Den. Therefore it followeth (v. 9.) They fhall not burt nor deftroy in all my holy Mountain: For the Earth fhall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord, as Waters cover the Sea. Well! If this is to be fo, as we fee it will in these Verfes, who then will dare to gainsay the Truth fo clearly held forth to us in God's Word? For thefe Texts do preach the Kingdom of Chrift in this World, as clear as the Sun at Noon-day, when there is no Clouds. But if Men will ftill oppofe it, notwithstanding fuch undeniable Scriptures are brought for proof, I cannot fee but they may as well deny the Scriptures, or at leaft put what Senfe they themselves please upon them: And then what Errors are there which we shall not be in danger of running into? For in my Apprehenfion the Word of God is never in more danger of being abus'd, than when Men come with their learned Gloffes, and put a figurative Senfe upon it, when there is no Neceffity; and fo make the Scriptures fpeak directly contrary to what the Spirit of God bath in plain Words expreffed. But let all thofe who have the greatest Faculty in this figurative way of Expofition, come and tell me what Senfe they will give upon thefe Texts in Ifaiah and Romans, with many other Places, concerning the Refloration of the Creature, and the Kingdom of Chrift, if they muft not be understood literally? For firft we read here of the Restoration of the Creature from that Vanity, Bondage, and Corruption, which for ourSin they were brought into. Secondly, How that cruel Enmity which is ftill in them, against Man and one another, shall at this time be taken out of the Nature of all the Creatures, except the Serpent, who, it seems, shall still feed upon the Nourishment of

his Curfe, as it is in Isaiah lxv. 25. The Wolf and the Lamb fhall feed together; and the Lion fhall eat Straw like the Bullock; and Duft fhall be the Serpent's Meat. This being his Sentence at the firft, Genefis iii. 14. will ftill continue upon the Serpent: But the reft being delivered from this Curfe aud Enmity fhall lovingly feed and lie down together. Thirdly, The Lord in his Providence does over-rule this Enmity, and hath fubjected this Vanity of the Creature, in hope of being delivered by a fecret Inftin& which is in them. Fourthly, They fhall not only be delivered from that Bondage of Corruption which is upon them, but fhall be brought into the partici pation of that glorious Liberty of the Sons of God, free from all Vanity, Suffering, and Affliction. Fifthly, For this they wait with an earnest Defire, and as it were with a Neck ftretched out (as the Words fignify) with a continual Expectation for the Manifeftation of the Children of God, becaufe then their Deliverance (as has been obferved) will be compleated.

Now let those who oppofe this Doctrine tell me what is meant by the Restoration of the Creature, if it be not in this Senfe as has been expreffed? 2dly, Tell me when it was, or when it is, that they fhall be delivered from this Vanity and Bondage

As to the firft, I think there is none fo foolish that will pretend to give a figurative or metaphorical Interpretation upon thefe Scriptures concerning the Refloration of the Creature; because the Creature in this place cannot with the leaft fhew of Reafon be apply'd unto Men either good or bad (as be fore) and therefore muft mean thofe Creatures which now fuffer for Man's fake. Wherefore here

is no Figurative Expofition can be given in relation to the dumb Creatures. But

Secondly, If fo, then when were these Creatures delivered? I am perfuaded there is none will go about to prove that ever there was a Time fince the Fall, wherein they were delivered, except that little Time wherein the Lord put forth his glorious Power, by bringing fome of all the Creatures, Two and Two, the Male and his Female; and the Clean Beast by Severs, the Male and his Female, unto Noah, to be kept alive in the Ark from the Flood, that they might multiply the World again: Which Act of divine Power, that was then put forth upon the Creatures, in bringing them from all Parts and Places of the World unto Noah, and their living peaceably in the Ark together all the time that the Waters were upon the Earth, Ilook upon to be but as a Sign and Symbol of their being delivered, when the Lord Jefus Chrift fhall fet up his Kingdom in the World.

Now I do not fuppofe that any will pretend to refer the Creatures Deliverance unto that Time; becaufe that was but for a fhort Seafon, neither was their Deliverance then perfected. Befides, the Apoftle and alfo the Prophet Ifaiah, by the Divine Spirit, foretold the Refloration of the Creatures to be yet to come, many Hundreds of Tears after Noah's time. And it is certain alfo they have not been delivered fince, nor yet unto this day; neither will they be (perfectly) until the Manifeftation of the Sons of God.

Well! If the Creatures have not yet been, neiwill be delivered, until the Manifeftation of s of God, and that then will be the time of

their Reftoration; then I would fain know of fuch who oppose the Kingdom of Chrift to be in this World, what we are to underftand by the Manifeftation of the Sons of God? If I may give my Thoughts, until I hear what others have to fay, I look upon this Manifeftation to be no less than their Glorification, or their Re-union of Soul and Body, in perfect glorified State at the Refurrection: And I think I have fome Grounds for thefe Thoughts, from this Eighth of the Romans, that it must be fo: For this glorious Manifeftation of the Saints which the Creature waiteth for, that they may be delivered, and brought into this bleffed Liberty, is in the 23d Verfe called the Redemption of our Bodies; which can mean no other than for the Bodies of the Saints to be delivered from that Sin, Suffering, and Corruption, which the beft of the Children of God, whilft in a Mortal State, are fubject to: Neither will they be wholly or compleatly free from all thefe, until that glorious time of Reftitution, called the Manifeftation or Revelation of the Sons of God.

Thus we fee then that the Creatures, the very dumb and fenfitive Creatures muft be delivered from Vanity, Bondage, and Corruption, that they may be brought into their primitive Excellency; and that this Refloration will not be compleated until the Manifeftation or Glorification of the Saints, at the time of Chrift's perfonal Coming from Heaven to reign with them in the Glory of his Vifible Kingdom. And if fo, if the Creature fhall not be delivered from Vanity and Suffering, until the Refurrection or the Glorification of Soul and Body, called the Manifeftation or the Redemption of our Bo

dies; as this Eighth of the Romans is very plain and full for proof that they fhall not; then I defire to know what they are deliver'd for, or where they must be after their Restoration? I prefume none will fay that they fhall go up to Heaven with the Saints, to live there; and it is certain they fhall not go to live in Hell, becaufe Hell is the juft and due Defert of Sin, which they never were guilty of, tho' they are fubject to Vanity for our Sins: Befides that would be a Deftruction or a Condemnation, inftead of a Deliverauce and a Reftoration. Then it muft be upon Earth that they fhall live after this glorious day of Reftitution: For there is no other Place that I know of, but Heaven, Earth, and Hell. Well! It must be upon Earth then where they fhall continue, when they and the Earth fhall be reftored unto their primitive Excellency and Paradifical State: And if fo, then I prefume again that none will fay (when the Earth is reftored, with all its Creatures, unto its original Beauty, Excellency, and Glory) that thefe Creatures thall live upon the Earth alone. Unto what end were the Creatures and the Earth reftored, if they are to live here alone? Were they not created with the Earth for the Ufe of Man at the firft? And what ufe can they be of to the Saints with the Earth, when reftored, if the Saints must go up to Heaven immediately at this time of their Reftitution?

These things being premifed, it undeniably appears that the Earth, with the reft of the Creatures, when reftored unto their firft Excellency, at the time of the Reftitution of all things, will be for the fake and upon the account of the Saints; and therefore for the Saints Ufe. Then it is certain alfo

that