472 SERMONS UPON 2 COKINTHIAXS V. [SeE. VI.
saith it is not to be imclothed, &c. Jesus Christ, before lie manifested his submission, did first manifest the innocent desires of nature — ' Father, if it be possible, let the cup pass from me,' &c. The separa- tion of the soul from the body, and the body's remaining under corrup- tion, is in itself evil, and the fruit of sin, Rom. v. 12. Grace is not given us to reconcile us to corruption, or to make death as death seem desirable, or to cross the inclinations of innocent nature. But yet heaven, and eternal happiness beyond it, is still matter of desire to us. Death is God's threatening, and we are not threatened with benefits, but evils ; and evils of punishment are not to be desired barely for them- selves, but submitted unto for a higher end. Nature abhorreth and feareth death, but yet grace desireth glory : the soul is loth to part with the body, but yet it is far lother to miss Christ, and to be with- out him ; as a man is loth to lose a leg, or an arm, yet to preserve the whole body is willing. In short, the soul is bound to the body with a double bond, one natural, and the other voluntary, by love and affection, desiring and seeking its welfare. The voluntary bond is governed and ordered by religion till the natural bond be loosed, either in the ordinary course of nature, or at the will of God.
[2.] It is not a discontented desire, arising out of an impatiency of the cross, or desperation under our difficulties and troubles. No; believers lament their jiresent misery by reason of sin, and the evils which proceed thence. They have a sense and feeling of them as well as others have, yet they do not desire death out of impatience to be freed from so many troubles and vexations, but it is that blessed estate and perfect deliverance which they expect in the world to come ; like men in a tempest, that would be set ashore as soon as they can. The carnal groan out of discontent ; but the groans of the faithful are that they cannot enjoy true and perfect blessedness, nor be without sin. To give you some instances of groans out of discontent ; the murmuring Israelites : Exod. xvi. 3, ' Would to God we had died in Egypt.' It is usual in a pet for men to wish themselves in their graves ; but alas ! they do not consider what it is to be in the state of the dead, and to come unprepai-ed into the other world. Yea, the children of God may have their fits of impatiency and discontent ; but they are not the desires and groanings here mentioned ; as Job iii. 20, 21, 'Wherefore is life given to him that is in misery, and light to the bitter in soul ? which long for death, but it cometh not; which dig for it more than for hid treasures.' No, these discontented fits are far different from the holy desires and groans of the saints. These are but a shameful retreat from the conflict and difficulties of the present life, or irksomeness under the burden thereof, or despondency and dis- trust of God's help, rather than any sanctified resolution.
2. Let us see the holiness of these groans and desires. (1.) They come from a certain confidence, ver. 1 of this chapter ; not a bare conjecture, but a certain knowledge. Surely heaven and glory is amiable, and the object of our desires ; and when we are persuaded of the truth and worth of it, we will groan and long after it. (2.) A serious preparation : ver. 3, ' If so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked.' They have made up their accounts between God and their souls, sued out their pardon ; stand with their loins girt, and
VeR. 4.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 473
lamps burning ; as Simeon — 'Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,' &c., when he had seen Christ with the eyes of his faith as well as of his body. (3.) A heart deadened to the world ; for, in the text : ' Being burthened, we groan.' Till we are weaned from present felicities, we shall not earnestly seek after better. The child of God is now in his exile and pilgrimage, and therefore longeth to be at home in his own country. He is now in his conflict and warfare, then crowned ; now, under his trial, then he hath his recompense. He seeth the vanity and emptiness of the things of this life, and also, by the eye of taith, the excellency and glory of the life to come. (4.) From a just value and esteem of that better life. For here he com- pareth tlie one with the other, and showeth the preference of the one before the other to be the true reason of the saint.s' groaning. Com- paring the emptiness of things below with the fulness of things above, the baseness of earthly things with the glory of heavenly tilings, the miseries of this life with the happiness of that life, make them willing of the exchange, only they reserve the good pleasure of God. If God hath no more work for them to do, they are ready. A christian liveth and dietlr at the Lord's will and pleasure. For he hath resigned him- self to him — Lord, if I have done my work, if I may no longer be necessary to thy people, I am willing and ready. Well then, you see how these desires and groans of the saints are to be understood : they do not simply desire death, but desire glory ; not to be unclothed, but clothed. They submit to death when the time is come, and God hath no more work for them to do in the world ; yea, they are glad of it ; as Jacob's spirit revived when he saw the waggons which Joseph sent to carry him into Egypt. Death is the chariot to carry you to Christ, and therefore it should not be unwelcome to us. Christ was willing to come down to us, though it were to meet with shame and pain ; why should we be so loth to return to him ?