Late President of Harvard-College in Cambridge, and formerly Pastor of the Old Church in Boston. WHO departed this Life on March 16th. Having just enter'd the 68th Year of his Age, By Thomas Forcroft, 2 Kin. 3. 11. Here is Elisha, which poured Water on the Hands of Elijah. Life, l'urpose, Faith, Longsuffering, Charity, Patience, BOSTON, New England, and John PARKER at the Head of the Town: Dock, 1737 To the Old or First Church in BOSTON. Dearly Beloved, I was a sincere and high Respect for the Memory of my Reverend Father, your late excellent Paftor, together with a View to your Edification, which indu ced me to entertain you, in my publick Discourse on the Sabbath after his Funeral, with some Meditations suited to the mournful Occasion of his Death: and I doubt not, the same Principles bad their Influence in putting You upon so unanimous à Vote, to ask a Copy for the Press. I need not observe to You, with what Disadvantages a Performance of this Nature from me (under my present Indispositions) must appear; while the necefsary Care of my broken Health forbids that Application of Thought and Care of ExaEtness, proper in preparing and publishing a Sermon on fuch a SubjeĒt and Occasion : which would have sufficiently pleaded in my Excuse, if I had declinod the Press. However, in Deference to your Judgment and Requeft, I bave sacrific'd my own Inclinations ; and venture into the publick Light, boping for the same Candour to an imperfe& Discourse from others in the reading, as it met with from You in the hearing. It must be allow'd, that an affected Niceness of Method and Ornaments of Language make but an odd figure in a melancholy Funeral Sermon : and therefore I give you mine very much in its original inaccurate Dress; tho with some few Additions, which the scant Limits of a single Hour obliged me to omit in the Pulpit. As |