Death Improved and Immoderate Sorrow Reproved, Frontispiece – Table of contents
VERA EFFIGIES EDVARDI BURII EVANGELII MINISTRI AN. AETAT. SUAE 66 ANo. DOM. 1682
Inventiue art dame-natures curious ape
You see can counterfeit the bodyes snape
Yet can noe more describe the mind then we
Heavens glory by ye spangled Canopy
This shaddows out the house who there doth dwell
Aske in the booke the picture cannot tell.
DEATH IMPROV'D, AND Immoderate Sorrow FOR Deceaſed Friends and Relations, REPROV'D.
WHEREIN You have many Arguments againſt Immoderate Sorrow, and many Profitable Leſſons which we may Learn from ſuch Providences.
1 Theſſ. 4.13, 14. But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren, concerning them which are aſleep, that ye ſorrow not, even as others which have no hope; For if we believe that Christ died and roſe again, even ſo them alſo which ſleep in Jeſus, will God bring with him.
By EDWARD BƲRY, formerly Miniſter of Great Belas in Shropſhire.
LONDON: Printed for Tho. Parkhurst, at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapſide, 1693.
TO THE Vertuous, and truly Religious, The Lady Wilbraham, the Pious Conſort of the Right Worſhipful Sir Thomas Wilbraham, of Weſton under Lizard, Barronet, one of His Majeſties Juſtices of the Peace for the County of Stafford, E. B. wiſheth all Happineſs, External, Internal, and Eternal.
MADAM,
IT fares with me, as 'tis fabled of Pan, that pretended Rural God, who being admitted into Apollo's Preſence to ſhew his skill upon his Oaten Pipe, at the first he was baſhful and timerous, but being uncontrouled, he grew bolder, and Pip't louder; This was my Caſe when I wrote the enſuing Letter, which was in a dark and gloomy Day; my Baſhfulneſs, and Senſe of Ʋnworthineſs when it was finiſh'd, had like to have ſtrangled it in the Womb, and to have kept it from your ſight, fearing what Reception it might meet with; but knowing what ever was wanting, a good Meaning and an Intention to do good was not wanting; and after ſome conflict in my ſelf, I reſolved to put it to the venture, and ſend it I did, but your …ind Acceptance beyond my Expectation, made me Pipe louder, and without your privity I ſent it to the Preſs, thinking, that having past this Test, and you approving of it, others alſo might poſſibly do the ſame, but had you past it by with a Check or Diſreſpect, you had ſpoiled my Muſick; yet durst I not prefix your Name to it, as thinking it unworthy of you. But your kind Acceptance of it when it was Printed, and Approbation, doth make me yet bolder to prefix your Name, and tell the World to whom it doth of right belong; and this will be ſome excuſe for me, that you did not manifest your diſlike, nor forbid me to do it, the Reaſons why I did this, and do now again Publiſh it were given you then, there were many worthy Friends then, and ſince that time, that lay under the like Diſpenſation of Providence that you did, viz. That had parted with their near Relations, to whom I was willing to give a Word of Advice and Comfort but my Occaſions would not permit me to Speak or Write to all, neither was I able to do it to all that needed my Advice; I therefore imagining what doth one good, may benefit another alſo, I made it publick; this Letter may ſpeak my Mind when I am abſent, even to thoſe to whom I cannot come; for I ſee Grace itſelf will not wipe off immoderate Tears, but they ſometimes flow like a mighty Torrent without Bank or Bottom, and tho' here be ſome things peculiar to your Condition in the Letter, yet in the general 'tis of publick concern, the Diſeaſe is common, and the Receipt I hope will not be uſeleſs. Most People first or last are concerned in parting with Relations, here are Conſiderations to quiet them, at least they ſee the Death of others as well as of their Relations; and here are profitable Inſtructions to improve that for their own good, and Direction how to prepare for their own Death. Theſe Conſiderations made me make that publick, which at first was intended for private uſe, and I hope this ſecond Edition will give your Ladiſhip, no Offence, nor to read your Name in the Front; when I ſent the Letter to you, I did foreſee that I must ſhortly come into the Furnace again, and ſo I did the very Week I received the printed Book, I B…ried my eldest Son; as you had done your eldest Daughter, and how ſoon I may have another Trial I know not. The Lord grant I may learn the Leſſon my ſelf I am teaching others; ſome Additions I have made, at the Request of ſeveral which may be more needful to others then to you; I hope they tend towards the perfection, not imperfection of the Book. But I forget my ſelf, the whole being but a Letter, and that to your Ladiſhip; I must not make the Gate too wide for the Building. I ſhall ceaſe further to trouble you, when I have committed you and your dear Relations into the Hands of him that never leaveth his, and ſubſcribed my ſelf
MADAM, Your much Obliged Servant, EDWARD BƲRY.
