The Triumph of a True Christian Described

COme we now to verse 18. For I count that the afflictions of this present time, are not worthy of the glory which shall be shown unto us. In this verse our Apostle adds further matter of comfort against the bitterness of the cross, and of encouragement to a patient and constant bearing of the cross, and that by an argument from the weight of that glory that he spake of verse before, and that such as suffer with Christ shall be partakers of; as namely, that the glory they shall partake of, shall be exceeding weighty and marvelous great. And this the Apostle doth not simply affirm, but he propounds his argument under a comparison of things unequal, comparing the afflictions of this life with the glory of the life to come, as the less with the greater, as that the glory of the life to come doth far surmount and exceed all the afflictions and sufferings of this life, and that the afflictions of this life cannot hold weight with the glory of the life to come; and if they should be weighed together, as in a balance, the one would be found but light in respect of the other: The afflictions of this present time, saith the Apostle, are not worthy of the glory which shall be shown unto us, they are not comparable unto it. And herein also the Apostle prevents a secret objection; for some might say to him, You tell us that we suffering with Christ we shall be glorified with him, but in the mean time we lie under grievous troubles, and very sore afflictions, our trials and sufferings here in this world are intolerable, and who is able to endure the troubles that do befall us? This the Apostle meets withal, in saying, That the afflictions of this present time, are not worthy of the glory which shall be shown unto us, that shall be revealed unto us. As if he had said, though your afflictions and sufferings in this present life be great, and grievous, and sore, and hard to be borne and endured, yet bear them with as much patience as possibly you can, and know to your comfort, that the glory which is to follow on your afflictions is far greater and more lasting then be your afflictions, there is no comparison between them. And this the Apostle affirms as a truth whereof he was resolved, as a certain truth, in his judgment, in his account and estimation. For I count (saith he) that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall be shown unto us. And so we see the general drift and purpose of the Apostle in this verse, and the general matter of it: I will now lay forth the sense and meaning of the words.

For I count. The word here used signifies thus much, I collect and gather, and that firmly, as on just reckoning, or after debating and reasoning the matter, I do certainly conclude. We find the same word used Rom. 3.28. and it is there rendered, and that rightly, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , therefore we conclude: therefore we set down this as a certain truth and certain conclusion, that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law: and so indeed the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is here to be taken, I collect and gather, and that firmly, and I conclude this, and I resolve on it as a certain truth, That the afflictions of this present time, or the passions and sufferings of this present time for so the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies: Of this present time, or of the time which is now, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . The Apostle hereby means not only the afflictions and sufferings of this present time wherein he lived, and the afflictions that God's children did then undergo, but all the afflictions of this present life, even all such tribulations and crosses as they do bear during the time of this life, and whilst they are here on the face of the earth, are not worthy, or of equal weight. For the word here used, signifies the equality or like weight of things weighed in a balance together: and so the meaning is, are not of equal weight, or are not proportionable to the glory that shall be shown unto us. Of the glory: that is, of the glory that God's children shall be invested withal in heaven, which shall be shown or revealed, or which we shall have at the appearing of the Lord Jesus, as Coloss. 3.4. When Christ which is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory. Unto us, or in us: that is, to our bodies and souls, or wherewith our bodies and souls shall be clothed. Thus then conceive we the meaning of the words of this verse, as if the Apostle had said.

For I collect and gather, and that firmly, I conclude and resolve on this as a certain truth, that the passions and sufferings of this life, even all troubles, trials, and crosses that we or any of God's children do bear during the time of this life, and whilst we live here on the face of the earth, are not of equal weight, are not in any respect proportionable to the heavenly glory wherewith our bodies and souls shall be invested, and that shall be put on them at the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ; there is no comparison between them.

Now we see the Apostle here delivers not this truth, that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall be shown unto us, as an uncertain opinion, but as a certain truth, and a truth whereof he was fully resolved. And thus are the Ministers of the word to deliver to the people of God truths that are of special use, and needful to be known, not as their opinions, but as certain truths. Indeed the Ministers of the word are seriously to weigh and consider what they deliver before they do deliver it: but that which they have seriously thought on, studied for, and earnestly sought at the hands of God by prayer, and the Lord hath vouchsafed to reveal to them by his Spirit, being a truth needful to be known, and agreeable to the written word of God, and to the analogy and proportion of faith, they are to deliver confidently, and to aùouch as a certain truth of God; yea to aver it to be such a truth as they are ready to seal with their blood if they be called to it. I will not stand on that, let it suffice to have pointed at it.

Again, in that the Apostle doth here thus enlarge himself, in setting down this, that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall be shown unto us, setting it down as a certain truth, as a truth whereof he was fully resolved, thereby to comfort the believing Romans and other true believers against the bitterness of the cross, I might stand to show, that the way to comfort and to cheare up such as are under affliction and in distress, is not by conjectures, or by witty conceits, but by that which a man is able to aver to be a certain truth of God, and to resolve the conscience of it, that it is the holy truth of God: but I pass from that also, and come to the matter and thing here auerred by the Apostle, and resolved on as a certain truth, and that is this: That the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall be shown unto us: and hence this conclusion is offered.

[Doct 1] That all the afflictions that God's children do or can suffer in this world, are not comparable to the glory of heaven. Whatsoever God's children either do or can suffer in this world in any kind, whether from the hands of men, or laid on them by the immediate hand of God, on their bodies, or souls, or howsoever, it is not proportionable or of equal weight to the glory that shall be put on them in heaven. And to this purpose that is a clear text, 2. Corinth. 4.17. where the Apostle saith, Our light affliction which is but for a moment, causeth to us a far more excellent and an eternal weight of glory. I he Apostle there comparing the afflictions of this life with the glory of heaven, he calls the one light and momentary, and the other eternal and weighty; yea he gives to the glory of heaven a most excellent and eternal weight. And from those words of the Apostle we may gather reasons & grounds of this truth, that the suffering of God's children in this world are not comparable or proportionable to the glory that shall be put on them in heaven. As

First, the afflictions of this life are but momentary and [Reason 1] short, they last no longer then the time of this life, which is but a moment or less then a moment in comparison of eternity; but the glory of heaven is eternal & infinite in durance and continuance, and shall last forever. And thus the Apostle Peter compares them together, 1. Pet. 5.10. The God of grace which hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that we have suffered a little.

Again, the afflictions of this life are for their measure [Reason 2] light and trifling, being compared to the glory of heaven that is ponderous and weighty, and for the measure and greatness of it incomprehensible, as the Apostle saith, 1. Cor. 2.9. Things that eye hath not seen, neither ear heard, neither came into man's heart, are, which God hath prepared for them which love him. 2. Corinth. 12.4. the Apostle saith, he being wrapped up into Paradise, he heard words unutterable, and not possible for man to utter. And we read that Peter being present at the transfiguration of Christ, and having but a glimpse of heavenly glory, he was so overwhelmed with it, as that he spake he knew not what, saith the text, Matth. 9.6. And therefore doubtless on these grounds this stands as a firm and certain truth, that all the afflictions God's children do or can suffer in this world, are not comparable to the glory of heaven; that glory doth every way surmount them, and there is no comparison between them.

And for the use, first this truth overturns that conceit of the Papists, that the sufferings of God's children in this world [Use 1] are meritorious, and do deserve heavenly glory: that cannot possibly be, because there is no proportion between them and heavenly glory: and between merit and reward given to merit, there must be a proportion. The recompense of merit is an act of justice, and justice is a kind of equality; and therefore there being no equality between the sufferings of this life and the glory of the life to come, they cannot truly and properly merit or deserve it. [Object.] Ah but say the Papists, though the sufferings of God's children be not equal to the glory of heaven, yet because they proceed from grace and from the Spirit of God, they have in them a worth of heavenly glory, [Answ.] and they merit and deserve it. A mere cavil, and directly contrary to the plain evidence of the word of God, for grace and merit of works, either of doings or sufferings, cannot stand together. And again, the sufferings of God's children proceed not from grace and from the Spirit of God alone, but partly also from the minds and wills of the sufferers, and in that respect many infirmities accompany the suffering of the best of God's children; and therefore they cannot possibly merit heavenly glory. I leave this, and for a second use.

[Use 2] Is it so that all the afflictions that God's children do or can suffer here in this world, are not comparable to the glory of heaven? Is there no proportion between their suffering in this world, and the glory that shall be put on them in heaven? Then let God's children meditate and think on this to their comfort in the time of their greatest afflictions and sufferings: doubtless the Lord would not have put it down as an argument of comfort in the time of trouble, if it were not his will that we should exercise our minds in meditating and thinking on it. And therefore thou that art a child of God, meditate and think on this; if thou liest under some grievous affliction, remember that thy sufferings here in this world be they never so great, are not comparable to the glory of heaven; and it will be a notable means to cheare thee up, and to comfort thee. Haply thou complainest of thy long lingering sickness and pain, thy body being under sickness and pain: and take a man in a burning fever, and you shall hear him utter such words, and so protest of his pain as if it were unsufferable: but what is that pain to eternity of joy and glory in heaven? it is not worthy to be named with it: compare them together, and thou shalt find it will mitigate thy pain, and it will yield thee comfort in thy greatest pangs. A diseased man or woman we know will endure cutting, and searing, and the like, in consideration of ease afterwards: and comparing that pain with the ease he hopes will follow, he endures cutting and seating with patience: so do thou compare the pain of thy suffering with the joy and glory in heaven, and it will certainly swallow up thy pain, and yield thee much comfort. If we were as apprehensive of the greatness of the glory of heaven abiding for us, as we are apprehensive of the pain of our present sufferings, without question it would make us bear them exceeding patiently. [Quest.] Thou wilt say, but how shall I be as apprehensive of the great glory in heaven, as I am of the extremity of my present suffering?

I answer thee. Keep thy faith in exercise, [Answ.] keep thy faith exercised in apprehending the glory laid up for thee in heaven, as thy sense is exercised in feeling the pain of thy present suffering, and thy faith being thus exercised, it will give a present being of the joy and glory of heaven to thy heart and soul, and to thy inward feeling; as the holy Ghost saith, Hebr. 11.1. Faith is the evidence of things which are not seen: and that feeling of the glory of heaven though yet to come, will overwhelm a world of misery and pain though it be present. The holy Martyrs endured extreme tortures with patience and comfort: and why? they were exules à corpore, in their souls they mounted up to heaven. Labor therefore thus to keep thy faith in exercise in the time of thy great afflictions.

Now in the next place, observe how the Apostle limits the afflictions of God's children, he calls thē the afflictions of this present time, or of the time that is now: I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall be shown unto us. And hence we are given to understand thus [Doct 2] much.

That the afflictions of God's children are but of short continuance, and they last but a while. Though the afflictions of God's children be bitter and sharp, yet they are but momentary and short, and they endure but for the time of this present life, they determine and end in death, and death puts an end to them all, and so they are but short and momentary. And thus the Apostle speaks of them expressly in the place before cited, 2. Corinth. 4.17. he there saith, the afflictions that he and other true believers endured, were but light and momentary, but for a mement, Our light affliction which is but for a moment, causeth unto us a far more excellent and an eternal weight of glory. And so also speaks the Apostle Peter of the afflictions of God's children, 1. Pet. 5.10. After that ye have suffered a little, saith he, after your suffering which is but short, and for a little time. And on this ground doth the Author to the Hebrews cheare up the believing Hebrews, and encourage them to a patient bearing of their great afflictions. Hebr. 10.37. he tells them, their afflictions should last but for a very little while, and the Lord Jesus would shortly come and put an end to them, Yet a very little while (saith he) and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Hence is the time of the afflictions of God's children called in Scripture sometimes the hour of temptation, and sometimes the day of affliction, as Eccles. 7.16. In the day of wealth be of good comfort, and in the day of affliction consider: to note the shortness of that time, that it is but as an hour, or as a day. And it is worth our marking to this purpose that we find, Isai. 54.8. the Lord there speaking by his Prophet of the 70. years captivity of his people, he calls it but a moment, and a little season, For a moment (saith he) in mine anger, I hid my face from thee for a little season, but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee, saith the Lord thy redeemer. And indeed if a child of God should lie under the afflicting hand of God from his birth to his death, admit he live the full age of a man, yet it is but for a while, and for a short time; for the days of our life here are but few, our time in this world is but short: our life is compared to a vapor, to a shadow, to a bubble, to a blast of wind, to a watch in the night, and to many other things of short continuance: it is said to be but as an hand breadth, or as a span long, Psal. 39.5. And therefore the afflictions of God's children lasting no longer then the time of this present life, and death putting an end to them, as indeed it doth, the holy Ghost saith, Revel. 14.13. When death comes, they rest from their labors, and from all their pains, miseries, and sufferings: it must needs be that they are but short and momentary, and they last but a while.

Now for the use, first this truth discovers a difference between [Use 1] the sufferings of God's children and the sufferings of the wicked and reprobates. The sufferings of God's children are but short and momentary, they last no longer then the time of this life, death puts an end to them: but the sufferings of the wicked and reprobate are of longer continuance, they are not only sufferings of this present life, and such as are cut off and determined by death, no, no, the wicked and reprobate do by death enter into endless woe and everlasting sufferings, their sufferings are but here begun, and they shall last forever. And therefore thou that art a wicked and profane wretch, when the hand of God is heavy on thee, and thou art under some grievous pain and torment, think not that death shall put an end to thy torment, as many times wicked and profane miscreants do: they lying under grievous torments, they wish they might die, and say, oh that I were dead and out of this world, then I should be out of my pain. Poor souls, they are deceived, death to them is but an entrance into endless torments. And know it whosoever thou art, that art a graceless and profane wretch, thou being under some grievous torment and pain, and having a feeling of thy torment and pain, and yet having no feeling of thy vileness and sin to be humbled for it, the Lord hath but begun to sit in judgment against thee, and thy present torment and pain (thou still continuing in thy vileness and sin) is but a pledge of more fearful torments, pains, and sufferings yet to come, and it is but a beginning of sorrow, Mat. 24.8. It is but a beginning of thine eternal woe and everlasting suffering.

Again, for a second use, is it so that the afflictions of God's [Use 2] children are but momentary and short, and they last no longer then this present life, and death puts an end to them? Here is then ground and matter of comfort for thee that art a child of God in the time of thy greatest afflictions and sufferings: though thy afflictions be bitter and sharp, yet consider this to thy comfort, they are but short, and they shall last but for a while. And the heathen man could say: that short evils though they be great and bitter, yet they are more tolerable because they are short. And therefore thou that art a child of God, think on this to thy comfort when thou liest under some grievous affliction; yea consider with thyself, thy affliction is never so grievous but the Lord vouchsafeth thee some intermission, he gives thee some breathing, and some refreshing in it, as he saith, Isai. 57.16. I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wrath, for the spirit should fail before me, and I have made the breath. Yea consider that thy affliction is measured out to thee by the good hand of thy heavenly Father, who will be sure to keep a measure, as the Apostle saith, 1. Cor. 10.13. And though it be so that thou art under some great affliction all thy life long, yet cheare up thyself with this, thy life is not long, and so thy affliction cannot long endure: when death shall come and cut off the thread of thy life, it shall also put an end to all thy afflictions. And be it so that thou art under the hand of bloody persecutors and cruel tormentors, yet consider that either thy persecutors and tormentors may die, their breath may fail them, or the instruments and means of thy trouble and torment may be interrupted, and broken, and fail, the rod that is on thy back may be wasted: and the Lord hath said, Psal. 125.3. The rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous: or thyself may die, and be taken out of their hands by death, and they can then put thee to no further pain nor torment. And therefore as Christ saith, Math. 10.28. Fear not them that can kill the body, that can only torment thy body, and that only during the time of this life, and when this life is ended, can go no further. Consider that as thou dost suffer daily, so thou art dying daily, and that which thy persecutors do afflict, is but thy body, and thy body is drawing to corruption and death, and death shall exempt thee and set thee free from all their tyranny. Thus make thy advantage of thy mortality, thou that art a child of God, and remember when thou liest under any great and sore affliction, thy affliction shall last no longer then the time of this life, death shall put an end to it, and it is but as one saith of Julian's persecution, Nubecula cito transitura, as a storm that shall soon be ouerblowne, and then will follow an everlasting calm, even an everlasting freedom and rest from all sorrows, and griefs, and pains, and sufferings: and think on that to thy comfort.

There is yet one thing to be further noted in this reason, I will but touch it in a word. The Apostle here speaking of the glory that shall be put on God's children in heaven, he saith, the glory that shall be shown, or that shall be revealed to us.

The point hence is this. That the time shall come when [Doct. 3] the glory that belongs to God's children shall be openly revealed, and be made manifest in the view of men and Angels. And to this purpose speaks the Apostle, Colos. 3.4. When Christ which is our life shall appear, when he shall appear to judge the world, and come in his glory, as it is Math. 25.31. Then shall we also appear with him in glory, even clothed with unspeakable glory, in our souls, and in our bodies. 1. John. 3.2. saith Saint John, Dearely beloved, we are now the sons of God, yet it doth not appear what we shall be, and we know that when we shall appear we shall be like him. We shall then be like the Lord Jesus in glory, and then the glory that is reserved for us in heaven, shall be put on us, and shall then openly appear: and not to add further testimony.

The reason [Reason.] and ground of this is, because there must be a time when the most wicked shall justify God's goodness and mercy, and his gracious dealing towards his children. Now in this world they see the troubles and afflictions of God's children, and they see not the beauty and glory of their souls, for that is inward and spiritual, as it is said of the Church, Psal. 45.13. She is all glorious within, and that is not discerned with carnal eyes: and so the world looking on God's children here, they see not their beauty and glory, but only see their afflictions and troubles, and thereupon they judge them to be wretched & miserable; and therefore there must be a time when the glory that belongeth to them shall be openly revealed, and set before the eyes of all the world, that even the most wicked may look on it, and be forced to justify God's goodness and mercy towards his children, and his gracious dealing with them.

Now this for use [Use.] may serve as a ground of great comfort to God's children: for what though it be so that their beauty and glory be here in this world overshadowed and hid from the eye of the world, and of such as look on them with carnal eyes, yet let them wait in patience for a time, and the time shall come when their glory shall manifestly appear, and be open to the view of the whole world; yea the time shall come when men and Angels shall see it, and acknowledge it with admiration; yea the time shall come when those who have here turned their glory into shame, as David speaks, Psal. 4.2. that is, have here reproached them for their holy and religious course (which indeed is their glory,) and laid that on them as a reproach, and loaded them with odious and soul names in respect of that, shall see that which now they account their shame crowned with glory, and shall be forced to change their note, and to cry out and say: Ah, we fools thought the life of these men or women base, and full of dishonor, and now behold their unspeakable brightness and glory, now it appears to the view of all the world. Let this be thought on as a ground of sweet comfort to all God's children. Come we now to verse 19. and so read to the 24. verse.

IN these verses the Apostle further proves, that the glory that shall be put on God's children in heaven, shall be exceeding great and weighty. For having said verse before, that the heavenly glory that shall be shown or revealed to God's children, doth far exceed their present sufferings, he here confirms that proposition, and he here further proves, that the glory where with God's children shall be invested in heaven, is both exceeding great, and also most sure and certain, that it shall be both great glory, and also certain glory, and to that purpose he brings two arguments. The first is from the expectation of the creature, that the creature doth expect and look for it, that the creature doth wait for the manifestation of that glory. And the second is from the expectation of such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, that they also expect and look for it, and wait for it: and that which both the creature by secret instinct of nature, and also the godly by the instinct of grace, and the motion of God's Spirit, do expect, and look for, and wait for, must needs be both great and excellent, and also most sure and certain.

Now the first argument of the Apostle is laid down verse 19. and that not barely, but with amplification, from the manner how the creature waits for the revelation of the sons of God, as namely, that it is with earnest and fervent desire after it. The fervent desire of the creature, saith the Apostle, waiteth when the sons of God shall be revealed.

Then in the two verses following he bringeth two reasons why the creature doth with earnest and fervent desire wait for the revelation of the sons of God, as first in verse 20. he brings a reason from the present state and hard condition of the creature, that the creature is now for the present subject to vanity, and therefore waiteth when the sons of God shall be revealed. Which subjection is further set forth, the Apostle explaining how the creature is subject to vanity, that is, not of it own will, but from another cause, by reason of him which hath subdued it. Whereunto the Apostle adioynes hope of deliverance, and saith, By reason of him which hath subdued it under hope: and so he falleth on the second reason, why the creature doth with fervent desire wait for the revelation of the sons of God, verse 21. which is taken from the future better estate of the creature, as that the creature shall be delivered from the present hard condition to a better state, because the creature also shall be delivered (the Apostle expressing from what, namely, from bondage) from the bondage of corruption. And whereunto it shall be restored: Into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. And then verse 22. the Apostle concludeth his argument, by setting down the greatness of the bondage the creature is subject to; that it is so great, as it doth (as it were an heavy burden) press down the creature, and make it groan under the weight of it, and as it were travel in pain under it for deliverance. Yea the Apostle saith, Every creature is under this great bondage, and groans, and travels in pain, together one with another, and that to this hour: that is, to this present: and further setteth out that as a thing commonly known, We know, saith he, that every creature groaneth with us also, and travaileth in pain together unto this present.

The second argument that the Apostle bringeth to prove that the glory that shall be revealed on God's children in heaven, is both great and sure, from the expectation of such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, is laid down verse 23. I will lay forth that argument when I come to the handling of that verse.

