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Then, as for Glory; 'tis highly equitable, that they who have humbled themselves here, fhould be exalted hereafter; and that they who have renounced this World, should have their Portion in the next. And to convince the flow-hearted and diftrustful World, that thus it shall be; God has already given a Specimen of it, in the Example of his Son, who was particularly eminent for this double Poverty of Spirit; for Renouncing the World, and for Debafing himself; whom therefore God has highly exalted, giving him a name above every name; Phil. 2.9. and has alfo placed him on his own Right Hand, Angels, and Authorities, and Powers being made fubject unto him, 1 Pet. 3.22.

Difcourfe

Difcourfe the Second.

Matth. V. ver. iv.

Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be

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comforted.

HEY are the Words of him who was himself a Man of Sorrows, and ac quainted with Grief; and who was also acquainted with Happiness too; with the Joys of Religion, with the Refreshments of Angels, with the Antepafts of Glory, and with that Peace of God which now paffes all Understanding, and fhall hereafter fatisfie all Defire: He had tafted of both Cups, the Cup of Trembling, and the Cup of Salvation: He had tried both the Miseries of Human Nature, and the Glories of the Divine; and fo well knew, what Proportion the Confolations of God have to the Infelicities of Man; and how little the Sufferings of this present time are, in comparison of the Glory that fhall be revealed to them, that with Meeknefs bear them, and with Fruitfulness improve under them. He therefore having tried both the Worft, and the Beft, muft needs be a proper Judge in the Cafe, whether Happiness may confift with Affliction, or no.

And

And he is fo far from difcouraging his Difciples from treading in the fame thorny, rugged Way that he did, that he rather gives them all the Invitation in the World to do fo, cafts a Glory round the Head of the Sorrowful, and represents Grief as a very lovely thing, by telling them, that Blessed are. they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

But are all those blessed that mourn? And does Grief intitle all that are under its Dominions, to Happiness and Confolation ? This, indeed, would be good News to this our World, where there is fo much of it; which is a Valley of Tears, and a Region of Sadness; where there are a thousand Sighs, for one Smile; and where the mourn ers go about the ftreets, Eccl. 12. 5. But it is not all Mourning that comes within the Circle of this Beatitude; nor fhall all that fow in Tears, reap with Joy. As there are fome that forrow without Hope, fo is there fome kind of Sorrow, concerning which we can hope nothing. There is a Sorrow that proceeds from no Human and Moral Principle, but from Natural and Neceffary Causes; as, from the Influence of External Impreffions, from the Grofnefs of the Spirits and Blood, from Melancholy, and the like. Again, There is a Sorrow, which tho' of an Human and Moral Extraction, yet fprings from no good or laudable Principle, but is altoge

ther

ther of a neutral and indifferent Nature. Again, There is a Sorrow that proceeds from an ill Principle; as, from Malice, Envy, Covetoufness, Ambition, Servile Fear, and the like: And which tends alfo to an ill End; as, to Revenge, Impatience, Defpair, &c. Accordingly the Apoftle tells us ofa Worldly Sor row, and of a Sorrow that worketh Death, 2 Cor.7. So far is all Mourning from being Christian Mourning, or from giving us a juft Title to this Beatitude,

Here therefore it will concern us to confider Three Things:

I. That there is fuch a Thing as the Duty of Chriftian Mourning.

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II. Who thefe Chriftian Mourners are.
III. Wherein confifts their Bleffedness.

And First, I fay, that there is fuch a thing as Chriftian Mourning. This muft needs feem a strange Paradox to the Philofophy of those, who make the Pleafures of the Animal Life the End of Man,and think that now we have nothing to do but to enjoy them; and that God fent Man into the World to the fame purpose as he placed the Leviathan in the Sea, only to take his Pass-time therein. 'Twould be but a cold Employment to go about to convince fuch Men, either of the Neceffity, or of the Bleffedness, of Mourning; whofe

Anfwer

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Answer would be in the Language of those Sinners in the Book of Wisdom, Come on, let us enjoy the good things that are prefent, and let us speedily ufe the creatures, as in our youth. Let us fill our felves with coftly wine, and ointment; and let no flower of the spring pass by us. Let us crown our felves with rofe-buds before they be withered, let none of us go without his part of our voluptuoufness, let us leave tokens of our joyfulness in every place; for this is our portion, and our lot is this.

This is the Style of the Epicurean School. And there are also fome Chriftians, who, tho' they do not make the Pleasure of the Animal Life their End, Lot and Portion, as do the other; yet they think they may allow themselves a great Scope and Compass in it, 2 that they may indulge themselves to the full in all the Mirth and Jollity of the World, and that there is no need of any fuch thing as mourning in Sion. Thefe Men feem to have the fame Notion of Chrift's Religion, that the Jews had of his Perfon. They looked upon him under the Character of a great Temporal Prince; and dreamt of nothing under his Reign but Victories, and Triumphs, and Festivals, and Vine-yards, and Olive-yards. And fo fome think of his Religion. They look upon it as a fine, gay, fecular, jolly Profeffion; as a State of Freedom and Émancipation, of Eafe and Pleasantnefs; as if the Children

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