Now, Sir John, I shall crave leave to put you and your Lady a little, in mind of your deceased and glorified Father. He is a true Friend (saith the Smyrnean Poet of1 old) who continueth the memory of his deceased Friend. When a Friend of Austin's dyed, he professed he was put into a great strait, whether he himself should be willing to live or willing to dye: he was unwilling to live, because one half of himself was dead, yet he was not willing to dye, because his Friend did partly live in him, though he was dead. Let you and I make the application as we see cause; your glorified Fathers Name and Memory remains to this day as fresh and fragrant as the Rose of Sharon, among all those that fear the Lord, and2 had the happiness of inward acquaintance with him. The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall not; In the Original it is, The memory of the just 3[Greek or Hebrew] in benedictionem, shall be for a blessing; the very remembering of them shall bring a blessing to such as do remember them. The Moralists say of Fame, or of a mans good Name:
Omnia si perdas famam servare memento,
Quâ semel amissâ postea nullus eris.
i. e. Whatsoever commodity you lose, be sure yet to preserve that 4jewel of a good Name. This jewel among others, your honoured Father carried with him to the Grave, yea to Heaven. There is nothing raises a mans Name & Fame in the World like holiness: The seven Deacons that the Church chose, were holy men, Act. 6. 5. and they were men of good report, V. 3. They were men well witnessed ⟨image 4⟩unto, well testified off, as the Greek word imports.5 Cornelius was a holy man, Act. 10. 1, 2, 3, 4. and he was a man of good report among all the Nation of the Jews, V. 22. Ananias was a holy man, Act. 9. 10, 20. and he was a man of a good report: Act. 22. 12. Gaius and Demetrius were both holy men, and of a good report, witness that third Epistle of John. The Patriarchs and Prophets were holy men, and they were men of a good report, Heb. 11. 1, 2. For by it the Elders obtained a good report, their holiness did eternalize their Names. The Apostles were holy men, 1 Thes. 2. 10. and they were men of good report, 2 Cor. 6. 8. Now certainly it is none of the least of mercies to be well reputed and reported of: next to a good God, and a good conscience, a good report, a good name is the noblest blessing.
Now, Sir John, I shall crave leave to put you and your Lady a little, in mind of your deceased and glorified Father. He is a true Friend (saith the Smyrnean Poet of1 old) who continueth the memory of his deceased Friend. When a Friend of Austin's dyed, he professed he was put into a great streight, whether he himself should be willing to live or willing to dye: he was unwilling to live, because one half of himself was dead, yet he was not willing to dye, because his Friend did partly live in him, though he was dead. Let you and I make the application as we see cause; your glorified Fathers Name and Memory remains to this day as fresh and fragant as the Rose of Sharon, among all those that fear the Lord, and2 had the happiness of inward acquaintance with him. The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall not; In the Original it is, The memory of the just 3〈non-Latin alphabet〉 in benedictionem, shall be for a blessing; the very remembring of them shall bring a blessing to such as do remember them. The Moralists say of Fame, or of a mans good Name:
Omnia si perdas famam servare memento,
Quâ semel amissâ postea nullus eris.
i. e. Whatsoever commodity you lose, be sure yet to preserve that 4jewel of a good Name. This jewel among others, your honoured Father carried with him to the Grave, yea to Heaven. There is nothing raises a mans Name & Fame in the World like holyness: The seven Deacons that the Church chose, were holy men, Act. 6. 5. and they were men of good report, V. 3. They were men well witnessed ⟨image 4⟩unto, well testified off, as the Greek word imports.5 Cornelius was a holy man, Act. 10. 1, 2, 3, 4. and he was a man of good report among all the Nation of the Jews, V. 22. Ananias was a holy man, Act. 9. 10, 20. and he was a man of a good report: Act. 22. 12
- 1Ponder upon that Deut. 13. 6. Thy friend which is as thine own soul.
- 2Cant. 2. •.
- 3Prov. 10. 7. M•moria just […], So Bat•. […] benam […] servasso, […], Plant. If I may but keep a good Name, I have wealth e[…], saith the Heathen.Prov. 10. 7. M•moria just 〈…〉, So Bat•. 〈…〉 benam 〈…〉 servasso, 〈…〉, Plant. If I may but keep a good Name, I have wealth e〈…〉, saith the Heathen.
- 4Heb. 11. 1•, 39. A good renown is better than a golden Girdle, saith the French Proverb.
- 5The Persians seldom write their Kings Name but in characters of gold, throughout the Old and New Testament: God has written the Names of just men in golden characters, as I may speak.
