A FUNERAL ELEGY Humbly Dedicated to the Renowned Memory of the HONOURABLE, Thomas Danforth Esq. Of Cambridge, Sometimes Deputy GOVERNOR in the Colony of the Massachusetts-Bay, and Precedent of the Province of Main; and One of His Majesty's Honourable COUNCIL, Judge of the Superior Court in the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay in New England; Who (after He had long Served His Generation by the Will of GOD in several High Stations) Did to our Inconceivable Loss, but His Unparallelled Gain, Rest from all His Labours, on the Sacred Day of Rest, the Memorable 5th. of November: Anno Domini. 1699. Aetatis Suae, 77. Ho●os, Onus: Mors, Pax.  

JUDGE of the Quick and Dead I am not, Yet  
HIM and myself should very much forget  
If that I should decline the Bench to take  
Nor give my sense and sentence of this Fate.  
Pardon me, Sir; 'Twere better first to Die  
Than prove Disloyal to your Memory  
'Tis Conscience gives Commission not t' be Mute  
Justice and Gratitude shall Execute.   

The Isle which (Alfred sings) no Help desires,  
Yet all the World supply from Her requires  
Able to Glut King Solomon with Pleasures  
And Surfeit Great Augustus with Her Treasures:  
Whence the First Christian Emperor did spring  
And since that, Many an Hero, Many a King  
Rich in all Merchandise: More Rich in Men:  
(Scarce such an Island in the World again:)  
And whence New England sprang It did produce  
Him, to this Land who was of Glorious Use.  
He, Nature drew from Him whom Grace Divine,  
Rather than Worldly Grandieur, made to Shine.  
Who urged to Knight Him, Him, He followed not  
Followed a Greater King, to Desert Lot;  
Like Marsacus, when He saw Saints to Go  
Would fain be Knight of their Wing'd Order too.  
Such was His Father: And poor Framingham  
Lost a Choice Lecture when He hither came  
By Prophets Preached; But He procured the same.  
After His Father's Death This Son was blessed,  
Rudeness and Lewdness much He did Detest;  
Feared God from's Youth, like good Prince Obadiah  
An Early Convert, like Renowned Josiah.  
Glowing His Love: most Veh'ment His Desire  
Like Coals of Juniper and Flames of Fire,  
To jacob's Portion: Angels, Powers, Life, Death  
Heights, Depths, could not put either out of breath  
Harnessed and Rigged with th' Christian panoply;  
Well under girt with sound Sincerity:  
In every State, undeluged, could Sail Right;  
His Anchor held, on something out of Sight.  
Left not his Sweets, when He Promotion won  
His Wine still Cheered the Heart of God and Man  
His Speech well Seasoned both for Time and Grace  
For in His Soul, most Savoury Salt had Place.  
He had an Art, He practised to the last,  
What e'r● was Talked, in Spiritual mould to Cast.  
God's S●●uel He; 'Mongst those that on Him call  
'Mongst Thundering Hosts, an Expert General:  
Nobly Seraphic, and most Rapturous,  
In Prayer; A Secon'd Theodosius.  
What's Parent came Three Thousand Miles, to Win  
That, to neglect, He dareed not Count no Sin.  
God's Temple had Him, a Professor Pressed  
God's Table found Him Young, a Worthy Guest.  
'Twas Time, a Vine Grew up on His House side:  
Withington's Halls afford this Saint a Bride  
Precious as Gold Their Faith, yet as Behoved  
'Twas by both Fining Pot and Furnace Proved;  
Them Ten Rare Pledges, ●arly fledged, forsaken  
And the Directest way to Heaven Took:   

'Mongst whom count Chief the Famous Samuel  
Whose Excellencies England's both can Tell.  
During that Wondrous Term of Seven times Seven,  
Co heirs They Lived, of the Grace of Heaven.   

Just in the Fiftieth year of Jubilee  
His Aged Virtuous Consort vent out free,  
Yet not so Free, as He ●o Fellow was,  
And to o'er take Her, me●ds His Heavenly Pace.   

