"Friends are born for the days of adversity, and fuch you have proved to me: and to my God I fay, as did the mother of "St. John Baptift, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me, in the day "wherein he looked upon me, to take away my reproach among men. And, O my God, neither my life, nor my reputation are safe "in mine own keeping, but in thine, who didft take care of me " when I yet hanged on my mother's breaft. Blessed are they "that put their truft in thee, O Lord; for when falfe witnesses "were rifen up against me; when shame was ready to cover my face; when I was bowed down with an horrible dread, "and went mourning all the day long; when my nights were "reflefs, and my fleeps broken with a fear worse than death; "when my foul thirfted for a deliverance, as the hart panteth "for the rivers of water; then thou, Lord, didft hear my com"plaints, pity my condition, and art now become my deli66 verer; and as long as I live I will hold up my hands in this manner, and magnify thy mercies, who didit not give me 66 over as a prey to mine enemies. O blefsed are they that put "their trust in thee; and no profperity fhall make me forget "those days of forrows, or to perform thofe vows that I have "made to thee in the days of my fears and affliction; for with "fuch facrifices thou, O God, art well pleased; and I will pay "them." Thus did the joy and gratitude of this good man's heart break forth; and it is obfervable, that as the invitation to this flander was his meek behaviour and dove-like fimplicity, for which he was remarkable; fo his Christian charity ought to be imitated. For though the spirit of revenge is fo pleafing to mankind, that it is never conquered but by a fupernatural grace, being indeed fo deeply rooted in human nature, that to prevent the excesses of it (for men would not know moderation), Almighty God allows not any degree of it to any man, but fays, "Vengeance " is mine" and though this be faid by God himself, yet this revenge is fo pleafing, that man is hardly perfuaded to fubmit the manage of it to the time, and juftice, and wifdom of his Creator, but would haften to be own executioner of it. And yet, nevertheless, if any man ever did wholly decline, and leave this pleafing pafsion to the time and measure of God alone, it was this Richard Hooker, of whom I write: for when his flanderers were to fuffer, he laboured to procure their pardon; and when that was denied him, his reply was, "That, however, "he would faft and pray, that God would give them repentance "and patience to undergo their punishment." And his prayers were fo far returned into his own bofom, that the firft was granted, if we may believe a penitent behaviour, and an open confefsion. And it is obfervable, that after this time he would often fay to Dr. Saravia, "O with what quietnefs did I enjoy "my foul, after I was free from the fears of my flander! And how much more after a conflict and victory over my defires "of revenge a " In the year 1600, and of his age forty-fix, he fell into a long and fharp ficknefs, occafioned by a cold taken in his passage betwixt London and Gravefend, from the malignity of which, he was never recovered; for till his death, he was not free from thoughtful days and reftlefs nights; but a submission to his will that makes the fick inan's bed eafy, by giving reft to his foul, made his very languishment comfortable; and yet all this time he was folicitous in his study, and faid often to Dr. Saravia (who faw him daily, and was the chief comfort of his life), "That he did not beg a long life of God, for any other reason, "but to live to finish his three remaining books of Polity; and "then, Lord, let thy fervant depart in peace;" which was his ufual expression. And God heard his prayers, though he denied the benefit of them as completed by himself; and it is thought he haftened his own death, by haftening to give life to his books. But this is certain, that the nearer he was to his death, the more he grew in humility, in holy thoughts, and refolutions. About a month before his death, this good man, that never, knew, or at least never confidered the pleasures of the palate, became first to lofe his appetite, and then to have an averseness to all food, infomuch, that he seemed to live some intermitted weeks by the fmell of meat only, and yet ftill ftudied and wrote. And now his guardian angel feemed to foretel him, that his years were paft away as a fhadow, bidding him prepare to follow the generation of his fathers, for the day of his difsolution drew near; for which his vigorous foul appeared to thirst ". In this time of his fickness, and not many days before his death, his house was robbed; of which he having notice, his queftion was, "Are my books and written papers fafe?" and being answered that they were, his reply was, "Then it matters 66 not, for no other lofs can trouble me." a" When an unworthy afperfion was caft on Mr. Hooker-(If Christ "was dasht, shall Chriftians efcape in their journey to heaven?)-Mr. "Travers being afked of a private friend what he thought of the truth "of the accufation; ' In truth,' faid he, I take Mr. Hooker to be a, holy man.' A fpeech which, coming from an adverfary, founds no "lefs to the commendation of his charity who fpoke it, than to the praise "of his piety of whom it was spoken." (Fuller.) b" The chamber where the good man meets his fate "Is privileg'd beyond the common walk "Of virtuous life, quite in the verge of heaven. 