Funeral Sermon of William Hartley, Title page – Dedication
A Funeral Sermon, Preached March 13. 1697/8.
FOR Mr. WILLIAM HARTLEY, of Newport-Pagnel, Apothecary.
Bis vivit, qui bene vivit,
Is timeat mortem, qui ad Chriſtum ire timet.
By J. GIBBS.
Bleſſed are the Dead that die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yea, ſaith the Spirit, that they may reſt from their Labours; and their Works do follow them,
Rev. 14.13.
LONDON, Printed for Mark Conyers, Bookſeller, at Newport-Pagnel: And Sold by A. Roper in Fleetſtreet, and G. Conyers in Little-Britain, 1698.
TO THE Sons and Daughters OF Mr. William Hartley, deceaſed.
My Friends,
AT the Motion of your late deceaſed Father, which I could not withſtand, this home-ſpun Diſcourſe was Preached on the Subject, which was his own Choice; and is to ſatisfie his Deſire, (in this plain Dreſs) now preſented unto you: His Deſign in Printing it was (as he told you) to keep him freſh in your Memory, that the Proverb might not be verified in you, Out of Sight, and out of Mind; and (without doubt) to remember you of that which was then coming upon him. Plain Diſcourſes, if pertinent, do best ſuit with Funeral Sermons: Had it been preached in a loftier ſtrain, as poſſibly I could have done, if the occaſion would have permitted it, it might have pleaſed itching Ears, and curious Palates, but would have been of little Ʋſe unto mean Capacities, the Welfare of whoſe Souls in Preaching ought to be reſpected. I therefore did think it best to uſe the plainest Language, that all might underſtand: And if the Lord will add his Bleſſing, that all might be profited thereby, who were Auditors, or into whoſe Hand it may come to be read. Not making uſe of Notes in Preaching it cannot rationally be ſuppoſed, that my Memory ſhould be ſo tenacious, as to retain every Word or Sentence that was delivered, or that there ſhould be no Omiſſion, Addition, or Alteration; yet I have recollected as much as I could: And what is emitted, added, or altered, I hope will be no prejudice to the Truth then …ſiſted on: Neither can it be thought that a p…i…t a Ne…men ſhould as much affect the Heart of the Reader, as Preaching, …wa vote, might do the Hearer: There is as much difference uſually between Reading and Hearing, as there is between cold Meat and hot, although the Meat be the ſame, … an hungry Stomach may make a good Meal of it; or as there is let …een Drink when the Veſſel is newly broached, witch is quick and palatable, and when it is at the bottom, and is become flat, and untaſtable, yet it may ſerve to quench the Thirst. The Subject treated on is very frequent and common, and yet too little to awaken and rouſe up our ſleepy and ſlothful Hearts to ſerious diligence in and about the great Concernments of our Souls; for Eternity, was that great and neceſſary Truth which my Text holdeth forth; throughly believed, it would produce better Effects in the Lives of Men, than do appear generally in the World. That which will certainly, and must unavoidably come upon us, and how ſoon, and how ſuddenly it may come, and by what means, we know not; and is of the highest Importance, and deſerveth the greatest and deepest Conſideration, is that which my Text doth acquaint us with, and the enſuing Diſcourſe doth call for, and preſs unto. That this Ʋſe may he made of it by you (my Loving Friends) and many others that heard it, and others that may read it, is the Cordial Deſire of
Your Kinſman, and Soul's Friend, J. G.