7. Though indeed the welfare
even of the body is then more providently consulted for if its
temporal life and welfare be disregarded for righteousness’ sake,
and its pain or death most patiently for righteousness’ sake
endured. Since it is of the body’s redemption which is to be in
the end, that the Apostle speaks, where he says, “Even we
ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting the adoption of sons, the
redemption of our body.”2635
Then he subjoins, “For in
hope
are we
saved. But
hope which is seen is not
hope: for what a man
seeth, why doth he also
hope for? But if what we see not we
hope
for, we do by
patience wait for it.” When therefore any ills do
torture us indeed, yet not
extort from us
ill works, not only is
the
soul possessed through
patience; but even when through
patience
the body itself for a time is
afflicted or lost, it is unto
eternal
stability and
salvation resumed, and hath through
grief and
death
an inviolable
health and
happy immortality laid up for itself.
Whence the
Lord Jesus exhorting his Martyrs to
patience, hath
promised of the very body a future
perfect entireness, without
loss, I say not of any limb, but of a single
hair. “Verily I say
unto you,” saith He, “a
hair of your head shall not
perish.”
2636
That so,
because, as the
Apostle says, “no man ever
hated his own
flesh,”
2637
a
faithful
man may more by patience than by impatience take vigilant care for
the state of his flesh, and find amends for its present losses, how
great soever they may be, in the inestimable gain of future
incorruption.
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