then as the mariner is in the shipp or the inhabitant in his dwelling house Of this opinion Porphirie seemed to bee who as Austen writes Austen 12. de Civit. of him affirmed that the Soule if she would bee happie was of necessity to bee separated and freed from the body And likewise of this opinion al those Heritickes of necessity must bee who make and teach a duality of God a good one and a bad one the good God author of Spirits and Soules the bad God author of the bodies and all such habituall corruptions as are in them needes I say must theese latter so teach for if Soules bee not naturall formes of bodies to quicken them give life unto them and with them as comparts to make compleat composed substances of the Persons of men and women then assuredly no naturall inclination or propension can bee in them being separated from the bodies to bee reunited to them agayne no more inclination certeynly then there can be in him who having once tasted of the tyrannie of the Popish Inquisition can desire to returne into it agayne Thirdly I observe the just disposition of God who hath ordeyned a generall resuscitation of bodies at the last day that man accordingly as hee may have done eyther good or evill may receave eyther a glorious reward or an ignominiouse punishment in the bodye Cleare it is that not only the Soule or only the body but men and women composed both of body and soules are those who worke and doe for actions and deedes are of the Persons themselves are those I say who doe eyther good or evill and consequently whole man and woman perfect and compleat Persons must appeare to receave according as they have done in their bodie eyther good or evill Wee must all appeare before the judgement seate of Christ sayth the Apostle that every one may 2. Cor. 5. 10. ceceave according as hee maye have done in his body eyther good or evill Not onely bodies then nor Soules alone but men and women Persons compleate and consummate must appeare I say consummate for such is the Phrase of the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrewes where speaking of Heb. 11. 13. the Fathers and Ancients of the old testament who by the testimonie of Fayth were approved sayth thus They receaved not the repromission and promise God providing better for us that without us they should not be consummated so hee speaketh And this cōsummation which is when the bodie being raysed up and shall be joyned to the Soule agayne is that whereof holy Iob speaketh thus Iob. 14. 15. making it the verie worke of the right hand of God himselfe Thou shalt reach out thy right hand to the worke of thy handes or as the Chaldaicke paraphrase hath it Thou shalt be gracious to the worke of thy hands How this but by a powerfull and gracious resuscitation and raysing up of her body from her bed of dust and corruption and reuniting the same agayne unto the Soule whereby it being reunited becomes quickened Iob. 9. 25. 26. with the Spirit of life The hope of this was so deare and preciouse to holy and most venerable Iob that on the dunghill of his miseries with a triumphant kind of joy hee layed up in his bosome the joy full expectation hereof I know sayth he that my redeemer liveth and that at the last day I shall be compassed about with my skinne and that in my flesh I shall see God my Saviour and that myne owne eyes shall behould him and not any other for mee And in this expectation hee dayly dwelt according as he professes in another place All the dayes of this my warfarre I expect and looke untill my chaunge and immutation be come Which Iob. 14. 14. chaunge and immutation is that verie thing which now wee have in consideration to weet the glorious state and condition of the bodies of those who in this their pilgrimage may have walked in true fayth towards their God It is not doubted of amongst Christians but that the same individuall Person is to appeare is or shall bee glorified both in body and soule who in this mortall life hath kept his fayth faythfullie and obediently seruing God not taking or receaving his Soule in vayne and consequently Psal 24. 4. as the Soule is the same individuallye for it never perished so likewise the verie body must bee the same individuallye yea and the substantiall union and conjunction whereby the Soule and body are joyned together must be the same individuallye and in unity of number which though reason conceaves not yet fayth assecures and warrantes And so consequently cleare it is that the immutation and chaunge whereof the Apostle and holy Iob speake is not because there is another Soule or another body or another union of body and Soule for all these three are the same individuallye and numerically but the whole chaunge and immutation is in respect of some glorious properties and qualities which the bodies resuscitated to glorie shall have which they never had whilst they were yet mortall fro as the Soules and Spirits have their speciall glories so likewise shall the bodies have theirs These Foure glorious qualities of the glorified