A DISCOURSE Concerning the DEATH of the Righteous.
The Righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and Merciful men are taken away, none considering that the Righteous is taken away from the Evil to come.
IN the two first Verses of this Chapter the Prophet Comforts good Men against the fear of Death: In this verse by shewing what they are taken from; It is from Evil. In the next verse by declaring what they are taken unto. They are no sooner gone out of this World, but they Enter into Peace; [Page 2] so they do as to their Souls. The Hebrews under the Name of Peace, intend all manner of happiness. Their bodies sleep in the Grave: There they Rest as in a Bed until the Resurrection of the Just: but before ever their bodies are laid in the Grave, their Immortal Spirits are received into Peace and perfect blessedness.
In the preceding Chapter there is a Prediction of Evil to come. That Prediction is confirmed in this Verse, by mentioning that which is often a Sign and Prognostick of Evil to come, viz. The Death of Righteous and Merciful Men, and this was attended with a very unhappy Ominous circumstance, it was not considered and laid to heart as it should have been. What that Evil to come, was, is not expressed. A formidable Enemy was to come with a Mighty Army to make great devastations throughout the Land, this was an Evil to come indeed. Their insensibility of the hand of God in removing his Faithful Servants from them was an uncomfortable sign of it. I shall only speak a few words briefly to this Doctrine.
[Page 3] DOCT. That when Righteous and Merciful Men are taken away by Death, in case it is not duely Considered and Laid to heart, it is a sad sign of great Evil to come.
The Doctrine may be opened in several Propositions.
PROP. I. Righteous Men are Merciful Men.
These are here used as Synonomous terms, words importing the same Persons. Righteousness makes men to resemble the blessed God, who is the Righteous Lord; the Righteous Lord loveth Righteousness. So does Mercifulness make men resemble him: Luk. 6.36. Be ye Merciful as your Father is Merciful. The Scripture makes the same Promises unto, and pronounceth the same blessings upon the Merciful man that it does on the Righteous. Mercifulness discovers it self in two things especially.
1. In a readiness to forgive injuries and offences. The Divine Mercy is seen in that He is a Sin-pardoning God. He is the Lord Merciful and Gracious, abundant [Page 4] in Goodness, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin. That's His Name, that's His Nature, Exod. 34.6, 7. There is in Righteous Men the like disposition which discovers them to be the Children of God. The Scripture says, Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christs sake has forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children, Eph. 5.1. Nor is there any one thing that makes a clearer and greater discovery of a Mans Spiritual State, whether he is in a justifyed or an unjustifyed Estate, than this which I am now speaking of. An implacable revengful Spirit is an infallible Character of an Unrighteous man. But when a Christian considers with himself, God has forgiven me all the wrongs that I have done to Him, therefore will I forgive those who have been most injurious to me, this argues a Justifyed, a Righteous Man. Wherefore Christ has said, If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive [...]. Math 6. 14, 15.
[Page 5]2. Mercifulness discovers it self in Bounty and Charity towards them that need relief. The Hebrew words for Merciful men, are, Anshe Chesed, The Men of Goodness, or kindness. Bountifulness is called Goodness. The Apostle speaking of the fruits of the Spirit mentions Gentleness and Goodness, Gal. 5.22. Gentleness notes a readiness to forgive; Goodness, a willingness to communicate good things to them that are in want. The special object of Mercy is such as are in Misery, and in that respect need relief, as tis with those who are oppressed with Poverty. 1 Joh. 3.17. Whoso has this worlds goods and seeth his brother have need, and shuts up his bowels of Compassion from him, how dwells the love of God in him? A brother that is in want is an object of bowels of Compassion. Charity towards the poor and needy is Mercifulness. The Greeks (as some of you know) call Alms deeds, Eleemosunas from Eleos which signifies Mercy. And these also are called Righteousness. Psal. 112.9. He has dispersed, he has given to the poor, his righteousness endureth for ever. A Covetous Miser is apt to think, that that part [Page 6] of his Estate which is given to the Poor is lost, whenas the truth is, that that is the only part of his Estate which will abide with him to Eternity. That Righteousness in respect of the fruits and blessed reward of it Endureth for ever. The Apostle prayes for the Corinthians that the Lord would increase the fruits of their Righteousness, 2 Cor. 9.10. They had been charitable and bountiful to the poor Saints at Jerusalem, this he calls their Righteousness, and prayes that as a little Seed produceth a great deal of fruit, so that their Charity might have an abundant recompense. We see then that Righteous Men and Merciful Men are the same. But then we must remember that there is a Natural and a Spiritual Mercifulness.
