1111011111naleik Verle 21. fer. the .piffle to the Romans. (hall not utterly be extin& but renew- ed; as Peter expounds it, 2 Pet. 3. 13. Secondly, as the world was but chan- ged and cleanCed at the firft by water,fo it (hall be no otherwife at the laft by fire ; that was only changed, and not quite deftroyed, fo (hall this be. . Thirdly, our Text doth not barely fay,the creature (hall be delivered, but addeth, Unto the glorious liberty of the fins of God.] Which plainly fhewes, that their deliverance is another thing then being brought to nothing, even a communicating with the fons of God, in one part oftheir glory;to wit, in in- corruption andimmortality,which the creature had by Creation,and by natu- rall in ftin& !till delires to recover it, as verge 22. Fourthly, every creature der fireth its own prelervation naturally, 4ndabhiorrethdeftru&ion ;therefore it is not a bringing itto nothing,(thisde- liverance;)for the creature would never defire that,that is againft nature.Fiftly, Peter in Ali. 3. verge 22. fpeaketh of reftoring,nót of men only, but of all other things. Laftly, the fame Apoftle Peter,exhorts us to live without blame, becaufe there fhould be new heavens and a new earth:al this dôth argue and ftrohgly prove, that this deliverance of the creature, (hail not be by a redu&ion into nothing,but by an alteration into a better eftate. The reftitution of the creature (hall be like the refurre&ion from the dead: but what (hal be the par- ticular properties,works,and ufes ofall and every creature after the laft judge ment, let no man enquire,.becaufe it is not revealed in theword : here is place for that which 7ertullian calleth a lear- ned ignorance: T t m. What profit is to be made of this- truth ? S t L. Firft, itferves to ftrengthen our faith, concerning the certainty of heavenly glory, becaufe the naturali appetite of the creature after heavenly glory in not is vain. Secondly,it war - neth the godly not to be troubled with the confufions and diforders of the world,becaufe one day Godwill bring all things into better frame.Thirdly,it 2ga muff call our hearts front the implode. rate love of money and other riches,be- caule thefe being no part ofthe world, mutt beconfumed and brunt up by the, fire : and therefore it itafolly to love them too much. Fourthly,it (hould Ihr all men to endeavourearñefily tiewnefs oflife;becaufeifthecreatnrecannot ens joy glory untili irbe firft cleanfed and changed, then much leffe we, before we be purged and purified from our,fpots of fin, by continnall repentance. T t M. What other Doltrine is to be rai- ld out of this 21 verfi ? S t L. This that the creature is under great miléry, until! the time of reftoring'conieth. Their rnifìry (tan - deth in two things:the firft is bondage; In that they a-e driven to ferve wicked men and devils, The fecond is,corrup- tion, in that many living creatures pé- rifh for us daily; and Iiich as are with- out life, (hall bediilolved and changed. Thé reafon hereof is, fish Gods decree, appointing it to be fo,as theevént hath declared; fgr nothing fait out in time, which was not decreed before all times. The 'fecond reafon hereof is, mans fin, for whole fake and ufe, as God created the world at firft in perfe&ion;fo'when he beingLord of the creaturetranfgref- fed,the world was impairedand fubdu- ed to corruption, through his difobe- dience. As the primum mobile, like a wheele,doth carry about in his motion all the other Sphere's, fo the good and evill condition ofthe creature depend - eth upon men. T t M. But was this righteous in God to curfe the creature which finned rot ? S I L. Yea verily : Firft, becaufe the only will of God is the Soveraign caule of all righteoufneffe. Secondly, ifcivill Juftice of earthly Princes,rnay without wrong pun ifh Traitors them- felves, and their children allo : much more rightfully may divine Juflice for the treat-on of Adam curie the creatures which were made for his fake. T I M. What rife are we to make of this point ? S t L. Firft, it teacheth patience in afli &ions, for the godly fhonld not C c faint If eafitrs. suprema r. -. g [= t Ririe ú ta ins
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