Jane Attwater’s self-composed Funeral Oration (c. mid- to late 1770s)

     A secret perswasion tells me I shall not long be an Inhabitant of this world.  It is not the suggestions of a gloomy fancy shaded by melancholly or ye effects of a bewildered Immagination – I hope also its not a delusive dream as I earnestly wish (if consistent with ye will of God) for ye arrival of that happy period which shall disunite my soul from these dregs of Mortality free it from every Incumberance which here awaits it.  Free’d from the clogs of Sence it shall soar to joys refin’d & lasting as its Nature – possess’d with these Ideas what shall be the employment of my present leasure hour to anticipate ye joy ye ineffable joy that I trust awaits me or pore over & lament my past folly vanity & neglect & humbly solicit divine forgiveness this I would not leave undone but the chief thing that at present ingages my attention is an affectionate solicitude for ye good the Eternal good of my fellow Mortals.

         To you O sons of Men I call & my voice shall be to ye children of Men – hear from ye Tombs a solemn sound! I now adress you from my late opening grave – hear & attend with serious aide & Complacence my last my affectionate admonition – “Dust & ashes fondest speak mans infinite concern” Let every vain thought be banished – in attentive silence hear the voice sincere which points to your own certain End – let Reflection now have its due weight whilst a voice from ye dead thus claims your solemn attention first to you my dear my much lovd Friends with whom I have often assembled in the Church Millitant below & partook of your priviledges with real pleasure & I humbly bless God for that I hope I may add profit – having in ye use of appointed means possess’d that joy & pleasing satisfaction which is far superior to every terrene pleasure being in its nature divine – & in its duration permanent – I bid you farewell in ye joyful hope of soon meeting you again to surround ye table of our Lord in the Church Triumphant above where alone we can injoy a perfection of that happiness we anticipated below. Rejoice my dear aged & young Friends in the glorious prospect wch await you need I remind you of walking worthy those exalted privileges?  Let your lives & action ever coincide with your profession you have ye name of Christians be ever dilligent to act as such – I trust actuated by the noblest generous motives of Gratitude & Love you will be dilligent to promote ye glory of God who has done so much for you in redeeming you from perdition & that you will manifestly appear to be zealous in every good word & work wholly embracing duty in point of obedience wholly rejecting it in point of acceptance – having fought a good fight you may finish your course with joy – bring glory to free distinguish grace & thro Jesus enter the Blissful Mansions of Eternal joy & peace where no Interruption shall ever becloud our Happiness but a perfection of Holiness render our Bliss Compleat.

         Now permit me to address my dear young Fellow mortals who may attend this funeral solemnity perhaps out of Curiosity to hear what may be said of one who in the Meridian of her days bade adieu to Life with all its glittering prospects – no pompous praise nor vain encomiums shall bespeak my tomb my silent dust sleeps beneath yon lovely hillock deaf to ye voice of Censure or of praise – the present business is ye peace & welfare of ye Living to promote that is my end & aim.  You that are now in the morning of your days in ye bloom & vigor of Life & Health – “Young Beautiful & gay” Can you attend to my serious admonition? & for a while suspend ye pursuit wch perhaps hitherto has engaged too much of your attention – Think on Death & its solemn Consequences – after Death is Judgement – say can you resist & resign ye fleeting vanities of time – the flattering temptations your lov’d amusements & sins for those glorious those divine realities wch there is in true religion.

         For a moment give me leave to affectionately expostulate with you are you mortal I reasonably suppose you give your assent to this truth “I too must die” I need not apply to various other Instances of Mortality wch has past perhaps often unheeded by you the one before your mental view as well as ye word of God. All conspire to convince you of ye truth of ye assertion you must die – it is not ye voice of Enthusiasm of Sect or Party but ye voice of Truth & Importance – are you now ready – supposing this night your souls shd be required of any of you are you ready to meet ye awful Messenger? You have not a moment you can call your own much less a day a month or year yet ye longest time how short.—Is it not then of ye utmost importance that you make use of ye present time to secure yr best Interest wt will it avail you if you have all your hearts can desire if destitute of an Interest in the favor of God whose favor is better yn life – Consider for a moment on wt you stand.—You stand on ye precipice perhaps on ye verge of Time just about to Launch into ye boundless ocean of Eternity – are you ready? Should the summons now sound in your ears from above dust thou art to dust thou shalt return – Can you with calm Fortitude welcome ye pale messenger & with joy obey his Summons?  In wt situation are you? as Death leaves you judgment will find you it is not for a short season your souls will be yn placed but you will yn enter into an awful never ending eternity there to be fixed forever either in a state of unspeakeable Happiness & Felicity or in a State of inexpressible sorrow & misery – you will easily now determine wch of these to chuse – & will doubtless say at this moment with earnest desire “O let me die ye death of ye Righteous & let my last end be like theirs” – If so then be diligent & in ye strength of divine grace resolve to live their Lives – Devote the early dawn of Life to the service of your maker – this is your most reasonable duty wt ever the profits or pleasures of this life may promise you in the prospect of a possession of them be assured they are far more than Compensated by the pleasures & profits wch arise from true Religion seek first the Kingdom of God & every necessary good shall be added to you.