bodies qualities and properties are commonly distinguished to bee fowre to weet Impassibilitie Subtillity Agility Clarity Impassibilitie whereby the body is made uncapable of any contrary passion or violent impression Subtillity whereby the body is made not a Spirit but like unto a Spirit to bee able to penetrate or passe where it could not before Agility whereby it is indewed with such a velocity and Swifenes that the beatified may followe the Lambe whithersoever he goeth Clarity whereby al deformitie or naturall obscurenesse being taken away the body becomes bright shining and resplendent but wee must explicate these things more particularlye and yet with all brevitie possible I beginne with the first Impassibilitye Impassibilitye must needes be graunted as a partiall dowrie to glorified bodies for if they should be passible as before then consequently they should bee corruptible which as it is agaynst the nature of felicity that essentially includes a participated aternity so is it expressely agaynst the Apostles doctrine where he professes that our bodies which are sowne in corruption shall rise up in incorruption But though it be most apparant that glorified bodies shall bee impassible yet is it not so easily to explicate and open from whence this impassibility doth immediately arise or what is the immediate cause thereof The Apostle tells us that what is sowed in weakenesse and infirmity riseth up in power and vertue which vertus or power I take to be the immediate cause of impassibility or else to be impassibility it selfe But what is this vertue and power Is it 1. a supernaturall vertue making the elementary parts and qualities to be of another nature then now they are Not so for nature must not be chaunged or
or left hand of the passenger that goeth by it Accordingly if this formall happinesse should not be inhaerently intrinsecally in the beatified soules then should they not formally but onâ—ly extrinsecally be denominated happy thereby how 〈◊〉 shall they be found to be happy really and in verity Surely they should be onely as really happy by such a manner of happinesse as a poore man may be really releeved by such a manner of releefe as St. Iames describeth 〈◊〉 2. 25. 16. in his Epistle I conclude then this point as most cleare adding this reason further and above to weet this formall happinesse beeing a union iâ— is meerely impossible it should bee such unlesse it be found to be at last inhaerent iâ— on of the extreames or parts which are united which manner of inhaerency cannot be in God it must theâ—efore of necessity be in the glorified creature No 〈◊〉 substantiall reall union possible betwixt Gâ—d and his creatuâ—â— then personaâ—â— Secondly I suppose that betwixt God and any of his creatures there is no other substantiall reall and intrinsecall union possible then that which is personall which manner of union was truely sound in Christ whereby the Word Ioh 1. 14. was made flesh that is subsistentially and personally dwelt amongst us full of grace and truth as the 〈◊〉 1. 12. onely begotten Sonne of the Father I say no other substantiall reall union possible then that which is personall and substantiall for by the very principles of Philosophy it is most manifest that God cannot neither as a substantiall part be informed as matter is nor substantially informe as the forme doth foreither of them to informe or to bee informed includeth imperfection Of which kind in God who is a most pure and perfect essentiall act there can be no sort nor degree at all I am not ignorant that some excellent witts have affirmed that Gods act of intellection and understanding wherewith Apud Captolum in 3. dist 14. 9. 1. et Greg. Arimin in 1 dist 7. 9. art 2. conclu 3. he beholdeth himselfe may bee yea and is really united unto the understandings and intellective parts of the beatified Soules and that they by the very same act of intellection wherewith God beholdes himselfe do see and behold God as he is in himselfe So that God and the Beatified with one and the same iutellection do behold God as he is in himselfe God beholding himselfe and comprehending himselfe with an infinite action but the beatified with the same infinite action beholding and seeing him finitely and by participation onely These men though they seeme to have many great reasons whereby they endeavour to shew such an union to be as possible as the union personall in Christ or the union that is face to face in the beatified and blessed is yet doubtlesse they are greatly mistaken as by sundry reasons may appeare As first thus that if the very vision and intellection of God were so united as they dreame to the soules of the beatified yet they should not therewith be able intuitively to see God for it implyeth that the power intellective The beatified cannot see god by the same act of intellection and knowledge wherewith God seeth and beholdeth himselfe of the soule or the power volitive of the will of the Soule should know or understand will or desire by any other actions then such as are efficiently from themselves which without impiety cannot be affirmed of the intellection of God as though it could be efficiently from them To confirme this An action vitall of life doth essentially depend of a power of life that power vitall which useth it and is and must also bee essentially immanent if as an action in the same power which useth and produceth it Againe it is not possible to declare how the action of God as an action should be united to the understanding power of the beatified Againe how is it possible for them to distinguish and shew how the Beatified themselves do see and behold God in different degrees of vision if they all see and behold him with one and the same intellection and yet most certeine it is that the Saints differ each from other in degrees of glory as the starres in the firmament 1 Cor. 15. 41. 42. do differ from each other in degrees of clarity Againe how is it possible that the Beatified should not comprehend God by seeing asmuch in God as God himselfe doth if they see and behold God with the same vision intellection wherewith God seeth and beholdeth himselfe Againe how should the happinesse of the beatified be onely a partaking and participation of Gods owne happinesse as all the Ancients have affirmed and Councells have determined if one and the same action should be one and the same formall happinesse of God and the creatures May wee not here apply to our purpose those words which the sixth generall Synod used in like case against Eutyches Neither will wee allow in any thing or respect one and the same naturall operation of God and the Crâ—ature that neither we may elevate that which is Created into the devine essence neither depresse downe that which is excellent in God to the state and condition of the creature I conclude this point affirming this opinion of these Schoolemen An erronious opinion of certeine Schoolemen to be so greatly against the glory and majesty of God wherein they affirme that one and the same vision of God is the formall beatitude happinesse both of God and of the creatures that it is rather to be reputed an error or heresy then an opinion to be tolerated Thirdly I suppose that the last felicity and happinesse of man must be so full and compleat that it must beatifie and make happy the very nature of the soule which is estentially life and all the powers of the soule which as powers of life are essentially vital naturally apperteining to life and essentially depending of or emaning from the life of the soule which being so wee must of necessity find out how or by what union The soules beatified must of necessity bee happy by some formall and vitall actions and of her selfe or guift the very soule in her owne nature how and by what union or guift the very powers of the soule are in themselves immediately intimely united to God thereby made happy Touching the second point no doubt can be made for it is confessed by all that the vitall conversant and exercised about God Psa â—6 10. Coâ—â—â— 1. 12. 〈◊〉 â—2 5. 2 Câ—r 13. faculties and powers of the soule to weet the will understanding and memory are not onely united to God by glorious habites to weet the understanding by the light of wisdome the will with and by the light of glorified Charity though it be the same essentially with the charity of this life the memory with a glorious hâ—bitt of fruition for the tention and possession of
destroyed but perfected Secondly 2. shall these elementary qualities by Gods hand be limited and stayed in their actions and operations that they shall not worke one against another for their mutuall destruction Not so for then this impassibility should not be an internall vertue as a dowry immanent in the glorified body which is against the Apostles intention but onely an outward assistance of God Againe these elementary parts and qualities Impassibility is internall must have their severall mixtions for the making of diverse and distinct parts corporall which cannot be without a refraction and composition of the elementary qualities themselves one with another Or Thirdly may we thinke that 3. this vertue is a coelestiall kinde of substance or substanciall quality which united with the elementary qualities and substances doth temper and make thereby the bodies which are to be glorified fit receptacles for their glorious soules This though it seeme very probable yet I will rather resolve with Aquinas that this vertue and Supplem q. â—2 art 1. power of Impassibility flowes immediately from the soule herselfe which informing the body doth so perfectly and fully subdue all the powers and qualities of the same unto herselfe that no contrary agent can be able to make any violent impression or action upon or against the body for the corruption destruction of the same or may be able to draw it from that quiet and peaceable state wherein it rests Austen excellently God hath made the Soule of so powerfull a nature August epist 66. ad Diosâ—orum that from her glorious happinesse there redounds