(1.) A Natural Mercifulness. This some Moral men though Strangers unto true Saving Grace have excelled in. Some Natural men have a Nobleness of temper and disposition. They hate such cruelty as men of base & ignoble tempers have delighted in. The Servants of Benhadad said, We have heard that the Kings of Israel are Merciful Kings, 1 King. 20 31. Yet [Page 7] not one of those Kings ( viz. of the ten Tribes) was a Godly man: but such cruelty and barbarity as the Heathen Princes used to Exercise towards those that fell into their hands, the Kings of Israel did not practise. And yet there have been some Heathen of Heroick and Generous tempers. It is reported concerning the Emperor Vespasian, that he was never known to rejoyce at the calamity of his Enemies, and that when he was necessitated to sign a Warrant for the Execution of a Malefactor, he would sigh & sometimes shed tears for it. Such was the tenterness of his Natural disposition. Alexander the great would be liberal and bountiful to an excess, and when his Enemies fell into his hands, he would treat them with great Civility and Kindness.
But therefore,
(2.) There is a Spiritual Mercifulness which is peculiar to those that belong to God, having his Image and received of his Spirit. Col. 3.12. Put on as the Elect of God, holy and beloved bowels of Mercies, kindness, &c. There is a Mercifulness which is a Supernatural work of the Spirit [Page 8] of God, which some who are naturally of very bad tempers have had their hearts so changed as to excel in it. A Mercifulness which argues an Heaven-born Soul. Jam. 3.17. The wisdom which is from above is full of Mercy,—. This differs from that which is only Natural in that it has respect to the Will and Glory of God. It will cause a Man to shew Mercy without any sinister respect of gaining ought to himself. It proceeds from Spiritual Principles, from Faith in Christ and Love to God. It is Exercised chiefly about Spiritual objects. It appears in Compassion to the Souls of men. Our Saviour Christ was moved with compassion when he saw a Multitude of men as Sheep without a Shepherd. He pitied their perishing Souls. The Spiritually Merciful man, such as belong to God are the chief object of his charity. Gal. 6.10. As we have therefore opportunity let us do good to all men, especially to them who are of the houshold of Faith.
PROP. II. Righteous and good Men are Subject unto Death as well as others.
[Page 9]What man is he that liveth and shall not see Death! Shall he deliver his Soul from the hand of the Grave? All mankind is involved in the guilt of Adams sin, and therefore they must all dy. 1 Cor. 15.22. In Adam all dy. His sin has killed them all: His eating the forbidden fruit has proved a Mortal poyson to all his Children. That sin of his is by a righteous Imputation the sin of every man in the world. Rom. 5.12. By one man sin entred into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned. It is appointed for men once to dy, Heb. 9.27. Statutum est: There is a Statute law for it. We may see the Original Statute, Gen. 2.17. In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely dye: and in chap. 3.19. To dust thou shalt return. Faith in Christ will Save from the Second death, but not from the first death, i. e. as to the being of it, tho' from the Curse of it the Believer is Saved, the day of his Death will be better to him than the day of his birth. It is said of the holy Patriarcks, all these dyed in the Faith, Heb. 11.13. Notwithstanding they had Faith, they all dyed. It is said in the Text before [Page 10] us, Merciful men are taken away. The Original word is Neesaphim, i. e. they are gathered. The word is a Metaphor taken from Husbandmen who when they see a Storm a coming, they take away their Corn out of the field and gather it into the barn. So does the Lord sometimes take his Wheat out of the World, and gather it into his heavenly barn, to Save it out of a Storm. When their bodies are lodged in the Grave, and their Souls are in Heaven no Storm in the World can hurt them. It is here also said, That the Righteous perish. There is a Perishing of the Soul in respect of Eternal death. So no righteous Person shall ever perish. Whosoever believes on the Son of God shall not perish. Christ has said concerning his Sheep, I give unto them Eternal Life, and they shall never perish. But then there is a Perishing of the Body in respect of a Temporal death. That consumeth in the rotting Grave. The Earth is the common Mother of all men, out of whose Womb they came, and to whose belly they must return, as Iob speaks; the dust shall return to the Earth as it was, so does it Perish. They that are [Page 11] dead are in the Eye of the World perished. They are as if they were not. They go hence and be no more. Rachel wept for her dead Children because they were not. Thus righteous men as