Chapter V

A state of glory for believers upon their dissolution, demonstrated from those vehement and earnest desires which God hath implanted in them after such a state.

For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from, heaven : if so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked. 2 Con. V. 2, 3.

The sense of the first verse being thus fixed to specify the glory of the

soul upon the body s dissolution, our next work is to examine whether the

following words do give up themselves thereto, yea or no. For if they should be found averse to, and not correspondent herewith, or favour an

other sense in the second verse, we profess we must relinquish it in the

first verse also, although we may safely and assuredly take the sense of the first verse as the cynosura or polestar, to steer us in the ensuing inter

pretation of the rest. This first verse, as it leads on the rest, so it holds

the balance, which is evident by this, that he there utters what is the faith

of a Christian concerning the glory to come, when he is dissolved. And

in ver. 2, &c., he proceeds to shew the effects or workings of the heart and

affections towards this glory, as flowing from this faith. True saving faith

or knowledge always works upon the affections suitably to the object be

lieved or known : For we know, &c., says the first verse, there is the

act of faith ; For we groan, earnestly desiring, vers. 2, 4, there are the

372 OF THE BLESSED STATE [CHAP. V.

affections flowing from this faith, and flowing from it as the effect from the cause. Hence then it will evidently follow, that look what glory it is

that, in the first verse, he hath proposed as the object of our faith, the very same we aforehand conclude to be the object of our desires and groanings, vers. 2-4, which is evident again by ver. 5 : Now he that wrought us for the self-same thing is God, &c. This is the" conclusion of his discourse from ver. 1, as from thence he draws a thread through the whole afore, and ties a knot of it at ver. 5, by telling us that the selfsame glory which he had spoken of (ver. 1) as the object of faith, and as the object of our

desires (vers. 2, 4), was the end aimed at in working all these, and what ever else effects of grace in us. I say, then (in the apostle s own phrase),

it is one and the self-same thing of glory which still he professeth to carry through all these verses, from the first to the last. Let this be our rule

then, and let us keep to the same, the exposition of all that follows.

But although (as I said) we might safely conclude and take for granted, that this is the sense of these second and third verses, the same which is of the first, yet we will still put the issue upon a particular examination of each word in the second and third verses. I shall go from word to

word, and see how all will comply with this interpretation, that the glory of the soul, after death, is first in order here intended. For we groan. He had said afore, We know, if this tabernacle be

dissolved, we have, &c. This particle for leads on a demonstration from the effect. It is a demonstration or evidence.

1. That there is such a glory for the soul. For God s Spirit would not otherwise have stirred up such groaning desires (which is Aquinas his note upon the place, and it is a good one), for if there be no regular desire in

nature, says he, but that by God s ordination there is an object existent

for it, then surely not in grace ; and therefore it must be so here, that if the Spirit of God doth work such vehement desires after such a glory, that then there is such a glory extant or ordained to be.

* Blessed are those that thirst, for they shall be satisfied, Mat. v. 6.

2. It is an evidence that our faith is real faith, and that we Christians do truly know, and really believe so much. Why ? For we constantly groan after this thing^we thus know, desires following upon knowledge.

3. This particle for, with what follows, comes in as an undoubted sign and evidence who they are that are the persons here that shall be par takers of this glory

: they are such as, upon the faith and knowledge they have of this glory, do groan earnestly after it day and night, and thereby do particularly come to know, and are personally assured thereof, because

they find their desires constantly maintained in them after it ; and so the words run as to this sense, We know, and we know it by this, for we groan after it. For such continual groans are the infallible effect of true and

sanctifying faith, and so tokens and evidences to the persons in whom they

are, that this glory is ordained for them ; yea, and as the apostle says, Rom. viii. 23, They are the first-fruits of the Spirit, and so the very beginning and earnest of that glory, as the 5th verse also speaks.

