73 / 808
Predeflination.
be
his
children
;
thofe whom
he
predeftinateth, he
Both ordaine
they
!hall
be
like his
Sonne,
Rom.
8.
like
even
in
glory,
as
well
as
fuffering,
like in
being Sonnes,
as
he
is a
Sonne ; like
in
havinga
ftateof
glory
fit-
ting
them,
as
he hath
glory,
fuch
as is
fit
for him
the
Head
or
firft
borne
of
us.
For
this caufe,
Heb.
r
a.ver.a
r.
the
predeftinate are called
the
Church
of
the
firft
begotten, who are written
in
heaven,
becaufe all
Gods
chofen are
by
this predeftination appointed
to
this, that they
(hall
be
Sonnes
of
God
:
Even
as
great
men appoint
with themfelves
(ome
that
thinke nothing
of
it,
that
they
(hall
be their heyres, and doe
adopt them
by
this meaneschildren
to
them:
So
God
did within him
-
felfeordaine
of
us
that
we fhould
be brought to this eftate
of
being
his
adopted
children.For
our better underftanding this matter, three things
¡halite
opened.
r.
What
this
Adoption containeth
in
it.
2.
Through
whom
we come
to be adopted.
3.
Inwhat order
wedoe receive
in
time
this fo great benefit,
or
to what
benefit this
is
to be reduced, whether
to
Calling,
juftification,
or glorification.
For the firft,
it
containeth
the
dignity
of
being the fonnes
of
God.
2.
The
inheritance
of
light,orthe
divine nature
begun here,to be perfec.
ted hereafter:for the
firft,fee
John
1.22.1 lobo
3.1.Hegiveth
us
this dig-
nity, fheweth
us
this love,
that
we fhould
be
called his children ;
not
that
we are children
as
.ildam
was,
who
becaufe he was
produced
in the fimilitude
of
God,
might be called
a
Sonne
of
God, but
fonnes
through
a
myfticall
conjunítion with
Jefus
Chrift that
naturali Sonne
of
God.
Secondly, we have the inheritance
of
light, or
a
divine
nature,which
flandeth
not
in
fuch
a
life
of
God,
as
Adam
had, which was
a
know-
ledge
of
God
onely
as
a
Creator
of
all
things, and
a
righteoufneffe
and holineffe
whichwere
in
order to God knowne onely
;
as a
creator,
not
fuch
a
life
as
may
fall
away, but
alife
which ftandeth
in
knowing,as
an
Author
in
Chrift,
of
fupernaturall
ghace;
fuch righteoufneffe and
holineffe
as
are
in
order
toGod,
as
now
made manifeft
in
Chrift
Jefus;
fuch
a
life
as
(hall never
have end, according
to
that,ThoJe
who are borne
ofGod
cannot
finne,
for
the
feede
ofGod
abideth
in
them.
Thirdly,
all
that glory
we
looke
for
in
Heaven,
is
comprehended
in
this
adoption,
Rom.
8.
We
expell
our adoption, even the redemption
of
our bodies.
Now
we come
to
have this executedon
us
by
faith on Christ ;
for,
fo
many
as
beleeved,
to
them
it
is
given
to
be
his
children,
fonnes
and
daughters
:
upon
our marriage with the naturali Sonne, we come
in
the
place
of
fonnes and
daughters
alfo
:
But for
the order,
in
which we re-
ceive this
dignity,
it
is
fomewhat
doubtfull,
whether when
we
are
juftified, or when we
are
glorified.
To
which
I anfwer briefly,
that
it
belongeth
to
ourglorification,and
is
to be
recalled unto
that
head;
for, Redemption which
is
put for Forgiveneffe
of
finne
and juftifica-
tion, when
it
doth not
note outour
finali
deliverance, this redemption
is
madeto goe before it,G4l.4.5.That
he
might
redeme us who were
under the
i
aw,
&that
we
might
receive
Adoption.Befidc,juftification
doth
nothing
G
but