Who ſhall transform the Body of our Humility, or our low1;. nels, 2. e. our low-brought Body, the fingular for the plural, ous humble and mean Bodies, which depend upon and are beholden tg our eating and drinking, and the aQtions which follow thereupon that do humble and lower them, Luke 1. 48. now it may ye languiſhing with Pains, Sickneſs and many Infirmities, perhaps cooped up in a noiſome Priſon, and it may be an unclean Dungeon ſown in diſhonour and weakneſs in the Grave, 1 Cor, 1«, *y w That they may be conform'd to Chriſt's incorruptible, impaſi- ble and immortal Body, and fo glorious, 1 Cor. 15. 51, 52, 52, in their proportion agreeing with the bleſſed Body of our Lord when he ſhall appear, 1 Fohn 3. 1,2, 3. And they ſhall ſee him with the Eyes of their Bodies made like unto his, Fob 19. 26, 27. C9, 2, d not in equality, but only in reſpect of the ſame qualities that his Body hath, 1 Cor. 15. 51, 52. 1 Theſſ. 4. 17. a conformity agree- able to that of Head and Members, that mark as the Sun is the fountain of all that glory, which the Stars have, ſo ſhall our Lorg and Saviour Chriſt's glory be of all our glory, Dan. 12. 3. My, IG. 27. I Cor. 15. 4O, 4I. 2 Cor. 4e 14» Reve 21. 11, 23, But ye muſt not imagine that our Bodies ſhall be raiſed to the ſame height and degree of Slory that his is: And therefore in regard of that Power and Majefty which is included in the Body of Chrift from the hypoſtatical Union, our Bodies will not be conformable, or made like to his; but in glory which he obtain'd from his Reſurrettion, For the Body of Chrift may be confider'd either, 1. In its nature, and ſo there will be an agreement *twixt the Bodies of Saints and Chriſt's Body, or, 2. In regard of its ſubſiſtence in the Perſon of the Word, and fo there will be none. For it is impoſhble that thz Saints ſhould be rais'd up to the ſame Union with the Godhead which Chriſt hath. But however their Bodies may be tormented here, by unreaſonable Perſecutors, then they ſhall be like to hi; glorious Body, x How incredible ſoeyer this may appear to be unto carnal Reaſon, As 17. 32. & 26. 8. Yet he who though: it no robbery to be equal with God the Father, and therefore cn do what he pleaſeth, Luke 18. 27. can by the ſame divine poyer whereby he himſelf was raiſed from the Grave, Fohn 5. 21, 26, 2. Eph. 1. 19, 20. ſubjett all things to himſelf, deftroy Death and the Grave, 1 Cor. 15. 24, 25, 26, 27. Heb. 2. 8, 14. raiſe them upto the Throne of his Glory, Mat. 19. 28. and make them like tis Angels in Glory.
CHAP. IV.
He exhorts them to ſtedfaſtneſs in the Faith, 1. Two Women ani; them to Unity, 2, 3» Further, 10 Chriſtian Foy, Moderation, (u- etneſs of Mind and other Chriſtian Virtues, as they had learned frin, and ſeen in him; with a Promiſe of Bleſſmg, 4—— 9. #e thinks them for their liberal Relief, which he accepted not ous of Cover: neſs, but they had done their Duty 3 and this more than all the otter Churches, and God would recompenſe it, 10 19. A Doxdliy y, Salutation, and his Apoſtolical Benediftion, 20 cn=—_—_ 22,
l Herefore, a my brethren b dearly beloved c
1.1
ſo ſtand faſt g in the Lord h, my dearly beloved 7.
a This Particle connotes that which follows to be inferr'd bj way of concluſion from what he had premis'd in the cloſe of t.c former Chapter, in oppoſition to the ſhame of the earthly minded, concerning the glory of the heavenly minded. 6 Whom he atte- ctionately owns to be his Brethren in the common faith, 7ir. 1:4 c Thoſe who not being enticed by the inſinuations of Seducers did adhere to him, had his fincere affeQtions, chap. 2. 12. 4 Whole ſafety and felicity every way he moſt heartily deſired, chap. 1. 5. & 2. 26. With Rom. 1. 11. 1 Theſ. 3. 6. e Intimating how the. Faith and Holineſs did at preſent afford matter of rejoicing to hm, chap. 1. 4, 7, 8 with 1 Thefſ. 2. 19, 20. f Who was not amb tious of Man's applauſe, but accounted them his honour and glor!, the great ornament of his Miniftey, whereby they were converte to Chriſt (as elſewhere in Scripture a Crown is taken figuratively, Prov. 12. 4. and 14.24. & 16.31. & 17. 6.) 1 Thef, 2. 19. The reward which had ſome ſimilitude, with the honour they had who were Victorious in a race, chap. 2. 16, 17. as Fam. 1. 12. 171+ 5+ & Rev. 2. 10. & 3. 11 g He exhorteth them not barely to ſtand, but ſo to ſtand that they did not fall, 1 Cor. 10. 12. 4 Hereupon he adds iz the Lord, i.e. Confidering their relation unto CÞriit, they would derive power and virtue from him, into whom they were implanted, to perſevere conformable to his will, in Chriſtian concord, till they were made like to him, chap. 3. 21- With chap. I. 27. Fohn 15.4. 7. 1 Cor. 15.58. & 16. 13. Gal. 5+ 7: Eph. Ge L1. 14- 7 Jn whom looking upon them (the more to Nx them. he pathetically and rhetorically repeats his endearing compellation Beloved.
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3 And1I intreat tizee alſo, true yoke-ftellow mz, help thoſe women which Jaboured with me in the gol- pel 7, with Clement alſo o, and with other my fel- low-labourers p, * whoſe names are in the book of lite 9.