66 Fly, ye profane! if not, draw near with awe, (YOUNG's Night Thoughts.) About one day before his death, Dr. Saravia, who knew the very fecrets of his foul (for they were fuppofed to be confefsors to each other), came to him, and after a conference of the benefit, the necessity, and safety of the church's absolution, it was refolved the Doctor fhould give him both that and the facrament the day following. To which end the Doctor came, and after a short retirement and privacy, they returned to the company; and then the Doctor gave him and fome of those friends that were with him the blessed facrament of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus. Which being performed, the Doctor thought he faw a reverend gaiety and joy in his face; but it lafted not long; for his bodily infirmities did return fuddenly, and became more vifible; infomuch, that the Doctor apprehended death ready to seize him: yet, after fome amendment, left him at night, with a promife to return early the day following; which he did, and then found him better in appearance, deep in contemplation, and not inclinable to difcourfe; which gave the Doctor occafion to inquire his prefent thoughts: to which he replied, "That he was meditating the number and "6 nature of angels, and their blefsed obedience and order, "without which, peace could not be in heaven; and oh! that "it might be fo on earth!" After which words, he faid, "I "have lived to fee this world is made up of perturbations, and "I have been long preparing to leave it, and gathering comfort "for the dreadful hour of making my account with God, which "I now apprehend to be near: And though I have by his grace"loved him in my youth, and feared him in mine age, and la"boured to have a confcience void of offence to him, and to "all men; yet if thou, O Lord, be extreme to mark what I have done amifs, who can abide it? And, therefore, where I "have failed, Lord, fhow mercy to me; for I plead not my "righteousness, but the forgiveness of my unrighteousness, for "his merits who died to purchase a pardon for penitent finners. "And fince I owe thee a death, Lord, let it not be terrible, and "then take thine own time; I submit to it! Let not mine, O "Lord, but let thy will be done!" With which exprefsion he fell into a dangerous flumber; dangerous as to his recovery; yet recover he did, but it was to speak only these few words: "Good Doctor, God hath heard my daily petitions; for I am "at peace with all men, and he is at peace with me; and from e That Mr. Hooker in the full vigour of his understanding, did lift up his eyes as it were from the footstool to the throne of God to confider the ftate of heavenly and divine creatures, fee" Eccles. Polity," B. I. § iv. "The fubject which engaged Mr. Hooker's dying thoughts ought conftantly to engage our living ones; fince in the prayer compofed and de"livered out to his difciples by our Lord and Saviour, the obedience "of the angels is propofed as the pattern to be imitated by us, as the 66 Сору after which we fhould diligently write, Thy will be done on earth (Bishop Horne's Sermons, Vol. IV. p. 322.) " as it is in heaven.” "which blefsed afsurance, I feel that inward joy which this world "s can neither give nor take from me." More he would have fpoken, but his fpirits failed him; and, after a short conflict betwixt nature and death, a quiet figh put a period to his laft breath, and so he fell asleep". And here I draw his curtain, till with the moft glorious company of the Patriarchs and Apoftles, the most noble army of Martyrs and Confefsors, this most learned, moft humble, holy man, fhall alfo awake to receive an eternal tranquillity, and with it a greater degree of glory than common Christians fhall be made partakers of. In the mean time, Bless, O Lord! Lord, bless his brethren, the clergy of this nation, with ardent defires, and effectual endeavours to attain, if not to his great learning, yet to his remarkable meekness, his godly simplicity, and his Christian moderation: for these are praise-worthy; these bring peace at the last! And let the labours of his life, his most excellent writings, be blessed with what he designed when he undertook them: which was glory to thee, O God on high, peace in thy church, and good will to mankind. Amen, Amen. d He died Nov. 2, 1600. Thus the day of his death was noted by Archbishop Laud, in the title-page of his copy of "The Ecclefiaftical Polity." Q 3 APPENDIX TO THE LIFE OF MR. RICHARD HOOKER, AND now having by a long and laborious fearch fatisfied myself, and I hope, my reader, by imparting to him the true relation of Mr. Hooker's life; I am defirous to acquaint him with fome obfervations that relate to it, and which could not properly fall to be fpoken till after his death, of which my reader may expect a brief and true account in the following Appendix. And firft, it is not to be doubted but that he died in the fortyfeventh, if not in the forty-fixth year of his age; which I mention, because many have believed him to be more aged; but I have fo examined it, as to be confident, I mistake not; and for the year of his death, Mr. Camden, who in his "Annals of Queen Elizabeth," 1599, mentions him with a high commendation of his life and learning, declares him to die in the year 1599; and yet in that infcription of his monument, fet up at the e The following is an accurate copy of the infcription on Mr. Hooker's monument: SUNT MELIORA MIHI. RICHARDUS HOOKER EXONIENSIS SCHOLARIS SOCIUSQ; iij Sir William Cowper, who erected this monument, was the great grandfather of William, the firft Earl Cowper, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. He was created firft a Baronet of Nova Scotia, and afterward a Baronet of England in 1641. He fuffered imprisonment, the lofs of his fon, and other great calamities, for his fidelity to Charles I. He outlived all his troubles, refiding at his cafile of Hertford, and famed for his hofpitality, charity, and other Chriftian virtues, often vifiting his poor neighbours at their houles, and relieving them in private according to their necessities. |