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I. WE ARE TO CONSIDER A CHRISTIAN'S GROANS WHILE HE IS IN THE BODY UNDER PRESENT UNEASINESS. "In this we groan." And "while we are in this tabernacle we groan, being burdened."

1. As to what the body is the more immediate seat and subject of. Of this kind we may consider the following instances.

(1) The weakness and disorder of the bodily nature.

(2) Weariness of labour. The Christian life is a state of warfare as well as service.

(3) The afflictions and sufferings of life.

(4) The dissolution of the bodily frame. There is a natural love in the soul to the body arising from the close union and long intimacy together.

2. What the body may further occasion to the soul; and in several ways occasions uneasiness.

(1) It is a great hindrance to our spiritual attainments, and to all our improvements in knowledge and grace. How often do the necessities and pleasures of the bodily life hinder a wise improvement of opportunities? We are apt to indulge in sloth, and regret the necessary pains of higher improvement.

(2) It is a great occasion of sin, as well as of imperfection. The depravation of nature seems interwoven with the bodily constitution, and by the laws of union between the body and soul, the one is much affected by the other (Romans 6:13). The sensible world round about us powerfully strikes our sensible natures, and proves a dangerous snare. It gives a great advantage to the devil's temptations.

(3) It exposes them to many troubles. How many calamities befall us by accident or violence, by the hand of Providence or our own mistake!

(4) The necessary distance and absence from the Lord.

II. I AM TO CONSIDER A CHRISTIAN'S DESIRES OF THE HEAVENLY HAPPINESS. He earnestly desires to be clothed upon with his house which is from heaven. There is the weight of their present burdens. They not only groan, but desire, and the groanings breed desires. Oppressed nature longs for rest. Besides, there is the excellency of the heavenly state, or the object of their desires. In ver. 4 he speaks of being clothed upon, or covered all over with it, and mortality being swallowed up of life. Even the mortal part, or what was before mortal of us, will become immortal. He represents the future state by a presence with Christ. "Present with the Lord." The peculiar temper of a Christian's mind with reference to it.

1. He describes it by their faith of the heavenly blessedness. This he expresses in ver. 1 by knowledge.

2. There is their preparation for it. This we have in ver. 5 — "Now He who hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God, who hath also given to us the earnest of His Spirit."

3. Their courage, or fortitude of mind. This is mentioned in ver. 6 — "Therefore we are confident, knowing that, while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord." In ver. 8, "We are confident, I say." We have bravery sufficient to support our minds in the prospects and conflicts with death; we dare to die rather than not be with the Lord.

4. Complacency, or willingness (ver. 8).

5. Their constant endeavours. This we find in ver. 9 — "Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him." His favour is our happiness living and dying, in this world and in the other. I shall only further observe that the word also imports ambition; and it is as if he had said, "This is the highest honour of which we are ambitious, and what we propose as the proper prize."

III. I SHALL CLOSE THIS SUBJECT WITH TWO OR THREE PRACTICAL REMARKS.

1. We may learn from hence the nature of the present state. It is made up, according to this account of it, of groans and desires. The one is the fruit of fallen nature, the other of the renewed nature. The one is the effect of the curse, the other of Divine grace.

2. The difference between sincere Christians and other men. They groan under their present burdens indeed, and have sometimes a larger share than other men, but then they have their desires too. But now wicked men have groans without desires; they have no desires of the heavenly state.

3. We should look well to our interest in the heavenly glory.

4. The happiness of" departed saints. They have the full satisfaction of their highest desires, and the perfection of their felicity and joy.

(W. Harris, D. D.)

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

WEB: For most certainly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven;