SERMON II. A FUNERAL SERMON". AT ST. MARTIN'S IN THE FIELDS, ON THE SEVENTEENTH SERM. II. WE are come hither to perform a double du sister deceased, to commit her body to the grou and to commend her good name and memory the second. While she was alive, she had her so and her good name; but as for her soul, God ha Himself, but these two He has left behind with u and lay up for Him while His own coming at I will speak somewhat of both. And though her body be now to us as all othe are, brought hither by us to be decently interred yet-because the reason of the Churches' ceremo well know, perhaps, being made but a matter o common custom only-we will tell you now onc we do it, not only to her, but to all other that d hath done, in the faith of Christ. The Church then would have us consider, that taught us to put a difference between the soul of the spirit of a man, (for the soul of a beast goes the earth from whence it came, but the spirit of a God That gave it, as the Wise Man speaks,) so likewise He Eccl. 3.21. ath taught us to put a difference between their bodies too. he bodies of other creatures consume away and perish, and all never be heard on again, after they are once dead. But ar bodies are not so, for though the soul be now gone from - yet one day it shall return to it and make it stand up from e grave. When we sleep you see we rise again, and this eath of the body is but a little longer sleep than ordinary, hich is the reason that we read so often in Scripture how e kings of Israel slept with their fathers. Nay, it is but a See 2 Sam. est, saith David, a rest from the troubles and cares of this 7.12. 1 Kings orld, and not a bare rest, and no more, but a rest in hope: 2. 10. my flesh shall rest in hope,' saith the Prophet, in hope of eing raised up again at the last day, to a far better state 13, &c. an ever it was in in this world; which hope other creatures ve not. Is. 26. 20. 1 Thes. 4. Ps.16.9.cf. Acts 2.26. The difference then being so great, since it is not God's easure that our bodies should be neglected and cast away, the bodies of other dead creatures are d, to become dung r the earth, and to have our bones lay scattered abroad to e sight of the sun: it was the Prophet's complaint, that Ps. 79. 2. ey gave the dead bodies of His servants to be meat unto e fowls of the air, and the flesh of His saints unto the asts of the land, that their blood ran about like water, ad that there was none to bury them. And that being such kind of barbarous inhumanity, God and the Church have ken order for it, that when His servants are gathered to eir fathers, their souls gone up to heaven, there should be re taken to have their bodies laid up with honour, seemly, d decently, in the bed of the earth, while1 it shall please until,' as od to awaken it again. In the earth? nay, that is not enough; for then what ed we to make all this solemn procession to the church; have earth enough every where about our houses, and we d Orig. contra Celsum, lib. viii. t. Opp. de la Rue, tom. i. p. 764. τὴν λογικὴν τιμᾶν μόνην ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν, τὰ ταύτης ὄργανα μετὰ τιμῆς παραεἶναι κατὰ τὰ νενομισμένα ταφῇ· ἄξιον - τὸ τῆς λογικῆς ψυχῆς οἰκητήριον οἱ τὴν τιμὴν τοῦ σώματος, ἔνθα λογικὴ tum Dei before. Commendation of the dece SER M. might lay our dead bodies there. But that our bodies should be buried as an common fields; but here is a place chose to that purpose; and therefore Abraham dead in the corn fields, nor among the I Gen. 25. he purchased the plain of Mamre to God's servants up in peace together. ample has the Church ordered amongst See Bingh. seed of Abraham, and accordingly are w xxiii.ii. § 1. commit the dead body of this His servant, seqq. to her hallowed grave in peace, and in ho resurrection hereafter. That, for the first A Now as there is a difference betwixt creatures, for their bodies, so there is a men themselves too, for preserving their g is our second duty to be performed towards There are indeed those that die and nothing worth the remembering left behi that are clean forgotten and out of mind as gone, as though they never were. But yet which are honourable in their generations, speaks, and well reported of in their times, name behind them, that when they are g may still be spoken of and their names be b remembrance. Among which company we sister deceased. And to make good what we say, we will a life and death; by both which men are suffici they are. She was born of an honest and religious pa as it was not obscure then, so it has been since of them which were nearest allied unto her, ma to the world. But howsoever that had gone, b was great enough, virtue being the best thin greatness by, when all is done. Her education was suitable to her birth, su her in all honesty and piety; and though th alive that can bear witness to it, yet the bes testimony of that are the fruits that she shewe ensuing course of her time afterwards. Her discretion and understanding grew as fast as her age; nd in her discourse, her apprehensions of any thing proounded, and her answers to it, were many times noted to e more than ordinary; of such a strong and vigorous spirit e was. Of the innocency of her life, they of her continual acquaintace and [who] knew her behaviour can generally affirm that she was commendable for many good things, so she was reful to keep herself from all blemish of vice, and used the est means she could to keep always an undefiled conscience. And as of herself, so she was sedulous and very affeconate in the education of her children, that they might rve God and the commonwealth, some in one course of life, ad some in another; and one of them to her great comfort d content she lived to see pass two degrees of schools in e University, howsoever it pleased God to take him away oner than she expected. There are now, that neither of emselves, nor of their offspring neither, have any regard at , but let them run riot, they care not which way, and if ey will prove good, so it is, let nature work, and so let grace ork too, an it will, they will not force them to it, nor it all not grieve them much whether they do or no. She was another mind, so careful to have them do well, that it ieved her when she heard of any other did ill. She had not much, and yet she was so well esteemed as e wanted not, but always laid in that sort as befitted her st; and yet though her stock was not great, nevertheless it of her little which she had, she would not let them want r bounty that had less than she, being noted to be so aritable, as that the sight of any poor creature would ake her stand still to give her alms; and besides what love e shewed to many others at home in that kind, those that red with her, and knew what her actions were, can give an mple testimony. Her attire was sober and decent, and she took no great re to make much of that body which she knew she must e day part withal, to the grave. Marry, now, for her soul, we all should be, that she was a little more careful on. I Ell tell you how: myself can witness that her devotions she Fill fored SER M. up her Morning and her Evening Sacri order of our Church in the public place His hallowed temple, the most kindly pl that can be ; and when she could not com her infirmities, what her private devoti guess by that. Indeed it pleased God to visit her with infirmities of this life, but they came no did but touch her body. And no strange God's wont to do so to them that are de will not suffer them that are His to fee upon the pleasures of this life, but kee measure here that they may have their fil St. Gregory's observation, those oxen tha the slaughter-house are suffered to run ar will in the pleasant pastures, and are put to but those that are appointed to live, are pu and to the yoke, and are beaten and whippe the less crosses and infirmities upon us, sign; when we have wealth, and riches, a will, it is a danger but we shall run headl and fat ourselves up for the slaughter only. holds His scourge of tribulation over us, bodies, it will make us look to our souls the still be kept in, and be the more careful of, H But for all these troubles, she was conten God laid upon her, even to her death. And mity grew so strong upon her as she betook chamber and her bed, that afterwards she br in, her conclusion was not different from her her death from her life. Being warned of her danger she shewed carrying in her conscience the safe-conduct and being not in love with her own desires, s herself to the good-will and pleasure of God. H to her end was by humble contrition, and hear of her sins; which when she had done, she receiv of Absolution, according to God's ordinance and institution of our Church; a thing that the wo after now, as if Confession and Absolution were s |