Ver. 15. the 8th Chapter to the ROM ANS. particularintereff, but come afterward, when we are reconciled to God, and live inobes dience to him; then he becometh a Witnefs to us, verfe r6. But at 6r1ì he openeth a doorof Hope tons, by revealing God's love to finne son gracious terms; 'tis revealed in the Gofpel; but 'cis (bed abroad in our hearts throng the Holy Ghofl, Rom. g. g. That Love fpoken of there, refpects the offer of Pardon and Life founded on the Death of Chrift : Therefore a Spirit of' Love bred in us by the wonderful Grace difcovered in the Gofpel, is the fire( effect of the Spirit of Adoption. 'Tis great love that God will fo freely pats by our many offences, and adopt and take us into his Family; that we do no longer fly from him as à condemning God, but have recourir to him as á pardoning God. This Love is manifefted by our delires after him, delight in him, and frequent recourfeto him in Prayer, reprefentingallour grievances and wants to him. This crying to himas a Father, mentioned in the Text, through thé hope we have byChrift, is the in- Rind of the Spiritof Adoption. 2. A Child-like obedience. The great Duty of. Children is to love, pleafe and honour their Father ; -and God [landing in this Relation to us, expecteth it from us, Mal. 1. 6, If I be a father, where is mine honour ? if I be mafler, inhere is my fear? He will do, all that can be expe led from a father, and therefore we muff do all that belongeth to chil- dren: So Pet. I. 1¢. As dear children, not faJhioning your felvés to the former lofts of your ignorance: and verfe a 7. If y ea& on the Father, &c. Be ye fallowers of Gad as dear children, Eph. g. 1. Now the Spirit enabled), and inclined' us to an affectionate: and child-like way of ferving God, partly as he reneweth and healeth our Natures, and fan- difieth us unto God : I midput my fpirit into them, and they flxillro.alk in my. roayt, Ezek. 3o. 27. and partly, by gratitude, and filial love, hepoffeffeth us with a defire and care to pleafe him: for as the benefits we have from God's fatherly love, are the bell, andgreat- eft, and fureft; fo it calleth for the bell returns of our thankfulnefs and obedience, the Prtviledges of our Adoption being the fweetelt and ftrongeft bonds and obligations to Duty that can be laid upon us; and thereföre it miff be done in a free and child -like Way. 3. A child-like hope and dependance, riot only for what we want in this World, but, chiefly for the happinels of another and better World, What may we not expel from a Father, and from an Almighty Father? If God he your Father, you can want no good thing either for foul or body : Our Lord diffwaded anxiety and carefulnee of mind up' on this ground, becaufe we have a Father, and a Father that careth for us, Moab. 6. 25.32. But chiefly, he doth incline us to the blefl'ed Inheritance; being made children, we begin to look after a child's portion : He revealeth the truth and worth of it, Eph. r. 17, 18. and farther confirmeth us of the Certainty of it, as a Pledg and Earneft, by working and dwelling in'ourhearts, 2 Cor. 1. 22. Who hash foaled us, and given us the earnefl of the fpirit : prepareth us, fits us for it, a Cor. g. p. He that hath wrought us to this felf fame thing, is God : railed our hearts to long after it, and comforts our hearts with the hopes of it, Rom.8. 23. And not only they, but we our faces a f which have the firfi fruits of the fpirit, even we our felce, groan within our felves, waiting for theadoptí. on, to wit, the redemption of our bodies : and fo begetteth that free, noble and princely fpirit which upholdeth us with courage in the midff of all tryals and difficulties, and maketh us go on cheerfully in the work of bonnets, waiting for the end of our faith; the falvation of our fouls. This, in (fort, is the Spirit of Adoption, a Spirit of love, holinefs, and heavenly- mindednels: Love inclineth us to God, holind s fuiteth us to our Work, that we may have a complacency in it; heavenlinefs giveth us a confi- dence, and a princely noble Spirit that is gotten above the hopes and fears of the World. 3. Whether all that live under the New Teffament.Difpenfation, have the Spirit of Adoption ? Anfw. No But take thefe Confiderations i r. This Jheweth what the Dohirine of the Gofpel can do, and fhou'd do : But it doth not always do it, becaufe many come under the profeffion of the Gofpel, but not under the power of it. But this is the Spirit that came down to accompany the Gofpel, and the Minifiry of it; and if it begot received and entertained by men, they may blame them- felves : The Gofpel is ferviceable to this end and purpofe, to produce fuch a Spirit : If men carry it as if they knew not whether there be a Spirit of Adoption yea or no, there is no fault or defell in the Gofpel, but they are wanting to themfelves, ¡hangers to the Grace of theCovenant under whichthey live, by'itheir own negligence and folly : If Man- 8X2 tea
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