ll1r. David Clarkfon's Funeral !:Jermon. Mouths etcrnaily open'd to glorify him. But with the higdr veneration they adore his Mercy ; that Perfel:t ion that is the fpecial Glory and the dcarell: delight of God; that which is t he fupreme of all the glor ious Attributes in Redemption, that will be the principal Argument of their Praifcs. Th:y ji11g the Me~·riu of tl>e Lord for ever ; that Mercy that chofe them from Everlall:ing; that Mercy that in fuch an admirable manner condul:ted them through the World, that never left them, but moft wifely order'd all things below in relation to , their future Happinefs; that Mercy that crowns them with Life and llhmortality, when the reprobate World feel the moft terrible Effel:ts of revengin!( JuJl:ice. We read of the Jews after their Captivity, upon their finifi1in!(the Tem- · pie, that with a rranfport of Joy, they cried, Grace! Gntce! when God, who is the Author of our Salntion, !ball have finifl1 'd it, with what a fweet confent !ball , we celebrate his facred Praifes! Mercy upon Mercy, all is Meicy. Happy Exercife! Heaven is a State of Joy and Thankfulnefs. Ble.!fcd are thq_(c th.tt .,., ;, thy Ho11_fo, the_, ai»'-JI praijethce. . . . 4· The dclightfulncfs of this Pla ce. 'Tis call'd Prradife by our Saviour. He · promifes t he penitent Thief; the Companion of his Crcfs, To duy fbalt tloou be witfi me ;, Paradife. Paradife was a Garden planted by immortal Hands, to be the ~!~~~~i~ni~~~~"';],~ni~~u~;t~n°[ g~fi~~;, R:~~t~~~~~;s,of'"r11~~n ~~rl~~v~~:t7vi~~ abundance, and variety, exceedingly fatisfied all the de!ires of Life, 'twas watet'd with four Rivers, to make it always pleafant, and fruitfuL But the Celell:ial Pac radife as b1:uch excels it in Beauty and Plcafanrnefs, as in its fublime lttuation: and the joyful fatisfal:tion of the Soul in communion with God, and the bleffed Society there, infinitely excels all the innocent Delights of the natural Life. Heaven is a State of pure, full, and unfading Joy. The Joy of the Blcffed is not mixt with things that may Corrupt its excellence. There is an abfolmc exemption from all Evils. God jhaU wipe away all lettr.r from their EyCJ: and there ftJaU he 110 more deatb, ue:thcrforrow, nor cr;iug; neit/.lerjbaU thn·e be_ any morc_paiu. The Joy is full ; 'Tis C:\Il'd our Majlco·'s 'Joy. Great God, how meffable \S that Joy ! . ;~~lett~-e r;~}~~ijlR~;vG~~ry~11Z~~~e~0au~~~inC:~n~i;~l~~e;}!~~~ ~e;;atht! .ent~~~~:~;;;~ 3 John 1 . 2 • his 'Joy , implies the moll: accomplifnt and incomprehenflble Fel icity. 'Tis a permac nent ]ov that none !hall rake from the B!efled, as our Saviour promifes his Difciples. H.:re below, fuppofe a Perfon encompall: with all the Good Things of the World, }'f~~ i :;~~ ~f;!~i;;e ~~ n:~~~~~OI;~~~~~~; ~~~~~~~u~~~~;\~~~::;i?er~~~~~a~~~ 1;h~11J~~f~~; .long in P rofpetity, and bath a tenor of Health to enjoy it ; yet, as the clearerl: Evening is prcfently follow'd by Night, fo the moll: vigorous old Age is certainly attended with Death, that exringuirhes all fenfual Plcafures. But in the l'refi11ce of God ;s fidmfs of'Joy; at /,is ,Ri8ht Hand are Ple~[ures_for ever. To explain this more parucularly, let us confider, that Knowled ge, Love, and Joy, are the Perfctl:ions and Felicity of immortal Spirits, and are correfpondent to the excellency of the Objells upon which they arc fixt, and the capacity of the Faculties that are cxcrcis'd, and the degrees of Satisfact ion conunutJicated to them. Now in ~:'~e~~i r~l~ :,'~~~~11: t~act1;~~i ~~;~~b?e~~~rl1:~~1g~~1gc~~~e;i~~ a;a~:·~~~ ~;~~:e"~~,.J~~ for an intclleCl:ual Creature, fo full and fatisfying, as the clear Vifion of Gael i nvell:ed with all his attral:tive Attributes, his glorious Perfel:tions, and in perfeCt loving the moll: lovely Objell, and being perfectly lov'd by him ? When the Soul freed from this mortal muddy Flefl1, and rhe Mind clcar'd from all terrene Images, convey'd by the Channels of the Senfcs, fees God Face to Face; how is it raviih'd with wonder and love in the fight of his mort <lnli3blc J!xccll cncies? How pure a Joy is infus'd to the Centre of the Soul, and fills all its Defires? How permanent, like the everlafl:ing Spring from whence it flows? The Pfalmift infJJir'd with the Love of Gool, breaks forth in an Holy Extafy ; How blcffid is that Mah Pf•l •· s, 4· tvhom thou ch~t{rjl, a11d caufjl to approacb unto thee, that he may dwell in thyCourts? TV< .fba/1 be{a• is.fed rvitb the goocl~te{s of thy Houft, even of th; Holy Templr. Admirable Bl effednets! deer Felicity ! The f.,me Heavenly Saint expreffes his eftcem and affcfrion; How excellent is thJ loviJ~~ kifl(/ncfs, 0 Lord 1 Tbey fba/l be a'mmltmtly .(a- Pr~l . ]6.11· tiJ.fied with the filtnefl ~f tby Houfl: ttncl thoJtjbalt make them drink oft he River of thy lerifl!re. Here we do but lajlc ttnd fie how good the Lord is ; and that is fo powerful a CorJial, as glorioully fupports the Saints under the heavicft Snfferings. Bot
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