Nathaniel Hardy (1618–1670)
An English Puritan Divine, Reformed Preacher and Dean of Rochester from 1660.Today, many Christians are turning back to the puritans to, “walk in the old paths,” of God’s word, and to continue to proclaim old truth that glorifies Jesus Christ. There is no new theology. In our electronic age, more and more people are looking to add electronic books (ePubs, mobi and PDF formats) to their library – books from the Reformers and Puritans – in order to become a “digital puritan” themselves. Take a moment to visit Puritan Publications (click the banner below) to find the biggest selection of rare puritan works updated in modern English in both print form and in multiple electronic forms. There are new books published every month. All proceeds go to support A Puritan’s Mind.
His Works:
- (1656) Wisdomes character and counterfeit deliniated in two sermons : the one on the epistle of St. James, chap. 3.17 ; the other on the gospel of St. Matth., chap. 2.8 / by Nath. Hardy.
- (1654) Thankfulness in grain: or a good life the best return. Delivered in another sermon on the same occasion in St. Dionis, Back-Church, Aug. 14. 1653. By Nath. Hardy, Master of Arts, and preacher to that parish.(1658) A sermon, preached at St. Gregories church by St. Paul’s on Sunday the 13th. day of Iune, 1658. Intended for the funeral solemnization of Iohn Hewit, Dr. of divinity, and late minister there By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1656) Safety in the midst of danger a sermon preached in the church of Alhallowes Barkin, Jan. 4, 1655 : upon the anniversary commemoration of the dismall fire which happened in the said parish, on Jan. 4, 1649 / By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1653) The safest convoy, or, The strongest helper declared in a valedictory sermon before the Right Honourable Sr. Thomas Bendish, Baronet, His Majesties ambassadour … / deliverd By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1658) A sad prognostick of approaching judgement, or, The happy misery of good men in bad times set forth in a sermon preached at St. Gregories, June the 13th, 1658 / By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1668) The royal common-wealth’s man, or King David’s picture represented in a sermon preached at the solemnity of the funeral of Sir Tho. Adams, knight and baronet, and alderman of London ; in St. Katherine Creechurch, on the 10th of March, 1667 / By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1659) The pious votary and prudent traveller characterized in a farewell-sermon, occasioned by the voyage of Nathanael Wych Esq. president to the East-Indies : preached in S. Dionys Back-church, Mar. 14. 1657 By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1659) The pilgrims wish, or, The saints longing discussed in a sermon preached in St. Bennet Grace Church at the funeral of Mrs. Anne Dudson … who departed this life the 4th day of January, 1658 … By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1658) The olive-branch presented to the native citizens of London in a sermon preached at S. Paul’s Church, May 27, being the day of their yearly feast By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1653) Mercy in her beauty, or, The height of a deliverance from the depth of danger set forth in the first sermon preached upon that occasion By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1659) Mans last journey to his long home a sermon preached at the funerals of the Right Honourable Robert Earl of Warwick, who died in London, May the 30th and was interr’d at Felstead in Essex, June the 9th 1659 By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1658) Love and fear the inseparable twins of a blest matrimony : characterized in a sermon occasioned by the late nuptialls between Mr. William Christmas and Mrs. Elizabeth Adams / Preached By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1662) A loud call to great mourning in a sermon preached on the 30th of January 1661, being the anniversary fast for the execrable murther of our Late Soveraign Lord King Charles the First, of Glorious Memory, before the Honourable Knights, citizens, & burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament, in the parish-church of Saint Margarets Westminster By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1659) A looking-glasse of hvmane frailty set before us in a sermon preached at the funerals of Mris. Anne Calquit, late wife of Mr. Nicholas Calquit, draper, who died on the 7. day of April 1659 and was interr’d the 19. of the said month, at the parish church of Alhallows the Less in Thames Street / By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1666) Lamentation, mourning, and woe sighed forth in a sermon preached in the parish-church of St. Martin in the Fields, on the 9th day of September : being the next Lords-day after the dismal fire in the city of London / by Nathaniel Hardy
- (1648) Justice triumphing, or, The spoylers spoyled laid forth in a gratulatory sermon for the miraculous discovery of, and our glorious delivery from the barbarous powder-plot / preached at Pauls, November the 5th, 1646 By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1661) The hierarchy exalted and its enemies humbled a sermon preached on the first Sunday in Advent, being the 2d day of Decemb. 