Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ

1. THE Soul upon its Departure from the Body, is immediately freed from all the Weakness, Disability, Darkness, Uncertainties and Fears, which were impressed on it from the Flesh; wherewith it was in the strictest Union. The Image of the first Adam as fallen, is then abolished. Yea, it is not only freed from all irregular sinful Distempers cleaving to our Nature as corrupted, but from all those sinless Grievances and Infirmities which belong unto the Original Constitution of it. This necessarily ensues on the Dissolution of the Person in order unto a blessed State. The first entrance by Mortality into Immortality, is a step towards Glory. The ease which a blessed Soul finds in a deliverance from this Encumbrance, is a Door of entrance into eternal Rest. Such a change is made in that, which in it self is the Centre of all Evil, namely Death, that it is made a means of freeing us from all the Remainders of what is evil.

1. THE Soul upon its Departure from the Body, is immediately freed fom all the Weakness, Disability, Darkness, Uncertainties and Fears, which were impressed on it from the Flesh; wherewith it was in the strictest Union. The Image of the first Adam as fallen, is then abolished. Yea, it is not only freed from all irregular sinful Distempers cleaving to our Nature as corrupted, but from all those sinless Grievances and Infirmities which belong unto the Original Constitution of it. This necessarily ensues on the Dissolution of the Person in order unto a blessed State. The first entrance by Mortality into Immortallity, is a step towards Glory. The ease which a blessed Soul finds in a deliverance from this Encumbrance, is a Door of entrance into eternal Rest. Such a change is made in that, which in it self is the Center of all Evil, namely Death, that it is made a means of freeing us from all the Remainders of what is evil.

FOR this doth not follow absolutely on the Nature of the thing it self. A mere Dissolution of our Natures can bring no Advantage with it, especially as it is a part of the Curse. But it is from the Sanctification of it by the Death of Christ. Hereby that which was Gods Ordinance for the Infliction of Judgment, becomes an effectual Means for the Communication of Mercy, 1 Cor. 5. 22. Chap. 15. 54. It is by virtue of the Death of Christ alone, that the Souls of Believers are freed by Death from all impressions of Sin, Infirmity and Evils, which they have had from the Flesh, which were their Burden, under which they groaned all their Days. No Man knows in any measure the Excellency of this Privilege, and the Dawnings of Glory which are in it, who hath not been wearied, and even worn out, through long conflicting with the Body of Death. The Soul hereon being freed from all Annoyances, all Impressions from the Flesh, is expedite and enlarged unto the Exercise of all its gracious Faculties, as we shall see immediately.