Use 4. Let us seek after restitution by Christ. The covenant made with God in Christ doth secure us against the hurt of the creature : Job V. 23, ' For thou shalt be in a league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee ; ' and Hosea ii. 18, ' And in that day I will make a covenant for them, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creep- ing things of the ground.' They are included in God's covenant, who concerneth himself in all our affairs ; the new creature suiteth with the new world: Kev. xxi. 5, 'And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.' 2 Cor. v. 17, ' Whosoever is in Christ, is a new creature ; ' their mercies are sweet ; come not in anger, but purchased ; we have a covenant-right restored.
Use 5. Is hope. If inanimate creatures are delivered from vanity, much more saints. Let us bear our burden with patience ; the crea- ture was subject to vanity, but it was not their fault, but ours ; obedientially God subjected them ; but God would not leave the world under a perpetual curse.
SERMON XXVIII.
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered fi-om the bondage cf corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. — EoM. VIII. 21.
In this verse the apostle showeth what hope was appointed by God for the creature, which for a while was subject to vanity ; ' Because the creature,' kc.
VeR. 21.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 167
In the words observe —
1. The deliverance asserted: 'Because the creature itself also shall be delivered.'
2. The terms of this deliverance explained : (1.) Terminus a quo. From the bondacje of corruption. (2 ) Ad quem, Into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
1. Asserted, 'Oti, may be taken causally, as giving a reason of the hope mentioned ; so we render it because ; or specificative, as showing what kind of hope they have : ' subjected the same in hope that the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption ; ' for the word iXevOepcod^aerai asserted into freedom ; for it is now in bondage, as the following words declare.
2. E.xplained. First, the terminus a quo ; that which he called vanity before, he now calleth ' bondage of corruption ; ' therefore this hovXeia ^0opd<: must be explained as the vanity was, that signifieth either disorder or alteration, and corruption or dissolution, or perversion from its use, as it serveth wicked men, especially as it is abused by them to the fulfilling of their lusts ; all this vanity, and all this bondage is an heavy yoke to the creature, and from all this it shall be freed. The terra to which : ' Into the glorious liberty of the children of God.' But here a doubt ariseth. Shall the senseless creatures be made par- takers of the same glory with God's children ? That is absurd to be conceived. To solve this, Clirysostom thinketh et? is put for Bia, as these particles are often exchanged; so et? rrju eX€v9e<it.av should be rendered by the glorious liberty. Others, to prevent this absurdity, make it not the term of the change, but the term of expectation, when the children of God are advanced into their glory ; then, and not till then, shall the creatures be freed from the bondage of corruption. But the apostle's words do signify not only time, but estate ; not at, but into ; it is no such absurdity to say that the creature shall in its kind and manner partake of tlie glorious estate of the saints ; for there is somewhat common to them both, and that is incorruption, 1 Cor. xv. 42. So the meaning is, it shall be translated from a state of corruption to a state of incorruption, and such a measure of beauty and glory doth agree thereunto.
Two points I shall observe from this verse :
Doct. 1. That the creatures shall be freed from corruption, and be made partakers of a better estate than now they have.
Doct. 2. That the liberty to which God's children are reserved is a glorious liberty.
First, let me speak of the restoration of the creature, and then of the glorious liberty of the saints.
Doct. 1. For the first. Let me state it, how far the creatures shall'be delivered from the present vanity and misery, and for what reasons. We must keep to scripture generals, lest we run into curiosities ; that rule of Augustine is good, ilelius dubitare de occultis, quam litigare de incertis ; it is better to doubt of what is hidden, than to contend about what is uncertain. We may define things with danger, but we may be ignorant of them without danger ; therefore as to creatures that shall be restored, and not restored, we must not be too nice and in- quisitive. Possibly this is one of those difficulties mentioned by St
168 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XXVIII.
Peter, 2 Pet. iii. 16, that in liis beloved brother Paul's epistles, there are Bvavo-ijTci -nva. I am sure these concern the matter there treated of. First, For things that are not to be restored.