Sp Mr . David Clarkfon's Funeral Sermon. ----------------------------------------- ~~~i~lt~u;l~e~~e~~i~~!~~c~~~t~~~~: ~~~'tr:i;~~~ e :~ ~~r~h~~~~ ~~:i~~g:co~::g!J!~ of the P~triar~ hs, \~hofe D~fires and Hopes were not centred in that Earthly C 1 mtt. 1 n, tho flowmg With Milk and Hony; but they dejir'd ahetterCoun(rY, that is, aHeavmly; rvhe1·~{ore God is not n.fbamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a City. To be ltiled our God, is a Title of the richelt v>lue, and implies, that all the PerfeCl ions of the Deity are to make us happy. It had been a reflcClion upon his Grea tnefs and Goodnefs, if he had only given to,cthe Patriarchs a Portion in this World.. But Heaven is a Place and State of Felicity becoming his Infinite Maje!ty, Totum Deum Ius fpecta l Love, and eternal Duration. 'Tis an Obfervation of Tert11llian, That 1 dd"i.,';:'m,;~ God who made other Things by command, by the omnipotent Umpire of his Will, .~ •. ~"''~·'••· apply 'd himfelf with Counfel to form . the Body of Adam, which was the original ~'"· r.J'.'~";;;· Model of all PerfcClions that a humane Body is capable of, for the Beauty of Afpefr ti~;e~~. t without, and the artificial order of. the Parts within ; and the reafon was, Love drew the Lineaments. Thus Love, the Queen of the Divine Attributes, employ'd infinite Wifdom, and Almighty Power, to build this Ccleflial City for the reception of l1is chofen Favourites. The King of Glory dwells there in a fpecial manner. The Heaven, evcu the Heaven! are the Lord'J; bltt the Earth hath he given to the Children of Mm. By Rigbt and Dominion, the Earth is the Lord's, and the F11lmfs thereof, and the poffeffion of it is from his Bounty to Men ; but Heaven is referv'd for himfe!t; the Place of his glorious Refidence. As a Prince that hath many Houfes, gives fame for to be inhabited by his Servants, but the Imperial Palace is kept for his owp ~a~~~~? t~~~;~~:~~~~~~i~;r=~~ ;~,~~~~!:J :~etl~~o~[~~,:~e;~e~1~u~~;;.a~d1r;~fa~~~~ The Di vine Prefence is the Supreme Glory of Heaven. The Lord Jefus Chrift-.is there crown'cl with the Maje!ty of the Divine Empire. This Glory is the Reward of l1i s meritorious Obedience and Sufferings. He was made a SubjeCt: and a Servant, and endur'd the mofl ignominious cruel Death to fati sfy God's injur'd Jufiice. Wl1at bath not the Son done for the Glory of his Father ? He loft his Life rather tl1an l1is Obedience : And what will not the Father do for the Honour of his Son? What Recompence is correfpondent to fuch a!toni!hing Humiliation? Our Saviour in his Joh. , 7• 4,,. lafl folemn Prayer with his Difciples, addreffes himfelfto God: I have glorified thee 011 Earth; I haveji11ijl/d the Work th011 gaveft me to do. A,d now, 0 Father, glorijj ""with thy Self, with the Glory I had with thee before the World WM. The Father was fa highly honoured by Chrifl, that to fatisfy his infinite Love towards him, he hath dignified him with a Name and State, t hat tranfcends all created Glory. He is the Lord of Angels, the Head of the Church, and fits at the right Hand of Majefly on l1igh. In Heaven he appears in his triumphant Glory, of which in the Transfiguration there was a tranfient glimpfe, when his Face did !hine as the Sun, but allayed and moderated, that his Difciples might fu!tain his Prefence. There the Angels, the Princes of the Celeflial Court, in all their bright Orders encompafs the Throne of God, and pay their humblelt Homage to him. The Saints appear there in their Robes of Glory, for they are transformed into the glorious likenefs of the Son of God : Their Souls radiant with pure unfpotted Holinefs, !hine through their Bodies, as Sun-beams tranfinitted through Chryltal. They all reign in Soveraign State for ever. It becomes the Divine Majefiy, that all God's SubjeCls !hould be Kings; and the higheft Principality on Earth, is but fervitude compar'd with the Royalty enjoy'd by the Saints above: For often are the mighti e!t Monarchs on Earth in perfect bondage to their lawlefs Paffions, and the Soul in dull captivity to the fenfual Appetites? How often are the !tronge!t Empires diffolv'd and ruin'd? But the Saints in ~finv~~~i~W~~:Y~'gtl~~:·isr~~~ t~it~~u~;~n:li'e : fi~~e;e"~~lfgh~~ S,~ar~er~~f~~~~ quillity of their State. They in their feveral degrees of Glory, thine like the Stars fOr ever and ever. tr.. (o. ,9• To fum up all; What is promifed to the Church, is fulfill 'd in Heaven ; The Smt fha!l he 110 more thy Light by Day, nor the Moon by Night; but the Lord fhaU be thy everlafling Light, and thy God thy Glory. . . Thus I have endeavour'd to reprefent that lummous Paface, and the bnght Inhabitants : but how fl1ort is the defcription of the !(lorious Realities, all humane Words are too weak and narrow to exprefs it as it is. The Glory and Joy of that bleffcd State are unljJeakable, as the Apoflle, a SpeClator thereof, certifies. And 'tis _ob· fervable that our Saviour himfelf expreffes the greatefl Things, by low £,m1har T erms and Refemblances; as he tells his Faithful Difciples, they f11all eat and dn~;
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