Common Places, Part 2 · Chapter 18 · Section 11
The Reſurrection of the fleſh.
¶ Looke more hereof in the third part.
47 How theſe articles ſhould be knit togither, After remiſſion of ſinnes followeth life.by a more fit method, I cannot perceiue. Sinne (as it is knowne) hath béene the onelie and whole cauſe of mans death: and that we hauehave remiſſion of ſinnes through Chriſt, it was ſhewed a little before. Now then remaineth this one thing; to wit, that by him we ſhall be deliuered from death, and releaſed from the tyrannie therof, ſo ſoone as euer we hauehave acceſſe vntounto Chriſt by faith: ſith then ſhall periſh in it the continuall iuriſdiction, which it obteineth againſt vsus. For ſéeing the naturall power hereof is ſuch, as what it hath once ſeaſoned vponupon, it firmelie holdeth: therefore the philoſophers write, that it muſt not be granted, that from ſuch a priuation men can returne to their ancient habit. In which matter certeinlie they be not deceiued, if thou ſhouldeſt but conſider the power of nature. But we, which be indued with faith, doo ſo taſt of death; as we knowe that there is an end and limit appointed, to the working thereof; we being confirmed through the promiſe of Chriſt himſelfe, Iohn, 6, 39.who in the ſixt of Iohn ſaith; that He will looſe none of them which his father hath giuen him, but will raiſe them vp at the latter daie.
But if ſo be thou obiect, that he will raiſe vp not onelie them that be godlie, but alſo the vnbeléeuers: and ſhall therefore the faith in Chriſt (as touching the reſurrection) profit anie thing? I anſwer, that the confidence in Chriſt ſhall nothing at all profit vntounto the méere and abſolute reſurrection; ſéeing that degrée, both the godlie and the wicked ſhall obteine: but the reſurrection vntounto felicitie, vntounto life eternall, and vntounto heauenlie bleſſedneſſe, is onelie granted vnthem, which by faith are vnited vntounto Chriſt. Howbeit, I thinke not méet to paſſe ouer this; (to wit) that whereas the wicked ſhall riſe againe, they obteine not that, by the power of their owne nature, but by Chriſt. For, ſéeing we confeſſe that by the death of that one firſt man, we were all made ſubiect vntounto death; it is reaſon alſo we ſhould grant, that how manie ſoeuer be made partakers of this ſecond life, ſhould alſo obteine the ſame by that one man Chriſt, who firſt was raiſed vp. Wherefore the wicked, whether they will or no, ſhall féele in themſelues the power of Chriſt: but that which theſe ſhall obteine to their great harme, iuſt men ſhall receiue to their great benefit. This is the doctrine of Paule to the Corinthians, when he ſaith; As by one man came death, 1. Co. 15, 21.ſo by one man came the reſurrection of the dead. And as by Adam all men die, ſo by Chriſt all ſhall be made aliue: but euerie one in his owne order. The firſt fruits is Chriſt, then they which be of Chriſt. And in the laſt and moſt vnhappie ſtate ſhall they be, which be ſtrangers from Chriſt.
And as there ſhall be a difference in the ſtate & condition; ſo ſhall there be alſo in the place. For the ſaints then raiſed vp, 1. Theſ. 4, 16 and 17.ſhall togither with the godlie, which then perhaps ſhall remaine aliue, be caught vp, to méet with that high King our Lord IESVS CHRIST in the aire; Who vndoubtedlie (as we hauehave alreadie confeſſed) ſhall come to iudge the quicke and the dead: as wée hauehave expreſſelie ſhewed in the article of the laſt iudgement. Wherefore Chriſt will ſhew foorth his power generallie towards all, as well good as bad; not onelie in the iudgement it ſelfe, but in the reſurrection alſo. He therefore is the firſt that hath riſen, and we ſhall followe him at the time appointed. The church is a bodie quickened by the ſpirit of GOD, A ſimilitude.the which increaſeth by degrées; no otherwiſe than a liuing bodie is naturallie formed, by little and little. For of the power of forming, which is in the ſéed, firſt ſome one member is formed, and brought foorth in the lumpe; whether the ſame be the heart, or anie other member, it forceth not: it ſufficeth, that ſenſe and moouing be giuen to anie one of them. The ſame ſpirit after that goeth forward by little and little, to frame other members. And euen this happeneth in the holie bodie of beléeuers, wherein the ſpirit of GOD hath raiſed vp Chriſt, the verie head of them all. Afterward, the ſame ſpirit, by the ſame power, whereby it raiſed vp Chriſt in all vsus, who be the déere members of his bodie, will bring foorth the ſame effects of reſurrection: as we read in the firſt chapter to the Epheſians, Epheſ. 1, 19.and as we hauehave declared in that article, wherein we intreated of the reſurrection of Chriſt.
