If Israel, after the flesh and in type, was adopted to be the son, and the first-born, of Jehovah; Israel, after the Spirit, and the consummation of that type, can certainly be invested with no inferior privilege. If God chose the one from motives of his own; surely, the other hath no other motives to plead, why he should ever adopt them. If Jews were stiff-necked and sinful; can Gentiles plead greater obedience and purity? And if the children of Abrabam, who were brought up in the faith, and who had the promise of the life that now is as well as the future, were not received, because they were his children; how shall strangers to the covenants of promise, aliens from God's commonweaith, and atheists in the world, dare to hold up their heads, and claim the inheritance of glory by desert?If this argument of adoption were but rightly understood in the heart, as well as the bead; the pride of man, which inspires him with high notions of his own will and powers, with the wild farrago of opinions issuing from those notions, would tumble, like Dagon before the ark, and be broken into ruins.

"But bow are God's people adopted by him; when He is immaculately holy, and they are altogether defiled by sin?" -This is an important question; and the answer, which God's word affords us, is no less complete than delightful.

The apostle tells, us that we are chosen in CHRIST, that God bath predestinated us unto the adoption of children by JESUS CHRIST to himself, according to the good pleasure of bis will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, &c. Eph. i. 5, 6. and that God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Gal. iv. 4, 5. God sent his Son in human nature to redeem us first, and then to give the right of adoption to us. To them, that received him, gave be power [Marg. right, or privilege.] to become the sons of God. John i

12.

As, among men, they were to be made free, before they could be positively and effectually adopted; so we are first delivered from bondage, before we can receive or lay claim to the privilege of spiritual adoption. We are, therefore, partakers of this adoption through CHRIST; and we can enjoy it only in him consequently, we must first be in him, before we can know our adoption, or possess it. He is the great San, the great 2 or FIRST-BORN; and we are sons and first

In a former note, the doctrine of the 5 or first-born, was briefly considered: And it was shewn to belong to Christ, and to his members through, him. He is also, respecting his human nature, the nw, the head, the beginning, and the

the chief or first of the first-fruits, for the sake of his people, unto God: But as to his divine nature, he hath no beginning, and there.

born too IN him, according to the declaration given to Israel. Exod. iv. 22. And therefore it is, that we inherit all the rights, honors, and privileges of the first-born and become joint-beirs with Christ. He is also, in another view, the

fore cannot be the first or chief of any creatures, because this would express a relation and comparison, which cannot obtain between infinite and finite, or JEHOVAH the incommunicable and, dependent beings. Regarding Christ's humanity, he may be called the primus inter pares with relation to his people, as indeed he is their [See Vol. 1.] their fellow, and one, though the principal one, of them: But in his divinity, he is above every name, the лy of Jehovah himself, and therefore necessarily the self-existent and inconceivable Jehovah too, the cause of all things, and consequently neither one nor the first of those things. The primogeniture and the blessing are almost convertible terms; and some authors have observed the same of the two roots 72 and 772, from which those terms are derived. We had forfeited, like Esau, our birth-right and the blessing; and therefore Christ became a first-born, and suffered for his people, that they might partake of his birth-right and its attendant blessing: And thus they are all firstborn, as being members of and in him. They are, therefore, considered by the Scripture, as as all one in Christ Jesus; and he is considered as their head. And this unity which subsists between Christ and his church, is as much insisted upon, perhaps, as any one truth in the Bible; and possibly for the purpose of explaining to his people, that, without him, they are nothing, and can do nothing.

From the corruption of this doctrine of the first-born, it is very probable, that the heathen round about Israel, (for this corruption doth not seem to have obtained much farther) offered to Moloch, the sun, or king of the material heavens, their first-born for their transgression, the fruit of their body for the sin of their soul. Mi

cah vi. 7.