'Twas His High Care when first He saw that Comet  
Of Earthly Wealth arise ●o 〈◊〉 off from it.  
I''s Dreadful Fiety Tail; th' Intailment even  
Of Difficulty in the way to Heaven;  
That Sin bred Fate, can't coarse of Law out-root  
A Gospel Course, He found might greatly do it.  
Saw on His Hand that Viper Venomous:  
To Alms it tempered, Made a Treacle thus  
Honours to seek or shun HE was never buisy.  
His Head could bear Great Height & not be Dizzy.  
Blessed by Blessed Wilson first on Bench when sat  
Regaled with th' Anagram, Handsome for that.  
Edicts, Examples, and Sharp Punishment  
States, warping from their Standard ought prevent.  
Sagacious He betimes to Meet and Mate  
Ill Humours, threatening to subvert the State.  
Flat fell They who would ' said New-England flat;  
Thank GOD & th' MAN with Little Band, for That.  
Him, and His Country, who would Waste, in Hast  
He made Repent, Their Rents came in so fast.  
I've sometimes heard Him say that He had ever  
As lief die by the Axe as by the Fever;  
In a Good cause, and with a Conscience Good;  
For Church & State, so Truth's Great Champion stood.  
Like Samuel Road the Circuit Judged each Tribe,  
And like Brave S●muel, 〈◊〉 ●ook a Bribe.  
So Good, Great, Wise, Just, Steady Trusty, Free;  
We'll ne'er want Men, while we have Such as Thee.  
His Thoughts Pure Spirits were, He therefore used  
Physician like, to give them, well infused  
In some sweet proper Vehicle of Wit,  
Some Proverb, Story, Simile, most fit.  
When Men of Sense addresed Him, 'twas His fashion  
Reasons to show, and leave the Application:  
And when some nimble Case out ran His Vicit,  
Still Gave forth Sentence, in a Nihil Dicit.  
Dangers, as soon as meant, He oft Suspected  
Forgers, He oft Sagaciously Detected:  
At Helm in Tempests, yet His Courage Stout  
‛ Though Dangers were Extreme, would ne'v●r give out.  
Of Them, like Nicodemus He was One,  
And stood like Him, stout Protestant alone  
'Gainst a Committee, whose blind Indignation  
Condemned the Best Men of that Generation.  
I know not where to stop; His Course was thus  
To make New England's Journal Glorious:  
Hath stood our Church's Pillar ever since,  
Not without Envy, for His Recompense.   

Harvard! For Honourable, Thou must go;  
Who was thy Steward, Treasurer, was so:  
Charged and Discharged were thy Quarter Bills,  
Drained not thy Stock, but with large Hundreds fills  
A Bounteous Patron unto many a Plant  
In thy fair Nursery, whose Means were scant.  
Resolves so to continue, ' Spite of Death,  
By Lands and Rents, His last Will witnesseth.   

Bring Tribute to thy Benefactors Dust  
To be Ungrateful is to be Unjust.  
Church Messengers Christ's Glory are, so He  
(In that Relation,) oft was seen to be;  
Nor was it a Shame for a Professed Divine,  
To be beholden to His Golden Mine.  
So well-read in all Points, Men of best fashion,  
Unto His Judgement paid a Veneration.  
When Church Disturbances required His Best  
He signally with great Success was Blessed.   

In's Family as exact Orders seen,  
As if that it a Sovereign State had been:  
Reading, Instruction, Prayer, and Repetition  
So constant were, You'd envy their Condition.  
From Families would Spring New England's Bliss  
Might all be taught and Governed as was His.  
Great is the Loss of such a Man as This!  
Full of Good Works, not therefore void of Fears;  
No Works so Good but call for Fasts and Tears;  
Justification through His Saviour's Blood,  
And Righteousness, (His Aged Souls last Food,  
His Readins, Meditations, there, were spent  
So Views His Title, and Receives Content.  
Like Solomon, All Gainful Arts He tries  
To Die in Christ, Best Gain He finds; so Dies.  
His Arms: On Gold, the single opened Eye,  
(Man's Noble Part) imports Sincerity,  
And Wisdom too: That Gemm the Di'mond dwells  
Invulnerate, ' though it cuts all things else.   

He left with's Children Dear a numerous Race,  
Lord! Give 'em Portions of their Grandsire's Grace  
Thousands up springing so, in His rich Heap  
Shall Love Thy Name, & Thy Commandments keep.   
Amen.  
john Danforth.