1660 : after the consecration of the Right Reverend Fathers in God, John, Lord Bishop of Durham, William, Lord Bishop of St. Davids, Benjamin, Lord Bishop of Peterborough, Hugh, Lord Bishop of Landaff, Richard, Lord Bishop of Carlisle, Brian, Lord Bishop of Chester, and John, Lord Bishop of Exceter in the Abby Church of St. Peters Westminister / By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1656) The first general epistle of St. John the Apostle, unfolded and applied the first part in two and twenty lectures on the first chapter, and two verses of the second : delivered in St. Dyonis. Back-Church, An. Dom. 1654 By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1659) The first general epistle of St. John the Apostle, unfolded & applied. The second part, in thirty and seven lectures on the second chapter, from the third to the last verse. Delivered in St. Dionys. Back-Church, by Nath: Hardy minister of the gospel, and preacher to that parish. By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1648) Faiths victory over natvre, or, The unparallel’d president of an unnaturally religious father delivered in a sermon preached at the funerals of the hopefull young gentleman Master John Rushout : son and heire to Master John Rushout merchant and citizen of London / By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1655) The epitaph of a godly man, especially a man of God or, The happines by death of holines in life. Delineated in a sermon preached at the funerall of Mr Adam Pemberton late minister of the parish of St Fosters Foster-lane : who ended this mortall, April the 8th, 1655. and was buried in hope of an immortal life the 11th of the same moneth. / By Nath: Hardy M.A. and preacher to the parish of St Dionis Back Church. By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1653) Divinity in mortality, or The Gospels excellency and the preachers frailty, represented in a sermon preached at the funerals of Mr Richard Goddard late minister of the parish of St Gregories by Pauls; who died on Thursday the 12th of May 1653. and was buried on Moonday [sic) the 16th day of the same moneth. By Nath. Hardy Master of Arts, and preacher to the parish of St Dyonis Back-Church. By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1649) A divine prospective: representing the just mans peacefull end. In a funerall sermon preached at Katharine Creechurch, Aug. 14. 1649. at the enterrement of the remaines of the Right Worshipfull and truly religious, Sir John Gayr, Knight: deceased July 20. 1649. / By Nathaniel Hardy, M.A. and preacher to the parish of Dionis Back-Church. By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1653) Death’s alarum: or, Security’s vvarning-piece. A sermon preached in S. Dionis Back-Church, at the funerall of Mrs. Mary Smith (daughter of Mr. Isaac Colfe, formerly minister of Gods Word at Chadwell in Essex, and late wife of Mr. Richard Smith of London, draper) who dyed the 9th. day of Novemb. 1653. and was buried the 16th of the same moneth. By Nath: Hardy, Mr. of Arts, and preacher to that parish. By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1659) Cardvvs benedictvs, the advantage of affliction, or, The reward of patience unfolded in a sermon preached at the funeralls of Mr. Thomas Bowyer, merchant, who died the 8th day of February 1659, and was buried the 22th of the same moneth, in the parish church of St. Olaves Jewry / By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1660) The choicest fruit of peace gathered from the tree of life presented to the Right Honourable the House of Peers, in a sermon preached before them at the Abbey church of Westminster, on April 30, 1660, being the day of their solemn humiliation / By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1647) The arraignment of licentious liberty, and oppressing tyranny in a sermon preached before the right honourable House of Peers, in the Abbey-church at Westminster, on the the day of their solemn monethly fast, Febr. 24. 1646 / By Nathaniel Hardy
- (1661) The apostolical liturgy revived a sermon preached at the assizes held at Chelmsford in the county of Essex, March 18, 1660 / By Nathaniel Hardy
Biography of Nathaniel Hardy:
Nathaniel Hardy (1618–1670) was an English churchman, and Dean of Rochester from 1660.
He was son of Anthony Hardy of London, born in the Old Bailey, 14 September 1618, and was baptised in the church of St. Martin’s, Ludgate. After being educated in London, he became a commoner of Magdalen Hall, Oxford (1632); graduated B.A. 20 October 1635, and soon after migrated to Hart Hall, where he graduated M. A. 27 June 1638. Returning to London after being ordained at an exceptionally early age, he became a popular preacher with presbyterian leanings.
In 1643 he was appointed preacher to the church of St. Dionis, Backchurch, in Fenchurch Street, where he drew together a congregation chiefly of presbyterians. In 1645 he was present for the treaty of Uxbridge (negotiations between royal and parliamentary commissioners). He was led by the arguments of Henry Hammond on the chief champion on the episcopalian side to alter his views. On his return to London he preached a sermon of recantation; from that point he was convinced about bishops, though he attended meetings of a presbyterian as late as 1651. He continued to officiate at St. Dionis; under the Commonwealth he maintained, without interference from the authorities, a ‘Loyal Lecture,’ at which monthly collections were made for the suffering clergy, and he usually preached a funeral sermon on the ‘Royal Martyrdom.’ In 1660, being one of the ministers deputed to attend the commissioners for the City of London, he went over to the Hague to meet Charles II, and preached a sermon which before him. On the king’s return to England, he was made one of the royal chaplains in ordinary, and frequently preached in the Chapel Royal.
On 2 August 1660 he was created D.D. of Hart Hall, Oxford; on 10 August was made rector of St. Dionis, Backchurch, where he had long been preacher; and on 10 December 1660 became dean of Rochester. In March 1661 he petitioned for the next vacant prebend at Westminster, but does not seem to have obtained it. On 6 April 1661 the king presented him to the vicarage of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields. He was appointed to the living of Henley-on-Thames, 14 November 1661, but resigned it after two months. In December 1661 he was among the clergy of the diocese of Canterbury who testified their conformity in convocation with the new Book of Common Prayer. He was installed archdeacon of Lewes, 6 April 1667. He also held the rectory of Leybourne in Kent for a short time. Hardy died at his house at Croydon, Surrey, after a brief illness, on 1 June 1670, and was buried on the 9th in the chancel of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields. Richard Meggot, dean of Winchester, preached his funeral sermon, and commented on his activity in restoring churches. . Hardy’s widow erected a marble tablet to his memory, now in the crypt of St. Martin’s. She afterwards married (license dated 6 Dec. 1670) Sir Francis Clarke, knight, of Ulcombe, Kent.