Introduction

There is no point of more moment to all, nor of greater comfort to saints, than what shall become of their souls when they die: 'Tis our next stage; and things that are next, use more to affect us. And besides, it is the beginning, and a taking possession of our eternity.

That these words should aim at this self-same thing, cannot be discerned, without consulting the fore-going part of the Apostle's discourse: and yet I cannot be large in bringing down the coherence, having pitched upon what this fifth verse contributes to this argument; which alone will require more than this time allotted, having also very largely gone through the exposition of the fore-going verses elsewhere: and I now go but on where I left last. But yet to make way for the understanding the scope of my text, take

The coherence in brief thus:

In the 16th verse of the fore-going chapter (where the well-head of his discourse is to be found) he shows the extraordinary care God has of our inward man to renew it day by day; where inward man is strictly the soul with its graces, set in opposition to our outward man — the body with its appurtenances — which he says daily perishes, that is, is in a mouldering and decaying condition.

Chapter 5, Verse 1.

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

In this first verse of this fifth chapter, he meets with this supposition: But what if this outward man or earthly tabernacle be wholly dissolved and pulled down, what then shall become of this inner man? And he resolves it thus, That if it be dissolved, we have a house, a building of God in the heavens. And what is the "we" but this inner man (he had spoken of) — renewed souls, which dwell now in the body as in a tabernacle, as the inmates that can subsist without it? And it is as if he had said, If this inward man be destituted of one house, we have another. God that in this life was so careful over this inner man, to renew it every day, has made another more ample provision against this great change. It is but its removing from one house to a better, which God has built. As yourselves (to speak in your own language) if wars should beset you, and your country house were plundered and pulled down, you would comfort yourselves with this, I have yet a city house to retire to.

Neither is the terming the glory of heaven, and that as it is bestowed upon a separate soul, alien from the Scripture phrase, (Luke 16:9) that when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. Death is a failing ('tis your city phrase also when a man proves bankrupt) — a statute of bankrupt comes forth then upon your old house (Statutum est omnibus semel mori) and upon all you have; and then it is that there is a receiving or entertaining that otherwise-desolate soul into everlasting habitations, that is, into a house eternal in the heavens, as the text.

Nor yet is the phrase of terming heaven a city house, remote neither: for (Hebrews 11:13) Abraham and the Patriarchs died in faith — mark that! — in faith or expectation of what? He had told us, verse 10, he looked for a city whose builder is God. What is a city, but an aggregation and heap of houses and inhabitants? Multitudes had died before Abraham, and gone to heaven, from Adam, Abel, Seth, downwards; and God promises him peace at his death, and a being gathered to those fathers (Genesis 15:15). There was then a city built, and already replenished with inhabitants; and among others, a house provided for him, that is, his soul built of God, and ready furnished against this removal.

Verse 2.

For in this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.

In this verse he utters the working of the affections of Christians towards their being clothed upon with this house; and so in order to this enjoyment of it, their desiring even to be dissolved: which Paul also utters of himself (Philippians 1). Now if the first verse speaks of the glory of a separate soul when he calls it a house, this second verse must intend the same.

Verse 3.

If so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked.

In this verse he gives a wholesome caution by the way; and withal insinuates, why he used the word clothed upon, in the fore-going verse, thus, speaking of the glory of such a separate soul, even because it is absolutely necessary that all our souls be found clothed first, and renewed with grace and holiness, and not be found naked at our deaths, that is, nor devoid of grace, and so exposed to shame and wrath, as (Revelation 16:15).

Verse 4.

For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

The fourth verse gives a genuine and sincere account, why a Christian does thus groan, and that after dissolution itself, in order to this glory; which he sets out with an accurate distinction of their desires of dissolutions, in difference from like desires in all other men: First, Negatively, not for that being burdened we desire to be unclothed, or dissolved; that is, simply for ease of those burdens: nor out of a despising of our bodies we now wear (as their heathen wise men and philosophers did, and others do) No. But secondly, Positively, For this, as the top-ground of that desire, That we would be clothed upon with that house (spoken of in verse 1, and that still taken in the sense spoken of in verse 2) to the end that this mortal animal life which the soul (though immortal in itself) now leads in the body, full of sins, clogged with a body of death and miseries; (each of which has a death in it) and so it lives but a dying life; that this life may be exchanged, yea, swallowed up by that which is life indeed, the only true life, the knowing God as we are known, and enjoying him: all which, as to our souls, is truly performed at our dissolution; although the final swallowing up the mortality of our bodies also, does yet remain to be accomplished: which will be done at the latter day, at that change both of body and soul, though in respect of the body it will be completed as then more fully.

This interpretation, and the suiting of all the phrases used in this 4th verse, to hold good of this exchange at death, I cannot, through straitness of time, give an account of now: I have lately, and very largely, done it elsewhere.

This for the coherence: I hasten to my text.