Cr;;venant·Relation to God. I 5t . that we might receive the adoption of fons/Gal.iv. 4; .s. And being jufiified by faith, an_d reconcil'd to God, it is accomplHhed to them: f<)rafmuch as then, Chri fi 's Jervice is imputed to them, and a way is opened with– al for their admiilion into the family of God, thro' their acrual recoqciliation to him, Rom. V. , I ~ ' Being jufiified by fc1ith, we.have peace with Go~, through. our Lord Jefi.ls Chriil:. Ver. Z· ' By whoni alfo we have accefs by_ faith into this grace wherein we fiand.' John i. 12. ' As many as received him, tO' them gave he power to become the fans of God .' Then are they taken, as children into the family of heaven; God become§ their Fathet' in Chrifi, and · they his joltS and daughters, to abide for ever in bis . houfe, John viii. 3.5· And fo they have a right to all the privileges of that ~igh relation. Now this promife is grafted upon the promife ma,de to Chrifr, of a new kind of interefr in God as his Fa– ther; according to that John xx. 17· ' I afcend unto my Father and your Father.'. For, by the Spirit ofa– doption, we eaU God our Father, in the right of Jefus . ·Chrifi our elder Brother; fpiritual hu.fband and Head.- Thirdly, The Jail: branch is the promife of God's being their God, Heb . .viii. Jo. I will be their Cod. This is more than reconciliation, and aaoprion : it is . rhe height of the relation to God~ which afinful crea,– ture could be advanc~d unto. They were by nature ·without God, Eph. ii. 12. But forafinwch as the Son of Cod diJ, ii~ i.he covenant, undertake to gi ve him!eW , · · for them, in their nature perfe(1ly to fa.tisfy the law, ' in his holy birth, righteous life, and exquiiite death·; -a ranfom of infinite value, quite beyond all cre·a-ted things whatfoever, graces, pardons, heavens: there was made upon that confideration , a promife of God's giving (himfelf to them, as t.he adequate reward of that fervice ; whieh being performed by the Mediator, this re\vard was purchafed for them. · Hence, ·God f:1ith to' Abrahat!J, -Gen . xy. 1 •. ' ~ am thy ex<;:ceding gre ~~t reward.' · No\~
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