This may serve for the opening of the connection ; now for the point itself afore us, I argue for it out of what hath been said. This second verse being thus intended as a demonstration that there is a blessedness

estated upon holy souls upon dissolution (which hath been proved to be the full scope of the first verse), and that demonstration being founded on

this, that if God hath wrought groaning desires after an object, he hath

also designed .that object to be existent, wherewith to satisfy those desires ;

CHAP. Y.J OF THE SAINTS IN GLORY. B73

and if so, then certainly this blessedness of souls we speak of must be the

very thing groaned after and desired in this second verse. For it is made

the object of our faith, ver. 1, whereas if we take the interpretation others

give of this second verse, the demonstration would then lie cross to itself,

viz., that upon dissolution there is such a glory ordained the soul, because God daily stirs up desires in Christians after a glory, to be put upon their

bodies without dissolution at all. Now this were most incongruous and

utterly improper, for not only the one followed not from the other, but the

latter doth run upon a contrary supposition to that other, and therefore can

never be made a demonstration of the former. I would exemplify the

absurdity of this by a like instance. Suppose a woman hath an husband condemned to die ; would this be taken as a legal evidence, that the prince had estated on her a dowry or widow s estate if her husband die ; because,

forsooth, it can be proved he set her on work to petition and desire of him

that her husband might not die, but have an estate settled on him and on

her, both living still together ; certainly she could make no claim at all of

an estate or widow s dowry after her husband s death thereby. For the

latter runs upon a supposition of what is clean contrary to the former. It

might indeed be morally argued that the prince did bear a good will

and respect to the woman, to take care of her if her husband were dead,

but legally she could not plead that such a jointure or dowry were his

declared intendment ; and the like invalidity of evidence would be found

here.

But if we understand it, that this groaning is a demonstrative of the

truth and reality of that faith which a Christian is said to have (ver. 1)

concerning that glory, and of his propriety in it upon this ground ; because

these groanings are wrought by God in his heart, as the sure and proper

effects of such a faith, which carrieth his soul out in desires after that glory he believes ; this doth absolutely and necessarily require that that very same glory which is the object of this faith for* knowledge, should also be

the object of those his desires ; for knowledge worketh upon the desire in

the virtue of the object known, or at least it must be granted to work it

towards the object known. But now in this case to say we know, and know by faith, there is a glory for our souls when our bodies are dissolved

(as intended in the first verse) ; because we are carried out to desire a glory of our bodies and souls, without any dissolution of our bodies (as intended

in the second verse). Here is no consequence at all between these two as

cause and effect, for they have several objects ; it must therefore neces

sarily remain that it is one and the same individual sort of glory is believed

and also groaned for, insomuch as if the glory of the soul upon dissolution

of the body be in the first verse intended, as that which is believed, it must

be the same and no other that is groaned for, ver. 2. And indeed the

object of both is therefore specified and set out under one and the same

expression in both verses, namely, our house. Thus much may suffice

for what this demonstrative particle for doth afford.

2. The next words are, In this, sv rovrw, we groan. There are three interpretations put upon this phrase, and each and all

of them will comport and fall in with my argument in hand.

1. Ec rovry, In this, is put (says Bezaf) for interea temporis, tv rwru

Xgovu, in the mean time, he referring us to Acts xxiv. 16 for the like

usage of the phrase. And so taken, the words of both verses will look at

one another thus : We know, if our earthly house be dissolved, we have a

* Qu. or ? ED. f See Beza on this place and on Acts xxiv. 16.

374 OF THE BLESSED STATE [CHAP. V.

glory then at that time to be given us : for in the mean time, namely, until that our dissolution, we groan for it. This interpretation so connected

evidently points out the time of dissolution to be the last period of that

groaning, and the beginning of the enjoyment of that glory. There is only an interim, or space of time till then. A second sense given is, that the phrase in this signifies, in this

tabernacle, as ver. 4 seems to explain it. But yet even then, if unto this you join but that clause, if this tabernacle were dissolved (which will still be sure to follow us, and enter its claim to be taken in as the terminus and occasion of our groaning), then certainly it falls most naturally to this sense, that in this tabernable We groan for that glory, which when it is dissolved, we shall have in a condition that is out of "it ; and that whilst we are in this earthly tabernacle, we therefore groan until it be dissolved, upon the assured knowledge that if once it were dissolved, we have a glory in heaven ready to be given to us.

The third sense given is, unto this we groan, or

* for this. Thus the oriental versions, the Syriac and Arabic, render it. A Lapide, out of the

first of them, gives this sense in those plain words, that we groan for this, that our mortal house were dissolved ; and so the sense runs clear, that

seeing we know, we cannot, in the ordinary course set by God, ver. 1, attain this glory unless dissolved ; we groan out of an eagerness of desire, even for that dissolution itself, in order, and in a tendency thereunto ; even as Paul says, Philip, i. 23, I desire to depart (as our translators have rendered it), namely, in order to be with Christ. And truly although dissolution is not in direct words made the object of our groaning here, yet take the whole contexture, and it is tacitly, and perhaps necessarily, supposed and-amplied in this place. And to^ that end it was the apostle made that correction and limitation of his meaning

: ver. 4, We groan, being burthened : not that we would be unclothed ; that is, whereas I had

said, even we groan for this alteration, being burthened, yet not simply, or for its own sake, or the natural consequent thereof, ease from burdens, or the like, but to the end to obtain that glory which cannot be had without a dissolution.

