(3.) So again, these bodies, though lame, dismembered, disfigured, abortive, or what you will of the like kind, shall rise again without all de- formities, caused either through want and defect of nature, or time ; and therefore the apostle, though he say, ' it is sown in weakness,' yet he adds, ' it is raised in power,' strong with the qualities and necessities thereunto.
(4.) So also, lastly, the apostle unto the power addeth agility, nimble- ness, spiritualuess. It is sown ' a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body ;' subtile as it were, like a spirit, not unable by lumpish heaviness to move upwards, but being uncapable of anything pressing downwards ; a glorious body, not clogged with mortality ; and the soul, no more imprisoned, then is sWift, nimble, and spiritual. Not that I say it shall not then keep the bodily dimensions, to be a body truly, for it shall do so still, but by reason of alteration of qualities, swiftness and agility, so it shall be a spiritual body. And if the glory of the body shall be such, what think you shall be that exceeding glory of the soul ?
A taste hereof we have set forth, 1 John iii. 2 : ' For we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him ; for we shall see him as he is.' What can be more ? And, Phil. iii. 20, the apostle says, ' But our con- versation is in heaven ; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.' May some say, This is soon said ; how shall this be done ? He answers, By that mighty power whereby he is able to sub- due all things unto himself. If he hath power over all things, then hath he power to bring to pass this also.
4. Now we want but the time, how lonrj. What can be said of eternity ? Think what we can, this is ever beyond the reach of all our thoughts, only I may say thereof as it is Ps. Ixxxiv. 10. If the prophet David did make so great account of one day, in the sanctuary upon earth, ' that he had rather be one day in God's court, as a door-keeper, than be a thousand otherwhere, or dwell in the tents of wickedness,' what shall it be to be not one day in the court of heaven ; for even but one day were a great happi- ness to be there ; but to be there for ever, out of all time I For then, the angel in the Revelation, ' Time shall cease, and be no moi*e,' Rev. x. 6. What is time, but the measure of motion, which, once ceasing, time shall cease also, and we shall have eternal rest. As no minute of time shall ever be that shall give any release to the torments of the damned, so shall there never again be any time which shall give the least intermission to the
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joys of tho elect. Oh, where are onr hearts ? How should they he lift up to hear of these things ; what should wo leave undone that may be done, once at last, to have life eternal ? Now I come to
The uses. 1. If this, then, as is proved, be the only calling that we are called unto, unto gloiy and virtue, let us labour to acknowledge the excel- lency of the calling of God, and set a due jnice upon the same. Why stagger we herein ? We are full of false fears, and discouragements, because we hear that ' all that will live godly in this world shall sufier persecution,' 2 Tim. iii. 12 ; therefore we give back, and are shamefully dismayed ; and yet what lose we by this suffering ? for, saith the apostle, ' If we suffer with him, we shall reign with him,' 2 Tim. ii. 12. Is not, then, the reign- ing beyond the suffering ? Oh but if it were to suffer only, it were some- what ! But herein we must war and fight. Oh but it is for a kingdom ; would we be crowned and not fight ? and in fight would we have no enemies? Ay, but we may be overcome in the fight. No, but we are sure to over- come. Who would not then fight ? God, when he calls us to conquer, then he conquers for us, and he conquers in us ; and, as it is Rom. viii. 87, ' We are more than conquerors in him.'
No man, we know, how base soever, even the greatest coward that may be, but he would fight, if he were sure to overcome. What cowards then are we. Every one of us would be reputed stout and valiant ; where, then, is our valour, whenas every barking of a dog, as I may so call them, or every touch of a fly, makes us deny our master ? Oh, the shame of our profession ; what is this temporising but to draw to lukewarmness, and so to denial, that we are ashamed in this or that company for these and these causes of our profession ! Well, remember, if we deny him, he will deny us ; if we be ashamed of him, he will be ashamed of us. Mat. x. 33. In this case, what shall, what can we answer him at that great day ?