Richard Sibbes on Philippians 3:21

VERS. 21. Who shall change our vile bodie. THe words are plaine, and shall need no exposition: therefore wee will briefly come to the doctrines. And first, we may observe hence That our bodies are base: and thus are the bodies not onely of wicked prophane men, Doctr. 1. but of the servants and dearest children of God, all are vile, and that in these respects. First, in life our originall is base, wee are dust, and to dust wee must returne, and our continuance is full of change, subject to diversitie of estates, sicknesse, health, paine, ease, hunger, fulnesse. And base wee are, because wee are upheld by inferiour creatures. We enter into the world by one way, but goe out by divers deaths, some violent, some more naturall, and by divers sicknesses lothsome to the eyes, to the nosthrils, and especially when wee are nearest our end, when as our countenance is pale, our members tremble, all our beautie is gone. But after wee are departed, so lothsome is this our carcasse, it must bee had out of sight: yea though it bee the body of the Patriarch Abraham, Gen. 23.4. For as the bodie of man is the best temper, so the corruption thereof is the most vile, the best countenances of the greatest personages are the most ugly gastly objects of all others, by so much the more, by how much they were the more excellent, so much the greater is their change. And yet are wee not to conceive of this bodie, so as though there were no glorie belonging to it: for first, its Gods workmanship, therefore excellent, and so excellent, as the heathen man Galen being stricken into admiration at the admirable frame thereof, breakes out into a hymne in praise of the maker. And David could not expresse it, but sayes, I am wonderfully made. God made this his last worke, as an Epitomie of all the rest. Secondly, we are told that we owe glorie to our bodies: and therefore we are bidden that wee should not wrong our bodies, and the Scripture speakes infamously of selfe-murtherers, as of Iudas, Saul, Achitophel, they are branded with a note of shame and reproach. And God to shew the respect we owe to our bodies, hath provided to every sense pleasing recreations, as flowers for the smell, light for the eyes, musicke for the eare, to be briefe, hee made all things for the bodily use of man. Thirdly, these bodies of ours are members of Christ, redeemed and sanctified Temples of the holy Ghost, as well as our soules: And therefore we must take heed when wee read of the base termes that are given to the bodie, that we doe not mistake. For it is true, in regard it keepes the soule from heaven, it is the grave of the soule, but indeed it is the house, the temple and instrument of the soule, but being misused it proves an unto ward darke house, an unweldie instrument. Wee are to take heed therefore, of the error of those who afflict it by writing and declaiming against it, or by whipping of it, when alasse it is the sinne of the soule, the unruly lusts and affections that are the causes of all rebellions in us, and if the body doth rebell, as often it doth come to passe since the fall, this proceeds from the corruption of the soule, yeelding to the bodie ayde to serve the lusts, and God hath appointed a religious abstinence as a meanes to tame such lusts and weaken them, which it were to be wished were used oftener than it is. But it will be said, Quest. are the bodies of Christians base, for whom Christ shed his most precious bloud? I answer, while we live here we are in no better condition than others, Answ. as concerning our bodies. Hezekiah is sicke, Lazarus hath his sores, David and Iob troubled with lothsome diseases, and thus its fitting it should fare with us. For first, Christ laid us this example, he tooke our base ragged nature on him, hee hungred and thirsted, was pained, and death had a little power over him, and shall we desire a better estate than our master, our head had? or doe we ever thinke to partake with him in happinesse, that will not partake with him in his mean estate? the decree of God is, that to dust wee must, as all the rest of our fellow Saints and servants shall. Secondly, hereby God doth exercise our faith and hope: causing us to looke and expect a better resurrection, and by this meanes are our desires edged to a better life, for else would we set up our rest here, and make this our Paradise. Thirdly, as yet there is sinne in us, from the danger whereof though wee be deliuered, yet there is a corruption that remaineth behinde in us, and by this hee will teach us the contagion of sinne, and teach us to see how the divell hath deceived us, by the effects thereof bringing paine, torment, and lothsomnesse. Forthly, it shewes Gods wisedome in vanquishing sinne by death, which is the childe of sinne, for by it shall we be purged from sinne, from corruption both of bodie and minde, and thus is our base estate made a way to our excellent estate hereafter. Wee must therefore moderate our affections to the best things of this life: health is changeable and will not continue, beautie is a flower of a stalke, the flower quickly fades away and perisheth, the stalke that is more base continues longest, flesh is grasse either cut downe by violent deart, or if by age, the longer it lives the baser it is, and increases continually therein till death, when as it is