20 SERMONS upon the Serin.1V: is your reward in Heaven: For fo perfecuted they the Prophets, which were before you. And r Thef i. 6. Having received the wordin touch afiflion, with joy of the Holy- Ghofl. 7tbly. Againfl exile. When caft an : of Cities, Towns, driven from. Houle, and home, confider we (hall abide with Chrift for ever. 8thly. Againfè Death of friends r Thef. 4. 14. to the IS. He condudeth, Wherefore comfort one another with thefe words. They are not genuine comforts of Chriftianity which are not fetched from the world to come. othly. Againft fix. 'Tis our trouble here, it muff be mortified. There it will be nullified; Our Inheritance is incorruptible, and undefiled, and fadeth not away, r Pet.1.4. Our carnality will be forever gone, our Temptations will be over. There is no Serpent in the upper Paradice. r othly. Againft fpiritual wants. There all delires will be accomplilhed,our expe&ations fully fatisfied, and the Soul filled up with all the fulnefs of God. And Laftly, Againft Death, which is the laft enemy. This Chrift bath conquered, and will conquer for you, I Cor. s$. 56, 57. The fling of Death is fin, and the ftrength of fin is the Law : But thanks be to God which giveth as the villory through our Lord Pefus Chrift. Death is yours, r Cor. 3. va. All things are yours, whether Paul, or A pollos, or Cephas,or the World, or Life, or Death, or things prefint,,or things to come, all areyours ; And ye are Chrifts, and Chrift is Gods. SE RMO N IV. 2 Cor. 5. 2. For in this we groan earneflly, defring to be Clothed upon with our Houfe which is from Heaven. IN the former verte, the Apofflehad aflerted his confidence of a Bleffed Elate, both in his own name, and the name of other Believers. Now he fpeaketh of his readi- nefs to enter into it, or his delire of getting out ofthis Life, that he might enjoy this Immortality and Bleffednefs. For in this we groan. In this. h Tti frEx Va. or in , the mean time. In the words obferve. 1. The greatnefs of the affellion, here mentioned. Expreffed by thewords, i- EV4OKEP, we groan ; by which he meaneth not the groans which come from forrow, but from defire and hope. idly. The other word ú s 5 27rogloTES, not defiring only, but earneftly defiring. adly. The objefl, or thingaffelled. To le cloathed upon with our Houfe which is from Heaven. Where our Glory and Bleffednefsis let forth by a double,Metaphore, an Houfe, and a Garment. Men do not clothe thernfelves with Houles, but this is fuch an Houle as is lo fitted for us, and we for it, as apparel is for the Body. Well then, the fiate of Glory is called an Houfe with refpe& to the deliverance which we have from the pref- lures which the bodily Life is fubje& unto. As in an Houfewe are fheltered and defend- ed from the injuries of wind and weather. And then'tis compared to an uppergarment, to hide our blemifhes and imperfetions. Becaufe tlíeApoffle ufeth the Word ?nspd'úox Sc, force have thought the Apoftles meaning to be, That' he would have that Life clothed upon this Life as theTunick upon the Veft ; That he would not put off the Body or die at all, but go to Heaven by that fudden change fpoken of, a Cor. i ç. y 1, pa. & 1 Thef. 4. 17. Indeed many of the expreßìons ofthe Context Teem to look that way. But I !hall adjourn the debate, till I come to open the Third and Fourth verfes. DoIJ. Thefe that fincerely believe and Wait for a Bled Immortality, do alto groan for it, and earneftly defire it, The reafons ofthis groaning are, s. Becaufe ofthe prefJures and miferies of the prefentLife. Being bartbened we groan; verfe
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=