The righteous mans death lamented. A sermon preached at St. Austins, London, Aug.23. 1662…

I have now another Sermon to preach, and I cannot without injury to you that are alive, and without wrong to the memory of my dearly beloved brother, but speak something of him at whose funeral we are met this evening, no so much for his commendation, he needs it not, but for our imitation: It is pity, great pity something should not be said, that this reverend Minister though dead, may yet preach this night; and I have so much to say of him, that I know not where to begin; and when I have begun, I hardly know how to make an end: I must confess, the little time allotted me for the providing for this solemn work, and the necessary avocations in this little time, have hindered me from informing my self about his breeding and manner of education at Emanuel College under Mr. Stoker, and his excellent carriage and converse with Mr. Hild•rsam, Mr. Dod, Mr. Ball, Mr. Langley, and other Ministers, famous in their generations; and the many pressures and hardships that he suffered in those parts and times, for the keeping of his conscience pure from that which he counted sin; and therefore I must draw a veil over that part of his life, and confine my discourse only to the time since his coming to live with us in London, which is about the space of twenty two, or three and twenty years; all which time, I have had the happiness to be intimately acquainted with him, insomuch as that I can freely and clearly profess, and that with a sad heart, that I, and many others, have lost a real, wise, and godly friend, brother, and fellow-labourer in the Lord; the Church hath lost an eminent member, and choice pillar: and this City hath lost an ancient, faithful, and painful Minister; who by his prayers and holy life, did seek to keep off the judgments of God from falling upon us; and the less sensible the City is of this loss, the greater is the loss. I fear we may too truly repeat the words in the Text, The righteous perisheth, and no man lay it to heart; and ⟨p. 17⟩merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come.

I have now another Sermon to preach, and I cannot without injury to you that are alive, and without wrong to the memory of my dearly beloved brother, but speak somthing of him at whose funeral we are met this evening, no so much for his commendation, he needs it not, but for our imitation: It is pitty, great pitty somthing should not be said, that this reverend Minister though dead, may yet preach this night; and I have so much to say of him, that I know not where to begin; and when I have begun, I hardly know how to make an end: I must confess, the little time allotted me for the providing for this solemn work, and the necessary avocations in this little time, have hindered me from informing my self about his breeding and manner of education at Emanuel Colledge under Mr. Stooker, and his excellent carriage and converse with Mr. Hildrsam, Mr. Dod, Mr. Ball, Mr. Langley, and other Ministers, famous in their generations; and the many pressures and hardships that he suffered in those parts and times, for the keeping of his conscience pure from that which he counted sin; and therefore I must draw a vail over that part of his life, and confine my difcourse only to the time since his coming to live with us in London, which is about the space of twenty two, or three and twenty years; all which time, I have had the happiness to be intimately acquainted with him, insomuch as that I can freely and clearly profess, and that with a sad heart, that I, and many others, have lost a real, wise, and godly friend, brother, and fellow-labourer in the Lord; the Church hath lost an eminent member, and choice pillar: and this City hath lost an ancient, faithful, and painful Minister; who by his prayers and holy life, did seek to keep off the judgments of God from faling upon us; and the less sensible the City is of this loss, the greater is the loss. I fear we may too truly repeat the words in the Text, The righteous perisheth, and no man lay it to heart; and