Chapter X
The positive ground or reason why a Christian desires dissolution is, that the weak and sinful life which he now lives may be swallowed up of an heavenly and eternal life.
That which is next to be considered is, the positive account of what is the
predominant reason and respect upon which we Christians groan for dis
solution. But for this we have in these words, that we would be clothed * Qu. have ? ED.
CHAP. X.] OF THE SAINTS IN GLORY. 405
upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life ; in which are two things to be attended.
1. His expressing of that glory upon dissolution under the same metaphor he had before taken up in ver. 2, and in the same sense and extent he had
there used it in. It is as if the apostle had said, The aim of us Christians
is not simply to die, and be unclothed, but that our souls be clothed upon with that glory which, upon our unclothing, is prepared for us ; he intend
ing clothing upon in the same and no other sense in this verse than he had used it in the second verse, this verse being a repetition of the sub
stance of that. How being
* clothed upon in that second verse respects the glory of the soul at dissolution, and is thus termed a clothing upon, in
respect unto the soul s first having been clothed with holiness in the time
of this life, as the preparation to it, I have before largely explained and
proved in the opening of that verse second, to which I refer the reader.
2. The second thing to be considered is, what is the issue or consequence, and likewise what is the aim, of being thus clothed upon ? It is to have
the mortality in which we live swallowed up of life ; which doth more really
explain what is the substance of the soul s aims in its groaning, than what
* clothed upon. Herein he speaks plainly, and not in parables or metaphors, and interprets what he means by clothing upon. For indeed this latter clause, mortality being swallowed up of life, doth swallow up into itself all that had been said of
[is] described under the dark metaphor of being
glory in the former words; for, 1, it oppositely answers unto the words,
* we groan being burdened. In the substance thereof is this word mor
tality, which is the opposite to this of life, and it includes and takes up into
itself all those burdens the soul had, under that word burdened, com
plained of, as the subject-matter it groans to have swallowed up and abo
lished. 2. These words, swallowed up of life, speak the whole spirit and
quintessence of that glory which that other metaphor, of being clothed upon, can be supposed to intend. It is life, says the apostle, pure life ; a life so
rich, so overflowingly abundant, as by the overcoming vehemency thereof
it doth in an instant consume all that is evil or mortal in the soul, and all
misery and imperfection appertaining to that condition which it had whilst
in the body.
There are two principles in a holy soul fore-mentioned which do carry
it forth unto these aspirements.
1. The grace and holiness it is clothed withal, ver. 2, 3, which, being but an imperfect preparation to glory, maketh it restless to be clothed upon
fully with that which is its sole perfection, even as naturally as matter
prepared and disposed useth to long after that form which it is prepared unto. And this is more plainly insinuated in the next verse: ver. 5,
* Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. It is what hath been wrought in us by God, that puts us upon this desire of being clothed upon.
2. The second principle upon which a Christian desires dissolution is, the taste which a soul hath already had of an heavenly life here, which the words groaning and desiring do import, that taste being the drawer forth of
those desires after a more full and perfect enjoyment of that life in God. Thus speaks the psalmist, if so be you have tasted how good the Lord is ; and to the same purpose he says in another place, Thy loving-kindness is
better than life. These sweet sippings the soul hath had : a little further
lift, says one, would have lift my soul to heaven. They do enthirst the
soul unsatisfiedly to desire to drink down the whole of that sweetness and
406 OF THE BLESSED STATE [CHAP. X.
blessedness that is in God, or rather (as the word here in the Greek sig
nifies) to be drunk up of that life itself, as a drop is by the ocean.
