A discourse concerning the death of the righteous. Occasioned by the deaths of the…

Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, see if you can find a Man, that does execute Judgment, 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 ⟨p. 20⟩their People. When Moses was gone from the Children of Israel but Forty days, 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 Public Spirited and self denying Governor) 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 Jerusalem, 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 Judge 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 Johojada was living, both Joash and the People did that which was right, but after the death of Jehojada, they left the house of God, and Served Groves and Idols, and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their ⟨p. 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 Public 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 days 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.