Mr. David Clarkfon'r funeral Sermon. twee1: luperJicial fleeting Things of Time, and the lure and folic! good Things of Etcnuty. The lo,wer Appetites are not capable nor careful to obtain a Spiritual and Futnre Happinefs, but intenfely applied to what is prefent and lcnflblc. But the ferions thoughts of our prefent Tenure, how frail, how uncertain, and of the next State how unchangeable and fixt, would be effectual to frame our Hearts that we may manJ.gc t~Je Worl.d with indifferei.lt AffeCl:ions; To ~cj_oyce in it, M if we rejoiced not; to !JIIy 11s if we poJIC.Jfed not; to tljc 1t fo M not to abufe 11. How doth the Faith of the Saints under tbe Law upbraid our Infidelity. They had not (o clear a Revelation of the Heavenly State, yet they conft.ft they were Pilgrims (U/d Strangers on Earth, and dcji/d a bcttcrC01mtry. AndDavid not only when he was as a Patridge chas'd upon the Mountains, but when feated on the Royal Throne, acknowledges, 1Ve are Strangers, M all our Fathers were ; and his AffeCtions were :-rccordingly weaned from the \Vorld. Was ever Paffengcr fo foolifi1, that being to pafs over a narrow Strait of the Sea of a days fayling, makes Proviflons for a Voyage of a Year? or that will be at great cofl: to paint an Inn, and adorn it with rich Furniture, where he is to lodge but a Night? 'Tis incomparably more reproachful folly, to fpend the befl of our Time, and Strength, and Spirits for the gaining the prefent World, as if we were to ~~~:~"~Ht:~ ft~~ ~;~1~·vo%0p~u~;~~Ytl~;~ '~~~~~~~l~;th~d~~e~~:~~~~: ~~~rf=~·~1~:u;~~J'; every day, they unexpecredly die, and irrecoverably drop into Hell. Jufllike a Traveller, thot lays himfelfunderthe lbadow offome Trees in hi s way Home, and lleeps till the Night with its Darknefs and Dangers furprizes h.im, and he is deflroyed by Robbers or wild Beafls. How plain and neceffary a Leffon is the vanity and lbortnefs of the prefent yfe? but how few effecrually learn it? The Pfolmift addreffes himfelf to God for In!hufrion; So teach m to number our Days, that 1ve may apply 01J1' Heizrt.r 1mto Wifclom. Let Men fancy what they plca(e of their Tenure here, they are but Strtlll,e,ers, and have 110 COJ!IinJtiny, City here; and the conrequent Duty is moll: clearly and flrongly Ur!J:cd by the Apoflle, Let tbcm feek one to come. 5· Let our Converfation be in Heaven, whilfi we are upon the Earth. El'ery Thing in Nature, hath a tendency to its Original artd PerfeCtion. Riversthat come from the Sea, are in a livi_ng Motion returning thither ; If you fl:op their Courfe, and confine them, though m Receptacles of Marble, they corrupt and die. The Divine Nature in the Saints hath a firong tendency to Heaven from whence it came, and raifeth the Soul by folemn Thoughts, and ardent Deflres, to that Bleffed Place. ~,t{~~~fd:h~~~~~~;r;:u~!k~~r~~;st~i:e~~~~Ig~,ea'~ds:e~~6~:~; ~~;~~~ ~~i2~1~e~~ of Heaven; we arc paffing to the Jerufalem Above, the La.11d ofPromifc, the tme L.md ofthe Liviltg : and all our Aims and Endeavours·lbould have a final refpecr thither. Our Hearts jhou!d be 1vhcreour Treafure if. How joyful, how advantagious is a Heavenly Converfation? The ferious and believing Contemplation of Heaven, is a temperate Extafy, ·and brings the Soul into the Divine Pretence: anticipates the Joy of it by a (weet foretafl, by a fupernatural elevation ofMind : by frequent lively ~!~7~~~~~~!s0i~o~;;e~;~~~~~sa w~~ig~~:~m~eof:h~1~~rhl,t~si~:~t i!v~r~1h~~~;p~~b~~ tion and D iligence: it caufes fuch a felf-denial from the inviting temptationsof Scnfe, that Men, whofc Portion is in this Life, are forc'd to admire their rcfiraint from thole Objecrs that ravW1 Carnal Hearts. A Heavenly Chriflian will improve fenflbl e Things for fpiritual Ends; as Feathers that have a natural Weight inclining to the Center, yet planted in the Wings of a Bird, by a livi ng Motion, carry it aloft ~\~~1~r;~:, ~~-bel?a~~ ~\;~tr~~;eD~~r~}nfte~~i~~- E~~(e~,~~~~~e~~~~~~~dn g~onrr:_ forts of the prefent Life, lbonld be an advantage to raife our Minds to God, who is the Supreme Good, whofe Fulnefs eminently contains all Good, and infinitely exceeds all om Expecrations. Heavenly Love will dry up the Vanity of our Thoughts and Affea:ions, and refcue the Mind fi'om the proflitution to fenflble Things, and mofl pleafantly excrcife it upon Things Above. Love between Friends is maintain'd by immediate Converfe, or by Letters, when abfent: thus is Lm·e between God and the Soul: And if God, that is to himfelf his own Bleffednefs, his own Kingdom and Glory, yet is pleas' cl in his gracious Communications to his Children on Earth; how ~~~~~;';~~;~r;~~:~t~1do:l. fr~~:~:':h~;d.~~~~~~~i~~eP~::~:·hi~~~~~~~tt~n\~; ~vi:.:'e!~ Peace, and obtain an humble Confidence of appearing before him in his Holy ~ne! Glorious Habitation: whereas thofe who live without God in the World, are juflly fearf11J
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