For we know, if our earthly house of this habitation be dissolved, that we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in heaven.

“Now the followers of Origen bring forward this passage, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved," and so forth, to disprove the resurrection of the body, saying that the "tabernacle" is the body, and the "house not made with hands" "in the heavens" is our spiritual clothing. Therefore, says the holy Methodius, by this earthly house must metaphorically be understood our short-lived existence here, and not this tabernacle; for if you decide to consider the body as being the earthly house which is dissolved, tell us what is the tabernacle whose house is dissolved? For the tabernacle is one thing, and the house of the tabernacle another, and still another we who have the tabernacle. "For," he says, "if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved"—by which he points out that the souls are ourselves, that the body is a tabernacle, and that the house of the tabernacle figuratively represents the enjoyment of the flesh in the present life. If, then, this present life of the body be dissolved like a house, we shall have that which is not made with hands in the heavens.”

“Again he arouses their zeal because many trials drew on. For it was likely that they, in consequence of his absence, were weaker in respect to this [need]. What then saith he? One ought not to wonder that we suffer affliction; nor to be confounded, for we even reap many gains thereby. And some of these he mentioned before; for instance, that we "bear about the dying of Jesus," and present the greatest proof of His power: for he says, "that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God:" and we exhibit a clear proof of the Resurrection, for, says he, "that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh." But since along with these things he said that our inward man is thus made better also; for "though our outward man is decaying," saith he, "yet the inward man is renewed day by day;" showing again that this being scourged and persecuted is proportionately useful, he adds, that when this is done thoroughly, then the countless good things will spring up for those who have endured these things. For lest when thou hearest that thy outward man perishes, thou shouldest grieve; he says, that when this is completely effected, then most of all shalt thou rejoice and shalt come unto a better inheritance. So that not only ought not one to grieve at its perishing now in part, but even earnestly to seek for the completion of that destruction, for this most conducts thee to immortality. Wherefore also he added, "For we know, that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved: we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." For since he is urging again the doctrine of the Resurrection in respect to which they were particularly unsound; he calls; in aid the judgment of his hearers also, and so establishes it; not however in the same way as before, but, as it were, arriving at it out of another subject: (for they had been already corrected:) and says, "We know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Some indeed say that the 'earthly house' is this world; But I should maintain that he alludes rather to the body. But observe, I pray, how by the terms [he uses,] he shows the superiority of the future things to the present. For having said "earthly" he hath opposed to it "the heavenly;" having said, "house of tabernacle," thereby declaring both that it is easily taken to pieces and is temporary, he hath opposed to it the "eternal," for the name "tabernacle" often times denotes temporariness. Wherefore He saith, "In My Father's house are many abiding places." But if He anywhere also calls the resting places of the saints tabernacles; He calls them not tabernacles simply, but adds an epithet; for he said not, that "they may receive you" into their tabernacles, but "into the eternal tabernacles." Moreover also in that he said, "not made with hands," he alluded to that which was made with hands. What then? Is the body made with hands? By no means; but he either alludes to the houses here that are made with hands, or if not this, then he called the body which is not made with hands, 'a house of tabernacle.' For he has not used the term in antithesis and contradistinction to this, but to heighten those eulogies and swell those commendations.”

“Should anyone say that the cause of vices and evil habits lies in the flesh because when the soul is influenced by the flesh it lives in such a manner, he cannot have sufficiently considered human nature as a whole.… But notice that the apostle who, in discussing the corruptible body, had used the words "even though our outer man is decaying," goes on, a little further, to declare: "For we know that if the earthly house in which we dwell be destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made by human hands, eternal in the heavens." … On the one hand, our corruptible body may be a burden on our soul; on the other hand, the cause of this encumbrance is not in the nature and substance of the body. Therefore, aware as we are of its corruption, we do not desire to be divested of the body but rather to be clothed with its immortality. In immortal life we shall have a body, but it will no longer be a burden since it will no longer be corruptible.”

“The Apostle Paul, then, speaks to this effect: For we know that if the earthly house of our Tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, in the heavens, in order that he may show that the earthly state here shall be dissolved, but that the future state, which is also a heavenly, is indissoluble and eternal.”

