(2.) In body : Phil. iii. 21, 'Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.' The body shall be endued with all glorious qualities, as brightness, strength, agility. It is a body wholly impassible and incorruptible, fit for the operations of a glorified soul, and with it shall forever remain, a glorious temple of the Holy Ghost ; therefore it is good to be here.
Use 1. Let this draw forth our love to such a blessed estate, which is
376 Christ's transfiguration'. [Ser. IV.
so full of delight and contentment, and wean us from these things which are most pleasing in the world.
1. The best estate in the world is but vanity, altogether vanity, Ps. xxxix. 5, mingled with some grievances. Wealth hath its inci- dent cares, and honour its tortures, and all pleasures here are but bitter sweets ; there is a worm that feedeth on our gourd, and will in time wither it. At last death cometh, and then the lust of the world is gone : 1 John ii. 17, ' The world passeth away, and the lust thereof.' The godly themselves have but a mixed estate, because of remaining infirmities, they live here in a vale of tears and snares, and sin doth not gasp its last till death removeth us from this sinful flesh, and puts us into the sight of God himself. Wherefore the saints are groaning and longing for the parting day, when putting off the flesh we shall put off sin, and come and dwell with God for ever.
2. None are translated into heaven but such whose hearts are there first : 2 Cor. v. 2, ' In this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven ; ' Phil. i. 23, ' I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ ;' Eom. viii. 23, ' We that have the first-fruits of the Spirit groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our bodies.' A Christian waiteth and longeth for a purer state of bliss and immortality. The first-fruits show what the harvest will be, and a taste what the feast will prove ; tliough they are thankful for this refreshing by the way, yet they are longing to be at home — cannot be contented without it.
3. The excellency of this estate requireth it : if it be not worth your desires and best affections, it is little worth. Christ procured it for us by a life of labours and sorrows, and the pangs of a bitter, cursed death ; and when all this is done shall not we desire it and look after it ? — that is foul ingratitude. Oh then let your hearts be upon it; desire must go before delight.
Use 2. To move us to labour for it, and seek it in the first place, and to get it assured that we have a part in this blessed and joyful condition : Mat. vi. 33, ' Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof;' Luke xiii. 24, ' Strive to enter in at the strait gate ; ' so 2 Pet. i. 10, ' Give diligence to make your calling and elec- tion sure.' What profit is it to know that there is such a blessed and joyful estate, if we have no interest in it ? Heaven is worth our pains, and Avill bear all the cost we can lay out upon it. So the children of God thought : Acts xxvi. 7, ' Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come.' If we do not desire it, we do not believe it ; if we do not labour for it, we do not desire it.
Use 3. Let us comfort ourselves with the hopes of this blessed and joyful condition.
1. Against all the miseries and afflictions of this present life. These are necessary ; we would sleep too quietly in the world if we did not sometimes meet with thorns in our beds ; we should be so pleased with our entertainment in the way as we should forget home. But God awakeneth us out of our drowsy fits by sharp afflictions, as if he said, ' Arise, depart hence, this is not your rest,' Micah ii. 10. While we wallow in sensual comforts our hearts say, it is good being here.
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2, When there is a joyful and blessed condition beyond them, it is some comfort in this shipwreck of man's felicity that we can see banks and shores, a landing-place where we may be safe and enjoy our re- pose. ' To you that are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,' 2 Thes. L 7. Here our days are sorrow and our travail grief, but there is our repose.
3. That our joy and contentment is so infinitely above our sorrow and trouble, 2 Cor. iv. 7, so that in all the troubles and sorrows of this life, we may look beyond them and through them to the joy and comfort of the life to come. This joy is set before us in the promises of the gospel : Heb. xii. 2, Christ, ' for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross,' &c., and Heb. vi. 18, ' Who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us,' we see it by faith, though not by sense.