Come we now to stand on these verses as they lie in order. Verse 19. For the fervent desire of the creature waiteth when the sons of God shall be revealed. I will first open the sense and meaning of the words of the 19. verse. For the fervent desire of the creature. What is here meant by the creature, doth much trouble interpreters, I will labor to give you that sense of it that is most agreeable to the context and to other places of Scripture. And by the creature, here we are not to understand reasonable creatures, men or Angels, good or bad: for the good Angels they are not subject to vanity, and under the bondage of corruption as the creature is the Apostle here speaketh of. And as for bad Angels & wicked men, they long not for the time when the sons of God shall be revealed. And of good men the Apostle speaks verse 23. expressly distinguishing them from the creature whereof he speaketh: Not only the creature, but we also which have the first fruits of the Spirit, saith he: But by the creature, here is meant the whole frame of the world, consisting of the celestial and elementarie region, as reverend Beza expoundeth it, that is, the visible heavens with all their goodly furniture, of stars, and of celestial bodies, and the earth with her ornaments, and the other elements. And this exposition agreeth with that the Apostle subjoins, verse 21. That the creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God: Meaning by the creature the whole frame of heaven and earth, according to that the Lord promiseth by his Prophet: That there shall be a restauration of the heavens and of the earth, Isai. 65.17. and 66.23. The fervent desire of the creature. The Apostle here speaketh figuratively, he putteth on the creature the person of one who earnestly and with a longing desire, looketh for some person, or something: and the text runs thus, The expectation or earnest desire of the creature expecteth or waiteth: The original word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is very significant, it signifieth the looking for of some person, or of something, with lifting up of the head, or stretching out of the neck, or putting forth the head, and setting out of the eyes, with earnest intention and observation, to see when that person or that thing should appear; as a man looketh for the coming of a special friend, whose company he much desires and looks for: having a promise of his coming, he getteth him up to the top of the house, or some turret or high place, and he putteth forth his head, and he looketh this way, and he looketh that way, and he setteth his eyes on the way that his friend is to come, to see if he can espy him coming, wishing and desiring his appearance; that is the weight of the word here used by the Apostle, as if he had said: The creature doth earnestly and continually, as it were with stretching out of the neck, or thrusting forth of the head, expect and wait when the sons of God shall be revealed. Now this expectation here ascribed to the creature, is nothing else but the secret instinct which God hath put into the creatures, whereby it doth after a manner unknown to us, as it were long and desire that perfect estate in which it was first made and created: even to attain that perfection from which it is fallen, and from which it is withheld through the sin of man: the creature tendeth to that perfection by a natural instinct and propension, as heavy things by natural propension move downwards, and light thing move upwards. And that is the desire and expectation of the creature the Apostle here means when he saith, The fervent desire of the creature waiteth on or expecteth, not that the creature knows when the sons of God should be revealed, but because when the sons of God shall be revealed, that is, when both the persons of God's children, and also the glory that belongeth to them, shall be put on them, shall be made manifest. Thus then conceive we the meaning of the Apostle in the words of this verse, as if he had said:

For the whole frame of the world, even the visible heavens, with all their goodly furniture, the stars and celestial bodies, the body of the earth with her ornaments, and other elements do, by a secret instinct which God hath put into them, after a manner unknown to us, as it were long for and desire that the original perfection, in which they were first made and created, from which they are fallen and withheld through the sin of man, which shall be restored to them when the sons of God shall be revealed: and so they do continually and earnestly, as it were with stretched out necks, and thrusting forth of their heads, expect and wait when both the persons of God's children, and also their glory, even the glory that belongeth to them, and shall be put on them, shall be made manifest, and shall appear.

Now (as I shown) these words, The fervent desire of the creature waiteth when the sons of God shall be revealed, are brought by the Apostle as an argument to prove both the greatness and the certainty of the glory that shall be put on God's children in heaven, that it shall be both great glory, and also most sure and certain glory, because the creature, the whole frame of the world, doth expect and wait for the manifestation of it. So reasoneth the Apostle: I count, saith he, that the afflictions of this present time, are not worthy of the glory which shall be shown unto us: and then he subjoins as a proof and confirmation of that: For the fervent desire of the creature waiteth when the sons of God shall be revealed. We see then, which is the point I will stand on,

That the holy Spirit of God is pleased to inform us of an [Doct. 1] excellent truth, as namely, that the glory that shall be put on God's children in heaven, shall be both great, and also most sure and certain. And he seeks to confirm us in the acknowledgement of this truth from the creature, that the creature by a natural instinct waiteth for the manifestation of it, and therefore it is both great, and also most sure and certain. And thus dealeth the holy Spirit of God in many places of Scripture: he sendeth us to learn some duty, or some truth, and some good thing of the creatures, as of the heavens, of the earth, of trees, of beasts, of fowls of the air, and the like: Prov. 6.6, 7, 8. Solomon sendeth the sluggard to learn wisdom of the Pismire, who by her Summer labor provideth against an hard and stormy winter, Go to the Pismire, ô sluggard, behold her ways, and bewise: For she having no guide, governor, nor ruler, prepareeh her meat in the Summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. And Prov. 30.24.25.26.27.28. he teacheth us wisdom from the poor creatures, from the pismire, the conies, the grasshopper, and the spider, as there you may read. Math. 10.16. Christ would have his Apostles learn wisdom and providence of the serpent, and innocence of the dove, Be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves: yea Math. 6.26.28. he sendeth his followers to learn to cast their confidence on God from the fowls of the heaven, and from the Lilies of the field, Behold the fowls of the heaven, for they sow not, neither reap, nor carry into their barns: yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. And learn how the lilies of the field do grow, [ 28] they labor not, neither spin, [ 29] yet Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. And the book of Job is full of arguments from things natural, to make known the infinite wisdom and power of God. And so in many other places of Scripture the holy Spirit of God sendeth us to learn some duties, or some truth, and is pleased to inform us of some good things, from the creature.

[Reason.] And why deals the holy Spirit of God thus? Surely both the more to strengthen God's children in the knowledge of the truth and of good things, and to stir them up to a more careful practice of good duties; and also to leave the wicked without all excuse, they having not only the word of God as a light to guide them, but also the creatures to teach them good things, as the Apostle saith, Rom. 1.20. The invisible things of God, his eternal power and Godhead, are seen by the creation of the world, being considered in his works, to the intent that they should be without excuse.

[Use 1] Now for the use, first this serves for the just reproof of such as live in the world, and yet learn no good thing from any creature in the world. To insist in the particular here intended; doth the holy Spirit of God inform us, and seek to confirm us in this truth, that the glory that shall be put on God's children in heaven, shall be both great, and also most sure and certain, from the very instinct of the creature; that the creature by a secret instinct waits for the manifestation of it, and therefore it is both great, and sure, and certain? Then this discovers, that those vile miscreants and monsters, those Atheists, who mock at the glory of heaven, and think there is no such matter, and think there is neither God nor devil, heaven nor hell; they have not yet learned so much as the holy Spirit of God is pleased to inform us of from the very dumb and senseless creatures. And to apply this a little nearer, consider with thyself, thou that art a graceless person, a drunkard, a blasphemer, a Sabbath breaker, thou that wilt do the works of thy calling on the Sabbath day, or run to thy pleasures; though thou dost not openly deny God with thy mouth, yet thou deniest him by thy works: so saith the Apostle, Tit. 1.16. Yea by thy practice thou deniest heaven, the day of judgment, and the glory of the life to come; and thou hast not yet learned so much as the holy Spirit of God is pleased to inform thee of by the very instinct of the dumb and senseless creatures: and assure thyself, thou going on in thy Atheism and profaneness, the dumb and senseless creatures shall one day rise in judgment against thee and condemn thee; remember it when thou runnest after thy sports and pastimes on the Sabbath day, the very air thou breathest in, and the heavens over thine head, the ground thou treadest on, and the dust under thy seete, shall one day be witnesses against thee, and shall condemn thee. They in their kind acknowledge a judgment day, and that there is an heaven prepared for God's children, and an hell for the wicked: and by their waiting for the manifestation of the glory that shall be put on God's children, do teach thee so much if thou wouldest learn it: and thou by thy practice deniest it, and therefore thy case is fearful, think on it, and if hell have not full possession of thy soul, learn to reform thyself.

For a second use, we that profess our selves to be God's [Use 2] children, must learn on this ground that the holy Spirit of God is pleased to teach us some good thing from the creatures, how to carry our selves amidst the creatures that we see and are about us in the world, namely thus, to walk in earthly things with heavenly minds, and to make our use of every creature of God, and from every creature to learn some duty, and some good thing, as from the food of our bodies to learn and see the necessity of the food of our souls; from the flowers of our gardens and grass of the fields, flourishing for a time, and then cut down, withered, and dried, to learn that such is our life: yea learn we from the very instinct of the creature, waiting for the manifestation of the glory of God's children, to strengthen our faith touching the truth and certainty of the glory of the life to come: that howsoever Atheists either directly or by their practice deny it, yet let us learn not only from the holy word of God, but also from the instinct of the creature, waiting for the manifestation of that glory, to be strengthened in our persuasion of it, and to be fully persuaded that there is glory laid up for God's children; and that doubtless there is a reward for the righteous, and that light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart, Psalm 97.11. and though it be as seed hid under the earth for a time, yet it shall certainly at length appear. The very dumb and senseless creatures by the instinct of nature which the Lord hath put into them, wait for the manifestation of it: and therefore learn we this lesson the holy Spirit of God would inform us of by the instinct of the creature, that there is certainly great glory laid up for God's children.

In the next place observe we, that the Apostle doth not here barely affirm, that the creature waiteth when the sons of God shall be revealed, but he sets it forth with this amplification, that it waits with a fervent and with an earnest desire, that the creature (as we shown) doth as it were with stretching out of the neck, and thrusting out the head, even earnestly and continually wait and expect when the sons of God shall be revealed. Now what may this teach us? Surely thus much: hereby the Spirit of God makes known unto us thus much.

That the very dumb creature hath that good in it in a [Doct. 2] great measure which many men and women have not in them in any measure at all. The very heavens, and the very dumb and dead earth doth as it were stretch out the neck, and thrust out the head, continually looking for the revelation of the sons of God, and for the manifestation of their glory. But many men and women in the world, being wicked and ungodly persons, they shrink in and draw in their heads at the remembrance of that day when the sons of God shall be revealed, and when they shall appear clothed with heavenly glory; they have no desire in them at all to see that day: no, wicked persons wish in their hearts that that day might never come, it troubles them to think of that day, or to hear of it, the hearing of it torments them before the time, as the devils said to Christ, Matth. 8.29. and they put it far away from them in their apprehension, as the Prophet saith of the wicked of his time, Amos 6.3. They put far away the evil day, (for so they count the day when the sons of God shall be revealed) and it shall so prove to them, they going on in their sins without repentance, and they approach to the seat of iniquity. And hence we find it said, that the day of Christ his coming to judgment when the children of God shall appear with him in glory, shall come on the wicked and ungodly suddenly, and unexpected, and when they look not for it, as Christ saith, Matth. 24.50. The evil servants master will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not ware of. And the Apostle saith, 1. Thessal. 5.2. that the day of the Lord shall come even as a thief in the night: meaning on the wicked, for so he explanes it in the verses following; which indeed is a plain evidence, that the wicked and ungodly have not in them any the least expectation, or any the least desire or longing after the day when the sons of God shall be revealed, which is in the dumb and senseless creatures by the instinct of nature in a great measure: and the reafon is

[Reason.] Because wicked and ungodly persons are either ignorant and know nothing touching the glory of the life to come, or they are besotted with the world and the things of the world, their minds are wholly taken up with earthly things, their portion and their treasure is here, and their joy is here in this world, or else they are terrified with the guiltiness of their own conscience, and they cannot think of the day when the sons of God shall be revealed, with any comfort, but with horror, and fear, and trembling, and with wonderful amazement; and therefore they have no manner of desire nor longing after it: no, they would wish with all their hearts it might never come, and so they have not that good in them in any measure which is in the dumb and senseless creature in a great measure. Oh then the base and vile condition of wicked and ungodly men and women, for that is the use of the point.

[Use.] It discovers, that wicked and ungodly persons are in a base and vile condition, even inferior to the dumb and liveliness earth, they have not in them any measure of that longing after the glory to come, that is in the dumb and dead earth in a great measure, and they are in that respect worse and more base then the earth they tread on. Wicked and ungodly men and women commonly pride themselves in their outward excellencies, in their beauty, and strength, comely proportion, and the like, and they lift up their heads, and they look big on those that are far better then themselves, and they walk with stretched out necks, as the Prophet saith of the proud dames of his time, Isai. 3.16. And it is true of the proud and scornful dames of our time: but alas in that respect in which the poor, dumb, dull, and senseless earth lifts up her head, and stretches out her neck, namely, in regard of the glory of heaven that in time shall be manifested, base wretches, they dare not (as it were) show their faces in that respect, they hang down their heads, and they shrink and pull in their necks, and therein they are more base and more vile then the dust of the earth, or the very dung in the streets. And howsoever wicked persons do think it harsh, and that they are hardly dealt withal, when they are compared to brute creatures, to horses, to mules, to dogs, to swine, and the like: yet indeed, as you see, in some respect they are inferior to the dull and dead earth, they have not that good in them in any measure, which is in the dumb and dead earth in a great measure. And take notice of it, thou that art a wicked and graceless person, consider how far thy sin doth abase thee, even beneath the dumb and senseless earth thou treadest on; the earth under thy feet lifts up her head, and stretches out her neck, longing for the day when the sons of God shall be revealed, and thou through the guiltiness of sin tremblest to think on that day: Oh consider the abasement thou art brought to by thy wicked course of life, and let it stir thee up to bethink thyself of a speedy reformation: and so much of that point.

Come we to consider that which the creature waits for with earnest desire, and that is the revelation of the sons of God, When the sons of God shall be revealed: that is, (as we shown) when both the persons of God's children, and also their glory shall be made manifest and shall appear. Now hence in the first place we may take up this conclusion, this point of truth.

That the time shall come, when the persons of God's children [Doct. 3] shall be openly revealed, and when it shall be made manifest and known to all the world, to men and Angels, who they be that are indeed God's children. It is true, that the Lord knows who are his, 2. Tim. 2.19. and he makes his chosen themselves to know that they are his, by their effectual calling, and by giving them his Spirit, witnessing with their spirit that they are the sons of God, as the Apostle saith verse 16. Yet God's children are not so revealed here in this world, as that others, though they be God's children, do know them certainly and infallibly so to be, and they are not known to the world, as Saint John saith, 1. John. 3.1. For this cause the world knoweth you not, because it knoweth not God their Father, but the time shall come when the persons of God's children shall be openly revealed, and shall be made known to the whole world, and that shall be at the day of judgment, Christ will then separate the sheep from the goats, the good from the bad, and set the one on his right hand and the other on his left, as he saith Matth. 25.32.33. Howsoever the goats and sheep be very like, and feed in one pasture, and lie in one sold here in this world, yet Christ can and will sever them, and put them asunder at the last day; and when the tares shall be gathered into bundels and cast into the fire and burned, Matth. 13.40. then shall just men shine as the Sun in the kingdom of their Father: as saith the Lord Jesus. Matth. 13.43. They shall then appear as clear as the Sun in his brightness, and shall be openly revealed, and it shall then be made manifest and known to men and Angels, who they be that are indeed God's children. For why, the reason [Reason.] of this is, because there must be a time when the truth of God's grace wrought in the hearts of his children, shall be discerned from the counterfeit shadow and show of it in hypocrites, and when it shall be known who they be that serve the Lord in truth, and who serve him in hypocrisy, and only outwardly in their bodies. The world and men of the world now judge all God's children to be hypocrites, and they think they cannot possibly be that they make show of, they judge of God's children by themselves; if they see an hypocrite uncased and discovered (as sometimes the Lord pulls off his vizard) they presently fly in the faces of all God's children, and say, they are all alike: and therefore there must be a day of discovery, a time when the truth of grace wrought in the hearts of God's children shall be discerned from hypocrisy, and when men shall discern between the righteous and the wicked, and between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not, as the Lord speaks by his Prophet, Mal. 3.18. When the Lord shall make up his jewels, then shall men discene thē that serve the Lord, & them that serve him not. And therefore doubtless the time shall come when the persons of God's children shall be openly revealed, and when it shall be made known to all men and Angels who they be that are indeed God's children.

[Use 1] And this in the first place must teach us to take heed of untimely judging and condemning of others, a thing too common in the world. We may not after the manner of the world presently judge a man or a woman to be but an hypocrite and a dissembler, because haply we discern some weakness in that man or woman, and some particular failing: the time shall come when that man or woman shall be discovered; and we are not to prevent that time by our untimely censure. It is a fault in some Christians, that they are ready to question the estate of others, and to doubt of their state, whether it be good or no, because they jump not with them in some things, they are not of their mind in every particular. But what knowest thou, whosoever thou art, whether one that differs from thee in judgment in some particular, being not of such weight, be a dear child of God or no? If he be an hypocrite, he shall one day be laid open; and if he be a child of God, thou art rash in thy judgment, he shall one day be revealed and made known so to be, to thee and to all the world, and tarry thou the time of discovery.

Again, for a second use: is it so that the time shall come [Use 2] when the persons of the children of God shall be openly revealed, and when it shall be made manifest to all men and Angels, who they be that are indeed God's children? Then cheare up thyself thou that art a child of God, here is ground of comfort, though all the world speak against thee, and call thee hypocrite and dissembler. Art thou able to approve thine heart to the Lord in regard of the uprightness, truth, and sincerity of it? art thou able in truth to say as Job did, Job 27.5.6. I will never take away mine innocence from myself. I will keep my righteousness and will not forsake it: though all men in the world speak against me, I am able to approve my heart to God, not in regard of any perfection of grace, I see and feel mine own great wants & sinful infirmities, but in regard of the uprightness, and soundness, and sincerity of mine heart? Then comfort thyself, and wait in patience but a time, the time shall come when the Lord will clear thee of that the world doth now unjustly charge on thee, yea the time shall come when all the world shall acknowledge thee to be a dear child of God, and precious in his sight, and one of his jewels; yea the time shall come when those who now call thee hypocrite and dissembler, shall be forced to contradict themselves, and to acknowledge the truth of grace in thine heart, and shall be forced to change their note, & to say, certainly this man or this woman is a right holy man or woman, and a dear child of God, now it appears, and now it is manifest to all the world, and we cannot deny it: think on that to thy comfort.

[Quest.] Now here a question may be moved, it being so that the time shall come when the persons of God's children shall be openly revealed, and be made manifest to all the world: some may demand, whether the Saints shall know one another in heaven or no? as whether the parents shall know the children, the husband the wife, the wife the husband, and whether one brother shall know another, & one friend another, or no?

To this I answer. [Answ.] That so far as shall make for the increase of the heavenly joy and spiritual comfort one of another, the Saints shall know one another in heaven. It is true indeed that the natural and carnal delight the father now takes in his child and the child in the father, the husband in the wife and the wife in the husband, and one friend takes in another, shall cease, yet heavenly joy and comfort one in another shall continue; and the heavenly joy that shall arise to the Saints on the sight of the glorification one of another, leads us to think that they shall know one another. For howsoever the principal joy of the Saints in heaven shall be on the sight of God, yet doubtless there shall be also joy in the sight one of another; the Minister shall joy in the sight of his people glorified in heaven, and the people shall joy in the sight of their Minister glorified in heavē, as the Apostle saith, 1. Thess. 2.19. that the Thessalonians whom he had converted and brought to believe in Christ by his preaching the Gospel, should be his crown of rejoicing, and that in the presence of the Lord Jesus at his coming; as the damned in hell shall have their torment much increased at the sight of their companions and such as they have drawn to sin, and therefore the rich man, Luke 16.28. desireth that his brethren might not come into that place of torment where he was, not out of love to them, (for there is no charity in hell) but out of love to himself, because he would not have his own torment increased. So doublesse the Saints in heaven shall rejoice in the society one of another, and in the sight one of another, in seeing the glorification one of another: and therefore they shall so far as may increase their heavenly joy and spiritual comfort, know one another.

Come we now to the 20. verse. There is indeed a second thing offered from these words verse 19. When the sons of God shall be revealed: namely this, that the time shall come when the glory that belongeth to God's children, and shall be put on them in heaven, shall be openly revealed: but of that we spake verse 18. and therefore I pass by it, and come to the 20. verse.

IN this verse, as I have shown, the Apostle yields a reason why the creature waiteth with fervent desire for the revelation of the children of God, taken from the present hard condition of the creature, in that it is subject to vanity, and therefore it waits. The Apostle further setting forth how the creature is subject to vanity, namely, not of it own will, but from another cause, from the will of him who hath subdued it under hope, thereunto adjoining hope of deliverance: Not of it own will, but by reason of him, which hath subdued it under hope. We did before thus analise & resolve this verse, I will now labor to open the sense and meaning of it. Because the creature is subject to vanity. By creature we are to understand, as we did verse before, the whole frame of the visible world, the visible heavens with all their goodly furniture of stars and celestial bodies, and the earth with all her ornaments and other elements, Is subject, or is brought under, or put under (vanity.) The word vanity hath diverse exceptions in Scripture, but to give that which is agreeable to this place, it is here used in opposition to that original, perfect, and excellent state and condition in which the creature was first made and created, and the creature is fallen from that excellent and perfect state and condition, and it is now brought under vanity, and therefore it is said to wait for the revelation of the sons of God, and as it were to desire and long after that original and perfect state and condition, to be restored to it again. So then under the word vanity, two things are signified. First, that the creature is now fallen from that original, constant, & durable state it had in the first creation, and is now under a fleeting, frail, and vanishing state and condition, and now subject to corruption, as the Apostle saith in the next verse. Now the heavens, the earth, and the elements are subject to mutability, to alteration and change, and to be dissolved. Psal. 102.26. the Psalmist saith, The heavens shall perish, and they shall wax old as doth a garment, and the Lord shall change them as a vesture, and they shall be changed. And 2. Pet. 3.11. the Apostle saith, That all these things must be dissolved.