“After the Apostle commended the ministry of the new testament, both as to its dignity and as to its use, he consequently here commends it as to its reward; although he treated of the reward in some respect, in some way and incompletely, above, here nonetheless he treats of this completely. Concerning this he does three things. For first he treats of the reward; second, of the preparation and the reception of the reward, at "and therefore we strive whether," etc.; third, of the cause of both, namely of the preparation and of the reward which is awaited, at "but all things are of God, who reconciled," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the reward that is awaited; second he expresses the desire for the awaited reward, at "for in this we groan," etc. But because the reward which is awaited is inestimable, namely of heavenly glory, he therefore says "we know that," etc., as if to say, according to the Gloss, that it truly works in us a weight of glory, because this glory will be in the bodies, not only in the souls. "For," that is, because; "we know," that is, we are certain, because we already have it in hope, "that if our earthly house," that is, the body. For man, as has been said, is called mind, since it is the more principal part in man; and this mind is related to the body as a man is related to a house. For just as, when a house is destroyed, the man inhabiting it is not destroyed but remains, so, when the body is destroyed, the mind or rational soul is not destroyed, but remains. The earthly body, therefore, is called "the house of habitation," that is, in which we dwell. Job 4:19: "who dwell in houses of clay," etc. "Be dissolved," that is, be destroyed. "We know," I say, that we have "a building," that is, an edifice, "from God," that is, prepared by God. An edifice, I say, "a house not made with hands," that is, not by the work of man, nor by the work of nature, but an incorruptible body, which we shall assume; and this indeed is not made with hands, because incorruptibility in our bodies comes only from divine operation. Phil. 3:21: "he will reform the body of our lowliness," etc. "An eternal house," that is, a house prepared from eternity. Isa. 33:20: "a tabernacle that shall by no means be destroyed, in the heavens." Matt. 5:12: "your reward is abundant in heaven." This exchange, namely that in place of the earthly house they should have the heavenly, Job desired, saying in chapter 14:14: "all the days in which I now serve as a soldier." This exposition is according to the Gloss. But nevertheless it is not according to the apostolic sense, nor does it agree with what precedes or what follows. For since he has one continuous subject matter of which he speaks, he does not interpose another. And therefore let us see what the Apostle intends to say. Now it must be known that the Apostle wishes here to show that the saints reasonably endure tribulations, by which the present life is corrupted, because from this they immediately arrive at glory—not at a glorious body, as is said in the Gloss. And therefore he says: "therefore we have endured, for," that is, because, "we know," that is, we hold for certain, "that if our earthly house of this habitation," that is, the body, "be dissolved," that is, be corrupted through death, "we have," immediately, not in hope but in reality, a better house, namely a building, "a house not made with hands," that is, heavenly glory, not a glorious body. Of this house, moreover, it is said in John 14:2: "in my Father's house there are many mansions," etc. And this indeed is from God, not made with hands, because eternal glory is God himself. Ps. 30:3: "be to me a protecting God, and a house," etc. And "eternal," according to the letter, because God himself is eternal. "In heaven," that is, in the heights, because as soon as the body is corrupted, the holy soul attains this glory not in hope, but in reality. For even before the body is dissolved, we have this house in hope. Thus, therefore, the reward of the saints is admirable and desirable, because it is heavenly glory. Therefore he consequently subjoins the desire of the saints for this reward, saying "for in this we groan," etc. Where he does three things. First he expresses the desire of grace for the reward itself; second he shows that the desire of grace is retarded by the desire of nature, at "for we also who are in this tabernacle," etc.; third he shows how the desire of grace conquers the desire of nature, at "being confident therefore," etc. But the desire of grace is with fervor. "For in this we groan," etc., as if to say: this is the true proof that we have a house not made with hands, because if the desire of nature is not in vain, much less is the desire of grace in