I. What is the happiness of the saints in that day. The blessedness is either subjective and inherent, or relative and adherent.
1. Our personal inherent blessedness is glory revealed in us, Rom. viii. 18. Now this glory in us is a complete felicity in body and soul.
[1.] The body hath its felicity, for several reasons ; partly —
(1.) Because the man cannot be happy till the body be raised again. The soul alone doth not constitute human nature, or that kind of oreature which we call man ; the body is one essential part, which doth concur to the constitution of man, as well as the soul ; therefore the soul, though it be a spirit, and can live apart from the body, yet it was not 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 ; for with- out its mate and companion, it remaineth destitute of half itself, which though it may be born for a while, yet not for ever. The soul is wait- ing to be sent again into the body ; and when the hour is come, what shall hinder ? There is a relative union, and a deep rooted love and inclination of the soul to its body ; so that it is mindful of it, and waiteth with longing when the command of God shall send it to receive the body.
(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
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reward. It is the body which is most gratified by sin, and the body which is most pained in obedience. What was it which was wearied and tired, and endured all the labours and troubles of Christianity, but the body ? Therefore the body, which is the soul's sister and coheir, is to share with it in its eternal estate, whatever it be. Before the general resurrection, 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 estate of those that die will not be worse than the state of those that are only changed at Christ's coming. Now their bodies are not destroyed, but perfected ; the substance is preserved, only it is renewed 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 ; as the human nature of Christ, the beams of the heavenly mansion wherein the blessed have their residence, with other the works of God, which certainly are offered to our con- templation. Now if God find objects, he will find faculties. How shall we see else those things which are to be seen, or hear those things which are to be heard, unless we have bodies and bodily senses ?
(5.) As Christ was taken into heaven, so shall we; for we shall bear the image of the heavenly one. He carried no other flesh into heaven but what he assumed from the virgin. The very body which was carried in her womb, offered up as a sacrifice for sin, that very body was carried into heaven. Now this aco/xa t?}? Ta,Tretv(oaea)<;, ' this vile body,' shall be likened unto Christ's glorious body, Phil. iii. 21. That body that is now subject to so many infirmities, which is harassed and worn out with labours, obnoxious to such pains and sufferings, even this body shall be likened unto his glorious body. This body shall be then immortal, free from all diseases, imperfections, and defects. It shall not be decayed with age, nor wasted with sickness, nor need the supplies of meat and drink to repair it, nor be subject to pains and aches, but remain for ever in an eternal spring of youth. And for clarity and brightness, it shall shine as the sun : 1 Cor. xv. 42-44, * So also is the resurrection of the dead ; it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption : it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory : it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power : it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.' In short, it is endowed with all the perfections a body is capable of ; but the greatest perfection is this, that it shall be united to a soul fully sanctified, that shall never use it as an instru- ment of sin more.
[2.] For the happiness of the soul, we shall be satisfied with the vision of God, and transformed into the likeness of God: 1 Cor. xiii. 12, 'For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know, even as also I am known ; ' 1 John iii. 2, ' Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not appear what we shall be : but we know, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.' Our souls shall be naturally and graci- ously perfected both in our faculties and qualities, and so firmly estab- lished in a state of holiness as never to sin more, or to be in danger of