well as others perish. No Eminency of Place can prevent the Stroke of death. The greatest Kings are Mortal as well as the meanest of their Subjects, and some of them have commanded their Servants to put them in Mind of it. There is a King whose blaspheming flatterers call him, The Immortal Man, but it was said to the Prince of Tyrus, Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God! but thou shalt be a Man, and no God in the hand of him that slayeth thee. No Eminency of Wisdom can Save from death. David who was wise as an Angel of God: Solomon who was wiser than all men, is dead. No Eminency of Grace can Save from death. The Holiest men that ever lived on the Earth in all former Generations, are dead. No Eminency in respect of Serviceableness can Save from death. Was there ever a Man in the World more Serviceable to God and to his People than Moses? Nevertheless, the [Page 12] Lord said of him, Moses my Servant is dead, Josh. 1.2. The holy Prophets were very Serviceable and useful Men in their Generation. But did your Fathers live for ever, and the Prophets where are they! Zech. 1.5. It is well for good men that they may dy, and that they must dy, that so they may be happy. For blessed are the dead which dy in the Lord. It is a great Mercy not to be kept over long in this present Evil World. It is true, that long Life is a very great blessing: A good Old Age is a singular favour of God. Nevertheless, for a Man to live long an Unserviceable Life and to be only a burden to himself and others is a Judgment. The good Lord (if it be his Will) in Mercy grant that that may never be my Portion; I had much rather dy this very day. It is related concerning Mr. Bolton, that when he was sick of the Sickness whereof he dyed, one asking whether he was not willing to live longer, he replyed, I acknowledge that Long Life is a great Mercy, and I will use means for the Preservation of my Life and Health, and I submit to the will of God, as to the continuance of my Life: Nevertheless, if I might have my [Page 13] choice, I had infinitely rather dy now, than continue longer in this sinful World: God has filled my Soul with Christ, and I long to be with Him.
PROP. III. The Death of Righteous Men may be so circumstanced as to be a Sign of Evil to come.
When Parents put their Children to bed, it is because a dark Night is at hand. When God puts his Children to bed in the Grave, it is many Times Protentous of a dark and dismal Night approaching. There are two Reasons why the Lord takes away his faithful and dear Servants.
1. He does it in Mercy to themselves. He that has determined in Heaven that Evil shall come, has also determined that his Servants whose Death is precious in his sight, shall be taken out of the way before that Evil comes. So it is sometimes as to particular Families. If some Tragical thing is to befal the Children, their good Father must be taken away first. As for the man that is dead and gone to another World, his Sons are brought low and [Page 14] he perceiveth it not of them, Job 14.21. Ecclesiastes says, that the Dead know not any thing. They know not any thing of our particular Affairs in this World, and therefore if Affliction befals us they are not grieved or at all concerned for it. Thus also, when there are Publick Calamities hastning on the World, God takes away his Servants before those Evils come. We have an instance for this in Iosiah: The Lord said to him, I will gather thee to thy Fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy Grave in Peace, neither shall thy Eyes see all the Evil that I will bring on this Place, and upon the Inhabitants of the same, 2 Chron. 34.28. Notwithstanding Iosiah dyed in War, yet was he gathered to his Grave in Peace, for not only did he dy in Peace with God, and his Soul entred into Everlasting Peace, but there was Publick Peace and Tranquillity in the Kingdom until his death. But had Iosiah lived so long as according to the ordinary course of Nature he might have done, had he lived to have been but a little above Threescore years, what doleful things must his Eyes have seen? He must have seen Jerusalem destroyed, [Page 15] the Temple burnt, his Kingdom ruined, one of his Sons brought to an Ignominious death, who notwithstanding he was a King, and a Kings Son had the burial of an Ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Ierusalem; he must have seen another of his Sons fallen into the hands of a barbarous Enemy, who caused his Eyes to be put out, and bound him in chains, and carried him into Captivity, and kept him in Prison to the day of his death: He must have seen his Grand-children slain in the presence of their Father, before his Eyes were put out. All these Evils came in little more than Twenty years after Iosiah's death: Therefore he must be taken away that so he might not behold them, nor any of them.
