Mr. David Clarkfon's Funeral Sermon. ( 2.) His Truth gi~es an.infallible affurance that we fball be receiv'd with him in ~ory . . He declares his own Titles.' ~am the Way, t4e Truth, mrd the Lift. If Truth tt felf be true, .and deferves our mtire Truft, we may reft upon his Promifes, who values hiS Word/ more}\Jan the World. The P11la\s p~ Heaven 01all fall, and the fonndat~o11s. of tbe EarM> be_ overthrown, before on~; t!ttle of his Words n1all be \vithont a full Accomphhlment. If any Man fervu me, l~t him follow me · and where J obn "· >6. I am, thue foq/1 my Sprv~t ,be: t'Tis his.moll: gracious- Promife to cncon;age Obedience; a~q)1e .aff'lfe~· pts Ptfct,Ples, If I go away,. (l~d prepare a place for you, I will ~ome agam, .an!J-Yece~e -you m;.to my /elf; that when; I t1.m 1 there ye may be alfo. To fhew th~ validity of, (i;'firiil's~ l'ra!nife, lft: .l]s copfiqgr;, !he uqchangeable PerfeClions of Gods Nature i're the Foundatton, of· hts unc1iangeableCouncils ; and from thence tho unchangeab\enefs qfhis Promifes is juftly inferr'd. The Decrees of God are cngrav6n with the •point ,of.a.Diamond, and are unretraClible. ,The Cowifel ofthe L.rd jh~U.ftand ! Jj}f fuc\1 is. the Perf~Clio'}· of his Knowledge, that he can never be furpnz d by.. :'!'~ fudd~? unfore[een Even~ ~hat lhould _induce a Change of his Will; , P<r. •· .,. and fuch IS l11s Ommpot~nce,that hJ' gi'{~1. an mfal!tble Accomphfhment to his DeHeb.9.11. TifUSJ·7· Rom.S·)O. ~~·~~s: C~~;rel;;•;~d~~;~fileu~~e~f 1Jsh~~~u~~t:~il~ii;r~~fr~~~uJ='h~~:~~~:.n~~~ varinblenefs, nor jhadow ·t -change ·: .'anfl he n -God t~at cannot ly : He reveals himfelf fJ P~~~fi~;. 1'~~:.n~ru~5 6~~mehi~0 1:,~~\?\~~:J t~et\~et~:S~:~~".fie;~~~~1gPe~~ feltions. He ftiles himfelf the Amen, the 'tme and faithfitl Witnefs .: If he deceive his Servants with a falfe expeClation of a.joyfu1 glorious State hereafter, it would .be a blemilh to his unfpotted ,Holinefs; an retennal refleClion upon his inviolate Truth. 'Tis therefore a:faithful ·Saying, and worthy of all acceptation, That where Chrift is in Glory, there fball bis Servants be with him, otherwife he wo•ld have told thenr. 2. We are to co~fider the other firm ground of affurance in our Sa:viour's next words: I go to prepare a place for you. This fpecially refgecr; l1is Afcenfion into HeaJ;;"bi~'1ge;"J'tn~fesH~:s~;~~hiheJ:~J'~Ji~~~"~~a:J~ ple~j~pf;~t!Hea~~t,'~~~st~ Believers a right to it here, and aCluall?offeffion hereafter. · 1. His obedient Sufferings are the pnce of this glorious Inheritan~e. In our Guilty State, Heaven is as inacceffible to us, as Paradife was to Adam after his expulfion, when guarded by a Cherubim with a flaming Sword. . For neither the Divine Wifdom, nor the Law of God would permit that an unpardon'd Sinner fbould be receiv'd into his Kingdom. The JufHce of God doth not ,infringe his rich Goodnefs, but that he may beftow upon an innocent ·Creature the moft excellent Bleffings, the Tel:timonies of his Bounty, If Adam had perfever'd in his Duty, God might have tranflated him to Heaven, and that happy change had been a free Favour: for his Obedience had not been comparable to the Glory that fball be revealed in the Saints. But JufHce fets up a Legal Barr againl:t the Guilty; they are excluded from the Heo.- venly Glory. The Creature mufr be intirely innocent, or graciouOy pa.rdon'd, to be capable of enjoying that Supreme Happinefs, When the guilt of Sin is abolifb'd, it ~~~~1~~i:~lit;aG.~i~fr~;~· th~~:~~~?l}~~eu~}oJ;j~· 1:~~~~·~ ~:fyGo~~dSi~0~ his Blood; and bath infinitely pleas'd God, that we obtain by him, not only redemption from Hell, but the polfeffion of Heaven. This was the Defign of God's Love, in giving his bnly begotten So11, that .whoever believes- Jhonld not perijb, b#t bdve MJerlafling Lift. Accordingly the Apoftle faith, That being jujlified by his Grace through ]ejs11 Chrtt' n>e jhortld be made Heirs of Eternal Lift. And by the gracious unalterable ~1~~Yl~;ant~~~~:foe~:dt~;"~~!:eili~ef;~~~~r":~t~~~!~~~1,e ~/~~~~tin! ~~~d~~.J~f~~~ fuould be excluded. The Connexion is indiffolvable; Whom he j1tjlijiu, them he glo- ,.ijies. Nay, 'tis more eafily credible, ·that a pardon'd Sinner lhould be admitted into ~," ~~~~~i't1;~n~~v~~a?0~f ~hPh~~~~ af~~~tlrs8~fu~~,~t~~~!~ ~acfil;ci~~~c~~~;~~T.; ~g~~ ~~~;o~dfh~;,~ t fl:~3~r~S;;r~fre i~ir~~~;sat~~r~~~~~~~ ~~:,i~;.of I~, 1~~~f, ~~~~ ven is a free Gift to us, but dearly bought by our Saviour; 'tis the Gift of God, thro•gh ]eft• Chriji o11r L.rd. He had a double Title to Heaven, as the Son of God, he was Heir of his Kingdom; this Title is incommunicably his own : and he aci/:~~,}~Jbrh~~:el~~~~0Ji~i~~~ ~~'ri~~~:h I:!!,};;;;}fo~ ~~e!,e~~~::~t t::Ft:fo~r i1Jto J 2. He
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