Monday, July 6, 2009

The Temple of the Holy Spirit

Your bodies are the members of
Christ....and the temple of the Holy Ghost.

Man consists of soul and body; by baptism he
is made a member of that same mystical body, the Church,
of which Christ is the head:
In baptism both the soul and body are consecrated to God:

they are made the temple of the Holy Ghost, inasmuch as the
spirit and grace of God inhabits in men, who are sanctified.

Christ redeemed both our souls and bodies, both which he designs to
sanctify, and to glorify hereafter in heaven;
so that we must look upon both body and soul
as belonging to Christ, and not as our own. ---

Shall I, then, taking the members of
Christ, make them the members of an harlot,
by a shameful and unlawful commerce? ---
Fly fornication.

Such sins are chiefly to be avoided by flight, and by avoiding the
occasions and temptations. Other sins are not committed by such an injury done to the
body, but by an abuse of something else, that is different from the body, but by fornication
and sins of uncleanness, the body itself is defiled and dishonoured, whereas the body
ought to be considered as if it were not our own, being redeemed by our Saviour Christ,
consecrated to him, with an expectation of a happy resurrection, and of being glorified in
heaven. Endeavour, therefore, to glorify God in your body, by employing it in his service,
and bear him in your body by being obedient to his will. (Witham)

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