5. Its desire of re-union continuing still with it, in its state of separation, speaks its love to the body. As the soul parted with it in grief and sorrow, so it still retains, even in glory, an inclina- tion to re-union, and waits for a day of re-espousals : and to that sense some searching and judicious men understand those words of Job, chap. xiv. 14. " If a man die, shall he live again ?" viz. by a resurrection : if so, then all the days of my appointed separation, my soul in heaven shall wait till that change come. And to the same sense is that cry of separated souls, Rev. vi. 9> 10, 11. " How " long, O Lord, how long?" i. e. to the consummation of all things, when j udgment shall be executed on them that killed our bodies, and our bodies so long absent restored to us again ? In that day of resurrection, the souls of the saints come willingly from heaven itself, to repossess their bodies, and bring them to a partnership with them in their glory : for it is with the soul in heaven as it is with an husband who is richly entertained, feasted, and lodg-
* O my little soul, iny dear, endeared wanderer, whither goe^t thou ?
594; A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN.
od abroad, but his dear wife is solitary and comfortless ; it abates the completeness of his joy. Therefore we say, the saints joy is not consummate till that day.
There is an exercise for faith, hope, and desire, on this account in heaven.
The union of soul and body is natural, their separation is not so : many benefits will redound to both by a re-union, and the re- surrection of the body is provided by God, as the grand relief against those prejudices and losses the bodies of the saints sustain by separation. I say not that the propension or inclination of the soul to re-union with its body, is accompanied with any perturba- tion or anxiety, in its state of separation ; for it enjoys God, and in him a placid rest ; and as the body, so the soul rests in hope ; it is such a hope as disturbs not the rest of either; yet when the time is come for the soul to be re-espoused, it is highly gratified by that second marriage, glad it is to see its old dear companion, as two friends after a long separation. And so much of the evidence of the soul's love to the body.
Secondly, Next we are to enquire into the grounds and reasons of its love and inclination to the body. And,
1. The fundamental ground and reason thereof will be found in their natural union with each other. There my text lays it : " No " man ever yet hated his [own] flesh." Mark, the body is the soufs own ; they are strictly married and related to each other : the soul hath a property in its body, these two make up, or con- stitute one person. True, they are not essentially one, they have far different natures, but they are personally one * ; and though the soul be what it was, after its separation, yet to make a man the who he was, i. e. the same complete and perfect person, they must be re-united. Hence springs its love to the body. Every man loves his own, John xvii. 19. All the world is in love with its own, and hence it cares to provide for its welfare ; 1 Tim. v. 8. " If any man provide not for his own, he is worse than an infidel.'' For nature teacheth all men to do so. Why are children dearer to parents than to all others, but because they are their own? Job xix. 17. But our wives, our children, our goods are not so much our own as our bodies are ; this is the nearest of all natural unions.
In this propriety and relation are involved the reasons and mo- tives of our love to, and care over the body, which is no more than what is necessary to their preservation. For, were it not for
* And this is no more than necessary for the conservation of the species, else the body would be neglected, exposed, and quickly perish, being had in no more regard than any other body.
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this propriety and relation, no man would be at any more cost or pains for his own body, than for that of a stranger. It is propriety which naturally draws love, care, and tenderness along with it; and these are ordered by the wisdom of providence, for the conservation of the body, which would quickly perish without it.
2. The body is the soul's ancient acquaintance and intimate friend, with whom it hath assiduously and familiarly conversed from its beginning. They have been partners in each others com- forts and sorrows. They may say to each other, as Miconius did to his colleague, with whom he had spent twenty years in the go- vernment of the Thuringicm church: Currimus, ccrtavimus, labo- ravimus, pugnavimus, vicimus, et vidimus conjunctissime. We have run, striven, laboured, fought, overcome, and lived most inti- mately and lovingly together. Consuetude, and daily conversa- tion, begets and conciliates friendship and love betwixt creatures of contrary natures: Let a lamb be brought up with a lion, and the lion will express a tenderness towards it, much more the soul to its own body.
3. The body is the soul's house and beloved habitation, where it was born, and hath lived ever since it had a being, and in which it hath enjoyed all its comforts, natural and supernatural, which can- not but strengthen the soul's engagement to it. Upon this account the apostle calls it the soul's home, 2 Cor. v. 6. " Whilst we are " at home in the body." It is true, this house is not so comfort- able an habitation, that it should be much desired by many souls ; wTe may say of many gracious souls, that they pay a dear rent for the house they dwell in : or as it was said of Galba, Anima Galbce male habitat, their souls are but ill accommodated ; but yet it is their home, and therefore beloved by them.
4. The body is the soul's instrument by which it doth its work and business in the world, both natural and religious, Rom. vi. 13. Through the bodily senses it takes in all the natural comforts of this world, and by the bodily members it performs all its duties and services. When these are broken and laid aside by death, the soul knows it can work no more in that way it now doth, John ix. 4. Eccl. ix. 10. Natural men love their bodies for the natural pleasures they are instrumental to convey to their souls; and spiri- tual men, for the use and service they are of to their own and other souls, Phil. i. 23.
5. The body is the soul's partner in the benefit of Christ's pur- chase. It was bought with the same price, 1 Cor. vi. 20. sancti- fied by the same Spirit, 1 Thess. v. 23. interested in the same pro- mise, Mat. xxii. 32. and designed for the same glory, 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17. So that we may say of it as it was said of Augustine and his friend Alippius, they are sanguine Christ i conglutinati, glued
596 A TREATISE OF THE SOIL OF MAX.
together by the blood of Christ. And thus of the grounds and reasons of its love.