I. II. III. I. II. IV. V. VI. I. II. Queflions, and Cafes ofConfcience about Adoption. Chap.3' Queft. VVhat is the manner of e/Idoptiou begun here in ;this world ? Anfw. I. God loves Jefus Chrifl with an unfpeakablc love as his only Son, . andour elderbrother. Hence whenwe are his fons inChrift, he loves us with the fame love as he doth hisown fon. Hence the Lord accounts us fons, Eph. 1. ç, 6' His love is not now towardsus as to Adam, his Sonby Creation : but in loving his own Son imme- diately, hence he loves us, adopts us, and accounts us his children. Onefl. What are the benefits and comforts thatflow to usfrom hence ? Anfw. If we are foes, then the Lordprizes and efleems us as fons : yea, the pooreft, weakeft, feeblell believer, is more efleemed by God then all the world, and the glory of it : yea, then all the Kings, and great men in the world, Ifa. 43. 4: S, 6. not becaufe they can deferve it, but becaufe he hath freely made them Ions. Iffons, then theLord will certainly_ .take care-of us as of fons, and that both for our outward and temporal cftatc, that vac flail want nothing that is ,.00dfor us, (Mat. 6. 31, 32. and if at any time we fall into want, and (traits, the Lord intends thereby our eternal good : Hence come all Gods corredtions, Deut. S. S. H, b. 12. 3. Iffons: thenhe loves us as foss, asa Father doth his fon. Indeed, Ifrael may fay, (.MyGod loathforfak,n, and forgotten me, Ifa. 49. 54. and yet no mother tenders her child,, as theLord clothhis children. Yea, he freely chofe us tobe hisfons, and therefore lovesds notwith{fandingall our fins, Pfal. 89. 32, 33. If he feeEphraim bemoaninghisftubbornnefffe, aswell as his ficknefle: as Jer. 3r. zo. God cries out, Is not he my Son ? if fons,,//thenare we heires, andco-h ires withChrifi, Rom. S. 17. fons by natureaf!°all heires, but all, fons by Adoption are : We arc heires, Firft, of the King otne of glory, 1 `Per. 1.4, S. Secondly, of all this viable world, t Cor. 3.22. not that we have it all inour own hand ; it would be too cum- betfotne for us : but we have the ufe and comfort of it. Thir dly, we are heires ofthe Promife, He& u. 9. and 6. i ..whereby the Lordhimfelf comes to be our inheritanceand portionfor ever: If fons, then wehave, and ever íb ll have the fpirit of fons, Rom. S. is, 16. And hereby 1. We !ball be enabled topray to God, who before could not doit, our mouthes being flopt with guilt. z. To cry Abba, Father, and thisfpirit witnefffeth that we are fons of this Father. 3. Herebywe are led andguided con- tinually towards our Taft end : whence it is, that the fame fins whichharden o- thers, at laft humble us : the fame temptations by which othersfall, andperifh, ferve at laft topurifie us: Hence our decay in grace, leads us to growth at talc : Hence our feares and doubts ferve to eftablifbus at laft : Our wandrings from God for a time, make useffect' moreof the Prefence andwayes of God at the laßt. SeeShepherds Sound Believer, p.277. God will bear with the infirmities of his children, if there faeril},them a care to pleafehim, with a purpofe ofnot finning, Mal. 3.17. Quell. How muywet ,nowour Adoption ? Anfw.By our refemblance ofGod, as a natural childe is likehis natural father. Quell. But how may this be known? Anfw. s. Examine the life of God in thee, who naturally art dead in fin. The breath of this life is heavenly thoughts, meditations, atffe,;,tions : The A- ótions of this life arefpiritual growth, and encreafein grace and vertue. The maintenance of this life, is hungring and thirf1ing after heavenly Manna, and Water of Life, the Word of God. Thevery being of it is our union and com- munion with God by the Spirit, which is as the foul to the body. Examine the light ofGod in thee: For he is light, and in him is nodarknefs, and 1. 2, s, 4.
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