4r6 what it e MyJicrr of Godlinefs .is in Adoption. Secondly, The myfiery of Godlinefs confifls in this, that though they be adopted children, yet they are by Regenerate- on to ; this is a myllery of the Gofptl, we are faid to be A- dopted children in Sc! ipture. Now among men, the fame man cannot be adopted and begotten both , a child by adopti- on and a child by generation of the fame man , but it is fo herè, all the children of God are the children of God by Adoption, and yet the children of God by generation, not in that way of generation as the fecond perfon in Trinity is the Son of the Father , nor as he is Cod -man , conceived by the Holy Ghofl; but by another work of the Holy Gholl which is next unto that , the next moll glorious work of the Holy Ghofl is, for to Regenerate children unto God by an immor- tal feed of the word , to beget them unto God ; and yet for all this they are children by adoption : Now adoption is that whereby a man when he hath no child of his own, doth take up and own another to be his child or heir ; So we that were not children our felves by nature , God now by his unfpeakable Grace loth adopt pis : But in that he doth adopt us, and rege- nerate us both, this is a great miflery of the Golpe l that is in this point. Thirdly, The great myflery is in this , that they are the children of God by their union with Jefus Chrifl the onely Son of God ; they come to their Sonlhip by their union with je- fus Chrifl the eternal Son of God ; they come to be children of God in a higher way then could be by creation; in a.high- er way then the Angels are children of God , the Scrip ure Indeed calls the Angels the fens of God , I but the Saints are Sons of God in a higher way then the Angels are , the Angels are not the Sons of God by their union with the Eternal Son of God, and being made one with him. And from the Raies (as I may fay) and Glorious beams of his Sonlhip , they are not made fo. So that every believer, every peace -maker that is Godly, is a child of God by virtue of 'his Union with the Eter- nal Son of God, and he bath the Raies and the Glory of that Sonlhip of his to Thine upon him. Now this Sonlhip isa thigh - er degree of Sonfhip then by nature, edam was a Son ofGod fo,
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