A Prospect of Heaven, Treatise · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Sheweth that the Creatures themſelves do earneſtly and continually expect the manifeſtation of the Glorious ſtate of the Godly.
SECT. I.
MOreover, that there ſhall a time come when God ſhall make manifeſt and illuſtrious the glory of his Children, is evident from that inſtinct that God hath put into the Creatures to wait for that time; for St. Paul tells us in the nineteeth verſe of this eighth Chapter to the Romans, That the earneſt expectaction of the Creature waiteth for the manifeſtation of the Sons of God. St. Peter in his Epiſt. 2.3.16. tells us, that there are ſome things in Paul's Epiſtles which are hard to be underſtood; in the number of thoſe Myſteries, this Text of St. Paul is one. And Muſculus Muſcul. in loc.conceiveth that St. Peter principally aims at this nineteenth verſe, and the three following verſes. I am ſure it is a moſt myſterious Myſtery; The fervent expectation of the Creature waiteth: foreign, the expectation expecteth.] So it is word for word: It is an Hebraiſm; the Hebrews when they would expreſs the greatneſs, or earneſtneſs of a thing, do it by doubling the word, as thus, in ſeeing, I ſee; in hearing, I hear; in flying, I fly: ſo here the Apoſtle, to expreſs the vehement expectation of the Creature, doubleth the word; the expectation expecteth; the Creatures expect, they expect. The Apoſtle uſeth an elegant word foreign, which word ſignifies the geſture of ſuch who earneſtly expect ſomething with the head ſtretched out; or put forth the head, looking every way to behold the thing expected, as Siſera's Mother put her head forth the window, looking when Siſera would come: ſo the Creature doth as it were put forth the head, looking when the Sons of God ſhall appear in glory; crying as it were, Why are they ſo long ere they come and appear?
Queſt. What is here meant by the Creature?
Reſp. Some underſtand by the Creature, the Heavens and the Earth, with all their ornaments, the continens and the contentum: but Beza Beza in loc.underſtandeth thereby, the World, or Univerſe, conſiſting of the viſible Heavens and Earth, which is ſaid here to expect, not the Creatures in it: And the truth of this will appear, by ſhewing that it cannot be meant of Angels, of the Church, of the new Creature, Men, &c.
I. By Creature, we cannot underſtand the Angels, that they do earneſtly expect this manifeſtation, as Origen Origen ad loc.thinketh;
1. Becauſe the Apoſtle ſpeaks of ſuch a Creature as is made ſubject to vanity for the ſin of Man, ſo the Angels are not; there is no ſhadow of privative vanity in any of the glorious Angels, they are perfectly holy, perfectly, immutably happy.
2. Again, he ſpeaks of the Creature which is ſubject to a bondage of corruption; the Angels are not ſubject to any ſuch bondage: every word in theſe verſes makes againſt this Opinion. Origen thinketh, that becauſe the Angels are now miniſtring Spirits to the Sons of God, and becauſe Angels are ſet over Kingdoms and Provinces, and to manage Wars for and againſt Kingdoms, hence they are ſubject to ſome vanity: I anſwer, though the Angels do miniſter to the Saints, yet this is not vanity, neither is it againſt their wills thus to miniſter; for ſeeing it is the will of God they ſhould attend on his People, they do it with all readineſs of mind; their greateſt delight is to pleaſe God. Their Preſidency over Kingdoms and Wars, is to reſtrain and direct them according to God's command, without any vanity or corruption in them; it is part of mans vanity and miſery to be employed in Wars, it is a bondage of corruption to him; but not to Angels, who are both Spectators and Actors without corruption.
3. It cannot be denied, but that the Angels do earneſtly deſire the glory of the Sons of God, but they do not groan together with us, and are not in pain together with us: therefore it muſt be meant of other Creatures, not of Angels.
SECT. II.
