490 What the Myffery of godlinefs is in Adoption. belo :e : This is a part of the myflery of the Gofpel , formerly God had children in non -age, under utter -age, all the Saints, the moil eminent of them were as children in their non -age, and came not to their inheritance but we are as children in comparifon of them that are of years , that is made out clearly to us, in the 4, Gal. Note I fay, that the heir as long as he is a child, di fereth nothing' from a f'ervant though he be Lord of all , but is under Tutors and Governors , untill the time ap- pointedof the Father, even fo we, when we were children were sn bosselage under the elements of this world, but when the fulln f of the time was come; God fent forth his Son made o f a woman; made under the Law , to redeem them that were sunder the Law , that we might receive the adoption of foes So that it feems till Chrifl Carrie, there was no recei- sing the Adoptions of Sons; a why were not the Saints children before Chrifl came, Truely in regard of Gods ufage of them, they were not as children, they were nor ions,. t hat is, they were not foes of Age to come to injoy their inhe- ritance, but they were Eons, (as Kings fono when they are little children have their Titters and Governors that ufe them as o- ther children of meaner men , fo were they ufed) and God revealed little to them of the excellency of their inheritance then; But as noble men and Princes, they are fain to leal their children withTimms, and Rattles, and Baubles, as other men pleafe. theirs ; they cannot tell them of their inheritance andpoirefion that they fhali have while they are little chil- dren ; but when a child comes of age then he comes to un- derfiand his dignity;his pofl'eflion,and it's that that pleafes him then, and not thofe baubles that he had before and the troth is , in comparifon of the Ordinances of the Gofpel , and the priviledges of the Gape! , what the people had under the Law were but as Rattles, and Plums, and Baubles than we pleafe children withal; and therefore the holy Gholl calls e- ven thofe Ordinances that then hey had, to be as Beggarly Rudiments ; but now by Chrifl we are redeemed that we might receive the Adoption of fans , and come tò enjoy e great part of our inheritance,, and it is a fpecial part of the in-
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