Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 8 · Verses 19-23
VERSE 19. For the earneſt expectation of the Creature, waiteth for the manifeſtation of the Sonnes of God.
20. For the creature was made ſubiect to vanitie, not willingly, but by reaſon of him who hath ſubiected the ſame in hope.
21. Becauſe the Creature it ſelfe alſo ſhall bee deliuered from the bondage of Corruption, into the glorious libertie of the Children of God.
22. For we know that *Or eueryevery Creature.the whole Creation groneth, and trauelleth in paine together, vntill now.
23. And not onelyonly they, but our ſelues alſo, which hauehave the firſt fruits of the Spirit, euen we our ſelues grone within our ſelues, waiting for the Adoption, to wit, the Redemption of our Body.
IN theſe verſes the Apoſtle brings an excellent example, both to ſhew the greatneſſe of the glory to be reuealed, and to mooue vsus to the patient expectation of it. For all delay is long and troubleſome to them which expect great matters. We expect great glory. Therefore we muſt be patient.
The ſumme is this. The whole Creation, or eueryevery Creature, is patient, and expects; therefore alſo ought we.
In this example wee hauehave two things. Firſt, the example, verſ. 19. 20, 21, 22. Secondly, the Application, verſe 23.
In the Example are two things. 1. The thing Affirmed, verſe 19. 22. 2. The Reaſon, verſe 20, 21.
The thing affirmed is, that the Creatures expect the reuelation of the Sonnes of God: wherein wee hauehave firſt the Action. Expecteth. Secondly, the Amplification. 1. From the partie expecting, The whole Creation. 2. The thing expected, The manifeſtation of the Sonnes of God. 3. The manner, deliuered in diuers borrowed termes, With feruent deſire, Groaning, Trauailing in paine.
All the Creatures, or the whole Creation, or the frame of the world: for here are not to bee vnderſtood, Angels or Men, Good or Bad. Bad Angels and Men long not for that time. Good Angels deſire it not with groaning. And good men are the other terme in oppoſition. Whether eueryevery particular Creature be heere meant is doubted. I take it not eueryevery particular: for thoſe onelyonly are heere meant, which ſhall be deliuered into the liberty of the Sonnes of God. Which cannot in my opinion be ſaid of the Horſe, Dog, &c. For then there ſhould be a reſurrection of them, wch is onelyonly to be beleeued of men. Alſo there is no promiſe of their reſtoring, as there is of Heauen and Earth. Thus, I take it, we may diſtinguiſh the vnreaſonable Creatures: Eſay. 66.22. 2. Pet. 3.13.All of them groane and trauaile in paine, but wayt not for the manifeſtation of the Sonnes of God. All of them ſhall bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption: not all into the glorious libertie of the Sonnes of God; but onelyonly ſuch as ſhall at the day of Iudgement bee reſtored.
Expecteth with feruent deſire: the word ſignifieth anxious, frequent, earneſt expectation, as a man ſtretcheth out his neck with deſire to behold.
Groaneth: As one preſſed with a burden, deſiring to bee eaſed.
Trauaileth in paine: As a woman in trauaile to bee deliuered.
Q. But, how can theſe things be ſaid of the vnreaſonable, nay, vnſenſible Creatures?
A. Not as if there were ſenſe in the frame of the world, but by a figure, Proſopopoeia.as in diuers other places of holy Scripture.Pſal. 114.3,4,7. and 148.2,5.
Q. But what is it? It is not nothing ſure, which the Apoſtle ſets downe in ſuch ſignificant words.
A. Such words are vſed, by ſimilitude, to expreſſe that hidden inſtinct put into the Creature by God, Eſay 1.1, &c.whereby it naturally bendeth it ſelfe to the preſeruation of its owne welfare. As in a Mariners Compaſſe, the Needle beeing toucht with the Load-ſtone, alwaies turneth to the North: though it know not North or South. So the Bough of a Tree, if you bend it downeward: Yet ſo ſoone as you let it goe, it aduanceth to his naturall ſituation.
doctrine The inſenſible creature expecteth the Reuelation of the Sonnes of God.
