A discourse relating to the much-lamented death and solemn funeral of our incomparable and…

It would amaze a Thinking Man that all this should be so! That Intelligent Creatures, that the Reasonable, Living, Immortal Spirits of men, should be sunk to so low a Pitch of Degeneracy and Vileness! But much more, that it being so apparently thus, it should be so seldom reflected on! that men are not afraid of themselves! that they appear not as so many frightful Monsters, each in their own eyes! That they consider not, What are these Faculties for? Why have I such Notions of Truth in my ⟨p. 27⟩mind? Why have I a Will whereby to choose, resolve, act, and be accordingly? What a distorted, misshapen Creature is this Soul of mine? Every thing in me running counter to right and fit! Whatever hath thus fatally perverted all their Powers, hath stupefied them too; so as not only not to find fault, but to applaud and be well pleased with themselves for all this.

It would amaze a Thinking Man that all this should be so! That Intelligent Creatures, that the Reasonable, Living, Immortal Spirits of men, should be sunk to so low a Pitch of Degeneracy and Vileness! But much more, that it being so apparently thus, it should be so seldom reflected on! that men are not afraid of themselves! that they appear not as so many frightful Monsters, each in their own eyes! That they consider not, What are these Faculties for? Why have I such Notions of Truth in my ⟨p. 27⟩mind? Why have I a Will whereby to chuse, resolve, act, and be accordingly? What a distorted, mishapen Creature is this Soul of mine? Every thing in me running counter to right and fit! Whatever hath thus fatally perverted all their Powers, hath stupify'd them too; so as not only not to find fault, but to applaud and be well pleased with themselves for all this.

But now shall we not take our advantage from hence, to conceive and be enamoured of the Rectitude, the amiableness of this most excellent State of the Perfected Spirits of the Just! Now doth Comely Order succeed instead of the most Horrid Deformity; distorted Limbs are set right; the Ligaments and Connection of the dis-jointed Faculties to each other are restored; and whatsoever the enlightened Mind suggests as fit and due, presently obtains. No Complaint remains of seeing what is better, and doing what is worse; or that when good should be done, evil is present. There is nothing but perfect Regularity, Harmony, and Agreement. All things move smoothly, and with constant Equability and Decorum. Right Dictates of the leading Faculty, and ready Compliance of such as are to follow, make with them a perpetual, even, and uninterrupted Course.