BAXTER'S' DYING THOUGHTS. 61 by the wayof grace inall the gracious, doth operate, and is, by the works and splendor of his glory, eminently inheaven; by whichglo- ry, therefore, we must mean some created glory ; for his essence, hath no inequality. 2. We shall be present with the human nature of Christ, both soul and body : but here our present narrowthoughts must not too boldly presume to resolve the difficulties which, to a distinct un- derstandingof this, should be overcome ; for we must not here ex- pect any more than a dark and general knowledge of them ; es, 1. What is the,formal difference between Christ's glorifiedbody and his flesh en earth? 2. Where Çhrist's glorified body is, and how far it extendeth. 3. Wherein the soul and the glorified body dif- fer, seeing it is called a spiritual body : these things are beyond our present reach. (1.) For what conceptions can we haveof a spiritual body, save that it is pure, incorruptible, invisible to mortal eyes, and fitted to the most perfect state of the soul ? How near the nature of it is to a spirit, (and so, to the soul,) and how far they agree, or diffel, in substance, extensiveness, divisibility, or activity, little. do we know. (2.) Nor do we know where and how far Christ's body is pres- ent by extent. The sun is commonly taken forja body, and its, motive, illuminative, and calefactive beams, are, by the most prob- able philosophy, taken to'bea real emanant part ofits substance, and so that it is essentially asextensive as those beams ; that is, it at once filleth all our air, and toucheth the surface of the earth; and howmuch further it extendeth we cannot tell. And 'what difference there is between Christ's glorified body and the sun, in purity, splendor, extent, or .excellency of nature, little do poor mortals know : and so of the rest. Let no man, therefore, cavil, and say, ' How can a whole world of glorified bodies be all present with the one body of Christ, when each must possess its proper room?' for as the body of the solar beams, and the extensive air, are so compresent, as that none can discern the difference of the places which they possess, and a world ofbodies are present with them both, so may all our bodies be with Christ's body, and that without any real confusion. II. Besides presence with Christ, there will be . such an union as we cannot now distinctly know.. A political, relative union is, past doubt, such as subjects have in one kingdom with their king; but little know we how much more. We see that there is a won- derful corporeal continuity, or contact, among the material work§ of God; and the more spiritual, pure, and noble, the more inclina- tion each nature bath to union. Every plant on earth -bath an union with the whole. earth in which it liveth: they are real parts
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