Thus you have seen the inwards of a Christian, the secretest workings of his heart and affections in his desires of death cut up before you, as by a two-edged sword, that divides between the negative, what not, and the
affirmative, which declares what are a Christian s principal motives herein. This gives demonstration of the nobleness of a Christian spirit ; and the
apostle turns this naming sword both ways. And indeed then a matter comes to be fully cleared, when that which is spurious, false, and counter
feit, and yet hath an appearance of truth, is separated from what is true and genuine ; which our apostle hath here performed, even as in other
affections (to discover the spiritualness of them) it is his wont to do. Thus
in point of godly sorrow and mourning for sin (which is a most spiritual
disposition, when rightly stated, as it flows in a Christian s heart), in this
very Epistle, he thus speaks, chap. vii. 9, 10, I rejoice not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry to repentance, for ye were made
sorry after a godly manner. It is turned both ways, you see (even as
here), negatively and affirmatively, so to express with all clearness the
genuine spiritual temper of that grace, with difference from all other sorrow, though for sin. And both alike are distinguished ; this here, and that of
* that ye were made
godly sorrow there. I rejoice, says he, not simply
sorry, although it were for sin ; and in like manner says he here, not for
that we would be unclothed, as simply so considered, or merely to be eased
of our burden ; so the negative in both are parallel. And then there giving the true and proper positive ground of that sorrow, he says that he rejoiced that they sorrowed after a godly manner. And here in this text he
answerably gives the positive ground of a Christian s groaning, viz., to be
clothed upon, and swallowed up of life. And thus the positive principle in both are parallel also. And so that text of 2 Cor. vii. 9, 10 most aptly serves to illustrate this text of 2 Cor. v. 4.
The interpretation of these words, that mortality might be swallowed up of life, will best be managed by way of assoiling or answer to one of the
greatest difficulties or objections that doth or may occur against this inter
pretation of mine, which I have again and again given an objection which hath even almost universally induced interpreters to another exposition.
The first difficulty or objection lies thus, that this phrase is used of the
: 1 Cor. xv. 54, When this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death shall be swallowed up in victory. And therefore, say they, this
resurrection of the body
verse must be intended of the change of the body at the resurrection (for that is the argument the apostle treats of in that chapter, and thereunto is
this speech of swallowing up applied) ; even then when there will be the
last and total change and consummation of all mortality whatsoever. And the word
* swallowing up imports with it also both a sudden and a complete change, a totality, a consummation, which is not made of all mortality until
the resurrection. And I confess that ^stius his so pungent urging the
parallel of the phrases there and here, that the phrase there carrying it to
the general resurrection, therefore it should be so here, did the most stick with me of all objections else to move me to think that the glory of the
resurrection should only be intended in this place also. It is also to be
considered that it is the body which is in common acceptation the sole sub
ject of mortality, as here the word is translated ; as also that until that
day there is not a final swallowing up of mortality.
CHAP. X.] OF THE SAINTS IN GLORY. 407
But on the other hand I found that there is at death a mortal,
T>> ^vvjrov, and that which truly and in a most just sense is to be termed a death, which
at dissolution is done away ; yea, and a far greater death than what is
removed at the resurrection of our dead bodies. And this death is then
swallowed up with as much suddenness, and with as great a vehemency of
power, as shall in the resurrection be put forth upon our bodies. And this
death is then swallowed up by a life which is transcendently such, and only
deserves, in some respects, the name of life ; and into which now at disso
lution the soul is taken up, and swallowed up withal. These considerations made me still adhere to this my interpretation. It may be farther added,
that this phrase swallowed up, &c., here, is at least as applicable unto
the change made upon the soul at death, as it is unto the change made
upon our bodies at the resurrection ; and, indeed, is to be applied and
intended of both. For if Calvin says it is uncertain of the two which was
meant (although he professeth to incline unto our interpretation) through out the whole of the apostle s discourse, then I dare be bold to say, if
both may be meant, then both should be. It is and hath been a certain
rule with me, that when a scripture doth equally, or some way alike, per
pend or incline towards two acceptations of the words, and so may take in
two senses that are not repugnant, that then it is to be in a latitude taken
in both.
I shall therefore demonstrate that at dissolution there is a mortality swallowed up of life ; and so the words are applicable as well unto the con
dition of the soul then, as at the resurrection they are applicable to the
condition of the body.
1. In these words, this mortal, we have the thing said to be swallowed
up. And by reason of this word, those who are for the other interpreta
tion think they have an advantage for them, because the soul is immortal, and so it cannot be said of it that mortality is swallowed up of life. But
most properly of the body at the resurrection, that phrase or words may be
used.
But although the soul in the substance of it be immortal, yet take the
condition of life which it now leads whilst in this tabernacle, and it may be
most truly said it hath a mortality adhering to it, yea, inhering in it as the
adjunct of it. There is a mortal state the person is in ; there is an animal
life, as one calls it ; there is a dying life, a life of death, in which as to^ a
great part the soul now lives. And it is the present state, or this dying life
of the soul, which he here speaks of. For,
1. He speaks of that which we have in this tabernacle We that are
in this tabernacle and so whilst we are in this tabernacle, we have a
mortal body which we carry about with us, which shall be swallowed up.
