Sidenote: Ib. 20. Sidenote: Ib. 21. Sidenote: Ib. 22. 1. MY former Letter was a reply to your inquiry; this is a part of my answer, supplemental not contradictory to the former. In reviewing the latter part of the passage I was struck, I confess, with his adding, _we know that every creature groaneth_, seeing that previously he had said without any addition, _The creature was made subject to vanity_. For he said not every creature, but, _the creature was made subject_. And again he says, _Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption_. But in the third place he adds that _every creature groaneth together_. 2. Now what does this addition mean? It means haply that every creature is not _subject to vanity_, and therefore every creature will not be _delivered from the bondage of corruption_. For why should that be delivered which is free and secure from the subjection of vanity and the bondage of that corruption? But they all groan together not in their own but in our pangs, and haply are in travail together of the Spirit of Salvation, the Spirit of sweetness, waiting for the adoption of the sons of God, that in the redemption of the human race they may attain to a common joy and gladness. So then either because of their charity they all groan for our labour, or for us as a member of their body, whose head is Christ. But you may understand this as you please, either as we have said, or simply that every creature groans and travails together. Sidenote: Rom. viii. 23. 3. And now let us consider what follows. _And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit the redemption of the body._ We are taught in the previous passage what the adoption of sons is; therefore, in order to explain its meaning, to that passage we must recur. Sidenote: Ib. 13. Sidenote: Ib. 16. Sidenote: Gal. iv. 6. Sidenote: Rom. viii. 17. 4. _He who through the Spirit_, says S. Paul, _mortifies the deeds of the body shall live_. Nor is it surprising that he should live, since he who has the Spirit of God, becomes the son of God. Wherefore he is the son of God that he may receive not the spirit of bondage, but the spirit of adoption of sons; to the intent that the Holy _Spirit may bear witness with our spirit that we are the children of God_. But this is the testimony of the Holy Spirit, that He it is Who cries in our hearts, _Abba Father_, as it is written to the Galatians. There is also the great testimony that we are the sons of God; namely that we are _heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ_. Now he is joint heir with Him, who is glorified together with Him, and he is glorified together with Him who by suffering for Him suffers together with Him.