2. The Lord takes away the Righteous in Judgment to the World, as well as in Mercy to themselves. That so way may be made for Evil to come on the Place and People among whom they once lived. They are sometimes very instrumental in preventing the Evil, that it should not come in their days. Hence are they said to Stand in the Gap. A few couragious Gapmen, [Page 16] nay, it may be One may Save a whole Town from destruction. Wherefore the Lord said, I sought for a Man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me, for the Land that I should not destroy it, Ezek. 22.30. One Moses did so, and Saved a whole Nation by it. Psal. 106.23. He said he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. When there is a breach made in the Wall of a City, couragious men will venture to stand in the Gap, and so keep out the Enemy. Thus do the Righteous keep off and turn back impending Judgments: Wherefore when there is an holy determination that Evil shall break in, the Lord removes those out of the way that would hinder. Tis said in Psal. 78.50. He made a way to his Anger. This the Lord often does by taking away the Righteous, then the current of Judgment will run smoothly, there will be nothing to obstruct. Sodom could not be destroyed before righteous Lot was taken out of it, and got safe to Zoar. The Angel said, escape thither, for I cannot do any [Page 17] thing until thou be come thither, Gen. 19.22.
It may be Enquired, But what Righteous are they whose Death is a sign of Evil to come? And when is it so?
Quest. 1. What Righteous Men are they whose death is a sign of Evil to come?
Answ. This is especially true of such Righteous Men as are Eminent Ones. The Hebrew word here used is Hatzaddik, noting such as are Emphatically, The Righteous. We cannot say, that the Death of every Righteous man is Ominous, but of Some it is. Judicious Interpreters conceive, that the Prophet Isaiah Preached the Sermon wherein my Text is, presently on the death of Hezekiah. He was an Eminently righteous man, So that after him was none like unto him among all the Kings of Iudah, nor any that were before him. And his death made way for a Miserable change in the Nation. Prodigious Apostasy and Prodigious Calamity quickly followed. In the days of his Successor a formidable Army of Assyrians came and [Page 18] made dreadful havock in the Land. The King endeavoured to hide himself in thickets, but the Assyrians took him there, put him into Fetters and carried him into Babylon, and what distress was the whole Kingdom in then? 2 Chron 33 11. Hezekiah's death made way for all that evil. There are some Righteous men who are Eminent in respect of the Station which God has set them in. They are in a Publick Capacity and Eminently qualified with Gifts and Grace for the discharge of the duty incumbent on them. The death of such Righteous Ones is oftimes Portentous of Evil to come. It is mentioned as such in the third Chapter of Isaiah, when the Lord threatneth that He would take away the Iudge, and the Prophet, and the Prudent, and the Ancient, and the Honourable Man, and the Counsellor. The Righteous Man whom the Lord has lately taken away from us, was an Honourable Man, and a Counsellor, a Judge and a Prudent One, as we all know. Such Men are Pillars, and therefore the removal of them is many times Ominous to the building, lest that should be weakned and fall. Psal. 75.3. [Page 19] The Earth and all the Inhabitants of it are dissolved, I bear up the Pillars of it. By the Male Administration of Saul & his Counsellors, the Nation was brought into an ill Condition. Saul would grant Commissions to Ungodly men like himself, and make them to be Magistrates: but David took care to have good sound Pillars, that is Pious and Faithful Magistrates to be in Place; These were Pillars, they had their Commission from David. So did he bear up the Pillars of the Earth, and Save all from ruin. A few Righteous Men in a Publick Capacity may prevent much Evil: they may avert impending Judgment. Jer. 5.1. Run to and fro through the streets of Ierusalem, see if you can find a Man, that does execute Iudgment, and I will pardon it. When Righteous Rulers whether Civil or Ecclesiastical, if they are Men that have a great swaying Interest and Influence are removed, it many times makes way for great and swift Apostasy, and consequently for sore Judgments to follow. Sometimes the occasional removal of such Righteous ones, tho' but for a few Weeks has been attended with a great defection among [Page 