The Death Of The Righteous

By John Owen



Preached July 1, 1681.



"The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness." -- Isa. lvii. 1, 2.



This is a text that the providence of God hath severely preached on to this congregation. I cannot look before me, I cannot look behind me, but I see the footsteps of death. It hath been here, it hath been there, upon the right hand and upon the left. Sometimes God expounds the works of his providence by his word; and sometimes he expounds his word by the works of his providence. To suit the word of God and the works of God, as the one interprets the other, is the sum and substance of all our wisdom here in this world.



God doth at this day expound his works by his word. The world is full of confusion, full of tokens of God's displeasure, full of judgments, full of dread; yet the world understands nothing of all these. Bring these works of God to the word of God, and we shall understand them. We shall understand the world is full of sin and provocation, that God is displeased, that he is talking away rest from men, -- shaking every thing within and without. Those who know not the word of God understand nothing of these works, but are filled with a multitude of vain thoughts. He expounds his works by his word.



And sometimes God expounds his word by his works, as he doth this day. He expounds this text; so that in the works of God we may see the mind and sense of the Holy Ghost plainly, as in a glass. "The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come."



The general truth in these words is this:-- That when God is bringing evils, distressing evils, upon a church, upon a people, in the ordinary way of his providence, he doth take away beforehand many of those who are most eminent and most useful. When in a particular manner "the righteous perisheth, and merciful men are taken away," it is a time when God is bringing evils certainly. So, when God was bringing evils upon Jerusalem and the land of Judah, Jer. xxiv., he gathered all the good figs, and laid them aside. Many of them died, some went into captivity; but all that were good and were to be restored, God gathered them out from among them; and then came the universal desolation. "The righteous perisheth." Josiah is an instance of this, whom some think the prophet (though long before) had a particular respect unto in this text: Josiah shall perish; he shall be taken away.' To what end? That I may bring evil,' saith God. Go thou thy way. Thou shalt perish, and be slain; yet thou shalt go unto thy grave in peace, that I may bring evil.' I have often spoken it myself, and beard others say, the taking away, the gathering in, as the word is, ("They shall be gathered"), of so many ministers, -- many of them in the fulness of their strength, and fulness of their labours, and best of their designs for God, -- has been a token that there was evil to come. And it is not only so as to ministers; but as to others in this congregation, in a most eminent manner, such as I have never had experience of in the whole course of my life; -- so many persons of holiness, worth, and usefulness, to be taken away, and gathered in out of one poor society in so short a time! That is the general scope of the place.



I shall a little open the words in particular.



It is a double description of the persons spoken of:-- 1. With reference to their state and condition before God; they are "righteous men:" 2. With respect unto their state and condition towards men; they are useful men, "merciful men," who are spoken of.