i88 S E R M,0 N S upon Seim. XXVII. hr. -. ejes atter it, that he may fee it afar off 5 As Judges g. 28. The mother of S3fera looked out ,f a window, and cried through the lattis, Why is his chariot fo long a coming ? But ho w can this be applied to the creature, which is without realms and fente? I Anftver, By a metaphor,'tis tranflated from mall to them 5 becaufe there isfomethingAnalogous, as they are directed and inclined to fuch an ends as in the Scripture, the Floods are faid to clap their Hands fgr, joy, and the Mountains and Hills leaping and skipping like Rams. And in thedefolation, the City of f erufälees is Paid to weep fore in the nights, her Tears are on her Cheeks 5 and again Lam. 2. 18, 19. The wall is laid to cry in the night. Yea, our Lord himfelf fpeaketh to the fea, as it it had ears, Mak. 4. 39 He fsid to the fea, Peace, be full. So the Apoltle fpeaketh of the creature as if it had will, delire, hope, lòrrow, and groaning. 3. For what ? The manifeflation of the Sons of God. Manifeltation is the dilcovery of fomething which before was oblcure and hidden 5 and by tons, the fubject, for the ad. junft, is meant the [tight and . Priviledges of Gods Children : that is, ihatthe Glory prépared for then; may viably appear, when they (hall be fer forth with fplendor and majetly, becoming the Sons of God; For the righteous fhall fliine like the inn in the king- dom of the Father, Matth. 13. 43. And 'tis Paid Ions, comprehending all of that fort. Chríft is not excluded, and all believers are included; your happinefs dependeth on the Glory of Chri(t, Col. 3. 4. When Chriff who is our life (hall appear then fiall )e a f appear with him in glory, r John 3. 2. But we know that when he (ball appear, we,fhall be like bin, for we fhallfee him as he is. And the creaure is laid to expert it, becaufe their perfe.1 elite dependeth on our happinefs, dtls 3. 21. Wham the heavens mnfi receive until the time of the refitution of all things. We look for new heavens , and new earth, 2 Pet. 2. a, 53. wherein dwelleth righteoufnef. 2. How it fuiteth with the Apoftles fcope ? I Anfwer, The Apofile intendeth three things, r. To tèt forth the excellency of our hopes, 2. To ralle up expectation. 3. To perfwade the neceffity of patiencein the mean time the prelent argument is ter - viceable to all thefe ufes. r. ft fheweth that there is an excellent plate of happinefs, far beyond what we do now in. joy, providedfor the people of God. This is feen, Partly, becaufe all things tend to it, as to their great end and gate of perfeftion; there is a tendency in the inanimate crea- tures. And Partly, becaufe the glory is fo great, that there mutt be a diflolution of the prefent world, and a pure citate of things, before we can have our happinefs. We admire the fplendor of the preferir world, are taken with earthly things 5 too apt to place our happinefs in them 5 but this world mull be purged and refined by fire, before it can be capable to fuit with that bleffed ettate of things which God hath appointed for his people. God deuieth not the fplendor of the world, as too-good for his people, but as too bad and bate to be their Portion 5 the delights of wicked men {hall be burnt up before their eyes, when he beftoweth their true happinefs upon them.- There would nor be elle an harmony in all the parts of the World to come , if there were not new Heavens and anew Earth. This polluted Irate is not confittentwith that happinefs;there- fore when the Saints are petfeäed, the world is reftored. 2. To quicken earneft expellation. All things are carried to their end. The little Seeds will work through the dry clods, that it may come intoStalk and Flower. The whole univerfe is directed and inclined to amore happy efiate5 fo fhould we look af- ter our molt perfeft (late ; the creatures by inclination wait for it, and fhall not we who are to have the chief part therein ? 3.. To perfwade the necelfity of patience, during our faring, in the mean time. We live in a groaning world, and luth as (hall be first deftroyed, and then reftored. As the frame of the fublunary world being now in diforder, and at length to be diffolved, groaneth after a reftauration5So, tho we be harraffed with of liftions, and mutt at length die, and this animated body be turned into a rotten carkale, yet at length (hall be railed up in Glory. The points are Three. I. That the glorious priviledges of Gods children are manife fled at the laff day. a. That the fiats of the creatures is renewed, when Gods children come to be manifeffed in their glory. 3. That this elate of things ought earnefly to be defred and expelled by us. For the firfi point. That the glorious priailedges of Gods children are manifefled at the lap!
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