a dying when in course of nature a man might have lived long it is one thing for a candle to go out of it self and another to be blown out by the wind it is one thing for a flower to wither and another to be blasted it is one thing for a tree to fall and another to be plucked up by the roots Finally it is one thing for a man to go away and another to be taken away from any place those are Emblemes of a natural these of a violent death In this notion this word addeth something to the former phrase namely the manner of the death The righteous perisheth and that not in a natural way but is taken away by the hand of violence The result of what hath been said on this first general amounts to these two things 1. That righteous and mercifull men perish and are taken away by death Indeed it is said of Enoch God took him that he should not see death so was Eliah and had God so pleased he might have exempted all righteous men from death but then neither his power in raising them to life would have been so illustrious nor their faith and hope in believing and expecting a Resurrection so conspicuous in which latter respect the Father saith well that had good men been priviledged from death Carni quidem faelicitas adderetur adimeretur autem fidei fortitudo though it might have been some kind of advantage to the frailty of our flesh yet it would much have detracted from the strength of out faith In great wisdome therefore hath God so ordered it that righteous and mercifull men as well as others should walk through the valley of the shadow of death Indeed our Saviours assertion is universall He that keepeth my sayings shall not see death but he meaneth the second death and so else where he explaineth himself when he saith He that believeth in me shall not die for ever True it is Solomon tells us that righteousness delivereth from death but it is from the evil not from the being of death death indeed is an advantage to a good man yet still die he must But this is not all which the Prophet here intends since this perishing and taking away by death being that which is appointed for all seemeth not to be a matter of much lamentation and therefore thâ—t which no doubt is further aimed at in these expressions is 2. That sometimes righteous and mercifull men perish and are taken away by a violent death Indeed it is that which is threatned by God as a curse upon wicked especially bloud-thirsty and deceitfull men it is that which Malefactors are sentenced to by the justice of the Judge but yet withall it is that which may and sometimes doth befall Gods own servants nay which is more strange and yet is many times true the righteous are taken away whilest the wicked remain Solomon observed it in his time There is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness yea which is yet most sad but very frequent the righteous perish by the wicked and that for righteousness sake and the mercifull are taken away by cruell hands and that for pietyes sake wicked men never want malice in their hearts and sometimes through divine permission have power in their hands to take away the liberties estates and lives of the righteous One of the first good men that was in the world began this bitter cup which many both men of God and other godly men have since pledged It was the complaint of the Church in the Old Testament and St. Paul taketh it up as most truly applicable to the Church of the New For thy sake we are killed all the day long and are accounted as sheep for the slaughter This is that which the wise God suffers to come to passe for many excellent ends That wicked men by such bloody acts may fill up the measure of their sins and thereby at once hasten and heighten their punishment That good men may have occasion of exercising and manifesting many graces particularly the length of their patience the height of their courage and the depth of their charity When a man endureth to the end suffering even death it self patience hath its perfect work That 's a Resolution indeed which maketh a man faithfull to the death and enableth him to look upon its pale visage with confidence There cannot be greater charity then to forgive my enemy especially when he persecuteth me to the death So that when righteous men perish violently their graces flourish gloriously That hereby righteous men may be fully conformable to the righteous one the Messiah concerning whom this Prophet foretelleth that he should be cut off as the tree is by the ax from the land of the living And in respect of which the Apostle chargeth those Jews that by wicked hands they had taken and slain him Finally That by so perishing the Religion which they profess may be honoured and the God whom they serve glorified Since though both these are in some measure effected by doing well and living uprightly yet much more by suffering ill and dying cheerfully in a righteous cause And now what should the consideration hereof teach us but 1. That certainly there is another world besides this wherein a difference shall be put between the righteous and the wicked between him that feareth God and him that feareth him not Here the righteous perish as well as the wicked nay the righteous perish and the wicked prosper and the mercifull are taken away by the wicked But shall it be so alwaies Will not the Judge of all the world do right Will there not be a Reward for the righteous Yes doubtless And since in this world all things fall alike to all and for the most part