adorned as becomes his children. You will easily perceive I now refer to the redemption of our bodies, their final deliverance from the power of the grave at the general resurrection, which shall introduce us to an happiness incomparably exceeding the first and most glorious state into which the earth shall ever be brought even by the greatest triumph and prevalency of the gospel."* Our readers will here perceive Dr. Doddridge giving a new turn to his interpretation; for passing over his own acknowledgment of the animal creation having been included in St. Paul's assertion, That the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now; we find him resorting to the old distinction made by most commentators on difficult passages somewhat involved in the subject before us, as in the present instance-namely, the difference that exists between the heathen and the Christian world. "Not only," he says, "doth the whole creation seem to travail in pangs around us, when we survey those parts of it where the gospel is yet unknown, but even we Christians ourselves groan within ourselves," thus omitting a word of very material import, namely, the word also. For the reading runs, that the whole creation groaneth, and not only they but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the spirit. And which assertion may, we conceive, be fairly applied to the whole of the human race, who also groan under miseries occasioned by the first apostacy, (as Dr.

* Doddridge's Exposition, page 102.

Doddridge had previously observed,) as well as the animal creation. And the word also pretty strongly marks, that in addition to the sufferings endured by the brutal portion of the original formation, all mankind is also travailing in pain, and groaning for deliverance together with them; as it would be a very narrow, and indeed uncharitable exposition of the passage, to suppose that none but Christians participate in the blessed influences imparted by the third great person in the glorious Trinity, who, more or less, we doubt not, sheds his benignant influence on all rational probationaries. That Christians unquestionably do most largely share his inestimable gifts, and that the most barbarous and ignorant people which compose some nations on our globe, do participate in some degree the blessings vouchsafed to mankind through this divine agent, is pretty plainly proved by the hope of happiness in a future state being found among the most savage and unlearned of the human race; and this hope, we presume, must be communicated through the operation of the Holy Ghost, whose diversities of administrations have been fully explained to us by the apostle Paul, who declares, (thereby fully justifying the truth of our conclusion,) that he giveth unto all men severally as he will. And, indeed, were not all mankind in some degree participators of the supporting hope unto which sufferings have in mercy been subjugated by him who is the ever blessed ordainer of them, little or no distinction could exist between the human and brute creation; but it is a

notorious fact, that the most unenlightened of the human race are solaced under sufferings by some glimmering hope of future compensation, though not as yet universally begotten to that lively hope we Christians do enjoy. The most sagacious of animals unquestionably form a link with the most ignorant of the human species. The former are not cherished by hope, there is every reason to believe, or will be so, unless their instinctive faculties are progressed to reason, and operated on by him who doubtless administers to the spiritual necessities of all rational and, consequently, accountable free agents; but the latter are all cheered by hope, some more, some less, during their first estate of reason. All mankind may therefore be very fairly said to have the first fruits of the spirit, when compared with the whole creation inhabiting our world, and of whom St. Paul had just before been speaking.*

* And in another sense the human race may be said to have the first fruits of the Spirit. Our little globe having been the wondrous theatre on which Christ himself first preached his gospel; on which He evinced perfection; and on which took place that great event through which the heavenly hierarchs, princedoms, and powers, are reconciled to God; and St. Paul expressly states, when summing up the mysteries of godliness unto his pupil Timothy, That Christ was preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, previous unto his being received up into glory. Therefore there is good ground for concluding that the human race were the first rational free agents who trusted for salvation through the redemption wrought by Christ. That the angels possessed a just comprehension of the astonishing plan of mercy formed in the eternal purpose of the paternal Deity

And in addition to the groanings of the whole creation through the sin of man, we ourselves

was fully proved by their having been the delegated instruments by whom the religion ordained for the purpose of typifying it, had been dispensed to man. But still the first instances of those who trusted and hoped for acceptance at the mercy-seat through the Redeemer's merits, appear to have been found among the human race: for innumerable were the converts Christ made himself on earth, and whom He had taught to trust in him for the remission of their sins. Accordingly, we find St. Paul asserting, after first revealing to the Ephesian converts, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, God gathers together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are in earth-even in him. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, (by whom also we are included in his inestimable benefit,) being predestinated according to the purpose and foreknowledge of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ: in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise. (Ephesians.) And the angels are uniformly represented, previous to that great event which openly displayed the impotence of the infernal hierarchies, as most intensely desirous of looking into those things which preceded the glory manifested subsequent to the sufferings of Christ, and with which it appears probable they were illuminated with a perfect understanding of, at the commencement of his agonizing struggle, as we find one of these heavenly hierarchs sent down on earth at this tremendous juncture to strengthen and support him. And on the typical religion being nailed to the cross, a glorious triumph gained over his infernal foes, and captivity led captive; then highest heavens were pealed with a new song, its most exalted sanctities in rapture sung, "Worthy art thou to take the book and open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy own blood." It is therefore probable, that the angels did not fully comprehend their interest in the great Redeemer's merits previous unto the full evince

also, who are blessed above the inferior creatures through the cheering influences imparted to us by the heavenly Comforter-even we ourselves groan within ourselves upon another accountnamely, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body. This is a mercy not extended to the brute creation; it is but one part of their original formation that can have been subjugated to hope. But the bodies we so long have loved and cherished, with whom our heavenly spirits have acted in close contact, and who have been the temple of the Holy Ghost, are waiting the re-adoption, the revivification, and glorious redemption promised from out the tomb on the decisive day.

Now, if the comment we have offered on these first verses of this remarkable chapter

ment of his perfections during his terrific agony in the garden of Gethsemane, and his tortures on the cross, though some of the human race whom He came to seek and save, had before this terrific juncture trusted in him for salvation. And it is in this sense, we conceive, St. Paul asserts, that we first trusted in Christ, and that St. James designates us a kind of first fruits of God's creatures. (James i. 18.) It is furthermore observable, that these declarations were not exclusively applied unto the Jewish people; for St. Paul's assertion should be kept in mind, that Christ was preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, antecedent to his being received up to glory. And many of the Samaritans who had no dealing with the Jews, we are expressly told, believed on their Saviour during his short sojourn on our globe. We, consequently, in this sense may with truth be said to have the first fruits of that Spirit, who divideth unto all men severally as he will, and without doubt imparts his blessed influence to every order and degree of rational free agents

VOL. III.

T