Mr. David Clarkfon'.r Funeral Sermon. fearful of Death; for then the Spirit returns to God that gave it. Briefly, let us with zealous AffeCtions, and perfevcring Diligence prepare our felves for the Prcfence of God, and the SocietyofBleffed Spirits in our Father's Houfe: Let 111 always abound iu thr? J'Vorl· of !he L ord, /mowing our L abour is not ~11- vai11- : Let us join Works of Charity with Works of Pi ety ; employ the fading Riches of the World for the Relief of t he Saints; that as our Saviour Prornifes when we flJfl!l fail, when in the Hour ofDeath our Flejb and HMrt. jba/1 fi<illl<,and our Souls be dinodgcd from our EarthlyTabernacles, we lilllJ be received into Etemal H,tbiu.tions. The Everlafting Judge, that dif- Luke 16. ~· penfes Rewards and Punifhmenrs, has acquainted us with the Rule of Judgment at the la(\ Day : Thofe who mercifully relieve him in his Members, !hall inherit the Ki11gdom ofGlory ; and thofe who negleCt that Duty, !hall be caf1 into the Lake of Fire. Though many who are wretched ly carelefs of doing Good according to their Ability, now fatisfy themfelves that they are not injurious to. others: Yet it will be :1. finall mitigation of their S,entence at lafr, that they arecondemn'd, not for the DefeCt of J uf1ice, but of Charity. . 6. Let the belief that there are Manlions ofRef1 and Joy prepar'd for the Saints in their Father'& Houfe, glorioufly fupport them under their heavief1 Troubles here. This World is the Devil's Circuit, wherein he is always ranging about feeking to devour: The p\eafant Thin?:sof the World are his Temptations to enfnare the Carna l ; the Men of the World are his Tnnruments to opprefs the Saints; and were it not for the Ref1 rai nts of the Divine Power, what D efolations would be made in God's Heritage? 'Twas a firange and barbarous Cuftom among the Perjia11s, that upon the Sext Empirie b eath of the Emperor, for fi ve Days the Empire was left without Government. cont.Mathelli . ~untdi~st~~~nf~~;~vi:g;~~~~it~;~;~~; tt~~ ;~~~~~~fC~f~~: ~:::· Ii~~~:~~~:~~~:~ to all Licentioufnefs, and the whole Kingdom was in mortal Paroxiftns. All were ~~u~,rh:;t ~~~~e!~d~0 ~~rur~~~ ~~~tr:st~~~~~1~~:hd~f~n~1~d ~~hZi~idfen~p~;;:s:~; taken off, no Wickednefs but was boldly committed, or attempted, and the Kin rrdom became a Field of Bloody War. But when the new King was proclaim'd, fit things we re immediat~ly reduc'd to Order, that ~he ~cl vantage of Government might befetoffby the expenmental Confulions and Mtfcbtefs of Anarchy. But ifGod left the perverted World, and Satan the Prince of it, one D ay to their rage again{[ his P eople, did he not fhut it in with Door.r and Bar.r, as he cloth the impetuous Ocean. fo fwelling and diffuGve is their Malignity, that it would, like the Delu~c, drown all' and not a Remnant ofthe Saintswould be left. Yet Gochvifely permi ts many T em: poral Evils to be infliCted on his Servants by their Enemies, fo r thn;ryal of their Fidelity, and their noble Refolution to glorify him whatever they fuffer for his fake. . A~d it be~ornes ~be_m,. with at~ undifiurb'd ferenity of Mind, and harmony pf Affe- ~~u2~ ilf~h C:bons, Wt th an mvmctbl e Patience, to bea r all the Scorn and Contempt, all the Ma- ~pe8:aculocu• lice, and Fury to which they are expos'd upon a Chrifrian account. LCt them i:e- hus infniabiles member they are Stranger.; a11d Sojourner.r here, and live by other Laws than the World d~~n~ 0r0 abdoth , which caufes their hatred : But in their Father's Hou[e there will be perfeCt. dum m;hi lu· Reil. St. Paul, who had experience of both in a fingul ar mam1er, declares, I reckon. in3t~~J~f~::~ ; t hat the Sltjfirillg.r of the pre.fout State, are 110t worthy to be cdmpar'd to t he Glory thttt foaU ?u~· c;£ter~ he reveal'd in. U$. I il that State of pure Felicity, there are no remains of Affiifring d"h~r•re ~· Evils; all is Peace, and Joy, and Glory. d~r~ ~~~ his en;e~:ai~·dt~fn;f~/j~~?ft;1~f;c ~~~t~~;l;ti~~' o~~tccc;;~~~~nt~ t!:d~h~~~:i~l~~t~J~:~ ~~:is~~::~: ries, in their various but regular Motions: Thus when banifh'd from the Court and m!fcen, dum City, he dweltamongfr the Stars, and cafting his Eyes do~vn upon ~1e Earth, defpiS:d ~~~~~~:! all Hu!flane Great nefs an? Poffeffions, ~that .arc fo V~tn1 ~ ma~m fi~d by fi gurative rer ll nl con· Flattwes) as we do a gram of Sand. Dtd Phtlofophy mfptre !urn wtth fnch Princi- t'8"m<<n· pies of Patience and Fortitude? yet it afcended no hi~h er thf}n t h\! vi fibl e Heavens. r~b~~~r;;f~ ! How much more fhould Faith that raifcs a Chrillian, by high and fteady Tbouo-hts per habe3m, to the Supreme Heaven where the Divine Glory fhines, comfortlJim in all the ft·ou~ ~ur3rn~ue~ q:~~~ hies of this World. Add further, That 'tis an excell ent Preferva tive from Envy and ~1kem? Ctm· Fretfu lnefs at. ti:e Frofpedty of the Wicked,. to confider that their _Felicity is as tran- ~~~-ad Hw·. Gent and vamlbmg as the Trouble ofthcSamts : I ha.vefem the H'h:kcd i11 .~ reat Pon:-l't~137·H·J6. er, and fpreading himfc~f like a. green Bay Tree : )'et he pa.f/d away, am[. !o, he wns 11ot :· )'ea, Ifou.~ht him, and he could not be formd. All t he Riches, and Grea,tnefs, and Pleafures of the World ar~ weighed, .muuber'd, and meafur'd J.lY. the Pfalmijl, "nd found to be JS ltght and fadmg as Vamty. ]\Tal-ed they ca111e wlo the H1orld, aml Haked they Qq q qq · . mHjl
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