2. It is distinct in its supports. The body is supported by outward means and the help of the creature, but the soul is supported without means, by the immediate hand and power of God himself. The body is patched up with daily supplies from without ; as it was made out of the earth, so is its food brought out of the earth : Ps. civ. 14, ' He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth fruit out of the earth.' And its clothing; but the soul needeth none of these things.
3. It is distinct in its operations. There are certain operations of the soul wholly independent upon the matter ; as understanding and willing, for they agree to God and angels, who have no bodies: and there is no proper instrument in the body by which they should be
190 SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS I. 21. [SER. 1J.
exercised, as sight by the eye, hearing by the ear. Nay, it understands not only corporeal things, which are received by the ministry of the senses, but spiritual things, as God and angels, who have no bodies ; and it can reflect upon itself ; therefore it hath operations proper and peculiar to itself, so that it doth not depend upon the body.
4. It is distinct from the body.
[1.] As to weakness and perfection. The soul perisheth and decayeth not with the body. When the body droopeth and languisheth, the soul is well, yea, best, and better than it was before. There are distinct periods of time beyond which it is impossible to add a cubit or hair's- breadth to one's stature ; but the soul is ever growing forward to its perfection ; and multitude of years, though they bring on much weak- ness, yet increase wisdom, Job xxxii. 7. Yea, the soul is strongest when the body is weakest. Dying christians have manifested the highest excellency under bodily infirmities ; and when least of the life of nature, most glorious expressions of the life of grace : 2 Cor. iv. 16, ' For which cause we faint not ; but thongh our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.'
[2.] As to pleasure and pain, joy and comfort. When all the joy of the body is gone, the joys of the soul are enlarged ; as when the bodies of the martyrs on the rack were under torturings, their souls have been filled with inward triumphings, and their consolations : 2 Cor. i. 5, ' For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our con- solation aboundeth by Christ.' When the flesh is scorched, their souls are refreshed.
5. They are distinct in the commands God hath given about it. Christ hath commanded us to ' take no thought for the body,' Mat. vi. 25, but he never commanded us to take no thought for the soul, rather the contrary : Dent. iv. 9, ' Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently.' The great miscarriage of men is, because they pamper their bodies and neglect their souls. All their care is to keep up their bodies in due plight, but never regard their souls, which were more immediately given them by God, and carry the most lively character of his image, and are capable of his happiness.
Secondly, The soul is not only distinct from the body, but can live and exercise its operations apart from the body. There are many arguments from reason to prove the immortality of the soul ; but let us consider scripture, which should be reason enough to christians. That it can do so appeareth by that expression of Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 2, ' I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I cannot tell, or whether out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth), such an one caught up to the third heaven.' If Paul had been of this opinion, that the soul separated from the body is void of all sense, he must then have known that certainly his soul remained in his body during this rapture, because, according to this supposition, in that state alone could he see and hear those things which he saw and heard. And that argument is not contemptible to prove the possi- bility, where among other things it is said, ' Death cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ.' Therefore the soul liveth in a state to enjoy him, and in a sense of God's love to us, and our love to him.
Thirdly, That the souls of the saints not only can live apart from
Yer. 21.] SERMONS UPON PHILTPPIANS I. 21. 191