VeK. 4.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 475
immortal being. Now the reasons are these — (1.) The man cannot be completely happy till the body be raised again. The soul alone doth not constitute human nature, or that being which may be called man. The body doth essentially concur to the constitution of man, as well as the soul. Therefore the soul, though it be a spirit, and can live apart, yet it was not made to live apart for ever, but to live in the body, and so remaineth a widow, as it were, till the body be raised up and united to it. It is without its mate and companion, so that it remaineth destitute of half itself, which, though it may be borne for a while, yet not for ever. (2.) It is agreeable to the wisdom, justice, and goodness of God that the body which had its share in the work should have its share in the reward. It is the body which is most gratified in sin, and the body which is most pained in obedience. What is it that was wearied and tired, and endured all the labours and troubles of Christianity ? Therefore the body, that is the soul's sister and co-heir, is to share with it in its eternal estate, whatsoever it be ; before that, the wicked are but in part punished, and the godly in part rewarded. There is a time when God will deal with the whole man. (3.) The state of those that die will not be worse tlian the state of those that are only changed at Christ's coming. The bodies are not destroyed, but perfected ; the substance is preserved, only endued with new qualities. Now there would be a disparity among the glorified if some should have their bodies, others not. (4.) In the heavenly estate there are many objects which can only be discerned by our bodily senses : the human nature of Christ, the beauty of the heavenly place, or mansion of the blessed, with other works of God, which certainly are offered to our contemplation. Now if God find objects, he will find faculties. How shall we see those things which are to be seen, hear those things which are to be heard, unless we have bodies and bodily senses ? (5) As Christ was taken into heaven, 60 we ; for we shall bear the image of the heavenly. He carried no other flesh into heaven but what he assumed from the Virgin ; that very body which was carried in her womb, which was laid clown as a sacrifice for sin, — that very body was carried into heaven, Phil. ili. 21. The body that is subject to so many infirmities, that is harassed and worn out with labours, exposed to such pains and sufferings, even that body shall be like Christ's glorious body, 1 Cor. sv. 43, 44. It .shall not be decayed with age, nor wasted with sickness, nor need the supplies of meat and drink, nor be subject to pains and aches, &c. Well then, let us serve God faithfully ; 1 Cor. xv. 58, ' Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour' is uot iu vain iu the Lord.'
476 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. VII.
SERMON VII.
2^010 he iliat liath tvrougld us for this self-same thing is God, iclio also hath given unto lis ilie earnest of his Sj^irit. — 2 Cor. v. 5.
Having showed (1.) the persons who desire eternal glory, ver. 3 ; (2.) the manner of desiring — not simply to be unclotlied, ver. 4 ; (3.) he now shows the grounds of desiring, in this verse. They are two —
1. God hath fitted us for this very thing ; 2. He hath given us the pledge and earnest of this glorious estate. All the business will be (1.) To open the expressions ; (2.) To show how these are grounds of the desire.
1. To open the meaning of the expressions.
[1.] God's forming us — 6 Karepyaadfievo'; et? avTo rovro. What is that selfsame thing he speaketh of ? A groaning, and an earnest desire after immortality, say some. We would gladly be rid of our burthen here, and be in heaven ; and surely the sense of nature would not incline us to so holy an affection. No, God hath wrought us for this self-same thing, hath framed such a desire in us. We know and are assured, that when this earthly tabernacle is dissolved, we have a building, &c., cay others ; surely this persuasion is of God, created and produced in the hearts of his people by his special grace. Flesh and blood hath not showed it to us. Still good. Others carry it higher : that we eye things unseen, and make them our scope. Still this is from grace, not from nature ; for nature looketh only to things before us, to present welfare. That we are contented though our outward maa perish, so that our inward man be renewed : surely all this is from God. A man may admire celestial happiness, but not industriously desire it, and self-denyingly seek after it to the loss of the contentments and interests of the bodily life, unless God move his heart, and super- natui-ally bestow such a disposition towards himself. All this is true and good, but it is a part of this sense. The apostle speaketh not of the desire, but of the happiness itself, that we may be capable of it. He first formeth us and frameth us for this very thing. (1.) Here in this world lie fits us, and prepareth the soul by sanctification or regene- ration, purifying and cleansing us from sin. (2.) For the body — ' The Spirit that now dweileth in us will at last raise our mortal bodies,' Eom. viii. 11, and prepare us for that immortality. God now frameth the souls of his people, hereafter their bodies. They are wrought to this thing. Man must be new made before he is capable of entering into glory. There is a new work on the souls and on the bodies of his saints ; they must be new moulded and transformed before they are brought into this blessed e.state. The word icaTepyaadfievo'i noteth a powerful work, and an exact work. None who are unfit or unmeet for heaven get an access to it ; no, we are framed for this very thing.