r. SECT. 4· of the third Pri'Viledge, viz. Adoption. T He third Priviledge 'is Adoption, which in'ordcr of nawre,lollow~ Reconciliation, )\!hereby the Lord accounts us Sons, and gives us the Spirit and Priviledge of Sons : Behold 'what ·manner of h11Je the Fadur h~th beftowtd: 1<fOfl its, char. w,f}ho1fld,be r:)ahn 3 1 , called rhe Sons of God: The Lord accounts us JUll: m our J~•ftift~·atwn; fncnc\~, !11 our Reconciliatio 71 , Sons in our Ad,opmn: Now thts .Adoptwn, ts. etther begun,_\l~re,m t/1~ life or perfeCted in the world to come, when we ihall recetve all the pnvdcpges ot So;s, qot one excepted. For this latter Adoption, to wit, '(he Redemptiofl of ~ur Ram. 8. 2}. :Sodies, we wait; but of the former we fpeak, the.mannerof whtch ts thljs. · , • n 1 . God loves Jcfus Chrifr with an unfpcakable love, as hts onely Son, and<;JUt elder .. Brother. . · 2 • Hence when we-are in Chrift his Son, he loves us With the fame love a~ he doth his Son. l · Hence the Lord accounts us Sons, having predeftinated ru tmto the Adoption of Eph<f. t. S• children by Jefus Chrift to himfelf, accordmg to th<l;oad pleafure ofhu l:Ptll. 0 the; excel- ,, ., J )ency of this Priviledge! It appears in thefe refpcCl:s. ,,., 1 . That the Lord lhould prize us as·his Sons: Aman that hath Sons, eflee!)l's them more than all his goods and fe~vants; fo the Lord ell:eems of th~ poorell:, un';Y;?rthiefr Believer, more than of all hts hou!hold-ll:uff, more than of Heaven, Earth" ~n<Lall the glory of it more than of all the Kmgs and great men m the world. •. . .. 1 · 2 That the'Lord lhould take care for us as for Sons: In times ofwantrwe are ready to qucllion, What we jha/1 e~tt or drink.} How we jhalllive? 0 confider,.ar<) we Mattlt. 6, 31. the Sons of God? then he that feeds the Ravens, and cloaths theLillies, wiU provili~ for us; or f•Jppofe we continue in the want of temporal things, why the Lord is therein plotting our eternal good: No chttftemngfor the prefent fecmcth 1oyotts, but g;tevqus~ nevmhelef[e, afte ward ityttldeth the peaceable frmt ofnghmufnefs, unto thmnylizch ar.f H<h, 12 II • 1xerc{ed thereby. ~ r • 3 . That the Lord fuould love us as his fons : Sometimes we think that the Lord loves us not becaufe we do not feel his love, or know his love ; but do not we lpve our fons, b~caufe whiles they are young, they know not their fathers, or becaufe their fathers are fometimes out of fight, and have not them alwaycs in their 2rrns? Zipn Jaid, 'The Lord hath forfaksn me, «nd the Lord bath f•rgotten me : Can a woma.f forget 1 r •• 4~; , 41 · herfuckjng childe, that jhe jhould not have compaffion on thefon of her womb? yea, !hey mayforget, yet !will not.forget thee. We may think, becaufe we have fo many finnes, <• ·" · ,.,J ·• or fo many afflictions, that therefore the Lord loves us not; but judge we ~ighteoufly~ have our children no love from us becaufe they are lick, and we ~ecp -th~ll1 undex ~ fpare-d_yet? God k.,nows our mould,_ and th~t we are but duft: H~ ,h~th free!( clf~fc;n us _, .• to be bts fons,and therefore (notwtthil:andmg all our fins and foffenngs) he loves u~ ftil\: ·< .. If he fees Ephratm.bemoamng.haftubbornneffe, as well as ftck_n•Jfe, the Lord c-ries ou; and cannot hold, Ts Ephra.m my dear fon? Is he a pleafant chzld~ ?forfince I Jpak£ agaipft Jer.3 1 • og! hzm,'l do earneftlyremember htmftdl; therefore my b•wels are troubledfor him, Iwilfjiirely h,rvemer<y~<pon him, faith the Lord. ' ·. 4· That the Lord !hould niake us heirs lmd i:o-htirs with Chrift: Sons by Nattir~ arenotalwayesheirs, butali·Sons by Adoption are: We are heirs 1• Ofthe vjlible Rom.a. ' 7 ; world, 1 Cor. 0 .. 22. 2 Of the other world, I Pet. I. 4• 3 . Of all the promifes, He$. · •, .. iT • 6. 17. And herem ]ehovah htmfelfcomes to be our Inheritance and Portion for ever: 0 that fuch veffels of wrath, fire-brands of Hell by nature, lhould thus become the chddren ofGoc\ by grace, and heirs ofheaven! 5: That the Lord lhould ~ive us the Spirit of fons, Tht Spirit of .Adoption,.wh~1·eRom. 8. \'– byJ><cry Abba Father; The Spmt of ~ffurance, witneffingwith our Spirit,- fhat we arc the chtldren of God: ~t doth not onely wttneffe to our Spirits,but with our fpirits,(i.)with O~II.encwe~ Confcu;n,ces;thtls,4i1Belie:'ers a~e·Sons ;but I (lm a B_eliever;thmffre I 4m;, S n · H~rem the Spmt bearsw~tnefswtth usm ev.ery part,prc~itfes;an~ cqqqlu(ion 1 on<;• ly •t tell:tfie~ more dearly, certamly, comfortably, fweetly,lravilhingth~Jltlt! with yn• fpeakable JOY and peace, in the conclufion : Sometimes indeed it may 'he fu{pendecf and fomettmes we may not hear it; or if! we do, we may object againll: it, through · the
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