356 Of COMMUNION with rS+iË{i3. îd,R36y3?f67(fJ2 rZ°z? 4 rtr4 ICErxRYE"täYF4E3ïEC9r,tk3fP93tS2 CHAP. X. Of communion with Chrift in privileges, of adoption; the nature of it ;.the confequents of it; peculiar privileges attending it; liberty, title, boldnefr, afjliRion, communion with Chrill hereby. HE third thing wherein we have communion with Chrift is grace of privilege before God, I mean as the third head of purchafed grace. The privileges we enjoy by Chrift, are great and innumerable. To infift on therh in particular, were work for a man's whole life, not a defign to be wraped up in a 'few sheets.' I fhall take a view of them only in the head, the fpring and fountain whence they all arife and flow. This is our adoption. Beloved, nowwe are the foes of God, i Joh. iii. o. This is our great and fountain privilege. Whence is it that we are fo? It is from the love of the father, +u. r. Behold, what love the father bath given unto us, that we fhould be called the fans of'Goel ! But by whom immediately do we receive this honour? As many as believe on Chriflj he giver these this power to become the fans of God, Joh i. 12. Himfelf was appointed to be the brit born among many brethren, Rom. viii. 29. and his taking us to he brethren, Heb. ii. n. makes us become the children of God. Now that God is our father, by being the father of Chrift, and we his children, by being the brethren of Chrift, being the head and fum of all the ho- nour, privilege, right, and title we have, let us a little confider the nature of that alt, whereby we are invefted with this flare and title; namely, our adoption. Now adoption is the authoritative tranflation of a'believer by Jefas Chrift, from the family of the world and fatan, into the family of God, with is inveftiture in all the privileges, and advantages of that family. To the compleat adoption of any perfon, thefe five things are re- quired. I. That he be afually, and of his own right, of another family, than that whereunto he is adopted. He muff be the fon of one fami- ly or other in his own right, as all perrons are.. n. That there be a family unto which of himfelf he bath no right, whereinto he is to be grafted. If a man comes into a family upon a per- fonal right, though originally at never fo great a diflance, that man as not adopted. If a man ofa molt remote confanguinity, do come into the inheritance of any family by the death of the nearer heirs, though his right beforewere little better than nothing, yet he is a born fon of that family,
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