Secondly, under the word vanity is signified, that the creature is now fallen from that constant course it held before the fall of man, in attaining the end for which it was created, namely, to serve for the good of man, and that in the good use of it, the goodness of God might by man be acknowledged and magnified, and is now under weakness, and subject to fail in attaining that end. The earth is now under the curse of the Lord laid on it for the sin of man. Genes. 3.17, 18. Cursed is the earth for thy sake, thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee: Yea the heavens are now subject to have their light obscured, and their sweet influence restrained, as the Sun and Moon to be eclipsed, the sky to be overcast with clouds, the stars with their influence to infect the air, the air to become unwholesome and pestiferous, and to infect the bodies of men and beasts. Yea the creature is now so far from holding on a constant course in attaining the end for which it was made, as it is now subject to be perverted, and to be abused, as to serve the wicked and ungodly, the Sun to give his light, and the earth her fruit, to them who have neither hearts nor mouths open to praise God for the same. Yea the creature is now subject oftentimes to serve the wicked lusts and sinful desires of the ungodly, as the Lord often complains by his Prophets. Ezech. 16.17, 18, 19. the Lord saith, His people had taken their fair jewels made of his gold and his silver which he had given them, and made to themselves images of men, and had committed whoredom with them; and took their broidered garments and covered them, and had set his oil and his perfume before them: and his meat, flour, oil, and honey, wherewith he had fed them, they set it before them for a sweet savor. They had thus perverted and abused the good creatures of God, and made them serve their own vile lusts. And so is the creature subject to vanity, both in regard of the frail, fleeting, and vanishing state and condition it lieth under, and also in regard of the weakness it is subject to, it being now subject to fail in attaining the end for which it was created and made, in serving for the good of man, and consequently for the praise and glory of God. Not of it own will The Apostle speaks here figuratively, ascribing a will to the dumb and senseless creature; and his meaning is not of the natural instinct and propension put into the creature in the first creation, for everything hath in it a natural propensitie to preserve it self, and by nature it shunneth the corruption and destruction of it self. But by reason of him, that is, by reason of the will and power of God the Creator, who so subdued it for the sin of man. Under hope: Here likewise the Apostle ascribes hope to the dumb and senseless creature figuratively: and his meaning is, under expectation of a better state and condition, and so as it doth as it were expect and wait for a better state and condition hereafter. Thus then conceive we the meaning of the words of this verse, as if the Apostle had said:

Because the creature we spake of, namely, the whole frame of the visible world, the visible heavens with all their goodly furniture, and the earth with all her ornaments, are now under a fleeting, frail, and vanishing state and condition, are now subject to mutability, alteration, change, and dissolution, and are now also under weakness, and subject to fail in attaining the end for which they were first created, namely, to serve for the good of man, and that in the good use of them God's goodness might by man be acknowledged and manifested, and are now subject to serve the wicked and ungodly, and by them to be perverted and abused to serve their wicked lusts, not of any natural instinct and propension put into them in the first creation, but by reason of the will and power of God the Creator, who hath so subdued them for the sin of man, yet so as they do as it were expect and wait for a better state and condition hereafter.

Now in that the Apostle yieldeth this as a reason, why the dumb and senseless creature waits with fervent desire when the sons of God shall be revealed, because it is subject to vanity, I might stand to show that the vanity and corruption the creature lieth under, makes it (as it were) desire and long after freedom and deliverance, but of that we shall speak more fully afterwards.

And first the Apostle affirming this by the creature, that it is subject to vanity, he giveth us to understand thus much: in the first place we are to take notice of this.

[Doct. 1] That all the creatures in this world under the highest heavens, are subject to vanity, they lie under mutability, alteration and change, and are liable to corruption and dissolution: the whole frame of this visible world, and all the visible creatures in it, are under a fleeting, frail, and vanishing state and condition. And to this purpose, besides this text, we have further evidence and testimony of Scripture, 1. Cor. 7.31. The fashion of this world goeth away, or hasteneth to an end, the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , used by the Apostle is very emphatical, it signifieth the habit, vesture, or clothing of the world: giving us to understand, that this world is as it were clothed with a vesture and with a garment, and that is wasting, wearing, and consuming away, and the form and fashion of it lasteth but for a time, it is alterable and changeable, and the world is as it were ready every hour to put on a new fashion. We read in the book of the Preacher, that Solomon speaking out of his own experience, he pronounceth of all things in this world, that they are but vanity and vexation of spirit, Eccles. 1.2. Uanitie of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. And Chap. 2. he saith, having given himself to take pleasure in pleasant things, having made great works, built goodly houses, planted vineyards, gardens, and orchyards, and planted in them trees of all fruit, and having gathered silver and gold, and the chief treasures of kings, and provinces: and so he goeth on, and concludes verse 11. He looked on all his works that his hands had wrought, and the travel that he had labored to do, and he found all was but vanity, and vexation of spirit. And in the Psalm before cited, Psal. 102. the Psalmist saith expressly, that the visible heavens shall perish, and shall wax old as doth a garment, and they shall be changed: The very heavens are liable to corruption and dissolution, and much more the earth and other things under the heavens: and common experience teacheth the truth of this. We see with our eyes, there be continual alterations and changes in the face of the sky, in the air, in the waters, and in the earth, and the best and most solid creatures are subject to rottenness and putrefaction. Yea those creatures that we do account most excellent, and most durable, gold, silver, pearls, and the like, experience showeth, they are subject to be broken and dissolved, and they are subject to be cankered, and to be eaten with rust, riches to be corrupted, and garments to be mouth-eaten, and the like, as the Apostle saith to wicked rich men, I am. 5.2.3. Your riches are corrupt, and your garments are moth-eaten, your gold and silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire: and all this is for the sin of man. That is the reason [Reason.] why all creatures in this world are subject to vanity, to mutability, to alteration and change, and are under a fleeting and vanishing state and condition, as I shown in opening the words.

[Use.] Now for the use: this must teach us the lesson Saint John hath put down, 1. John. 2.15. Not to love the world, neither the things that are in the world, nor to suffer our hearts to cleave to the best creatures here in the world, and to think to find happiness in them. Indeed we are not to despise the creatures that are in the world, and willfully to cast them from us, as Popish votaries do, for they be the workmanship of God; so we shall show our selves unthankful to God: but we must take heed we rest not on them, nor trust in them, and that we think not to find true happiness in them. It is the manner of men and women that want grace, to place happiness in the abundance of the good things of this life. If they be poor and want grace, when they speak of a wealthy man, they commonly say he is a happy man, he cannot do amiss, he hath the world at will. And if they be rich in outward things, and want grace, they commonly bless themselves in their wealth, and they make gold their hope, and the wedge of gold their confidence, as Job speaks, Job 31.24. Yea they think they have a perpetuity in their goods, and as the Psalmist saith, Psal. 49.11. They think their houses shall continue forever, and they call their lands after their own names. Thus foolish men that want grace, and have nothing in them but nature; yea such as have grace, and are the children of God, have their hearts many times too much entangled with the things of this world, and they suffer their hearts too much to cleave to them, and too much to rest on them: they give thenselves greedily to hunt after the things of this world. Are there not some who would be thought to be the children of God, that are tainted with the damnable sin of usury? Oh what a madness is it to suffer our hearts to rest on that which is fleeting and vanishing away, and is subject to mutability, alteration and change? If we should duly consider it, would any man well in his wits, think that he could find happiness in vanity? Remember this whē thou lookest on thy gold, thy plate, thy jewels; it is but an heap of vanishing transitory things, And be not thou vain: as the Psalmist speaks, Psal. 62.10. If riches increase set not thine heart on them. No, no, thou professing thyself a child of God, follow thou the counsel of the holy Spirit of God, 1. Cor. 7.31. Use this world as though thou vsedst it not, for the fashion of this world goeth away. The things of this world are vanishing and transitory, and they can yield thee no true comfort nor sound contentment: and consider that thy soul, thou being a child of God, is more worth then all the riches and treasures in the world, it being redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ: and why then shouldest thou so abase it, as to set it on so base an object as the vanishing things of this world? Therefore use thou the things of this world, as helps and furtherances to thee in thy travel towards heaven, but set not thine heart on them, let them not steal away thine heart from better things, but set thine heart on better things, on righteousness, the peace of a good conscience, the favor of God in Christ, and the comforts in Christ, and on the joys of the life to come, and those are durable things, and shall last forever: and thou professing thyself a child of God, thou art to count all things of this world but dross and dung, in comparison of those excellent treasures.

In the next place, in that the Apostle affirmeth that the creature is subject to vanity, that is, as we shown, not only to mutability, alteration and change, and to corruption, and dissolution, but also to weakness, and to fail in attaining the end for which it was made, in serving for the good of man, that in the good use of it, God's goodness might by man be acknowledged. Hence in the second place note we thus much. [Doct. 2]

That it is the curse of God upon the visible creatures, that be under the highest heavens, that they are weak and unable to attain the end for which they were created, that they now serve not for the good of man, that in the good use of them the goodness of God might by man be acknowledged, as that the heavens are now sometimes as brass, and the earth becomes as iron, as the Lord threatens, Deut. 28.23. That the earth is now sometimes as a wast wilderness, and smitten with barrenness, yea it is a vanity and a curse of God the poor creatures lie under, that they now do their service to the wicked who dishonor God, as that now the Sun, Moon, and stars, give their light to the wicked, that the clouds drop down their rain on them, that the earth yieldeth forth her increase to the ungodly & to abhominable sinners, (as indeed they do) as Christ saith, Math. 5.45. Our heavenly Father maketh his Sun to arise on the evil and good, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust. This is a curse of God, and a vanity that the poor creatures now lie under since the fall & sin of man. For (indeed) if man had stood in his innocence, and in his integrity, the creatures also had continued in their original integrity, and in their perfect state & condition; but by the fall of man they are now brought under this vanity, even to fail in attaining the good for which they were created yea to be subject to this vanity, to serve y ^e wicked & ungodly, yea many times to serve the vile lusts & sinful desires of wicked persons: this is the curse of God on the poor creatures since the fall of man; [Use.] & this I note to this purpose. It serves to discover what wicked and ungodly persons do when they use the good creatures of God: surely they do then even execute y ^e curse of God on the poor creatures, & howsoever they solace & delight themselves in the color, the beauty, & sweetness, and good that is to be found in the good creatures of God, as in the light and comfort of the Sun, in the sweetness of the air, in the heat of the fire, in the pleasant and comfortable taste of meats and drinks, yet indeed in using of them, even sometimes for their necessity, they are but instruments of executing God's curse on the poor creatures: and much more in their abusing the good creatures of God, when the wicked abuse the good creatures of God to satisfy their vile lusts and sinful desires, as when they abuse their meat to surfeiting, their drink to drunkenness, their apparel to serve their proud humors, and to set out the vanity of their minds, their money and their wealth to serves their maliciousness and revengeful minds, in wringing and wronging others. What do they? Surely but as cursed instruments, even execute the heavy curse God hath laid on the poor creatures: and if they had eyes to see it, and hearts to consider it, what comfort can they find in so doing? If the drunkard when he is in the midst of his pots and pot companions quaffing and carowsing, had but an heart to consider and to think with himself, what am I now doing? I am now executing the curse of God on these poor creatures, and that in a fearful manner, making them serve mine own vile lusts, it would make his wine and his strong drink bitter to him, as the Lord threatens, Isai. 24.9. If the proud person, man or woman, when they are tricking and trimming themselves in their vain and garish attire, could but thus think with themselves: I am now even a cursed instrument of executing God's curse on these poor creatures, that I thus abuse to set out the pride and vanity of my mind; it would make them take little comfort in their gay and garish attire. And so if those who abuse their money and their wealth to serve their malice and their revengeful minds, could but think thus with themselves, we are now cursed instruments of executing God's curse on our silver and on our gold, and such like, it would make them take little pleasure in bearing down poor men in their right and good causes; and so in other particulars. If wicked persons had but eyes to see, and hearts to consider what they do, when they abuse the good creatures of God, and make them serve their vile lusts and their sinful desires, it would make their hearts ache withi • • hem, in that they do then even execute the curse of God on the poor creatures, & are then but executioners of that heavy curse the Lord hath laid on the poor creatures for the sin of man, and that in a fearful manner: for therein they are like the devil himself, who is the grand executioner of God's curse: and as they are like to him in their practice, so without repentance they shall one day be like to him in his punishment. And indeed wicked and ungodly persons are then most cursed instruments of executing God's curse on the poor creatures, when they abuse them for the hurt of God's children; as when they abuse their gold and silver to trouble and vex the poor Saints and servants of God, when they abuse the fire to burn them, the water to drown them, and such like, and they are then in an high degree cursed instruments of executing the curse of God on the poor creatures, and they are then in an high degree like the devil, and if God give them not repentance, they shall one day in a fearful degree be like him in eternal punishment. It were good for them to think on it: and so I pass from that point.

Observe we further, the Apostle setting forth how the creature is subject to vanity, he saith, Not of it own will, but by reason of him which hath subdued it under hope: that is, not of any inclination put into it by creation, but by reason of the will and power of God the Creator, who hath so subdued them for the sin of man: whence note we.

[Doct. 3] That the creature, even the whole frame of this visible world, and all visible creatures in it, they now lie under vanity, under mutability, alteration and change, and are subject to corruption and dissolution, and they are now under weakness, subject to fail in attaining the end for which they were created: not willingly and of their own natural inclination, but by the powerful will of God. The poor creatures in this world are now many times perverted to wrong ends, and do many times serve the wicked, yea the vile lusts and sinful desires of the wicked, not by their natural inclination, but they are forced so to do by the mighty hand of God, and by his powerful will and command • meant. The poor creatures would not serve the wicked, especially the vile lusts and sinful desires of the wicked, not by their natural instinct, they would be revenged on the wicked for their sins, for their defacing of God's image: we may easily conceive it so to be, in that the Lord sometimes giving the creatures liberty, they presently break out to the punishment & to the destruction of the wicked Numb. 16.31.32. The earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up with their families, and all the men that were with Korah, and all their goods. Exod. 14.28. the waters overwhelmed the Egyptians and host of Pharaoh. And so indeed would the sea soon run over all the wicked in the world, were it not kept in by the mighty hand of God, and established by his commandment, as we have it Job 38.10.11. And so the fire would suddenly break out and devour the wicked, if the Lord did not restrain it, as it did those that brought Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to the • ot fiery furnace, Dan. 3.22. And all other creatures, if the Lord should give them liberty, would soon break out to the punishment of the wicked. Yea we may easily conceive, that the poor creatures would not serve the wicked, but that they are forced so to do by the mighty hand of God, and by his powerful will, in that after the day of judgment they shall yield them no comfort at all; the Sun shall then shine no more on them, the earth shall then bear them no longer, the waters shall not then yield them one drop to refresh them, as we may gather from that parable Luk. 16.24. the rich man in hell is denied one drop of water to cool his tongue.

Now this for use: in the first place it serves to discover, that [Use 1] the wicked are beholden to the power of God, in that any creature serves for their use. There is no creature in the world would do them any the least service or in any sort serve for their good, were it not thereunto forced by the mighty hand and powerful will of God. And let wicked and profane persons know, that the Lord who makes his poor creatures serve for their use for a time, can at his own good pleasure make the same creatures serve for their punishment, and for their destruction; if he but say the word, and if he command his creatures, they are ready armed against the wicked, and are ready to fly on them, to plague them, to punish them, and to destroy them.

And for a second use: is it so that the poor creatures are [Use 2] now under vanity, and under mutability, alteration and change, even under the curse of God, not willingly and of their own natural inclination, but by the powerful will of God, and as they are thereunto forced by his powerful will and commandment? Then hereby take we notice of the mighty and overruling hand and power of God over all creatures, he is able to make the poor creatures lie under vanity, and to lie under an heavy curse, whether they will or no, and as it were sore against their wills. And take notice of it thou that art a wicked rebellious wretch, and goest on willfully in thy rebellion and sin, in thy drunkenness, and the like, the Lord can, if thou still go on in thy rebellion and sin, make thee whether thou wilt or no, lie under the curse he hath threatened against such as thou art. And thou that wilt not now yield to the voice of God in the ministry of his word calling thee from thy sins, shalt one day be forced whether thou wilt or no, to yield to that voice of his, Go ye cursed into everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his Angels, Mat. 25.41. and then to lie under the curse of God everlastingly. And therefore if hell have not sull possession of thy soul, think on it, and learn to reform thyself.

Now in that the Apostle saith, the creature is subject to vanity, not of it own will, but by reason of him which hath subdued it under hope: that is, not of any natural inclination put into the creature in the first creation, but by reason of the power and will of God, who hath so subdued it for the sin of man: we are hence further given to understand thus much.

[Doct. 4] That the subjection of the creature under vanity is not natural but accidental, by reason of sin. The poor visible creatures in this visible world are now under a state of mutability, alteration, and change, and liable to corruption and dissolution, and they are now under a state of weakness unable to attain the end for which they were made, by reason of the sin of man. The sin of man hath inwrapped the poor creatures in this world under vanity, and hath brought them under the curse, and that vanity and curse the poor creatures now lie under, is daily and continually increased by sin, the daily increase of sin makes a daily increase of the curse the poor creatures lie under: that is the point. And for further confirmation of this truth, we have plentiful evidence and testimony of Scripture. Genes. 3.17. the Lord saith to Adam after his fall, after he had sinned, Cursed is the earth for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. Genes. 4.12. the Lord saith the like to Adams ungracious son Cain, after he had murdered his brother Abel, When thou shalt till the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength. Levite. 20.19.20. we find that the Lord thus threatens, if his people should despise his ordinances, and abhor his laws, and break his covenant, he would thus plague them, he would make the heavens as iron, and the earth as brass, and their strength and labor should be spent in vain, their land should not give her increase, neither should the trees of their land give their fruit. And the like threatening we find Deut. 28.29. And again, verse 38.39.40. the Lord threatens that for their sins they should carry out much seed into the field, and should gather but little in, for the grasshoppers should destroy it. They should plant vineyards and dress them, but should not drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worms should eat them. They should have Olive trees in all their coasts, but they should not anoint themselves with the oil, for their Olives should fall or shake off before they were ripe. And the like threatenings we find denounced in many places of the Prophets. Read Mica. 6.15. Hag. 1.6. But to this purpose is that of the Prophet Isaiah most plain and most pregnant, Isai. 24.4.5.6.7. The earth (saith the Prophet) lamenteth and fadeth away, the world is feeble and decayed: the earth also deceiveth, because of the inhabitants thereof, for they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, and broke the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are desolate: wherefore the inhabitants of the land are burned up, and few men are left. The wine faileth, the vine hath no might, all that were of merry heart do mourn. A plain text clearing and confirming this truth, that the sin of man hath infolded the poor creatures in the world under vanity, and hath brought them under the curse; and that vanity and curse the poor creatures are now under, is daily and continually increased by the daily increase of sin.

And the reason and ground of this truth is, [Reason.] because the sin of man deserves the punishing hand of God, not only on man's person, on his body and soul, but also on all things appertaining and belonging to him, even on all things serving for his use, and for his comfort, that his blessings should be turned to curses to him, as the Lord threats the Priests, Malac. 2.2. I will curse your blessings, yea I have cursed them already. And on this ground we may answer that question which haply some may move, [Quest.] namely, How it stands with the justice of God that the poor creatures that sinned not should be subject to vanity, and brought under the curse for the sin of man? On this ground, I say, we may answer this question, [Answ.] thus: That the creatures were not made for themselves, but for the use and service of man, and for the good of man: and therefore man sinning against God, and casting off the Lord's yoke, and becoming a rebel against God, it is just with the Lord not only to punish man in his own person, but in the things belonging to him, in the things that should serve for his use & for his comfort, even to make them weak and unable to do that service to man, and to yield him that comfort they were wont to do. And so the vanity and curse the poor creatures now lie under, is not properly the punishment of the creatures themselves, but it is part of man's punishment for his sin.