to the body the vigour of incorruption Cleare it is that no agent can worke with any violent or contrary impression upon or against any other Agent or subject to hurt or alter the same unlesse the same Agent be more powerfull then the other is on which or against which it worketh which being clearely true likewise cleare it is that no corporall creature which hath in it contrary elementary quallities can be of greater power and force then a glorified body is to worke against or upon the same So long therefore as the glorified Soule shall be subject to God and the glorified body be subject to the Soule so long it shall be impossible for any corporall agent whatsoever to have a transeunt action or impression which may any way alter or hurt the same And this is that immutation and change whereof the Apostle not onely speakes but glories 1 Cor. 15. 51. We shall not all sleepe but wee shall all be changed Where he makes this immutation to be a chaunge from passibility to impassibility and to be peculiar onely to the elect whereof the reprobate shall have no part nor portion at all And yet though we graunt an impassibility to the bodies glorified so that they shall not be subject to any violent or contrary impressions The Beatified shall have all such sensitive actions which include not Corruption yet we may not deny but that there shall be all such sensitive actions and consequently answerable passions which include not corruption of seeing hearing feeling smelling tasting and such like as may be fitting for that place Of sight cleare Iob. 19. 26. it is for Iob professes that his eyes shall behold God his Saviour and most frequent are other testimonies of Scripture for the same Hearing cannot be denyed for as the Saints shall incessantly with vocall praise the Psalmist professing that the exultations Psal 149. 6. of God shall be in their throates magnifie God so no doubt may be made but that their vocall Alleluâ—as shall be mutually heard and understood yea who can doubt but that the beatified shall speake to Christ and Christ to them Goe too Good and faithfull Servants saith Christ all haile Glorious God and Lord sing they Benediction thanksgiving is their glorious note for ever and ever Feeling we may not deny for that includes not any corruption and if agreeing to sense it is a perfection not a defect of nature And that glorified bodies be palpable and may be felt Luc. 24. 39. that of Christ makes it most cleare Feele and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see mee to have Neither of the sense of smelling may any question be made because for the sensation thereof there is no corruptible or corporall immutation necessarily required Touching the sense of taste some difficulty may be made and yet though there be no delicious taste by eating or drinking delicious meates or dainties such as the voluptuous of these times make their God notwithstanding it is not absurd to thinke that the glorified bodyes by Gods ordinance shall have some delicious and pleasant moysture resting upon the place of tast that so by such a meanes that sensible part may have her full rest and content The best reasons for this which I have said touching the perfection of corporall senses I take to be these few first that as the body shall have her perfection and reward because shee was so familiar and individuall a companion of the Soule in the suffering for Reasons why there shall be glorious actions of Sensation in the glorified Christ or her subjection to Christ So likewise the sensitive parts and faculties which have been instruments of the Soule in the exercise of righteousnesse shall also have their appointed reward Againe there can be no sufficient reason brought Rom. 6. 13. 1 Cor. 6. 19. Luk. 10. 27. 2 Cor. 5. 10. against what I have said why it should not be so Againe he that will seriously peruse the 5. and 25. chapters of St. Matthewes Gospell and the 22. of St. Luke where Christ promises and performes Mat. 5. and 25. Luk 22. his glorious rewards to his faithfull followers and where Lazarus is described to have tasted his very felicity a thing which the rich glutton importunely desired will not easily be induced to thinke this which I have here set downe to be untrue or false And so I conclude this point with this observation that if as I have shewed above there be in the Soule glorified an impeccability and indefectibility so that they cannot sin in the body an impassibility not to receive any the least impression of coÌ„trariety and corruption that may be how firme then how stable then yea how everlasting then is that glorious state which hath this participated aeternity aeternally that it cannot perish nor decay Who arightly considers this and longs not to have a speedy dissolution of this terrestriall house of this cotage of dirt and clay that so he may be Iob. 4. 19. present with the Lord and have a house aeternall and 2. Cor. 5. 1. everlasting not made with hands but such a one as the spirit of the Lord shall frame and establish O how amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of hosts my Soule Psal 84. 2. longeth and my heart fainteth after the Courts
