34. S E R M O N S upon the Serin. VII. Rump, Branches , yet fome firings there are that will ever fprout out again. Vfe. This 'hews our Jlupid Folly,that we do no more mind and improve this ; that fill we are fo loth to leave this woful life, andiprepare for a betterelate. God driveth us out of the Wotld, is he did Lot out of Sodom, but yet we are loth to depart, as if it were better to be miferable apart fromChrift, than happy with him. Have we not yet fmarted enough for our love to a vain World ? Nor firmed enough to make us weary of our Abode here ? But yet we linger and draw back, as if we would fin more and longer. Surely this miferable, tempting, finful World, is an unmeet place to be the home and hap - pinefs of God's Children in this valley of tears, and place of fnares; What fhould we do but long and fighfor Home ? Here fin liveth with men from the birth to the grave ; We complain of fin, and yet are loth to be rid of it ; we cry out of the vanity and vexa- tion of the World, and yet let our hearts upon it, and love it better than God and the World to come. The thoughts of our Tranfmigration are very grievous to us : If yóu cannot go fo high as groaning, and defiring earneftly, yet where is feriouswaiting, and diligent preparing, drawing home as faft as we can ? Alas ! we are ferving our Cove - toufnefs,and Pride,and Lints, and tiring our felves in making provifion for our flef lyAp- petites and Wills, as if we were to tarry here for ever. We take it for granted, they have not thought to remove to another place, that do not make provifion before they come thither. But alas ! we mutt remove whether we will or no ; and fhall we, like foolifh Birds, build our Netts here with fuch Art andContrivance, when to morrowwe thuft be gone ? Second Propofition. That the Saints being burthened, do in an holy manner groan and long for a better life. Thé Apoftle here explaineth their groaning, and lheweth that it is not to be uncloth- ed, but clothed upon. Therefore, . r. 'Tis not an unnatural defre ; as if did defre Death as Death. No; a creature cannotdelire its own deprivation; therefore the Apofle faith, it is not to be uncloth- ed, &c. Jefus Chrif, before he manifefted his fubmiffion, did firf manifef the innocent delires ofNature. Father, if it be poifibte, let the Cup pafs from me, &c. The feparation of the Soul from else Body, and the Bodys remaining under corruption, is in its felf evil, and the fruit of fin, Rom. g. s z. Grace is not given us to reconcile us to corruption, or to make Death as Death feem defirable, or to crofs the inclinations of innocent Nature: But yet Heaven and Eternal Happinefs beyond it, is fí11 matter of delve to us. Death is God's Threatning,and we are not threatned with Benefits,but Evils;and Evils of punifh- ment are not to be defired barely for themfelves, but fubmitted unto for an higher end. Nature abhorreth and feareth Death, but yet Grace defireth Glory : The Soul is loth to part with theBody, but yet'tis far iother'to mifs Chrift, and to be without him. As a man is loth to lofe a Leg, or an Arm, yet topreferve 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 Affe &ion defiring and feeking its welfare. The voluntary Bond is governed and ordered by Religion, till the natural Bond be'loofed either in the ordi- nary courfe of Nature, or.at the Will of God. zdly. 'Ts not a difcontented defre, arifingeutof an impatiency of the Crofs or defperation under our difficulties and troubles. No; believers lament -their prefent mifery by reafon offin,and the evils which proceed thence : They hive a fenfeand feeling of them as well as others have, yet they do not deliiredeath out of impatience to be freed from fo many troubles'and vexations; But'tis that Bleffed elate andperfe& deliverance -which they expedt in the world to come, like men in a tempef that would be fet aflore affoon as they can. The -carnal -groan out of difcontent, -but the groans of the 'faithful are, that they cannot injoy true and perfe&$leffednefs, nor be without fin. To give you -tome infiances of groans out of difcontent: The murmuring Jfraelites, Exod. 16. 3. Would to God we had dyed in "Egypt. 'Tis ufual in a pet, for men to with themfelves in their graves; but Alas ! they do not confider what it is to be in the fate of the desti, and to come unprepared into the other world. Yea the Children of God may have their fits of im- patiency, and difcontent: But they are not the delires, and groanings here mentioned, as Job Chap. 3. zo, Wherefore is Lifegiven to him that is in milery, andlight to the bitter in Soul.> zr. verfe,Which long for Death,but it cometh not,which dig for it more than forbid treafures. No; thefe difcontented fits are far different from the Holy defires -and groans of the Saints.Thefe are but a fhameful retreat fromthe coda and difficulties of thepre- tent
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