When ancient Names I in thy Pages meet,
Like Gems on Aaron's costly Breast-plate set;
Methinks Heaven's open, while great Saints descend,
To wreathe the Brows, by which their Acts were penned."
Few Ministers preached a greater Number of Funeral Sermons than Dr. Mather; and when he died his Cotemporaries seemed to have vied with each other in performing the same Office for him. Several of their Sermons were printed. Some of these with their quaint Titles are now before us. Foremost among them appears that of the excellent Mr. Prince; he entitled his, "The Departure of Elijah lamented.—A Sermon occasioned by the great and publick Loss in the Decease of the very Reverend and Learned COTTON MATHER, D.D., F.R.S., and Senior Pastor of the North Church in Boston. Who left this Life on Feb. 13th, 1727,8. The Morning after he finished the LXV. Year of his Age." From 2 Kings ii, 12, 13. The Imprint of this Sermon is, "Boston in New England: Printed for D. Henchman, near the Brick Meeting House in Cornhill. MDCCXXVIII."
The running Title of Dr. Colman's Sermon on the same Occasion is "The holy Walk and glorious Translation of blessed ENOCH." His Text was Gen. v. 24. It would be difficult to find anything of the Kind, either before or since, which, in our Judgment, is superior to this Discourse of Dr. Colman; but valuable as it is, we cannot introduce Extracts from it here. His Allusion, however, to the then past and present State of Things connected with his Subject, is so happy that we cannot overlook it.
"Dr. Mather's Brethren in the Ministry here," he says, "are bereaved and weak with him. God has taken their Father as well as his, from their Heads this Day. He was a Pastor in the Town when the eldest of the present Pastors were but Children, and long before most of them were born. They are weak indeed when he that is now speaking to them is the first in Years among them, in all respects else the least," &c.
The Rev. Joshua Gee, Colleague with Dr. Mather, also preached a Funeral Sermon on his departed Friend, entitled, "Israel's Mourning for Aaron's Death." In this Discourse there is the following important Note: "Within a few Months past, we have been called to lament the Deaths of two such aged Servants of the Lord. The Rev. Mr. Samuel Danforth of Taunton, who died Nov. 14. And my honored Father-in-law, the Rev. Mr. Peter Thatcher of Milton, who died Dec. 17, 1727: while the Days of mourning were scarce over in this Town for my dearly beloved Friend and Brother, the Rev. Mr. William Waldron, who died Sept. 11, 1727."
Dr. Mather's Son and Biographer, "Samuel Mather, M. A., and Chaplain at Castle William," also preached a Funeral Sermon on his Father's Death. "The Departure and Character of Elijah considered and improved," was its running Title. Only about five Years before, the deceased preached a Sermon on the Death of his Father; in the Title-page of which, when printed, instead of the Author's Name we read, "By one who, as a Son with a FATHER, served with him in the Gospel."
Dr. Mather died intestate, and the Order of the Judge of Probate for the Distribution of his Estate is as follows: "One third to his Widow, Lydia Mather; two single Shares or fourth Parts to Samuel Mather, Clerk, only surviving Son, and one Share each to the Rest of his Children, viz., Abigail Willard, deceased, Wife of Daniel Willard, also deceased, their Children and legal Representatives, and Hannah Mather, Spinster." Dated, 25th May, 1730.