of the Lord. Subtilitie THis dowrie gift which is generallie called Subtilitie I would rather speaking with the Apostle call Spiritualty for in his Epistle to the Corinthians hee affirmeth thus It is sowed a naturall body but it riseth a spirituall body and againe 1 Cor. 15. 44 47. 48. 49. The first man is of the earth earthly The second man is the Lord from heaven As is the earthy such are they that are earthy and as is the heavenly such also are they that are heavenly And as wee have borne the Image of the earthy wee shall also beare the Image of the heavenly Thus the Apostle whereout many excellent observations might bee made But I call it Spiritualty not as though which some falsly have affirmed the body were chaunged into the Soule and Spirit for so that which is raysed should not bee man consisting of Soule and Body but a third distinct thing different from Man and consequently the mystery of the resurrection of the flesh should bee quite taken away for Resurrection requires that the same thing which fell bee raysed up againe Neyther doe I call it Spiritualty as though the body after resurrection were made thin and rare like the wynd and ayre as the Eutychians of ould did affirme denying the bodyes glorified to bee palpable but I call it Spiritualty by reason of a more powerfull influence and that dominion which the Soule shall have into and over the Body after the resurrection then it ever had or could have in the time of her mortalitye This though it bee hard to explicate yet sure I am that in so affirming calling of it Spiritualty I speake in the phrase of the Apostle but as for Subtility 1. Cor. 15. 44. which in true and proper signification signifyes a property whereby such things as are spirituall have a penetrative and piercing vertue to passe and Aristo lib. 2. de Generat tex 50 pierce into and through the corpulent parts of any thing that hath a bodye and is corpulent having dmensions and parts I cannot see how it can bee given to the glorified bodyes which after resurrection have the same extensive and corpulent parts for quantity and fulnes of matter or bodilinesse as they had before the resurrection and can no more penetrate pierce or enter into or thorough any true bodily and corporall substance which hath the dimensions of quantity to weet thicknes breadth length then they could August tract 121 in Ioh. Chrysost hom 89. in Ioh. Ambros in 24. luc Hiâ—ar ub 3 definit Hiero-Epist ad Pammach Ioh 20 26. before their resurrection in the time of their mortality and corruption And although it may bee probably affirmed with diverse Ancient Fathers that the body of our saviour who entered into his disciples the dores beeing shut did by powerfull penetration passe thorough the doore yet wee maye not attribute the same as a thing naturall to his glorified body it having the same dimensions of quantity for bodilines and fulnes of matter which it had before but wee must with Antiquity attribute the same to the power of his Godhead Luc. 137. August Eps 3. ad Volusianum Heb. 4. 18. Iob. 37. 18 to whom no word is impossible for he that could enter into the wombe the secret of the most pure vergin not violated as Augustine and Nazianzene excellently Hee who could penetrate the heavens which are more solid and strong then brasse and yet receaue no bruise in his body nor make any rent in them wee may not doubt but that by the omnipotenty of his power hee could enter in into his disciples the dores being shut But to conculde this point wherein the holy Scriptures bee so sparing though with the Apostle wee give Spiritualty to the glorified bodyes whereby it may seeme that in truth they are become Spirituall which is true in the sense I have expressed yet are they not so Spirituall but that they are palpaple and may bee touched Luc. 24. 39. and felt Feele see sayth Christ to his Apostles for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see mee to have Where I note that a body which is truly spiritual may withall bee really palpaple and bee touched and felt also though it bee against that knowen Gregor hom 26 in Euangel saying of Gregory called the great a Pope of Rome Of necessity all what so ever may bee felt or handled is subject to Corruption But perhaps hee meant that so it was ordinarily according to the course of naturall things as they are in this state of mortality The reader may here expect that I should more amply open and explicate what this Spiritualty may bee I confesse my Ignorance I had rather heare a master then bee my self a Teacher only I resolve that it is a spirituall influence into and a powerfull Dominion of a Soule Glorious over a Glorified Body whereby the Body may seeme as it were to bee freed and cleared from all such corporall imperfections and defections as are incident to substances that are bodily and Corporall I meane such imperfections and defects as doe not essentially follow the nature of quantity and Bodilines it self that is all such defects and imperfectious as precede and goe before accompany or follow after Generation Augmentation or such like corporall motions which serve for the increase or conservation of humane nature And surely most necessary it is that all such defects and imperfectious should cease for without the cessation of them it cannot bee well understood how the Beatified both in body and Soule should bee elevated into that liberty of Glory which Rom. 8. 