most base. It is therefore foolish for any to swell because of beautie or strength, which at the best, are but curious excellencies of a base bodie: and farre more sottish are they, that thinke to resist old age and Gods decree, by trimming up and painting a withered stocke, this is not the way to conquer vilenesse. But if we will be rid thereof, labour for the meat that perisheth not, Ioh. 6.27. But that which maketh us indure to everlasting life, is with Marie to chuse the better part, that shall not be taken away: meat for the belly, and the belly for meate, but God shall destroy both the one and the other. And let this be as a cooler, to quench the base wild-fire of love, and con[illegible: 1 letter]ider what is it wee so affect, its but beautifull dust, a painted sepulchre, a body that after death will bee vilenesse it selfe, that while it breathes its full of rottennesse, the matter of wormes, supported it may be, by a carrion soule, that whether it willeth or nilleth, must leave it and goe into a farre worse place. And contrarily, in the last place, it should teach us to be at a point, cheerefully to honour God by sacrificing our selves to him when hee calles for us: count it no shame with David to be vile in the eyes of men for Gods cause, if the worst could be imagined (which cannot be) we had as good perish with usage aswith rust. But this is the onely way to be glorious, to avoid vilenesse, even to sacrifice our bodies and all in a good cause: what though the world esteem vilely of us, as good for nothing but the shambles, Rom. 8.36. shall wee feare them? no, feare him that can destroy both body and soule: its better to goe to heaven without a limbe, than to goe to hell with a sound healthfull bodie, therefore men temptation of the world doe begin to provoke thee, say to thy flesh with Bernard, stay thy time: (the time is not yet to be happie.) And therefore conclude, our soule is but a stranger here, wee must entertaine it well into this house of our bodie: its but a guest, use it not basely, its no ill guest, it gives us sight, taste, speech, motion, when it goes away, our body [illegible: 1 page] [illegible: 1 page] [illegible: 1 page] [illegible: 1 page] is but a dumbe, dull, base lumpe of earth. Nay, when it is gone whilst the body is in the ground the soule having a most vehement and earnest desire to be knit to it again, puts God continually in minde of raising it up at the last day of the generall resurrection, and of glorifying it in a holy, eternall, and happy estate. Secondly, out of the words wee may observe; That these vile bodies of ours shall bee changed: this we receive as anarticle of our faith, and yet were it beleeved truely as it ought, it would worke a strange alteration in the mindes and manners of men, contrary to that they are now, and howsoever it is not imbraced, yet it remaines a grounded truth, that these bodies of ours sowne in corruption, shall rise incorruptible, 1 Cor. 1.15. It was foretold in way of consequence in Paradice, for the head of the serpent could not bee broken but by conquering death, which is the last enemie: it was figured out unto us in Aarons dead seare rod that budded, and Ionahs deliverance out of the bellie of the fish, where he had beene 3. dayes and three nights. It was beleeved of all the fathers, Heb. 12. And for securitie before the floud Enoch, and after the floud Elias, were taken up in their bodies. And besides, it is not contrarie to reason, (I doe not say that reason can reach unto it) for Christ he is alive still, the dust whereof we are made, and whether we goe is preserved, it is not annihilated, and why cannot Christ raise a body out of the dust, as at the first make it out of dust? why should he not be as able to quicken dust now as at the first? and especially, seeing the soule is reserved in heaven to this end, till the day of his second comming. Nay it is not contrarie to the course of nature: we see every yeere summer comes out of winter, day out of night, youth out of infancie, mans age out of youth: And the Apostle in the Corinthians, Thou foole, the corne is not quickned, except it die: nay wee see what strange changes are dayly wrought by Art, and shall wee thinke Gods almighty power cannot worke farre more strange effects? The use therefore, Vse. is to instruct us if we beleeve that Christ shall change these vile bodies, Then sure the same bodies shall rise that died, for change is of qualities, it abolisheth not substances: and therfore Iobs confidence herein is remarkable, Iob. 19. Whom I shall see for my selfe, and mine eyes shall behold, speaking of Christ, so is it, 2 Cor. 15.53. This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortall must put on immortalitie, and the ancient Creeds had, credore surrectionem carnis hujus. Secondly, its very unequall that one body should honour or defile it selfe, and another bodie should be honoured or damned: its comfortable therefore to us that love our bodies and honor them, that they shall rise againe, and wee shall injoy them for ever. Thirdly, Christ our surety hee raised the same body that was crucified, and therefore the same bodies here that fulfill the measure of the sufferings of Christ here, shall partake of his fulnesse in glorie. A second use is for comfort; is this a life of changes, let it not daunt us, but know they are