An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

they could not endure to live in those poor lodges, corruptible bodies, having a view of such glorious palaces; therefore he adds, In this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house, ¹which is from heaven. The word signifies groaning, as a man that hath a weighty burden lying upon him, which makes him fetch his wind even from his bowels. The body is the burden, rather then the house or the clothing of the soul, when once the soul knows it shall be clothed with an house, which is from heaven. As (I said before) much of hell in this life makes wicked men weary of this life, so also doth much of heaven.² The Roman Orator tells us, that a young man, who lived in great prosperity, having read Plato about the immortality of the soul, was so affected, that he threw himself violently from a high wall into the sea, that he might have a proof of that immortality, by his experience of it. The Gospel forbids such haste, and knows no such ways to happiness. As Christ (not we) hath purchased that estate; so Christ must lead us (we must not thrust our selves) into the possession of it: but yet the earnests, the fore-tastes and first-fruits of heaven, which the Saints find in this life (though they be such as eat the marrow and fatness, such as may have the very cream and spirits of the creature to live upon) make them groan often and earnestly for the next life. This is good, but heaven is better.

they could not endure to live in those poor lodges, corruptible bodies, having a view of such glorious pallaces; therefore he adds, In this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house, ¹which is from heaven. The word signifies groaning, as a man that hath a weighty burden lying upon him, which makes him fetch his winde even from his bowels. The body is the burden, rather then the house or the clothing of the soul, when once the soul knows it shall be clothed with an house, which is from heaven. As (I said before) much of hell in this life makes wicked men vveary of this life, so also doth much of heaven.² The Roman Oratour tels us, that a young man, who lived in great prosperity, having read Plato about the immortality of the soul, was so affected, that he threw himself violently from a high wall into the sea, that he might have a proof of that immortality, by his experience of it. The Gospel forbids such haste, and knows no such vvaies to happinesse. As Christ (not vve) hath purchased that estate; so Christ must lead us (we must not thrust our selves) into the possession of it: but yet the earnests, the fore-tastes and first-fruits of heaven, which the Saints finde in this life (though they be such as eat the marrow and fatnesse, such as may have the very cream and spirits of the creature to live upon) make them groan often and earnestly for the next life. This is good, but heaven is better.