SERMON XVII.
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. — Phil. iii. 21.
In the context the apostle showeth the different course of living observed by the true and false christians, ' They mind earthly things,' but ' Our conversation is in heaven.'
Now he giveth two reasons of the heavenly life —
1. One is taken from their expectation of Christ's coming.
2. What he will do at his coming to translate us into the heavenly city and to fit us for it, ' He shall change our vile bodies.'
168 SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. [SER. XVII.
In which words observe two things —
[1.] The glory which Christ will put upon his saints at his coming, ' Who shall change our vile bod)', that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.'
[2.] The ground of hope, which may facilitate the belief of this blessed condition, ' According to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.'
In the first branch observe —
1. The body is spoken of.
2. The body is represented under its double estate and condition. [1.] What it is now, ' A vile body.'
[2.] What it will be then ; it shall be ' fashioned like unto his glo- rious body.'
3. The nature of this change ; it is not substantial, but accidental, imported in the word ' transform,' or fashion ; it shall be altered, not in substance, but in fashion and qualities ; we shall have a body still, an organised body with different members ; not only a glorious body, but the same body.
1. The body is spoken of —
[1.] Because the soul is made happy and perfect before : Heb. xii. 23, ' To the spirits of just men made perfect.'
[2.] Because the great temptation to draw us off from the heavenly life is the love of the body and the interests of the bodily life ; either indulgence to things pleasing to the body, or fear of troubles and per- secutions. Indulgence to things pleasing ; thence we have that caveat, Rom. xiii. 14, ' Make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.' Nothing doth more extinguish all hopes and apprehensions of the life to come than carnal and sensual pleasures. Therefore, that we might not indulge ourselves in a liberty of enjoying every tempting pleasure of this mortal life, he showeth us what care Christ will take of the body, what glory he will put upon the body. Fear of troubles and persecutions, that may infringe the happiness and interest of the bodily life: Luke xii. 4, 5, 'Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear ; Fear him, who after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell ; yea, I say, Fear him.'
[3.] He speaks rather of the happiness of the body, because this hindereth our glory ; for there is no place for our earthly and corrup- tible bodies in the heavenly city : 1 Cor. xv. 50, ' Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God ; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.' Flesh and blood, corruptible and earthly as now it is, cannot enter into heaven ; therefore, to remove this doubt or fear, he showeth that Christ shall change this vile body.
2. The body is represented under its double estate, what it is now, and what it will be then. Now its present condition, it is a ' vile body.' This is mentioned to show the greatness of the change. However it is now for the present, it shall be in a blessed and glorious estate hereafter ; as to its future estate, it shall be a glorious body. Mark the two opposite terms ; now it is a body of vileness, then of glory ; these are the two opposite states of the body.
3. The nature of the change ; it is not a change of the substance, it
VER. 21.] SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. 169
is a body still ; but in quality, it is now made like the body of his glory, the body which Christ had after the resurrection, and now hath in heaven, the body of his glory.
Secondly, The ground of hope from the power of Christ, ' According to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.' This is added lest any should think this change impossible ; it is a thing incredible to flesh and blood. They mocked when he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection, Acts xvii. 32. Of all articles of the christian faith, durius creditur, saith Tertullian, it is most difficultly believed. Therefore the apostle referreth us to the power of God. The power of God is that which faith pitcheth on in the general : Kom. iv. 21, ' Being fully persuaded, that what he had promised he was also able to perform/ And in particular, faith is helped and relieved by the consideration of God's power in the doctrine of the resurrection : Mat. xxii. 29, ' Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.' And the power exercised herein also is produced to warrant and encourage faith in other difficulties. He believed even God who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Well, then, in this God will show his almighty power, by which he is able to do what he pleaseth ; and creatures must not by their vain disputes set limits and bounds to the creator's power.