3. The next words are, we groan. The apostle having pitched the date of our expectations to be dissolution, there appears therein a special reason why we should be said to groan (that is his first word) as well as to desire (which he adds), which how it makes for our sense I shewed upon ver. 1. The effect of which lies in this, that because this earthly vile body stands in the way between us and the immediate enjoyment of this glory, this therefore gives us just occasion of groaning in this tabernacle. Groans, we know, are properly desires obstructed and hindered ; and we in this tabernacle (till it be dissolved), looking upon ourselves as hindered and detained all that time from that desired glory, hence we groan. And further perhaps it is said, that we groan in this tabernacle, or, in the mean time of this life, for this dissolution, as in a distinction from the desires which separate souls in glory have for that greater fulness of glory to come at the day of judgment; which are desires in them indeed, but not groans ; they being satisfied and quieted in the mean season with a

glory suitable to that condition of separate souls, they being made spirits

perfect, as perfect as the spirits of men separate from their bodies can be.

* A white robe being given every one of them, Rev. vi. 11, they are bidden therewith to rest. But in saints on earth there is a groaning until their

change from this burdensome life shall come, and their pilgrimage and

CHAP. V.J OF THE SAINTS IN GLORY. $15

* in this tabernacle, we do groan, and we only, ver. 4.

apprenticeship be out. .We that are (that is, existent)

And hence a new argument may be added, strengthening and confirming what hath been urged, that if the souls of saints departed had not such

robes, that is, a glory instantly given them when out of this tabernacle,

truly it would occasion, after their departure hence, new groanings, or the same to be still continued ; and then the apostle would not have termi nated our groaning only unto our being in this tabernacle, or in this mean

time, nor would he have confined it only to this life. But if we groan here, being burthened (as verse 4 hath it), we should have had occasion to have groaned a second time in the other world also, if glory had been sus

pended, and we had still been delayed, especially withal considering that

eagerness of desire which the apostle there expresseth to be in us, after a

being clothed upon. But, says our apostle, in this we groan, and in

this only. And, therefore, there is a blessedness in the other world, that waits for our souls against our coming thither, which is bestowed presently

upon the soul, which satisfies it, and prevents all groanings for ever, after

dissolution.

Obj. Unto all this, it is objected by those of the other opinion, that

in Rom. viii. the object of the groaning of the saints is expressly said to be that state of glory that follows upon the resurrection, and therefore that

also is here intended. The words there are, Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body, ver. 23.

Ans. For answer, 1. Neither we nor they can deny, but that both that

fulness of glory at the resurrection, as also this entrance into and beginning of glory, which the spirits of just men made perfect do in the mean time

enjoy, are, and ought to be the objects of Christians groaning for here in

this life ; and if both are, and ought to be, then look, as some scriptures mention the one more eminently as the object of our desires, so some other

scriptures must also be supposed to do the other ; and so that hinders not

at all, that this should be the meaning of the apostle here, yea, it would

rather seem, that as that of the Romans speaks of our groaning for the

redemption of the body, so it leaves room for this here to speak more emi

nently of that, which is for the soul s glory in that meantime, until that of

the body be added.

Ans. 2. Secondly, I answer, There is a different ground or occasion men

tioned for that groaning there and for this here ; which distinct characters

are engraven upon each to mark out the one for that one sense, the other for

this other. The occasion of their groaning, Rom. viii., is the doctrine of the restitution of all things, the revelation and glorious liberty of the sons of God, ver. 19, 21, to be manifested to all the world, and to be

accompanied with the freeing the whole creation from that vanity and

1 bondage they are now in, and for them to have a participation of some

privilege in a suitable proportion. And so that groaning, which the saints have thereupon, is after that which is common with the whole creation, in the universal perfection of it, and of us saints, as the object of it there ; but this can no way be drawn as a necessary instance, that should give a law to the same intendment of this groaning here, where the occasion is

* What if our earthly house be dissolved, which falls out to some Christians or other every day. But what then ? Why then, we have an house, &c., a glory in the heavens ready for us ; and this groaning here coming in upon the mention

upon another thing, which in the mean time falls out,

376 OF THE BLESSED STATE [CHAP. V.

of glory in the interim, ver. 1, hence it hath for its object the state that is next, even of the soul upon its dissolution. So as the ground of this groaning is a particular case, and upon an occasion different from that other in Rom. viii. Am. 8. Again, 3, if they urge that place as parallel to this, because of the word groaning, we must take liberty to urge another parallel place, because of the word desiring, which is in order of the next word in this verse to be taken notice of. We groan earnestly, desiring. Now, else where, the object of our desires in this kind is made that glory the soul hath upon dissolution : Philip, i. 23, Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better ; yea, and to depart first, as it is in order to our being with Christ ; that is the object of his desires there. So then set one against the other.

