[2.] Why sin is a burthen to the children of God. Ps. xxxviii. 4, ' Mine iniquities are gone over my head ; as a heavy burthen they are too heavy for me : ' Ps. xl. 12, ' Mine iniquities have taken hold of me, that I am not able to look up ; they are more than the hairs of my head ; my heart faileth me.' The burden is heavy, and the creature weak ; and therefore they groan. Now sins are not only a burthen to a wounded conscience, but to a tender conscience, even the relics of corruption. Go to a wounded conscience, and they will tell you that better a millstone had fallen upon them, than one spark of God's wrath for sin should light upon the conscience. But we speak now of a tender conscience, and are to show you why siu is such a heavy bur- then to the children of God.
(1.) Because they have more light than others, and see more into the nature and evil of sin—' After I was instructed, I smote upon the thigh,' Jer. xxxi. 18 ; and Kom. vii. 9, ' The commandment came, sin revived, and I died.' As conviction breaketh in upon the soul, so the more troubled with sin. Ignorant men know not their danger, nor the heinousness of their faults.
(2.) Because they have more love to God than others have. And
VeR. 4.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 471
they that love much will mourn most for sia ; as the woman that had nmch forgiven loved much, Luke vii. 47 ; and because she loved much she wept much. Many times God's children, the more holy they are, the more troubled about sin than ever before. What is the reason ? It is not from the increase of sin, but the increase of light and love ; they see more sin, and more into sin, than they did before, and are more affected with it ; as in a glass of pure water the least mote may be espied.
(3.) They have more heartily renounced sin than others. Their hearts are set against it, and therefore the relics of it are a greater burthen to them. Elementa non gravitant in suis locis, as water not in its place ; but when the heart is set against it, then the least remain- ders are a burthen to them ; this is that they pray and strive against. Wicked men are in their element, they ' make a mock of sin ; it is a sport to them to do evil' What I hate is my burthen ; ' 0 wretched man,' &c. Eom. vii. 24.
(4.) They hope for a better estate than others do, to be perfectly freed from sin, 1 John iii. 3. It is a grief to them they cannot find it while they are in the body. Here, as hair cut will grow again as long as the roots remain, or ivy in the wall, cut boughs, stump, branches, yet some strings there are that will ever sprout out again.
2. Tbis shows our stupid folly, that we do no more mind and im- prove this ; that still we are so loth to leave this woful life, and prepare lor a better estate. God driveth us out of the world, as he did Lot out of Sodom ; but yet we are loth to depart, as if it were better to be miserable apart from Christ than happy with him. Have we not yet smarted enough for our love to a vain world ? nor sinned enough to make us weary of our abode here ? But yet we linger and draw back, as if we would sin more and longer. Surely this miserable, tempting, sinful world is an unmeet place to be the home and happiness of God's children. In this valley of tears and place of snares, what should we do but long and sigh for home ? Here sin livetli with men from the birth to the grave ; we complain of sin, and yet are loth to be rid of it ; we cry out of the vanity and vexation of the world, and yet set our hearts upon it, and love it better than God and the world to come. The thoughts of our transmigration are very grievous to us. If you cannot go so high as groaning and desiring earnestly, yet where is serious waiting and diligent preparing, drawing home as fast as we can ? Alas ! we are serving our covetousness and pride and lusts, and tiring ourselves in making provision for our fleshly appetites and wills, as if we were to tarry here for ever. We take it for granted they have not thought to remove to another place that do not make provision before they come thither. But alas ! we must remove whetiier we will or no ; and shall we, like foolish birds, build our nests here with such art and contrivance, when to-morrow we must be gone ?
Secondly, The second proposition. That the saints, being burthened, do in a holy manner groan, and long for a better life.
1. The apostle here explaineth their groaning, and showeth that it is not to be unclothed, but clothed upon. Therefore —
[1.] It is not an unnatural desire, as if we did desire death as death. No, a creature cannot desire its own deprivation ; therefore the apostle