ot express--understands, that is, the Spirit's meaning; for He is
God's own Spirit, and the intercessions He makes for us, the
consecrated people, express God's own {301} intention. And what that
intention is towards us we know. We know that it is an intention of
good which cannot fail for those who love God; or, in other words, for
those who are the subjects of the divine purpose and call--an intention
of good to which everything, even seeming evils, must minister. For
God's purpose reaches from eternity to eternity, and cannot be baffled
from without or fail by the way. Those whom in eternity He designated
beforehand as instruments of His will, those He also eternally destined
for the highest human perfection--for the blessed lot of being made
like His own Son, as He should be hereafter incarnate, so that He might
be an elder brother in a great human family: and those who were thus
appointed beforehand for this high destiny, in due course He called
into the elect body. And those whom He thus called He acquitted and
accepted for righteous: and whom He thus accepted He crowned with glory.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to
be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward. For the
earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the
sons of God. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own
will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation
itself also shall be delivered from the bondage {302} of corruption
into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know that
the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
And not only so, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for _our_
adoption, _to wit_, the redemption of our body. For by hope were we
saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: for who hopeth for that which
he seeth? But if we hope for that which we see not, _then_ do we with
patience wait for it.

And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know
not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession
for us with groanings which cannot be uttered; and he that searcheth
the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh
intercession for the saints according to _the will of_ God. And we
know that to them that love God all things work together for