4. The next word is, desiring. The doubling of these two shew the instant eagerness of desire ; as in Gen. xxxi. 30, Longing, thou longedst, or,

desiring, thou desiredst. Thus also, in Luke xxii. 15, With desire have I desired ; as a woman longing, or groaning in travail to be delivered, and desiring to bring forth a child. Now such vehement longings and double desires are usually, if not always, pitched upon what is to be had

&lt;

presently, and not long delayed. When we see not much time in view

betwixt, then it falls out that desires are quickened, and doubled, and sharpened, even by what is near, and very near. Now the glory at the

resurrection, although greater in itself, yet is and was to them afar off, and so

to us. But if we were once but dissolved, we should have an house. This salvation is near (as the prophet speaks), there are but a few moments between, but a few inches. It is this proximity, or near ness, that moves and stirs up a desiring. We desire, &c. But further, consider it is with groaning we desire. There is some emphasis, both put together, to our purpose. Groaning respects the pre sent condition of misery and frailty

yet^

: ver. 4, we groan, being burthened ; and desiring respects the glory that is to follow dissolution. Take a woman in travail, groaning under pains, and withal suppose her being told, and assured, or to know assuredly, that when she is delivered she shall have a son, a man-child, which man-child shall, thirty or forty years after, become a great emperor over many dominions ; but for the present, upon her delivery, he shall be born a king, and made happy and glorious

: cer

tainly, her groaning desires in this case would be pitched upon this that is

^next, and more immediately, to follow upon her delivery. Her very pains, and present throes and groanings, would rather so direct and guide her thoughts and desires, rather than to cheer herself merely with what should be many years after. For, alas ! she is in present pain, and in that case to think of a present deliverance, and thereupon withal of a present greatness and glory, though less, would move her much more in groaning to desire.

That which is desired is, to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven, as it follows in the next words. That by our house from heaven, which is also here compared unto a

clothing, that under the notion of both these metaphors and similitudes, the glory of the souls departed afore the resurrection was clearly expressed in the Scriptures, I shewed in opening the first verse. Therefore, I shall not at all insist on those words any more, but my business now is to be taken up about this

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expression, clothed upon ; and so I shall shew why the glory of the soul, even afore the resurrection, should be termed a clothing upon, implying

CHAP. V.] OF THE SAINTS IN GLORY. 377

an upper garment unto the soul when separate from the body. And here upon begins a second controversy, from what hitherto hath been pro secuted, upon ver. 1 this word clothed upon being used twice by the

apostle here, and those other words that follow as an explication of it, clothed and naked, putting us upon a new disquisition. Those that under stand the first verse to speak (under the metaphor of an house, &c.) of our

glorious bodies to be given us at the resurrection, do similarly, or in a cor

respondent like manner, interpret these words, clothing and nakedness, ver. 3, to refer unto our bodies. The soul of a saint dead, and separate from his body, is said (say they) to be naked. But we that stand for that other interpretation given of verse 1, that the glory of the soul presently upon dissolution is intended, do in a suitableness to that opinion say, that these metaphors of clothed and naked are used in reference unto the

clothing by grace, holiness, or the righteousness of Christ. And so our

being clothed upon with glory doth respect a putting of glory over that soul that is first found clothed with these here in this life. And accordingly, either as the soul at dissolution wants or is devoid of

these, it is said to be naked ; as having put on these, it is said of it that it

is clothed, and so in a prepared disposition unto glory ; and answerably

it is either left for ever utterly naked and exposed to God s wrath, or it is clothed upon with that glory in heaven provided for all such who are clothed with Christ s righteousness. Whereas the other interpretation

says, the glory of heaven and immortality put upon both soul and body is the clothing upon that is here intended, our bodies, say they, being the natural clothing to the soul.

