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upon these considerations sets them a-longing and groaning;. (2.) As love makes them desire the company of Christ, so entire subjection to - God ; they would have perfect grace and freedom from sin, therefore are ever groaning, — Oh ! when shall we he rid of this body of death ? Eom. vii. 23. There is a final perfect estate for which the new creature was made, and they are ever tending towards that happy state wherein they shall grieve God no more.
[3.] Hope was made for things to come, especially for our full and final happiness. God fits us with graces as well as happiness ; not only grants us a glorious estate, but gives us grace to expect it. Hope would be of no use if it did not lift up the head, and look out for a better estate than the world yieldeth. Hope fastens upon God's title in the covenant, ' I am thy God.' Now God could not with honour take this title, and give us no better than present things : Heb. xi. 16, ' Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city.' Mark the apostle's reason. Many expound these words so as if the meaning were but this, that they did only express God's condescension, that he would take his title, not from the potentates of the world, but from a few wandering patriarchs ; that God was not ashamed to be called their God. Alas ! the words have a quite other sense. Eather it ex- presseth an answerable bounty : unless the Lord would give them something answerable to their hopes, more than was visible in the lives of the patriarch, God would be ashamed to be called their God. Do but look upon the slenderness of their condition. If that he gave them in the world were all their reward, what is this to own that magnificent title, ' I am the God of Abraham,' &c. No ; now he hath something better than all the honours and riches of the world ; now he may fitly be called their God. Christ builds the doctrine of the resur- rection upon the same argument, ' God is the God of Abraham,' &c. ; therefore they shall have a blessed estate in soul and body. Mat. xxii. 32. To be a God to any, is to be a benefactor, and that according to the extent and largeness of an infinite and eternal joower.
Usel. Are you strangers and pilgrims? David, and such as he was, that were of his stamp, counted themselves strangers upon earth. If you be so —
1. You will always be drawing home, and would not desire to stay long from Christ. A traveller would pass overhis journey as s(5on as he can, and be hastening homeward : Phil. i. 23, ' I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ.' Is there any looking, longing, waiting for your blessed estate ? It is no hard matter to get a Christian out of the world ; his better part is gone already, his heart is there. Do your hearts draw homeward ? Are your desires stronger and stronger every day after eternal life ? Natural motion grows swifter and swifter still, as it draws nearer and nearer its centre. So certainly a Christian, if he had the motions of the new nature, he would be drawing homeward more every day.
2. What provision do you make for another world if you are strangers? Many bestow all their labour and travail about earthly things, and neglect their precious and immortal souls. They are at home ; all their care is that they may live well here. 0 Christians !
VeR. 19.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 179
what provision do you make for lieaven ? A traveller doth not buy such things as he cannot carry with him, as trees, houses, household stuff; but jewels, pearls, and such as are portable. Our wealth doth not follow us into the other world, but our works do. We are travelling to a country whose commodities will not be bought with gold and silver, and therefore are we storing ourselves for heaven, for such things as are current there. IMen that make a voyage to the Indies will carry such wares as are acceptable there, else they do nothing. Do you make it your business every day to get clearer evidences for heaven, to treasure up a good foundation, 1 Tim. vi. 19; and do you labour every day to grow more meet for heaven, Col. i, 12. That is the great work of a Christian, to get evidences and a meetness for heaven. These are the months of our purification ; we are now to cleanse our- selves for the embraces of the great God. When we grow more mortified, strict, holy, heavenly, then we ripen apace, and hasten home- ward : Ps. Ixxxiv. 7, ' They shall go on from strength to strength,' &c. Every degree of grace it is a step nearer ; and thee'efore do you grow more meet for this blessed estate.
3. In the fulness of your worldly enjoyments do you mind your country? He that was going pilgrim to Jerusalem, cried out. Oh, this is not the holy city ! So, whatever enjoyments you have, do your hearts call you off, and say, Soul, this is not thy rest ; this is not that thou shouldst take comfort in ; thou art bound for heaven ? Do you miss your country and your parents ? The men of the world would have their portion here, here is their rest ; but when you have most of the world at will, are you strangers ? 1 Cor. vii. 31, ' Using this world as not abusing it ; ' that is, so making use of God's bounty as expecting a greater happiness. How do we use the world as not abusing it ? When we use it as a tyj^e, as a motive, and as a help to heaven. As a kind of type, the enjoyment of temporal things should stir us up to a more serious consideration of heavenly ; as the prodigal's husks put him in mind of bread in his father's house. The company of your relations puts you in mind of the company of God and Christ. The cities of the Amorites, their walled towns, put the patriarchs in mind of a city which had foundations, Heb. xi. 16. If an earthly city be so glorious, what is the heavenly city ? These are the comforts of a strange place. You abuse them when you forget home, and therefore take heed ; if the creature be sweet, heaven is better. And Avhen you use them as a motive to serve God more cheerfully, the more you find him a good master : 1 Tim. vi. 17, ' Trust in the living God, who givetli us richly all things to enjoy ; ' to make you more earnest in good works. 2 Sam. vii. 2, saith David there, ' I dwell in a house of cedar, and the ark of God within curtains.' When you have such kind of reasonings stirred up within you — What do I for God, that hath enlarged my house here ? And when you use them as a helj), your worldly enjoyments as instruments of piety and charity. Here is a man's trial, what he doth in a f^ill condition, whether his heart be for home still, yea or nay ; when he hath the world at will, if then he be treasuring up a good foundation, and encouraging himself to serve God faithfully.