THE CONTENTS.
THE Introduction:
Five Arguments to quiet the Heart at the Death of Relations.
1. Conſider who did it, that great God whoſe they are.
2. Conſider, Who we are that are diſcontented Duſt and Aſhes.
3. What wrong is done to us, or our Relations.
4. What Benefit are we like to have by mourning.
5. Our own Condition is mortal, and ſhall ſuddenly follow.
Seven Leſſons, To be learnt by the Death of Friends if all must die.
1. Leſſon, How little we are beholding to Sin?
1. It brought Death into the World.
2. It is the cauſe of all the Miſſeries we ſuffer in the World.
3. 'Tis the cauſe of all Spiritual Judgment we meet with.
4. It lays us under the Wrath of God, and makes him our Enemy.
5. Tis the cauſe of eternal Death, and eternal Damnation.
Second Leſſon. How little Good the world can do us in our greateſt need.
1. It cannot prevent Death tho' we had never ſo much of it.
2. It cannot procure us a happy Life, or give Content.
3. The things of the World are uncertain and momentary.
4. It can do us little good in our great Concerns here or hereafter.
5. It expoſeth us to a great deal of danger.
Third Leſſon. Of how great concern Grace and a good Conſcience is?
1. It helps exceedingly to bring us through the World with Comfort.
2. It fits us to leave the World, and takes away the Fear of Death.
3. Without it we can neither pleaſe God nor enjoy him.
4. It will procure us a good Name to ſucceeding Generations.
5. It will bear up the Heart at Judgment, and uſher us into Heaven.
Fourth Leſſon. If all muſt dye, then the Godly have nothing to Suffer.
1. The Saints at Death ſhall be freed from all their Sins.
2. From all the Cauſes of Sin, Temptations of Satan, and the World.
3. From all the Devil's Inſtruments, Perſecutions, and Tryal.
4. From all the Effects of Sin, Loſſes, Croſſes, Pains, Sickneſs, &c.
5. They ſhall enj…y God, Heaven and Happineſs for ever.
Fifth Leſſon. If all muſt dye, how little Certainty wicked men have of their Happineſs.
1. At Death they muſt le…ve behi…d all their Riches.
2. They muſt bid … to all their Pleaſures.
3. They muſt loſe all their Pomp, Glory, and Honour.
4. After Death, they …hall loſe their God, their Soules, their Heaven and Happineſs.
5. They ſhal… be thrown into endleſs …aſeleſs Torments.
Sixth Leſſon. If all muſt dye, then we ſhould prepare for our own Death.
1. Conſider ſeriouſly we mu…t die.
2. …e have a great deal of Work to do ere we die.
3. Many men as worldly-wiſe as we, do miſcarry.
4. The dang…rous condition we are in, while unprepared.
5. Preparation for Death, and our Evidences for Heaven can do us no harm.
Directions to Die well.
1. Get an Interest in Christ, and a title to Glory.
2. Be ſure to ſee Sin dead, before you or your Souls will die.
3. Mortifie and Crucifie the World, and ſubdue it.
4. Be ſure to live well if you would die well.
5. Learn to die daily, have death always before your Eyes.
Seventh Leſſon. If all must die, bring your minds to be willing to die.
1. Conſider. Our Life is not at your own diſpoſe, but God's.
2. The many miſeries Death frees us from.
3. 'Tis unbeſeeming a Chriſtian, to be unwilling to die, when God calls.
4. If we reſign our ſelves to God, we ſhall die to the beſt Advantage.
5. The Joys of Heaven may ſweeten Death itſelf. The Concluſion.