lord, to repair the breach made by their death ; let the God of the spirits of all flesh raise up a man to fill the room, and supply the want. Alas, how insignificant are the lamentations of most men upon this account.
Use 2. Secojidhj, This point invites us all this day to bewail the stroke of God that is upon us. I could wish that he that looks upon this text and then upon the countenace of this assembly, might be able to discern the agreeableness of the one to the other, on such a sad and solemn occasion.
O let all that love Zion lament, this day, the fall of one of her true friends and lovers. I know funeral panegyrics are apt to be sus- pected of flattery ; but as I want a rhetorical tongue for such a work, so if I had it, it should never be saleable for so bad a use and purpose. I am sure, by sending the generality that die to heaven, many are confirmed in the way to hell : Nor can I but think of that serious
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line in Chrysostom, * What a poor comfort is it to be praised, where * a man is not ; and to be tormented where he is :' ** But yet the *' righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance,^ Psal. cii. 6. Expect nothing from me on this occasion, but what may be spoken with the greatest assurance of truth, and that intended for the benefit and imitation of all that hear it. Some may think it a strain too high, to compare a private person with such a glorious king as Josiah was ; but if Christ compared and preferred the very grass of the field to Solomon in all his glory, 1 know no reason why we may not com- pare and parallel the precious graces of a private person with a royal saint ; especially since the comparison is made in the Q'eUgious, not in the civil capacity,
I am sure the graces, and gracious performances of David, Hezekiah, and Josiah, with all the other dignified saints, were intended and propounded as patterns for our imitation ; and no doubt but private Christians may measure by their pattern. Beside, it is abundantly more safe to relate the virtues of the saints when they are dead, than whilst they were alive ; for now there is no danger of provoking pride and vain-glory in them that are praised, but much hope of provoking a holy emulation and imitation in them that hear them.
Well then, Ahsit invidia verbis: Suffer me this day to erect a pillar, to perpetuate the memory of this deceased worthy ; to pay the tri- bute of my tears due to that mournful hearse ; and to engage you to imitate those excellencies of his, which I shall, with equal truth and modesty, display this day ; that v/e also may be duly affected with the rebuke of God upon us, and mourn over it before him.
If, when an eminent commander in any army falls, the whole army is affected with, and concerned at his death :
The mourning drum, the lance and ensigns trrnVd^ The robes of honour all in sables vaiVd.
Let it not be thought much, Christians should express their sense and sorrow in sighs and tears, for so useful and worthy a man as God hath this day removed from among us ; whose character I shall give you in the following imitable particulars.
1. That worthy man, whose fall we lament this day, was seasoned with religion in his youth, by God's blessing upon his pious education : In this he had the advantage of Josiah. His progenitors were men of piety, and himself a child of many prayers : and as Monica said of herson Austin, it was not likely that a child of so many prayers should perish. How importunately did they request the fervent prayers of their pious friends for him, in the time of his education ? Nor was it in vain, for they were manifestly answered in him : He soon dis- covered that probify and piety, in his youth, which justly raised great expectations from him in his riper years.
2. Nor did he frustrate those hopes ; for as soon as ever God had fixed him a proper sphere of activitv (I mean a family of his own) those graces that were in him shone forth to the comfort and benefit of
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all that were about him : Joshua's pious resolution was his ; " A^ " for me, and my house, we will serve the Lord."
He kept up the\vorship of God in his closet, as well as in his family: And truly, if religion languish in the closet, it will quickly die in the family. His house Vv as a temple consecrated to God ; there the morn- ing and evening sacrifices of prayers and praises were offered up : He called his children and servants"^ to those duties, not reckoning that time lost to him which was spent for God. The Lord had endowed him with an excellent spirit of prayer himself I have sometimes ac- cidentally heard him praying in his family, with such solidity of judg- ment, pertinency of expressions, and holy warmth of affection, that hath at once edified, refreshed, and reproved me in hearing him.
He constantly read the scriptures in course before prayer, and oft-times with a commentary upon them, for his own and his family's edification.
The Lord's day he sanctified, not only in more public attendance on the ordinances, but in the duties of reading, repeating, singing, and catechising all his children and servants about him : And all this before he allowed himself or them any bodily refreshments, lest the edge of their affections should be blunted in duty, by the clog- ging of nature with creature-repasts. And thus did he, as Job, con- tinually : to this course he was severe and constant ; no incident oc- casions, how great or many soever, could divert him from it.
3. Neither was his holy zeal and Christian care limited and cir- cumscribed within his own family, but was extended to the souls of all in his neighbourhood, who desired helps and means in the way of salvation.