Smyrna times., 1877-12-12
A Funeral Sermon.

when the Dralcer published the famOu.
Hard-shell Baptist sermon, :" For he played
on harp of Il thousand strings" it wa,
supposed that the summit of that style oi
oratory had been obtained. We have seen
nothing comparable to it until the other
day, in glancing through a foreign paper,
we came upon the following, which we
pronounced to be in its way inimitable.
1t is quite certain that it has not hereto.
fore appeared in print in America. 1t is
entitled:
" A Sermon occasioned by the Death of the
Rev. Mr.. Prockter, Minister of Gissing.
By the Rev. Mr.. More, Minister
OF Burston. Norfolk.
9 Tim, vi. and IL.
" Beloved, we are met 10 solemnize the
funeral of Mr.. Prockter; his fathers name
was Thomas Prockter of the second family ;
his brothers name was also Thomas Prock-
ter. he lived sometime at Buxton Hall in
Norfolk. and was high Constable of
Disthurdsed; this mans name was Robt.
Prockter, and his wife was Mrs. Buxton.
late wife of Mr.. Mathew Buxton; she came
from Helsdon Hall beyond Norwich.
" He was good Husband, and she a
good Housewife, and they two gat money :
she brought a thousand pounds to her
L
1t clear by demOnstrative Arguments.
First, he was good Man and that in
several respects; he was loving man to
his neighbors; charitable man to the
poor, "a favourable man in his Tythes. and
a good Landlord to his Tenants; there sits
Mr.. SpurgeOn can tell what a great sum he
torgave him on his Death Bed; it was
tourscore Pounds. Now, Beloved, was not
this good Man and a Man OF God. think
you, and his wife a good woman, and she
came from Hesdon Hall beyond Norwich.
This Is the first Argument.
Secondly, to prove this man TO be a
good Man and a Man of God, in the time
of his Sickness, which was very long and
tedious, he sent for Mr.. Cole, Minister Of
Shlmpllng, to pray for him he was not a
selt-ended man. No, Beloved, he desired
him to pray for, not only himself, but for
all his Relations and acquaintance, for Mr..
Buxton's Worship, for Mrs. Buxtons Wor-
ship, and all Mr.. Buxton's Children against
1t should please God to send him any, and
to Mr.. Coles prayers he devoutly said,
Amen, Amen, Amen. Was not this
good Man, and Man of God, think you,
and his Wife good Woman, and She came
from Helsdon Hall beyond Norwich.
Then he sent for Mr.. Gibbs 10 pray for
hlm, when he came and prayed for him,
and all his Friends, and Relations, and Ac-
quaintance, for Mr.. Buxton's Worship, and
tor Mrs. Buxton's Worship, and for all Mr..
BuXton's Children against it should please
God to send him any, and to Mr. Gibbs
prayers he devoutly said, Amen, Amen,
Amen. Was not this a good Man and
Man OF God, think you, and his Wife a
good Woman, and she came from Helstlon
Hall beyond Norwich.
Then he sent for me, and | came and
prayed for this good Man Mr.. Prockter,
for all his Friends, Relations, and Acquaint-
ance, for Mr.. Buxton's Worship, and for
Mrs. BuxtOn's Worship, and for all Mr..
BuxtOns Children against ii should please
GOD to send him any, and to my prayer he
devoutly said, Amen, Amen, Amen. Was
not this Il good Man and Man of God,
think you, and his Wife a good Woman,
and she came from IIelsdon Hall beyond
Norwich.
Thirdly and lastly, Beloved, | come to
a clear demonstrative Argument to prove
this Man to be a good Man, and Man of
God, and that is this: There was one
Thomas, very poor Beggar Boy; he came
out of Scotland over the Tweed, upon the
back of a dun Cow; it was not Black Cow,
nor Brindled Cow, nor a Brown Cow; no.
Beloved, it was a Dan Cow. Well, Beloved.
this poor boy came to this good Mans door.
to this Man of Gods door; he did not do
as some would have done, give him aims,
and send him away, or chide him, and
make him pass, and send him to his own
Country. No, Beloved, he took him into
his own House, and bound him Apprentice
to Gunsmith in Norwich after his time
was out, he took him home again, and
married him to a Kinswoman of his Wife's,
one Mrs. Christian Robertson here present
there she sits; she was a very good
fortune, and to her this good man gave
considerable jointure. By her he had three
Daughters, this good Man took home the
eldest. brought her up to Woman's Estate,
married her to very Hon'ble Gent'n, Mr..
Buxton, here present, there he sits, gave
hlm vast portion with her, and the re-
mainder of his Estate he gave to his other
Two Daughters; now was not this good
Man Man and Man of God, think you, and his
W ne good Woman, and she came from
helsdon Hall beyond Norwich.
Beloved, you may remember some
time since preached at the funeral of Mrs
Prockter, at which time | troubled Won
with many OF her transcendent virtues. bnt
your memories perhaps may fail you. and
therefore | shall remind you of one or two
Of them.
"The first is, she was as good Knitter
as any in the County of Norfolk when her
Husband and family were in Bed and
asleep she would get a cushion and clap
herself down by the Fire and sit and knit.
tut, Beloved, she was no prodigal Woman,
for to spare Candle she would stir up the
IRE with her knitting pins, and by that
light she would sit and knit, and make as
good work as many women do by daylight:
Beloved, have a pair of stockings upon
my Legs that were knit in the same man.
ner, and they are the best stockings that
ever l wore 10 my Life. Secondly, she was
he best maker of Toast in Drink that ever
eat in my Life, and they were Brown
oasts 100, Tor when | used to 90 in a
niofnlng she would ask me to have Toast,
Which was very willing TO do because she
had an artificial way of toasting it, no ways