all to end in glorie, and they all tend to bring us thither, we ever change for the better, and the last change of all is the best of all, and therefore let us indure these changes with a light heart. In the third place, who is the Authour of this change in us, the Text saith that Christ shall change us, Iob. 6.39. and 40. I will raise them up at the last day, saith Christ of those that know him and beleeve on him: Hee is furthermore our head, now wee know the body must be conformable to the head, if it bee crowned the body is crowned: and therefore (Rom. 8.11.) the Apostle saith, that if the spirit dwell in us that did dwell in him, the spirit that raised him up, will raise us up also. Thirdly, Christ is a whole Saviour, he therefore will raise up our bodies as well our soules, for he is the Saviour of both, he hath delivered both from hell, hee will raise up both to heaven. Fourthly, he is the second Adam, as wee did beare the image of the first Adam in corruption, so must we beare the image of the second Adam in glorie. Fifthly, hee is the seed of the wowan: that must breake the serpents head, and therefore hee must worke this change. Sixthly, Christ changed his owne bodie, being burthened with all our sinnes, and therefore as an exemplarie cause, shall much more raise us up, for sinne being once overcome, which is the sting of death, what can keepe us in the grave? Let this strengthen our faith, Vse. 1. in the consideration that wee have such a strong Saviour, that nothing shall bee able to separate us from his love, nor to take us out of his hande. Secondly, Vse. 2. make it a ground how to direct us how to honour our bodies, not making them instruments of sinne against him, but so to use them, that we may with comfort and joy expect and desire his comming, to change these our vile bodies. Thirdly, Vse. 3. let us labour to assure our selves of our parts in this change, in this resurrection. This we shall know if we finde Christs spirit in us, the same spirit that raised up him, if it bee in us, will raise us up also. Rom. 8. for the first resurrection is an argument of the second, and he that findes his understanding in lightned, his will pliable, his affections set upon right objects, will easily beleeve the second resurrection of his bodie. Secondly, if wee hope for this change, and so hope that we are stirred up thereby to fit our selves for it, to cleanse our selves. Thirdly, if wee grow in grace, 2 Pet. 1.11. it is a si[illegible: 1 letter]ne that wee have an entrance into Christs kingdome, for God doth ever honour growth, with assurance of a blessed estate. Fourthly, this should comfort us in time of death, considering wee lose nothing but basenesse, and our bodies are but sowne in the earth, and this depositum which God committeth to the fire, ayre, earth, and the water, they must render up againe pure and changed by Christ, and therefore it was a foolish conceipt of the heathen, to burne the Martyrs bodies, and to cast their ashes into the water, thereby to put them out of hope of their resurrection, not knowing God is as able to raise them out of fire and water, as out of earth. Fifthly, this ought to administer comfort to us at the death and departure of our friends out of this life, knowing that they are not lost, that the earth is but a house, and a hiding place for them to sleepe in, and that at length God will not forget to raise them up, with the residue of his Saints, hee will change them, and make them like his glorious bodie, and this was the use made by the Apostle, 1 Thes. 4.18. And lastly, pray to God to teach us to number our dayes, so as we may apply our hearts to wisedome. But when is the time of this blessed change? It is not laid downe, onely it is implyed by the word (Shall) that the time is to come, but out of all question it is meant at the last day and not before. First, because all are to bee gathered together, even those that were baried 4000. yeers agone, must stay till the number bee fulfilled, and it will make for Gods glorie that we should all meet together to attend on him, with multitude of Angels, so as they cannot be perfected without or before us, and wee shall not prevent those that are asleepe. Secondly, it is for the comfort of Christians that are weake, that the Martyrs and constant professors of Christ, should be pledges of their rising, who continually cry, how long Lord? Thirdly, God wils that things should now bee carried as in a cloud: and that the last day should bee a day of revelation, which could not be, Vse. if before there should be this change. For use, this must teach us to desire that day, and pray for the hastening thereof▪ till when, the soules in heaven are not perfectly happy, for all must be brought in, before they can be made perfect: and therefore they desire and hope for, and pray for to be united to those bodies again, that they lived withall, and so deerely loved. But who are these that shall be thus changed? The Text saith, our bodies, that is our bodies that have had our conversation in heaven: and therefore those that have had no part in the first resurrection, they shall have no p[illegible: 1 letter]rt in the second: the Baker and Butler of Pharaoh all shall arise and be lifted out of prison, but some to the resurrection of life, and others to the resurrection of condemnation: But to proceed.

