Ói BAXTaR'S DYING THOUGHTS. of it. And what natural conjunction our bodies shall have to Christ's, and what influence from it, is past our knowledge. Though'his similitudes in John xv. and vi. and Eph. v. and1 Cor. seem to extend far, yet, being but similitudes, we cannot fully know how far. The same, variatis variandis, we may say of our union with Christ's human soul. Seeing souls are more inclinable to union than bodies, when we see all vegetables to be united parts of one earth, and yet to have each one its proper individuating form and matter, we cannot, though animals seem to walk more disjunct, imagine that there is no kind of union or conjunction of invisible souls; though they retain their several substances and forms; nor yet that our bodies shall have a nearer union with Christ's body than our souls with his soul. But the nature, manner, and meas- ure of it, we know not. Far be it from us to think that Christ'sglorified, spiritual body, is such in forms, parts, and dimensions, as his earthly body was. That it hath hands, feet, brains, heart, stomach, liver, intestines, as on earth; or that it is such a compound ofearth, water, and air,. as here it was, and of such confined extent; for then, as his dis- ciples and a few Jews only were present with him, and all the world besides were absent, and had none of his company, so it would be in heaven. But it is such as not only Paul, but all true believers in the world, from the creation to the end, shall be with Christ and see his. glory : and though inequalityof fitness,or degrees ofholiness, will make an inequality of glory, no man can prove an inequality; by local distance, from Christ; or, if such there be,-- for itis beyond our reach, yet none in heaven are at such a distance from him as not to enjoy .the' felicity of his presence. Therefore, when we dispute against them that hold transubstan- tiation, and the ubiquity of Christ's body, we .do' assuredly con- clude that sense is judge, whether there be real bread and wine present or not; but it is nojudge, whether Christ's spiritual body be present or not, no more than whether an angel be present. Andwe conclude that Christ's body is not infinite, or immense, as is his Godhead; but what are its dimensions, limits, or extent, and where it is absent, far be it from us to determine, when we cannot tell how far the sun extendeth its secondary substance, or emanant beams ; nor well what locality is as to Christ's soul, or any spirit, if to a spiritual body. Their fear is vain and carnal, who are afraid lest their union with Christ, or one another, will be too near; even lest thereby they lose their individuation, as rivers that fall into the sea, or ex, tinguished candles, whose fire is after but a sunbeam, or part of the common element of fire in the air, or as the vegetative spirits
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