himself, and take up his cross and follow we," Matt. 16 : 24 ; " If we be dead with him^ we shall also live with him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with Azm," 2 Tim. 2 : 11, 12.
(18) For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not wor- thy to he compared^ &c. * If children, then heirs, for I do not think our present sufferings inconsistent with our being either the children or heirs of God. 1. Because they are comparatively insignificant, vs. 18 — 23; and 2. Because we are sustained under them, vs. 24 — 28.' In 2 Cor. 4 : 17, Paul speaks much in the same manner of the lightness of the afflic- tions of this life in comparison with the glory that shall he revealed in us. We are not only the recipients of a great favour, but the subjects in which a great display of the divine glory is to be made to others, Eph. 3 : 10. It is a revelation of glory in us ; see Col. 3 : 4. 1 John 3 : 2.
The apostle, fired with the thought of the future glory of the saints, pours forth the splendid passage which follows (vs. 19 — 23), in which he represents the whole creation groaning under its present degradation, and looking and longing for the revelation of this glory as the end and con- summation of its existence.
(19) For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the mani- festation of the sons of God. This and the following verses are evidently intended to exalt our conceptions of the future glory of the children of God, in order to illustrate the truth of the declaration, that, in comparison with that glory, the evils of the present state are not worthy of a thought.
* The earnest expectation. This is a strong expression. The Greek word is etymologically expressive of the gesture of expectation, a looking with outstretched neck.
What is meant in this passage by the creature, and afterwards by the whole creation, is a very difficult question. As the usage of the term admits of various interpretations, the decision of the point must rest on the context. With which well authorized sense of the word rendered creature (Kriaig) will the context best agree? To answer this question we must know what the context means. It will, therefore, be better to defer any remarks on this point, until after the examination of the few next succeeding verses.
The first thing asserted of this creature is, that it waits for the manifes- tation of the sons of God. That is, for the time when they shall be mani- fested in their true character and glory as his sons. " Beloved, now are we the sons of God ; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be ; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him," 1 John 3 : 2. The period thus designated is one for which the whole creation longs, because it is to share in the glory then to be revealed. From this verse, and from v. 23, it is plain that the creation and sons of God are distinct.
(20) For the creature was made subject to vanity, &c. There are in this verse three reasons expressed or implied, why the creature thus waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. The first is, that it is now in a miserable condition, " subject to vanity." 2. That this subjec-