V lï R. t, ze Epitle to- the HE B R Ews. they will afford us, into the treaferes of thefe counfds themfelves. Nowherein we fee, firft, that it was the Eternal Defign ofGod,that the whole Cre- ation thould be put infubjeétion unto the Word incarnate, whereof the Apoftle alfo treats in the fecond Chapter ofthis Epilfk. God hath highly exalted him, and givenhim aname which is above every name, that at the nameof Jefùs every knee Jhould bow, ofthings in heaven, and things in earth, and thingsunder the earth; and that every tongue fhould con- frfl thatJefas Chriff is Lord, to the gloryofGod the Father, Phil. 2. g, IQ, r I. God hath put allthings in fubjedion untohim, not only the thingspeculiarly redeemedby him,. but all things what ever, as we (hall !hew in thenext wordsof our Epifile. See Cor. r'5, 24. Heb. 2.8. Korn. 14. r i. Hence John law every creature which is in heaven and earth,and under theearth, and fucb asarein the f a, even allthat are in them, afcribingblffing, and honour,andglory, andpower unto the Lambfor ever andever,Rev. 5. 13. that is,dwning and avowing their Duty, Obedience and SubjeQion unto him. Thisbeingdefigned of God in the Eternal Counfel ofhis Will,before the world was, t Pet. r. 2. Tit. Y. 2. Fie prepared and made way for it in theCreation of all things by him ; fo that his Title and right to be the Ruler and Lord ofall Angels and Men, the whole Creation, in and ofFleaven andEarth, mightbe laid in this great and bleffed foundation, that be made them all. Again , God defigned from Eternity, that his great and everlafling Glory fhould arile from the new Creation, and the work thereof. Herein bath he orderedall things to the praife oftheglory of bis grace, Ephef, r. 6. And this praife will he inhabit for ever, It is true, the works ofthe old Creation did fet forth the gloryofGod, Pfal. 19. I. they manifefted his eternalpoweA andGodhead, Rom. I. 20. But God had not refolved, ul- timately to commit the manifeffation of hisglory unto thofe works, though very glo- rious ; and therefore did he fuller fin CO enter into the world, which flamed the beautyofit, and brought it whollyunder the curfe. But he never fuffered Jpot nor ftain to come upon the work of the new Creation; Ephef. 5.6. nothingthat might defeat, eclipfe, or impair the glory that he intended to exalt himfelf in thereby. Yet God bath fo ultimately laid up his glory in the new Creation, as that he will not lofe any thing of that, which alfo isdue unto him from the Old : but yet he will not receive it immediately from thence neither, but as it is putover into afubferviency unto the work of the New. NowGod ordered all things fo, as that this might beefeled withoutforce, coailion, or wreftingofthe Creation, or putting it betides its own or- der. And is there anything more genuine, natural and proper, than that the world fhould come intofubjeíiion unto him, by whom it wasmade, although there beRime alteration in its ¡tate and condition, as to outward diffienfation, in his beingmade Man ? And this I take to be the meaningof that difcourfe of the Apoftle about the bondage and libertyofthe creature, which wehave,, Rom. 8. r9,zo,2r,22. The Apoftle tells us, that the Creatureit fe[f had an expeáation, and delire after the Manifeftation of the Sons ofGod, or the bringing, forthofthe Kingdom ofChrift inGlòry and Power, v. r9. and gives this reafon for it, becaufe it is brought into a condition ofvanity, cor- ruption and bondage; wherein it did, asit were, unwillingly abide, and groaned tobe delivered from it; that is, by theentrance of fin, the Creation was brought into that condition, aswherein it couldnot anfwer theend for which it was made andereóted ; namely, todeclare the gloryofGod, that he might be worfhipped and honoured as God ; but was, asit were, left, efpecially in the Earth, and the Inhabitants of it, to be a Jfage for men toad their enmity again('God upon, and a means for the fulfilling and fatisfadion oftheir filthy lulls. This (late beingunfuitable unto itsprimitivecon- ftitution, preternatural, occafional, and forced, it is laid to diflike it, togroan under it, tohope forDeliverance; doing that in what it is, by its nature, which it wohld do''o - luntarily were it endowed with a rational undertlanding. But, faith theApoltle, thereis a better condition for thisCreation, which whilft it was afar of, it put out its head after and unto. What is thisbetter flare? Why the glorious liberty of the Sons of God; that is, the new Rate and condition that all things arereffored unto, in order unto theglory of God, by Jefus Chrift. The Creation hath, as it were, a ryttural propenfrty, yea, a longing to come into afubjeCtion unto Chrift, as that which retrieves and frees it from the Vanity, Bondage andCorruption that it was callinto, when put out of its firft Order by fin. Andthis arifeth from that plotand defigit which God firlt laid inthe Creation of all things ; that they being made by the Son, fhould naturally and wil- tingly, as itwere, giveup themfelves untoObedience untohim; wbén he fhould take the Rule ofthem upon the newaccount ofhis Mediation. Thirdly, +7
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