      I do not I would not perswade you to follow any mean pursuit but let a generous ardour expand your Youthful breasts to pursue with unremitting diligence the most invalueable riches the pearl of price immence – the most Exquisite pleasures – hear the voice of Inspiration attend to ye assurence it gives us of riches & honor yea durable riches to be ye companions of those who walk in ye paths of Wisdom Happiness & peace also are ye attendants of such.—All the futile pleasures of the world the tinsil alurements wch may for awhile cheat your deluded senses & smile & court you to accept their profferd varnished trifles – all these will soon leave you or you must soon leave them—nor can they yield you solid Satisfaction even while you possess them – let the faithful moniter within speak & say if you do not feel a painful vacancy an Imperfection in all below.—Earthly joys & possessions are not form’d to fill the Capacious desires of an Immortal Mind that must have something like its Nature divine & like its duration endless to satisfy – Come then to the only source from whence you can come to Jesus the Friend of Sinners – learn of him who was meek & lowly & come agreeable to his benevolent Invitation & he has assured you he will give you rest – his ways are ways of pleasantness and all his paths are peace. Be his faithful followers – repose your whole Hope for salvation on Him – devote yourselves unreservedly to Him.  He will guide you by his Counsel thro’ every labyrinth of Life & if you are faithful unto Death will Crown you with Immortal Glory & renown in another & better world.

    From hence then ye generous Youths learn nobly to disdain the mean unsatisfying pleasures wch spring form earth and let Immortal Excellence & honor be your Supreme pursuit.  Permit me now to ask you there in this assembly those who have past the morning & meridian of their days & yet have neglected to secure their best Interest “Amidst the various range of thought the one thing needful has forgot” been dilligent in laying up treasures on Earth yet are poor towards God – destitute of those valueable riches wch constitute ye real Christian permit me my fellow Immortals to earnestly intreat you “to be wise to day ’tis Madness to defer” have you hitherto neglected your most important Business? Your concerns wch are of ye greatest moment hitherto been unattended too?  “Now is ye accepted time now is ye day of salvation”  “today if ye will hear his voice harden not your ht” apply earnestly apply to God who is ye alone giver of Grace for divine Assistance to enable you to come in ye Eleventh hour – & tho’ you can’t wn you take a retrospective view of your Conduct (if you have any generosity in yr Compositions) but blush at your Ingratitude to God who has crownd your lives with so many Mercies yet you have not returnd praise for ye same or done anything to promote his glory who has done so much for you be then more dilligent now – exert your utmost efforts to spend your remaining moments in his divine service in lamenting your past omissions – humbly imploring forgiveness & let others seeing your good works be constrain’d to adore that distinguishing grace who has condescended to accept ye decline of that Life wch ought wholly to be devoted to God to be spent on his Service.

   & so my Young Friends the pleasure that arises from an early devotion of yourselves to God your Maker – you avoid much bitter self reflection are preserved from many surrounding Evils partake of true solid pleasures in a most refin’d & extensive sense – let me then once more intreat all who hear ye production of my once active pen so solemnly devote themselves to God to Glorify him on Earth & Endeavor after a constant meetness to injoy this blissful presence in Eternity where I trust I shall meet many of you & its ye desire of my soul that all who hear this admonition may be prepard by divine grace to join the general Assembly of ye just made perfect in the noble employment of praising God in an Endless Eternity.

    & now my dear Fellow Immortals does not your Heart echoe to ye sound & say even so come Lord Jesus.—“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us.—Unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages. World without end Amen.

The following fragment by Attwater was attached to the preceding manuscript:

   … [I] beg my dear Bror or friend Miss Steele to correct this & have it read wn my funeral sermon is preach’d Two of my funeral hymns wch I have often sung with peculiar pleasure is in Dr Dodridges “God of my Life whose tuneful praise shall fill the Remnant of my days &c” to Lebanon tune  the other “Jesus I love thy Charming Name &c”  the other “I am not ashamed to own &c”  My funeral text 2 Cors 13 & 11 “finally Brethren farewell be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace & ye God of Love & peace shall be with you” In ye Evening from those words “prepare to meet thy God” – particularly addressing ye youth.  May my death & its consequences be ye Life of many in Glory may I rejoice to meet you all where we shall sin [&] consequently sorrow no more forever but joy & gratitude inspire the soul & tune the Song in perfect harmony – farewell ye scenes of mortality I bid you a cheerful a last adieu.

   My dear parent should she survive me perhaps may not again mention it therefore I insert this also here her funeral text wch she chose is “Into thy hand I commit my Spirit” Psalm 31 & 5  “for thou hast redeemd me O Lord God of Truth.” 

Text: Timothy Whelan, ed. Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 8, pp. 117-21; Attwater Papers, acc. 76, II.A.18, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford (this is a fair copy by Attwater).