[Use. 1] Now for the use of this truth: first, this being so that the poor creatures now lie under vanity and under the curse for the sin of man, and that vanity and curse is daily and continually increased by the daily increase of sin, we are hereupon to take notice of the heinousness and odiousness of sin; as that sin is so odious and so heinous, that it provokes the Lord to anger exceedingly, even to reach out his punishing hand, not only to the person of man who hath sinned, but on all other things that should serve for the good of man. We read of the leprosy among the Jews, that the contagion of that did not only infect the whole man, but his garments also, yea sometimes the walls of his house: but the leprosy of sin is far worse, that doth not only infect the person of the sinner, and his garments, and things about him and near to him, but even the high heavens that are many thousand miles distant from him, are stained with the contagion of it, and are thereby brought under vanity, and made subject to corruption and dissolution. Oh then learn we to take notice of the guiltiness and heinousness of sin, yea of every sin: and think not thou whosoever thou art, that any sin is light, and trifling, and of small moment. It is the manner indeed of graceless persons, to account some sins light and trifling. What (say they) a little swearing by faith and troth, a little idle talking, a little walking abroad on the Sabbath day, a little working on that day, are these such great matters? I pray God (say they) we never do worse, and then we hope we shall do well enough. Poor soul, whosoever thou art, that thus either thinkest or speakest, dost thou think thou shalt do well enough in doing that which provokes the Lord to anger, not only against thine own soul and body, but against every other thing in the world that should serve for thy good? This thou dost in sinning against God, be the sin in thine account never so small, the least sin thou committest, in it self and in it own nature, is so odious and so hateful to God, as it provokes him not only to plague thee in thine own person, but also in everything that belongs to thee, and in everything thou settest thine hand to do, yea to curse the very air thou breathest in, the ground thou treadest on, the bed thou liest on, the table thou eatest thy meat on, the stool or seat thou sittest on, the dish thy meat lies in, yea thy meat, thy drink, thy clothing, and everything that goes through thine hands; and is that a matter trifling and of small moment, that thus provokes the Lord to anger, and provokes him thus to reach out his punishing hand to the very dumb and liveliness creatures? Oh learn thou to think otherwise of sin, and labor thou to see the odiousness and heinousness of sin in it own nature, and so learn to make conscience to avoid every sin, seem it never so small in thine account.

And for a second use: is it so that the poor creatures now [Use. 2] lie under vanity, under mutability, alteration and change, and under weakness, by reason of sin, and is that vanity and that curse daily increased by the daily increase of sin? Then learn we on this ground this lesson, when we are crossed by any creature, learn we to lay the fault where it ought to lie, let us not then break out into bitter terms and murmur against God, let us not then lay the fault on chance or fortune, and say, what luck had I? or what hard fortune had I? nor yet blame the poor creature, but let us lay the fault where it ought to be, even on our selves, and on our own sins. Doth the air infect thee? doth heat or cold annoy thee? doth the earth after much pains, and travel, and cost bestowed on it, by digging, plowing, and the like, yield thee little or no fruit? doth thy beast fail thee, haply thine horse in bearing, or drawing, or carrying thine own body stumbleth or falleth? Oh do not thou as many wicked and graceless persons do, break out into cursing and banning of the poor creature, and as Balaam did, who laid the fault on his asse, when indeed the fault was his own: so do not thou lay the fault on the poor creature, but lay it where it ought to lie, even on thyself, and on thine own sin. No marvel though the creature fail thee, and be not so serviceable to thee, seeing thou hast broken covenant with God, and failest in yielding him honor, and service, and duty, and obedience. The Papists they use holy water and the like to drive the devil and ill spirits out of the creatures; but alas the devil is in themselves, and the ill spirits are their own sins, that make the creatures weak and unable to yield them comfort.

Last of all, is it so that the creature is under the curse for the sin of man? Surely then we must learn to be merciful to the poor creature standing in need of our mercy, Prov. 12.10. A good man, a righteous man regardeth the life of his [Use. 3] beast, but the mercies of the wicked are cruel.

One thing yet remains to be noted in this verse. The Apostle adds, under hope. The creature is subject to vanity, not of it own will, but by reason of him which hath subdued it under hope: that is, so as it doth expect and look for a better state hereafter. We see then that the creature, even the visible creatures in this world, they are in a far better case then the [Doct. 5] reprobate, either men or Angels, they have hope of deliverance from under the curse that is now on them, and they expect freedom from under the bondage of corruption, even to be delivered into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, as verse next: But the reprobate, men and Angels, have no hope at all to be freed from the curse of God. Jude saith in his Epistle, verse 6. The reprobate Angels are reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness to the judgment of the great day: they are bound over to everlasting torments. And 2. Pet. 2.9. the Apostle saith, The Lord reserves the wicked and reprobate men to the day of judgment to be punished, & they have no hope to escape everlasting punishment. Oh then the miserable & fearful estate of the reprobate, it had been better for a reprobate man or woman to have been made a clod of earth, then a man or woman, the lump or clod of earth hath hope of deliverance from under vanity and the curse it lieth under, but a reprobate man or woman hath no hope at all to be freed from the everlasting curse of God. [Use.] And think on this thou that goest on in a course of evil & sin, & wilt not be reformed. Though I will not determine of thy final state & condition, and say definitively, thou art a reprobate and shalt be damned, yet thou going on obstinately in sin, notwithstanding the means vouchsafed to thee to call thee out of thy sin, and thou going on willfully in thy wicked course, it is a fearful sign, thou art not only a child of wrath as all are by nature, but a child of perdition, and that thou art going on apace towards hell, and art in the stat • of reprobation; and being so, woe to thee, it had been good for thee thou hadst never been borne, the earth and the dumb creatures are in better case then thou art, they have hope to be freed from the curse they now lie under, but thou hast no hope at all to be freed from the curse of God, that abides thee forever. Think on this thou that goest on in a course of evil and sin willfully, that if thou belong to God's election, thou mayest come out of thy fearful state and condition, and mayest come to repentance, that thy soul may be saved. Come we now to the 21. verse.

IN this verse our Apostle yieldeth a second reason, why the creature waiteth with fervent desire for the revelation of the sons of God, and his reason here is taken from the future better state of the creature, as that the creature shall one day be delivered from the hard condition it now lieth under, to a better state. Because the creature shall also be delivered: the Apostle expresseth from what, namely, From the bondage of corruption: and whereunto it shall be restored, and that is into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. That is the general matter of this verse, we have formerly resolved it; I will now endeavor to open the sense and meaning of this verse.

Because the creature also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. By the creature, here we are to understand, as we did in the two verses foregoing, the whole frame of this visible world, consisting of the celestial and elementarie region, the visible heavens with all their glorious furniture, and the earth with all her goodly ornaments, and the other elements, the fire, air, and such like, shall be delivered, or set free, or quit and exempted, for so the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 •• gnifieth. From the bondage of corruption, that is, from the state of corruption. The creature now being under a state of mutability, alteration & change, and being now subject to corruption and dissolution, it shall be set free from that state, as from an heavy servitude, bondage and thralldom; that is meant by the bondage of corruption. Into the glorious liberty of the children of God: for by the sons of God, by a Synecdoche is meant the children of God, whether men or women; and by their glorious liberty, we are to understand in particular, the liberty and freedom of their bodies from corruption and mortality, which at the day of judgment shall be accompanied with unspeakable glory. The Apostle saith, 1. Cor. 15.42. that the bodies of the children of God shall then be raised up in incorruption. And verse 53. he saith, Their corporal bodies shall then put on incorruption, and their mortal bodies shall then put on immortality. And in that part of their glory shall the creature partake with them, namely, in incorruption and immortality: the creature shall then be freed from the state of corruption, and shall then partake with the children of God in some degree of their glory: namely, in incorruption and immortality: the creature shall then be changed and restored into that original integrity and excellency in which it was first made and created. Acts 3.21. Peter speaketh of the restoring, not of men only, but of all other things. But haply some may say, [Object.] We read Psal. 102.26. that the heavens shall perish, and Math. 24.35. Heaven and earth shall pass away: and 2. Pet. 3.16. that the heavens shall pass away with a noise, and the elements shall melt with heat, and the earth with her works that are therein shall be burnt up. And verse 12.13. The Apostle saith, that the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with heat, and we look for a new heaven and a new earth, according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousness.

How can these Scriptures agree with this text of the Apostle, and the exposition now given of it, That the whole frame of this visible world shall be freed from corruption, and shall partake with the children of God in incorruption, and in immortality? To this I answer. [Answ.] The Scriptures alleged do not anything at all cross this text of the Apostle, nor the exposition now given of it, if they be rightly understood. For whereas the Psalmist saith, the heavens shall perish, he expoundeth himself, in that he saith they shall be changed: and the meaning of the other places alleged, is not that the heavens, and the earth, and the elements shall be annihilated, wasted, and brought to nothing, and cease to be at all, but that they shall have as it were a new being, they shall be made new, not in regard of substance, they shall not be made new heavens and new earth for their matter and substance, but in regard of qualities, they shall be purged from vanity, corruption and weakness they now lie under, and they shall have incorruption and immortality put on them, and they shall be renewed and restored to their original integrity and excellency in which they were first made and created.

Now here I hold it needful for further clearing of this text, to answer a question that is commonly propounded, namely this. [Quest.] Whether the fowls, beasts, and fishes, shall be freed from the bondage of corruption at the day of judgment, and be then made partakers of incorruption and of immortality, [Answ.] or no? To this question we can answer nothing certainly, but only that which is likely and probable, because the Scripture is silent in this: but that which may be gathered out of the Scripture in answer to this question, as I conceive most likely and probable, is this: That those creatures in their kinds, namely, some singulars of all kinds, shall be freed from corruption, and shall be made partakers of incorruption and immortality: because they are found Genes. 1. among those creatures that were made in the first six days. And those that were then made, and by the fall of man brought under vanity and corruption, it is likely they shall be restored to their original integrity at the day of judgment, in their kinds. Indeed not every particular fowl, beast, or fish, that hath been, now is, or hereafter shall be, there is no likelihood of that, that I hold shall not be, for then there should be a kind of resurrection of those creatures, their bodies being in the world but a short time, they being renewed and multiplied by continual generation. And if every particular fowl, beast, and fish, should be restored to their original integrity, then either the same particular fowls, beasts, and fishes, being dead and dissolved, as the same bodies of men and women, shall rise again, and be restored at the day of judgment, or some other of the same kind should be newly created: but neither of these things shall be, because for the first, we are not not to believe the resurrection of any creature, but only of the bodies of men and women: and for the second, the day of judgment shall not be a day of creation, but a day of restauration, and a day of restoring of all things, as it is called Act. 3.21. If any ask, [Quest.] what use shall there be of these creatures after y ^e last judgment? [Answ.] I may answer him with another question: What use shall there be of the visible heavens, and of the earth, when as the mansion of God's elect is prepared for them in the highest heavens? In these things we are not to be curious. What if the Lord will have the heavens, and the earth, and the same particular fowls, and beasts, and fishes, to continue as monuments of his former power, wisdom and goodness towards man? we are not curiously to search into these things, nor to move other thorny and unprofitable questions; as what number shall be restored, and the like: learned ignorance (as one saith) is better then knowledge, where the Scripture is silent. Now then thus conceive the meaning of the Apostle in this verse, as if he had said:

Because the whole frame of this visible world, the visible heavens with all their furniture, the earth with all her ornaments, and other elements, yea some singulars of all the kinds of fowls, beasts, and fishes, shall at the day of judgment be freed from the state of corruption, which is as a heavy servitude and bondage to them, and shall then partake with the children of God in some degree of their glory, namely, in incorruption and in immortality, and shall then be changed and restored into that original integrity and excellency in which they were first made and created.

Now first we may hence gather the wonderful benefit that cometh to God's children by Christ touching the creatures, they have not only in and through him right and title to the good creatures of God here in this world, and may comfortably use them, but they have also this benefit through the obedience of Christ imputed to them, that after the day of judgment the creatures shall be restored to their original integrity and excellency for their sakes. Because as the first Adams defection and fall, deserved to be punished both in his person and in all things appertaining to him: so it was meet that the second Adams obedience should not only restore man, but the creatures also which might be any way a fit appurtenance to him in the state of glory: but I pass from that.

Observe we here, the Apostle saith the creature shall be delivered and set free from the bondage of corruption, and then it shall partake of the glorious liberty of God's children, it shall then share with them in incorruption and immortality. [Doct. 1] We see then the creature must first be freed from the state of corruption, before it can come to partake with God's children in any degree of their glorious liberty. And doubtless much more must men and women be freed from their filth and corruption of sin, before they can come to share with God's children in their glorious liberty in fullness. Must the poor creature which is not sinful first pass through the fire, and be purged from that vanity and corruption that cleaves to it, before it partake with God's children in the least degree of their glory? Surely much more must men and women be purged from the dross of corruption that cleaveth to their souls, which indeed is sinful, by the fire of God's Spirit, before they enjoy with God's children the fullness of glory in heaven. They that are not first freed from the filthiness of sin here on earth, Revel. 21.27. the holy Ghost speaketh plainly, that no unclean thing shall enter into the holy City new Jerusalem. And the Apostle beats on it, that no unclean person shall enter into the kingdom of glory. Ephes. 5.5. This ye know (saith he) that no whoremonger, neither unclean person, nor covetous person, which is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 1. Cor. 6.9.10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wantons, nor buggerers, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And that is a known place, Heb. 12.14. that without holiness none shall see God to his comfort. For why,

[Reason.] None shall enjoy life and glory in heaven, but such as are first made fit for it, as Colos. 1.12. Men and women must be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, before they can come to enjoy it: and therefore men and women must first be purged from the dross and filthiness of their sins, by the fire of God's Spirit, before they come to enjoy fullness of glory in heaven, they are not otherwise fit for it. And therefore for the use of this, [Use.] deceive not thyself whosoever thou art: think not that thou shalt enjoy life and glory in heaven, and yet thou art one that art still in the dregs of nature, and thou art soyled with many foul and filthy gross evils and sins that cleave to thy soul, and thou art one that wilt not be cleansed from thy filthiness. If thou think thou shalt go to heaven as well as the best, the devil deludes thee, and thine own heart deceiveth thee, thou being yet in the dregs of nature, and soyled with many foul sins, and so living, and so dying, thou art not fit for the glory in heau • n. Consider it but in reason, art thou being a drunkard, a filthy person, or the like, fit to be a companion with the holy Majesty of God, who is infinite in holiness and purity, and of pure eyes, and cannot behold iniquity, with any allowance of it, and in whose sight the heavens are not clean, as Eliphas saith, Job 15.15? Art thou fit to be joined to the holy Angels, to the Saints in heaven, even to the spirits of just and perfect men, as it is Heb. 12.23? And art thou fit to inhabit the new heavens, and the new earth, wherein dwelleth nothing but holiness and righteousness? No, no, if thou so think thou deceivest thyself. Remember this, the very heaven's, those glorious creatures must be purged from the corruption that cleaveth to them, and be made new heavens, before they can partake with God's children in the least degree of their glory: and much more must thou be purged from the filth and corruption of sin, both in soul and body, and be made a new creature in Christ, before thou canst partake with God's children in fullness of glory in heaven, and therefore deceive not thyself.

In the next place, in that the Apostle saith, the creature shall be delivered from the bondage, and shall partake with God's children in their glorious liberty, that is, shall share with them in incorruption and immortality; note we thus much.

[Doct. 2] That the time shall come when the visible heavens, and the earth, and other elements, and some particulars of all sorts of fowls, beasts, and fishes, shall be as free from alteration and change, and from corruption and dissolution as the Saints in heaven. The poor creatures, especially the sub-lunarie creatures, that be under the Moon, are now subject to continual alteration and change, and to corruption, and dissolution: yea Satan (the Lord suffering him) doth now sometimes exercise his power on the poor creatures, he troubleth the air, he raiseth up storms and tempests, and he sometimes defaceth some of the creatures; yea he out of his deadly hatred against man, and his envy to the good of man, sometimes bringeth destruction on some of the poor creatures. Math. 8.32. the Lord Jesus suffering him, he carried the heard of swine with violence into the sea and drowned them, and the Lord giving him leave, he raised up a mighty wind, and smote the four corners of the house where Job's children were eating and drinking, and brought the house down on their heads and slue them, Job 1.19. It is said, Psal. 78.49. that the Lord cast on the Egyptians the fierceness of his anger, indignation and wrath, and vexation, by sending of evil Angels. But the time shall come when the creatures shall be freed both from alteration and change, and from corruption, and from the power of Satan, and Satan shall have no more power against them then against the glorious Saints in heaven, and that shall be none at all.

[Use.] And this for the use must teach us, not to trouble our selves too much in consideration of the alterations and changes that be in the world and amongst the creatures. Though (as the Psalmist speaks, Psal. 46.2.3.) the earth be moved, and the mountains fall into the midst of the sea: Though the waters thereof rage and be troubled, and the mountains shake at the surges of the same: yet let not us be troubled or fear too much. Indeed we are not carelessly to pass over the alterations and changes that be in the world and amongst the creatures, especially those creatures that be near to us or belong to us, we are to take notice of them, and to make use of them: but let us not be troubled and fear too much, nor break out into any impatiency, that is the thing the devil aims at in defacing the poor creatures, and in bringing destruction on them; he therein drives to bring man to impatiency, and to provoke him to blaspheme the Lord, and to break out into bitter terms against the Lord. It was his main drift in hurting Job's goods, and in bringing the house on the heads of his children, as appears Job 1.11. Stretch out now thine hand and touch all that he hath, to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face. And therefore let us not suffer Satan to effect his will and purpose in us, in consideration of the alterations and changes that be in the world, and amongst the creatures, and especially those good creatures that be near unto us, and belong to us; let us remember, though now the poor creatures be subject to alteration and change, and be many times defaced, and sometimes destroyed, yet the time will come when the Lord will bring all things into better form, and the time will come when the poor creatures shall be as free from alteration and change, and as free from the power of Satan, as the glorious Saints in heaven. Yea remember we, that the Lord hath a disposing hand in all the alterations and changes that be in the world, and amongst the creatures, and he will be sure so to dispose of them, as shall be for his own glory and the good of his children: I will not further prosecute that point. And not to say anything of the servitude and bondage the creature lies under, being now in the state of corruption, of that we shall speak more fitly in the next verse.

Observe we further, the Apostle here limits glorious liberty to the sons of God, to the children of God: he saith not, the creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of men and women, but into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, of the children of God, appropriating glorious liberty to them alone: and the point hence is this.

That a glorious liberty shall be proper to the children of [Doct. 3] God, and they only shall be made partakers of a glorious liberty at the day of judgment. Indeed the wicked and reprobate shall at that day be made immortal and incorruptible in their bodies, their bodies shall then be loosed & exempted from corruption and mortality, but their liberty shall not be a glorious liberty; they shall be made able to abide and to endure forever, yet under bondage of eternal woe and misery, and under everlasting shame and ignominy, and perpetual torments. Only the liberty of God's children shall then be a glorious liberty, they shall then be freed from corruption and mortality in their bodies, yea from all miseries, pains and travels, from all evils both of crime and pain; and all tears shall then be wiped away from their eyes, Reuela. 21.4. and that liberty of theirs shall be accompanied with unspeakable and inconceivable glory. 1. Corinth. 15.43. the Apostle saith in express terms, that the bodies of God's children shall be raised up in glory: yea he saith, Philip. 3.21. they shall be fashioned like to the glorious body of the Lord Jesus: they shall be glorious in their measure according to his image who is the God of glory. Mat. 13.43. the Lord Jesus saith, that the just in that day shall shine as the Sun in the firmament: they shall be endued with perfection of beauty and brightness. The Apostle is fain to express it in general terms, 2. Cor. 4.17. and to call it a most excellent and eternal weight of glory. The glory of God's children at the day of judgment shall be in show most beautiful, in sense most wonderful, and in weight and measure without bounds and limits.

[Reason 1] For why, God's children shall then have immediate fellowship with Jesus Christ the Lord of glory, 1. Cor. 2.8.

[Reason 2] And again, they shall then see the Lord face to face, yea they shall then in such sort behold his glory, as that they shall be transformed into it. Here they see the glory of the Lord but in a mirror, 2. Cor. 3.18. but then they shall see it so, as they shall be fully transformed into the similitude of it. And therefore doubtless the liberty of God's children at the day of judgment shall be a glorious liberty, and shall then be accompanied with unspeakable and inconceivable glory; and they only shall then be partakers of a glorious liberty: and therefore for the use.

This discovers, that howsoever the wicked and ungodly [Use 1] have in this world a kind of liberty wherein they please themselves exceedingly, I mean a carnal liberty, they follow the liberty of the flesh, and think it their happiness that they may so do, which indeed rightly considered is a miserable bondage, yet at the day of judgment they shall not partake with God's children in their liberty, they shall indeed, as we said, be freed in their bodies from mortality and corruption, but their liberty then shall be far worse then the Prophet speaks of, Jer. 34.17. A liberty to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine. It shall be a liberty to endless woe and misery, and it shall be accompanied with everlasting misery and torments: they shall not have any share in the glorious liberty of God's children.

