The divine life in three treatises

4. How know you what great calamity might have befallen your friend, if he had lived as long as you desired? When the Righteous seem to men to perish, and merciful men are taken away, it is from the evil to come that they are taken, Isa. 57. 1. How many of my friends have I lamented as if they had died unseasonably, concerning whom some following providence quickly showed me, that it would have been a grievous misery to them to have lived longer! Little know you what calamities were eminent on his person, his family, kindred, neighbours, country, that would have broke his heart: What if a friend of yours had died immediately before some calamitous subversion of a Kingdom, some ruins of the Church, &c. and if ignorantly he had done that which brought these things to pass, can you imagine how lamentably sad his life would have been to him, to have seen the Church, the Gospel, and his Country in so sad a case? especially if it had been long of him? Many that have unawares done that which hath ruined but a particular friend, have lived in so much grief and trouble, as made them consent that death should both revenge the injured on them, and conclude their misery. What then would it have been to have seen the public good subverted, and the faithful overwhelmed in misery, and the Gospel hindered, and holy worship changed for deceit and vanity; and for conscience to have been daily saying, [I had a hand in all this misery: I kindled the fire that hath burned up all!]

4. How know you what great calamity might have bifallen your friend, if he had lived as long as you desired? When the Righteous seem to men to perish, and merciful men are taken away, it is from the evil to come that they are taken, Isa. 57. 1. How many of my friends have I lamented as if they had died unseasonably, concerning whom some following providence quickly shewed me, that it would have been a grievous misery to them to have lived longer! Little know you what calamities were eminent on his person, his family, kindred, neighbours, country, that would have broke his heart: What if a friend of yours had died immediately before some calamitous subversion of a Kingdome, some ruines of the Church, &c. and if ignorantly he had done that which brought these things to pass, can you imagine how lamentably sad his life would have been to him, to have seen the Church, the Gospel, and his Country in so sad a case? especially if it had been long of him? Many that have unawares done that which hath ruined but a particular friend, have lived in so much grief and trouble, as made them consent that death should both revenge the injured on them, and conclude their misery. What then would it have been to have seen the publick good subverted, and the faithful overwhelmed in misery, and the Gospel hindered, and holy worship changed for deceit and vanity; and for conscience to have been daily saying, [I had a hand in all this misery: I kindled the fire that hath burned up all!]