66 SERMONS upon Serm. XXII. I. u S=E, Toperfwade ns to look after the fpirit of adoption ; we never do ferioufly and clofely chriftianize, till we get it, but either have a literal Chriftianity, a .form of knowledg in the Gofpel, without the Life and Power ; of a legal Old Teftament Spirit. To quicken you, confider thde Motives or Priviledges which you will havé by it, 1. Peace of confcience, Or a reft from thofe troubled and unquiet thoughts, which otherwifè would perplex us, Rom. 14. 57. For the Kingdom of God is not meat, and drink, but righteoufnefs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft; and Rom. 15. r3. Now the God of hope, fill you with all joy, and peace in believing. This calm of mind differeth from the deadnefs and benummednefs of a ftupid confcience ;that's a thing we never la- boured for, groweth upon us we know not how; 'tie maintained by idlenefs,rather than by Watchfulnefs and Diligence ; and is inconfiftent with ferions thoughts of God, and our eternal condition ; but this is the fruit of our reconciliation with God, and thofe Bleffed priviledges we injoy in his Family, it ftirreth up admiration and thankful - nefs. 2. Liberty in Prayer. For the great help we have in Prayer, is from the Spirit of Adop- tion, Zech. 12. IO. I will pour out upon you the fpirit of grace and Application. That Spirit which cometh from the Grace and free Favour of God, furring up Childlike addreffes to God, Rom. 8. 26. Jude. 21. Building up your felves on your mop holy faith, Praying in the Holy Ghofl. Without this, our Prayers are but a vain babling. 3. Readinefs in duty, 2 Cor. 3, 17. Where the fpirit of the Lordis, there is liberty. They ferve Cod with a free fpirit; the Holy Life is carried on with more fweetnefs and fuccefs, not by compulfion, but with ready mind, Pfal. 5i. 52. (uphold me with thy free fpirit, John 8. 32. If the truth fhall make you free, then are you free indeed; men are under (hackles and Bondage if they have not the Spirit of Adoption, they drive on heavily, have not largenets of heart, and love to God, Heaven,- and holinefs, Pfal. 1 i g. 32. I will run the ways of thy commandments, when thou (halt inlarge my heart. When the heart is fuited to the work, there needs no other urgings : but if we force a courfe of Religion upon our felves, contrary to our own inclination, all is harfh, and ingrate, and cannot hold long. . 4. Comfort in afiliions. Their true confolation and fupport in affiliions, is the Spirit of Adoption, Pleb. 12. g. Have you forgotten the exhortation which fpeakethun- to you at unto children? and therefore he purfueth it all along. They that injoy the priviledges of the Family, mutt fubmit to the difcipline of the Family; God will take his own courfe in bringing up his Children, he fcourgeth every fan whom he receiveth, Heb. 12. 6, 7, 8. while we have fle(h in us, there is ufe of the rod; if God fhould fuffer us to go on in our fins, we were not legititnate,but degenerate Children; Children take it patiently if beaten by their Parents for their faults, Pro. 9. lo. Parents may err through want of wifdom, their chaftifement is arbirtary, and irregular; there is more of compaffion, than paifionin God. Gods rod is regulated withperfeft Wifdom, order- ed by the higheft lóve, and tends to the greateft end, our Holinefs here, and Happinefs for ever; and we have Chrifts example, John. 18. 11. The cup which my father bath given me, pall I net drink it ? The bittereft Potions came not from God as a Judg, but as a Father ; are tempered by a Fathers hand. q. Hope of the benefits of the new Couenant, pardon and life. 1. Pardon. We often for- get the duty of Children, but God doth not forget the Bowels. of a Father ; our AP doption giveth us hope, that he will not deal feverely with us, Mal. 3. 17. Pfal. 103. 53. The relation of a Child is more durable, not fo ealily broken off, as that of a fer- vant : a Child is a Child frill, and therefore allowed to remain in the family, when a fer- vant mutt be gone. Secondly, For life everlafiing,and Glory, Rome 8. 17. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chrifi ; if fo be that we fuffer with him, that we may alfo be glorified-with him, 1 John 3. 1, 2. The Spirit of Adoption doth both in- courage, and incline us to wait for it, Rom. 8. 2, 3. But what !hall we do to get this Spirit of Adoption;? 1. Tie certain that the gift of the fpirit, is the fruit of our reconciliation with God; the general reconciliation with mankind, was evidenced by pouring out the Spirit. Per- Tonal and particular reconciliation with God, is the ground of giving the Spirit of Adoption to us, Rom. g. r t. We joy in God, through our Lord lefts Chrifi, by whom we bave received the Atonentent.Therefore do what God requireth in order to reconciliation; enter
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