it fareth better with the wicked then the godly it necessarily followeth that there is a state after death wherein the righteous judgment of God in punishing the wicked who now prosper and recompensing the righteous who now perish shall be made manifest 2. That it is a needfull prudence in righteous and mercifull men to improve their time and Talents in serving God and doing good to others whilest they live They must perish at last by a natural they may be taken away soon by a violent death and when they perish all ability and opportunity will be taken away of doing good works either of piety or pitty justice or mercy Oh then how great industry and celerity is needfull in putting forth themselves to the utmost for God their souls their Brethren whilest they live that they may do much in a little time according to that sage advice of the wise man Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whether thou goest 3. That sowing in
A Sad Prognostick OF Approaching JUDGMENT OR THE HAPPY MISERY OF GOOD MEN IN BAD TIMES Set forth in a Sermon Preached at St Gregories June the 13th 1658. By Nathaniell Hardy Minister of St Dyonis Back church PSAL. 12. 1. Help Lord for the godly man ceaseth for the faithfull fail from among the children of men Philo Jud. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} LONDON Printed by A. M. for Joseph Cranford at the Sign of the Kings Head in St Pauls Church-yard 1658. To the READER IHave too often and not without regret beheld those monstrous births which have been forced into the world by the unskilfull and injurious Midwifry of Scriblers Stationers and Printers often the death of their pretended Parents Indeed who would not be troubled to see the innocent Names of eminent Divines made as it were to do pennance in the Printers Sheets for the incontinency of their wanton Auditors who between the Pen and the Press beget and bring forth a Bastard brood of Sermons which they must Father How greatly that Reverend man of God Dr. John Hewit since his suffering death hath upon this account suffered from his seeming Friends is obvious to every intelligent eye witness two Books of Sermons Printed and published under his Name and notwithstanding some of them appear to be translations out of French Authours pretended to be his which was done too both against a special Caveat entered in Stationers-Hall by his honourable Lady and Advertisements in print by two of his worthy Friends viz. Dr. Wild and Mr. Barwick whose Names have been made use of without their privity or consent to stand in place and shew of Licensers of those Sermons which they utterly disown and desire by this meanes publiquely to disclaim This having been the Lot of so many Preachers of the Gospel and those men famous in their Generation I do not much wonder and am the less troubled that it is mine only I must needs resent yet not without a readiness to forgive the impudence of those who have as to were ravished my Sermon before my face dealing so injuriously by me whilest alive By this I plainly foresee what is to be expected when I am dead The consideration whereof hath been and is one cause enducing me to appear so often in Print that what is I ingenuously confess but very imperfect at the best may not however come forth mangled hereafter I hope the Candid Reader will not think his patience abused whilest I shall in a few words inform him how much I have been abused in this kind Some years ago came forth a little Manual of several Prayers whereof that to which my Name is affixed is for the most part made up of such expressions which how good soever they may be in themselves were not wont to be used by me as appeareth by that Prayer which for this Reason I prefixed before the first part of my Exposition upon St. Johns first Epistle I met this last Summer with a Book called The Herball of Divinity upon the Title page whereof the Authours Name being concealed my Name is affixed to great Letters to a part of a sentence with which I began a Sermon preached at St. Gregories on Low Sunday last upon that Text which is plaâ—ed in the front of that Discourse namely the 26th of Isaia and the 19th verse For this cause very probably that the unwary Reader might believe it to be mine Within these few weeks I have perused a Discourse in part mine and but in part as will appear by the ensuing Sermon Printed and published without my knowledge Indeed I heard a flying Rumour and received a namelesse Letter threatning the publication of it but I was not willing to believe any would be so audacious till now I see it It is true my Name is not exprest but it is said to be a Sermon Preached at that place and on that day and upon the Text where when and on which I preached And which proclaimeth the insolence of these Publishers though they never had any conference with me either before or since my preaching yet they presume to know my thoughts in that it is said to be Intended for the solemnization of Doctor Hewits Funerall whereas in truth I was engaged to preach that turn at St. Gregories before the Doctors death yea when there was some hopes of his life And though I deny not but that sad Providence intervening occasioned me to pitch my thoughts on that subject yet had I intended it for his Funerall I justly could and certainly should have given a farre more ample Character of his worth If now the Reader shall desire to know what was my reall intent in Preaching this following Sermon at that time the