doctrine discourage duty, but animates to it; and is to be con. stantly preached for this end, That they which have believed in God, might be careful to maintain-good works, Tit. iii. 7, 8.

OF ADOPTION.

I HAVE treated already, of adoption as an immanent act of the divine will and shall therefore now consider it as openly bestowed upon believing in Christ, and as manifested, applied and evidenced by the Spirit of God.

I. I shall consider, in what sense believers are the sons of God; which is by adoption. There is a civil and a reli gious adoption. A civil adoption has obtained among all nations; among the Egyptians, so Moses was adopted by Pharaoh's daughter; and among the Hebrews, so Esther by Mordecai; and it obtained much among the Romans, to which, as used by them, the allusion is in the New Testament in a religious sense; it is sometimes used of the whole people of the Jews, to whom belonged the adoption, Rom. ix. 4. and at other times, of some special and particular persons, both among Jews and Gentiles; for of the former, all were not the children of God; and of the latter, if they were believers in Christ, they were Abraham's spiritual seed, and heirs according to the promise, Gal. iii. 26-29. Between civil and spiritual adoption, in some things there is an argreement, and in some things a difference. 1. In some things they agree.-1. In the name and thing uiothesia a putting among the children; so spiritual adoption is called, Jer. iii. 19. 2. Aş civil adoption is of one to an inheritance, who has no legal right to it; so is special and spiritual adoption. 3. Civil adoption is the voluntary act of the adopter. Among the Romans, when a man adopted one for his son, they both appeared before a proper magistrate, and the adopter declaring his will and pleasure to adopt the person presented, he consented to it. Special and spiritual adoption, is an act of the sovereign good-will

II.

and pleasure of God. 4. In civil adoption, the adopted took and bore the name of the adopter: so the adopted sons of God have a new name. 5. Such who are adopted in a civil sense, are taken into the family of the adopter, and make a part of it, so those who are adopted of God, Eph. iii. 15, 19. 6. Persons adopted in a civil sense, as they are considered as children, provision is made for their education, their food, their clothing, their protection, and attendance, and for an inheritance and portion for them: all the children of God, his adopted ones, are taught of God, they are trained up in the school of the church, and are fed with hidden manna. 7. Such as are adopted by men, come under the power, and are at the command of the adopter, and are under obligation to perform all the duties of a son to a parent, A son honoureth his father If I then be a father, where is mine honour? Mal. i. 6. In some things civil and spiritual adoption differ.-1. Civil adoption could not be done without the consent of the adopted, his will was necessary to it. Among the Romans the adopter and the person to be adopted, came before a proper magistrate, and in his presence the adopter asked the person to be adopted, whether he was willing to be his son; and he answered, I am willing. But in spiritual adoption, it may be said as of every other blessing of grace, that it is not of him that willeth. 2. Civil adoption was allowed of, and provided for the relief and comfort of such who had no children, and to supply that defect in nature; but in spiritual adoption this reason does not appear; God did not adopt any of the sons of men for want of a son and heir; he had one, and in a higher class of sonship than creatures can be. 3. In civil adoption there are generally some causes and reasons in the adopted, which influence and move the adopter to take the step he does. Moses was a goodly child, which, moved the daughter of Pharaoh to take him up out of the water, Esther was also a fair and beautiful maid, and besides was related to Mordecai, which were reasons why he took her to be his daughter: but in divine adoption,

there is nothing in the adopted that could move the adopter to bestow such a favour. There were so many objections to their adoption, and so many arguments against it, and none for it in themselves, that the Lord is represented as making a difficulty of it, and saying, How shall I put them among the children? Jer. iii. 19. 4. In civil adoption, the adopter, though he takes one into his family, and makes him his heir, he cannot give him the nature of a son, but the divine adopter makes his sons partakers of the divine nature. 5. Persons adopted in a civil sense cannot enjoy the inheritance whilst the adoptive father is living, but in spiritual adoption the adopted enjoy the inheritance, though their father is the everlasting and everliving God. 6. In some cases civil adoption might be made null and void; as among the Romans, when against the right of the pontifex, and without the decree of the college; but spiritual adoption is never made void on any

account.

in

There is a difference also between adoption and regeneration, though divines usually confound these two together. Adoption is before regeneration; the one is an act of God's will in eternity, the other is an act and work of his grace time; the one is the cause, the other the effect; men are not adopted because regenerated, which would seem unnecessary, but they are regenerated because adopted; because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, Gal.

iv. 6.

