But much more ex cellent as to qualities. f on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the faying that is written, death is fwallowed up in victory, 1 Cor. 15. 53, 54. Great therefore shall be the change of the body, but the fame fubject shall remain. Which the Apoftle intimates by the term, THIS, as if he had pointed to his own body, And to what purpofe is the repetition of the fame particle, four feveral times, but to remove all ambiguity, and every caufe of her fitation? And in fine, how otherwife can death be faid to be fwallowed up in victory? Ought it not rather to be faid, that death fwallowed up our bodies ose or as it is in the Prophet ny, which may alfo bẹ ranflated for ever, if the fame numerical bodies do not rife? 4 Bros Bed XXXV. Moreover, we cannot here but admire the almost incredible goodness of God. The divine mercy was willing to blefs our bodies alfo with a participation of heavenly felicity. But their prefent conftitution renders them incapable of fo great a glory. As herbs and flowers wither and fade by the exceffive heat of the radiant fun, fo alfo our bodies, fuch as we now carry about with us, are unequal to bear the heavenly glory; flesh and blood cannot inberit the kingdom of God, I Cor. 15, 50, Where flesh and blood do not denote our nature, corrupted by fin but the very fubftance of the human body, with thofe infirmities of animal life, which naturally follow it. Our flesh is from blood; blood from meat and drink: and in blood confifts that animal life, from which the body is called animal, v. 44. By flesh and blood there fore is fignified the nature of the human body, as it is nourished and preserved in this life, by taking in meat and drink, and by the circulation of the blood. But fuch fefh and blood is incapable of the heavenly glory. What then? Is God to diminish the heavenly glory, that our body may alfo be admitted to have fome participation of it? By no means. He will rather change the qualities of our body, and of terrestrial make it heavenly, and of animal, fpiritual, so as thus to a to bear a suitable proportion to the glory, wherewith 43. Our foul more XXXVI. The fecond thing, in which the laft day And the fhall contribute to the confummation of our happiness, clearly fee is fuch a great effulgence of the divine perfections in the God. works of glory, that a more illuftrious neither the more illuftrious neither the as understanding can conceive, nor the heart with for. pet Undoubtedly the foul of man, immediately upon its reception into heaven, most distinctly fees very many things in and concerning God, which on earth it understood only by the faint glimmering light of faith: but yet God has poftponed the full display of his glory to that day. And therefore that vifion of God, which we maintain to belong to the feparate foul, tho more evident than we can now well conceive; is not yet fo perfect, but a greater measure of new light may be fuperadded. For, as knowledge depends most of all on the revelation, or discovery of brought to the objects; fo that knowledge cannot bovery of its perfection, while a great part of the objects lie is the pleasure, with which they contemplate the glory of God therein. But what more illuftrious, than to fee this vaft univerfe, delivered from the bondage of corruption, and brought into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God, which this created world with earnest expectation waited for? Rom. 8. 19, 21, What more noble and divine, than that general judg ment, in which they fhall hear themfelves not only acquitted, their enemies not only condemned, but themselves alfo appointed to judge angels in Chrift their head? Cor. 6. 3. What more illuftrious, than that general affembly of all the elect, from the beginning of the world to the laft day, who, being cloathed with heavenly bodies, fhall each of them faine, as the fun in the kingdom of their father? And with what pleasing astonishment may we imagine, the foul will look upon its body, which it formerly knew to be fubject only to very many and great infirmities, but fhall then behold it glittering with fuch a blaze of light, as that it may feem, not indeed, equal to, but yet greatly refembling the glorious body of Chrift? And as, in all thele things, it can admire nothing but the effulgence of the divine glory, may it not be faid, while it beholds them, to fee God himself in a moft eminent manner? Hence John fays, i John 3. 2, but we know, that when he shall appear, we all be like him; for we shall fee him as he is, And David in like manner promifes himself, only after the refurrection, that contemplation of God, which gives the molt full fatisfaction Pi. 17. 