VeK. 22.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 185
do not see the hand of God ; as ignorant, stupid, and careless persons : Ps. xxviii. 5, ' They regard not the work of the Lord, nor the operation of his hand.' And some care not to see: Isa. xxvi. 11, ' When thy hand is hfted up, they will not see ; ' they put all judgments upon the ordinary course of second causes ; either a chance, 1 Sam. xiv. 9 ; or attribute it to some natural thing : John xii. 29, they said it thundered, when God spake from heaven to own Christ. Some see, but are in part blinded with malice and prejudice ; which is to be seen by their making perverse interpretations of providence : 2 Sam. xvi. 8, ' The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul.'
4. You see a reason why a righteous man should be merciful to his beast : Prov. xii. 10, ' A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast ; but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.' There is burden enough already upon the creature, under which he groaneth ; he would bring on no more than needeth ; he will not use them unmercifully, nor wear them out with too great and continual labours ; but giveth them that food, rest, and refection which is necessary. In the destruction of Nineveh God had respect to the beasts: Jonah iv. 11, 'There was much cattle in that city.'
5. The wonderful dulness and dead-heartedness of man in case of sin and misery ; so that the creatures are fain to supply our room. Few are sensible of this burden ; we should all groan, but do not. Surely we ought to be excited to groan for sin and misery, and long for the happiness of the saints ; so ver. 23, 'And not only they, but we our- selves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies.'
6. The great need there is to draw off our hearts from the inordinate love of the creature, and to lay up treasure in heaven. What can we expect from a groaning creature, which will soon come to an end, but that only we wliolly trust sense, and judge according to present appear- ance ? Otherwise we would say with the apostle, We know and look further than the compass of this world, to that place where all is firm and stable ; but we seldom improve these thoughts.
7. How unsuitable sensual rejoicing is unto the state which we are now in. It is a groaning world, and here we seek all our pleasures and contentments. It is a charge against sensualists, Jam. v. 5, ' Ye have lived in pleasure upon earth,' the place of our exile, the place defiled with man's sin, the place subjected to a curse for man's sake. Moderate contentment is allowed us during our jjilgrimage, as appears both by the dispensation of God's providence and covenant ; but our full joy is reserved for hereafter ; his providence alloweth many natural comforts : and his covenant many perpetual blessings.
186 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIH. [SeR. XXX.
SERMON XXX.
And not only they, hut ourselves also, tvJio have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan luiihin ourselves, ivaiting for the adoption, the redemption of our bodies. — EoM. VIII. 23.
In these words the apostle pursneth his main scope, which is to direct believers patiently to wait for their final happiness. He doth it by comparing the disposition of the children of God with the inclination of the creatures, spoken of in the former verses : ' and not only they,' <i;c.
There is a comparison, —
1. Between persons and persons.
2. Between actions and actions.
1. Between persons and persons ; the whole creation, and those that have the first fruits of the Spirit. The one is a feigned, the other a real person ; therefore this groaning and expectation is attributed to the children of God, with greater propriety of speech. The creatures are said to groan and wait, upon supposition if they had sense and reason they would groan and wait ; we, by certain knowledge and true desire ; the creatures groan as they are assisted and directed by God to a better state ; we, by voluntary inclination; the creatures groan by others, as they excite our thoughts to consider their vanity and vicissi- tudes ; the saints by themselves, and in themselves ; others cannot perform it for them ; they expect by God's direction, and groan by our meditation ; but we properly, and without a figure.
2. Actions and actions. There are two ascribed to the creature : waiting, ver. 10, groaning, ver. 22. They groan, and we groan ; they wait, and we wait ; the groaning is amplified by the manner, and the waiting by the object.
[1.] The groaning is amplified by the manner. It may be rendered, among ourselves ; the whole church of God groaneth, as well as the whole creation ; or rather, in ourselves, ex imo corde ; these groans came from the bottom of the heart.
[2.] The waiting is amplified by the object or matter which they wait for : ' For the adoption, the redemption of our bodies.' The last expression explaineth the former, our full adoption and redemption, which shall be accomplished at the general resurrection.