Two Discourses, Section 4
§.
I come (2.) to the Argumentation it ſelf, which ariſeth out of theſe things laid together. (1.) That the Soul is the immediate Subject of Grace. (2.) The firſt and primitive Suſceptive thereof. (3.) And it ſelf is alone and immediatly capable of Glory, which Grace is a preparation to. And (4.) that God afore our Deaths hath wrought all of Grace he intends to work, in preparation to Glory. Out of all theſe a ſtrong Argument doth ariſe, That ſuch a Soul upon Death ſhall be admitted unto Glory; and not be put to ſtay till the time of the Reſurrection, when both Soul and Body ſhall be joined again together. And that this holdeth a juſt and meet conveniency upon each, or at leaſt, all theſe grounds when put together.
Firſt, conſider the Soul as the immediate Subject of this working and preparation for Glory. Hence therefore this will at leaſt ariſe, That the Inherency or Abiding of this Grace wrought in this Soul, depends not upon its conjunction with the Body; but ſo as it remains as an everlaſting and perpetual Conſerver of that Grace ſtampt on it; yea, and carries it all with it ſelf, as a rich Treaſure innate unto it wherever it goes, when ſeparate from the Body. I ſay, it either hath in it, or appertaining unto it, all that hath been wrought for it, either in it, or by it. Rev. 14. 13. Bleſſed are the Dead which die in the Lord: [And their Works do follow them:] They go to Heaven with them, and after them. And in what Subject elſe is it, that the Seed 1 Pet. 1. 23, 25.of God remains incorruptible, or the Word of God abides for ever? Or how elſe comes that Saying to be performed, 1 John 2. 17. He that doth the Will of God, endures for ever? Having therefore all theſe Riches by it, and as complete (as here it ſhall be,) meet it is it ſhould partake the benefit thereof, and live upon them now when it is ſingle and alone, and in its Widow's condition. And it is an opportune ſeaſon, that by a Glory given it for that Holineſs, this ſhould now appear, That it was the Soul which was the ſole intrinſick and immediate Receptive of all this Holineſs. This is the firſt. Add alſo,
Secondly; Its being the firſt and primitive Subject of Holineſs, from vhich it is derivatively in the Body. Meet it was this Soul ſhould not be deferred, till Magis conveniens videtur, ut animae inquibus per prius fuit culpa & meritum, prius etiam vel puniantur vel praemientur. Aquinas cont. Gent. lib. 4. cap. 19 § 3.the Appurtenance of it be united to it, but be ſerved firſt, and admitted into that Glory ordained; and by having it ſelf firſt poſſeſſion given of that Inheritance, the Body might in its ſeaſon be admitted derivatively thereinto from it, after that renewed Union with it by the Reſurrection. Reaſon good, that look as in Priority, Grace, the preparation unto Glory, was wrought; ſo, in that Order of Priority, Glory it ſelf ſhould be communicated. And therefore ſeeing its Fate is to abide a while alone, therefore firſt to enjoy, and drink both the Juice and Fruit of that Vine it is the Root of.
And (3.) it being in it ſelf, when ſeparate, as immediatly capable of this Glory, as when it ſhall be again united to the Body: For what is the Eſſential of Glory, the Subſtance of that Life that ſwallows up all, but (as we ſaid on v. 4.) God's immediate Preſence, and our knowing him face to face, as we are known. Now of this the Apoſtle doth in theſe 6, 7, and 8 Verſes, expreſly inform us, That the ſeparate Soul is not only capable thereof, but that it then begins to enjoy it: Therefore (ſays he) we are always confident, knowing, that whilſt we are in the Body, we are abſent from the Lord; (for we walk by Faith, not by Sight.) We are confident, I ſay, and willing rather to be abſent from the Body, and to be preſent with the Lord. Where to be preſent with the Lord, and to live by Sight, is expreſly made the Privilege of a Soul abſent from the Body; which can mean no other State, than that of the Soul between the Death of the Body, and the Reſurrection. For whilſt it is preſent in the Body afore Death, it is abſent from the Lord; and when it ſhall be preſent with the Lord, after the Reſurrection, it ſhall not then be any more abſent from the Body. This Conjunction therefore of abſent from the Body, and preſent with the Lord, falls out in no State elſe, but only in that Interim or ſpace of time between. Let us withal view this Place in the Light, (by bringing the one to the other) which that Paſſage, 1 Cor. 13. 12. doth caſt upon it: For now we ſee through a Glaſs darkly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then ſhall I know, even as alſo I am known. [To ſee as in a Glaſs darkly] there, is to [walk by Faith] here: But to ſee face to face, and to know God as we are known, (ſo there) is all one; and to attain to ſight, and be in Chriſt's preſence (here.) And to be ſure, the Body is in no eſtate whatever capable of knowing God, as we are known of him: None durſt ever affirm that. For beſides that, the Spiritual Knowledg of God is proper to an intellectual Nature: Further, ſo to know God, as God knows us, and ſo to be elevated to the Similitude of God's Underſtanding, is not communicable to the Body. We may as well dare to affirm God himſelf to be a Body, as that our Bodies are capable of ever being raiſed up thus to know God. Hence therefore whether the Soul be out of the Body, as after Death; or ſo in the Body, as it ſhall be after the Reſurrection; yet ſtill it is the Soul that is immediately alone capable of that Sight and Knowledg of God. And therefore ſeeing it depends not on the Body, it is as well capable of it afore the Reſurrection without the Body, as after the Reſurrection in the Body.
Only this muſt be added, That whilſt indeed the Soul is at home in this Body, (this earthly Tabernacle) it is not capable of this Sight of the Glory of God, i. e. as to continue in the Body, and enjoy it; for it would crack this earthen Veſſel: as 1 Cor. 15. 50. Fleſh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. And altho Paul, as a Stander-by, was an Overhearer, 2 Cor. 12.and an Eye-witneſs (by way of Revelation and Viſion) of what the Spirits of Juſt Men in Glory do enjoy: Even as on the contrary, the Angels are often Standers-by on Earth, and Overſeers of us, what is therein done, (as the Phraſe is, Zech. 3. 7.) yet he was not eſtated into it, or admitted a Poſſeſſor thereof himſelf, no more than Angels into an earthly eſtate; and therefore could not ſay, whether the Revelation vouchſafed him, might not be in the Body as well as out of it: Whereas God had otherwiſe long ſince peremptorily determined that Queſtion, That no Man could ſee God, and live; that is, at once continue in this Body, and ſee him face to face. And Paul here in my Text alſo determines it, That whilſt we are at home in the Body, (as now) we are abſent from the Lord. They are two incompatible Eſtates. But ſtill when that which thus lets, (this Body) is taken out of the way, the Soul it ſelf is ſufficiently capable, as truly as ever it ſhall be.