48 But how great conſolation that bleſſed hope bringeth to the godlie, The hope of the reſurrection bringeth great comfort to the godlie.let euen they themſelues iudge, which in great ioie celebrate with ſuch pompe and ambition the daie of their natiuitie; or elſe that daie, wherein they were preferred to ſome degrée of honour. And thus they celebrate, with ioifull memorie, the beginnings of ſo great miſeries and calamities, as this life is ſubiect vntounto; and as are incident vntounto principalities and worldlie honours. This is the true natiuitie of the ſaints of Chriſt, this is the true triumph, this is that heauenlie interteining of them. Then ſhall be opened vntounto vsus the wounds, or rather the gates of glorie. Here ought all our hope to reuiue, if at anie time (as oftentimes it dooth happen) we appeare to be negligent, and to go ſlowlie forward in the way of the Lord; by reaſon of the burden of our fleſh, which oppreſſeth vsus. On this wiſe ought our minds to be ſtrengthened, to endure the troubles, which ſéeme to be hard and difficult vntounto the bodie, vntounto nature, and vntounto the ſenſe. On this wiſe ought we to be confirmed to the mortifieng of our ſenſes & concupiſcences; ſéeing we know out of Paule, that We, Rom. 6, 5.which hauehave beene partakers of the death of Chriſt, ſhall alſo be partakers of his reſurrection. For then we ſhall be deliuered from the labours, miſeries, ſorrowes, and torments of this life: and we ſhall hauehave a bodie ſo much more excellent, as a heauenlie and ſpirituall bodie dooth excell an earthlie and fleſhie bodie.
And certeinlie, I ſpeake not this, as though we ſhould not recouer ſo much fleſh, bloud, and bones, as ſhall be ſufficient vntounto the conſtitution of a bodie: but we beléeue it will be a much more excellent bodie; bicauſe Heauenlie and Spirituall betoken names of nature. The which titles and prerogatiues, Paule, 1. Co. 15, 4…in the firſt epiſtle to the Corinthians, gaue vntounto bodies renewed by the reſurrection. And Chriſt in Matthew, Matt. 22, 30.when he was tempted of the Saduceis, promiſed that we ſhould be like vntounto the angels: that in heauen there ſhall be no vſe of matrimonie. For ſéeing that death ſhall hauehave no dominion, there ſhall be no néed alſo of generation; which is granted vntounto vsus for ſupplieng the number of ſuch, as death taketh dailie awaie. The ſame is affirmed touching hunger, thirſt, and all that euill band of troubles. Whoſoeuer therefore goeth forward vntounto ſo noble and glorious a ſtate, ought to regard but a little, all the troubles and labours which he endureth for the name of Chriſt. Yet this dooth not the wicked ſort conſider; but it ſéemeth to be a matter of no weight vntounto them, that they ſubmit their ſoule vntounto the bondage of innumerable miſeries, and ſuffer the ſame to be maſtred with the flames of naughtie luſts.
They doo not make anie account of hauing their bodie once frée, and diſcharged from naturall neceſſities; as men that iudge it a thing impoſſible, bicauſe they meaſure the power of God by the courſe of thoſe things, which continuallie be brought foorth, and be here among vsus. But contrariwiſe the godlie, which by vertue of the reſurrection doo hope for that moſt excellent gift (to wit, that neither death, nor yet other naturall infirmities may be able to doo anie more diſpleaſure to the bodie) muſt bend their whole indeuour to rid their minds from the tyrannie of vices and affections; whereby they may be more and more confirmed in the hope of recouering of a frée bodie, wherewith the mind may be cloathed, that now through Chriſt hath gotten the victorie ouer luſts and ſinnes, which by meanes of the bodie and the fleſh doo oppreſſe the ſpirit. And this let vsus deſire of the eternall God, and moſt mercifull father, that he will vouchſafe to beſtowe vponupon vsus at his owne appointed time, and that through the merit of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, for that immortall deſires ſake, wherewith we wiſh after his kingdome. And this we would deſire with all ſpéed to be doone, ſo that his glorie & honour might be made more famous and knowne.