II. IT cannot be underſtood of the new Creature in Man, the Image of God renewed by the Spirit of Chriſt in righteouſneſs and holineſs, as ſome would have it; for although grace begun tendeth to a glorious perfection, and it deſireth its own perfection, yet,
1. It cannot be ſaid to be ſubjected to vanity, to corruption.
2. The Apoſtle oppoſeth the firſt Fruits of the Spirit, which is the new Creature, or Grace in us, to this Creature which waiteth, expecteth, and groaneth; when he ſaith, not only they, [that is the Creature] but we alſo who have the firſt Fruits of the Spirit.
3. Becauſe in Scripture, the word [Creature] is never ſingly added to Grace; but ever with an addition, the new Creature.
III. It cannot be meant of the Church; for ſo the Socinians underſtand by Creatures, the Church of God; and by them who have the firſt Fruits of the Spirit, the Apoſtles; and make this ſence, for the godly, or Church of the godly, waiteth for the manifeſtation of the Sons of God; and not only the godly, but we alſo [the Apoſtles] who have the firſt Fruits of the Spirit. How abſurd this ſence is, theſe Arguments will evince us.
1. Becauſe the Creature is oppoſed to the Sons of God; if by Creature be meant the Godly, then this ſhould be the ſence, the Godly do wait for the manifeſtation of the Godly; the Sons of God wait for the manifeſtation of the Sons of God.
2. This ſence utterly ſubverts the ſcope of the Apoſtle, who proveth that the Sons of God ſhall be manifeſted, from the Creatures expectation; therefore ſome other Creature muſt be underſtood.
3. The Apoſtle tells us afterward, the godly do groan, wait, and hope for this manifeſtation; for, ſaith he, not only they, but we alſo.
Object. They object by [we] in this place, is meant the Apoſtles.
Sol. It cannot be ſo; becauſe whatſoever is here ſaid, pertaineth to all the Sons of God.
1. Becauſe all the Godly, as well as the Apoſtles, have the firſt Fruits of the Spirit, verſe 23.
2. Becauſe all the Godly, as well as the Apoſtles, are ſaved by hope, verſe 24.
3. Becauſe all the Godly, as well as the Apoſtles, with patience wait for it, verſe 25.
4. Becauſe all the Godly, as well as the Apoſtles, have the Spirit to help their infirmities, verſe 26. It cannot therefore be meant of the Apoſtles in oppoſition to the Godly, but it is to be underſtood promiſcuouſly of Apoſtles, and all the Godly.
SECT. III.
IV. BY Creature cannot be underſtood. Mankind, as Auguſtine and Cajetan think, who (from Mark 16. Go, preach the Goſpel to every Creature) ſay, by Creature, muſt neceſſarily there be underſtood Mankind, preach the Goſpel to every Man; and think that in this place alſo man is meant, and ſo make the ſence thus; for the earneſt expectation of every Man waiteth, &c. Now for anſwer to this:
1. It muſt be granted, that in this word [Creature] Man is included; but it is not to be meant only of Man, yea, not to be meant of Man, but of all the Creatures made for Man's uſe.
2. Becauſe if by Creature Man be underſtood, then either it is meant of godly Men, or of wicked Men, or of Man in general.
1. It cannot be underſtood that by Creature godly Men are meant, for the Reaſons above mentioned; the Creatures and they are oppoſed; not only they, but we alſo.
2. It cannot be meant of wicked Men, for they ſhall not be partakers of this glory; they deſire not the day of this manifeſtation, they wiſh in their hearts it may never come; they are in pain becauſe of the thoughts of ſuch a day; they groan for fear of the day of the manifeſtation of the Sons of God; if they might have their wiſh, they would live for ever here in this World, wallowing in ſin and ſenſual delights, and take Heavens glory who will for them.
3. The Greek words foreign; una ſuſpirat, una parturit; groaneth together, and is in travel together] muſt be meant of other Creatures beſides Man; with whom do they groan and travel together, but with us Men, with us Sons of God?
SECT. IV.
HEnce it is clear, that by Creature we muſt underſtand the World or Univerſe.
Queſt. But here a Queſtion will ariſe, Whether it be meant only of the Heavens and the Earth, or together with them all Creatures within the viſible Heavens and Earth? whether the continens, and not the contentum, or both Mundus continens & contentus?