21. Galat. 4. is promised to the childeren of God the Citisens of that Hierusalem above which is both Glorious and freed from all servitude of corruption Cleare experience teacheth that to bee most true which the booke of Wisedome complayningly Sap. 9. 15 delivereth That the Corruptible body over-loadeth and aggravateth the soule And that the earthly habitation presseth downe the mynde meditating upon many things Most necessary then it is that in that state of felicity and full liberty where the Soules Beatified incessantly see God and meditate upon God that they should bee freed from all grosse and heavy clogs and hinderances that so with all their forces and endeavours they may bend themselves to the contemplation loue and fruition of the infinit Goodnes of God so clearely and presentially proposed unto them And this is that which wee must call Spiritualty wherein if I may seeme to the Learned to be mistaken I desire from them some better and more full declaration of this dowry of Subtility Agility THis dowry gift of Agility is a glorious quality or vertue whereby the bodyes of the glorified are totally subject to the Soules as to most powerfull Movers to be moved by them without all resistance or least reluctancy that may be thought on which Agility or Facility as I conceive they have because the
soule hath a most absolute dominion over them and doth by a redundancy and emanation impart unto them a glorious quickning and vivacity or livelines farre beyond that which any mortall creature in their bodily heavy parts can have And this either by the meanes of a greater perfection of glorified Soules or by the meanes of more perfect instruments for motion then those which corruptible bodies usually have This Agility or Facility for motion although it make the bodies glorified very tractable to the soules for motion so that we may in a sort say with St. Austen Whereto soever the will shal intend August lib 22. de Civit. cap. altimo there presently the body as it were in a momēt shall or may be yet we may not graunt unto the said bodies any instant tanean motion so that in an imagined instant of time I say imagined instant for time hath no true or reall instant either as part or period and end of it selfe they may make any true reall corporall motion or mooving Howsoever diverse Schoolemen may to the contrary have dreamed For doth it not imply in termes and involve contradiction that that motion which is a successiue passing over or in space from place to place as all corporall motion and moving is should be and not in some durance and continuance of time according to the greater or lesse velocity and swiftnesse thereof And yet notwithstanding the corporall motion of glorified bodies may be very sodaine and in as it were imperceptible moments of time like as the Sunne beames the which as it were in a moment because in an unperceivable moment of time doe fill this whole hemisphere with their glorious Aug. epist 44. Sap. 3. 7. Lustre Austen affirmes it and I dare not deny it And so I interpret those words of the booke of Wisdome if they are to be understood of the glorified The righteous shall shine and as Ioh. 20. and 21. Luk 24. sparks among the stubble they shall runne too and fro Whereby I take it their agility and facility for motion is figured And if we arightly consider what is recorded in sacred Scriptures touching the sundry soudayne corporall apparitions and disapearings of our Saviour after his resurrection and how that the bodyes of the beatified shall be made conformable to the Clarity and so answerably Phil. 3. 20. to other glorious qualities of his glorified body there will no just reason be shewed for denying such a glorious agility either to the body of Christ or to the glorified bodyes of his Saints And although we give to the glorified bodyes of Christ and his Saints such a glorious nimblenesse and Agility yet if we observe the phrases of sacred Scriptures we shall finde that the glorified in that glorious state of happinesse are seldome recorded to have used such extraordinary agility and nimblenesse of motion We reade that they shall follow the Lambe whithersoever he Reve. 14. 4. goeth which following is interpreted even by the Lambe himselfe to be a walking which must be so decent and grave as becomes that glorious state For thus he professeth hereof They shall Reve. 3. 