And then they are vile after death. As we were taken out of dust at the first, so we return to dust again ; and if these bodies be not transformed to be like the glorious body of Christ, they are most vile of all. The spirit of despair, the spirit of anger, that is in reprobate persons, how doth it dis- figure their fixces ! One may see their shame, their grief, their despair in their very looks. So their bodies are most vile and dishonourable. But I speak of God's children. I say here in this world, in regard that they come of parents that are miserable and sinful, * Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery,' Job. siv. 1 ; man that is bom of a woman, of a weak, miserable, sinful woman. In
* " Strange that an harp of thousand strings
Should keep in tune so long." — Cowver. — G. t That is, ' attempered' body. — G.
164 THE REDEMPTION OF BODIES.
this respect it is a vile body. And in all passages of our life, in respect of labour, and pain, and sicknesses, and diseases, and likewise for indisposing the soul, that it is an instrument to ill. And in death itself more vile than in life ; and after death most of all vile. So you see they are vile bodies every way. To make some use of this.
Use 1. If this be so, considering what the condition of our body is here, let tills nhntc the pride of the f/rcatest. Let them consider, when they look upon their gay apparel, what doth these garments hide ? When great magistrates and others have their purple on, lot them consider, what doth this glorious garment cover ? Nothing but dust ; a vile body. Why should we be proud then of our bodies, or of any ornament of our body, seeing it is a vile body ?
Use 2. Again, If our bodies be vile and base, u-hy should we spend the itrength of our souls i)i searchinrj to satisfij the lusts of so vile a body, and so make our souls nothing else almost but stewards to prowl how to content, how to clothe, and how to feed this body ? As it is the study of many idle vain persons, almost all the day long, to give contentment to the craving lusts of this vile body ; they make even an idol of this poor base piece of flesh, and sacrifice the best of their thoughts, and the best of their studies and endeavours and labours, to the contentment of it. Certainly this is forgotten which the apostle saith here, ' It is a vile and base body.'
Use 3. Again, Is our body a vile body, a base body, as we have it here ? Then let ns not make it more vile by intemperate courses, as indeed persons do. They dishonour their bodies. They are vile indeed, make the best of them we can, and they will end in dust ; but we ought not sinfully to make them more vile and base, as many wretched persons do by their loose and licentious courses of life.
Use 4. Again, If our bodies be vile, base bodies, while we live here, Ut us not offend God for anything to gratify our vile bodies. Let us do as Joseph did, when his mistress tempted him ; he left his garment behind him rather. So when we are tempted to any sin, let us rather leave our garments behind us, let us leave our bodies. They are but vile bodies, let us be stripped of them, rather than ofiend God. It is pitiful to consider how this vile body, as vile as it is, and shall be in death, how it tyranniseth over the poor soul, and how men wound their souls for their bodies. How many are there that justify errors that they condemn in their hearts, to live a lazy, idle, a full, a plentiful life. And how many do condemn those things, those courses, and those truths, to please others, and to live a large and idle life — which they justify in their very souls — and all to please the flesh ? It is but a bad counsellor, a bad solicitor I say, it tyranniseth over the poor soul. Let us not offend God or conscience, to break the peace of it for anything, to gratify this vile flesh. This I thought good to touch concern- ing that.
' Who shall change our vile bodies.'
* Change.' The action that Christ shall exercise about them is 'change.' Christ will ' change' our vile bodies. They are vile now. They shall not be always so ; but Christ will ' change' our vile bodies. He will not give us other bodies for them, but he will change them in regard of quality. For even as the great world was the same after the flood as it was before the flood, and shall be when it is consumed by fire, it shall be a new world for quality, but the same for substance ; so this body of ours, it shall be the same after the resurrection for substance that it is now. It shall be altered for quality, it shall not bo changed for substance. Therefore he