vain. Since, therefore, we have a most fervent desire of grace for heavenly glory, it is impossible that it should be in vain. And this is what he says, "we groan," that is, we desire by groaning, "in this"—that is, we being retarded in the desire of the soul. Ps. 119:5: "woe is me, that my sojourning," etc. For in that we are "desiring," that is, we desire, "to be clothed upon with our habitation," that is, the enjoyment of glory, "which is from heaven," that is, heavenly; which is called "habitation" because in that very glory the saints dwell as in their consolation. Matt. 25:21-23: "enter into the joy of your lord." But by saying "to be clothed upon," he gives to understand that that heavenly house, of which he had spoken above, is not something separated from man, but something inhering in man. For a man is not said to put on a house, but a garment; a house, however, someone is said to inhabit. These two, therefore, he joins together, saying "to be clothed upon with the habitation," by which he shows that that desire is for something inhering, because it is put on, and something containing and exceeding, because it is inhabited. But because he did not simply say "to be clothed," but "to be clothed upon," he subjoins the reason for his statement, saying "if so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked." As if to say: if the soul were clothed with the heavenly habitation in such a way that it were not stripped of the earthly habitation, that is, our body were not corrupted through death, then the heavenly acquisition of that habitation would be a clothing-upon. But because it is necessary that it be emptied of the earthly habitation, in order that it be clothed with the heavenly, it cannot be called a clothing-upon, but a simple clothing. And therefore he says "if so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked," as if to say: we would indeed be clothed upon, if we were found clothed, and not naked. For one who is naked is not said to be clothed upon, but only clothed. The Gloss, however, expounds otherwise, concerning a spiritual garment, saying: we desire to be clothed upon, which indeed will come to pass, yet on this condition, if we are found clothed, namely with virtues, and not naked, namely of virtues. Of these garments it is said in Col. 3:12: "put on, as the elect of God," etc. As if to say: no one will arrive at that glory, unless he has the virtues. This exposition, indeed, does not seem to agree with the intention of the Apostle. Thus, therefore, the desire of grace is fervent for the reward, but nevertheless it is retarded by the desire of nature, which he shows when he says "for while we are in this tabernacle," etc. Where first he sets down the condition of the natural desire; second he shows that even this state of the natural desire is from God, at "now he that works us," etc. Now the condition of the desire is a natural one retarding the desire of grace, because we would wish to be found clothed and not naked, that is, we would wish in such a way that the soul might arrive at glory, that the body not be corrupted through death. The reason for which is that a natural desire is present in the soul to be united to the body; otherwise death would not be penal. And this is what he says, "for," we, "who are in this tabernacle," that is, who dwell in this mortal body—2 Peter 1:14: "I know that the putting off of my tabernacle is swift"—"we groan," that is, within, in the heart, not only outwardly in voice, we groan, Isa. 59:11: "we shall groan like meditating doves," because it is hard to think about death. And yet "burdened," as though something existed against our desire, in that we cannot arrive at glory unless we lay down the body, which is so contrary to natural desire, as Augustine says, that not even old age itself could take away from Peter the fear of death. And therefore he says "for that we would not be unclothed," namely of the earthly tabernacle, "but clothed upon," with supercelestial glory, or, according to the Gloss, with a glorious body. But because it might seem unfitting that the body should, on the one hand, be corruptible by its own nature, if it had not been previously dissolved, and on the other hand, by reason of glory, be glorious, he subjoins the manner in which he would wish it to come about, saying "that what is mortal may be swallowed up," etc., as if to say: we do not wish to be clothed upon in such a way that the body remains mortal, but in such a way that glory takes away wholly the corruption of the body, without bodily dissolution. And therefore he says "that what is mortal may be swallowed up," that is, the very corruption of the body, "by life," namely of glory. 1 Cor. 15:54: "death is swallowed up in victory," etc.”

