2. The glory inherent and internal : Rom. viii. 18, ' The glory which shall be revealed in us.' Now it is revealed to us, our ear hath heard a little thereof, but then it shall be revealed in us, fully accom- plished in our persons ; as here there is a revealing of Christ to us, which implieth the offer, and a revealing of Christ in us, which implieth the participation : Gal. i. 16, ' It pleased God to reveal his Son in me.'
But let us see a little how this glory is revealed in us. (1.) In our bodies ; (2.) In our souls.
[1.] In our bodies. There is a great deal of glory put upon the bodies of the saints ; and this is of principal regard in that day, because our souls are made perfect before, and the apostle speaketh of what is visible and conspicuous. There is no place for our earthly and cor- ruptible bodies in the heavenly city : ' For flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,' 1 Cor. xv. 51 ; that is, corruptible and earthly, as now it is, it cannot enter into heaven ; therefore Christ's great work is to change the body, we shall have glorious bodies like unto his glorious body.
VER. 10.] SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. 267
(1.) It shall be immortal and incorruptible : 1 Cor. xv. 42, ' It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.' Christ will endue them with immortality and impassibility, that they shall never decay nor be liable to sickness, weakness, or any defects, but have all the perfections which a body is capable of.
(2.) For clarity and brightness, it shall be like Christ's glorious body. Therefore it is said, 1 Cor. xv. 43, ' It is sown in dishonour,, it is raised in glory.' Christ's body shineth with light and brightness, a glimpse whereof was given in Christ's transfiguration : Mat. xvii. 2, ' His face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was bright as the light.' When he appeared to Paul from heaven, his body was wonderfully glorious ; he could not endure the light which sinned to him, Acts ix. So when the saints shall appear with him in glory, the righteous shall shine as the sun in the firmament, Mat. xiii. 43.
(3.) It shall be a spiritual body : 1 Cor. xv. 44, ' It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.' But how is it a spiritual body ? The least in it is, that it shall be subject to the spirit ; as the soul while it is subject to the flesh is called carnal, so the body when it is subject to the spirit is termed spiritual : John iii. 6, ' That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.' Then the new birth produceth its consum- mate effect, it is all sj3irit, without any mixture of the rebelling flesh. Certainly as regeneration is called the first resurrection, it helpeth us to conceive of this estate ; but there is more in it ; the body is spiritual not only because it is adnutum spiritus, at the command of the spirit, but ad modum spiritus, after the manner of the spirit ; it standeth in no need of natural supports. There is no food nor repast, no marrying nor giving in marriage, Mat. xxii. 30, but they are as the angels of God in heaven ; they live not as husbands and wives, but as the pure and spiritual angels ; we shall not stand in need of meat and drink and sleep, as now we do. Now what a blessed thing is it to have either privilege, to have bodies wholly subject to the spirit, and bodies not liable to present necessities ; once more, not clogged with a mass of flesh, but possibly may ascend or descend, pass from place to place in a moment ! As the angels move up and down in the twinkling of an eye, or as the helm turneth the ship, so is the body turned instantly at every motion of the soul.
[2.] The soul is fully satisfied, and filled up with God. We have a more complete knowledge of him, and exact conformity to him : 1 John iii. 2, ' We shall see him as he is, and be like him.' But this is not of this place, and was spoken of in another verse.
Secondly, The measure of that glory which he shall impart. It shall be so great, that it is said — (1.) ' Christ shall be glorified in his saints ; ' (2.) ' Admired in them that believe.' Both expressions show the greatness of this glory.
For the first, ' He shall come to be glorified in the saints.' The apostle doth not say that the saints shall be glorified, which yet is said in other scriptures, Kom. viii. 17 ; that were less though it be much ; but he saith Christ shall be glorified in that day. Again, he doth not say Christ shall be glorified in himself, which is also said elsewhere ; as 1 Peter iv. 13, ' That when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad with exceeding joy.' But Christ is glorified in the saints, in the