man must live with the wicked, and converse with the wicked, etc.;

"We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the

body and at home with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8. A believer is not

at present, in his place. His soul is still working and warring, and he

cannot rest until he comes to center in the bosom of Christ. This Paul

well understood when he said, "I desire to depart and be with Christ,

which is better by far!" Phil. 1:23. I would gladly weigh anchor, hoist

sail, and cruise home. And upon this account those precious souls

groaned for deliverance, "Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed

with our heavenly dwelling!" 2 Corinthians 5:2 Why is this? "While

we are in the body, we are absent from the Lord," ver. 6. We are not

in our place, and therefore we groan to be at home—that is, to be in

heaven, to be in the bosom of Christ, which is our proper place, our

most desirable home.

2. Death is a change of COMPANY. In this world, the godliest

man must live with the wicked, and converse with the wicked, etc.;

and this is a part of their misery; it is their hell on this side heaven.

This stuck upon the spirit of David: Psalm 120:5, "Woe to me that I

dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!" [I have read

of a godly woman, who, being near death, cried out, "O Lord, let me

not go to hell where the wicked are, for you know that I never loved

their company while in this life!"] And so Jer. 9:2, "Oh, that I had in

the desert a lodging place for travelers, so that I might leave my

people and go away from them; for they are all adulterers, a crowd of

unfaithful people!" And this was that that did vex and tear Lot's