Works (Vol 7) - Goodwin - VII - Book II concluded (Of the Creatures)

Required reading
The Works (Vol 7) by Thomas Goodwin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Book II (Of the Creatures) by reading Chapter 11.

My summary
Today we finish Goodwin's examination of the conveyance of an image by Adam and Christ to the posterity of each of them and the different manner of conveying it. 

Last week he showed us his first two points:
(i) What the state of Adam's body was when he was made a living soul;
(ii) How glorious the body of Christ was.

This week we see the third and last point: 'The third thing that I am to handle is this, to shew you that our bodies shall be conformed to Jesus Christ's body, that as we have borne the image of the earthly (which we all do in the bodies which we now have), so we shall bear the image of the heavenly ; for so the apostle reasoneth, ver. 49.'

Goodwin has four subpoints to open up his third main point:
'In laying open this, I shall do these four things by way of premise :
1. To shew you that it shall be the same body which we now have that our souls shall then dwell in. 
2. That this body shall have all its parts and members that now it hath. 
3. That all these parts and members shall have some use or other in heaven. And then, 
4. That this body shall be a spiritual body ; and open and interpret what is meant by a spiritual body ; and so I shall come to make out the comparison between the state of Adam's body at his first creation, and our bodies when they are thus raised up at latter day.'

The fourth subpoint is much lengthier than the other three subpoints.

What grabbed me
It's a shame to see this book come to an end.  Although I don't think I agreed with everything in today's reading.

I liked the application at the end: 'Secondly, Let those that do groan under weak bodies be comforted with the assurance of their being restored to a full vigour, health, and strength. The truth is, our bodies here, they do hinder us from a great deal of that very holiness we might have ; for holiness cannot be had without taking pains, and there is no pains doth spend the spirits and lick them up more than intention upon God and spiritual things. And besides all hindrances we have here, the very hindrances of these poor animal carcases of ours, which we have from Adam, hinder us as much or more than anything else.  And there is flesh and corruption that dwells in them, that inordinately carries them out to earthly things. Therefore let us ' groan,' as the apostle saith, ' for the redemption of our bodies,' whenas there will be no weariness, whenas all the suitableness that is now between earthly things and us will be done away ; we shall have new objects fitted for these bodies when made spiritual, that will no way hinder us from the vision of God, but rather further us in it. Weakness and imperfections of our bodies now hinder us very much from holiness, and to build holiness upon our weak and frail bodies, it is as the building of an house upon a quagmire. Let us therefore groan after that time ; and in the mean season, let us sanctify God in our hearts to the uttermost endeavour, waiting for that redemption, when we shall have bodies that shall need neither meat, nor drink, nor sleep, nor refreshing of spirits, all which are now temptations and interruptions to us.'

Groan for that new body!

Next week's reading
Commence 'Of gospel holiness in the heart and life' by beginning Book I and reading Chapters 1 and 2.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.