close of it will informe him that it was no other then what ought to be one end of all Preaching namely to bring the People to Repentance And observing a generall sadnesse of Compassion upon their spirits I was willing so to frame my Discourse that through Gods Grace a sorrow of Compunction might accompany it What was then Preached and hath been hitherto withheld from the Presse partly out of a mean Opinion of the Work it self and partly out of a just desire not to exasperate I am now necessitated to publish for my own Vindication and that what was the Preachers aim may be effected upon all who then heard or shall now read it is and shall be his earnest and uncessant request at the Throne of Grace Amen NATH. HARDY Errata Page 31. line 5. for confidence read conscience THE Sad PROGNOSTICK OF Approaching JUDGMENT ISAIAH 57th Chapt. Verse the first The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come OUr Prophet Isaiah in his two and twentieth Chapter tels us of a day wherein the Lord God of Hosts cals to weeping and mourning and though since every day is a day of sinning every day ought to be a day of mourning yet there are four special daies wherein God expects this duty from us The day of any hainous wickednesse committed by our selves or others The day of any grievous judgment either national or personal inflicted The day wherein the wicked prosper and the ungodly triumph And The day wherein any of Gods faithful and eminent servants are snatcht away and cut off by death It is not many daies Beloved since there was such a day and of such a day it is my Text speaks the want of a due and serious consideration whereof moved our Prophet to take up this bitter lamentation The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart c. This sad and sorrowfull complaint looks two waies to the Godly and to the Wicked bewailing the misery of the one and bemoaning the iniquity of the other that the persons of the godly were destroyed and the hearts
be predicated of a righteous man in which respect Eliphaz said to Job Remember I pray thee who ever perished being innocent or where were the righteous cut off That ye may therefore rightly understand the meaning of the phrase know that there is a three-fold perishing The first belongs neither to the righteous nor to the wicked the second is proper only to the wicked the third is common to the righteous with the wicked 1. Perishing in its most strict notion is transitus ab esse ad non esse a passage from being to not being an utter extinction a totall annihilation And in this sense only the beast perisheth which dying is resolved into its first principles and at last into nothing Though therefore the wicked man is said to be like the beast that perisheth yet he doth not perish like the beast Indeed it were happy for him if he might For though some endeavour by their Metaphysical notions to prove a miserable being better then no being yet they must give us leave to say with our Saviour It were good for that man he had never been born Nor is it to be doubted but that the damned heartily wish not to be at all but alas it cannot be 2. There is a perishing which is peculiar to the wicked and this is two fold either perishing in his name or perishing in his person 1. Only wicked men perish in their names whilest their memorial is cut off from the earth Though the righteous die yet their names live That malice which takes away their life cannot extinguish their memory but the wicked perish so as to be wholly forgotten or remembred with infamy so true is that of the wise man The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot 2. Only wicked men perish in their persons that is soul and body This is that perishing which is opposed by our Saviour to eternal life and is sometimes called the second death In this sense to perish is to be eternally miserable to be ever perishing and yet never perished And thus Who ever perished being righteous Indeed St Peter saith the righteous are scarcely saved but there is a great deal of differenre between scarcely and almost Though he is scarcely saved that is not without great difficulty yet he is saved by Gods mercy from this perishing 3. But lastly There is a perishing which is common to the rightcous and the wicked and thus the righteous as well as the wicked perish by the miseries of life and at length by death 1. They perish by the miseries of this life in which sense perishing is opposed to prospering Good men are exposed to dangers in this world as well as the bad nay more then the bad That chosen vessel St Paul reckons a multitude of dangers which befell him in this life where he tels us that he was in perills of waters in perills of robbers in perills of his own Countrey-men in perills by the Heathen in perills in the City in perills in the Wilderness in perills in the Sea in perills among false Brethren and surely what befell him is incident to the most righteous persons 2. They perish by death In this sense the Disciples meant it when they cried Master we perish Thus Elihu expounds it when he saith All flesh shall perish together and men shall turn again unto dust And this our Prophet intends when he saith the righteous perisheth If you shall ask why dying which is only a separation of the soul from the body not an annihilation of either is called a perishing I answer 1. It is a perishing though not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} yet {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in