' Ver. 2. Fifth Chap. 2d Ep. to the C.O R I N T H. 25 Heavens ; we groan. ;dly. Love to Chrij, Phil. 1. zl. A panting after a nearer union, and More intimate fellowship with him. Love cannot endure the abfence of the beloved. They would be filled up with the feeling of his . Love, add abotitid with Love to 'him again, and delight themfelves in his immediate prefence. ;dly. There is a difference in the manner. 'To with reftgnation, and fubmiion to Gods, will, Phil. 1. 2.4. Neverthelefs to abide in the feJh is more needful for you; as long as God hath fervice for them to do. For we muff not feek our own contentment in dying, or living, but abfolutely fubmit to the will of God. Well then, thefe delires and groans af- ter happinefs, are quite different from thepaffionate wifhes that drop from us fometimes. They that give way to them do not defire Death as a releafe from fin, nor as a Chariot to convey us to the place, where we would be with God for ever: But out of fome prefent imagined and real bitternefs. They fly to Heaven as their retreat, or referve for the prefent. r s. Ufe islsformatiot. - I. It 'hews us what .an argument we have; that there is a better eflate provided for us." hereafter. Becaufe the people of God are groaning, and earneftly defiring, as unfatisfied with their prefent Condition. We are now like fills in a Pail, or fmall Veffel of water, which will only keep us alive, we would fain be in the Ocean; furely then there is an happinefs provided for us in the other World : How doth this prove it ? s. The d /pofrti- on and inflinti of nature towards happinefs in general,yea eternal happinefs, is an argument, much more the defires of the Saints. All men would be happy, Man's Soul is a Chaos, of delires, like a (punge it's thirfy,and feeketh to fill its felf, Plat 4. 6. There k many that fay,Who willfhew us any good ? Yea an Eternal happinefs. They grope about after God, Alls 57. z6. as the Blind Sodomites, about Lot's Door. The Soul of man cannot be fatisfied here,our fore frill runneth upon us. This, being the confiant, univerfal difpofition of nature, fheweth there is fuch a thing as Eternal good, for natural defires are not fruft- rate, nature doth nothing in vain. idly. Now as thefe are increafed, and are more earnefi, direded to a more certainfrope,toHolyMen it cloth more conftrmit.For holinefs was never defigned for our Torment. The more Holy any are , the more they long. Thefe delires are of Gods own planting, raifed up in them by his Spirit, and therefore will not be dif appointed. ' adly. It informs us,howfar they are from theSpirit of fincere ChriJlians who are cont°nt to live here always: Will not part with their earthlyportion : Their Hearts are fet upon fatisfying the vile lufts of the.Body : They are not as yet weaned Children, but hang upon the worlds dug; have no delire of that great happinefs and Glory which God hath provided in the other world. Such as mens natures are, fuch will their delires be. Molt men are at home in this world,pitch theirTents here,defire no other portion thanthey have in hand; there is a füitablenefs between the world and them : As Fillies delire to be in the water.and Fowls in the Air, fo they are the Children of this world, and their Hearts cleave to prefent things, Pfal, i7. 14. a. Ufe. To exhort us to rowfe up our languid and cold affeílians. That they may be more earnefily carryed out after Heavenly things, and with greater fervency feek after them. 1. Confider how clear thefe things are to the eye of faith. In the promife you may ,fee enough to awaken the molt dead Heart. The hope is fetbefore thee, Heb. 6. 18. Ifwe had eyes to fee it. So 'tis Paid of Chrift, Heb. s z. z. Who for thejoy fet before him. The promife lets it in our view,that we may eye it much, and often look upon it, and preis' earneftly towards it; fenfe cannot difcover it, but in the Scripturethere is a clear repre- fentation and firm promife ; if we had more lively apprehenfions, and certain expedta- tions, we would more long after it. idly. The miferies and troubles of theprefent world are matters of fenfe. Senfe cannot difcover what fhould draw our delires, yet fenfe can difcover what fhould drive them from the world; enough to let us a groaning in a way of forrow,if not a groaning and defiring in a way of hope. The mifery of the prefent fiate is no matterof faith, we need not Scripture to tell us, that we are burthened and pained,and confliûwith fundry Tryals. Oh draw offthy Heart more and more. idly. Rowfe upyouyour Love. Can you Love Ch&iff and not long to be with him, Col. 3. a, ;. Set your affetlions on things above, not on things, on the Earth : for you are dead, and your Life is hid with Chrijl in God : If Chrift be in Heaven and your Life there, fhould not 'your Love be there? aI D Ser,,
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