A Golden Chain

And though the body rot in the grave, or be eaten of worms, or of fishes in the sea, or burnt to ashes, yet that will not be unto us a matter of discomfort, if we do well consider the ground of all grace, namely, our conjunction with Christ. It is indeed a spiritual and yet a most real conjunction. And we must not imagine that our souls alone are joined to the body or soul of Christ, but the whole person of man both in body and soul is joined and united to whole Christ. And when we are once joined to Christ in this mortal life by the bond of the spirit, we shall remain and continue eternally joined with him: and this union once truly made shall never be dissolved. Hence it follows, that although the body be severed from the soul in death, yet neither body nor soul are severed from Christ, but the very body rotting in the grave, drowned in the sea, burned to ashes, abides still united to him, and is as truly a member of Christ then as before. This point we must remember as the foundation of all our comfort, and hold it for ever as a truth. For look what was the condition of Christ in death, the same or the like is the condition of all his members. Now the condition of Christ was this, though his body & soul were severed each from other as far as heaven & the grave, yet neither of them were severed from the godhead of the Son, but both did in death subsist in his person. And therefore though our bodies and souls be pulled asunder by natural or violent death, yet neither of them no not the body it self shall be severed and disjoined from Christ. It will be alleged, that if the body were then united to Christ, it should live and be quickened in the grave. Ans. Not so: when a mans arm or leg is taken with the dead palsy, it receives little or no heat, life, sense, or motion from the body: and yet notwithstanding it remains still a member of the body, because the flesh and the bone of it remain joined to the flesh and the bone of the body: even so may the body remain a member of Christ, though for some space of time it receive neither sense nor motion nor life from the soul or from the spirit of Christ.

And though the bodie rotte in the graue, or be eaten of wormes, or of fishes in the sea, or burnt to ashes, yet that will not be vnto vs a matter of discomfort, if we doe well consider the ground of all grace, namely, our coniunction with Christ. It is indeede a spirituall and yet a most reall coniunction. And we must not imagine that our soules alone are ioyned to the bodie or soule of Christ, but the whole person of man both in bodie and soule is ioyned and vnited to whole Christ. And when we are once ioyned to Christ in this mortall life by the bond of the spirit, we shall remaine and continue eternally ioyned with him: and this vnion once truly made shall neuer be dissolued. Hence it followes, that although the bodie be seuered from the soule in death, yet neither bodie nor soule are seuered from Christ, but the very body rotting in the graue, drowned in the sea, burned to ashes, abides still vnited to him, and is as truly a member of Christ then as before. This point we must remember as the foundation of all our comfort, and hold it for euer as a truth. For looke what was the condition of Christ in death, the same or the like is the condition of al his mēbers. Now the cōditiō of Christ was this, though his body & soule were seuered each frō other as far as heauen & the graue, yet neither of them were seuered frō the godhead of the Sonne, but both did in death subsist in his person. And therefore though our bodies and soules be pulled asunder by naturall or violent death, yet neither of them no not the bodie it selfe shall be seuered and disioyned from Christ. It will be alleadged, that if the bodie were then vnited to Christ, it should liue and be quickned in the graue. Ans. Not so: when a mans arme or legge is taken with the dead palsie, it receiues litle or no heat, life, sense, or motion from the bodie: and yet notwithstanding it remaines still a membrr of the bodie, because the flesh and the bone of it remain ioined to the flesh and the bone of the bodie: euen so may the body remaine a member of Christ, though for some space of time it receiue neither sense nor motion nor life from the soule or from the spirit of Christ.