reality yet appearance though not secundum rei veritatem according to the verity of the thing yet secundum communem sensum according to the opinion of the vulgar When any man dyeth whether good or bad he seemeth as one that were perished And though as our blessed Saviour telleth us all live to God yet as Musculus glosseth upon the text In mundi judicio in the judgment of the world they perish 2. It is a perishing though not absolutè yet respectivè absolutely yet respectively it is a perishing as to this world When any man dieth as well righteous as wicked he so perisheth as that he shall never again live here Upon which account it is said Man giveth up the Ghost and where is he Yea holy Job saith of himself I go whence I shall not return This is that which is expres't in that parallel Scripture to this where the Prophet saith The good man is perished out of the earth He is not perished so as not to be at all yet he is perished so as to be no more upon earth And this is all that the Prophet meanes when he saith the righteous perisheth 2. This will yet further appear if you look upon the other word where it is said That mercifull men are taken away As the providence of God in nature hath made those members double which are most usefull as the eyes ears hands and feet that if one fail the other may supply so the wisdome of God in Scripture hath coupled Phrases together that if the one be obscure the other may explain If the one be harsh the other may molisie it It is so here whereas that phrase of perishing is somewhat dark and rugged here is another word taking away which seryeth very much to qualisie and illustrate it The Hebrew word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} hath a double Construction both which are here made use of namely to gather and to take away Calvin reads it Colliguntur mercifull men are gathered Death seemeth to be a scattering and so a perishing but indeed it is a gathering when men die especially good men they are gathered So that in this sense it is a great allay to the bitterness of the other word perisheth 2. Lapide with others-read it auferuntur with which our translation agreeth are taken away and no doubt it is the most genuine rendring of the word in this place since this Hebrew word where it signifieth to gather is usually joyned with the Preposition signifying to whereas here in the very next clause it is joyned with a Preposition signifying from and therefore most fitly translated taken away And now that which the Prophet intends by this phrase is to note two things 1. In general by taking away is meant dying obitus abitus death is often called a going away a departure and thus it mollifieth the former word perisheth letting us see that it is not an extinction but only a remotion an abolition but an ablation when we die we do not cease to be at all only we change our place and are taken away out of this world 2. More particularly by taking away is meant a violent death
want of Piety Almighty God hath placed us in this world as upon a Theater that we might take notice of the various passages of his Providence So that not to regard his works and consider the operation of his hands cannot but highly provoke him Indeed they are equally bad not to regard the sounding of his word in our eares and not to observe the appearances of his works in our eyes Among his many Providential works none more observable then the taking away of the mercifull For certainly if a sparrow fall not to the ground much less doth a Saint without Divine permission If the hairs of his head are numbered surely his head cannot be taken off without a special Providence Indeed the perishing of a righteous man is a work at once both of Gods mercy and Judgment Mercy to him Iudgment to the wicked And not to consider such a work so as to lay it to heart must needs be a great sin against him 2. In regard of the righteous it argueth want of pitty To him that is afflicted saith Job pitty should be shewed from a friend And especially to him that is persecuted to the death We may observe among beasts even swine a sympathy so that when one is killed the rest are troubled And shall there not be among men Didicimus cum homines simus alienis calamitatibus moveri nothing more humane then to be moved with compassion towards them that are under sufferings So that it is not only impiety but inhumanity 3. In regard of the persons themselves it argueth want of wisdome When the righteous perish and mercifull men are taken away it is a losse to them who remain They loose the light of their good Example the benefit of their Prayers And should not this be considered Nay it is not only a losse but as hath been already expressed it is a dolefull presage of ruine And shall it not be laid to heart So that it argueth a sensless stupidity not to consider what is so much our own concernment By all which it appeareth an impious an inhumane and unnatural sinne which our Prophet bemoaneth when he saith The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come Oh then be we all exhorted to the contrary duty Solomon the wise seemeth to promise himself that when the living are in the house of mourning they will lay it to heart And if we ought to lay to heart the death of any much more of righteous men and especially when either Josiah the King or Eliah the Prophet or Zacharias the Priest are taken from us Though the Sun is not much observed by us whilest it shineth