22o S E K 1VÍ O N S upon Seri. XXX: ed us, and given us the earnefi of the fpirit in our hearts. This bleffed Crate belongeth only to thofe who have the firft fruits of the fpirit : Their title is clear; for God will own his Seal and Imprels, will never take back his Earneft, but it remaineth with us till there be no place left for doubts and fehrs. Now who being fecured of a better eftate, and for. the prefent burdened with forrow and temptations, would not groan and long after*? r. V S E is Information. It informeth us of the certainty of bleffednefs to come. If there were any perfe& eitate in this life, nothing would fooner bring us to it, than a participation of the fpirit ; but this doth not ; for they that are partakers of the fpi- rit, groan, wait, and are nót fatisfied with their prefent eftate, but long for a better, breathe after something greater, and beyond what they here enjoy. Therefore certainly God bath refereed for them a better elate in another world. We prove another life by the dilpolttion and inftinît of nature towards happinefs in the general, yea eternal hap. pinefs. All would be happy, they grope and feel about after eternal good, As r7. 26. this being the univerfal delire of all mankind , 'cis an argument that there is fuch a thing as eternal good, for natural deftres are not fruftrate, for Nature doth nothing in vain ; but the Delires of the Sanfified do much more prove it. For there aft more regularly, direct their deftres and groans to a certain fcope and end, and thofe are excited by the Holy Spirit of God, he imprinteth the firm perfuafion of this happinefs in them , and ftirreth up there groans after it, and that ufually in our graveft and fevereft moods, when we are fòlemnly converting with God in his holy Worfhip ; then he doth raise up thefe affections towards heavenly things, by the Word, Prayer, and Sacraments, and leaveth this heavenly relifh upon our hearts as the prefent reward of our duties. And the more ferious and holy any are, the more do they feel of this. Now this is a greater argument, for Holind ss was never deligned for our torment; and thefe delires being of Gods own planting, they will not be difappointed. 2. That none but thofe who haver the ferfi fruits of the fpirit will groan and hope for eternal life. Others have no warrant, for they have not Gods Earneft, and God never gi- veth the whole Bargain, but he firft giveth Earneft; for without holinefs no man (hall fie God, Others have no inclination ; for moll mens thoughts are not buffed about this, but rather go after worldly things; they are for ferving their lufte, and pleating their Tlefhly appetitesand fancies; whereas the Apoftle biddeth us be fober, and trufe up the loins of our minds, t Pet. T: 13. If we would hope to the end, for thegracethat is to be brought unto us,,at the revelation of JefusChrifl. 'Tis true, death is the ordinary re- fuge for embittered fpirits, and the bachdoor we feek to get out at in our difcontent. In paffion men will delire to die , when beaten out of the World, Heaven is their Re -' treat, but no ferious groans, and deliires of Heaven. 3. That we muff fo groan under the prefent mifery, that we may wait for deliverance with patience: Hope is not only made up of looking and longing, but waiting alto, Heb. 6. t d. Be ye followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promife. 4. That one great means to fupyprt our faith and patience, is the hope of the redemption of our bodies. t. Becaule the maff cannot be happy till the body be railed again; for the Soul alone doth not confummate the man; neither was it made to live eternally apart from the body, but is in a Rate of widow hood tjll it be united to it again, and live with its old mate aid companion. The man is not happy till then. 2. 'Tis the body is molt pained in obedience,and endured all the troubles and labours of Chriftianity5 there it bath part in the reward as well as the work, lieb. r r. 35: Not accepting de- liverance, that they might obtain a better refurree'ion. 3. 'Tis the body which feemed to be loft. Some of the bodies of the faithful were devoured by wild beasts, others confumed in the fire, Come (wallowed up in the lea, all relolved into duff. Therefore becaufe here the temptation lays the (mart or deftruûion and torture of the body, the cordial is fuired, Chriftians do not only delire the bleffed immortality of the Soul, but the Refureetion of the Body. The Body is weak, frail, lubjet$ to aches and difeafes; Stone, Gout,Scrangury, death its felt, tumbled up and down, and tolled from prifon to prifon 5 but then redeemed from all evil and mifery. 2. U S E, Ir exhortation. To roufe up our languid and cold affections,. that we may more earneilly groan and long for heavenly things. If we look to this world, the pleafures of it are Dreams and Shadows : the miferies of it many and real; we find corruption within, temptations without, grievous afRi &ions, oppref ing the bodily life i but above all, we do too often difpleafe and difhonour God. If to the other world, the pleafures of
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