547 / 674
(
521
)
DISCOURSE
X.
THE
FIRST FRUITS OF
THE
SPIRIT,
OR
THE
FORETASTE OP
HEAVEN.
nom.
viii.
23.
And
not only
they,
but
ourselves
also, who
have the
first
fruits
of
the
Spirit, even
we
ourselves groan within ourselves,
waiting
for
the adop-
tion,
that
is,
the redemption of our body.
SECTION
I.
IT
is
by
a beautiful
figure
of
speech the
apostle had been
describing,
in
the
foregoing
verses,
the
unnatural
abuse
which the
creatures
suffer
through
the
sins
of
men, when
they are employed
to sinful
purposes
and the
dishonour
of God their Creator. Permit
me
to
read
the
words,
and
represent
the sense
of
them in
a short paraphrase
;
'Verse
22.
"
We
know
that
the
whole
creation groaneth
and
travelled'
in pain together
until
now."
The
earth
itself
may
be,
represented
as
groaning to bear such loads
of iniquity, such
a
multitude
of
wicked men
who
abuse
the
creatures
of
God
to
the
dishonour of
him
that
made
them
The air
may be said to
groan
to
give
breath
to
those
vile
wretches who abuse it
in filthiness
and foolish
talking, to
the
dishonour
of
God, and
to the
scandal
of
their
neighbours;
it groans
to
furnish men with
breath
that
is
abused
in
idolatry
by
the
false
worship
of
the true.
God, or the worship
of
creatures
which
is
abominable
in
his sight
:
The
sun itself
may be said
to
groan
to give
light
to
those sinners
who
abuse both
day
-light and
dark-
ness
in
rioting and
wantonness, in doing mischief among
men
and committing
fresh
iniquities against their
Ma-
ker:
The
moon and stars are abused
by
adulterers
and-
thieves,
sand
other midnight
sinners, when
they,a.ny way
afford
light
enough
to them
to
guide them
in
their
pursuit
of
wicked
ways
and practices.
The
beasts
of burden
may be
said also to
groan
and
be
abused,
when
they
bear
the
wicked sons
and' daughters
of
Adam
to
the
accorn
plishnient
of their iniquities
:
And even all
the
parts of.
'.,the
brutal
world,
as well
as
of
the
inanimate creation,
are