The Much Lamented Death of Queen Mary, Title page – Dedication
A DISCOURSE RELATING To the Much-lamented DEATH, AND Solemn Funeral, Of Our Incomparable and most Gracious Queen MARY, Of most Blessed Memory.
By JOHN HOWE, Minister of the Gospel.
LONDON: Printed for Brabazon Aylmer at the Three Pidgeons in Cornhill. MDCXCV.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RACHEL, Lady RUSSELL.
MADAM,
I Can be at no loss for inducements to prefix Your Ladyship's Name to this Discourse. I know the Subject is grateful to You: And if I only give you the occasion hereby, of revolving in Your mind this sublime context, You will entertain Your self from it, with more enlarged, and exalted thoughts, than this Discourse, especially confined within so narrow Limits, can suggest.
And Your Ladyship knows so much of the incomparable Queen, that You can the more easily believe the rest. I reckon You, Madam, a great Frequenter of that Assembly above, to which She is now adjoyn'd. You have, besides the greater Attractives that are common to all serious Christians, a very peculiar One, to draw Your Mind often thither. A Joint-Root with You is there by Transplantation: And a Noble Branch, from You both, and in whom Two Illustrious Families meet, is, under Your Care, shooting upwards also. All indeed that have true honour for Him, will earnestly covet He may be long Serviceable to the most valuable purposes, in this world; and that, by the Blessing of Heaven upon his approaching Nuptials, (with One from whom may be expected, all that so sweet and tender a Bud now beginning to open, can promise) He may, in due time, spread forth many Branches, that may flourish here: But it is to be hoped He will be found to have a Greater Mind, than can be confined to so low, and little a thing, as this Earth is.
The thought may much the better be digested, that Terrestrial Nuptials, will some time end in Funerals; if once, by God's prescribed methods, it can be made certain to us also, that those Funerals shall end in Celestial Triumphs.
Your Ladyship's Eyes (which better serve for Heaven than Earth) being, observably, much directed upward, will give aim and direction to theirs, who depend upon you, to look the same way; and withal, draw down from thence continual Blessings upon Your self and them. Which is the serious Desire and Hope of,
MADAM, Your Ladyship's, Most Obedient and Obliged Humble Servant, JOHN HOWE.