VERS. 21. That wee may bee fashioned like unto his glorious bodie. SO that Christ shall be the exemplary cause, as well as the efficient cause of our resurrection, for he is our head and our husband, and it is reason we should bee sutable to him, and be ruled by him, he came not to make himselfe like us, but us like him; he first must be a King, blessed and anointed, and a sonne, the head makes us like to him, Kings, blessed and glorious, and sonnes: Enoch and Elias, though before his reall incarnation, yet they ascended by vertue of his resurrection, and so shall we, they are glorious like to him, so shall wee in his good time and pleasure. Qu[illegible: 1 letter]st. Answ. But how? I answer, in these particulars: First, as he is immortall never to die againe, so shall we, we shall bee freed from all sinne, and so consequently from all mortalitie. Secondly, we shall be uncorruptible, wee shall have no corruption whithin us or without us; as it is 1 Cor. 15.53. We shall be embalmed with the spirit, that shall cause us to remaine for ever incorruptible. Thirdly, we shall be unchangeable: alwayes the same, without sicknesse of bodie, or indisposednesse of minde. Then in the fourth place, wee shall bee in perfect strength, here we contract to our selves weaknesse by every little thing, as alteration of [illegible: 1 letter]ire, study, and the like; there the body shall be inabled to every thing, but here we are weak unfit, and soone wearie of any dutie, soone tired in prayer, wearie of hearing, so as even Moses his armes must be supported. Fifthly, we shall have beautie and comelinesse, the most lovely complexion and proportion of parts, there shall be no dregges in our body, all shall be spent by death, farre better than after Physicke, which notwithstanding brings the body into a quiet repose, all wants shall be supplyed, what is misplaced shall be reduced into right order: and therefore, what though we lose limbes for Christs [illegible: 1 letter]ake, he will not be indepted to us, none shall goe thither maimed. But some will say, Obj. Christ himselfe retained wounds after his resurrection, and therefore much more shall we be imperfect. I answer, Answ. this was a voluntarie dispensation, he suffered them to appeare for the faith of Thomas, not of necessitie. Sixthly, these bodies of ours shall be spirituall, as it is 1 Cor. 15. a naturall bodie is upheld by naturall meanes, as meate, drinke, Physicke, but then shall there be no need of such things, Christ shall be al in all to us; and again, our body shal obey the spirit, now the body keeps the spirit in slavery, but thē shal it readily ye[illegible: 1 letter]ld to everie motion of the spirit. The Vbiquitaries when they speak of the spiritualitie of Christs body, they would have it in all places. But they may as well conclude, because wee shall have spirituall bodies, therefore our bodies also shall be in all places like to Christs bodie. The ground of the glorie of these our bodies, shall be the beatificall vision, and our union with Christ: if our beholding him here in his ordinances bee of such a power as to transforme us from glory to glory, 2 Cor. 3.18. What a change shall be wrought in us, when we shall see him as he is? and if his first comming had that power to make all things new (2 Cor. 5.17.) much more when hee commeth the second time in glory, shall he make all things new and glorious. Vse. 1.This therefore in the first place, should incourage us, in all causes of dismay and trouble, rather than wee will offend God to lose our bodies, knowing that wee give them to God, and shall receive them againe with advantage. Vse. 2.Secondly, labour wee to make our bodies instruments of his honour, that honours us, and let us honour our bodies wherein are the seeds of immortalitie, and glory in so using them, as that they bee carried to the grave with honour. Vse. 3. Let us also honour the bodies of the deceased Saints of God, and the places of their sepulture: as Cabinets wherein the precions dust of the holy Saints are laid up in keeping. Vse. 4. And let us not be like them without faith, that thinke the bodies are lost for ever, that are cast into the grave; like children that seeing the silver cast into the furnace, thinke it utterly cast away, till they see it come out againe a pure vessell. And when wee die, let us not trouble our mindes with the discomfortable thoughts of wormes, Vse: 5. rottennesse, darknesse, and the like; but with the eye of faith let us looke beyond these, on the haven whether wee are going, this made Iob though covered all over with ulcers, to say with a cheerfull heart, My redeemer liveth, Vse. 6. though after my skinne, wormes consume this flesh. If wee want limbes to our bodies, comfort our selves, the resurrection will restore all things. Furthermore, Vse. 7. let us serve here with our best indeavours, it is but a while and it shall not be in vaine: is it not better thus to doe and partake of this blessed change, than to spare this vile body, and pamper it by sacrificing all, or to imploy all our time in the serving and pleasing others, and to that end not to care to prostitute our selves to all manner of filthinesse? what shall we get by these courses? but at the resurrection of the just when wee should lift up our heads because our redemption draweth nigh, then shall we be overcome with shame, griefe, terror, and horror of conscience. But happie are we therefore, if in a good course wee can so resigne up our selves, so as to bee resolute with Hester, If I perish I perish, if I live I live to Christ, if I die I die to him:: what I have committed to him, he will keepe I am assured thereof, and therefore I will not offend him for any pleasure or profit whatsoever: these resolutions had the Patriarches, and Gods Saints, and these made them die with comfort.

