A commentarie vpon the most diuine Epistle of S. Paul to the Romanes Containing for matter, the degeneration of our nature by Adams Fall; and the restauration thereof, by the grace of Christ. Together with the perfection of faith, and the imbecillity of workes, in the cause of iustification of elect sinners before God. For forme and maner of handling, it hath the coherence and method, the summe and scope, the interpretations & doctrines the reasons and vses, of most texts. All which, are set downe very familiarly and compendiously, in forme of a dialogue, betweene Tlmotheus [sic] and Silas, by Thomas Wilson, one of the six preachers in the cathedrall church of Canterbury.

DIAL. XIX.

Verses 19, 20. For the feruent desire of the creature waiteth when the sonnes of God shall bee reuealed, because the creature, &c.

Tim.

VVHat may bee the purpose of the Apostle in these verses?

Silas.

His drift and purpose is, first to prooue heauenly* 1.1 glory which followes afflictions, in this life, to bee cer∣taine: and secondly to exhort Gods children to be pati∣ent in afflictions, vnder hope of that glory. The former is proued by a secret and very great desire, which things* 1.2 created, haue after the glory of Gods Children till it bee manifested. Now this desire being put into them of God, it cannot be frustrate and vaine, and therefore the glory must needs be certaine. The latter is prooued by the ex∣ample of the cretures bearing their misery, (vnder which they are through mans fault) in hope of restoring: ther∣fore much more ought Gods Children patiently to suffer

their afflictions, seeing our restoring shall be farre more excellent then the restoring of the creatures: and there comes no afflictions vpon vs from God, but they are by our sinnes most iustly deserued; whereas the creatures suffer for our sake.

Tim.

Now let vs know what be the parts of this Text?

Silas.

It setteth forth these two things vnto vs: First,* 1.3 the condition of the creatures, both in respect of their present misery, which is heere signified by the names of vanity, corruption, and bondage, verse 20, 21. Also of their futher restauration, which is heere called deliue∣rance, glory, liberty, verse 21. The second thing is the affection of the creature, in regarde both of the misery, and restoring of them. This affection is declared both for the kinde and measure of it, by the tearmes of feruent desire, waiting, groning, trauelling in paine, verses 19, 22.

Tim.

Expound new the words, and tell vs what is meant by the feruent desire of the creature?

Sil.

It is to bee read word for word, (the expectation* 1.4 of the Creature expecteth,) that is, with greedinesse and continuance looketh for. There is in this phrase both a Prosopopoea, and a Pleonasmus. For he putteth vpon the creature the person of one who most desirously ex∣pecteth and looketh after some person or thing; such are wont to put foorth their heads, and to looke when such persons or things should appeare, Psal. 121, 1. So the creature lookes after liberty.

Tim.

What are we to vnderstand by Creature?

Silas.

Neither the Angels as Origen, nor men good nor bad, as Augustine thought; but the whole frame of Hea∣uen and earth, with creatures therein contained, as the Starres, Elements, all celestiall bodyes, bruite beastes, fruite of the earth, fishes of the sea, with whatsoeuer else was made for mans vse.

Tim.

But what manner of desire is it that thinges created haue?

Silas.

It is a certaine instinct, or inclination put into them of God, whereby they secretly (after a manner vn∣knowne to vs) are moued to couet to attaine to the end for which they were made. This ende is that perfection and most glorious estate in which the creature was at first created, and from which it is now fallen for mans sinne, and vnto which it still tendeth by a naturall desire, euen as heauy things by natural propension tend down∣wards, and light things vpwards.

Tim.

What is meant by the reuealing of the sonnes of God?

Silas.

The meaning is, vntill that glory which is pre∣pared for the sons of God, be indeed manifested: the sons of God (by a Metonymy of the subiect for the adioynt) are put for the glorious liberty that is ordained for thē, as verse 21. expounds it.

Tim.

What instruction doth arise from hence?

Silas.

A two-fold instruction: First, that the glory of* 1.5 Heauen is most certaine & sure, it is not doubtfull whe∣ther there be such a thing or no, or a thing in aduenture, but there is such a thing indeed: and it shall be certain∣ly performed to all Gods Children which beleeue the* 1.6 promises, and repent of their sinnes. The reason heere∣of is because God hath inspired the creatures with an in∣stinct and desire after the glory of Gods sonnes; and see∣ing God doth nothing in vaine, it must needs bee that this desire is after some-thing that truely is, and not a Chimera or fiction.

Tim.