As the first-born belonged to the Lord under the law, in type of his spiritual first-born in Christ; so the first-fruits also were to be offered to him, as peculiarly his own. In Lev. ii. 12. &c. the manner of this oblation is prescribed, and hath an immediate reference to the subject of this Essay. The first-fruits in this place typify both believers themselves, and the first-fruits of the SPIRIT in believers, as his earnest bestowed upon them, in testimony of their adoption to the primogeniture. Thus they are na first-born, and first-fruits, by being members, in the Unity abovementioned, of Christ the great 2 the first-born, who is (according to the apostle) the first-fruits of them that slept: And they are to offer up the first of their first-fruits, their first affestions and principal services unto God. The first-fruits under the law were not to be a burnt sacrifice for atonement, but matters of oblation and thanksgiving: So the fruits of the SPIRIT in his people are not to be preferred as means of atonement, or reconciliation, but only as duties of devotion and praise. The IN OF MEMORIAL only was to be burnt by the priest before the

FIRST-FRUIT unto God for us; and we in Him are also to God the first-fruits of bis creatures. He is the first-born among many brethren; and those brethren are all first-born in him, their common inseparable head. He is the Amap the first-fruits, 1 Cor. xv. 20. and the Apxn, the beginning or chief, the first-born from the dead, Col. i. 18. or (according to the

Lord for an UX, a fire-offering, or offering for atonement: And thus Christ, who is his people's memorial and representative before God offered up himself (being both priest and sacrifice) for the sole propitiation of their sins. These first-fruits under the law were also particularly enjoined to be presented, after they had been seasoned with salt, called the salt of the covenant of the Alehim; and no offering would be accepted without it. How forcibly doth this describe, that nothing can be acceptable to God even from his peopie, but through the Eternal SPIRIT, who is that salt and seal of that immutable covenant, which the divine persons entered into for the redemption and adoption of the first-born? Thus God's people are to have salt in themselves; because as salt is the appointed emblem of preservation and incorruptibility, they are preserved to an incorruptible life by this SPIRIT, and are privileged to present themselves, as a living sacrifice of first-fruits through his divine power, as children of the covenant and adoption, and as heirs of the kingdom in Christ Jesus.-Oil also and frankincense were to be put upon the offering: And these are emblems of the Spirit's grace of holiness and prayer or praise, with which all the redeemed are to offer up themselves and their services before God. This oil and frankincense accompanied the memorial itself: And so the SPIRIT of the LORD was upon Jesus, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and who ofered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, for the salvation of his people.-O reader what a fund of instruction doth all this mystery of Godliness contain for thy sou!! Meditate, according to the precept, Josh. i. 8. upon the purpose of this law, day and night; and then thy way indeed shall be prosperous, and thou thyself shalt have good success, or true understanding.

Though it may add to the great length of this note, the subject of which would not be exhausted in a volume, it may not be unac ceptable to some readers to annex an idea of the truly learned and excellent archbishop Usher on this interesting matter. "At the time of the passover, Christ our passover was slain for us, and the whole Sabbath foilowing he rested in the grave. The next day after that Sabbath, the 7 [Lev. xxiii. 10, 11.] or sheaf of the firstfruits of the first (or barley) harvest, was offered unto God: And Christ rose from the dead, and became the first-fruits of them that slept; many bodies of the saints that slept, arising likewise after him. From thence was the account taken of the seven Sabbaths: and upon the morrow after the seventh Sabbath (which was cur Lord's day was celebrated the feast of weeks [Lev. xxiii. 15-17. Numb. xxviii. 26. Exod. xxxiv. 22.] the day of the first-fruits of the second for wheat) harvest; upon which day the apostles having. themselves received the first fruits of the Spirit, begat 3000 souls