It is the present mortal body afore dissolution, as much as that future
mortality after in the grave, he first points us unto.
2. What he had in the foregoing sentence expressed by burdens that
accompanied this life, the same he intends and comprehends under the
notion and name of mortal. And it is as if he had said, It is this mortal
rhat is implied in both these expressions is
life that so burdens us. Yv
that one and the same thing, though under two several words, which we
groan at, longing to exchange them for the abundancy of that other life. And thus all the frailties and miseries that are now the adjuncts or tributes
of this life, come into the total of this mortal life. For,
3. It is termed so, as it is set in opposition unto that other life (of which
it is swallowed up), that which is life only, and only deserves the name of
408 OF THE BLESSED STATE [CHAP. X.
life, the true and eternal life, life indeed. And as all those happinesses and blessednesses, that are the concomitants of that state, are termed
* life, so all the contrary miseries of this present sorry life we lead in the flesh, are comparatively termed a mortal life, or a dying condition. And yfu may observe how in that 1 Cor. xv. mortal there is set in opposition unto immortality, because the subject there that is said to be mortal are the dead bodies of saints, which are by the resurrection made immortal. But here it is opposed unto life in the quintessence of what is life. It is opposed to pure life, to the substance of eternal life, whereof the soul, we
all know, is the immediate and most proper subject. And therefore
oppositely this mortal or miserable life, which the soul leads in this body whilst we are in this tabernacle, is that which is stated
* the mortal here ; insomuch as though the soul itself is an immortal spirit, yet the life it leads and lives in this body is (set those small twinklings of the life of grace aside) but a mortal, frail, dying life, that deserves the name of death rather than of life, which a gracious soul, being sensible of, therefore desires, and
groans after this next change. In our ordinary language we use to say of
dying, that it is the change of a mortal life for an immortal life.
Other proofs out of other scriptures for the analogy of this phrase are many. Consult that first fatal sentence against us, Gen. ii. 17, That day thou eatest, thou shalt surely die. Did not Adam live after his eating the forbidden fruit nine hundred and thirty years ? how is he then said to have died that very day ? The meaning is, that from that day he entered into a state of a mortal life, insomuch as his whole life was but a lingering death, in regard of the frailties, miseries, and sorrows of it. It is the
language also up and down in this very epistle. Every danger a man is
exposed unto is termed a death. In the very chapter afore my text, We that live are always delivered to death, chap. iv. 11 ; in deaths oft, chap. xi. 28. The like we have 1 Cor. ix. 10.* Every sickness is a little death, for it tends to death ; so every cross. All worldly sorrow of heart is a mortal thing, and so expressed, 2 Cor. vii. 10, Worldly sorrow causeth death ; and sometimes it presently kills, as Nabal s heart died within him, 1 Sam. xxv. 87. Every worldly, carnal sigh and sorrow is a step towards death. Every infirmity hath a mortality in it, and gives a stroke
at life ; for it is not the last blow fells the tree, but each, yea, every small one that takes away the least chip. Solomon hereupon plainly terms this
present life a sick life ; yea, Eccles. iv. 2, he terms it a life worse than death : Wherefore, says he, I praised the dead, which are already dead, more than the living, which are yet alive ; that is, I commended and valued the condition of a man that is outright dead, and put out of his pain, rather than of men living, but as between death and life, all whose motions are but throes to death, as those of a fish out of the water, its element. Now, forasmuch as he prefers death, his meaning evidently is that their life, in
respect of the miseries that accompany it, hath in a true estimate more of what may be justly termed death than the mortal state of their tabernacle. So then, to be sure, there is mortal enough in both these respects, which is fit matter to be swallowed up of life, and this at a godly man s
dissolution.
I shall next consider the other phrase, swallowed up, which also is as
fitly applicable to this change at death, whether we consider the suddenness of it, or the perfection of the attainments of the soul thereupon ; both which
this word imports as fully as it can be supposed to import them both at
* Qu. rr. 31 ? ED.