“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved. If this mortal body, which is as it were a tent in which we tarry for a brief space while travelling here, be dissolved, we have a firm and lasting house in the glory of the soul and eternal life. This is the interpretation of Photius, Anselm, S. Thomas, Lyranus, and it is supported by vers. 6 and 8. From this and the explanation of the Fathers, and especially from ver. 8, we gather, against Tertullian, the Greeks, Armenians, Luther, and Calvin, that souls immediately at death are beatified, and do not sleep under the altar till the resurrection. Secondly and more fitly we may say that this house is the body glorified by the resurrection, and this body we have , /.<?., shall surely have at the resurrection. And this meaning is more in harmony with ver. 4 and the last chapter ; for the Apostle is urging them to THE BODY OF OUR GLORY 63 endure, in hope of the resurrection when we shall receive our glorified body, bodily mortification and suffering. So, in 1 Cor, xv. 43, he says that the body is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory, i.e., glorified. Such a body is properly the home of a beatified soul, as a mortal body is the home of a soul living and suffering here. So S. Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact, Ambrose. It may be said that the glory itself into which the beatified soul enters is the house of the soul, even as Christ says : “ Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” I answer that “enter into joy” does not mean that that joy is a house into which the soul enters, as some seem to think, but by metonymy the place of joy is called joy, and the meaning is: “Enter into the heavenly nuptials, enter into heaven, where is the place of the most perfect joy for ever.” It is less accurate to speak of that glory or joy as a house into which the Blessed shall enter. Chrysostom (Horn. 5 in Ep . ad Heb.) says that “we ought to put off our body with as much ease as we should a coat, or as Joseph left his cloak with the Egyptian woman;” and Aloysius Gonzaga, on his death-bed, spoke of his death as a mere change from one house to another”

“The apostle in these verses pursues the argument of the former chapter, concerning the grounds of their courage and patience under afflictions. And, I. He mentions their expectation, and desire, and assurance, of eternal happiness after death, Co2 5:1-5. Observe particularly, 1. The believer's expectation of eternal happiness after death, Co2 5:1. He does not only know, or is well assured by faith of the truth and reality of the thing itself - that there is another and a happy life after this present life is ended, but he has good hope through grace of his interest in that everlasting blessedness of the unseen world: "We know that we have a building of God, we have a firm and well-grounded expectation of the future felicity." Let us take notice, (1.) What heaven is in the eye and hope of a believer. He looks upon it as a house, or habitation, a dwelling-place, a resting-place, a hiding-place, our Father's house, where there are many mansions, and our everlasting home. It is a house in the heavens, in that high and holy place which as far excels all the palaces of this earth as the heavens are high above the earth. It is a building of God, whose builder and maker is God, and therefore is worthy of its author; the happiness of the future state is what God hath prepared for those that love him. It is eternal in the heavens, everlasting habitations, not like the earthly tabernacles, the poor cottages of clay in which our souls now dwell, which are mouldering and decaying, and whose foundations are in the dust. (2.) When it is expected this happiness shall be enjoyed - immediately after death, so soon as our house of this earthly tabernacle is dissolved. Note, [1.] That the body, this earthly house, is but a tabernacle, that must be dissolved shortly; the nails or pins will be drawn, and the cords be loosed, and then the body will return to dust as it was. [2.] When this comes to pass, then comes the house not made with hands. The spirit returns to God who gave it; and such as have walked with God here shall dwell with God for ever. 2. The believer's earnest desire after this future blessedness, which is expressed by this word, stenazomen - we groan, which denotes, (1.) A groaning of sorrow under a heavy load; so believers groan under the burden of life: In this we groan earnestly, Co2 5:2. We that are in this tabernacle groan, being burdened, Co2 5:4. The body of flesh is a heavy burden, the calamities of life are a heavy load. But believers groan because burdened with a body of sin, and the many corruptions that are still remaining and raging in them. This makes them complain, O wretched man that I am! Rom 7:24. (2.) There is a groaning of desire after the happiness of another life; and thus believers groan: Earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven (Co2 5:2), to obtain a blessed immortality, that mortality might be swallowed up of life (Co2 5:4), that being found clothed, we may not be naked (Co2 5:3), that, if it were the will of God, we might not sleep, but be changed; for it is not desirable in itself to be unclothed. Death considered merely as a separation of soul and body is not to be desired, but rather dreaded; but, considered as a passage to glory, the believer is willing rather to die than live, to be absent from the body, that he may be present with the Lord (Co2 5:1), to leave this body that he may go to Christ, and to put off these rags of mortality that he may put on the robes of glory. Note, [1.] Death will strip us of the clothing of flesh, and all the comforts of life, as well as put an end to all our troubles here below. Naked we came into this world, and naked shall we go out of it. But, [2.] Gracious souls are not found naked in the other world; no, they are clothed with garments of praise, with robes of righteousness and glory. They shall be delivered out of all their troubles, and shall have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, Rev 7:14. 