“Printed funeral sermons grew in popularity in the seventeenth century; between 100 and 200 had been printed by 1647, with only 20 known to have been printed in the Elizabethan era. Their output increased from then until the turn of the eighteenth century. Funeral sermons were usually printed singly, although in 1647 a collection of 47 funeral sermons by eminent preachers was printed, entitled Threnoikos: The House of Mourning , demonstrating the popular place of the funeral sermon in the seventeenth century as a guide to leading an exemplary life, preparing for death, meditating on the next life, and responding to the death of loved ones.6 Funeral sermons thus held an important place in the memento mori tradition, and equally in the literature of exemplary reading for women. A higher proportion of funeral sermons for women were reprinted than those for men, making these interesting sources of conceptions of female piety.” (Molekamp, Femke. “Seventeenth-Century Funeral Sermons and Exemplary Female Devotion: Gendered Spaces and Histories.”)

Funeral sermons in 17th century England were integral to the religious, cultural, and social fabric of the time, reflecting the prevailing beliefs, values, and practices surrounding death and mourning. Through their thematic richness, rhetorical eloquence, and pastoral sensitivity, these sermons provided comfort, guidance, and spiritual sustenance to the bereaved while reaffirming the central tenets of Christian faith. As artifacts of religious discourse and cultural expression, funeral sermons offer valuable insights into the diverse ways in which early modern English society grappled with life, death, and the afterlife.