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
operations The estate of happinesse requires that the soules of the beatified should be in a continuall glorified exercise of glorious actions of every power and faculty of the soule nay it is impossible to conceive how there should be a glorious satiety of happinesse if there be not an incessant and never intermitted exercise of glorious operations and a very apprehension of that glorious estate and condition of happinesse wherein the beatified are This truely is most apparent The Cherubins and Seraphins with incessant admiration sing the thrice holy holy holy holy Lord God of Saboth The sweet singer of Israell accounts all those blessed that dwell in the house of the Lord for that they shall for all eternities blesse and sing praises unto the Lord Now these divine cries Isa 6. 3. and elevations of admiration holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth of the Cherubins and Seraphins these praises and collaudations of the Saints those Alleluias praise ye the Lord praise ye the Lord recounted by the Prophet in the Revelation are they ought else or can they be ought else then thir severall actions and operations of vision love joy delight reverence admiration which the Angells and Saints seeing God have with God in God and of God with God because they are made partakers of the very joy of the Lord in God because they shall see him as he is of God because he is the eternall fountaine of light streaming into the soules and spirits of the beatified a most glorious light whereby they see God and his glorious Majesty most clearely and consequently they cannot but love him but delight in him admire reverence and adore him 〈…〉 bâ—fâ—â—â— him thereby acknowledging him for the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of themselves of their 〈◊〉 and oâ— all creatures whethâ—r 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 above or on the earth 〈…〉 within the 〈◊〉 of the â—arth beneath Fifthly I suppose that this glorious exercise 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 glorious 〈◊〉 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 God Some there are who do thinke that there is in the 〈◊〉 an abstractive knowledge of God by his creatures and 〈◊〉 an answerable love arising from the same but without all question they are herein mistaken for seeing the knowledges of God by 〈◊〉 13. 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 as being obsâ—uâ—e in part and imperfect and of God 〈◊〉 are to cause and to be 〈◊〉 when as the clâ—are and iâ—tuitive vision of him 〈…〉 given unto the bâ—â—tified why then shall 〈…〉 knowledge of God by and thâ—ough his creatures whenas 〈◊〉 shall be 〈…〉 is in 〈…〉 whenas he shall be 〈…〉 whenas we shall kâ—â—w 〈◊〉 even as wâ—◠〈…〉 not obseurely in a â—haâ—ow 〈◊〉 clearely 〈…〉 face to face By 〈…〉 vision the spirits and soules of the 〈◊〉 shall be 〈…〉 〈◊〉 and so swallowed up that the pretended abstractive knowledge of God by and in his creatures shall be altogether needlesse yea perhaps impossible if we would stand longer to 〈◊〉 the same And so I come more specially to distinguish the principall actions and operations which the beatified have in 〈…〉 God The first and paine action of the beatified about and on God the fountaine of all the rest is a cleare and 〈◊〉 vision oâ— him as he is in 1 Ioâ— â— 2. himselfe Iâ— is 〈…〉 with God before God and 〈…〉 presence of God thereby not onely The first 〈◊〉 aâ—â— on 〈◊〉 the beatified seeing that which is â—â—nifest of God in regard of his creatures but also that which is manifest of God in himselfe by his owne 〈◊〉 â—â—sential light For God is light and in him there is no darknesse at all And by this intuitive vision of God 1 Ioh. â— the beatified spirits so see God their intellective powers being enabled thereunto by the light of glory that their powers are thereby fully satiated and at rest most sweetely and joyously injoying that which God promised to Moyses I will shew thee all good Out of this presentiall and Exod. 33. 19. intuitive vision of good all good clearly beheld there followeth necessarily a double love of God I said necessarily for it is impossible that good Second glorious action all good essentially good having no evill in it should clearely bee proposed to the understanding and that the will whose proper and formall object is good should not love and embrace the same Now this love is a double tendency or embracing of the soule into and of that infinite goodnesse which is in God first of that infinite goodnesse of God as he is good in himselfe goodnesse it selfe secondly of the very same goodnesse of God as by participation it is imparted and coÌ„municated as their last end and finall good unto the soules and spirits of the Beatified This with reverence I presume to declare by that which the Apostle delivereth in his Epistleto the Corinthians to weet that love never fadeth away whereby it is most apparent 1 Cor. 13. 8. that the love of the regenerate in this life the love of the beatified in the life of blisse and glory is one and the same essentially and in nature the onely diversity is that by an excesse of perfection that of the beatified doth exceedingly surpasse that which is of the Pilgrimes in this valley of mortality If then the love of the Elect whilst they are in the way absent from God and the love of the Elect when they are in their country and at their end present with God be one and the same then must it needs follow that as the love of the Elect in the way tendeth with a double respect to God to love A double kind of glorious love God as he is good in himselfe and to himselfe which is the love of friendship and amity and to love him as he is good to his elect their totall and finall good which is a love of a holy and sacred concupiscence so likewise the love of God in the beatified inclineth them to love God as hee is good to himselfe and in himselfe and as he is most graciously good unto themselves And can there be made any doubt of this what shall the habit of love charity moove incline us most divinely to love God in both respects as he is obscurely seene by faith whilest wee are Pilgrims and travellers in this mortall life and shall not the same habitt of love and charity being now perfected and glorious necessarily and ineviâ—ably moove us to love God in both respects for his goodnesse as it is infinitely in himselfe and for his goodnesse it as it is and as he is by participation communicated unto us Yea this is so apparent that the man according to Gods owne heart professes what his love was in this life of mortality and what he longed for and longed after in that life of glory and immortality thus What is there saith he for me in heaven Psal 73. 25. 26. besides thee and besides thee what would I upon earth