same titles in the Old Testament) the a, the beginning, bead, first-fruits, &c. of all; the now chief, bead, of JEHO-VAH's way of salvation, Prov. viii. 22. of whom God said, I will make bim the , the first-born, bigber than the kings of the earth. Ps. lxxxix. 27. And we, his redeemed, being his brethren, nay, members of his body, of his flesh, and of bis bones, are privileged to enjoy all his inheritance in him, and are thus (according to the promise) made princes by bim in all the earth; i. e. from every part of the earth are called to this adoption. Ps. XLV. 16. Thus, it appears, we are adopted in Christ, and because we are bis members; not in ourselves, individually or separately from him. We were slaves, and could not be adopted till we were made free; and we had neither wealth nor strength of our own to purchase or procure our freedom. He paid our ransom, by becoming one of us, by suffering for us, and by paying down the full tale which God's righteous justice required: To which the apostle Peter alludes; Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold-but with the precious blood of Christ. 1 Pet. i. 18. Hence, we are said to be, not our own, because we are bought with a price; and are now become so much a part of our gracious Head, that if men persecute us or do us good, they do it to Him, (Acts ix. 4. Luke x. 16.) and that we are all one in bim, and be in us. John xvii. 21. All his estate is our's; and whatever he gained in our nature by being a son made of a woman, and a first-born; he gained it for those, who by a living faith are united to him. This is, and to eternity will be found, an immense inheritance. God, by his apostle, hath given us a kind of sum total, because the particulars of it are innumerable. ALL things are your's; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, [all ministers and church-ordinances] or the world, or life, or death, or things présent, or things to come; ALL ARE YOUR's: and ye are CHRIST's; and CHRIST is GOD's. I Cor. iii. 21-23.-Look, Christian, if

I

with the word of truth, and presented them as the first-fruits of the

Christian church unto God and unto the Lamb. And from that time forward doth Waldensis note [Thom. Waldens. Doctrinal. Tom. iii. tit. 16. c. 140.] that the Lord's day was observed in the Christian church in the piace of the Sabbath: Quia inter legalia (saith he) tunc sublata Sabbati custodia fuit unum, planum est tunc intrasse dominicam loco ejus; sicut baptisma statim loco circumcisionis. Adhuc enim superstes erat sanctus Johannes, qui diceret ; et fui in Spiritu die Dominica, Apoc. i. cum de Dominica die ante Christi resurrectionem nulla prorsus mentio haberetur. Sed statim post missionem Spiritus Sancti, lege nova fulgente, in humano cultu sublatum est Sabbatum; et dies Dominica resurrectionis clarescebat Dominica." See Archbishop USHER'S life and letters. Letter 295.

any thing, which thou canst want, is left out here; or see, if thou canst add any thing to the sum!

This is what we are adopted to; and this is the way of Our adoption, namely, in Christ Jesus the living wAY. But we are to be brought into this way; we are to be grafted into Christ; we are to be made alive in him: All of them terms, expressive of our inherent weakness and incapacity, and of the exercise of some external power. The very term adoption not only implies our former alienation (for no true and natural son could be adopted, nor any who possessed an heriditary right to an inheritance,) but also that we are the mere subjects and not in any sense the authors of it. The adoption must entirely depend upon the will of the adopter. The Scripture hath not left us in darkness here. God never appoints an end, but he always provides the means. As we are the first-fruits in Christ, we are to have also the first-fruits of the SPIRIT, Rom. viii. 23. and because we are sons, and firstborn, God bath sent forth the SPIRIT of bis Son, into our bearts, crying, Abba, Father: Wherefore, we are no more servants, but sons; and if sons, then heirs of God through Christ. Gal. iv. 6, 7. We are brought therefore into this state, or born again, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John. i. 13. By this SPIRIT OF ADOPTION it is, that we can call freely upon God, claim to be his sons, style him our Father, our tender Father, [Abba,] and plead all the benefits of our adoption. We can ask for heaven itself, without fear of asking too much; because we ask for our own, and now our own just inheritance. As heirs, we can stand upon our heirship, and need fear nothing but the living below it.

We have here the means of our adoption before us, viz. CHRIST and the SPIRIT: And are not the means adequate to the end? If these two agents be divine; if they be Jehovab bimself; they certainly are equal to the task undertaken by them. But, if they be, in any sense or in any nature, inferior to Febovab, then undoubtedly they are not: and we shall build upon creatures, nay upon sinful creatures, because they undertake to do, and claim the glory of doing, what is the peculiar alone of the Almighty.

That Christ is not, respecting his divine nature, inferior to Jehovab, but Jebovab bimself, has been proved in the former volume; and, therefore, he is equal, in all points, to the agency, which was undertaken by him. That the Spirit also is febovab, or a person in Jehovab, seems to have been cleared in some preceeding Essays of this volume, and will be further manifest, if we consider the gracious character, which he hath assumed, under this title of THE SPIRIT OF ADOP

TION.