20] their People. When Moses was gone from the Children of Israel but Forty dayes, how suddenly did they corrupt themselves? The Lord said to Moses in the Mount, They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them, Exod. 32.7, 8. When Nehemiah (a Publick Spirited and self denying Governour) was but for a while absent from Jerusalem, Sabbath-breaking, and other Corruptions broke forth among them: He said, but in all this Time was not I at Ierusalem, Neh. 13.6. intimating that if he had been there, his presence would have prevented those Evils. Much more are People in danger of Apostasy when the Lords Eminent Servants are taken away from them by death. It is noted concerning the Children of Israel, that when the Iudge was dead they corrupted themselves, Judg. 2.19. As long as that Eminent Minister of God, who had done good in Israel, viz. good old Iohojada was living, both Ioash and the People did that which was right, but after the death of Iehojada, they left the house of God, and Served Groves and Idols, and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their [Page 21] Trespass, 2 Chron. 24.17, 18. Again, there are Some Righteous Men who are Eminent for their great Piety, who it may be are not, nor will the iniquity of the Times suffer them to be in any Publick Station▪ Men who live much in Heaven, and are admitted to a great intimacy and familiarity with the blessed God. There was a Man in Scotland whose Name was Hugh Kennedy, who made no great Figure in the World, this Man when dying could say, If the Walls of this house could speak, they would tell how many sweet dayes I have had in Secret fellowship with God, and how familiar He has been with my Soul. An Eminent Minister said of him, Happy is that Town, yea Happy is that Nation which has an Hugh Kennedy in it. There are mean Persons in the Eye of the World, it may be they go in Leather Cloathes, who nevertheless are common blessings to the World, and keep off destroying Judgments. The World does not deserve that such men should be in it. Thus does the Scripture speak of men who have wandred about in sheeps skins and goats skins, of whom the world was not worthy, Heb. 11.37, 38. Such Men may do much [Page 22] by their Prayers for the preventing of Evils that otherwise [...]ould come. [...]. 5.16. The effectual fervent Prayer of a Righteous Man availeth much. Therefore when such are taken away it is a bad Symptom. It is reported of Ierom, that if he came to this or that place, and was informed of an Eminent Pious Person lately dead, he would Weep at the hearing of it, because (he said) it does portend some sad Evil or other likely to come on that Place.
Quest. 2. But when is the Death of such Righteous Ones a Sign of Evil to come?
Answ. We cannot say that tis always so. But in two cases especially▪
1. In case Successors shall not be like their Godly Predecessors. Not Spirited, not Principled, not Holy, like them. Moses was (as you heard) a most Eminent Servant of the Lord, and yet no extraordinary Judgment followed upon his death. Why? There was a Ioshua to be his Successor who had much of his Master Moses Spirit and Grace in him. Notwithstanding Davids [Page 23] death, Israel saw happy dayes. There was a Solomon to Succeed him; but it was otherwise after Solomons death. His Successor Rehoboam was not like his Father, nor his Grand-father; and in his dayes there was a Civil War, and a fatal Schism which was never healed. Hezekiah's Successor was not like him: Nor was Iosiah's, and their death was Ominous of Evil to come.
2. If the Death of Righteous Men is not laid to heart as it ought to be, tis a bad Omen. Thus in the Text before us, The Righteous perish and no man layes it to heart: That truly is a sign that the Righteous is taken away from the Evil to come. When there is an insensibility under such rebukes of God, when the anger of the Lord is kindled upon men, but they know it not, it burns them, but they lay it not to heart▪ tis to be feared that greater Evils are to come. If the Lord takes from Children their Parents, but they lay it not to heart, it is an evil Symptom on such Children. And so it is when Publick Parents are taken away by Death, but their People do not consider it with that sense [Page 24] and seriousness which would become them. When men in a Publick Capacity are taken away, especially if their Death's are sudden and awfully circumstanced, God expects that the whole house of Israel should bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled.
USE.