As to their opinion, they, to carry it on throughout, are constrained to make some variation in the sense of the 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th verses, as I observed at my entrance into the 1st verse. For they say, that in that first verse the apostle intends to utter the general faith of all Christians to be

this, that if they die, and their bodies be dissolved, yet, however, they are sure to have their bodies restored with glory by the general resurrection ; but then, as for the 2d, 3d, 4th verses, they say his scope should be, that

in consideration they must thus first die, and have their bodies dissolved, and their souls and bodies first to part (which is so abhorrent a thing to

nature), therefore Christians do generally groan rather to have their souls continue still clothed in the body, and so without dying, both of them

together to be clothed upon with the glory from heaven, which one day our bodies shall have ; and this they make the meaning of the 2d verse : For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our

house, which is from heaven. And yet, because such desires are not

regular, nor such as they ought to be, if carried out to things impossible, or which God never willeth, therefore the apostle adds a correction to these desires, as grounded upon a supposition of what is God s ordination towards some saints : ver. 3, If so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked ; namely, that seeing it will be the lot of some saints to be found alive at the day of judgment, who shall not die, but have their bodies on the sudden changed and clothed upon with glory (as you have it in 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52, and^l Thes. iv. 15, 17); and this being then a known and common notion possessing the hearts of all believers in those primitive times, accordingly these interpreters do suppose that Paul here utters his

own, and directs all their desires generally to groan after this privilege, that they might not die, but that, without being dissolved, their bodies

might be changed into glorious bodies without any more ado. And unto

378 OF THE BLESSED STATE [ClIAP. V.

* If so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked; that is, say they, our desire or groaning is limited to this supposition ; or with this correction, saith Piscator, If so be it prove to be our lot to live to that day, and so being then still clothed with our bodies, or alive,

this sense they interpret* the 3d verse,

* we be not found naked ; that is, in the number of those saints that are dead ; so that being clothed, they interpret, found clothed with their bodies ; and nakedness they oppositely interpret to be death, and to be found naked, to be of the number of the generality of the saints who will be dead, and their souls separate and naked from their bodies just at the resurrection. And then the words of the 4th verse do (as they suppose) with full stream fall into their channel : ver. 4, For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened with daily miseries and infirmities : not for that we would be unclothed ; that is, we would not die, nature causeth us to abhor that, but we would be clothed upon alive ; that is, living in our bodies until that day. We would rather have our bodies (which are but as a garment to the soul) clothed upon with that glorious state, that so mortality, which is now the condi tion of our bodies, might be consummately, and once for ever, swallowed up of life, as at that day it will be to those that so remain, yea, unto all

else that then shall rise, as in 1 Cor. xv. you have it. This is the brief sum of their opinion.

In which interpretation of theirs there is this apparent variation (I might say deviation, for such it will be found anon) between what they deliver to be the sense of the first verse, and of the other that follow, that the apostle should intend in the first verse the resurrectionltself of glorious bodies after dissolution, and death first supposed ;" but in the following verses, they divert to another supposition, namely, unto a glory of our bodies without dissolution or a resurrection, and under that consideration make it the object of all Christians groans and desires. But we on the other hand frame our interpretation uniformly, as to one and the same thing being the object both of our faith and groans, thus,

1. That the saints know by faith, that if once these earthly tabernacles were dissolved, they have, instantly upon that dissolution, an house and

clothing of glory prepared and ready built to entertain them, both then, and so for ever, whether in the body or out of the body, afore or at the

resurrection ; and they knowing this assuredly by faith, do therefore, 2. Groan for the time of their dissolution, as the next and first stage of

that glory; as Job did, Job. xiv. 14, All the days of my appointed time

will I wait, till my change come. They groan out of eagerness of desiring the possession of that glory which is thus to begin when this miserable life

is ended, and then a life will begin which shall never have an end.

3. Those who thus groan and expect are yet withal admonished to be

careful, and earnestly solicitous to put on more and more the inner man, to be clothed with grace, and to be found having the righteousness of

Christ, and to keep their garments close about them to the last, lest they be found naked, which is the case and condition of multitudes of professors when God takes away their souls ; and unto that end it is that the apostle inserts this by way of caution or warning

: If so be that being clothed, we be not found naked, ver. 3. And to put them in continual mind of

* Hammond, Vorstius, Piscator. Est igitur quaedam correctio, quasi dicat, non tamen affirmo fore ut superinduamur, sed turn demum superimluemur si reperiemur

[sc. in adventu Domini] induti scilicet corporibus, id cst vivi, non autern exuti, i. e., mortui, Calv. in verba.