Again for a second use: is it so that God's children, and [Use 2] they alone, and none but they, shall be partakers of a glorious liberty at the day of judgment? Here is then matter and ground of sweet and of excellent comfort for all that find themselves in that number. Hast thou good evidence of it that thou art a child of God, that thou art an adopted son or daughter of God? then know to thy comfort, thou hast not only here in this world liberty of grace, and liberty and freedom from an evil conscience, which thou wouldest not part withal for all the riches and glory of the world, but thou shalt at the day of judgment have thy liberty wonderfully enlarged, thou shalt then have liberty of eternal glory, even such a glorious liberty, as no wicked man or woman, though here in this world their outward pomp and glory be never so great, shall be partakers of. Haply here in this world thou art under some outward servitude and bondage, thou art under poverty, and it may be thou art inthralled in fetters and chains, thou art in prison, and restrained from outward liberty, yet thou being a child of God, thou hast the liberty of grace in thy soul, and the liberty of a quiet and good conscience, which is better then all the riches and glory in the world; and at the day of judgment thy liberty shall be unspeakable and glorious; then shalt thou be freed from all manner of evils both in soul and body, from the evil of sin, and from the evil of pain and suffering; and thy liberty then shall be accompanied with unspeakable and inconceivable glory: when as the wicked and ungodly, who haply in this world have had many outward liberties and great outward glory, shall enter into bondage of endless woe and misery. And this may be matter of great comfort to thee, yea consider this to thy comfort, thy liberty of grace here in this world is imperfect, and thy liberty and peace of a good conscience is here mingled with some doubting and fear, but at the day of judgment and in heaven-liberty of grace shall be perfect, and the liberty and peace of a good conscience shall be free from all doubting and fear. And if the peace of a good conscience, though mingled with doubting and fear, be here so sweet and comfortable, that Solomon saith, It is a continual feast, Prov. 15.15. what shall be the sweetness and comfort of it in heaven, where it shall be free from all mixture of doubting and fear? And if the Lord be so good to thee whilst thou art yet in the way, and only seeking of him and his face and favor, what will he be to thee when thou hast found him, and shalt see his glorious face, and as it were take him by the hand, and have immediate fellowship with him, and shalt enjoy his comfortable presence in glory forever? Oh then thy joy, comfort, and glory shall be inconceivable, the heart of man is not able to conceive it, nor tongues of men and Angels able to express it. Think on this to thy comfort, thou that art a child of God, and let none but such as are the children of God take hold of it; it belongs not to them. Come we now to the 22. verse.

IN this Verse our Apostle concludes and shuts up his first argument, by which he proves, that the glory wherewith God's children shall be invested in heaven, shall be both exceeding great, and also most sure and certain, taken from the expectation of the creature, that the creature waits with fervent desire for the manifestation of that glory; and therefore it shall be both exceeding great, and also most sure & certain. I say the Apostle here shuts up that argument, as before we shown, by setting down the greatness of the bondage the creature is subject to, that it is so great, as it doth press the creature as it were an heavy burden lying on it, and make the creature groan under the weight of it, and as it were travel in pain under it for deliverance. Yea the Apostle saith, Every creature, or the whole creation, as we have it in the New translation, is under this great bondage, and groans and travels in pain together one with another, and that to this hour, to this present: and further sets out that as a thing commonly known, We know (saith he) that every creature groaneth together also with us.

I will stand a while to open the sense and meaning of the words of this verse. We know. That is, it is a thing well known to us, we certainly know it so to be, partly by sense we see it so to be, and partly by the word of God revealing and making known to us the cause of it, and the end of it. That every creature, or the whole creation. Some think the Apostle here intends more by the word creature, then he did in the 3. verses foregoing, because he saith, every creature: yea some would have the good Angels here included, which cannot be, for they groan not under the bondage of corruption: but by creature, we are still to understand as before, the whole frame of this visible world, consisting of celestial and heavenly bodies, the visible heavens with all their goodly furniture, the earth and all her ornaments. And the Apostle here saith, Every creature, or the whole creation: thereby signifying, that all and every creature in this visible world, do agree in this, that all and everyone of them do groan and travel in pain for deliverance from the bondage of corruption. Howsoever every particular foul, beast, or fish (as before I shown) shall not at the day of judgment be restored, and have that particular being as now they have, or have had, and that an everlasting being, and therein partake with the children of God, but only some particulars of every sort and kind; yet every particular shall then cease to be miserable, even those particulars which shall not be restored, shall yet be resolved into the elements out of which they were taken, and there rest, and so cease to be anymore under the bondage of corruption: the elements being now restored to their original integrity and excellency in which they were created. And so though every creature shall not be delivered into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, yet every creature groans and travels in pain for deliverance. These words, Groneth and travaileth in pain, are metaphorical and borrowed terms. The first from one that is laden with an heavy burden, under which it pants and groans, and longs to be eased of it: and the other from a woman in her pains of child-bearing and of bringing forth her child, who earnestly desires deliverance. And so the meaning is this, that as a man laden with an heavy burden, under which he pants and groans, and longs to be eased of it, and as a woman in travel of child, and in her pains of bringing forth her child, earnestly desires to be delivered, so earnestly and so vehemently doth every creature in this world long and desire to be eased and to be delivered from that vanity and that bondage of corruption it lies under. Together, groans together. That is, as it were with one heart, and with one consent. Unto this present: or to this moment of time, or as yet, and still, so the word signifieth. Thus then conceive we the meaning of the words of this verse, as if the Apostle had said.

For we certainly know, partly by sense, and partly by the word of God revealing it to us, that the whole creation, even all and every creature in the frame of this visible world, do as it were groan and travel in pain, as a woman in pains of child-bearing, even earnestly and vehemently long and desire to be eased and to be delivered from that vanity and that bondage of corruption they now lie under: yea all creatures jointly together, as it were with one heart and with one consent, do thus groan and travel in pain, desiring deliverance, and that to this present, to this moment of time.

Now to take things in order, obsere we, the Apostle here affirms this, that every creature groans and travels for deliverance from under the bondage of vanity and corruption, as a thing certainly known to himself and to the believing Romans. We know (saith he) that every creature groaneth with us also. Whence note briefly.

That we are not to be ignorant of this, that the poor [Doct. 1] creatures in this world as it were groan under the burden of vanity and corruption, and as it were travel in pain under it, longing for ease and deliverance from it: we must be able to say with the Apostle, we know this, yea we must be able to say, we certainly know this, not only by sense and by experience, but that we know it from the holy word of God; and that we are come to the understanding of it by the word of God, the word of God revealing it to us, that the earth is cursed for the sin of man, as we read Genes. 3.17. and that all and every creature in the world lies under the curse for man's sin.

How far from this are many men and women in the world, [Use.] they cannot choose but see and discern (if they be not sottishly or willfully blind) that the poor creatures in the world as it were groan under the burden of vanity and corruption: their own eyes and senses may teach them thus much. But alas, this they conceive not as they are taught to conceive of it by the holy word of God, as that the poor creatures lie under this as under the curse of God; this they are not acquainted withal, and that makes them many times ascribe the alterations and changes that befall the creatures, and the weakness of the creatures to do them service and to yield them comfort, to chance or fortune, or to secondary causes, Well, we must be able to say, we know that every creature groans and travels in pain under the burden of vanity and corruption, not only by sense and experience, but from the holy word of God, that we are come to the understanding of this by the word of God, and that indeed we understand it as the holy word of God makes it known unto us, that the poor creatures lie under this burden as under the curse of God. And so much be spoken briefly of that.

In the next place observe we, the Apostle here puts on the creatures as it were a person, he brings them in groaning and traveling in pain under the burden of vanity and corruption, and longing after and desiring ease and deliverance from it. He makes the poor, dumb, and liveliness creatures as it were sensible of their misery, of that vanity and corruption they lie under, yea so sensible of it, as that in their kind they groan under the burden of it, and as earnestly desire to be eased of it and delivered from it, as a woman in travel of child, that is full of pain, desires to be delivered of her child. And what may this teach us? surely thus much.

That we to whom God hath given reason and understanding, [Doct. 2] are much more to be sensible of our corruption and misery, and especially of that corruption of sin that cleaves to our souls and bodies, and of our fearful misery in regard of that, we are much more to groan under the burden of sin pressing our souls, and most earnestly to desire to be eased of that burden, and to be delivered from it. Chap. 7. of this Epistle verse 24. the Apostle cries out, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? He was sensible of the very remainder of sin still abiding in him, and he groaned under that burden, and desired deliverance from it, and that most earnestly. Philip. 1.23. he saith, He desired to be loosed: that his soul might be loosed from his body: indeed chiefly (as there he speaks) that he might be with Christ: that he might have immediate fellowship with Christ, and enjoy fullness of joy and glory with him in heaven: yet no doubt one cause of his desire was, that he might be freed from the burden of sin still abiding in him. And thus doubtless it is with all God's children, they are sensible of that corruption of sin that still cleaves to them, and of their fearful misery and thralldom, and bondage in regard of that, and they groan under the burden of the remainder of sin still abiding in them, and earnestly desire to be delivered from it. And it ought to be thus with everyone of us, we are to be sensible of the corruption of sin cleaving to our souls and bodies, and of our misery in regard of that, & earnestly to desire to be eased of that burden, and to be delivered from it: and there is reason [Reason.] for it: for why, Sin cleaving to our souls and bodies, is the only thing that makes us miserable, and our sins are the cause of all misery that comes either to our selves or to the creatures, and therefore we are to groan under that burden, and to travel in pain to be delivered from it.

But alas where is almost the man or woman, [Use.] that doth thus take sin to heart, and thus groan under the burden of their own sins, and travel in pain to be delivered from them? Indeed such as have true grace in their hearts, do sigh and groan under the burden of the relics of sin still abiding in them, and under their sinful infirmities, and with the woman Luke 7.44. they wash the feet of Christ with tears, but as for others, they go lightly under the burden of many fearful and gross sins, they are drunkards, and filthy persons, and yet they can laugh and sing, and be exceeding iocond and pleasant: and this argueth the wonderful hardness of heart, that through the custom of sin they are become senseless of sin. Consider it thou that art a drunkard, a blasphemer, or the like; doth the dumb and dead earth groan under the vanity and corruption it lieth under, and dost not thou groan under thy corruptions and sins that cleave to thy soul and body? Yea doth the earth groan under thee, and is it weary in bearing of thee, and would it fain open her mouth and swallow thee up, because of thy vile and gross sins? and dost thou go lightly under the burden which makes the earth groan under thee? Thou art then more dull and dead hearted then the very earth thou treadest on, and thou going on in that hardness and deadness of heart, and vnfeelingnesse in regard of sin, the dumb and dead earth shall one day rise up in judgment against thee: think on it, and learn thou to be sensible of sin, yea let everyone of us learn by the example of the creatures, to be sensible of our corruptions and sins, and of our fearful misery, thralldom and bondage in regard of them, and to groan under the weight and burden of them, and to travel in pain to be delivered from them, as earnestly as a woman in pains of child-bearing desires to be delivered of her child: and to that end learn we to apprehend sin, and to take notice of it, in the true nature of it, and as indeed it is in it self, namely: That it is odious in the sight of God, and displeasing to the Lord, and in it self and of it self, makes us liable to the wrath of God, and the curse of God, which no other thing in the world doth. Not any misery whatsoever we endure, whether poverty, sickness, imprisonment, or such like, makes us miserable and liable to the curse of God, in it self, and of it self, but only our sins. And if this be rightly apprehended and duly considered, it will make us weary of our sins, and make us groan under the burden of them, and earnestly desire to be delivered from them, and to use all good means, that we may be freed and delivered from the burden of them.

Now in that the Apostle saith, every creature in this visible world groans and travels in pain under the burden of vanity and the bondage of corruption, even all and everyone without exception of any, I might note the extent of God's anger and wrath against the sin of man, and that the curse of God for man's sin hath a long extent, and reacheth far, but that was partly touched before, and therefore I pass by it.

We are to mark further, that the Apostle here bringeth in the creatures, groaning and traveling in pain, and that jointly together, as it were with one heart, and with one consent. He makes the dumb and senseless creatures, not only after a sort sensible of their misery, of that vanity and corruption they lie under, but as it were to condole and bemoan one another, and to have as it were a fellow feeling of one another's misery, and so to groan together, and to travel in pain together one with another, longing for ease and for deliverance. We find that the Lord by his Prophet bringeth in the dumb creatures, as it were hearing the complaint one of another. Hosea 2.21.22. saith he, I will hear the heavens, and the heavens shall hear the earth, and the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil, and they shall hear Izreel. Now what is our lesson from hence? Surely this.

That men and women to whom God hath given sense, yea [Doct. 3] reason, and will, and affections, are much more to have a fellow feeling of one another's misery, and to groan together under the burden one of another, especially under the burden of sin, pressing the souls one of another, and lying heavy on the conscience, and the misery they lie under in respect of their sins. Rom. 12.15. the Apostle saith in express terms, that we are to weep with them that weep, and we are to groan with them that groan. And Heb. 13.3. saith the Author of that Epistle, Remember them that are in bonds, as though ye were bound with them, and them that are in affliction, as if ye were also afflicted in the body: have a fellow feeling of their bonds, and of their afflictions, as if yourselves were pressed with them, and did lie under them. And this was Paul's practice, as himself saith, 2. Cor. 11.29. Who is weak, and I am not, and I bear not part with him in his weakness? Who is offended and I burn not? It is the exhortation of the Apostle, Colos. 3.12. that we put on tender bowels, or bowels of mercy. The words there used are very significant, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , they carry this sense, that we are to have our hearts possessed with a true touch & feeling of y ^e miseries one of another, yea with a lively sense of them, as if we our selves were in the same case with our brethren that are in any distress: we are to groan with them, when they groan under the burden of any misery, especially under the burden of sin pressing their souls, and lying heavy on their consciences, and for the miseries they lie under in respect of their sins: for why, the reason [Reason.] & ground of this truth is this.

All men and women in the world, are of one and the same mould and matter, they all partake of the same substance, they are all of one flesh, Isai. 58.7. And the Lord hath made of one blood all mankind, Acts 17.26. And such men and women as are true believers, are members of one and the same body; and the Lord hath laid it as a law on the members, that if one suffer all suffer with it, 1. Cor. 12.26. And therefore men and women are to have a fellow feeling of one another's misery, and to groan together under the burden one of another, and especially under the burden of sin pressing the souls of one another, and lying hard on the conscience: and therefore for the use.

[Use 1] On this ground we may conclude, that it ought to be far from everyone of us to insult over such as are in misery, and to make our selves merry with their afflictions, or to take advantage thereupon to deal hardly with them, and so to add affliction to affliction, and one misery to another, that is most barbarous and brutish, and after the manner of dogs, to fall on him that is down in the streets, and it argues exceeding hardness of heart: for the miseries of others are as visible Sermons, moving to pity and to a fellow feeling; and things seen, make a deeper impression then things only heard of. We then seeing others groaning under the burden of any misery, to be so far from being sensible of their misery, and from groaning with them, as that we insult over them, and thereupon take advantage to deal hardly with them, surely it is an argument of extreme hardness of heart, and especially if we deal thus with such as groan under the burden of sin, as it is the manner of wicked and profane persons, when they see a man or a woman groaning under the burden of sin, troubled in mind and conscience for sin, they make but a mock and a jest of it, and they commonly say, such persons are but melancholicke fools, or mad men or women. This argues extreme and monstrous hardness of heart, and this is to persecute those whom the Lord hath smitten, and to add to the sorrow of them whom he hath wounded, Psal. 69.26. and that in an high degree. And this provoketh the Lord to anger exceedingly, as he saith by his Prophet Zach. 1.15. I am greatly angry against the careless heathen, for I was angry but a little, and they helped forward the affliction. And they that thus do, shall be sure at one time or other to find the heavy hand of God on their own souls.

And so for a second use, learn we the duty now made [Use 2] known to us, even to have a fellow feeling of one another's misery, & after the example of the poor dumb creatures, to groan together under the burden one of another, and especially under the burden of sin, pressing the souls of our brethren, and lying heavy on their consciences. When we see a man or a woman groaning under the burden of sin, and troubled in mind and conscience, we are to groan with them, to mourn with them, to pray for them, to comfort them, and to help them what we may: yea we are to groan for the sins of those who groan not for themselves, being hardened in their hearts, and having no sense nor feeling of them. Thus did good Lot, as the Apostle witnesseth of him, 2. Pet. 2.7. he was vexed and grieved with the unclean conversation of the filthy Sodomites: he fetched many a sigh and sob, and many a groan for their filthiness, who as the Apostle saith, Ephes. 4.19. Being past feeling, gave themselves to work all uncleanness, even with greediness. And we have the example of the Lord Jesus, Mark 3.5. the text saith, He looked about on the people angerly, and mourning also for the hardness of their hearts. They had hard hearts and groaned not for themselves, they groaned not for their own sins, but the Lord Jesus he mourned and groaned in his heart for them, and thus are we to do; we are to groan with them who feel the weight of their sins lying heavy on their souls, and do groan under the burden of them. Yea we are to groan for their sins who have hard hearts, and neither do nor can groan for themselves; and our eyes are to pour out floods of tears for them who keep not God's Law, as David saith and did, Psal. 119.136. And if we do so, surely it is an argument that the Lord hath given us soft and melting hearts, yea it is an evidence to us to our comfort, that we truly feel the burden of sin on our own souls, when we can groan with others in respect of sin pressing their souls: let it be thought on and remembered.

One thing yet remains to be noted in this verse, I will but touch it in a word. The Apostle saith, Every creature groaneth together with us, and to this present, to this very moment and minute of time. Thus spake the Apostle in the time when he writ this Epistle, and thus may we still say, that every creature groans with us to this very moment, it is still so: and so the point hence is this.

[Doct. 4] That the poor creatures in this visible world, do still as yet to this very moment of time, groan and travel in pain under the burden of vanity and corruption, and they shall lie under that burden till the end of the world, till the day of judgment.

For why, sin still abides in the world, which is the cause of that vanity and corruption that cleaves to the creatures, and till sin be taken out of the world, which shall not be till the day of judgment, [Reason.] the poor creatures shall not be freed from that burden. And howsoever sin be expiate and taken away from God's chosen, in regard of the guilt and punishment by the blood of Christ, yet the creatures shall not be freed from subjection to vanity, and from the bondage of corruption, till sin be taken out of the nature of things, and cease to have any being in the world.

[Use. 1] And therefore for the use: first on this ground we must learn in using the creatures, to seek to God that he will be pleased to remove from them the curse that cleaveth to them. The poor creatures are still subject to mutability, to corruption, to alteration and change, and they still to this present lie under weakness, they are not able to do us good unless the Lord remove the curse from them, and bless them to us, and by his blessing make them good and comfortable to us: it comes from the blessing of God that our meat doth feed us, and that our clothes keep us warm. If the Lord say the word, his creatures do us good, Math. 4.4. If he deny a blessing to them, they can do us no good at all: we see it in experience, some pine away in the midst of plenty, and having abundance of gold and silver. And therefore we must remember in using the creatures, to entreat the Lord to remove from them the curse that cleaves to them, and that he would bless them to us, that they may be for our good and comfort.

And for a second use, it being so that the curse of God still [Use. 2] cleaves to the poor creatures, we must take heed we add not to that curse. How is that, may some say? Surely by our desiring of the good creatures of God, gold, silver, and the like insatiably, and by seeking of them by unlawful means, by usury, by deceit, and the like; we so desiring the good creatures of God, and so seeking of them, we may haply come to have abundance of them, but withal we have the curse of God attending on that abundance, and that abundance is given to us in God's wrath, and not in his mercy. Solomon saith, Prov. 10.22. The blessing of God it maketh rich, and he adds no sorrows with it. There be riches with sorrow, & with a mischief, and with the curse of God attending on them; yea riches desired insatiably, and sought after by unlawful means, and so obtained, bring the curse of God on the souls of them who so get them. And this ought to abate the edge of our affections from the things of this world, and to make us not to love them, and desire them, and to seek after them so eagerly as commonly we do. Come we now to the 23. verse.

IN this verse our Apostle falls on his second argument, whereby he proves that the glory wherewith God's children shall be invested in heaven, shall be both great glory, and also sure and certain glory: and his argument here to that purpose, is from the expectation of the godly, and of true believers, that they also expect and look for that glory, and wait for it, and therefore it must needs be both great glory, and also sure and certain glory, Not only the creature, but we also (saith the Apostle) which have received the first fruits of the Spirit, do sigh in our selves, waiting for the adoption, even the redemption of our body. And that is the dependence of this verse on foregoing matter, and the general drift of the Apostle in it. In this verse considered by it self, we have laid before us.

[ 1] First, a description of the godly and true believers, that they are thus qualified, they are such as have the first fruits of the Spirit: We which have the first fruits of the Spirit, wherein is also implied the cause of their expecting and looking for fullness of glory in heaven, and their waiting for it, because here they have the first fruits, as it were a taste and a beginning of it.

[ 2] Then secondly, he makes known the practice of true believers, having the first fruits of the Spirit, in two words, as first, that they sigh or groan▪ and secondly, that they wait. Their sighing or groaning is further set forth by the manner or measure of it, that it is in themselves, We do sigh in our selves: and their waiting is further amplified by the thing they wait for, and that is here said to be adoption, and that again further explained to be the redemption of the body. Waiting for the adoption, even the redemption of our body.

