tation of the wicked is wrath." Prov. x. 28, xi. 7. But the expectation of this creature is of God, and he is one that fears God-"Let not thine heart envy finners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long; for furely there is an end [a reward], and thine expectation fhall not be cut off." Prov. xxiii. 17, 18. Hence it is plain that the reward of this creature is glory, and his expectation fhall not be cut off; for he " fhall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."

But ftill the great question is, who this creature is and I conclude that it is every real believer in Chrift Jefus; for " if any man be in Chrift he is a new creature." 2 Cor. v. 17. Whatever hopes or expectations may be found in others, or whatever birth-privileges they may truft in, or whatever legal works may be performed by them, it will all at last come to nothing For in Chrift Jefus neither circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion, but a new creature." Gal. v. 6. Every new creature in Chrift Jefus is in expectation of this manifeftation of the fons of God, and fhall undoubtedly be delivered from the bondage of corruption.

Again, this creature is the whole body of God's elect, Jews and Gentiles; it is collectively the Lord's whole myftical body, called a man. “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;

for

for to make in himself of twain one new man, fo making peace." Eph. ii. 15. This new man is the general affembly and church of the firftborn, confifting of all the elect of God, which are one fold under one thepherd; or, in Chrift Jefus, one new man: as it is written, " And he gave some apostles, &c. for the edifying of the body of Chrift; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the fulness of the stature of Chrift." Eph. iv. 12, 13, 14. Here the whole church is called the body of Chrift, many new creatures or members, but only one new man or body, a perfect man in Chrift, or Chrift's myftical body. Now ye are the body of Chrift collectively, and members in particular.

"The earneft expectation of this creature waiteth, &c." That which exciteth and encourageth this earneft expectation,, is the truth and faithfulness of God which hath promised this deliverance, and he will perform it; the death of Chrift, alfo, which hath fecured it, and made it fure to all the feed; the Spirit of God is an earneft of it, he has revealed it to us, raised us to hope for it, and to expect it. And the body of fin and death which burdens us, the world which hates us, the devil who buffets us, the infirmities that compass us about, bodily afflictions which weigh us down, fhort-lived joys and long defer

tions,

tions, make us long to be unclothed, to depart and be with Chrift, which is far better. "For we know that if our earthly houfe of this tabernacle were diffolved, we have a building of God, an houfe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan carneftly, defiring to be clothed upon with our houfe which is from heaven." 2 Cor. v. 1, 2. These groaners are parts of this creature in my text, which carnefily expect the manifeftation of the fons of God.

But what is this manifeftation of fonfhip? Are not believers the fons of God [manifeftly fo] by faith in Chrift Jefus? Yes, for he that believes hath the witnefs in himfelf, and that witnefs is true, and is no lie; and he doth, as the spirit of adoption, cry, Abba, Father, in all believers; and where this witnefs and this cry is, fonfhip is ma ́nifested there already, and he is enabled to claim it, though the poor weakling in faith and babe in grace may not; but this is not the manifeftation meant in my text, for this manifeftation of fonhip is more or lefs in all believers now.

The manifeftation of this fonthip is fomething future, fomething in hope and expectation, which is always fomething to come; "for what a man feeth [himfelf in poffeffion of] why doth he yet hope for?" and what a man hath already got, why doth he yet expect? "Now are we the fons of God," this is already manifefted; "but it doth not yet appear what we shall be," this is yet

to

to come; "but we know that when he appeareth we shall be like him, for we fhall fee him as he is;" this is the manifeftation that this creature fo earnestly expects.

When Chrift was in the world he was viewed and embraced as the only begotten Son of God by his own elect; but the world viewed him as a deceiver, a madman, and as Beelzebub: but all this dishonour must be wiped away, to the confufion of his foes and the glory of his own majefty; and, when this is done, our adoption will appear before our enemies as his divine fonfhip fhall appear before his, and this fhall be done when we are all made perfect in one God, Father, Son, and Spirit; and then the world fhall fee, and believe too, as devils believe and tremble: yea, the Arian, Sabellian, Socinian, Atheist, Deift, Jew, and Infidel, for fo it is written, "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I'in thee, that they alfo may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou haft fent me." John xvii. 21. When this end arrives there will be no more controversy about the mystery of godlinefs; Chrift will appear the juft God and the Saviour in all his glorious majefly, and the faints in all their glory; devils in all their villany, and Chrift's enemies in all their confufion, fhame, and everlafting contempt. Chrift told the Jews, "When ye have lifted up the fon of man, then ye fhall know I am;" but he gave them not an

honeft

honeft heart to confefs it, but left them to fin with open eyes, that they might drown themselves in the great tranfgreffion.

Furthermore, As Chrift was, fo are we in this. world. We are deemed fools, impoftors, madmen, falfe prophets, deceivers, the filth and offfcouring of the earth, and are treated accordingly; but our fonfhip fhall be as fully manifefted to the wicked, in the day of judgment, as it is to us now. "All that fee them fhall acknowledge them that they are the feed which the Lord hath bleffed;" for there fhall be a confpicuous manifeftation both of the fons of God and of the children of the devil; for the one fhall appear in the image of Chrift, and God fhall despise the image of the other; goats and fheep fhall be feparated, the goats fhall acknowledge the fheep, and the sheep shall fee the goats.

"For the creature was made fubject to vanity, not willingly, but by reafon of him who hath fubjected the fame in hope." Rom. viii. 20. Whatever this vanity is that this creature is made fubject to, it is fomething difagreeable to it, for it is made fubject to it not willingly. Sin and the pleasures of it are vanity, which man is not unwilling to the purfuit of, nor can any thing but a divine power difplayed incline his will to choose the better part. But it may be objected, that a new crcature in Chrift is delivered from all this. To which I anfwer, there is in him the

flesh