352 SERMONS upon Serm.42. we out of a fenfe of Duty thus give up our felves ? Do we make good our Vows ? God lendeth us to our (elves, tó be lmployed to his Honour. Fourthly ; The next thing is the Matter of the Requeft. Prefence, and the Beatifì- cal Vifion, as the Fruit of that Pretence. I. That they may be where lam ; that is, where I am according to my Humanity pre= fently to be ; for he doth nor fpeak of the Earthly Jerufalem, where he was then viii- bly and corporally. t. Obferve ; It is no (mall part of our Happinefs, that roe fliall be there where Chrif Now thrift is with us, but then we are with him. It is the Inchoation of our Happi- nefs, that he is with us gracioully : I am with you to the end of the World, Mat. 28. 26. It fhall be the Confummation of our Happinefs, when we (hall be with him. Thus it is often expreffed, 2 Cor. 5. 8. We are willing rather to be abfent from the Body, and to be prefent with the Lord. So David expreffeth our State of Bleffednefs. Pfal.t6. ult. In thy Prefence is Fulnefi of 9oyy ; and at thy right Hand there arefleafures for evermore. This makes Heaven to be Heaven, becaufe thrift is there : as the King makes the Court where-ever he is, it is not the Court maketh the King. John 12. 26. Where 1 am, there (hall my Servant be. It is our Happinefs to (land always in our Mailer's Prefence, an Happinefs that Wicked Men are not capable of, becaufe of their bondage and eftrange- ment from God. Therefore thrift telleth the Carnal yews, John 7.34. Where I am, thither ye cannot come. Wicked Men have no grant, no leave to come. Paradife is Rill coofed up againti them with a flaming Sword; and they have no Heart to come, becaufe they cannot endure the Majefty and. Purity of his Prefence. But when fhall we be there where thrift is ? Prefently after Death our Souls (hall be there, andat the Refurreaion Body and Soul together. I. Prefently after Death the Soul is where Chrift is. So Paul thought, Phil. 1.23: I dEre to depart, and to be with Chri ft ; that is, with him in Glory, otherwife it were a lofs of Happinefs for Paul to be diflolved. It is a forty Bleffednefs to lie rotting in the Grave, and only to be eafed of prefent Labours, for God's People are wont to reckon much on their prefent Service, and Enjoiment of God, tho it be accompanied with Affliaion. Paul was in a (irait, and he faith, it is 7roihe,i µ «Mov uehçms, much more better to be diffolved. A Ilupid Sleep, without the enjoiment of God, is far worfe; what happinefs were that, to be in fuch a Condition, wherein we do nothing, and feel nothing ? God's Children are wont to prefer the molt. afided Condition With God's Prefence, above the greateft Riches and Contentment in his abfence. If thou goefi not "hp with us, carry us not hence, Exod. 33. 15. Better be with God in the Wildernefs, than in Canaan without him. Therefore Paul would never be in fuch a (trait, if this drowfy Doftrine were true,. that the Soul lay in filch an unaaive crate of Sleep and Reh till the Refurreaion. He would be no happier than a Stone,or the inanimate Creatures are. Again; Luk.23. 43. This day (Halt thou be with me in Paradife,faithChrift to the good Thief. Some to evade this place, refer this Day to Xí u ; but the pointing in all the Greek Copies confuteth it, as àlfo the fettle of the Place, o»µsOyv anfwereth to the Thieves words, Remember me when thou comefi into thy Kingdom; Chrift pro - mifeth more than he asketh, as God doth ufually abundantly for us above what we can ask or think. He had reference to thrift's words to the High Priest, the Son of Man (hall cone in his Glory. Now faith Chrift, I will not defer thy Delires fo long, Heaven- ly Joys attend thy Soul. And others feek to evade it by the word Paradife; it is a Perfick word, but ufed by the Hebrews for Gardens and Orchards, and by allulion for Heavenly Joys ; the Allufion is not only to the delights of an ordinary Garden, but Eden, or that Garden in which Adam was placed in innocency. The Fathers fancied, fecreta animarum receptacula, beatas fides. But it is put for Heaven it fell in other places ; 2 Cor. 12. 2. He was caught up into the third Heaven, which he prefently calls Paradife, Verf.. 4. So that prefently Souls, upon their departure out of the Body, are immediatly with Chrift. Thus it is Paid, Luke 16.22. The Beggar died, and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's Bofom, prefently, in the twinkling of an Eye, or the forming of a Thought. Which is a great Comfort to us when we come to die, in a moment Angels will bring you to Chrift, and Chrift to God. The Agonies of Death are terrible, but there are Joys juft ready ; and as loon as the Soul is loofed from the Prifon
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