God in his attributes; and labour to do it, not speculatively, notionally, but really, practically, according as I have directed in the foregoing discourse. Religion is not an empty, airy, notional thing; it is not a matter of thinking nor of talking, but it hath a real existence in the soul, and doth as really distinguish, though not specifically, one man from another, as reason distinguishes all men from beasts. Converse with God is set out in Scripture by living and walking, and the like. Let me inculcate this thing therefore again, and press it upon you, and I shall finish all. As the way of glorifying God in the world is not by a mere thinking of him, or entertaining some notion of his glory into our heads, but consists in a real participation of his image, in a God-like disposition, and holy conversation, according to that of our Saviour, "Herein is my Father glorified, in that ye bear much fruit;" so the way of conversing with God in his several attributes is not thinking often with ourselves, and telling one another that God is just, wise, and merciful, though this be good; but it is a drinking in the virtue and value of these divine perfections, a working of them into the soul; and, on the other hand, the soul's rendering of itself up to God in those acts of grace which suit with such attributes, as in water face answereth face. I do not call bare performance of duties a conversing with God; prayer and meditation, &c. are excellent means, in and by which our soul converses with God: but communion with God is properly somewhat more spiritual, real, powerful, and divine, according as I described it just now. As for example, the soul re

ceives the impressions of divine sovereignty into it, and gives up itself unto God in the grace of selfdenial, and humble subjection: the soul receives the communication of divine Fulness and Perfection, and entertains the same with delight and complacency, and, as it were, grows full in it; even as the communications of the virtues of the sun are answered with life, and warmth, and growth in the plants of the earth. So a soul's conversing with the attributes of God is not an empty notion of them, or a dry discourse concerning them, but a reception of impressions from them, and a reciprocation to them: the effluxes of these from God are such as do beget reflections in man towards God. This is to know Christ, to grow up in him unto all things, according to that passage-"Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him."

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FAREWELL TO LIFE.

Whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.-2 COR. v. 6.

THE holy apostle having, in the first verse of this chapter, laid down the doctrine of eternal glory, which shall follow upon this transitory state of believers, shows, in the following verses, how he himself longed within himself, and groaned after that happy state; and then proceeds to give a double ground of this his confident expectation. The one is in ver. 5. where the apostle is confident concerning the putting off of this mortal body, because God had wrought and formed him for this state of glory, and already given him an earnest of it, even his Holy Spirit; the other ground of the confidence and settledness of his mind as to his desires of a change, is taken from his present state in the body, which was but poor and uncomfortable in comparison of that glorious state held forth in the words of the text-" Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord." For I do not

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take the words, "we are confident," concerning the apostle's resolvedness, with a quiet and sober mind, to suffer any kind of persecution or affliction whatever; but we are always confident”—that is, we do with confidence expect, or at least we are always well satisfied, contented, well resolved in our minds, concerning our departure out of this life: for the apostle was speaking, not of afflictions or persecutions in the former verses, but indeed of death, which he calls a dissolving of the earthly house of this tabernacle, ver. 1. and a being clothed upon with our house which is from heaven, ver. 2, 4. Yea, and thus the apostle explains himself, ver. 8. where he tells you what he means by this his confidence— "We are confident, and willing rather to be absent from the body;" where the latter words are expository of the former: as if he should say, It is better to be with the Lord than in this mortal body; but we cannot be with the Lord whilst we are in this body, it keeps us from him; therefore we have the confidence to part with it. It is the reason of the apostle's confidence and willingness to part with the body that I am to speak of; and the reason is, because this body keeps him from his Lord-" Whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord." The words are a metaphor, and are to be translated thus-"We indwelling in the body, do dwell out from the Lord;" which our translation renders well, taking little notice of this metaphor, "Whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord;" though, indeed, if they had left out that word at home, it would have been as well, and