Romans 8:19

THE WAITING CHURCH

‘The earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.’

Romans 8:19

What is it that this passage teaches?

I. It teaches that the creature, that is to say all creation, lies under a blight, that a cloud has crept between the light of God and His creation. He, at the beginning, made all things very good, but very good now they are not, they are marred.

II. It teaches that this blight will be taken off, imperfection will be removed, the shadow swept away; that there will be a re-creation, and that in this new creation all once more will be very good.

III. It teaches that this restoration depends on the restoration of man, the manifestation of the sons of God, and that is in the future.

IV. It teaches that the glorification of the saints does not take place immediately after death, but in the future, at the redemption, not of the soul, but of the body.

—Rev. S. Baring-Gould.

Illustration

‘If the hope that is set before us be the resurrection of the dead, which is the only hope we profess in the Creeds to have, then surely our risen bodies will have to live on a risen, renovated earth, that earth being in heaven, in that God is in and around and above it; and I venture to think that we have very sure testimony in Scripture that this risen and glorified creation will be the place of our residence hereafter. It will be the fashion of this world which will pass away (1 Corinthians 7:31). St. Peter, indeed, speaks of the way in which the fashion will change, “The heavens and the earth, which are now … are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.… The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” And again, “The day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.” And then at once he adds, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3).’

(SECOND OUTLINE)

OUR RELATION TO THE ANIMAL WORLD

St. Paul regards this life as a life of suffering and imperfection. Man is involved in its evil, and the rest of creation is involved therein too. The Apostle evidently looks upon the animal world, as we call it, as involved in the fall of man, but he looks forward to the coming of a better day, and the establishment of a brighter and happier order of things. When will this be? This will be at the appearing of the Lord to inaugurate His glorious kingdom. We are to look forward and do all we can to prepare for that great and glorious time. St. Paul identifies it with the manifestation of the sons of God; the day, that is, when it will be clearly shown who are faithful to the Lord, and they will receive their due honour from Him. And all nature is represented as unconsciously waiting and crying out for the same event.

I. The animal world.—A subject which has its own degree of importance, and has also its place assigned to it in God’s Holy Word, is the suffering and pain in what is generally known as the animal world. Of the numerous precepts and enactments of the Law of Moses, we come upon a merciful provision for the benefit of animals, besides the commandment we read every Sunday which provides that cattle as well as human kind shall have their day of rest. St. Paul quotes those words, and, in his anxiety to find out the deep, underlying spirit of the letter of the Law, he asks, Doth God care for oxen? The answer, of course, is that God does care for oxen, though, comparatively speaking, He cares less for them than He does for His own people, the sons of men. Again, we read in the Law, ‘Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother’s milk.’ We might almost think this a sentimental provision, but it appears to be a question of not despising the relationship between the mother and its offspring. If you must boil the kid in milk, at any rate let it not be in its mother’s. And, again, ‘If a bird’s nest chance to be before you in the way in any tree or on the ground,’ if it is necessary to remove it, as it may be—there is no question of mere wantonness here—let it be done as kindly as possible; let the mother-bird go if you have to take the nest and eggs. All this speaks of God’s loving care and thought for His creatures; and I need only remind you of what our Lord says of our Heavenly Father’s care for the birds.

II. Animals claim kindness at our hands.—We should be very particular to show every possible care and kindness for animals, and to teach young people, who often act without knowing the pain they give, to do the same. As it is, animals have to suffer much. What we can do now is at least not in any way to aggravate the sufferings of God’s creatures, but let them, as far as possible, enjoy unmolested their little day, the day which God has given them to enjoy their short period of happiness. We should not countenance, for instance, cruel forms of sport or methods of preparing food; nor even wear the plumage of the bird, as women often do, not once reflecting on the needless death which has been inflicted in order to procure it; nor kill insects which are harmless and often beneficial, as we have to kill pests which do harm. We should also oppose any avoidable infliction of pain upon animals for scientific purposes. I do not enter into this question now, and all I say is that we should try as we have the opportunity to see that this practice is safeguarded in every way.

III. The friends and companions of man.—There are animals which may be called the friends and companions of man—the horse and dog. There are additional reasons for treating them with kindness, because of their willingness to serve man, and because of their admirable qualities, and especially in the case of the dog, their wonderful faithfulness. These reasons, besides their helplessness, give them an abundant claim upon man’s patience and affection, a claim to which we must be careful to respond.

Any exercise of love on our part not only forwards and hastens the coming of Christ’s kingdom of love, but makes us more like to Him Whose nature and name is love. Love must be shown not only to our fellow-men, not only to our angelic guardians, but to those other creatures upon whom our life is largely dependent, and whom God has put so much in our power, and who are waiting for the day when they shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of God.

Rev. H. A. Cumberledge.

Illustration

‘There is a true story of a dog which refused to leave its master’s grave in the Grayfriars’ Churchyard, Edinburgh. Do what they could to coax it away, it remained there for years, and then died. Now a marble fountain has been erected at the place, with an inscription in bronze recording its fidelity.’