I will now stand awhile to open the sense and meaning of the words of this verse. And not only the creature. The word signifying creature, is not in the original, but it is of necessity to be supplied, and may well be added to make up the sense answerable to the former verse: Every creature groaneth with us also; and not only the creature or the whole creation, But we also which have the first fruits of the Spirit. Some would have the Apostles only here to be meant, when the Apostle saith we, because they received the excellent and miraculous gifts of the Spirit: but the word we, is rather to be taken as signifying all true believers, the Apostle neither in the foregoing nor in the verses following speaking of himself as an Apostle, but as a true believer, together with the true believing Romans. And in the next verse he saith, We are saved by grace: which is not proper to the Apostles only, but to all; and therefore the word we, is meant I and you, and all true believers. Having the first fruits of the Spirit. The Apostle herein alludes to the manner of the Church in the Old Testament; the manner of the Jews in the time of the Law was to offer their first fruits to God, as the Lord had commanded them, partly to show their thankfulness to God for bringing them into the land of Canaan, Deut. 26. from the beginning to the 12. verse: and partly to sanctify the rest of their crop, as we find Levite. 23.10.11.12.13. &c. And to this the Apostle alludes here on this manner: that as by offering the first fruits by the Jews, the rest of their crop was sanctified, and thereby they had certain hope of a good harvest, and that they should enjoy the rest of their crop in due season: so the portion of saving and spiritual grace that God's children have here, and the special gifts of the Spirit peculiar to God's elect here bestowed on them, as calling, faith, justification, sanctification, peace of conscience, spiritual joy, hope, love, repentance, and the like, are as it were first fruits to them, even pawns and pledges to them that they shall hereafter have the perfection and the accomplishment of them, and the fullness of joy, and the whole mass of glory promised to them. And so the meaning of the Apostle is, we which have the beginnings of saving grace, and the special gifts of the Spirit peculiar to God's elect, as pledges of perfection, and the accomplishment of them hereafter, and of the fullness of joy and glory promised to us: even we sigh in our selves. We sigh or groan: that is, we feeling the weight and burden of our corruption and misery, do sigh and groan under it. In our selves: that is, in truth, and from our very heart root, not feinedly in show only. Waiting for, and constantly, and patiently expecting and looking for the adoption. By adoption, we are not here to understand that which followeth on the justification of true believers, and is annexed to it, but the consummation of adoption, the manifestation of it, when God's children shall be put in full possession of their Fathers inheritance, which the Apostle expounding himself, calls the redemption of the body. Now touching these words, know that there is a double redemption, one which God's children have by faith, spoken of Ephes. 1.7. and Coloss. 1.14. and the other which they shall [ 1] have at the day of judgment, and that shall be a full deliverance [ 2] and freedom from all corruption and misery. And the Apostle here speaks of the redemption of our body, because the body of a child of God is rotting in the grave when his soul is in heaven, and is last redeemed and freed from corruption and misery: and when the bodies of true believers shall be freed from corruption and misery, then shall their glory be consummate and perfect. And this is that redemption Christ speaks of, Luk. 21.28. Look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth near. Thus then conceive we the meaning of the Apostle in the words of this verse, as if he had said.

And not only the creature we spake of before, but I, and you, and all true believers, who have the beginnings of saving grace, and the special gifts of the Spirit of God, gifts that are peculiar to God's elect, as pawns, and pledges of perfection, and accomplishment of them hereafter; and of the fullness of joy and glory promised to us, in time to be given to us, even we feeling the weight and burden of our corruption and misery, do sigh and groan under it, and that truly from our very hearts desiring ease and deliverance, constantly and patiently expecting and looking for the consummation of our adoption, and the manifestation of it, even a full deliverance from all corruption and misery, and that in our bodies which shall be last of all freed and delivered, and for consummation and fullness of glory which we shall have at the day of judgment, at the coming of Christ to judgment.

Now first observe we, that the Apostle here puts down God's children as a distinct member from the creature; he saith, Not only the creature, but we also: thereby giving us to understand, that though God's children be his creatures as other things be, yet they are more then so. And the point hence is this.

That God's children are the creatures of God as other [Doct. 1] things in the world be, and they are more then so, they are much more then that they are by creation. God's children are not only partakers of that common benefit common to them with the earth, and elements, and brute beasts, to be the work of the Lord's hands, but they are also partakers of a further benefit, they are created anew, and they are made new creatures, as the Apostle speaks, 1. Corinth, 5.15. If any man be in Christ, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Let him be a new creature, or he is a new creature. And Galat. 6.15. the Apostle saith, Neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature: a new creation. And this new creature is vouchsafed to all God's children, they are framed anew in their minds, wills, affections, in all the powers of their souls, and in all the parts and members of their bodies, not in the substance of them, but in regard of holiness and righteousness, according to the image of God in which man was first created. And the ground of this is.

The promise of God we read of, Ezech. 36.26. [Reason.] A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. The Lord hath promised to make his chosen anew, to frame in them new minds, and throughout to renew them; and he will be as good as his word, he will make them new creatures.

And for use, [Use.] in the first place we must look that it be thus with euerieone of us, that we be not only the creatures of God as other things in the world be, but that we be framed anew, and made new creatures in Jesus Christ. Many poor ignorant souls think they have matter of comfort enough in this, that they are God's creatures, and they say, they are the poor creatures of God, and he hath made them, and they hope he will be good to them and save them, they hope God made them not to damn them. But alas, if men or women have no better ground of comfort then this, that they are God's creatures, they are in a poor and miserable case, the ox or the asse is in that respect as near heaven as they, for they are also God's creatures. Yea know, whosoever thou art, if thou content thyself in this, that thou art God's creature, and never labor for further ground of comfort, but so live and so die, thou art in a far worse case then the brute creatures, then the very toad or venomous serpent: for the death of the brute creature is to it an end of all misery, but thy death to thee is a beginning of endless woe without ease or remedy. And therefore rest not on this, that thou art the creature of God, but labor thou to be made a new creature in Jesus Christ, and never rest till thou be framed anew in thy mind, will, and affections, according to the image of God, in true holiness and righteousness, and that indeed will yield [Use. 2] thee true comfort both in life and death. And so for a second use, it is matter of great comfort to God's children, that they are created anew, and made new creatures in Jesus Christ, and that they have the image of God stamped on them; for doubtless the Lord doth more esteem of them then he doth of all other creatures in the world, then he doth of the most goodly & glorious creatures, the Sun, Moon, and stars, yea then he doth of other men that are reasonable creatures as well as they, be they never so rich or great in the world. As a father who hath in him the true affection of a father, makes more reckoning and account of his child begotten of his own body, and that bears his image and is most like to him, then he doth of his gold or silver though he have abundance; and so the Lord esteems more of one of his children whom he hath begotten by the immortal seed of his word, and by the work of his Spirit, and framed anew in his beloved the Lord Jesus the Son of his love, then he doth of all other creatures in the world. And for his children's sake he reproves kings, alters the course of nature, and many times turns upside down the estate of things in the world. Yea on their being depends the continuance of this world: when God's children shall be all sealed and sanctified, and their number fully accomplished, then shall heaven and earth go together, and this world shall have an end, so dear and precious are God's children to him. And this is to be thought on to the comfort of all that find themselves created anew, and made new creatures in Jesus Christ.

In the next place, the description of the godly and true believers here given by the Apostle, comes to be considered and stood on: the Apostle thus describing the godly and true believers, that they are such as have the first fruits of the Spirit: that is, as we shown, such as have the beginnings of true saving grace, and the special gifts of the Spirit peculiar to God's elect, as pawns and pledges to them of the perfection of them hereafter, and of fullness of joy and glory in heaven, which the Lord hath promised to them in time to be given [Doct. 2] them. Now from this description we may raise two conclusions, I will speak of them in order: as first this.

That the beginnings of true saving grace in God's children, and the special gifts of the Spirit, and gifts peculiar to God's elect bestowed on them, are as sufficient pawns and pledges to assure them, that hereafter they shall have full perfection of grace, and fullness of joy and glory in heaven. As the Israelites by offering their first fruits had good hope of a good harvest, and that they in time should reap the rest of their crop: so God's childrē by the beginnings of true saving grace, and by the special gifts of the Spirit of God here bestowed on them, may conceive certain hope and assurance both of perfection of grace, and of fullness of joy and glory hereafter to be given to them in heaven. 1. Corinth. 1.22. the Apostle speaking of himself and of other true believers, saith, God hath sealed us, and hath given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. He compares the Spirit of God given to his children to an earnest penny, that as men do assure others that they will pay thē the whole sum due for this or that, by giving them an earnest penny; so the Lord doth give his children here in this world the special gifts of his Spirit, as it were part of payment, and as an earnest penny, the better to assure them that in due time they shall receive fullness both of grace and glory. And to the same purpose speaks the Apostle. Ephess. 1.13.14. saith he, Ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance: that is, as an earnest given us of God, doth confirm to us our heavenly inheritance, and assure us that in time we shall receive the fullness of grace and glory. And in the 4. Chap. of that Epistle verse 30. saith the Apostle, Grieue not the holy Spirit of God, by whom ye are sealed unto the day of • edemption: as if he had said, By whom ye are confirmed in assurance of a full redemption, even of a full deliverance from all corruption and misery, and of a full accomplishment and perfection both of grace and glory in time to be given to you. These places do sufficiently clear and confirm the truth of the point in hand, that the beginnings of true saving grace, and the special gifts of the Spirit of God, peculiar to God's elect, bestowed on God's children, are as sufficient pawns and pledges to assure them that hereafter they shall have perfection of grace, and fullness of joy and glory in heaven.

And the reasons and grounds of this truth are these.

[Reason 1] First, the beginnings of true saving grace, and the special gifts of the Spirit of God, the gifts peculiar to God's elect, are God's love tokens bestowed on his chosen, even tokens and testimonies of his special love to them, yea of his unchangeable love, of that love of his wherewith he loved them before the world was, and wherewith he will love them forever.

[Reason 2] And again, the Lord having begun the work of true saving grace in his children, and having bestowed on them the special gifts of his Spirit, the gifts peculiar to his chosen, he will certainly accomplish and perfect his own good work in them; he is able to do it, none can hinder him, and he is most willing to do it: yea the Apostle saith, 1. Corinth. 1.8.9. that he will confirm his children to the end, because he is faithful. He reasons from the nature of God, he is most faithful and true in his word and promises, and therefore he will confirm his children, Who shall (saith he) confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ: and then he subjoins as the ground of that, God is faithful by whom ye are called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. And Philip. 1.6. the Apostle saith expressly, that the Lord who hath begun the good work in his children, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: he will certainly accomplish it. And therefore on these grounds we may resolve on this as a certain truth, that the beginnings of true saving grace, and the special gifts of the Spirit of God, the gifts peculiar to God's elect bestowed on God's children, are as sufficient pawns and pledges to assure them that hereafter they shall have both perfection of grace, and also fullness of joy and glory in heaven.

Now then for the use, first on this ground of truth we are [Use 1] to take notice of the wonderful and unspeakable mercy and goodness of God towards his children. The Lord hath not only provided and laid up fullness of joy and glory for his children in heaven, but he is pleased out of the abundance of his love and riches of his mercy, to make it known to them that he hath so provided for them, yea to give them here in this world pawns and pledges of it, even sufficient to assure them that they shall in time be put in full possession of it. The Lord knows our unbelieving mould, that we are full of doubting, and full of unbelief, and he is pleased to provide against it in his children, and to give to them the beginnings of true saving grace, and the special gifts of his Spirit, as pawns and pledges of his love to them, and the better to ascertain them touching his gracious purpose of bringing them to their heavenly inheritance, and that in time they shall have fullness of joy and glory in heaven. And in this respect God's children cannot sufficiently magnify God's goodness and mercy towards them.

Again for a second use: is it so that the beginnings of true saving grace, and the special gifts of God's Spirit, the gifts peculiar to God's elect bestowed on them, are as pawns and pledges sufficient to assure them that hereafter they shall have both perfection of grace, and also fullness of joy and glory in heaven? Then here is a ground of excellent comfort to all that find in themselves the beginnings of true saving grace, and the special gifts of God's Spirit, the gifts peculiar to God's elect: they may thereupon certainly conclude to the comfort of their own souls, that they shall in time be possessed of fullness of joy and glory in heaven, and they are to be fully persuaded of it. Though we will not sometimes trust a man on his word, or on his bill, or bond, yet on a sufficient pawn we dare trust any man, and shall we not then trust the Lord on so good and sufficient a pawn lying with us, as the beginnings of true saving grace, and the special gifts of the Spirit of God, the gifts peculiar to God's elect? Oh we are thereupon to be fully persuaded, that the Lord will one day bring us into the possession of the heavenly inheritance, and that we shall assuredly in time come to enjoy the fullness of joy and glory in heaven. I know it is a point of controversy between us and the Papists, and they say, that none can in this life be assured that they shall hereafter enjoy life and glory in heaven. I will not enter the controversy, but consider we thus much; can a man or a woman have the first fruits of the Spirit, and then be disappointed of the joy and glory in heaven? Hath the Lord begun a good work in his children, and will not he perfect it? Why surely the saving grace that God's children here have, is a beginning of that glorious being they shall receive in heaven, it is the same for substance, differing only in degree. And therefore doubtless, such as have the beginnings of true saving grace, and the special gifts of the Spirit of God, the gifts peculiar to God's elect, may thereupon certainly persuade themselves, that they shall in time come to have perfection of grace, and fullness of joy and glory in heaven, and that may be a ground of sweet comfort to them. Yea, will some say, it is indeed matter of great comfort to such as have the beginnings of true saving grace, and the special gifts of the Spirit of God, and the gifts peculiar to God's elect: but how shall I know, [Quest.] that the grace I have is true saving grace, and the gifts of God's Spirit bestowed on me are the special gifts of the Spirit, and such as are peculiar to God's elect? Hypocrites may go far, they may seem to have the first fruits of the Spirit, They may be enlightened, and taste of the heavenly gift, they may be partakers of the gifts of the Spirit, they may taste of the heavenly gift, and the powers of the world to come, Heb. 6.4.5. how then shall I know that the grace I have is true grace, and the gifts of the Spirit of God bestowed on me, are the special gifts of the Spirit of God peculiar to his elect, and so pawns and pledges sufficient to assure me that in time to come I shall have perfection of grace, and fullness of joy and glory in heaven?

I answer: [Answ.] thou shalt know it by three things, by the root of that grace, by the extent of it, and by the special working of it, as:

First, by the root of it, if the grace that is in thee come from Christ as the root: for Christ is not only the author of spiritual life, as the Father and the holy Ghost, but he is also the cause of it, and he hath it in himself, that he may convey it to all that truly believe in him: he is an appointed head to the Church, Ephes. 1.22. He is the Lord of life, Act. 3.15. He is a quickening Spirit, 1. Cor. 15.45. And if the grace that is in thee come from Christ as the root of it, and Christ lives in thee as the root of a tree lives in the branches of it, and thou art able to say with the Apostle, Galat. 2.20. Christ lives in me, and I have in me in some measure the mind of Christ, the disposition of Christ, and the affection of Christ, I mind the will of God to do it, it is meat and drink to me to do it, I mind the glory of God, I seek it unfeignedly; then is the grace that is in thee true grace.

Secondly, by the extent of it, if the grace that is in thee do [ 2] extend and reach it self to all the powers of thy soul, and to all the parts of thy body, thou art wrought on throughout, and there is a proportionable measure of grace in all the powers of thy soul, and in all the parts and members of thy body, and the grace that is in thee, doth reach also to all the parts of thy life, for true grace spreadeth it self over the whole man. And hence is renovation called a new birth, and a new creation, and a putting off of the old man, and a putting on of the new man: And true grace holdeth out and increaseth, though indeed sometimes it may be interrupted by some strong temptation, or some grievous affliction, yet it getteth strength again afterwards, and it grows stronger daily.

[ 3] Thirdly, by the special working of grace: if the grace that is in thee do work in thee uprightness of heart, so that now thou dost love all good things because they are good, as well as one, and hate all sins because they are sins and displeasing to God, as well as one sin, as well Sabbath breaking as whoredom, drunkenness, and the like, because the Lord hath forbidden the one as well as the other. And thou dost thus hate sin, both in thyself and in all others, as David saith, Psal. 119.6. Thou hast respect to all the commandments of God, and thou hast now a single care to please and to glorify God in all things, and a willingness in thee to obey the will of God in every particular thing made known to thee out of his word that concerns thee within the compass of thy place and calling, and that freely, as if there were no law to compel thee, no heaven to reward thee, nor hell to punish evil doers; yea to obey the will of God in everything, though it be against thy profit, thy pleasure, thy credit, thy liberty, thine ease, or the liking of carnal friends, and such like. And now thou dost not content thyself in the good things thou hast done, either in leaving sin, or in drawing near to God, but thou dost still go forward, and every day get ground of sin, and break off some corruption, and every day draw nearer to God, as the Apostle saith, Philip. 3.13.14. Thou forgettest that which is behind, and dost endeavor thyself to do that which is before, and press forward towards the mark, for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And now thou lovest good men, because they are good, be they never so poor, or of never so mean condition, and thou lovest good things in others as well as in thyself, thou dost not now envy or despise the good gifts thou seest in others, though they be thine enemies; but thou dost like and approve of them, and bless God for them, and give him glory for them, and thou seekest to profit by them, and thereupon takest advantage to labor for the same gifts in thyself. If it be thus with thee, if the grace that is in thee thus come from a right root, namely, from Christ Jesus, and be thus extended, and doth thus reach it self over all the powers and faculties of thy soul, and over all the parts and members of thy body, and to all the parts of thy life, and have this special working in thee, working in thee uprightness of heart, loving all good things because they are good, and hating all sins because they are sins and displeasing to God, then is the grace that is in thee true saving grace, and the gifts of the Spirit of God bestowed on thee are special gifts, proper to God's children, and thou art now gone beyond an hypocrite, and thou mayest thereupon conclude, to the comfort of thine own soul, thou art in the state of grace, and that thou shalt in time have perfection of grace, and fullness of joy, and glory given thee in heaven: and hereby let everyone try himself.

Come we now to the second thing offered to us from this description of the godly and true believers, that they are such as have the first fruits of the Spirit. I said that from this description [Doct. 3] we might gather and raise two conclusions: the first we have spoken of.

Now the second is this, that in this life God's children have not fullness and perfection of saving grace bestowed on them, but only some part and portion of it, even so much as the Lord in his wisdom seeth meet and fit for them. They have here only the first fruits of saving grace, not a full harvest of it. And as the first fruits among the Jews were but an handful in comparison of their whole crop and full harvest: so the saving graces and gifts of God proper to God's chosen, here in this life bestowed on God's children, are but as an handful, even a small measure in comparison of that fullness and perfection of them that shall be given to them in heaven. And to this purpose also sits that comparison of an earnest, the special gifts and graces of the Spirit of God being compared to an earnest in the places before cited. And as an earnest is but a little in comparison of the whole sum, haply a shilling, or ten shillings, given in earnest for the payment of an hundred pounds or more: so are the special gifts and graces of God, here given to God's children, but a small thing in comparison of that fullness of grace they shall hereafter receive in the kingdom of heaven. 1. Cor. 13.9. the Apostle saith, We know but in part. The most regenerate in this life, they know but in part, and their love and other graces that are in them are proportionable, they have here in this world the saving gifts and graces of God's Spirit but in a mean and small measure. Colos. 1.19. the Apostle confines all fullness to the person of Christ, and that by the eternal decree of God his Father, and (saith he) It pleased the Father that in him (that is Christ) both the fullness of the Godhead, as we have it Colos. 2.9. and also the fullness both of grace and merit should dwell: and of his fullness of grace do true believers receive, as John. 1.16. Of his fullness have all we received. Christ was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows as we read Heb. 1.9. cited out of Psal. 45.7. He received not the Spirit by measure. John. 3.34. but in fullness, and that oil of grace that was poured on his head, it descends down to his members, but yet they receive it but in measure. And so true believers, God's children, have not here in this life fullness and perfection of saving grace bestowed on them, but only some part and portion of it: even so much as the Lord in his wisdom sees meet and fit for them. And indeed to give you some reasons of this truth.

[Reason 1] First, God's children in this life are not fit for the fullness of grace, they are as vessels that are of small capacity and receipt, and not able to receive and to contain much liquor or other matter put into them: so through the infirmities of nature God's children are not able to receive the fullness of grace, they are not capable of it in the time of this life.

And again, secondly, the Lord in his wise dispensation will have his children in the time of this life, not only to have joy in believing, and in the apprehension of his love and favor towards them in Christ, but he will have them to have also matter of humiliation, in respect of their imperfections and wants, for the beating down of their pride, lest they should be too much lift up in themselves, and altogether rest in themselves for the ground of their comfort. On these grounds it is that God's children have not here in this life fullness and perfection of saving grace bestowed on them, but only some part and portion, even so much as the Lord in his wisdom sees meet and fit for them.

But haply here some will say, Christ saith, John. 4.14. [Object.] Whosoever drinks of the water that he gives him shall never thirst, but the water that he gives him shall be in him a well of water springing up to everlasting life. Now the water that he gives, is not only his merit, but his Spirit also, and the saving gifts and graces of his Spirit, as appears, John. 7.38.39. He that believeth in me, as saith the Scripture, out of his belly shall flow rivers of the water of life. This spake he, saith the text, of the Spirit which they that believe in him should receive, and therefore it seems that true believers have in the time of this life fullness of saving grace bestowed on them, even such a fullness as they need not to thirst after more.

To this I answer. [Answ.] The meaning of Christ in that place is not that whosoever drinks of the water that he gives him, shall take such a full draught, as that he shall not need to desire anymore: but that he shall never after that be altogether void of spiritual moisture, and wholly destitute of saving grace, as he was before he drank of it, but the grace that is in him shall be as Christ there saith, As a well or fountain of water in him, ever springing up to everlasting life. And so it still remains a truth, that God's children have not here in this life fullness and perfection of saving grace bestowed on them, but only some part and portion of it, even so much as the Lord in his wisdom sees meet and fit for them, the first fruits of the Spirit, and a small measure in comparison of that harvest and fullness they shall hereafter have in heaven.

