2. 5 . $ TheDefireofthe Saillts, and the Soul no more doubtful whether the be in the body, or not in the body; This the Saints defire and long after.: And let me fpeak this of you oh triumpant Souls that are now in blifs without the leaft impeachment of your happinefs. This evenyou thirfl after, you efteem it an impeded eftate tobe without your bodies, though you glorifie and praife GOD in your fouls, yet you count it-an impeded work, and fay with the Pfalmift ; In death no man remembreth thee, and in the oraveno man /hall give thee thanks, though your fpirits do is without ceafing, without failing, yet the whole man doth it not; and Inch an infatiable avidity, there is in you of the praifeof God, that unlefs it be done totally and fully , you think it not done at all, therefore you defire this glorified Organ ; but theSaints on earth being much more depreffedwith thisheavy'clay,cryout with thefe Saints ; In this wegroanearnefly,&c. To be eloathed upon with our houfe, &c. An impropriety of fpeech I confefs, for men do not cloath themfelves with hon. fes, yetof eminent elegancyand pregnant, with variety of inflruEtions : to thew the fitnefs of this glory to every foul, as apparel is fitted to every body : to thew the comlinefs of this glory ; as apparel is anornament to a man : to thew the firm adhefion of this glory, the wholeman as a garment doth cleave clofe unto him : to (hew the redundancy of this glory, that a man (hall invelopp himfelf in this glory, as a man doth inwrap himfelf in his garment : to thew the Author ofthis glory, he that made garments to cover mans nakednefs in Paradife below, he maketh robes of honour to adorn him everlaftingly in Paradife, which is above : to thew the undefervednefs of it on our part, that thefe garments they are not webbs of our own fpinning, butrobes ofGods giving: to thew theall_fufficien- cy of this glory, in this life weneed houles to dwell in, and rayment to cover us, and food tonourith us, and fire to warm us ; but this glory it (hall be a Magazine of allfpiritual flore, an houle to fhelter us, a garment to cover us, Manna to feedus, water to refrefh us,it thalfbeall in all untous. There and many moreinflru&ions are foldedup in the Cabinet of this Metaphor, which ftreightsoftime will not give me leave to unfold, and fpreadbefore you , but uft leave them to your private meditations; and to palling (though unwillingly) from thefe two boutes which the Saints defire ; I Inuit raife up your attention to their ardent affe&ion unto them. In thu wegroanearneflly, 8tc. Wherein you fee the intention oftheir affe&ion, and, theexpre(lîonof it ; The intention not xeaë,,rc, Defiring, but tot , Defiling earncftly; The ex- preflion of it by groans; In thin we groan corneal,. The one the foul, the other the body; the one the form, the other the exercife ; the one the root, the other the branch ; or if you will, the one the fire, the other the fuel; the one the flame, theother the oylthat nourifheth the flame. The firfl is the intention oftheaffe&ion. As thole that are in a longingpaffion die if they be not fatisfied : as the pregnant Mother groans to be delivered ofher burthen ; asthole that are preffed under a heavy weight, faint if they benot eafed ; even fo the Saints preffed down with that dd.., saes, that eternalweight ofglory, mentioned in the precedent Chapter, a burthen which did both prefs them down, and raife them up, that did both ftraiten them and enlarge them ; like thefeathers of the Dove, which add to herMafs, but take offfrom her gravity , whichmakes her more corpulent, and yet more light ; even fo this weight ofglory fo preffed down the Saints, that it raifed them up to the Throne of the Lamb, and feeling this bodyofftn, this body ofdeath, which they did bear about them as plummets of leadhanging at their feet ; they defire eft-foon to beStripped ofall incumbrances and impediments, to depofe and lay down this cottage ofclay, that fo being abfent from the body, they might be prefent with the Lord; this was the,violer;ce oftheir affeâion. In thin wegroanearneflI, &c. An affection, worthy the name ofan affection, truly grounded, and therefore towring fohigh, that it is almoft invilble to our weak fight. There are fome in this
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