A funeral sermon for that faithful and laborious servant of Christ Mr. Richard Fairclough…

IT may seem somewhat Incongruous, and an indecency that this Memorial of our worthy Friend, should be now Solemnized so long after his very remains are gone from off the face of the Earth. But two things concurred to make the delay necessary, and unavoidable, viz. That his own ⟨p. 2⟩desire, expressed in his Will, limited the Performance of this Office to the Person upon whom it now falls. And that my own great Infirmities, before the time of his Sickness and Death, (which made it more likely he should have done this part for me, than I for him) had obliged me to begin a course, for the repairing of languishing Health, which required some Weeks attendance abroad, and which could not be sooner over.

IT may seem somewhat Incongruous, and an indecency that this Memorial of our worthy Friend, should be now Solemniz'd so long after his very remains are gone from off the face of the Earth. But two things concurr'd to make the delay necessary, and unavoidable, viz. That his own ⟨p. 2⟩desire, exprest in his Will, limited the Performance of this Office to the Person upon whom it now falls. And that my own great Infirmities, before the time of his Sickness and Death, (which made it more likely he should have done this part for me, than I for him) had obliged me to begin a course, for the repairing of languishing Health, which required some Weeks attendance abroad, and which could not be sooner over.

But, if our business were only to Mourn, and lament our own, and the more common Loss, it were not yet too late. The mention of his Name, The worthy Mr. Richard Fairclough is enough to Open fresh Springs, calling to remembrance such a Brother, such a Friend, such a Preacher of the Word of Life as he was.