2 Pet. 3. 16. he ſaith, That there are ſom: things in them bars to be wnderſiood, and ſome think by refleQting upon ſome particular pal- ſages in thar Chapter, he doth more eſpectally retpett this Contexr, There is indeed a great deal of obſcurity in it. p This word is four times uſed 1in this and the three tollowing verics, on!y ia the 22. werſe, 'tis rendred Creation; that is rhe ſubje& of wich all thar. followeth 1s predicated One main queſtion rhercfore is this, What Creature the Apoſile here ſpeaks of? Divers anſweis are or may be given, I will fix upon two only. 1 By the Crea- ture or the Creation (and wv, 22. the whole Creation or every Creature) is. meant all mankind, both Jews and Gentiles, and eſpecially rhe latter; wid. Mar. 16. 15. there Chriſt gives it in Commiſſion to preach the Goſpel to every Creature; *tis the fame word. And in 1 Per. 2. 13. They are commanded ro ſubmit themſelves ro every Ordinance of Mau In the Original it is to every human crea- rare, the ſame word whi®h is in the Texr before us ; he means the Gentile or Heathen Magiſirates in Authority over them In the Scrip- ture the Gentiles are fometimes called the Weria chap. 11, 12. 15. and ſometimes the Cres:ure or the Creation. 2. By the Creature 1s meant the whole World with all the Creatures therein, or the whole frame and Body of the Creat:on. The Crcarure in this ſenſe by a Proſopeopezia is here ſpoken of as a rational Perſon ; it 1s uſual with the Spirit of God in Scripture, to faſten upon unreaſonable Crea- tures, ſuch expreſſions as are proper only to thoſe that are reafon- able ; vid. Pſal. 96. 11, 12. Hab 2. 11. James 5. 4. So here the Creature (in this ſenſe) is ſaid to expe, wair, &c., 9g The expe- Qation of the Crearure expeð : An Hrbrew Plecnatm : Ir ex- peCeth with the head lift up or ſtretched our, Phz/. 1. 20. r. 2. e The time when the Sons of God fball be manifeſted, The :rabick In- terpreter puts the Word Glory into the Text, and reads rke word thus, The earneſt expetiation of the creature waitc:h for the manif*- fation of the glory of the ſons of God; Their Glory for tne preſent is hidden, bur it ſhall be diſcovered and manifeſted, 2 Cor. 3. 18. 'The creature in the ſenſe of the word (as above) waiteth for this, becauſe then it ſhall be reſtored to its primitive liberty and luſtre, at thar time there will be a Reftirurtion of all things, #6: 3. 21. Burt thoſe who underſtand the creature in the firſt ſenſe, do put a quire!different interpretation, upon this laſt claute; and that is, that the Gentile world are now earneſtly expeRing and waiting to fee what the Jews will do, whether they will diſcover themſelves to be the Sons of God, or nor, by their receiving or rejecting Chriſt. . ;
20 For the creature was made ſubje& to vanity, not
willingly s, butby ccaſon of him who hath ſubjected 14e
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mer; Therein contmincd, then rrey inew the cr-atures Drojent condition, it is tuLject to vanicy, and rhar fir} in regard of its inſufficiency, it vViing fhort of that for which it was firit created and ordained ; tion a thing 15 Gd to be vain, when it doth not anſwer or reach irs proper end: Or in refpe&t of its rranſrorineſs and uncertainty, of whici or.S. 38 Hb. 14 x6; 12. 1 Joha 2 17. The
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anity. Now rais maſt needs be an unwilling ſub;ection, there- fore "tis here £11d irs not ſubject willingly, 7. e. Of its own ac- cor:, or of irs proper Inftind& and Inclination; what the will 1s
ROMANS.
Miſery, this phraſe is uſed 1n other places ; vid. Luke ,, 4. 39. But why of our Bady, and not of our Soxl: ? Becaus Souls would be in atual poſſeſſion of the inherirance 1,.c.* day, or becauſe the milcrics and troubles of this lif- are to the whole man by the body, ſo thar the Redemp:ion is in effe& the Redemption of the whole man.
24 For we are ſaved by hope : but * hope that 's {oo is not hope ; for what a man feeth, why doch hi 1
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c Though we certainly believe there is ſuch a Redemprign Vt or
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Salvarion belonging to us, according to the promiſe of (;oq , for the preſent we have no poſſeſſion of it ; all the # an have at preſent 1s in hope ; which according to the naryre of :. is of things not yet enjoyed, tor viſion or poſſefiion purg 1 ... ro hope; no man hopeth tor what he ſceth and enjoycth Ke 25 Bur i} we hope tor that we lee nor, ches v-1th patience wait lor it 4. ag. ad If we indeed hope for Redemption and Salvation Witch, out of ſ11ghr, then it 15 meet that we do with patience diget 511 | bear all our preſent Evils nd Sufferings; truc hope is xa. nied always with a patient waiting tor the things hoped &:. Therefore you read of the patience of hope, 1 To'fſ. 1. 3. vid, ti ' 6. 12. and 1o. 36. | 25 Tikewi'ie e the Spirit allo [ helpeth Our infire;; 0; ties /: For we * know not what we ſhould pray f; .." A " Je. ORE EY » : "0 fy we ought g : bur the Spiric i| it jeif maketh incerceyig tor us 4, with g:--anings which cannot he uttered / t, e This referreth us, Either to the Work of the Spirit, before ny. Jan ted, wver, 11. He quickneth, and he likewiſe he:p:th: Orr), i (; to Hope, in the foregoing werſe, Hope kh:ipctih to Patience, { aj, (mp the Spirit, f The Word imports ſuch #c/p, as when another gr;
> rhitare rational, the Inclination is in theſe things tht are how comes it then into this condition ? The next clauic