All that I shall say by way of APPLICATION, is only this Word, Let us lay to heart the Deaths which have occasioned our being here this day. The Righteous and the Merciful are lately taken from us. A Merciful Hand-maid of the Lord is removed by Death, unto Peace and Rest with the Lord. One that was Exemplary as for her Piety towards GOD, so for her Mercy and Charity towards His Poor. Thus She was both Living and Dying. In her last Will and Testament She has considered the Poor: As indeed God expects that They who have considerable Estates (especially if they have no Children) should devote Part of them to His Poor, and to Promote the Interest of [Page 25] true Religion in the World. Alas! that there have been some among us, unto whom God gave Riches, but they have not Willed so much as one Peny to the Poor, or to any Pious use. It would have been more for their Honour, and for the Honour of Religion, if they had done as this Hand-maid of the Lord has done; and as another among our selves some years ago did, Major Iohn Richards. for which his Name deserveth to be had in Everlasting Remembrance with us. But of this Mother in Israel whose Death we Lament, I shall not say more. My work is not to Praise the Dead, but to Instruct the Living. Tis said, Prov. 12.21. He that has Mercy on the Poor, happy is he. She had Mercy on the Poor, and now happy is She.
And a Righteous Man is taken from us: One who was Righteous in his Dealings and Commerce: And Righteous in his Publick Capacity as a Iudge. He was a Man rightly Principled, and faithful to [Page 26] the light of his Conscience. He was true to the Liberties and Civil Interests of the Country, being an hearty Revolutioner. And he was a friend to the Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Zealous for that Holy Order of the Gospel which has been Professed and Practised among them. The Land in general, and the Churches have a loss by his Death. The Courts will miss him, considering what his Integrity and his accomplishments were. Should an Enemy to the Churches, or to the Holy Wayes of the Lord which they have walked in, happen to be his Successor, it would be an unhappy Omen for New-England. We in this Congregation have singular cause to be sensible of this Stroke upon us, for that it is on some accounts a finishing Stroke. Eighteen years ago, the Governour of the Province, and Four of the Council were Members belonging to this Church: Now there is none remaining; They are all taken away from us.
But the Children of this Family in a [Page 27] most singular manner, have cause to lay these Deaths to heart: To have a Father and a Mother both taken from you, and such a Father, and such a Mother, and this so soon (within less than a Month) after one another, is a Solemn Providence. And do the Children of this bereaved Family say to me, Do you apprehend that there is any signal Evil to come upon us because of these Deaths? My Children! I hope there is not: for it is Evident that you lay to heart what has befallen you: Else why have you desired us who are here this day, to Lament with you, and Pray with you and for you? One Word of Counsil I shall leave with you, which if you hearken to it, and Practise accordingly, (and I am perswaded that you will do so;) then I know that God has blessings in store for you. The Word which I would leave with you is only this, Follow the holy Example of your Pious Parents. Walk in the steps of their Faith and good Works. Imitate their Righteousness, and their Charity: So shall you be known to be the Children [Page 28] whom the Lord has blessed: The GOD of your Father, and the GOD of your Mother will be your GOD also. There are three Comfortable Scriptures which you, My Children, may do well to think on, and let me Exhort you to be often thinking on them. One is that which was insisted on in the former part of this day: Psal. 27.10. When my Father and my Mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Parents use to take up their little Children and set them on their knees, and when they are grieved will wipe away Tears from their Eyes. So does God (speaking after the manner of men) do by His Children. Tis said concerning some of Iosephs Great Grand-Children, That they were brought up upon Iosephs knees. Ioseph would take his little Grand-Children and in his Paternal kindness dandle them on his knees. If the Lord will be your Father, the loss of no other Father can make you Miserable. If Jesus Christ will own you as His Children▪ altho' your Father and your Mother forsake you, this is Comfort enough, [Page 29] you have an Everlasting Father who will never leave nor forsake you. A second Scripture which I recommend to your Meditation, is that in Gen. 25.11. Where tis said, That after the Death of Abraham, God blessed his Son Isaac. He was blessed before the Death of his Father, but after that much more, both with Temporal and Spiritual blessings, which was in part doubtless the fruit of his good Fathers Prayers whilest living. Who knows but that it may be so with you? The third Scripture which I leave with you, is Prov. 20.7. The Iust Man walks in his Integrity, his Children are blessed after him. After he is dead and gone to a better World, God blesseth his Children There are gracious Promises in the Covenant with respect to the Posterity of the Righteous▪ The Generation of the Upright shall be blessed.