CHAP. X.] OF THE SAINTS IN GLOKY.
the resurrection in 1 Cor. xiii. 10, When that which is perfect is come, then
that which is in part shall be done away. The word KaraoyvQfasrai is else
where translated destroyed, abolished. Thus in Rom. vi. 6, the apostle
speaking there of the body of death which was crucified with Christ, says
* be destroyed, which is at once suddenly, totally, perfectly done at
it is to
death. And in the 8th verse of this 1 Cor. xiii. it is rendered vanished.
As the shadows do when the light comes in upon them, they disappear
suddenly, in a moment, and perfectly. Thus that phrase there, done
away, and swallowed up here, are in effect all one ; only there it is
applied unto a doing away of what is imperfect, by a full perfection coming
in upon it ; even as the imperfect light of the very first dawn (if the sun
were supposed to rise the next moment after that dawn) would be done
away and swallowed up into perfect light in an instant. But this swallowing
up here is applied also unto miseries, and frailties, and corruptions ; but
the thing or matter itself comes all to one. For if there come in upon us
such a perfection as doth away in an instant all imperfections of gifts and
graces, and renders them perfect (whereof that speech, 1 Cor. xiii., is
intended), then, to be sure, corruptions are done away together therewith,
or else their graces would not be made perfect, as at death they are said to
be by this life succeeding.
If the question be, Whether what is spoken in 1 Cor. xiii. be intended
of the time of dissolution ?
The answer is fair on our side. For he speaks of that time when faith
: ver. 12, Now we see through a glass
ceaseth and is turned into sight
darkly (namely, by faith) ; but then face to face : now I know but in part; but then shall I know, even also as I am known. And now abideth faith.
But then faith, and the knowledge by faith, are done away, ver. 8. Now
bring these words to the words of the apostle, in what follows my text.
2 Cor. v. 7, Whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the
Lord : for we walk by faith, and not by sight ; and so are absent, not
* absent from the
seeing, as we are seen, face to face. But when we are
body, and present with the Lord, as ver. 8, then, as those that are pre
sent, we see face to face. So then, both places do speak of dying, and of
the change that is made then : in the one, imperfections are said to be done
away by what is perfect, and accordingly their souls are termed, spirits made perfect, Heb. xii. 23 ; in this other, all miseries and burdens of a
mortal life and condition are swallowed up. Thus then the phrase is
matched, and that by the like (and indeed for substance the same) ; and
that too in respect of the time of dissolution.
What is it that this mortal is swallowed up of ? It is swallowed up of
life. And upon a strict and narrow view and consideration, it will appear
that it is more proper to apply this to the change of the soul at dissolution,
than to that of the body at the resurrection. For what life is it ? r^g wfoi
that life, the text calls it, that which only is true life : This is eternal life,
to know thee the only true God, and him whom thou hast sent, John xvii. And 1 John v. 20, This is the true God, eternal life. God and Christ is
this life, who is the fountain of life : and your life is hid with Christ in
God, Col. iii. 3. And of this life it is that the soul, the immortal spirit in
man, is the immediate and proper subject, and capable thereof. The body hath but an overflow of it, viz., the shine of that brightness of glory which
is in the soul, as the lantern shines with the light that is put into it ;
within the body is but a glory suitable to its capacity, as it is a body ; but
it is our hearts shall live for ever, as Christ promiseth as the effect of
410 OF THE BLESSED STATE [CHAP. X.
his death, Ps. xxii. 26. Now if it be such a pure life that is here said to swallow up this mortal (in the sense it hath been interpreted in), then that
change which is made upon the single soul itself at death, when the soul alone exists, lies more fair to be intended. For this expression of life
nakedly and barely speaks the very spirit and quintessence of that happi ness which it then singly enjoys. It is a pure life of living in God, as knowing him, and seeing him face to face. You may observe in that 1 Cor.
