Quest. But it will be said, Ai'e the bodies of Christians base, for whom Christ shed his most precious blood ?
Ans. I answer. While we live here, we are in no better condition than others, as concerning our bodies. Hezekiah is sick ; Lazarus hath his sores ; David and Job troubled with loathsome diseases ; and thus it is fitting it should fare with us.
For, first, Christ laid us this examj^le. He took our base, ragged nature on him. He hungered and thirsted, was pained, and death had a little » Qu. 'Sarah'? -Ed.
PnililPPIANS CHAP. Ill, VER. 21. 115
power over liim. And shall wo desire a better estate than our master, oin- head, had ? or do we ever think to partake with him in happiness, that will not partake with him in his mean estate ? The decree of God is, that to dust we must, as all the rest of our fellow-saints and servants shall.
Secondly, Hereby God doth exercise our faith and hope ; causing us to look and expect a better resurrection ; and by this means are our desii'es edged to a better life, for else would we set up our rest here, and make this our paradise.
Thirdly, As yet there is sin in us ; from the danger whereof, though we be delivered, yet there is a corruption that remaineth behind in us ; and by this he will teach us the contagion of sin, and teach us to see how the devil hath deceived us, by the eflects thereof bringing pain, torment, and loathsomeness.
Fourthly, It shews God's vnsdom in vanquishing sin hy death, which is the child of sin ; for by it shall we bo purged from sin, from corruption both of body and mind, and thus is our base estate made a way to our excellent estate hereafter.
We must therefore moderate our affections to the best things of this life. Health is changeable, and will not continue. Beauty is a flower of a stalk. The flower quickly fades away and perisheth. The stalk that is more base continues longest. Flesh is grass, either cut down by violent death ; or if by age, the longer it lives the baser it is, and increases continually therein till death, whenas it is most base.
It is therefore foolish for any to sioell hecause ofhcatdy or strength, which at the best are but curious- excellencies of a base body ; and far more sottish are they that think to resist old age and God's decree, by trimming up and painting a withered stock. This is not the way to conquer vileness. ^ But if we will be rid thereof, labour for the meat that perisheth not, John vi. 27 But that which maketh us endure to everlasting life is, with Mary, to choose the ' better part, that shall not be taken away.' ' Meat for the belly, and the belly for meat : but God shall destroy both the one and the other,' 1 Cor. vi. 13.
A7id let this he as a cooler, to quench the lose wildfire of love ; and con- sider what is it we so affeet.f It is but beautiful dust, a painted sepulchre, a body that after death will be vileness itself, that while it breathes it, is full of rottenness, the matter of worms, supported it may be by a carrion soul, that whether it willeth or nilletht must leave it and go into a far worse place.
And contrarily, in the last place, it should teach us to he at a poiut,^ checrfulhi to honour God hy sacrificing ourselves to him ivhen he calls for us. Count it no shame with David to be vile in the eyes of men for God's cause. If the worst could be imagined, which cannot be, we had as good perish with usage as with nist. But this is the only way to be glorious, to avoid vileness, even to sacrifice om* bodies and all in a good cause. What though the world esteem \alely of us, as good for nothing but the shambles, Rom. viii. 3G ; shall we fear them ? No. Fear him that can destroy both body and soul. It is better to go to heaven without a limb, than tT go to hell with a sound healthful body. Therefore when temptations of ine world do begin to provoke thee, say to thy flesh with Bernard, Stay thy time ; the time is not yet to be happy (cc).
And therefore, to conclude, our soul is but a stranger here; ice miist enter- « That is, ' nice.'— G. t That is, = willeth not.— Ed.
t That is, ' choose,' ' love.'— G. § That is, = a resolution.— G.
VOL. v. K
14G EXPOSITION OF
tain it iirlJ into this liouae of our JkhIij. It is but a gnost, use it not basely. It is no ill guest. It gives us siglit, taste, speech, motion. When it goes away, our body is but a dumb, dull, base lump of earth. Nay, when it is gone, whilst the body is in the ground, the soul having a most vehement and earnest desire to be knit to it again, puts God continually in mind of raising it up at the last day of the general resurrection, and of glorifying it in a holy, eternal, and happy estate.