15, as for me, I will behold thy face in righteoufnefs: I fhall be fatisfied, when I awake with thy likeness. To this also we are to refét that of Paul; for now we fee thro' a glass, darkly but then face to face now I know in part, but then fhall I know even as alfa I am known, 1 Cor. 13. 12. That is, in a manner moft perfect and altogether divine, a more excellent than which cannot, it feems, be the portion of any creature. For, both the object fhall be be moft clearly reprefented, as well in its moft glorious operations, as in its immediate illapfe, or entrance into the mind, in a manner which at prefent we cant not explain; and the fubject will be difpofed in the belt manner, in order to behold and obferve in God, whatever can compleat its happiness, .1 church en joy God more per mediate XXXVII. Thirdly. That day fhall bring the bleffed And the to that fruition of God, which fhall be much more whole perfect and immediate, than whatever they had Enjoyed before. As long as there are fome believers, who are ftill in this miferable life; as long as the fectly and bodies of the elect, who are departed out of it, are more imdetained in the prifon of death, and lie hid in the ly. duft, the faints in heaven cannot be ignorant, that. very many remains of that power, which fin had gained over man, muft ftill fubfift. And confequently fomething must be wanting to the full perfection of their joy. And feeing the effects and remains of fin are not yet abolithed in their own bodies, and in believers not yet made perfect, who, together with them are members of the fame myftical body which is the reafon, why God does not com municate himfelf to them, but by the intervention of a mediator. But by the refurreétion, death itself, which is the last enemy fhall be abohjbed, Cor, 15. 26, and caft into the lake of fire and brimstone, Rev. 20. 14, never more to have any power but over the enemies of God and of believers. Nor fhall there be any member of the whole myftical body of Chrift, which dhall not be perfectly holy, and abfolutely fubject to him. And after all the remains and effects of fin, Thall be entirely deftroyed, nothing fhall hinder God, from communicating himfelf immediately to men without the intervention of a mediator, as he does to the holy angels. We are of the opinion, with the beft interpreters, that this is the meaning of Paul, in 1 Cor. 15. 28, and when all things fhall be fubdued unto him, then shall the Son alfo himself be fubject unto やかす bim, And that him, that put all things under him, THAT GOD MAY BE ALL IN ALL... XXXVIII. To this happiness likewife belongs a for ever. boundlefs and immutable eternity: without which, it would in reality be no happiness. For, no good, how great foever, that one is poffeffed of with a fear of long it, can, by its fruition, yield that perfect and folid joy, which is requfite to happiness. Wherefo e happiness is called eternal life, Mat 25. 45. Rom. 2. 7, and a crown of glory, that fadeth not away, t Pet. 5. 4. and an incorruptible crown 1 Cor. 9. 25, and the Apoftie declares concerning the righteous, I Thefs. 4. 17, that they fball ever be with the Lord. Different XXXIX. Here it is ufual to enquire whether there degrees in will be any difference of degrees among the bleffed. In this question, indeed (tho' we utterly disclaim the ture happinefs pro proud doctrine of the Romanifts concerning the dif bable. parity of glory, founded on the inequality of merits) the arguments of thofe, who think, that God will crown the unequal meafure of the gifts of grace with a difparity of gifts of glory, feem more probable to us. To this purpofe are thofe fcriptures, Rom. 2. 6, the the fu. o will render to every one according to his deeds, and 2 Cor. 5. 10, that every one may rec ive the things done in his body, according to that be bath done. By which words is not barely fignified the quality of the free reward, which fhall be granted the righteous, according to their works; but alfo the quanticy of that reward, anfwering, in a certain proportion, to their works. Which is exprefsly explained by the Apostle, 2 Cor. 9. 6, be which foweth sparingly, fhall reap alfo Sparingly and he which foweth bountifully fhall reap alfo bountifully. Moreover, that this harveft, and its diversity, or different product, is erroneously confined to this life, appears from comparing this place with Gal. 6. 8, he that foweth to his flesh, fhall of the flesh reap corruption: but he that foweth to the spirit, fhall of the fpirit reap life everlasting. To the fame effect is Cor. 3. 8, be that planteth and he that watereth are one: |