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Kingdom in this World, with the Reftoration of the reft of the Creatures.

Beginning at Verse 17. And if Children then Heirs, Heirs of God, and joint Heirs with Jefus Chrift, &c. The Apoftle in thefe Words fets forth the high Privilege of the Children of God. What a glorious Dignity the Father hath beftowed upon us (who believe) by taking of us into that near Relation of Children, predeftinating of us into the Adoption of Souls! And if Sons, or Children, then Heirs. Heirs of what may fome fay? It followeth, Heirs of God. Oh what a Word is this! To be an Heir of God, the Fountain of all Good! Infinitely more than to be an Heir" of all the World! And joint Heirs with Chrift: As if the Apoftle had faid Chrift and we have one and the fame Right unto one and the fame Inheritance; which one cannot inherit without the other. Oh the Grace contained or expreffed in thefe Words, that we who deferved all that Wrath which was due to us upon the account of Sin, because we were actually the Sinners, muft not be Partakers with Chrift in his Sufferings and fatisfying the Justice of God: But he who knew no Sin, as having none of his own, muft bear all that •Wrath of his Father which was due to it: And yet we must be Partakers with Chrift in his Glory! Ob Grace wonderful and astonishing! What tho' the Text faith, If we suffer with him, we shall alforeign with him, or be glorify'd together; yet it is certain that all thofe Sufferings which the Saints have, do or may fuffer in this World, is not in a way of Satisfaction for Sin (No, that was all born by Chrift) but in Love, as a fatherly Correction for the God of his People.

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Verfe 18. For I reckon that the Suffering of this prefent Time, is not worthy to be compared with the Glory whib fhall be revealed in us.

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obferve, First, That the Saints do indeed meet with Sufferings in this World, and fome very great ones too; as the Word of God doth declare, and the Experience of the Saints in all Ages do teftifie. But fecondly, Thefe Sufferings of the Saints (as before) are not in Wrath but in Love; not as a Pu nifhment for Sin, but as a Father in Love chaftifeth his Children, that Sin might be made bitter to us, and we made Partakers of his Holiness. Heb. xii. 10. Thirdly, All these Sufferings of the Saints are but for the Time prefent; they reach no further than this Life; not one Suffering will follow them out of this World; they fhall not be found upon any of the Saints after Death, nor be touched then with one Affliction any more for ever. Fourthly, Tho' the Sufferings of the Children of God are, and have been great in this World yet the Glory which fall be revealed in us, and in that Day put upon us, will be infinitely greater, and therefore not to be compared with them: For that Glory which the Lord Jefus Chrift will reveal in, and put upon the Saints, at the Time of his perfo nal Coming from Heaven, will more abundantly exceed than the Ocean exceeds the Drop of a Bucket: So as no Comparifon can be made; the Glory infinitely exceeds all their Sufferings."

Verfe 19. For the earnest Expectation of the Crea ture waiteth for the Manifeftation of the Sons of God. By the Creature in this Place I understand all thofe Creatures, which are upon the Earth and in the vifible Heavens, who fuffered, and came under the

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Bondage of Corruption for the Sin of Man; whether they be fenfitive or infenfitive Creatures: For it is certain that by the Creature in thefe Words cannot be meant the Saints, because they are plainly diftinguished from them, as being called the Sons of God: Neither can it be understood of the Wicked, either Men or Devils; unlefs we will believe that they fhall be reftored, and brought into this glorious Liberty: Therefore it muft take in all thofe Creatures who for the Ufe of Man were created, and for Man's Sin came under the Bondage of Corruption; who thall again be reftored unto their primitive Excellency, as at the firft, at this time of the Manifeftation or Revelation of the Sons of God. But then here lies fome Difficulty how thefe Creatures fhould expect or wait for the Time of this bleffed Restoration: This I underftand to be meant only of fome fecret Instinct that is in the Nature of thofe Creatures, of being, or defiring to be delivered from their Suffering and Bondage; which is called an Expectation or a Waiting for the Manifeftation of the Sons of God, because that will be the Time that they fhall be delivered.

Now the Manifeftation of the Sons of God fignifies the Revelation or Manifeftation of that wonderful Glory, which at this time will by the Lord Jefus be put upon the Saints, that will in a vifible, glorious, and unfpeakable way, demonftrate them, in Face of all the World, to be the Children of God.

Verfe 20. For the Creature was made fubje&t to Vanity, not willingly, but by reafon of bim who hath fubjected the fame in Hope. All thefe dumb and fenfitive Creatures fuffer for our fakes, and are fubje&t to Vanity for the Sin of Man. For as there would

have been no Suffering among us, fo neither would there have been any among them, had it not been for our Sins. They are now indeed, and have been, ever fince the Fall, fubject to Vanity, not willingly (it was not by their own Act or Choice) but by reafon of him who bath fubje&ed the fame in Hope. Man's Sin was the inftrumental Cause of this Vanity in the Creature and the Bondage of Corruption which to this day it lies under: But it is the Lord who over-rules the Vanity of the Creature, and bath subjected the fame in Hope; a fecret Hope, we know not how, unprefciable unto us, hath the Lord put or planted in the Nature of the Creature, of their Dellverance.

Verfe 21. Because the Creature it felf also fhall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption, into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God. This 21ft Verfe is given us as a Reafon why the Creature waiteth with fuch an earneft Defire or Expectation for the Manifeftation of the Sons of God, because they alfo fhall be deliver'd from that Bondage andCorruption which now they groan under; that they may be brought into this glorious Liberty of the Saints, free from that Vanity which until then they will be fubject to; free from thatSuffering and Bondage which ftill they are under; and that they may be reftored unto their primitive Beauty and Excellency which was at the firft upon them. This will be their Paradifical State which they were in before theFall. A fweet Harmony and Agreement there will be among all the Creatures, anfwering more than they have yet done, the glorious End of Jehovah, in their Creation. What Ufe they fhall be of at that time, unto the Saints, we must not be too curious

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by prying into it; but doubtless they will be of fome ufe then, as they would have been if Man had not fell; and will wonderfully fet off the Glory of the New World, or inhance the Glory of Chrift's Vilible Kingdom. This Reftoration of the Creature will begin in the Firft Branch of that spiritual Glory, but will not (as I conceive) be perfected or compleated, until the full Manifeftation of the Sons of God, at the perfonal Appearance of the Lord Jefus Chrift. How wonderfully doth the Prophet Isaiah speak of this bleffed Restoration, in the Eleventh Chapter, beginning at the Sixth Verfe! The Wolf alfo fhall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard fhall lie down with the Kid: And the Calf and young Lion and Fatling together; and a little Child fhall lead them. These Creatures which are now, and have for fo long a time been cruel and fierce against each other, fhall then peaceably dwell together. Verfe 7. And the Cow and the Bear fhall feed, their young ones fhall lie down together: And the Lion fhall eat Straw like the Ox. That bloody Difpofition which is in the Wolf and the Lion against Man, feeking their Prey, to devour one another, will at this glorious Reftitution be taken out of the Nature of all thefe, cruelCreatues, fo as that they fhall quietly feed with each other, and without any Difference, in Peace. will they lie down together. Verfe 8. And the fucking Child fhall play on the Hole of the Afp, and the weaned Child fhall put his Hand on the Cockatrice's Den. Thefe Creatures which now have their Nature filled with bitter Poifon, fo hurtful, as being full of Enmity, fhall then be familiar with Man and with one another alfo; infomuch, that a Child. without Harm may play on the Hole of the Adder's

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