4. walke with me in whites for they are worthy Now this walking must be such as beseemes the glorious Majesty of Christ and the honour of his Saints Glorious Grave Divine Magnificent Aud surely it were no lesse then folly once to dreame that the glorified shall have any games or sports in coursing and running up and downe No no such vanities which earthly minds do over highly prise do not beseeme their states of glory and Majesty And yet though we deny them to have any unseemely runnings or dancings we may not affirme them to be so penned up as though they had no glorious restings perambulations and walkings They have doubtlesse their sittings on seates of Iudgement They have their religious and Reverentiall standings up bowing downe prostrations and Ephe. 2. 5. Revelat. 3. 2. Luk. 22. 30. Mat. 19 28. Revelat. 4. 4. 10. and 7. 9. the casting downe of their Crownes before the state of Majestye How then can we deny unto them seemely divine motions And notwithstanding whitherto soever their motions leade them they have the glorious presence of God with them for God by the vertue and immensity of his all-presence being in all his Creatures the glorified Mat. 18. 10. weresover they be they alwayes see his face not onely above in the heavens but even in the lowest bowells of the earth if any occasion of service should require their presence there And can wee otherwise dreame but that those glorious Angells who did minister to Christ in the Mat. 4. 12. wildernesse did there for by definitive presence the substances and natures were in the wildernes not in heaven did there I say behold the glorious Majesty of the Father And surely that which Gregory affirmes of the Angells truely That they Greg. hom 34. in Ezekiel runne as it were within God and in God whitherto soever they are sent may also be truely affirmed of the glorified Saints wheretosoever they roule and wheresoever they abide they abide in God and roulle in God It was truely said by the Poet and afterwards confirmed by the Apostle that in God we live we moove and have our being as certainly Act. 17. 28. it may be said of the beatified that they live moove are and have their glorious being in him live of him by partaking of his glorious life move before him by most prompt and ready obedience alwayes doing his will are in him by a glorious inpresence of God in them and they in God being entered Mat. 25. 23. into his owne glory Againe in him with him and before him with him never to be separated from him in him diving into and swimming in the infinite ocean of his joy before him alwayes beholding and delighting to behold the glory of his Majesty and the Majesty of his glory So likewise God in them with them and before them In them by the glorious bright and light of his countenance illustrating them within with them ever supporting them with the left hand of his protection and filling them with the joyes and pleasures of his right hand of consolation before Psal 16. them for all aternityes by their glorious vision and fruition of him himselfe to satiate them but never to sade or cloy them ever desirous to see and delighting to see O how amourously in longing desire after these things cryed out that sweet singell of Israell Glorious things are spoken of thee O Psal 87. 2. City of God! O thou City of God so glorious are the things which are in thee that no tongue can with sufficiency speake the least part of them and no marvell for what tongue can speake them which Isa 64. 4. 1 Cor. 2. 9. eye hath not seene eare hath not heard neither the heart of man hath conceived neither can conceive in this
state of mortality what God hath prepared for those that love him Clarity THat which the Apostle calls glory speaking 1 Cor. 15. 43. thus The body is sowen in ignoblenes it riseth againe in glory is generally by Divines termed and called Clarity and this nothing at all from the Apostles sense for in the place alleaged he teaching that at the Generall resurrection the Glories of the bodies glorified shal be different and diverse one exceeding the other hee useth this declaration 1 Cor. 15. 45. for the same Like as onestarre differeth from another in Clarity the brightnesse of the starres being more properly called Clarity then glory so shall the resurrection of the dead bee Now what manner of Clarity this shall bee it is not difficult to expesse if wee call to mynd what manner of Clarity and Glory that was wherwith the body of Christ was adorned at the time of his Mat. 17. 2. Transfiguration when his face did shyne as the sun and his rayment was white as the light S. Mark addes that his rayment became shyning exceeding whyte as the snow so as no fuller on the earth can whyten them Mark 9. 3. But cleare it is that our vile and humble bodyes at the daye of the Resurrection shall bee transformed and by a glorious immutation bee made like to the resplendant and bright shinning body of Christ so sayth Paule in his Epistle to the Philippians Phil. 3. 20. And Christ promiseth in the Gospell That the Righteous shall shyne like the Sun in the kingdome of their Father Loe Christs face on earth did shine Mat. 13. 