[Use 1] Come we to the use: and first this ground of truth serves much for the comfort of God's children, who have in them the beginnings of true saving grace, and yet are ever complaining of their weaknesses and wants, and are many times much dejected and cast down on the sight and on the sense and feeling of their own spiritual wants; they are to consider, that here in this life they cannot come to fullness and perfection of saving grace, but only to some part and portion of it, to the first fruits of the Spirit, and to such a measure of grace, as the Lord in his wisdom sees meet and fit for them. It is a dangerous subtlety of Satan, that he many times goes about to persuade poor weak Christians, they have no faith, no sanctification, nor the Spirit of God at all, because they have not all faith, and perfect sanctification, and the fullness of the Spirit: and he would have them try themselves by the rule of perfection, when as indeed they are here but in the state of progression. We are to take heed of this dangerous sleight of our subtle enemy, and that we may be armed against it, remembering the truth now delivered, that God's children have not here in this life fullness and perfection of saving grace, but only some part and portion of it, even so much as the Lord in his wisdom sees meet and fit for them. And therefore be not thou whosoever thou art, utterly dismayed, because thy faith is but little, and the saving grace that is in thee is but weak and imperfect: thou knowest the imperfect life of an infant is life, as truly as that life which is in a man that is come to his full growth; and so the saving grace that is in thee, being but weak, is as truly grace, as the grace that is in the strongest Christians. [Object.] But thou wilt say, I feel corruption strong in me, I feel mine heart full of unbelief, and I have little or no feeling of grace or holiness in me. [Answ.] Well, consider it is a mercy of God, that thou hast a feeling of thine own corruption, with a loathing of it, and with a constant desire to be freed from it: And know, that thou shalt never in this life feel grace as thou feelest corruption and sin, if thou have the first fruits of the Spirit, the beginnings of true saving grace. And thou mayest know thou hast so, by the grounds I have given, especially by the working of grace, if it work in thee uprightness of heart, so that now thou dost hate all sin as well as one, because it is sin, and now thou art willing to obey the will of God in all things, and thou dost now raise up a daily combat with thyself, and a continual striving against thy most secret corruptions, even against such corruptions as none knows but God and thine own soul; thou hast the beginnings of true saving grace, and bless God for it: be humbled (indeed) for thy wants, but yet bless God for the grace thou hast received. And herein by the way many good Christians are wanting, they complain of their wants, but they forget to bless God for the good he hath wrought in them; therefore do thou bless God for his mercy to thee, for the grace thou hast received, and comfort thyself in it, and wait thou for fullness and perfection of grace to be given thee hereafter in heaven: yet in the mean time labor thou to increase the grace that is in thee, and daily to add one measure of grace to another. And so to fall on a second use.

We must take heed we abuse not this truth, that God's children [Use 2] have not here in this life fullness and perfection of saving grace, but only some part and portion of it, even so much as the Lord in his wisdom sees meet and fit for them, the first fruits of the Spirit and a small measure of saving grace. We may not hereupon take occasion to content our selves with a literal knowledge of the will of God, and with a formal and powerless profession, as many do on this ground. Why? say they, the best have but a small measure of grace in this life: and therefore they think they may rest in a literal knowledge and in a formal profession; yea they think their gross sins are handsomely put off by this: The best (say they) that live in the world are sinners, and the best have their wants, and have here but a small measure of grace bestowed on them. We must take heed of this, and it being so that here in this life we have not fullness and perfection of grace bestowed on us, but only some part and portion of it, we must be daily adding one measure of grace to another, we are in this life to be continually hungering and thirsting after grace. Christ pronounceth them blessed, who hunger and thirst after righteousness, Math. 5.6. We are to find such an emptiness and such a want in that grace that is truly wrought in us, as doth require a further supply and filling up, and we are to find in our selves such an hungering after a further measure of grace, as makes us ready and willing to break thorough any difficulty or danger to attain to it, as we say, hunger will break the stone walls; such an impatient and such an holy feeling must we have of the want of the full measure of grace that is already wrought in us, and such and hungering desire to be further filled with it, as that we are stirred up to sighing and groaning, watching, fasting, and praying, for a greater measure, and are careful and conscionable in using all good means of further increase of it, as hearing, reading, conferring, continual meditating in the word of God, and prayer, and frequenting the company of those that are spiritual, who are able to quicken us up in this kind.

We are now to come to the second general thing here put down by the Apostle, and that is the practice of the godly, and of such as have the first fruits of the Spirit; namely, their sighing or groaning, and their waiting. And first of their sighing or groaning, the Apostle saith, We sigh in our selves, even we who have the first fruits of the Spirit, do sigh in our selves, that is, as we have shown, we who have the first fruits of the Spirit, feeling the weight of our corruption and misery, even we do sigh and groan under it, and that truly from the very root and ground of our hearts, desiring ease and deliverance.

Now here in the first place we are to take notice of this practice of the godly, of their sighing and groaning: and the [Doct. 4] point hence is this.

That the godly, and such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, do sigh and groan under the burden of corruption that here in this world cleaves to them, and under the burden of misery that here they lie under; even the best of God's children, and such as have the greatest measure of saving grace bestowed on them, do still sigh and groan under the burden of corruption and misery; and their life here, so long as they live in this world, is a life of sighing and groaning, and they are here in a continual practice of sighing and groaning. Psal. 6.6. David saith, he caused his bed every night to swim, and he watered his couch with tears. And Job 3.24. Job affirms, that his sighing came before his eating: My sighing (saith he) comes before I eat. Psal. 84.6. the godly are said here in this world to go through the vale of Baca, through the vale of drought, or through the vale of weeping and tears; their life here is a life of sighing and groaning, and of weeping and mourning, and they are here in a continual practice of sighing and groaning: for why,

The godly & such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, [Reason.] have their eyes opened by the Spirit of God, and they see and discern that they have here in this world many just causes of sighing and groaning; as namely, in regard of the ugliness and lothsomenesse of sin, that still cleaves to their souls, and defaceth the image of God in them, so far as it spreads and prevails; in regard of their ignorance of sin, that they cannot find out and spy out all the sins that lurk in their own bosoms, and that they cannot find out the deep deceit of their own hearts; in regard of their proneness to sin, and many allurements and provocations to it; in regard of their frailties and infirmities, and that sometimes they slip and slide into sin; in regard of the imperfection and weakness of their good gifts and graces, and the defilement that cleaves to their best works; in regard of their unworthy walking, of the mercies and blessings of God, and of their unprofitableness under the good means of salvation; in regard of the miseries, troubles, and crosses they are here subject to, coming because of sin originally: though the Lord have many good ends in afflicting his children; in regard of their absence from their own country, heaven, as the Apostle saith, 2. Corinth. 5.2. Therefore we sigh, desiring to be clothed with our house which is from heaven. These and many other just causes of sighing and groaning which I might add, as the dishonor of God, the blaspheming of his name, God's children, and such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, see and discern, and they are apprehensive of them. And hence it is that their life here in this world is a life of sighing and groaning, and they are here in a continual practice of sighing and groaning. Haply some will say, [Object.] surely then the life of the godly is a very uncomfortable life; and indeed it is the conceit of the world, that the life o • God's children is an heavy, lumpish, and uncomfortable life: What? always sighing and groaning, how can that choose, say they, but be a marvelous uncomfortable life? [Answ.] They are deceived, the sorrow and sighing of the Saints and servants of God, is never utterly destitute of sweet comfort, it comes from the Spirit of grace, who is also the Spirit of comfort; and he never leaves God's children comfortless in their greatest sorrows and sighings; even in sighing the heart of a child of God is full of sweet comfort: his sighing being an evidence of his hatred of sin, and of his love of God, and of the holy truth of God, it cannot choose but yield him much sweet comfort. Come we to make use of this.

[Use 1] First, is it so that the best of God's children, such as have the greatest measure of saving grace bestowed on them, do still sigh and groan under the burden of corruption and misery, and their life here, so long as they live in the body, is a life of sighing & groaning, & they are here in a continual practice of sighing and groaning? Surely then it cannot be true which some idle brains have imagined or do conceit, that God's children may come to such a perfection of grace, and to such a measure of comfort here in this life, as that they need not sigh or groan anymore, and that they need not anymore mourn for their sins: they are deceived that so think, the truth now delivered shows plainly that their opinion is but a fancy. I leave them: and for a second use.

[Use. 2] The truth now delivered serves to discover, that many in the world are far from the practice of God's children, and of such as have the first fruits of the Spirit: for why, most men and women in the world are so far from the continual practice of sighing and groaning, as indeed they put sighing and groaning far away from them, yea they esteem it to be a womanish affection, and there is nothing to be found amongst them but mirth and iolitie, eating and drinking, quaffing and carowsing, laughing and singing, and a continual following of their sports and pleasures, and their sensual delights; and they are mirth-mongers, they study and devise how they may spend their time in mirth and merriment: yea many times they take pains that they may enjoy a little carnal and sensual pleasure. As at this time we now celebrate the birth of Christ, have not many amongst us labored hard, risen early, sit up late, and taken great pains the week before this time, that they might have some spending money at this time, some money to spend in carding, dicing, quaffing, and drinking, and do they not now so spend it, and spend their time in all manner of riot and disorder, and think this time gives them liberty so to do? Surely herein they show themselves to be far from the practice of God's children, and of such as have the first fruits of the Spirit; yea herein they show themselves to be such as are under the curse of God, and liable to that woe denounced by him who knew what he said, and cannot lie, even by the Lord Jesus, Luk. 6.25. Woe to you that are full, for ye shall hunger. Woe to you that now laugh, for ye shall wail and weep. Woe to you that are now merry and frolike, and pass your time in sports and merriment, and sensual delights, you shall one day weep and wail. Consider it thou that art a drunkard, a gamester, or the like, that day may be nearer to thee then thou art aware of, thou art every moment subject to the stroke of God's hand, the Lord may suddenly strike thy body dead, yea whilst the cards, dice, or pot is in thine hand, and send thy soul to hell: there is but a step between thee and hell, and canst thou laugh and be merry? If thou canst, and if thou so do, thy case is fearful, thou art hardened in thy sin, and thou art far from the practice of a child of God, and consequently far from the comfort of a child of God: and thou going on in thy mirth and iolitie, thou shalt assuredly one day be as far from God's children as hell is from heaven. Think on it, and let everyone of us remember this, that if we go on in a Iouiall course, if we be mirth mongers, bown-companions, good fellows, as the world calls them, we are then far from the practice of God's children; and we are then far from the comfort of God's children. But, will some say, may not God's children rejoice in using the good creatures of God, as meat, drink and such like? I answer. Doubtless they may, and they only may rejoice, and they only may keep a merry Christmas, so as they remember three caveats.

First, that their joy and delight in outward things be a fruit [ 1] of their inward and spiritual joy, even of their joy and rejoicing in God's love to them in Christ.

[ 2] And secondly, that it be moderate rejoicing, as though they rejoiced not, according to the rule of the Apostle, 1. Cor. 7, 30.

[ 3] Thirdly, with sighing and groaning for their unworthiness of the least of God's mercies, and with a godly jealousy, and with an holy suspicion of themselves, lest sin mingle it self with their joys: for when they are most merry, then they are nearest to danger, and most like to be overtaken with sin. Job knew it well, • s he saith, Job 1.5. therefore he sent and sanctified his children when they feasted together: thus may God's children do in using the good creatures of God.

The Apostle saith, We sigh in our selves: that is, from the very root and ground of our hearts. Hence note we.

That the sighing of God's children, and of such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, is hearty and sound, it is not hypocritical and formal, but from the very heart root. God's children sigh and groan heartily when they sigh and groan for sin that cleaves to their souls. It is not so with hypocrites, with carnal persons, when they sigh, though it be for sin, yet it is not heartily and soundly. And this difference may appear thus: when God's children sigh for some actual sin whereof they are guilty, they rest not in sighing for that, but they go down to the root of that and all their other sins, the corruption of their nature, and they fetch their sighs from under that corruption that cleaves to their hearts, in which they were conceived and borne, and which is the root and mother of all their sins, and they groan under the burden of that. Thus did David, Pfal. 51. he rested not in the acknowledgement of his adultery and murder, and in sighing and groaning for those actual sins, but he went down to the root of those and of all his other sins, the sin of his conception and birth, verse 5. Behold I was borne in iniquity, and in sin hath my mother conceived me. But hypocrites and carnal persons, they rest in this, that they sigh and groan for some actual sin; their consciences being awakened, and now they seeing and feeling some actual sin pressing and lying heavy upon their consciences, haply thereupon they send out a natural sigh or sob, in regard of some outward thing, in regard of shame and punishment due to them for that sin, or in regard of the hand of God on them by sickness, pain, or the like; as Pharaoh did when the hand of God was on him, then he cried, I have sinned, and take away this plague: but he never cried, take away the hardness of heart, and cursedness of my nature. And thus it is with hypocrites and carnal persons, they groan only as the brute beast doth that is pressed with some heavy burden, but they never go down to the root of sin and groan under that as an heavy burden, and fetch their sighs from under that; and so they groan not with their hearts soundly when they sigh for their sins. And of this the Lord complains, Hoze. 7.14. They have not cried unto me with their hearts (saith he) when they how led upon their beds. If then thou wouldst have true comfort in thy sighing and groaning for sin, look thou go down to the root of all sins in thyself, and sigh in thyself, even from under that corruption that cleaves to thy soul inwardly, and then doubtless thy sighing is a sound sighing, and a sighing of a child of God, and it is then pleasing to God, and will yield comfort to thine own soul.

Come we now to the second thing the Apostle here puts down, as the practice of the godly and of such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, and that is their waiting. Waiting (saith he) for the adoption, even the redemption of our body: that is, (as we shown) patiently and constantly expecting and looking for the consummation of our adoption, and full manifestation of it, even a full deliverance from all corruption and misery, and that in our bodies, which shall last of all be freed and delivered; and so the consummation and fullness of the glory which we shall baue at the day of judgment, at the coming of Christ to judgment. Now here in the first place note we, that the Apostle joins sighing and waiting together, in such as have the first fruits of the Spirit: saith he, We which have the first fruits of the Spirit, we sighing and waiting, we sigh under the burden of corruption and misery, we wait for deliverance and freedom from it. Whence take we notice of thus much.

[Doct. 5] That sighing and waiting are joined together in a child of God. A child of God, one that hath the first fruits of the Spirit, doth so sigh and groan under the burden of misery that he lies under, as that he waits for deliverance out of it with patience, as the Prophet saith, Isai. 28.16. He that believes makes not hast. A true believer, one that hath the first fruits of the Spirit, true saving grace in him, such an one groaning under any trouble or distress, though he do carefully use all good means that may procure him ease and deliverance, yet he waits in patience for ease and deliverance to be given him in the Lord's good time, as the Church saith, Isai. 26.8. We have waited for thee in the way of thy judgments, the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.

[Reason.] For indeed a child of God, a true believer, believes the promise which God hath made, touching ease, comfort, refreshing, and deliverance, to be given in time of trouble, not only in respect of the matter and substance of that promise, that the Lord will ease him, comfort him, refresh, and deliver him, but he also believes it, together with the circumstances of it, the time, place, and means, and such like, and so he carefully using the means, waits on God for a blessing on them, and for ease, comfort, refreshing, and deliverance to be given him in that time which the Lord in his wisdom sees meet for him.

If then for use of this, thou whosoever thou art, [Use.] being under the hand of God, and groaning under any distress, if so be thou make hast to be delivered out of that distress, thou art impatient of delay, and thou wilt not wait on the Lord's leisure, yea thou breakest out, or at least in thine heart thou sayest as that wicked king of Israel said, 2. King. 6.33. Should I attend on the Lord any longer? Thou wilt no longer wait on the Lord, but thou runnest frō God to the devil, even to the using of unlawful means to help thyself by; yea to the accursed instruments of Satan, to witches and wizards, and thou wilt have help and deliverance in all hast. Assuredly thou art far from the spirit, and disposition, and practice of a child of God, yea thou hast in thee the spirit and disposition of a child of the devil; and it is a fearful presumption that God hath given thee up to the power of Satan, that he may seal thee up to thine eternal damnation. Remember this, that in a child of God sighing and waiting are joined together, and if thou wouldst approve thyself to have the Spirit of a child of God, even the first fruits of the Spirit, thou must not only be sensible of thy trouble and distress, and sigh & groan under it, but thou must also with faith in the promises of God, both in respect of the matter of them, & also of the circumstances of his promises, wait for ease, for comfort, and for deliverance with patience, and look to find ease, comfort, refreshing and deliverance in the Lord's good time, in the time that he in his wisdom sees meet and fit for thee.

Come we now to consider the practice of the godly, and of such as have the first fruits of the Spirit here further expressed, namely, their waiting for the adoption, even the redemption of their body: and the point hence in the next place is this.

That the godly and such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, [Doct. 6] do patiently and constantly expect and look for the consummation of their adoption, and for a full deliverance from all corruption and misery both in their souls and bodies. God's children and such as have the beginnings of true saving grace bestowed on them, they constantly look and long for the day of full deliverance, yea the day when they shall be fully freed from all corruption and misery both in their souls and bodies, and they live in a continual expectatation of that day. 1. Corinth. 1.7. the Apostle saith, the believing Corinthians were not destitute of any gift, the Lord had bestowed on them a great measure of saving grace; and then be subjoins, Waiting for the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Philip. 3.20. saith the Apostle, Our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we expect and look for the Savior, even the Lord Jesus Christ. 2. Tim. 4.8. we find that the Apostle makes it a note of all those that shall receive the crown of righteousness, which the Lord shall give at that day of his appearing, that they are such as love the appearance of the Lord Jesus. Hebr. 9.28. the Author of that Epistle saith, Christ shall appear the second time without sin, to the salvation of those that look for him. Revel. 22.20. Christ Jesus testifying this of himself and saying, Surely I come quickly: the true believing soul answers, Amen, even so, come Lord Jesus. To these we might add many other testimonies clearing and confirming this truth, that God's children and such as have the beginnings of grace, they live in continual expectation of a day wherein they shall be fully freed from all corruption and misery, both in their souls and in their bodies, and they long for that day of fu • l deliverance.

[Reason 1] And there be reasons for it, as first, God's children find their own corruption an heavy burden to them, and the temptations of Satan irksome and grievous to them; and they find that they cannot here glorify God as they desire, in full perfection, but in great weakness, and that here in this world they are many times over carried to the doing of evil, and they would fain make an end of sinning and displeasing of God, sin being the greatest burden that can be to the soul of a child of God.

And secondly, God's children earnestly desire to enjoy the comfortable presence of the Lord Jesus, and to be where he is, and to behold his glory, as he hath prayed, John. 17.24. and they desire immediate fellowship with Christ, yea they would not go to heaven if they should not find Christ there: and they desire that their faith and their hope may be changed into the sight and full fruition of good things they eye by faith, and that now they hope for. On these grounds without question it is, that God's children and such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, live in continual expectation of the day wherein they shall be fully freed from all corruption and misery, both in their souls and bodies, and they long for that day exceedingly. No apprentcie more earnestly longs for the day of his freedom, nor any woman being in pains of child-bearing, more heartily longs to be delivered of her child, then God's children do long for the day of their full deliverance from all corruption and misery both in their souls and bodies: and so they long for the coming of Christ to them, either by death, as the Apostle did, Philip. 1.23. I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ, or by the general judgment. Haply some may say: May a child of God long for death, [Quest.] and may he wish for death? I answer: [Answ.] for death simply considered in it self, he may not, but as death is a passage to a better life, and as it is a means to free him from his own corruptions, and from the temptations of Satan, he may desire it, and wish for it, so as he do not through a desire of it hasten the time of his death. Some may again demand, [Quest.] whether the friends of a child of God may desire the continuance of his life here in this world, or no? I answer, [Answ.] they may, and that lawfully, though those desires be opposite and contrary one to the other: the desire of a child of God to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, and the desire of his friends that he may still continue in the body. Friends may thus desire, two cautions remembered. First that they do it with condition of God's will, submitting their wills to the good will of God. Secondly, not only of love to the party, but with a desire that he or she may yet do more good, either in the Church or common wealth, according to the place and measure of grace given them.

