The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1866-04-25
A QUEER FUNERAL SERMON.
PROBABLE ORIGIN OF ''THE HARP OF THOUSAND
STRINGS"

- THE following sermon was printed IN the
British Magazine for November, 1850, and IS
said to;have been actually preached at the
funeral of Mr. Proctor, Minister Of GlSslng, oy
$ Rev. Mr.. Moore, in the parish church at buX-
s ton, a small village near Dlss, Norfolk NosC
=ofthe names mentioned may Still oe seen IN
Stbe parish register. A manuscript copy OF
the sermon vas also found in an old wall,
pulled down at Wisback, in 1928:
'.Fg;ght tie good .fg6t.AI. Timothy: vi, p.
- BELOVED Weare met together to solem-
. nfze the funeral of Mr.. Proctor. His fathers
name was Mr. Thomas Proctor of the second
: family; his brothers name was Mr.. Thomas
Proctor, also. He lived some time at Buxton
Hall, in Norfolk, and was High COnstao:9 OF
zDiss Hundred This mans name was Mr..
Robert Proctor, and his wife was Mrs Buxton,
late wife of Mr. Mathew Buxton. She came
from. Helsden Hall, beyond Norwich. He was
d good husband, and she q good housewife !;
and they have got money. She brought a
thousand pounds with her for her portion.
Bat now, beloved, I shall make it clear by
demonstratiye arguments First, be was a
good man, and that in several respects; he
was q loving man to his neigffbors; chari-
table man to the poor a favorable man ii his
tithes; and q good landlord to his tenants.
There sits one! Mr.. SpurgeOn can tell you
what great sum Of money he forgave him on
his death bed. It was four score pounds.
Now, beloved, was not this "a good man, and
"a man of God and his wife good woman p
and she came from Helsden Hall, beyond Nor
Rich. This is the first argument.
- Secondly, to prove this man to be a good
Of tOH In In IT0a OT
sickness, which was long ard tedious, he
sent for Mr.. Cole, minister of Shimplng, to
pray for him He was not selEended man,
to be prayed for himself.only; no, beloved, he
{ desired him to pray for all his relatives and
acuuaintances, for Mr.. Buxton's worship, for
= Mrs. Buxton's worship, and for all Mr.. Bux-
tons children, against it should please God to
send him any; and to Mr.. Coles prayer he
devoutedly said, Amen, Amen, Amen. Was
not this a good man, and a man of God, think
YOU !? and his wife a good woman ?-and she
came from Helsdeu Hall, beyond Norwich.
Then he sent for Mr.. Gibbs to pray for hin;
= when he came and prayed for him, and all his
friends, relatives and acquaintances :; for Mr..
Buxton S worship, for Mrs. Buxt0n'S worship,
and for all Mr.. Buxton's children, agsinst it
should please God to send him any land to Mr..
Gibbs prayer, he also devoutly said, Amen,
Amen. Amen. Was not this good man, and
s a man of God, think you? and his wife good
woman ?-and she came from uelSden Hall,
beyond Norwich.
S: Then he sent for me, and came and prayed
for this good man, Mr.. Proctor; for all his
friends, relatives and acquaintances; for Mr..
Baxton's worship, for Mrs. Buxton's worship,
and for Mr.. Buxton's children, against it
j nd 70
my prayer he devouty said, Amen, Amen,
Amen. Was not this good man anda man Of
God think you? and his wife good woman?-
and she cane from Helsden Hall, beyond Nor
Rieh, = 7....--.
Thirdly and lastly, beloved, come to clear,
sde,nonstrative argument TO prove this man to
be a man of God and a good man, and that is
&tIis: There was enc Thomas Proctor, very
poor beggar boy. He came into this county
upon the back Of a dun COW. It was not q
black cow, nor brindlc COW, nor brown
cow; no, beloved, it was a dun COW. Well,
beloved, this poor boy came begging to this
good mans door. Re did not do as some
would have done-give him small aims and
sead him away, or chide him and make him q
pass and send him into his own county; no,
beloved, he took him into his own house, and
bound him as an app entice to gunsmlth IN
Norwich, After his time was out, he took
him homo again:and married him to kins-
woman Of bis wife, one Mrs. Christian Robert
son-here- present; there she~sitst She was a
very good fortune and to her this good man
gave a considerable jointuge. BY her he had
three daughters This good man took home
the eldest, brought her up to woman'S estate,
married her to very honorable gentleman,
MrsBuxton-here present; there he sits!
gaze him vast portion with her and the re-
sInaindl of his estate hegaye to his two daugh-
teFs. Now, was not this good man, and a
man of God, iniRk you? and his wife a good
woman ,?-and she came from HelSden Hall,
Beyond Norwich,
Beloved, you remember, some time since, !
preached at the funeral of Mrs Proctor, at
which time I troubled you with many Of her
transcendant virtues but your memories, per-
haps, may fail you, and therefore shall now
remind you of two Or three Of them. The
first is, she was a good knitter as any in the
county of Norfolk. When her husband and
family were in bed and asleep, ,zshe would get
reushion, clap herself down blythe fire, and
sit and knit but, beloved, be assured she was
no prodigal woman, but sparing woman for
she to spare candle, would stir up the Goals
With her knitting-pins, and by that light she
would sit and knit, and make as good work as
many other women would by daylight. Be-
loved, have pair of stockings, on my legs
shat we're knit by her in the same manner,
and they are the best stockings l ever wore
insu15. life. r
Secondly, she was the best maker of toast
and drink that l ever eat in my life. And
they were brown, too. When used to 60 in
ofa morning, she would ask me to eat toast,
which was very willing to do, because she
had such an artificial way of toasting it, in no
Way slack or burning it besides, she had
such pretty way of grating nutmeg in it,
and dipping it in the beer, and such piece
of rare cheese, that must needs say that they
were the best toasts I ever eat in my life.
Well, beloved, the days are short, and many
of you have great way to go to your habita-
tions, and therefore I hasten to a conclusion.
think have sufficiently proved this man to
be good man, and his wife a good woman;
but, fearing your memories should fail you,
shall repeat the particulars, namely: first, his
love to his neighbor second, his charity to
the poor; third, his favorableness in his tthes;
fourth, his goodness to his tenants; fifth, his