II. The efficient cause, God; none can adopt any into the family of God, but God himself; but he can do it, who says, I will be his God, and he shall be my Son, Rev. xxi. 7. 1. God the Father; What manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God, 1 John iii. 2. Eph. i. 11. it is one of the spiritual blessings of the covenant; I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty! 2 Cor. vi. 18. 2. The Son of God has a concern in adoption; for, as many as received him,

to them gave he power to become the sons of God, John i. 12. It is the Son who makes free; that is, by making them children; for the children only are free; not servants, John viii. 36. 3. The Spirit of God has also a concern in adoption; the sons of God are described as born of God, John i. 13. for except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, that is, of the grace of the Spirit, comparable to water, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, John iii. 5. Moreover, it is the Spirit who witnesses the truth of adoption; For because ye are sons,God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father, Rom. viii. 15, 16. Gal. iv. 6. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the sons of God. 11. The moving cause of adoption, is the love, grace, free-favour and Good will of God. There was nothing in the creature that could move him to it; but all the reverse,

III. The objects of Adoption. And they are such who are the objects of the love of God; for since Adoption flows from the love of God, such who are the children of God must be interested in it.

not.

IV. The nature and excellency of this privilege. 1. It is an act of surprising and distinguishing grace; it will appear so, when the adopter and the adopted are put in a contrast; the adopter is the King of kings and Lord of lords, they are by nature, lost and undone, poor and miserable, beggars and bankrupts, the foolish things of this world, and things that are 2. It is a blessing of grace, which exceeds other blessings a man may be redeemed out of a state of slavery, and acquitted from high crimes laid to his charge, and yet not be a king's son, 3. It is a blessing of grace, which makes men exceeding honourable. David observed, that it was no light thing to be a king's son-in-law; it certainly cannot be, to be a son of the King of kings; it makes a man more honourable than Adam was in his state of honour, and than the angels are in their high estate in heaven. 4. It brings men into the highest connections alliances, relations, and offices; such are the brethren of Christ, fellow citizens with the saints, and kings

and priests unto God. 5. The inheritance they are adopted to transcends all others; it is a most comprehensive one; He that overcometh, shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my Son, Rev. xxi. 7. 6. All other inheritances are subject to corruption, and liable to be lost; but this is an incorruptible crown that fadeth not away. 7. Adoption is a blessing and privilege that always continues. The love of God which is the source of it, always remains. Union with Christ is indissoluble: the Spirit, as a Spirit of adoption abides forever: the children of God may be corrected for their faults, but never turned out of doors, nor disinherited, much less unchilded, which is impossible.

V. The effects of adoption. 1. A share in the pity, com passion, and care of God, their heavenly Father, If a son, &c. Luke xi. 11-13. 2. Access to God with boldness; they can come to him as children to a father, use freedom with him, tell him all their complaints and wants. 3. Conformity to the image of Christ, the first born among many brethren. 4. The Spirit of adoption, given to testify their sonship to them, Gal. iv. 6. 5. Heirship; for if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, Rom. viii. 17. heirs of the grace of life, for which they are made meet by the grace of God.

OF THE LIBERTY OF THE SONS OF GOD.

AMONG the several effects, or privileges of adoption, liberty is one, and a principal one; and requires to be treated of par ticularly and distinctly; If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed, John viii. This is called, the glorious liberty of the children of God, Rom. viii. 21.

I. The liberty of grace; which lies, 1. In a freedom from sin, Satan, and the law. 1. From sin; it is a liberty not to sin; but from it: liberty to sin is licentiousness, and cannot be that liberty wherewith Christ makes free. 2. From the power of Satan, who has usurped a dominion over the sons of men, and leads them captive at his will, until the Spirit of God comes and dispossesses him, and turns men from the.