the God of my heart and of my salvation and my portion for ever Vpon and out of this double love of the infinite goodnesse of God both as it is in himselfe essentially himselfe and to his elect by participation not now absent from them but most intimely present with them there ariseth a double A double glorious ioy joy and gladnesse joy to see God whom they so dearely love infinitely good and happy in himselfe joy to see themselves in full and secure possession of that infinite good as their last end and the compleat object of their happinesse This joy is that wherof Augustine very excellently There is a joy which is not graunted to the August lib. 9. Confesse wicked but to those who worship thee freely whose joy thou thy selfe art and that is the very life of happinesse to joy in thee and for thee that is the blessed life and there is no other Of this we are to understand those joyous words of Christ Welcome well done good and faithfull servants you have beene faithfull Matt. 25. 21 24. in a little I will make you rulers over much enter into thy Masters joy Loe the Master of this joyous feast calls his owne joy the joy of his faithfull servants which is so great and so surpassing that holy David dareth thus by a familiar metaphore to expresse the exceeding sweetnesse of the same They shall be satiated he speakes of the Beatified with an over plentifullnesse Psal 36. 8. of thy house and with a torrent or river of thy pleasures thou shalt inebriate them and make them dronke O most dviine satiety O most sacred inebriation of the beatified soules Seeing loving delighting enjoying God of love of adoration of admiration of astonishment of content of satiety of rest of delight of joy of enjoying O blessed Spirits O Beatified Soules so satiated so inebriated that seeing and admiring they cannot but admire at and delight in so infinitely good so infinitely sweet so infinitely joyous a good Holy David considering the same could not but with an elevated Spirit cry out O how amiable are thy dwelings Psal 84. 1. 2. thou Lord of hosts my soule longeth and fainteth after the Courts of the Lord. Bernard most sweetly The sweet aboundance of that house and the Torrent of that pleasure neither eye hath seene or eare heard Bernard in dedicat serm 4. nor the heart of man hath conceived Doe not thinke therefore O man to heare that which the eare of man hath not heard neither seeke thou of man to know what that is which the eye of man hath not seene nor the minde of man hath conceived Let us rather manfully and couragiously labour in these our tabernacles that in the end we may be gloriously glorified in the house of Gods blisse and glory above and be made partakers of that joy which shall never fade nor fall away which shall be such as it shall fully satiate and yet never cloy ever be had or enjoyed and yet ever be desired not with anxiety after more or other but with a most assured continuance of the same Againe thereof Austine very divinely There shall be whatsoever shall bee worthy of love neither shall any thing Austine his 12. de â—â—â—itate be desired which shall not bee there all that shall be there shall be good and the supreame God shall be the soveraigne good and most happy it shall be to knowe and to be assecured that that good shall ever be There shall wee be at rest and see thee there shall we see and love thee wee shall love and prayse thee which shalt bee our end without end For what other is our end than to come to a kingdome which hath no end thus he Besides the above expressed actions and operations of the beatified soules and spirits I doe observe another which I call a retention or holding or possession of God which whether it be all these actions together as they are exercised upon God so intimely and gloriously present or whether there be besids them another action of conquiescency and resting in and upon God as the last and compleat end of the beatified it is not easie to distinguish Sure I am that such a rest and conquiescency there is the which in all humility and modesty I will endeavour to difference and distinguish and O most happy my Soule when I shall come clearely to behould and know the same O how with the very heartstrings of my soule do I not onely desire but long after the same O the God of my heart my Soule longeth after thee to see thee ' O love thee to delight in thee and to live and rest in thee and by thee for ever and ever O fill and replenish my Soule here so to feare thee that in the end I may attaine thee to enjoy thee Amen It cannot have beene uathought of by any who have arightly thought of their last end and of that happinesse which is layed up for all 2 Tim. 4. 8. these that love God and his comming but that they have in their soules conceived a living hope and fervent desire of attaining unto the same We glorye saith St. Paul in the hope of glory of the sonnes Rom. 5. 2. of God Iob laid up in his breast as a most pretious jewell the hope that he had that he should by himselfe see God his redeemer and Saviour We are Iob. 19. 27. Heb. 10. 23. all encouraged to hould fast the confession of our hope a hope firme and unmooveable The Apostle he desired Phi 1. 23. to be dissolved and to be with Christ. And what faithfull soule is there who longeth not for and desires not after the comming of the Lord that he may enjoy that crowne of glory and happinesse 2 Tim. 4. 8. which God hath laid up for all those that love his comming Now this hope of the last happinesse and longing after the same if it be arightly considered will be found according to the doctrine of all sound Divines to be specially an action or affection of the will of man enabled and illustrated by grace tending to and longing after God absent which affection of hope and desire ceaseth not untill the good that is desired and hoped for is obteined and made present but the good being had and attained unto then the affection of hope ceaseth for what we have and injoy we hope not for nor long after That which a man seeth that is as I interpret him seeth and by sight injoyeth how can he hope for saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 24. 25. Austen excellently Hope is a child of faith by which August de spirit et lit man hopeth from him whom he knoweth for that which he yet hath not which hope being in this state the expectation of an immortall life I do fitly call it the very life of this our mortall life the which though fortune often failes
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
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