Vſe 1.The Diuell perſwades the Atheiſt to beleeue that the world is eternall; that hee may caſt off the care of heauen, and the deſire of Eternall life. Indeede if it were ſo, it were the better for the Atheiſt. But the Iuſtice of God requires there ſhould bee a Reckoning day, and the Appetite of the Creature put into it by God, cannot bee in vaine.
Vſe 2.The creature condoleth, and groneth with vsus: The Sunne by his darkneſſe ſhewes his Sympathy, at the Paſſion of our Sauiour. A ſhame it may be for vsus not to bee moued at the remembrance of that Paſſion, and to hauehave a fellow-feeling of the calamities of our Brethren.
Ʋſe 3.Deſire then, and expect heauenly things: We to hauehave our affections vponupon the Earth, when the Earth affecteth (as I may ſay) Heauen? Thoſe things which were created for vsus, and are in the loweſt degree of Creatures to be ſenſible, and we to bee inſenſible of ſuch things which principally concerne vsus?
If a man by his fault, caſt himſelfe and his into danger; ſhould ſeruants be more ſenſible then the Maſter? The very Earth hath expected thouſands of yeeres, and yet is fruitfull in patience: much more ſhould we paſſe a few daies with patience, and obedience to God. The ſhortneſſe of our Trouble, the Greatneſſe of the Glory, the Example of the Creature, ſhould teach vsus patience, and perſeuerance in goodneſſe, till the day of our Reuelation.
Vſe 4.We are the Sonnes of God: but it appeares not what we ſhall be. When Chriſt ſhall appeare, 1. Ioh. 3.1,2. Col 3.4.then ſhall we alſo bee manifeſted with him in Glory; and there ſhall the wicked be confounded: In the meane time, they neither ſee nor acknowledge our happines, rather iudging vsus the off-ſcouring.
Doeſt thou mocke and ſcorne the Children of GOD, thinking them miſerable? Thou ſeeſt their out-ſide. Thou Foole: Looke whats within: Not within their Cheſt, but their heart: if thou couldeſt ſee their Peace and Ioy, &c. thou wouldſt ſay there were none happy but ſuch.
Thou ſeeſt the outward riches and pleaſures of a worldling, and iudgeſt him happy. Thou Foole: Looke what's within in his heart. If thou couldſt ſee the wounds and terrors of his Conſcience, thou wouldſt tell mee a new tale, that this were the miſerable wretch.
Art thou reuiled and contemned in the world? Be patient in the ſenſe of thine owne preſent eſtate, and in the aſſurance of thy Future. The world would not bee like thee: Thou wouldſt not be like it: wee are as earthen pots full of treaſure: The pots are ſeene, and therefore contemned: the treaſure is not ſeene, and therefore not deſired.
A Noble man is reſpected in his owne Countrey, vnregarded abroad. As ſuch a one knowing his owne Nobilitie, regardeth not the meane opinion of Strangers, but comforteth himſelfe that he is a Noble man at home: So howſoeuer wee are here contemned, we are Noble Men in our owne Countrey, and there will come a Day wherein our Noble Glory ſhall be reuealed.
20. For the Creature is made ſubiect to vanity, &c.
21. Becauſe the Creature it ſelfe alſo, &c.
In theſe words is the Reaſon of the Expectation of the Creature: taken from its preſent condition, which is an vnwilling ſubiection to vanity, vnderunder hope of a better eſtate.
Here are two parts. 1. A Poſition: The Creature is ſubiect to vanity. 2. An Expoſition: in which are three things ſhewed. 1. How? Not willingly. 2. The Author. God. 3. The Adiunct. Hope. All theſe are in the 20. Verſe. This Hope is farther expounded, Verſe 21. but firſt of the 20. verſe.
The Creature: as before.
