lain,
waiting for the manifestation of the children of God, when the devil
and the ungodly shall be thrust into hell, and for all eternity be
denied sight of sun and moon, the enjoyment of a drop of water or a
breath of air, and forever deprived of every blessing.

15. So the apostle tells us, "Creation itself also shall be delivered
from the bondage of corruption." In other words, creation must now
subserve most shameful ends. Sun, moon and all creatures must be
slaves to the devil and the ungodly because God so desires. He wills
for his beautiful creation to lie at the feet of Satan and his
adherents and to serve them for the present. Likewise many a
sensitive heart is compelled to obey a tyrant or a Turk because the
Lord has imposed that servitude upon it. Some may even have to clean
the Turk's boots, or perform still more menial duties, and in
addition suffer all sorts of indignities from that individual.

16. These words, "Creation itself also shall be delivered from the
bondage of corruption," signify that all created things must until
the final reckoning be servants and menials, not to the godly, but to
the devil and wicked men. Paul himself regards with pity the sun and
other creatures because of their forced service to Satan and to
tyrannical beings. The created works no more desire such servility
than we desire subjection to the Turk. Nevertheless, they submit and
wait--for what? The glorious liberty of the children of God. Then
shall they be released from slavery and be no longer bound to serve
the wicked and worthless. More than that, in their freedom they will
have a grandeur far in excess of their present state and shall
minister only unto God's children. They will be done with bondage to
the devil.

"For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain
together until now."

17. Paul uses forcible language here. Creation is aware, he says, not
only of its future deliverance from the bondage of corruption, but of
its future grandeur. It hopes for the speedy coming of its glory, and
waits with the eagerness of a maiden for the dance. Seeing the
splendor reserved for itself, it groans and travails unceasingly.
Similarly, we Christians groan and intensely desire to have done at
once with the Turks, the Pope, and the tyrannical world. Who would
not weary of witnessing the present knavery, ungodliness and
blasphemy against Christ and his Gospel, even as Lot wearied of the
ungodliness he behe