VERS. 21. According to the working, whereby he is able even to subdue all things to Himselfe. THe word that is translated working, may and doth signifie power, and so it was translated heretofore, and is to be meant. But the words being plaine, we will come to some observations. Doctrine. 1.And first of all observe, That Christ hath a power able to subdue all things to himselfe: and this hee hath by vertue of his office of Mediatorship, and this in respect of God to reconcile and appease him. Secondly, in respect of opposite powers to overcome all of them. Thirdly in respect of the persons to be saved, that he might free them from all ill, and raise them to all happinesse, and these things requires a power, that must be above all created powers, for God could not bee appeased but by an infinite price, the bloud of one that is God: and wee could not bee defended from sinne and hell (whose power is the greatest of all finite power) but by a power beyond it, and such a power as must regenerate and renew us notwithstanding the opposite power of the divell, and our corruptions within us, which is a greater worke than the worke of our creation. And all this he hath done, he hath subdued him that had the power of death, the Divell. Heb. 2.14. He hath subdued diseases and windes with a word, and with a word he smote his enemies to the ground, he hath subdued all ill of the body and minde, forgiving sinnes, opening our hearts, subduing our corruptions, and death hath yeelded to his power. O death, I will bee thy death. In the next place, as Christ hath this power, so he will use this power for the good of his Saints. and this hee will doe, because what ever Christ is, he is for the good of his Church, hee is powerful, merciful and loving, for his Churches sake. And secondly, because our bodies doe require it: for it must be an infinite power that makes the body of dust: and therefore though Christ was the sonne of God, declared from the beginning, yet it was said hee was mightily declared to be the son of God by his resurrection from the dead, for from a privation to a habit, there can be no regression by a naturall course, and therefore for our bodies to returne from dust, must be by a supernaturall infinite power of one that is God. Let those that are enemies to Christ his members consider this, against whom doe ye strive? even against the Almighty, who in his humiliation, was able with a word to strike his enemies to the ground, and now being in glory, how fearfull and terrible should his power be to such? who should learn betimes to kisse the sonne, before they perish in the midway. And for his children, let them comfort themselves that are under the government of so powerfull a majesty, for he will bruise all their enemies under them. Nay they are already all conquered, and let them consider of all his promises, and apply them to his power. It is a powerfull Saviour that said, Come to me all you that are heavie laden, I will raise you up, it is he that is able to subdue all things to himselfe, that promises my grace shalbe sufficient for you, he is a Prophet to instruct fully, a Priest to satisfie Gods wrath to the utmost, a King to subdue all their corruptions. Thirdly, let this incourage us to set our selves against our corruptions: some there are that having a little strove with their lusts, and finding not that they have gotten any sensible ground against them, they as out of hope and heart, sit down with this opinion, as good never a whit as not the better; and so yeeld up the bucklers: what a distrustfull incredulous estate is this? is not he God that hath promised? is hee not truth it selfe? hath he said, and shall it not come to passe? feare not these Anakims nor Cananites, depend on God in the use of the meanes, and let him alone with the performāce of his promises. Fourthly, despaire of none though never so weake, so long as they use the meanes, for Christ hath created all by his word, hee will raise us up by his word, and will change us by his word, and by this word he is able to change others, though never so obstinate; for so long as they are under the word and meanes, they are under the armes of an almighty power, and therefore if any be in our power, or if wee wish well to any, we should perswade them to prize the word, and to use the meanes. In the next place, this is a ground of triall of our estates: would we know whether we are of the number of those that shall bee raised up hereafter and changed, then examine whether we have found this power changing us, and bringing us to grace here, for Eph. 1.19, 20. the same power worketh in us to beleeve, that raised up Christ, doe wee then finde our understandings inlightned, our wils conformable to his wil? do we finde the strong holds of sin in us rased, and new spirits, new thoughts, new desires in us? O