Is ſubiect to vanity. Vanity is in-vtility. Nomen ſine Re. As catching at ones ſhadow. When as a thing neither fils that which containes it; nor ſtayes vp that which leanes on it; nor yeelds fruit to him that labours in it, it is vaine, ſaith one. Vanity, is a Lye, as notes Gellius aGell. nect. Attic. lib. 18. cap. 4., in the diſcuſſing of a ſaying of Saluſt bEraſmus.. Vanity, is a failing of the EndcLuke 5.5.: as Peter fiſhes all night, and takes nothingdTho. Aquin.: Vanity is Defect: for hee that wants nothing, hath no need to expect any thing. Some interpret it Corruption and FragilityeAmbroſius.. Some that which hath end and PreuaricationfComent. Hieron. adſcript.. Some diſſolution by FiregBeza.. Some AbuſeiSarauius.. And indeed Vanity is all theſe; and therefore Oleuian expounds it Malediction: and Caluin, that which is contrarie to the Integritie of Nature: and Parcus, Bondage of Corruption: as Verſe 21.
Not willingly. It vnwillingly ſerues wicked menkGryneus vt Com. Arion adſcript.. Againſt the particular naturall propenſitie which eueryevery thing hath to preſerue it ſelfe.
By reaſon of him who hath ſubiected the ſame. That is, for the ordinance of God.
In hope. Of a better eſtate, ſet downe, Verſe 21.
doctrine The Creature faileth, and laboureth vnderunder a great burden and bondage of mutabilitie, vility, Corruption, abuſe, againſt the Naturall inclination of it, for the power and will of God vnderunder hope. The Creature is vaine, Eccl. 1.2. Not willingly, for all puniſhment is involuntary. For God; Who curſed the Creature, Gen. 3. VnderUnder Hope: as followeth in the next Verſe.
Ʋſe 1.LoueLove not the world, nor the things of the world, for all is Vanitie. The beſt things of the world, are as the Apples of Sodom, faire to the eye, vaine in the vſe.
Extoll not thy ſelfe for thy Riches, Honour, and Birth, for all is Vanity. This did Chryſoſtome lChryſoſt. hom. in Eutropium.tell Eutropius, Chamberlaine to Arcadius the Emperour, when hee fled for ſafety to the Altar, from which before, he went about to take the priuiledge of Sanctuary. When Fulgentius mApud Suriū. 1. Ianuar.ſaw Theodorick King of Italy, going in pomp in Rome; O ſaith he, How Beautifull is the Heauenly Ieruſalem, when Earthly Rome ſo glittereth? If in this world ſo much dignity bee giuen to them which louelove Vanity: How much ſhall they hauehave which follow verity? When thou lookeſt vponupon thy Gold, Apparell, &c. remember they are vanity: but Righteouſneſſe, a good Conſcience, and Heauen, are not vaine.
Vſe 2.The vanity of the Creatures is not naturall, but accidentall by ſinne, which though it bee expiate by the bloud of Chriſt; yet the Creature ſhall not be freed, till ſinne bee taken out of the Nature of things. Sinne hath inuolued the Creature vnderunder the Curſe, and makes it to grone: Not the ſinne of it, but of vsus.
Where are our wits and Senſes? The very Earth grones which hath not ſinned, and we grone not. Art thou a Drunkard, Blaſphemer, Proud, Profane, &c? Verily the Earth grones to beare thee, though thou art not ſenſible. O Deſperate times which bring forth ſome men as beaſts, ſome worſe then Diuels! The Earth groneth, The very Diuels beleeue and tremble: and we many of vsus, neither feele nor ſee, nor beleeue nor tremble.
Vſe 3.When the Ayre infects vsus, the heate and cold annoy vsus, the earth yeelds vsus no fruit: From whence is this Vanitie? Euen from vsus, for our ſinne. Balaam beleeued his Aſſe, himſelfe being in the fault. So wee complaine of the Elements, and Creature; but if the Lord would open their mouthes: They would ſay, O ſinfull Man which complaineſt of vsus: Thy ſinne hath made vsus vnable to ſatisfie thy Needs. Complaine not of vsus, but of thy ſinne, which excruciateth both thy ſelfe and vsus.
Ʋſe 4.The Creature ſerues vsus by the Commandement of God, of whom otherwiſe they would bee reuenged, for defacing Gods Image. Let vsus obey againſt the inclination of corrupt Nature, euen by the example of the Creature.