Reſp. It is hard to determine; ſome eminent Divines do conceive, that only Mundus continens, the viſible Heavens and Earth do expect and groan for this manifeſtation, and not the Mundus contentus, the Creatures within them, thus Beza; Beza in loc.and ſo he interprets the word, Mundus conditus, the World which is made expecteth the manifeſtation of the Sons of God; but why foreign ſhould thus be reſtrained, he gives no reaſon. Others conceive that all the Creatures with them do expect, the Sun, Moon, the Stars, the Elements, the Beaſts of the Field, the Fowls of the Air, Trees and Plants of the Earth, all Creatures which God at firſt made for the uſe and ſervice of Man, and for the perfect ornament of the World; for theſe Reaſons.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe all creatures which God made for man, and the perfection of the World, are for mans ſin ſubjected to vanity and corruption under the ſame curſe; therefore all do expect and groan to be delivered from this bondage of corruption; becauſe it is ſaid, that the creature which is under bondage doth groan; all creatures are in bondage, therefore they do groan.
2. Becauſe it is ſaid, verſe 22. foreign, omnis creatura: What theſe words ſignifie, Cameron Comeron in loc.is poſitive; Profecto nihil aliud quam totum Ʋniverſum ſignificat; truly it ſignifieth nothing elſe but the whole Univerſe. Why the Heavens and the Earth, without the ornaments and creatures in them, ſhould be called the whole Creation, to me it is irrational.
SECT. V.
Queſt. 2. WE are in the next place to enquire, What is meant by the manifeſtation of the Sons of God?
Reſp. Eraſmus gives this ſence, that the Sons of God may be made publick; Beza and Calvin think it rather relateth to their glory, that the glory of the Sons of God may be made manifeſt; that it may appear how deſirable and bleſſed the ſtate and condition of the godly is, when they ſhall have put off corruption, and put on incorruptible glory.
Queſt. 3. How the Creature is here ſaid to wait and expect, ſome queſtion; becauſe the words [expectation and hope, &c.] are here attributed to the Creature, there are ſome that think it cannot be meant inanimate creatures void of ſenſe, and of animate creatures who are void of reaſon.
Reſp. 1. In anſwer to this, you are to know, it is uſual in Scripture to attribute ſenſe and reaſon both to ſenſeleſs and ſenſitive creatures, by a figure called Proſopopeia, feigning them to be Perſons: as when God calls to the Heavens and Earth, Hear, O Heavens, and hearken, O Earth: Be aſtoniſhed, O ye Heavens; All ſuch phraſes are but figurative ſpeeches: ſo here, when it is ſaid, the Creature groaneth, hopeth, expecteth, laboureth, they are but figurative ſpeeches; the Holy Ghoſt feigning the whole Creation as a Perſon expecting and groaning for this glory: he makes whole Nature to ſpeak and groan, when affording words unto her ſorrow, he makes her wiſh our change, and her deliverance.
2. The Creature may be ſaid earneſtly to expect this glorious manifeſtation in two reſpects.
1. In reſpect of that natural inſtinct which is in every creature, forcibly inclining them to their firſt created perfection, of which for the ſin of man they are deprived, which makes the creature reſtleſs till it doth attain to it: This natural tendency to a better ſtate, is that which the Apoſtle calls hope, and expectation, groaning, &c. A learned man expreſſeth it by this ſimilitude; As the Needle in the Mariner's Compaſs, hath a natural inclination to the North Pole, from which if it be removed, it ſhakes, trembles, and is in continual motion, never reſting, till it cometh and be ſetled toward the North again: So it is with the Creature, Sin hath put the whole Creation out of order, it cannot do that good for which God at firſt made the creatures; therefore they hope, wait, groan, are in pain and t…avel, till they be ſet in order again, and attain to their primitive and more glorious ſtate and condition.