these are blessed evidences of Christs almighty power in us, that will raise us up at the last day. By this meanes also wee may try our profession: doe we come by faith and religion, with pleasure and ease? alas this is no signe of any powerfull strong worke in us, its easie to goe to Church, to heare the word, or reade it, to receive the sacraments, contrarily if we finde an inward change that our hearts are so altered as we can over rule our members contrary to our lusts, and contrary to occasions, then stronger is he that ruleth in us, than hee that ruleth in the world, 1 Ioh. 4.4. it is easie to resist a temptation where none is, the mightie power of Christ is seene, when being invironed with temptations, we are inabled to resist: I pray saith Christ, that thou should keepe them from evill in the world, and not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, Ioh, 17.15. If we be under crosses, if this spirit and power of Christ be in us, it will enable us to beare all patiently, it will keepe us from murmuring and fretting. It will also convince us of our naturall estate, so as wee shall see evident necessitie of Gods almighty power to change us; this made the Apostle Paul and the Iaylor to looke about them for helpe, Lord what wouldest thou have me to doe? and thus it will make us never to give God rest, nor Christ respite, till that power that shall raise up our bodies, doe raise up also our soules, and he shine in us by his spirit, that did bring light out of darknes, and fashion us as in his wisedome shall be most meet. In the next place, the consideration of Gods Almightie power, should teach us not to be dejected or cast downe, at the reports of the afflicted state of the Church abroad, it should bring us rather to God, to rely upon his goodnes and power, for God is ever God almighty, and the same mercifull God that ever he was, and therfore we should pray for the Church the more instantly, that God would give them beautie instead of ashes, wee should urge him with his promise of building up and defending of his Church, and destroying of Antichrist, and let us make the resurrection of the body a ground to strengthen us in the beleefe thereof, as the returne of the children of Israel from Babylon, was sealed by the resurrection of the dry bones, Ezek. 37. as also the Apostle from the resurrection of the dead, gathereth that God by that power, hath and will deliver him. 2 Cor. 1.9, 10. Furthermore, when wee are oppressed with any extremitie, though never so great, by continuall meditation of his promises, wee should strengthen our selves, and apply them to our present estate and condition, knowing that he that raised us out of dust, will not suffer us to bee buried in miserie, but will with the triall give us a gracious issue at the last, by raising up our bodies at the last day by his almighty power, which made also the Patriarch Abraham to hope above hope: what though our helpes be few? its no matter what the instrument is, so as Christ is the chief worker. In the next place, This should incourage us, to stand out sted fast in a good cause for the truth; do not think with our selves, alas I am but one, and a weake sillie man; what can I doe against a multitude? let not such thoughts discourage thee: thinke of Luther a poore Monke, who alone set himselfe against the whole world, and wrought that effect, that wee have all cause at this day to honour the memorie of him: it is not thou, but God in thee, that is able to confound all thine enemies, and therefore with Moses, behold him that is invisible. Yet further, this should bee observed by a Christian, as a ground of his perseverance to the end: for when wee know we are Christians, what can bereave us of our blessings? what can make our faith faile? its Gods power that will keepe us to salvation, and he that beleeveth shall have life, and shall not come into condemnation, Ioh. 6.39, 40.44.47. and many other places; and Christ by his almighty power swayes all our life, to our building up to salvation, and therefore in contraries we should beleeve contraries, that death will worke life, miserie happinesse, corruption incorruption, and this vilenesse glorie; for its Gods order to worke by contraries, that his power might the more appeare. And at the houre of death then behold him that is thus able and all-sufficient; that shall presently glorifie our soule, and at length will raise up our bodie also, and unite it to our soule, to partake with it in glorie and happinesse, that will then quit us of all sinne, corruption, death, change, all our enemies shall bee troden under our foote, and all this by his almightie power, whereby he is able to doe farre above that wee are able to think; and therefore let us with a holy admiration thereof, say with the Apostle, (Ephes. 3.20.) To him be glorie for evermore. Amen.