xv., when the change of the body is insisted on (whether the change of them that are alive, or of them that are dead, raised by a resurrection out of the grave), that there he expresseth that change of the body by an adjunct that is proper to the body
* This mortal, says he,
* shall put on immor
tality ; this corruptible, incorruption ; which are the opposite attributes of the old and new bodies : mortal and corruptible of the old, and immortality and incorruption of the new. But here he instead thereof says, life, that
life (as hath been said) which is the proper happiness of the soul. Yor-
stius,* who is of the other opinion, and would draw this verse and all the rest unto the change of the body, because of this word mortal, seems yet aware of this, and therefore takes on him to correct the apostle in his
speech or saying, being swallowed up of life. It should be rather (says he) swallowed up of immortality, because that word would carry it to the
change of the body. But, by his leave, the apostle, as on purpose, changeth the word in this Second Epistle, from what he had used in his First Epistle, and says, swallowed up of life; and life imports the substance, the essence of life, but immortality a continuance of that life. The one is the subject, the other the adjunct, and therefore these are mentioned as distinct, 2 Tim. i. 10. And it doth indeed most elegantly and lively set out this great change of the soul s life made at death, that whereas, whilst it was in this taber
nacle, it lived a sick, dying, mortal life ; for it is then taken up into the
great element and fountain, both of souls and of life, to live in God, who is the Father of spirits and great element of souls, from whom they came and unto whom they return (as sparks do to their native element of fire) ; and who is the fountain of life (as the psalmist calls him), yea, life itself. So as by their being taken up unto him, they are of him, and by him, and into him swallowed up, even as darkness is swallowed up of light; and indeed in him is light, and no darkness at all, no death, no frailty, no sin. And therefore no sooner is a poor soul coming forth of the body, having yet had in itself (to that very instant) a body of death cleaving to it (like one of the palsy, half of him is dead, yea, quite dead), but this abundancy of life that is in God instantly shales off, works out all that filth, frailty, misery, and purifies and makes the soul white and perfect, and renders it to be all
life, and joys, and activity in God, and it doth this in an instant; even as, on the contrary, men s natural spirits are licked up by a blast of lightning, or as
if you should see a lump of metal, full of dross cleaving to it, cast into an hot furnace (made so vehemently hot as those are when bells are cast), you would see that fire in an instant purge away and consume all that dross, swallow it up, and assimilate the metal into itself, that the metal itself would appear all of it as fire itself. My brethren, this life of ordinances, and that communion we have with God therein, is but a dull furnace, our
lusts melt slowly ; yea, it is long ere we can get our hearts to melt in sorrow for them ; but this furnace of God s immediate presence, arrived unto at death, is a quick and fiery forge : melts, dissolves, separates the * Vorstius in locum.
CHAP. XI.] OF THE SAINTS IN GLORY. 411
soul from all its dross, imperfection, corruption, and quits it of all in an
instant ; and further, makes as great a change in it as if you should see
a diamond taken out (if you could suppose the sun had that virtue) of
mud, and from a sink, and made to shine a glorious star in heaven ; to
express all which the apostle most happily chose out this word, swallowed
up of life.
I shall conclude, that if we will rightly and truly judge in this matter
between these two, 1 Cor. xv. and this of 2 Cor. v., we must be sure
to take and put these two together, both mortal and swallowed up, &c. And if we compare that mortal that is swallowed up at death, with
that mortal that is swallowed up at the resurrection, we shall find that at
death there is a greater mortal (observe how I pitch on that) that is as a
sacrifice to be swallowed up then, than there is by the resurrection. For
here is a body of sin and death swallowed up, besides all the casualties,
calamities, miseries, obnoxiousnesses to sorrows, which, as so many mortal wounds that fester, will make an end of and swallow up this poor life in
the end. But at the resurrection all the mortal that is swallowed up, is
but the body taken out of its dust. There is no other mortal but this to bo
done away then ; for all these other mortals were taken away afore, at and
upon the soul s departure from the body ; and there is no other mortality then remaining to be swallowed up but this of the body only. I confess,
indeed, that in this respect, that change at the resurrection will excel, inas much as it is the last act, and the consummation of all ; and that then both
soul and body will have a greater access and state of life and glory than
the soul whilst separate had ; yet still there will not be so great a swallow
ing up of so great mortality as there is at death, nor will it fitly be said
that the life of the soul (that had a perfection of grace and glory afore the
resurrection) is then swallowed up of life in so high comparison unto what
it had afore ; but with respect of sinful corruption and mortality abolished, and so of spiritual life induced into the soul, there is at death that differ
ence as will justly bear the style of a being swallowed up of life. And it is
as sudden a change, and by as strong and vehement a power wrought in us,
as at the resurrection.