2. They may be ſaid to wait for this glorious Manifeſtation, becauſe the whole Creation continueth in that State and order, wherein now it is by reaſon of Sin, though ſubject to ſuch infinite variations, alterations, corruptio…s and decays: when the Apoſtle ſaith, The Creature was made ſubject to vanity, not willingly, he thereby inſinuateth, that they are corrupted by Sin; and when he addeth, that the Creature it ſelf ſhall alſo be delivered from the bondage of corruption, he makes it evident, that Jeſus Chriſt will ſatiſfie their deſires, and that he will reſtore to them what we by reaſon of our Sins have unjuſtly bereft them of; for the corruption which they complain of, is not that which they have received from nature, but that which they have attracted from our Sin. Muſculus Muſcul. in Loc.on this place ſaith, If we would but ſeriouſly conſider and obſerve, under what vanity and corruption the whole Creation laboureth, we would admire that ever the World ſhould continue.
Now the reaſon why they do ſo earneſtly expect, is becauſe they would be fully ſerviceable to their Creatour, they would be in ſuch a ſtate, as may render them perfectly conducible to the glory of their Creatour: it is their unhappineſs and miſery that Sin hath rendred them ſo much unſerviceable to him; it is againſt their will ſaith the Apoſtle; it is againſt their very natural inſtinct and inclination that they muſt be ſlaves and drudges to ſinful Rebells: Moreover, the Creatures by a natural inſtinct do naturally tend to their own higheſt and ultimate perfection: Sin ſpoiled them of it, and keeps them from this perfection, but this natural inclination is ſtill in the Creature; perfection and duration is the deſire of all Creatures: But this perfection ſhall not, and cannot be enjoyed by the Creature, till there be a manifeſtation of the Sons of God: hence 'tis ſaid, they earneſtly expect that manifeſtation: the Saints expect Chriſt's manifeſtation in glory, for till he appear, they ſhall not appear in glory: The Creatures expect their appearance, for till the Sons of God appear, they ſhall not be delivered from their vanity and corruption.
SECT. VI.
NOW if the Creature who ſhall not have any anſwerable meaſure of glory (but be only brought into glorious liberty, not into glory it ſelf, as Calvin Calvin in Loc.noteth) doth thus wait for this glorious manifeſtation, how much more ſhould we whom it mainly concerneth, and for whoſe ſakes that day was created and ordained, and who ſhall enjoy a fullneſs of glory in compariſon of them, how ſhould we wait all the days of our appointed time, till our change ſhall come? This expectation of the Creature ſhould teach the godly (whoſe duty it is to expect) to long for, to haſten to the manifeſtation of this glory: Solomon ſends the Sluggard to the Piſmire, and bids him learn of him diligence and induſtry; the ſame may be ſaid to the godly man; Go to the Creature thou dull and ſloathful man, and learn of the Creature to look for, and to be more and more in expectation of the manifeſtation of thine own glory.
The Creatures expect when you ſhall be manifeſted in glory: is it not a ſhame then to thoſe who are Sons and Heirs of glory, not to expect their own glory? the Creatures lift up their eyes to Heaven, crying, How long Lord! is it not a ſhame then to the Sons of God, that they ſhould caſt their eyes down to the Earth, on the glory of it which paſſeth away like a Flower of the Field? The creatures put forth their heads, and cry, why are the wheels of the Chariot ſo long in coming? is it not a ſhame then for the Sons of God to hang their heads down? is it not a ſhame to us, that ſenceleſs creatures ſhould be earneſt, and we ſlack in our expectation? ſhall ſenceleſs creatures outſtrip thoſe who are endued with reaſon and grace? ſhall their hope outſtrip our hope? If you believe there ſhall be ſuch a manifeſtation, and that you in particular ſhall be manifeſted to be the Sons of God, ſhew me your faith by your earneſt expectation; you have but poor deſires of Chriſt's coming, and your own glory, whoſe expectation is ſo cold and faint: if the creatures were to be partakers of that very glory that you ſhall be, how much more earneſt would they be in expecting the manifeſtation of it? the very cauſe why we do not more earneſtly expect our glorious manifeſtation, is our earthlymindedneſs; we mind Earth ſo much, therefore do we expect Heaven ſo little.