Mr. David Clarkfon's Funeral Sermon. the higheft Heaven, the Seat of the Angels , was made before they we re created. Now Jr·h 3s 4, s. the Angels (we are inform' cl by Divine Revelation) were prcfent when the F01mda- 'i · tiom of the Earth were laid, and God jiretched his Line upon it: Then I be Morning Stars flu'~ together. a11d dU t?e Sonr ofGod Jhouted for Joy. They law. the rifing World, the vanety and beauty oftts Frame, the admtrabl e Order that dtfttngU!fbes and unites its Parts, that all Things were divinely done, and tranlported witb\vonder and joy celebrated the prailes of the Creator. o. The Supreme Heaven is the effeCl: of God's immediate Creation. The Earth with all its Ornaments was form'd of preexiftent Matter: the Chaor, a confuled Mars was the Embrio of the lublunary World : but the Supreme Heaven is his moreimme: diate and exguifiteWorkmanfhip, 'and receiv'd its Being and Perfetl:ion at once. You Gon. '· 7· may illuftrate this by the Account is given by Mofcr of the Creation of Man ; God · ;:~ ;~~d :{,;h~fo;(;#~~rc':O~;or~:s,~~~e~g{~~~ :~e ~~~\~cf~~"ltr~~u~~"~fEJ~~ J.,~~.ad~l~~ l:~;r:~:::~i~~~ tt Z:,~;~fi~~~B;f'~s 0{~t.; b~~~~fs1~~~f~~;; i~~~;~ by the Breath of God ; that is, by his Divine Power immediately created ; and in nobility of Nature, and its lpiritual Endowments, incomparably excels the Body. And the third Heaven, though not a lpiritual Subftance, yet in the purity of its Nature, far tranlcends whatever was form'd of grols Matter. · This being premis'd, I will now confider what the Scripture reveals to us of that Place that is eminently the Houle of God. I. The Amplitude of it. Our Saviour tells us, TheW ay 1f narr01», ad the Gate jil'4it it.1fa~e:~; ~~~~ur~g~~c~~eJ~;e~~li~~c~~er~f~r~h~;~'d1: clt;'; a~l~j~~}1i~e?;.;~([~~ • "'· Boylo, ~o. the lhining Sky, wherein are the Sun, t!Jat by the computation of late * AftronoOfrhe k1gh mers, fame thoufands of times exceeds the Earth in its magnitude 5 and innumerable , '::t;~;;~~~:uea Stars, and fame of that greatnefs, that they eighty times exceed this Globe ofEarth; .w, roGod,&c. ~l1o to the ignorant, and therefore incredulous, they are judged to be as they appear, P· ' '· (upon the account of that unmealurable di!l:ance between the Firmament and us) but gliftering points of Light: our Minds will betir'd and loft in taking mealures of that that leemeth boundlels : and this vaft Expanfion, with all the glorious Luminaries, l~r~~r~~~!~;~} ~;~~er~~;,~J,~X.?,?~he J!~:.~:o;~f1h;He~v~~:!tfre::~~ ~~::.~uc~~= tain him; that is, neither the Airy nor Etherial Heaven, nor the Supreme Heaven that encompaffes and exceeds it. 'Tis a lpaciousPallace, becoming the Diyine Maker's Greatnels, the Image of his Jmmenfity : and the State of Felicity there is anfiverab!e. The hleffed God, in whorn there is an eternal Union of all PerfeCl:ions, 1f aU in aUto !t,~t:~~lle~~~s s;en ~~1j~!;[ig~~~~t~at~;t:~~~~tro~~clt~f~~r~ni~ ;g~~~nltset!~ri~; :;J~f ~~:~m:n2~~~r~~t~~~~~: ~}~~~ab~i~~e :;c~ed~;g1; ti~~i;fi~t~~~;h/~~fir~~~ and perpetuates the Delights of the Saints. He !tiles himlelf, ih ·the gracious Covenant with his People, I am God Alfiifficient ; walk before me, and be perfot1. He is fufficient in all things that are requifite, to the cornplea t Felicity of the moft compreheAfive Spirits; and is lufficient to make all that innumerable Company of Angels and Saints, as happy as one Perlon. God 1f Light, and Emanations of his Goodnels are lenfibly reprelented by it. Heaven is ca!J'd, the hdxritmm of the Saintr in Light. .As ~;ff;r~~tW~n~~~~~~?t;~~~~:ej~d~g~~ ~~l~e~eatA~0 t~eene;~~yrlre~1~: ;~r~\[ i~n~~;~ e.very moment, yet (which is a perpetual Miracle in Nature ) without the leaft di- ~~~~!~~7~~~w~~~~~. ·~~/[~~~; ~~gu;;~e t;o~~~o~~ig~~~~J~ffr::~f~e~~~~is1~d Q"'nmmm« t is the univerlal Happinels of all, and the entire Happinels of every Saint. God ts ~;rn,c:~e ~~n- an inexhaufl:ib1e Fountain of Felicity: As he that drinks of a Jiving Spring, ( tho mFon.,;n,;, fi. flam'd with thirft) yet leaves.itJlowing and full a~ before, lufficient to R.efrelh a thou- '''""~;g. ~~~~~~~~l~~~;~~n~e fs":ft?,~;in'ti:~l~a~~~;~u~f~~~;~l~~rn ~~~~·s~~rl~~eife~.~Yby ti~ H,b. "· vifion: but all the Sons ofGod have the dignity of thefirfl bow, and are Heirr ofGod, Rom. ' · and enjoy an undivided Inheritance. Our heavenly Father venfies to every Samt, wl1at the Fatlier in the Parable laid to his Son, All that I have 1f thilre. 2. The ftability and firmnels of it. The Apoftle faith, 'Tn a City that hath F01m' ddtions, whofc B11ilder and Maker 1! God. Cities that are railed by the greateft Kmgs, - .~
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