[Use.] Now the point delivered and cleared for use and application, it serves to make known a difference between the godly and the wicked. The wicked may haply be weary of the world, as Cain was of his punishment, they may and do sometimes, out of their sense and feeling of pain and misery, wish themselves out of the world, and the hand of God being heavy on them, they do sometimes cry out: Oh would I were out of the world, having a foolish and blind conceit that death will put an end to all their pain and misery, so sottish and so ignorant are they. But alas, the wicked and ungodly live not in continual expectation of full deliverance from all corruption and misery, they are not ever wishing and longing for the day of death, and to be out of this world, now being in health, and strength, and in prosperity: they put death and the day of judgment far out of their minds, and they would not willingly entertain a thought of death, or of the coming of Christ to judgment, such thoughts are unpleasing, and make them melancholicke; and they are so besotted with the vanities, pleasures, and the outward good things of this life, as they could be content to abide here forever, and to set up their rest in this world, and to go no further: which indeed is one part of their misery, as one saith, Quae tanta est infoelicitas vt de ipsa miseria gaudeamus, &c. Now it is far otherwise (as we have heard) with the godly, and such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, they live in a continual expectation of the day of full deliverance from all corruption and misery, both in their souls and bodies, they wait for that day, and they long for that day exceedingly. And if thou whosoever thou art, wouldst have good evidence to the comfort of thine own soul, that thou hast the first fruits of the Spirit, the beginnings of true saving grace in thee, thou must find it thus with thee, that thou livest in a continual expectation of the day of full redemption, the day of full deliverance from all corruption and misery, both in thy soul and body, and that thou dost wait and long for the day of Christ his coming to judgment. Indeed I grant, that a child of God doth not at all times alike long for the day of full deliverance from all corruption and misery, and so for the coming of Christ to judgment: in the time of grievous temptation, or some heavy affliction, especially his mind and conscience being afflicted, as sometimes it is, he doth not then so earnestly long for the day of full deliverance from all corruption and misery: but being freed from that temptation, and being delivered out of that affliction, he then recovers his measure of longing, and he lives in a continual expectation of the day of full deliverance from all corruption and misery both of soul and body. And thus it must be with thee, if thou wouldst make it good to the comfort of thine own soul, that thou hast the first fruits of the Spirit, and the beginnings of true saving grace, thou must have in thee in some measure, a continual expectation of the day of full deliverance from all corruption and misery both of soul and body, and so a continual longing for the day of Christ his coming to judgment, and thou must be able to desire, that the Lord Jesus would now break the heavens and come to judgment, and to say with comfort with the Church, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly. And to that end never rest till thou find thine own corruption and sins to be an heavy burden unto thee, and the temptations of Satan to be irksome and tedious to thee, and that thou art weary of sinning against thy good God, who hath been rich and abundant in mercy and loving kindness towards thee, and that thou hast a lively hope to partake in the joys and glory of heaven, and to partake of the good things prepared of God for all those that love the appearance of the Lord Jesus. And then doubtless thou wilt rejoice, and take much comfort in thinking on the day of full redemption, the day of full deliverance from all corruption and misery, both in thy soul and body; and thou wilt then be able heartily to wish and long for the coming of Christ to judgment.

The Apostle here further setteth forth the waiting of the godly by the object of it, Adoption, and that again explained to be the redemption of our body. Waiting for the adoption, even the redemption of our body. Now in that the Apostle saith, that the godly and such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, do wait for the adoption, that is, the consummation of their adoption and full manifestation of it, we may see the truth of the point we formerly delivered when we stood on the description of the godly, that they are such as have the first [Doct. 7] fruits of the Spirit, namely this: that the beginnings of true saving grace, and the special gifts of the Spirit of God, gifts peculiar to God's elect bestowed on man, are as pawns and pledges sufficient to assure them that hereafter they shall have both perfection of grace, and also fullness of joy and glory in heaven.

For why, those beginnings of saving grace, do put them into certain hope and expectation of the accomplishment and consummation of their adoption, that in time it shall be complete and perfect, and that one day they shall certainly be put into the full possession of their Fathers inheritance; yea they are put into such certain hope of it, [Reason.] as they do live in continual expectance of the day of full redemption, and they wait for it, as the Apostle saith, Ephes. 1.14. The holy Spirit of promise is to them the earnest of their everlasting inheritance, until the redemption of the possession purchased, even till their full redemption; I will not stand on the point having formerly handled it. Only it may be, that some may move this question, [Quest.] and say: Shall the holy Spirit of God leave the godly and such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, at the time of their full redemption, because the Apostle saith, the holy Spirit of promise is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession purchased? I answer: no, he shall not, [Answ.] though indeed the holy Spirit of God shall then cease to be as a pawn and pledge to them of further matter, because then they shall have that in fullness and perfection which the holy Spirit of God and the first fruits of the Spirit are here in this life a pawn and pledge of. I will not further stand on that.

Now the Apostle here affirming, that the godly and such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, do wait for the adoption and further explaining that to be the redemption of our body, even a full deliverance of their bodies from all corruption and misery, he gives us to understand thus much.

That the bodies of God's children, and such as have the [Doct. 8] first fruits of the Spirit, shall one day be fully freed from all corruption and misery. Though the bodies of God's children be here in this world subject to manifold infirmities, pains, and miseries, and as the Preacher saith, Eccles. 9.2. All outward things do come alike to all, to the just and to the wicked, to the good and to the bad: and the bodies of God's children are here subject to death and to corruption, yea the bodies of the Saints of God, whose souls are glorified in heaven, do now lie rotting in their graves, or they are some way or other under corruption, and they have not their full consummation of glory both in soul and body yet, the time and day of full redemption shall come, even the day wherein the bodies of God's children shall be fully delivered and set free from all corruption and misery, and as we have it, Reve. 21.4. All tears shall be wiped away from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor anymore pain. 1. Cor. 15.53. the Apostle making known how it shall be with the bodies of true believers at the day of judgment, at the day of the general resurrection, he speaks as it were by way of demonstration, & as it were pointing at his own body, he saith, This corruptible must put on incorruption: as if he had said, even this corruptible body of mine, that I now bear about, shall at that day be freed frō corruption, and shall put on incorruption. Phil. 3.21. the Apostle saith, that Christ at his appearance & coming from heaven to judge the world, Shall change the vile, and base, & corruptible bodies of true believers, and shall fashion and form them like to his own most glorious body: and the bodies of true believers shall then be as free from corruption and misery, as the blessed & glorious body of the Lord Jesus: and then as the Apostle saith, 2. Cor. 5.4. Mortality shall be swallowed up of life, and corruption of incorruption. These places do sufficiently clear & confirm the truth of the point in hand, that the day of full redemption shall come, even the day of the redemption of our body, and the bodies of God's children shall one day be fully freed from all corruption and misery. And the grounds of this truth are these.

[Reason 1] First, the Lord hath made a gracious covenant with his children, that he will be their God forever, and that he will be good to them, and a God of mercy and life, not only to their souls, but to their bodies also.

[Reason 2] Secondly, it stands with the justice of God, that not only the souls of his children, but their bodies also should receive the reward of mercy, their bodies being members of Christ, and temples of the holy Ghost, 1. Cor. 6.15.19. and being instruments of doing good, and of glorifying God in their measure, as well as their souls. And the Lord Jesus hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light, as the Apostle speaks, 2. Tim. 1.10. and so he hath not only by his blood redeemed the souls of true believers from sin, hell, death, and damnation, but he will also at his second coming redeem their bodies from all corruption and misery. On these grounds we may resolve on this as a certain truth: that the day of full redemption shall come, even the day wherein the bodies of God's children, and such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, shall be fully freed from all corruption and misery. Now then for the use.

[Use 1] First, this truth serves to inform us of the necessity of the day of the general judgment, that there must needs be a day of the general judgment, even in respect of God's children. For howsoever the godly and true believers being departed this life, have received their particular judgment, and are now altogether freed from sin and corruption, and glorified in their souls, yet they have not received the consummation of their adoption, and their full redemption; their bodies still lie under rottenness and corruption, and they look for a day of full redemption, even a day wherein their bodies must be fully freed from all corruption and misery, and be glorified together with their souls: and therefore there must of necessity be a day of general judgment, even in respect of God's children.

Again, for a second use, is it so that the day of full redemption [Use 2] shall come, even the day wherein the bodies of God's children, and of such as have the first fruits of the Spirit, shall be fully freed from all corruption & misery? Here is then matter and ground of sweet comfort to all God's children, to as many as have the first fruits of the Spirit: and the due and serious consideration of the truth now delivered, may cheare up the hearts of God's children, and comfort them, & may serve to encourage them patiently and contentedly to bear evils & miseries that do press their bodies here in this world. And consider it seriously thou that art a child of God, and hast the first fruits of the Spirit, thy body is now weak, and frail, & subject to aches, pains, sicknesses & diseases, and to death it self, yea it may be thy body now lies under sore & grievous diseases, under the gout, stone, strangurie, or the like painful and grinding diseases, and thy body is full of aches & pains, thou knowest not which way to turn thyself, nor where to rest, thou endurest painful nights, and measuring the evening, thou art full with tossing to and from unto the dawning of the day, as Job speaks of himself, Job 7.3.4. Yea it may be thy body is tumbled up and down, and tossed from place to place, from prison to prison, or thou sufferest in thy body extreme tortures and torments from the hands of cruel persecutors, and the like. Well, labor to possess thy soul in patience, and as a special ground of patience and comfort, remember & think on this truth: that the day of full redemption will come, even the day wherein thy body which now lies under such extreme misery, shall be fully freed from all aches and pains, & from all manner of corruption and misery, yea the day will come when thy body shall feel unspeakable joy & delight, and most sweet ease and contentment in every part & member of it; and that may be matter of great comfort to thee. Yea the consideration of this, that the day of full redemption will come, even the day wherein thy body shall be fully freed frō all corruption and misery, may arm and strengthen thee against the fear of death, and against the horror of the grave, and the ugliness & lothsomenesse of it. For what though thy body be raked up in the dust, and there turned to rottenness and corruption, and be clothed with worms and filthiness, as Job speaks, Job 7.5. and thy body be full of cralling worms, let not the thought of that trouble thee, but remember this: that the day of full redemption will come, even the day wherein that body of thine shall be fully freed from all rottenness and corruption, and shall be clothed with immortality and glory. And let that be thy comfort, and herein cheare up thyself, thou being a child of God, and one that hast the first fruits of the Spirit; for to thee and to such as thou art belongeth this comfort. And we are to know that only such as have part in the first redemption, shall have part in the second resurrection, and none but such. If thou be a wicked and a graceless person, a drunkard and common blasphemer, or the like, and if thou be so far from having the first fruits of the Spirit of God, as thou hast the fruits of the spirit of Satan, and thou dost scoff at the Spirit, at purity and at holiness, and thou art full of darkness in the midst of teaching and of the clear light of the word, and thou art hardened in thine heart, and filled with scorn & hatred against those that are more conscionable then thyself, thou hast no part in this comfort. And if thou look one day to be freed from all miseries, & from all aches and pains that haply now do press thy body, and that now thou liest under, thou deceivest thyself, & thy present miseries & pains are but pledges of further & more fearful plagues and pains to come on thee hereafter, and they are to thee but the beginnings of sorrows, as Christ speaks, Mat. 24.8. When thy body shall be raised out of the dust, nothing abides thee but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, & a fearful expectation of all hellish torments, to be endured both in thy soul and in thy body forever. Thou must be one that hast the first fruits of the Spirit of God, if thou wouldest with patience and true comfort wait • for the day of full redemption, even for the day wherein thy body shall be fully freed from all corruption and misery. Come we now to the 24. and 25. verses.

Our Apostle hath now finished his confirmation of that proposition of his, that the glory wherewith God's children shall be invested in heavē, is both exceeding great glory, & also most certain and sure glory; having confirmed it both by the expectation of the creature, and also by the expectation of such as have the first fruits of the Spirit.

Now in this 24. verse, in the first words of it the Apostle prevents an objection. For some might say to him, You tell us that such as have the first fruits of the Spirit wait for the adoption, even the redemption of our body: why, are not we being true believers, and having the first fruits of the Spirit, the adopted sons and daughters of God? are not we already redeemed? This the Apostle prevents, by making known that though we being true believers, and having the first fruits of the Spirit, and be the adopted sons and daughters of God, and be redeemed, yet we have not the consummation of our adoption, and the accomplishment of our redemption, but we still wait for it. For why, our salvation is by hope: For (saith he) we are saved by hope: and therefore our redemption is not yet complete, it is not yet fully perfected. Now the necessity of this consequence, we are saved by hope, and therefore have not the consummation of our adoption, and the accomplishment of our redemption, is further confirmed from the object of hope, that hope hath for the object of it things that are not seen, and things that are not present; which the Apostle propounds by denying the object of hope to be things seen. But hope (saith he) that is seen is not hope: or the thing hoped for is not a thing seen. Prouing that from common sense, that it were very absurd and ridiculous for a man to hope for that which he sees and hath in present possession, in the last words of 24. verse: For how can a man hope for that which he seeth? Then verse 25. the Apostle makes known the true object of hope to be things not seen; and withal concludes his argument with this hypothetical proposition, that if we hope for that we see not, for that which is not present, but absent from us, we do with patience abide and wait for it: therein infolding an exhortation; and he drives to this general purpose, namely, to persuade the believing Romans and other true believers, patiently to bear the cross, and other afflictions that here in this world they meet withal, and to wait for a full deliverance from them, and for their full redemption hereafter. And thus we see the drift and purpose of the Apostle in these two verses, and the sum and substance of them.

And here we have these things in general laid before us, first a proposition, We are saved by hope. Secondly hope, described by the object of it, that the thing hoped for is not present, but a thing absent and not seen.

And thirdly, that hope hath a patient waiting adjoined to it. I will now lay forth the sense and meaning of these two verses. For we are saved by hope. By the persons here under the word we, the Apostle means himself and the true believing Romans, and all other true believers. Are saved. Salvation is sometimes in the Scripture taken for the beginning of salvation, consisting in new birth, and in the remission of sins, and reconciliation with God in Christ, as Tit. 3.5. saith the Apostle, Not by the works of righteousness which we had done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of the new birth, and the renewing of the holy Ghost. But here it signifieth the fullness and perfection in heaven, namely, the glorification and happy estate both of the soul and body in the kingdom of heaven: and so the meaning is, we have full and perfect salvation, even the glorification and happiness both of our souls and bodies in heaven. By hope, or in hope: that is, not in present possession, but so as we do expect and look for it hereafter; for the word hope here signifies the grace of hope in the heart and soul, whereby every true believer doth certainly expect and look to enjoy salvation promised. But hope that is seen. The word hope is here in the first place by a metonymy put for the thing hoped for, and so the word hope is used, Coloss. 1.5. For the hopes sake which is laid up for you in heaven: that is, for the eternal happiness, life, and glories sake laid up for you in heaven. But in the second place, the word hope is put for the grace of hope in the heart: and so the meaning is, when the thing hoped for is seen, that is, present, and is possessed, it is not the object of hope, and it ceaseth to be hoped for. For how can a man hope for that which he seeth? as as if he had said, for hope is an expectation of good things to come; and things present, or things possessed, cannot be the object of hope. But if we hope: that is, if we expect & look for that good thing which is not present, and before our eyes, and possessed: we do with patience abide for it: that is, we do wait till the time come that we be possessed of it, and do enjoy it, patiently and constantly bearing the evils, crosses, and afflictions we meet withal in the mean time. Now then thus conceive we the meaning of the words of these two verses, as if the Apostle had said.

For I and you, and all true believers, have full and perfect salvation, even the glorification and full happiness both of our souls and bodies in heaven, not in present possession, but so as we do expect and look for it hereafter, or we have and hold it now in hope. Now when the thing hoped for is present, and is possessed, it ceaseth to be hoped for: for hope is an expectation of good things to come, and a man cannot hope for things present, or for things that are by him already possessed; but if we do expect and look for the good thing which is not present, or possessed, we do wait till the time come that we be possessed of it, and do enjoy it, patiently and constantly bearing evils, crosses, and afflictions that we meet withal in the mean time: and so indeed we expecting and looking for full and perfect salvation, even perfect happiness both of our bodies and souls in heaven, we do with a patient bearing of all things that befall us in the mean time, wait till the time come that we be possessed of it, & do enjoy it.

Come we now to stand on these two verses more particularly as they lie in order; and first to free the Apostles proposition in the first words of the 24. verse, We are saved by hope, from that which the Papists do falsely fasten on it, and would thence gather. In that the Apostle saith, We are saved by hope, the Papists do note and conclude, that therefore we are not saved by faith only, but that hope is also the cause of our salvation. This cavil may easily be removed, if we remember how this proposition hath been expounded, namely, that true believers here in this world have full and perfect salvation in heaven, not in present possession, but so as they do expect and look for it hereafter; they have it by hope, or rather in hope, and their salvation is a thing not presently seen and possessed, but it lieth in hope, or it is a thing hoped for: will it thereupon follow, that therefore hope is the cause of their salvation? Is hope and expectation of a good thing promised, the cause of enjoying of it when it is had? A man hath a piece of land or money promised him, and he hopes & looks to have it and to enjoy it in time, is his hope and expectation of it the cause of his enjoying it? nothing less. So true believers expecting and looking for promised salvation, is their hope and expectation the cause of their salvation? no such matter. And therefore it is a false conclusion the Papists hence gather, that we are saved by hope, & therefore hope is the cause of salvation. I leave this, and to point at one thing briefly that may be of use: This proposition, we are saved by hope, or in hope, being understood as we have expounded it, it gives us to understand thus much, it plainly teacheth us.

[Doct. 1] That the full and perfect salvation of God's children, and of true believers, it lieth under hope, and it is a thing that they have not in present possession, but only in hope and in expectation. Though the Lord give his children here in this world some beginnings of eternal happiness and salvation, in their regeneration, in the first fruits of his Spirit, in peace of their consciences, and their joy in the holy Ghost; yet their full and perfect salvation is not otherwise had and held of them in this life, but only in hope and in expectation. And to this purpose speaks S. John, 1. John. 3.2. that though we be now sons of God, yet it doth not appear what we shall be: no, it appears not to our selves how happy and glorious we shall be. And as the Apostle saith, Col. 3.3. Our life, that is, our happy & glorious life, begun in this world to be made perfect in the life to come, is hid with Christ in God. It is hid, not only frō the eyes of the world, but also from our own eyes, in respect of the fullness and perfection of it: and therefore the Apostle saith, 2. Cor. 5.7. We (here in this world) walk by faith and not by sight: we here live in hope and expectation of full and perfect salvation, we have it not in present possession. For why,

This world is not a place of full and perfect happiness and salvation, [Reason.] the Lord hath appointed heaven to be the place where it shall be enjoyed as the Apostle saith, the hope of the believing Colossians, that is, life and glory they hoped for, was laid up for them in heaven. And 2. Corinth. 5.1.2. the Apostle saith, If our earthly house of this tabernacle were destroyed, we have a building given of God, an house not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens: for therefore we sigh, desiring to be clothed with our house which is from heaven. And therefore the full and perfect salvation of God's children, and of true believers, it lieth in their hope, and it is a thing they have not in present possession, but only in hope & in expectation.

And therefore for the use, it concerns everyone of us on [Use 1] this ground to look to our hope of heaven and of salvation. We know that men will pry into all their hopes & possibilities touching the matters of this world, and if it be a thing in reversion that may haply do good to some of their children, they are careful to take it into their hope, and to make their hope of it as sure as they can: Oh much more ought we to look into our hope of heaven and of salvation, and to labor to look that it be as sure as possibly we can. Our full and perfect salvation it lieth in our hope, and it is a thing in reversion and in expectation; then labor we to have a lively hope of it, as the Apostle calls it. 1. Pet. 1.3. Everyone of years will say, he hopes to be saved, and he hopes to go to heaven, though he have no ground for it but his own strong conceit, being an ignorant person, or living in known sins, and so deceiving his own soul. But let us (as we tender our everlasting happiness and good) labor to have hope of full and perfect salvation on a good ground, and never rest till we have such an hope of heaven as will not deceive us, nor make us ashamed, as the Apostle speaks of hope. [Quest.] Rom. 5.5. And if we would know what that hope is, I answer: [Answ.] such an hope as is a lively resemblance of life eternal, such an hope as doth make us express and show forth in this life the beginnings of that life that is laid up in heaven in some measure of holiness and purity, innocence and love towards God, and towards all that bear God's image, and that is the hope that will yield true comfort, and will not deceive us when we stand in most need of comfort. If thou say, thou hopest to be saved, and yet thou art not able to show forth thine hope in any measure of conformity of thy life to life eternal, but thy life is rather an express image of thine own corruption, and a showing forth of the vile lusts of thine own heart, and thy life is stained with many foul sins, or at least thy life is but a civil honest life, a life of nature, and led according to natural reason; thy hope is not sound and good, it is but a vain hope, it will deceive thee, and make thee ashamed, and disappoint thee of comfort when thou hast most need of comfort. And let us consider it in reason, can a man say and that truly, he hopes for heaven, and yet his very breath stinks of hell; he is ever and anon breathing and belching out blasphemous oaths, cursing, swearing, lying, slandering, and reviling, and reproaching the Saints and servants of God, and speaking evil of the ways of God? No, no, everyone that hath a sound and good hope of heaven purgeth himself even as he is pure. 1. John. 3.3. Whosoever hath a sound and good hope of heaven, he is thereby stirred up to a daily repentance and reformation of his life: and that is the thing that everyone of us must find in our selves, if we would have sound and good hope of eternal [Use 2] happiness and salvation.

One other use is to be made of this point: is it so that full and perfect salvation of God's children and of true believers is laid up in hope? Is it a thing that they have not in present possession, but only in hope and expectation? Surely then it concerns everyone of us (as I have said) to look to our hope of heaven, and not only to look that our hope of heaven be sound and good, and such as will not deceive us nor make us ashamed, but we being such as have a lively hope, a sound and good hope of heaven, we must look to the keeping of that hope, and to the maintaining and preserving of it as a most precious jewel, and as a thing of special use and consequence, whereon depends our eternal good, even the eternal good both of our souls and bodies: our full happiness and salvation is laid up in our hope, and we hold salvation by hope, or in hope; and if our hope fail us, our comfort is gone: and therefore it concerns us carefully to look to the keeping and maintaining of our hope of heaven. And know we that Satan hath a special spite against the sound and saving hope of God's children, his own state being hopeless and desperate, and so knowing God's children have hope of eternal happiness, he envies it, and he bends all his force, and he sets himself by all the means he can to drive them from their hope, and to wrest their hope of heaven from them if possibly he can; yea he knows he cannot make a child of God more dishonor God, then by bringing him to some measure of doubting, or to some despair of his own everlasting happiness and salvation.