3. The believer's assurance of his interest in this future blessedness, on a double account: - (1.) From the experience of the grace of God, in preparing and making him meet for this blessedness. He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God, Co2 5:5. Note, All who are designed for heaven hereafter are wrought or prepared for heaven while they are here; the stones of that spiritual building and temple above are squared and fashioned here below. And he that hath wrought us for this is God, because nothing less than a divine power can make a soul partaker of a divine nature; no hand less than the hand of God can work us for this thing. A great deal is to be done to prepare our souls for heaven, and that preparation of the heart is from the Lord. (2.) The earnest of the Spirit gave them this assurance: for an earnest is part of payment, and secures the full payment. The present graces and comforts of the Spirit are earnests of everlasting grace and comfort. II. The apostle deduces an inference for the comfort of believers in their present state and condition in this world, Co2 5:6-8. Here observe, 1. What their present state or condition is: they are absent from the Lord (Co2 5:6); they are pilgrims and strangers in this world; they do but sojourn here in their earthly home, or in this tabernacle; and though God is with us here, by his Spirit, and in his ordinances, yet we are not with him as we hope to be: we cannot see his face while we live: For we walk by faith, not by sight, Co2 5:7. We have not the vision and fruition of God, as of an object that is present with us, and as we hope for hereafter, when we shall see as we are seen. Note, Faith is for this world, and sight is reserved for the other world: and it is our duty, and will be our interest, to walk by faith, till we come to live by sight. 2. How comfortable and courageous we ought to be in all the troubles of life, and in the hour of death: Therefore we are, or ought to be, always confident (Co2 5:6), and again (Co2 5:8), We are confident, and willing rather to be absent from the body. True Christians, if they duly considered the prospect faith gives them of another world, and the good reasons of their hope of blessedness after death, would be comforted under the troubles of life, and supported in the hour of death: they should take courage, when they are encountering the last enemy, and be willing rather to die than live, when it is the will of God that they should put off this tabernacle. Note, As those who are born from above long to be there, so it is but being absent from the body, and we shall very soon be present with the Lord - but to die, and be with Christ - but to close our eyes to all things in this world, and we shall open them in a world of glory. Faith will be turned into sight. III. He proceeds to deduce an inference to excite and quicken himself and others to duty, Co2 5:9-11. So it is that well-grounded hopes of heaven will be far from giving the least encouragement to sloth and sinful security; on the contrary, they should stir us up to use the greatest care and diligence in religion: Wherefore, or because we hope to be present with the Lord, we labour and take pains, Co2 5:9. Philotimoumetha - We are ambitious, and labour as industriously as the most ambitious men do to obtain what they aim at. Here observe, 1. What it was that the apostle was thus ambitious of - acceptance with God. We labour that, living and dying, whether present in the body or absent from the body, we may be accepted of him, the Lord (Co2 5:9), that we may please him who hath chosen us, that our great Lord may say to us, Well done. This they coveted as the greatest favour and the highest honour: it was the summit of their ambition. 2. What further quickening motives they had to excite their diligence, from the consideration of the judgment to come, Co2 5:10, Co2 5:11. There are many things relating to this great matter that should awe the best of men into the utmost care and diligence in religion; for example, the certainty of this judgment, for we must appear; the universality of it, for we must all appear; the great Judge before whose judgment-seat we must appear, the Lord Jesus Christ, who himself will appear in flaming fire; the recompence to be then received, for things done in the body, which will be very particular (unto every one), and very just, according to what we have done, whether good or bad. The apostle calls this awful judgment the terror of the Lord (Co2 5:11), and, by the consideration thereof, was excited to persuade men to repent, and live a holy life, that, when Christ shall appear terribly, they may appear before him comfortably. And, concerning his fidelity and diligence, he comfortably appeals unto God, and the consciences of those he wrote to: We are made manifest unto God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”