43. and now in heaven doth shyne like the Sun and to the Righteous it is promised that though now they are as the very of scumme of the world yet their faces shall shyne like the Sun in the kingdome of their Father But here note that though it bee sayd that Christs body the Saynts bodies shall shyne like one and the same thing never the lesse this must not bee taken in full equality of Clarity brightnes Chrysost in Mat. Chrysostome excellently But if the face of the Lord did shyne as the Sun and the Saynts shall shyne as the Sun shall then the Lords Clarity and his servants bee equall Not so but because nothing is found to bee more bright then the Sun therefore to give an example of the future resurrection both the face of our Lord is sayed to shyne and the righteous also are sayd to shyne as the Sun Whereby wee cannot but observe how exceeding bright and resplendant the Clarity of our glorified bodies shall bee for if they shall shyne as the Sun and the Sun shall Isa 30. 26. Chrysost in Mat. shyne at the day of Iudgement seventimes brighter then now it doth then may wee boldly with Chrysostome say though there shall bee no chaunge in nature yet there shall be the addition or putting to of an unenarrable Clarity and brightnes Which brightnes and Clarity we may not only conceave that it shall bee a transeunt Light upon the superficies and out syde of the body like as the Suns beames without any immutation internall doe spread themselves upon a wall No no there shall bee a true internall immutation by a glorious Clarity and brightnes which shall make the glorified bodies not only bright and cleare without but also fulgent and shyning within and thoroughout So that the glory of the Soule may thorough the body is it were by a glasse in such a manner bee seene and beheld in such sort as a spirituall glory may bee beheld and seene somewhat in like sort as the Coulour of the body may be seene in a glasse or rather as the life of the soule is seene and observed in and by the vivacity and Livelines which it imparts by action and motion to the outward visible parts of the body And if I misconceane not in respect of this glorious translucency and transparency the brightnes and Clarity of the celestiall Hierusalem is in the Revelation of S. Iohn thus in like sort described And hee caryed mee away in the spirit into an high Reve. 21. 10. 11. and great mountayne and shewed mee the great City holy Hierusalem which I interpret the Glorious state of the Saints Triumphant descending out of heaven from God having the glory of God And her light was like unto a stone most precious even like a Iasperstone as cleare as Chrystall And agayne in v. 18. 19. 20. c. the 18. and other verses following And the building of the wall of it was of Iasper and the City was pure gould like unto cleare glasse and the foundations of the wall of the City were garnished with all manner of precious stones The first foundation was Iasper the second Saphire the third a Chalcedonye the fourth an Emerauld the fifth a Sardonix the sixth a Sardius the seventh a Chrysolite the eighth a Berill the ninth a Topaz the tenth a Chrysoprasse the eleventh a Hiacinth the twelfth an Amethist And the twelve gates were twelve pearles every severall gate one pearle And the streete of the City was pure gould as it were transparent glasse Thus farre the Prophet giving almost in every word a touche and description of some one or other Clarity and brightnes of that Triumphant City O let us pondering and ballancing these things in the scales of our Soules say unto them Arise ye up and be illightened for the Light of the Lord is comming and the glory of God shall appeare both over us and in us if we find truely to feare him sincerely to love him and faithfully to expect his comming Amen I have here set downe more at large the words of the Prophet that the Godly reader may well observe these things first what I have sayd to be most true touching the glorious translucency and splendour of the glorified bodyes described to be like Iasper or Crystal or Saphire or Chalcedon or some other precious pearles or Margarites the excellency and surpassing brightnesse whereof especially of Christ conformable whereunto the glorified Phil. 3. 20. bodyes of the Saints shall be made I gather out of the 23. verse of this said chapter wherein the Prophet having described that the glorious City needeth neither light of the Sunne nor of the Moone and Reve. 21. 23. gives a reason thereof for that the Clarity and brightnesse of God shall illighten the same he adds in the same verse that the Candell thereof was the Lambe Glorious brightnesse of Christs body distusing it selfe Who hath ever observed a candel lighted at noon dayes and bright to have given any light No no the brightnesse of the Sunne obscures the same be the candell never so great And yet the Lambs clarity and brightnesse that is the brightnesse of Christ as man shall through and by his glorified body be so shining resplendant that it shall be as a bright shining Sunne in that Triumphant