every manner of way, as filling and spreading it self into all Parts and Places of the Earth, or covering the whole World, according to the Nature of the Simile, as the Water covers the Sea. Has there ever been such a Time as this is said to be? Surely there has not. Then this blessed Restoration is yet to come. What an Agreement do we see then as to the Kingdom of Christ, both in the Old and New Testament; and here, as to the Restoration of the Creature in this glorious Time, both in Isaiah and the 8th of the Romans.

But to pass on to Verse 22. For we knom that the wbole Creation groaneth and travelletb in Pain together until now. For we know : This is spoke of as a thing that is well known to all sensible Persons, and was in the Apostles Time ; how the whole Creation groaneth and travelleth in Pain, euer until now. Oh what Groanings have there been in all Creatures, from the Fall unto this very day! Longing with earnest Desires, as a Woman in Travel, to be delivered from that Vanity, Suffering, and Bondage, which they are under! Oh how does every Creature, according to its Nature, groan and travel with Pain, for the Manifestation of the Sons of God, that their Deliverance may come. Verse 23. And not only they, but our selves also, which have the First Fruits of the Spirit, even we our selves groan within our felves, waiting for the Adoption, to wit

the Redemption of our Bodies. Is there a Groaning · and a Travelling with Pain for to be delivered, in

the whole Creation, or in almost all sorts of Creatures? How much more then is there a Groaning in the Children of God? We which have received the First Fruits of the Spirit; not only the Apostles and

the

the primitive Saints, but all that have had a Re-
velation of the Spirit, do groan unto this day. Yea
there is an inward Groaning from an inward feeling
Sense of the Spirit upon our Hearts. Those
Weights and Burdens of Sin and Corruptions which
we feel in our Nature does make us groan with Pain
and earnest Strugling in our Souls, like a Tra.
velling Woman, for to be delivered. Even we our
selves groan within our felves. Oh who can tell the *
inward Groanings that are and have been in the
Saints, in all Ages of the World, and will be, ul-
til this Time comes. What Travellings, Strug.
lings, Longings, and Desires have been, and are
in the Children of God, for this glorious Day to
break forth! Waiting for the Adoption, to wit the
Redemption of the Body. The Redemption of the Bo-
dy is in this place called an Adoption, to shew that
not only the Redemption of our Souls from Sin,
Hell, and Eternal Wrath, is by Grace, as flowing
from the free adopting Love of the Father ; but the
Redemption and Glorification of the Body, yea of
the whole Man, at the Resurrection, from that Suf-
fering, Bondage and Corruption, which until then
it will lie under. .

Well then ! This Redemption of the Body called an
Adoptinn, can mean no other than for the Bodies
of all the Saints which are said to sleep in Jesus, to
be raised up out of their Graves (with the Living
changed into a perfect State, like the glorious Body
of Christ ; and so Soul and Body re-united and glo- .
rify'd together for ever, that they may reign with
him, not only in the ultimate Glory of the eternal
Heavens, but that they may be in a capacity to
reign in that blessed Milenium, or the Thousand

Z'. . Tears

Years Glory, at the personal Coming and Kingdom Oj übrist.

Niw that these things must be so, and that such a glorious blelled State and Time (which I have been speaking of) shall take place, and have its fulfilment in this World, or upon this Earth when the saints, with other Creatures, shall be restored in o a Purauisical Staie, appears plain and undeniable from these, with many other Scriptures, unto all who do not shut their Eyes, as not being willing to see.

But if a Cloud of Testimonies that hath been brought and produced out cf the Old and New TeItament; for the proof of Christ's Kingdom and the Saints reigning with him, will not satisfie; it is a wonder to me they are not ashamed, or at least blush, wheir they have so many Evidences and De

monstrations held forth in the Holy Scriptures, as · it were looking of them in the Face..

Therefore to proeeed, besides what hath been said, if plain Texts will satisfie for proof that the Saints shall reign upon Earth, look into the 37th Psalm, v. 9. For Evil-doers fall be cut off, but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the Earth, This Word inherit or possess the Earth. is doubtless synonimous with their reigning upon Earth: For to : deny this would be to deny a King's reigning in his Kingdom, when we say heinherits or possesses his Kingdom. Surely if a King inberits and is in the peaceable possession of his Kingdom, there is 110 scruple to be made whether he reigns in bis Kingdom or 110t. I know some will say that the Saints do inherit the Earth 110w. But I well remember that it is easier to say fo, than it is to prove that they do it

inherit the Earth. Is not this World a Wilderness
to the Saints? Does not our Lord say, In the li orld
Je fall have Tribulation ? And that through many
Tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God?
And he that will live godly in Christ Jefus, mult jui
fer persecution? Does not the Experience if all the
Saints, in all Ages, more or less confrm tliis,
that this World is a World of Distress, Trouble,
Sorrow, Suffering, and Affliction? How many of
the poor Saints are there daily pinched with Pover-
ty? Under great Wants, Straits, and Neceflities?
Are these things agreable and consistent with their
inheriting or posfelling of the Earth? Can this be
a Time of reigning, or polelling their Kingdom, while
they are surrounded with Sorrows, Distrefies, and
Sufferings, on every side? Surely this would be as
much as to say that Light is Darkness, and Dark-
ness is Light. How can it be said then that the
Saints do inherit the Earth, when the Word speaks
quite the contrary? It does not say they do, but
they shall; not in the present, but in the future
Tense. · And if the Saints might he said to inherit
the Earth at any time, sure they did, when the
Land of Canaan was given to the Ifraclites for a
possession: And yet Abraham, Ifaac, and Facob,
14to whom it was given were but as Strangers and
Pilgrims in it. Yea let us go thro'tiie Time of the
Judges and all the Kings of Israel, especially the
Reigns of David and Solomon, when Silver, for the
plenty of it, was like the Stories of the Street,
And therefore if the People of God did at any time
inherit the Earth, sure they might be said to inherit
it then. This is very well knownı, that the Oll
Testament Saints had greater Fosseilions and larger

Enjoyments

Enjoyments of the Earth, than the Saints have un- it der the Gospel : And yet it was not then said that they did, but that they should inherit tbe Earth. And how the Saints under the Gospel should be said to

inherit the Earth, any more than the Old Testa· ment Saints did, when we have a far lesser share of

it than they had, is a Mystery. But the Apostle says, Having nothing, and yet pollefs all things. It is true, Faith, when in exercise, takes poffeffion both of Heaven and Earth; but the Promise in these Words of the Saints irberiting the Earth, must be more than an inheriting of it by Faith only : The Word inherit signifies to have it in their actual posesion and enjoyment : Besides, the Time when they are to possess or inherit the Earth is · when the Wicked shall be cut off, and the Power, Rule, and Government, shall be put into the hands of the Saints. In Verse the Tenth we read For yet a little while and the Wtcked Mall not be ; yea thou shalt diligently consider his Place, and it mall not be : That is, he shall not be found in his Place, This will be when the Day of the Lord shall burn as ar Oven, which will burn them up, and shall leave them neither Root nor Branch, Mal. iv. 1. Then it followeth in the Eleventh Verse, But the Meek shall inherit the Earth, when the Wicked or Evil Doers Mall becut off ; and shall delight themselves in abun: dance of Peace. The same Words we have in Mat. v. Verse 5. They are Christ's Words : Blessed are i the Meek, for they fall inherit the Earth. Surely if a our Lord had meant in the same Sense as some take y OUT LOIN wit meant Dentame seneas come take it, he would have said that the Meek do inberit ; or sure it would have been expressed so in one of these Places, They do: But instead of that we have it