“For we know, that if our earthly house,.... By this house is meant the body, so called from its being like a well built house, a curious piece of architecture; as an house consists of a variety of parts fitly framed and put together in just symmetry and proportion, and with an entire usefulness in all, so is the body of man; which shows the power and wisdom of God the architect: likewise, because it is the dwelling place of the soul, which makes it appear, that the soul is more excellent than the body, is independent of it, and capable of a separate existence from it: it is said to be an "earthly" house, because it is from the earth; is supported by earthly things; has its present abode on the earth, and will quickly return to it: and the earthly house of this tabernacle, in allusion to the tabernacles the patriarchs and Israelites of old dwelt in; or to the tents and tabernacles of soldiers, shepherds, travellers, and such like persons, which are soon put up and taken down, and removed from place to place; and denotes the frailty and short continuance of our mortal bodies. So Plato (z) calls the body , "an earthly tabernacle"; so the Jews were wont to call the body an house, and a "tabernacle": "every man (they say (a)) has two houses, , "the house of the body", and the house of the soul; the one is the outward, the other the inward house.'' So Abarbinel (b) paraphrases those words, Isa 18:4. ""I will consider in my dwelling place; I will return", or again consider in my dwelling place, which is the body, for that is , "the tabernacle of the soul".'' Now this tabernacle may, and will be, "dissolved", unpinned, and taken down; which does not design an annihilation of it, but a dissolution of its union with the soul, and its separation from it: and when the apostle puts an "if" upon it, it is not to be understood as though it is uncertain whether it would be dissolved or not, unless it be said with a view to the change that will be on living saints at Christ's second coming; but it is rather a concession of the matter, and may be rendered, "though the earthly house", &c. or it points out the time when the saints' future happiness shall begin, "when the earthly house", &c. and signifies that being in the body, in some sense, retards the enjoyment of it. Now it is the saints' comfort whilst they are in it, and in a view of the dissolution of it, that they have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens? which some understand of the glorified body upon its resurrection, as opposed to its frail, mortal, earthly frame in its present situation; though rather all this designs the happiness of the saints, which will be begun, and they shall immediately enter into, at the dissolution of their bodies, and will be consummated at the resurrection; which is all of God's building and preparing; not made by the hands of the creature; or obtained by works of righteousness done by men; and it lies in the heavens, and will continue for ever. So the (c) Jews speak of , "the holy house", in the world to come, and which they suppose is intended in Isa 56:5. In this the saints have a present interest; they have it already built and prepared for them; they have an indubitate right and title to it through the righteousness of Christ; they have it secured to them in Christ, their feoffee in trust, their head and representative; and they have the earnest of it, the Spirit of God in their hearts; of all which they have sure and certain knowledge: "for we know"; they are well assured of the truth of this from the promise of God, who cannot lie, from the declaration of the Gospel, the testimony of the Spirit, and the close and inseparable connection there is between the grace they have already received, and the glory that shall be hereafter. (z) In Clement. Alexandr. Stromat. l. 5. p. 593. (a) Sepher Caphtor, fol. 38. 2. (b) Mashmia Jeshua, fol. 11. 4. (c) Zohar in Exod. fol. 34. 3. & 35. 3.”

“If our earthly house of this tabernacle - By earthly house, the apostle most evidently means the body in which the soul is represented as dwelling or sojourning for a time, and from which it is to be liberated at death; for as death dissolves the tabernacle, it can then be no habitation for the soul. The apostle also alludes here to the ancient Jewish tabernacle, which, on all removals of the congregation, was dissolved and taken in pieces; and the ark of the covenant, covered with its own curtains, was carried by itself; and when they came to the place of rest, then the dissolved parts of the tabernacle were put together as before. When we consider this simile in connection with the doctrine of the resurrection, which the apostle has treated so much at large in these epistles, and which he keeps constantly in view, then we shall see that he intends to convey the following meaning: that as the tabernacle was taken down in order to be again put together, so the body is to be dissolved, in order to be re-edified; that as the ark of the covenant subsisted by itself, while the tabernacle was down, so can the soul when separated from the body; that as the ark had then its own veil for its covering, Exo 40:21, so the soul is to have some vehicle in which it shall subsist till it receives its body at the resurrection. A building of God - Some think this refers to a certain celestial vehicle with which God invests holy souls on their dismissal from the body; others suppose it relates to the resurrection body; and some imagine that it relates merely to the state of blessedness which the saints shall possess in the kingdom of glory. See the following note.”

“Of this habitation. [1] In the Greek, of this tabernacle; i.e. of the body. St. Chrysostom takes notice that a tabernacle, or tent, is not to dwell in for a long time, but only to lodge in for a while, as this life is short; but the building God has prepared for his elect in heaven, is for eternity. (Witham) — But, although the hopes of possessing this eternal mansion consoles us interiorly, and supports us under the pressure of evil, the obligation we have of purchasing it, even at the expense of our lives, does not fail to afflict us. (Bible de Vence)”