A Funeral Sermon for John Gould, Title page – Dedication
A FUNERAL SERNOM, DELIVERED Upon the SAD OCCASION OF THE Much Lamented Death OF JOHN GOULD, Late of CLAPHAM, Eſq Who put on Immortality, Aug. 22. 1679.
By P. Lamb, Miniſter of the Goſpel.
Be ye Followers of them, who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promiſes,
Heb. vi. 12.
LONDON, Printed by M. C. for John Smith, at the Sign of the Hand and Bible on London-Bridge, 16…9
TO The truly Pious and Religious GENTLEVVOMAN, Mrs. JƲDETH GOƲLD, Late Wife of JOHN GOULD, Eſq AND To all the reſt of the Inhabitants of CLAPHAM, Grace, Mercy, Peace, &c.
I Did not know how to pay may Reſpects to the Memory of ſo Eminent a Saint, and Worthy a Perſon, as our late (too early) Deceaſed Friend; nor how to give ſo lively a Teſtimony of my entire affectionate love to your Souls; nor make my ſerious Sentiments and Sympathy (which I bear with you in this our common loſs) manifeſt to the Worlc; nor anſwer the Call of ſo Stupendious awakening a Providence, if I had not according to my little skill broken the bonds of Modeſty, and rear'd this Pillar (In perpetuam hujus Rei Memoriam) inſcrib'd with that golden Sentence from Heaven;
Mark the Perfect man, and behold the Upright, for the end of that Man is Peace.
You have here preſented to you, that from the Preſs, which once you heard from the Pulpit, wherein I follow the counſel and conduct of wiſer heads than my own.
The Lord hath lately alarm'd us with much Sickneſs and many Deaths: Death and Judgment, Heaven and Hell, are no little things; yet I am afraid we are no more affected with them, than the People of Iſrael were with Amaſa's Death, 2 Sam. xx. 12. While he lay dead in their ſight, they all ſtood ſtill; but when he was removed, and a Cloth laid over him, they all went on in purſuit of Sheba, the Son of Bichri. So while we ſee our Friends dead, or dying, we are a little ſerious; but when they are laid in their Graves, we follow this World, and are apt to forget Death and Judgment to come: Though we know it is not the Riches of this World, but the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt; not greatneſs, but goodneſs, that will ſtand us in ſtead when we die.
May this little Book lie before you, to mind you of theſe things; it will ſerve as King Philips Boy, who ſaluted him every Morning with a Memento Philippe quod ſis mortalis. It contains nothing but ſeaſonable plain truths, concerning a Plain and Ʋpright man, from one that had rather ſpeak five words in plainneſs to Edification, than ten thouſand in a forc'd ſtyle, or vain affectaion.
That which I greatly deſire (at this time) is Eliſha's wiſh to Elijah, 2 King. 2.9. that now you have ſuſtained a very great loſs in the departure of ſo uſeful a Friend, A double portion of his ſpirit may be upon you. I ſhall now leave you to read and tranſcribe in your hearts, and copy out in your lives theſe few Characters and Rules of a Perfect and Ʋpright man, that you may have Peace at the laſt, which the God of peace grant both to you and to him; Who is
Your moſt entirely Affectionate Friend, and Faithful Servant, P. L.