63 SERMON XI. 2 COT. 5. 8. We are confident, 116, and ibilling, rather to be abfent from the Body,and prefent ibith the Lord. N this verle the Apoflle repeateth what he had laid, verfe the 6th with fome ampli- fication. Here take notice of two things. I. His confidence of ight, or of a Bleffed Condition to come,°ttFp61»,we are confident; I fay. 2. His preference or deem of fight,or of that Blefed Condition before the prefent eflate h,44 4,0y, Hg Nto,, and willing rather to be abfent from the ßody,and prefent with the Lord. Where two things. I. What he was willing to quit the Body. We are willing exbnyñazt, to Iravel out of the Body. z. What he didchoofe andperfer 43ltfeñoze, To be at home with the Lora', to dwell in the fame Houfe with the Lord Chrift. This he preferred before çemaining in the Body. Let us a little explain thefe Circumftances. I. His Confidence offight to k had at length. We are confident I fay. There is a twofold Confidence. I. The Confidence ofFaith. z. The Confidence of afierance,or of our own Intereft. Both are of regard here. 1. Faith in part 'produceth this willingnefs to go out of the Body, and injoy the Heavenly life; and comfortably to leave the time and means thereof to God. Faith, where it is in any vigour, begets in thofe that live by it, an holy boldnefs, whereby we dare undertake any thing for God, not fearing the power and greatnefs of any Creature. No not death it fel£ Secondly afiùrance of our own Inte- ref Both much more heighten this confidence and holy boldnefs,when we know affuredly that our end (hall be Glorious, and that when we depart out of the Body, we (hall be prefent with the Lord. The hope of our Salvation is not uncertain. z. His preferring and choofing the futare el? ate before the prefent 74o cîMsv,We ap- prove it, we like it better, Rom. 15. 2.6. It hath pleafed them of Macedonia; and 27. Verfe, it bathpleafed them verzly,iuâ'ixo oe ;the fame word alfo,Matth.17.3.So here we make çhoice rather, and are infinitely better pleafed to leave this Body behind us here, and to go out and die, that by this means we. may come to our home and Blifs in Heaven. So that Faith doth not only ¡hake off the fear of Death, but inkindle in us an holy delire of it; for what we render [and willing I is,are more pleafed or better pleafed. The points are Four. i. That our Happinefs,in the World to come lyeth in being prefect with the Lord. z. That we areprefent with the Lord, affbon as the Soul flitteth out of the Body. 3. That this flare is chofen by theSgints,as more pleafing to them than to dwell in theBody. q.. This will, defre, and choice, cometh from a confidence of the reality of a better efiate, andour Own Intereft in it. s. That our Happinefs in the World to come, lyeth in being prefect with the Lord. This hashbeen in part touched on in the 6th verfe, I ¡all only add a few Confiderations. Surely it mutt needs be fo: Becaufe this is the felicity denyed to wicked men, butpromifed andgranted to the Godly. enyed to wicked men, John 7. 34. Where lam thitherye cannot come. That is, fo living, and fo dying, they have no leave, no grant to be there, where Chrift is. Paradife is doled up againf them. But 'Cis opened to Gods faithful Servants by the promifes of the Gòfpeljoh. i a. e6. There where lam; there (hall my Servant be. Chrift will not be ever in Heaven without us. Qs fofeph brought his Brethren to Pharaoh, fo Chrift will bring us to God. Wicked men defire not Christs company in this Life, and therefore they are juftly fecluded from coming where he is, but the Godly are trained up to look and long, and wait for this when they (hall come before God. KeafonS:
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