Thine in the hearty desire of thy spiritual welfare,
Akthur Jackson.*
* Of. Note Vol. II. page 442.— G.
*^* The other sermons of ' Evangelical Sacrifices ' will be found in their proper places in the present and subsequent volumes. Meantime, with reference to those commemorative of the ' Gunpowder Plot,' and Jackson's remarks thereupon, supra, the following calm words from a recently published and very masterly ' History ' of the period may be acceptable ; — ' On their reassembling (1606), the attention of the House was necessarily directed to the danger from which they had escaped. A Bill was eagerly passed, by which the 5th of November was ordered to be kept as a day of thanksgiving for ever, [3 Jac I. cap. 1.] That Act continued in force for more than two centuries and a half, and was only repealed when the service which was originally the outpouring of thankful hearts had long become an empty form.' [History of England from the Accession of James I. to the Disgrace of Chief Justice Coke, 1603-1616. By Samuel Kawson Gardiner. (2 vols. 8vo, 1863.) Vol. I. chap. V. p. 271.]— G,
THE REDEMPTION OF BODIES.
Who shall chanrje our vile body, that it may he fashioned like imto his ylorioxis body, accordiuy to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself. — Philip. III. 21.
The apostle was now in prison, yet he had a spirit of glory resting npon him ; for he speaks as if he were entered into heaven, as if he were there before his time; and therefore in chapter i., ver. 23, saith he, 'I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, which is best of all.' And * I account all but dung in comparison of Christ,' as he saith in this chapter, ver. 8. And here in the former verse, ' Our conversation is in heaven ; from whence wo look for the Saviour, Jesus Christ : who shall change our vile bodies,' &c. God reserves abundance of comforts to the fittest times, as we see here in St Paul in this place. Now he brings in his own example to good purpose, as opposite to false Christians and false teachers, that ho had mentioned before. ' There are many walk, of whom I have told yon oft, &c. They are enemies to the cross of Christ : that mind earthly things,' &c., ver. 18, But saith he, ' Our conversation is in heaven.' He regards not which way they went. He took an opposite course to the world, and swims against the stream. As we see the stars, they have a motion of their own, opposite to the motion that they are carried with. So St Paul had a motion of his own, opposite to the course of the world. ' Their end is damnation,' but * our conversation is in heaven.' A Chris- tian hath his conversation in heaven. While he is on earth, he rules hi3 life by the laws of heaven.* There are alway in the visible church some that walk contrary ways, who make ' their belly their god, whose end is damnation.' There were some that were Christians, nay, and teachers of Christians many of them, yet he saith, ' Their end is damnation, their god is their belly.' Carnal Christians say, TVe have all received the sacrament, &c. Alas ! we may all partake of this common privilege, and yet our end may be damnation. St Paul looked on them with a spirit of compassion, ' I tell you weeping.' So it may be with us in our Goshen here. There may be a spirit of castaways in many ; and in the abundance of means there may be many dead souls. But St Paul regards not what their courso was, for saith he, ' Our conversation is in heaven.'
* "We havG licro, long anticipated, the title of the racy and suggestive hook of Eev. William Arnot of Glasgow, ' Laws from Heaven for Life on Earth' (2 vols,, 1857-58).— G.
VOL. V. L
162 THE REDEMPTION OF BODIES.
* From whence we look for the Saviour,' &c.
That shews why his conversation was in heaven, because his Saviour was in heaven ; and therefore his hope was in heaven : ' Where the treasure is, the heart will be,' Mat. vi. 21. Having entered into this blessed discourse, he goes on still : * Who shall change our vile bodies, and fashion them like his glorious body.' He brings it in by way of answering an objection. If our conversation be in heaven, why are our bodies yet subject to such afflictions and baseness in this world ? It is true they are ; but the time shall come that Christ shall change these vile bodies of ours, and ' fashion them like to his glorious body.' Ay, but this requires a great deal of power and strength, and we sec not how it may be. Therefore, saith he, he shall do it by ' that almighty power whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.' Therefore he shall subdue death, the last enemy. He will not do it perhaps according to thy fancy and conceit, but ' according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.' We must not regard our weak conceits in great matters, but God's power. * Ye err,' saith Christ to the Pharisees, ' not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.'