far greater than words can express,
it is not yet integral or complete, and never will be, except when
she is again clothed in her own body, beautified, and glorified after
the likeness of her Saviour's body.

However, although her happiness is not yet complete, you must not
therefore imagine that the hast shadow of sadness or unhappiness
hangs over her. For, as we have seen, her will is now totally
conformed to God's will. It follows that although she sees other joys
and pleasures in store for her, and desires them, these desires do
not in the hast mar her exceeding happiness. She wills the
resurrection of her body as God wills it, and because He wills it,
and because also her body is absolutely necessary to complete her
human nature, which essentially consists of both soul and body. We
shall begin our meditations on the resurrection of the body by first
contemplating the beauty and splendor of the glorified body. In order
to form some idea of the perfect beauty and splendor of form which is
in store for us, we must first look at some of the transformations
which take place in the natural order. These will aid us, very
materially, in arriving at a conception, more or less perfect, of the
glorious transformation which the power of God will work in us at the
resurrection.

When we examine the kingdoms of nature, we discover that the gross
matter which surrounds us in shapeless masses, is susceptible of
forms and organizations so perfect, refined, and beautiful, that we
may, in some sense, call these forms glorified matter. It is,
certainly, matter glorified far above inferior forms in the natural
order. Let us take a few examples.

What is the diamond? It is nothing more than crystallized carbon, or
charcoal. There is nothing in the whole range of science which can be
so easily and so positively proved as this. The famous diamond
Koh-i-noor, or mountain of light, which now sparkles in the British
crown, and which is worth more than half a million of dollars, could,
in a few moments, be reduced to a thimbleful of worthless coal-dust.
Yet, how great a difference, in appearance and value, between that
precious gem and a thimbleful of coal-dust! Again, what are other
gems, such as the ruby, the sapphire, the topaz, the emerald, and
others? They are nothing more than crystallized clay or sand, with a
trifling quantity of metallic oxide or rust, which gives to each one
its peculiar color. Yet, what a difference between th