What is the vse of this instruction?

Silas.

Such as are Gods children by adoption, must* 1.7 learne from hence to strengthen their faith, as concer∣ning the truth and certainty of their glory to come, if haply any doubt through temptation should arise about it. Secondly, it informes our iudgements about the e∣state of the creature, what it shall bee after this world is ended, that they shall after their sort and manner be par∣takers of the glory of Gods sonnes, for otherwise they should desire it in vaine.

Tim.

What other doctrine will arise from this 19. verse?

Silas.

Seeing the creatures doe greedily and continu∣ally* 1.8 desire the glory of Gods sonnes, the sonnes them∣selues ought much more feruently to desire it; because the glory of the creature doth but depend vpon the glo∣ry of Gods children, and is very farre inferiour vnto it. Therefore if their desire bee great and constant after it, ours ought a great deale more so to be, seeing that glo∣ry shall be fully reuealed chiefly for our sakes, and our state shall by many degrees exceed the estate of all other creatures.

Tim.

What vse is to be made of this Doctrine?

Sil.

It is two-fold, both in respect of godly and the vngodly. In respect of the vngodly, it serueth most* 1.9 sharpely to reproue them as being worse then the dumb, sence-lesse, vnreasonable creatures, in that they haue no desire nor longing at all after the glory to come; wher∣as euen the creature doth couet it feruently. The heart of the wicked it is set vpon riches, they trust in vncer∣taine goods, they mind earthly things, their portion and their treasure is heere; and therefore their ioy is heere, they doe not once looke after heauenly glory, whatsoe∣uer they professe, much lesse seriously: nay they doe per∣secute the seruants of God which doe put their trust in God, and hope for his glory, 2. Tim. 1, 11, 12. also 2, 9, 10. Thus the loue of the world, and strength of sinfull corruption, hath quenched that desire and hope of the wicked concerning heauenly glory, which still liues in vnreasonable creatures: this is a miserable condition. Secondly, in respect of the godly, this must serue first to checke and reproue the weaknesse and coldnesse of their desires after celestiall glory, where of the very creature is so greedy. Secondly, to prouoke and whet themselues to a more eager thirst and longing after it by example of the creature, and in consideration that the same glory doth especially belong to them in a more speciall man∣ner and measure, and therefore ought in an especiall sort

to be coueted of them; for which purpose very great care must be had as for the mortification of al sinfull corrupti∣ons, so chiefly for the crucifying of the world to them∣selues; because heauen is more or lesse desired, as world∣ly things are more or lesse beloued of vs.

Tim.

What is the reason that the creature is kept from his desired end, to wit, his perfection?

Silas.

That is declared in the 20. verse to be the vani∣ty, that is, the vanishing and flceting condition of the creature, consisting in bondage and corruption.

Tim.

What is meant by being subiect vnto this vanity?

Sil.

To be put vnder such a condition, or to bee or∣dained to be vnder such an estate as is vaine and corrup∣tible. Which vanity commeth vnto it, not by it owne will and inclination, (for we all know that all creatures doe desire their owne preseruation and perfection,) but by the commandement and will of their Creator, which hath thereunto subdued it.

Tim.

What doctrine ariseth from hence?* 1.10

Silas.

That all the creatures of God which bee vnder the third heauen, bee liable to vanity, beeing at the first created of God in a most noble and excellent condition. The reasons heereof, is first mans sinne deseruing it to be* 1.11 so. Secondly, Gods counsell appointing and ordaining it to be so, to wit, that they beeing made for mans sake; should stand or fall together with him.

Tim.

What vse of this Doctrine?

Silas.

It admonisheth vs how much God is offended* 1.12 with mans sinne, in that he punisheth the very creatures for it.

Secondly, to humble man, in consideration that all the creatures are impaired and made the worse for his* 1.13 sinne. Thirdly, seeing all creatures partake with vs in our punishment, it should cause vs to bee mercifull vnto them which need our mercy, and be in our danger. What concernes this matter, shall bee further handled in the next verse.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Drift.
• * 1.2

  Summe.
• * 1.3

  Part.
• * 1.4

  Interpretatiō
• * 1.5

  Doctrine.
• * 1.6

  Reason.
• * 1.7

  Vse.
• * 1.8

  2. Doctrine.
• * 1.9

  Vse.
• * 1.10

  3. Doctrine.
• * 1.11

  Reason,
• * 1.12

  Vse.
• * 1.13

  A righteous man regards the life of his beast saith Saloman.