yet if it be in an Eclipse who doth not take notice of it Oh let not the Eclipse and much lesse the setting of any of Gods eminent servants passe by unregarded Let us then consider and lay to heart the death of the righteous 1. Recordando by keeping a Register of the death of the Godly in all ages but chiefly in the age wherein we live both as to the quality of the Persons and the manner of their death 2. Lamentando by bewailing their removall from us Not in respect of them to whom death is a favour but in regard of our selves who may in their departure sadly foretell approaching misery 3. Imitando by following the good example both of their life and death so far as we are called to it By which means their death will not only be their gain but ours 4. Preparando by fitting our selves for that evil which their death foretells that whilest the simple passe on and are punished we may like prudent men fore see the evil and hide our selves or rather God may hide us either by preserving us in it or by taking us away as he hath other of his servants before the vengeance come And now Beloved least I and you should be guilty of the sinne against which my text declaimeth give me leave in a few words to put you in mind of the death of that righteous and mercifull man of God who hath been lately taken from us Titles which I hope none will envy him since if we look no further then his death we shall find just occasion of applying them to him As for the cause of his death it concerneth not me to meddle with it I shall leave the censure of it to that day when all the Judgment of men shall be scanned over But I trust none will be offended if I take notice of the manner of his death The righteous saith Solomon is as bold as a Lyon And again The righteous hath hope in his death And surely it was the confidence of a well led life that made him so meekly bold humbly confident at his death the righteousness of his way which filled him with cheerfulness at his end Of all acts of mercy none greater then the remitting injuries and forgiving enemies and how great a measure he had of this grace those charitable lines which were read at his Funerall and the sweet words he uttered on the Scaffold abundantly testifie I want both time and tongue to give you a Narrative of his life which was a constellation of many bright Stars many excellent Graces which were obvious to all that knew him throughout the whole course of his conversation This righteous and mercifull man is now perished from the earth and taken away from us but so as that I have good reason to believe he is removed to that place of bliss where he enjoyeth the society of Saints and Angels yea of God himself And now Beloved let it not be said Out of sight out of mind We can no longer enjoy him but I hope we shall not forget him especially not you my Brethren among whom he hath spent his paines and exhausted his strength to do your souls Good Do you I beseech you consider and remember how often you have beheld him in this holy Mount how many wholesome Reproofs Counsels and Comforts you have heard from him and withall reflect upon your own unthankfulness for unprofitableness under his and the labours of others of Gods faithfull Servants among you Finally do you and let us all seriously lay to heart what a sad presage the death of this good man is of ruine and destruction whilest me thinketh he saith to us this day in the words of his Saviour Weep not for me I am taken away from the evil to come but weep for your selves upon whom evil is likely to come unless by your reall and speedy repentance you prevent it And now I am come to the end of my Sermon and that which was my end in Preaching it to stirre up both my self and you to consider the death of this Righteous man not so as to be imbittered against the Instrument by whom it hath been effected but against our selves for our sinnes which have procured it that this dolefull losse may be an occasion of our sorrowfull Repentance and that Repentance may prevail with God to avert those Judgments which hang over us to continue his faithfull Labourers among us and restore his ancient blessings to us which God grant for his mercies sake in Jesus Christ Amen FINIS Isa. 22. 12. Gen. 1. Partic. 1. Lap. in loc. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Psal. 14. 2. Aug. ibid. Mal. 4. 2. Joh. 1. 16. Lam. 1. 12. 2 King 21. 16. Lap. Sanct. Musc. in loc. Jer. 23. 6. Isa. 61. 10. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Ambros. Eph. 4. 24. 2 Pet. 1. 4. 1 Joh. 5. 1. 1 Joh. 3. 7. Rom. 13. 7. Gen. 6. 8. Job 1. 1. Isa. 56. ult. Ambros. in Apocal {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Psal. 145. 9. Psal. 144. 3. Psal. 5. 12. Mat. 3. 17. Mic. 7. 2. Isa. 32 8. Gal. 6. 2. Mic. 6. 8. Hos. 10. 12. Mat. 5. 7. Job 4. 7. Psal. 49. 20. Mat. 26. 24. Prov. 10. 7. Joh. 4. 16. 1 Pet. 4. 17. 2 Cor. 11. 26. Luk. 7. 7. 24. Joh 24. 15. Luk. 20. 38. Musc. in loc. Job 14. 10. 10. 21. Mic. 2. 2. Calv. in loc. Lap. in loc. Heb. 11. 4. Ambros. Joh. 8. 51. 1. 26 Prov. 10. 2. Psal. 55. 22. Eccles. 7. 15. Psal. 44. â—2 Rom. 8. 33. Isa. 53. 9. Eceles. 9. 10. Quest Answ. Hier. Ep. ad Eustoch. Rev. 14. 16. Isa. 57. 2. Isa. 26. 20. Psal. 91. 4. Ezek. 9. 4. â— Exo. 32. 10. Gen. 19. 22. Hebr. 12. 22 23. Gen. 2d Psal. 39. 3. Psal. 14. 1. Psal. 26. 4. Job 6. 14. Eccles. 7. 2. Prov. 22. 3. Dr John Hewit who died June 8. and was buried in the Church of St Gregories the â—â—th day of that moneth Prov. 28. 1. 14. 32.