Ver. i 6. the E piffle to the Romans. Abba Pater. rife, firft from a true and particular fight andfeufe of their owne Mines and mi- feries: and fecondly, from the found knowledk_ and meditation of the excel- lency of Gods graces, which the more they are knowne and valued, are the more eagerly date fled after and defired T i m. What may we gather from theft things for our goad? S i L. Firtl,thc godly are inhaled in all their prayers to provoke them- felves to earneft zeal and afliance, by thinking ferioufly upon the infinite mercies and promifes of God; the me- diation ofChrifl,& their owne fin and miferies. Secondly, whertloever Gods children pray without confideration of there things, theymutt needs pray un- comfortably & with weak confidence. Thirdly,from hence we may fee that the prayers which be made to Saints, to the Virgin Mary, and to Angels, that they come not from the Spirit of Adoption; which directs us to pray unto the Fa- ther: but from a fpirit of errour, being indeed a doftrine of devils.Fourthly,be- caufe we have our Adoption from Chrift and his Spirit:therefore no un- godly menas Turks,and Jewes,can call upon God.Fiftly, feeing the godly are certaine of God to be their Father : therefore they may be alto certaine of their Adoption, and confequently of their falvation,becaufe fonnes be heires. The formes of this world cannot be fo certain oftheir father, as the faithful! be of theirs. Sixtly, by the change of the perfon [We have, J the Apoftle would teach every one to hope well of the A- doption of other Chriftians, and to bee affured of their owne, having the tefli- mony of the Spirit, and of Chrift, rea- chingthem to cal God,FatherSeventh- ly, the exprefling of the name Father, both by the Hebrew and Greek words, teacher!: that God is Father both of the 'ewes and Gentiles, which are indiffe- rently partakers (through faith) of this Adoption. Lardy, becaufe Paul ufeth c here thisftrange word[Abbai we cannot gather thence that the fen vice of God a fhould be in a Grange tongue, as the Fa- g pills affirme direaly againG Gods com- o mandement, i Cor. tq. 19. But there frange words were by ufè and cuftome growne common and familiar, being thereby commonly underflood, and ea- fie to be underftood : therefore it was, that both Hebrew in the Greeke, & the Greek in the Latine & Englifh,be often kept in the naturali found untranflated. DIALOGUE XV. Verle 16. The fame Spirit beareth witreffeWitb our fpirit,,tbat we are the children of God. TiMOTHEUS. WKat dotii this Text cortaine ? S i L . A new reafon to prove the beleeving Romans, and all other the faithful], to ETe the children of God. It is proved by a double teftimony, one of Gods Spirit,the other of our fpirit; and in the mouth of twowitnefles, every word ormatteris confirmed,Deut.i7.6. But all beleevers have two firme unde- ceiveable witneffes of their Adoption, the one without them, and the other within them : therefore they may be & are certaine oftheir Adoption,that they indeed are Gods children. The fumme hereof is thus much, that the holy Spi- rit which fosses up fervent prayer in the hearts of beleevers, doth bear witneffe with their own fpirits, that they are A- dopted ofGod to be his Ions and daugh- ters. T Into what parts may we refalve the matter of this Text ? S i L. Into two parts it may fitly be divided: to wit,into a cafe,and a refolu- tion of that cafe. The cafe is this, how the children of Adam by nature, may be lure that they are the children of God by grace. T t m. What do }e judge and elfetm of I this cafe? S IL, That it is a cafe of all cafes, ofmoff worth and weigh r, a moll ex- ellent and important cafe, of greateft confequence and ufe.It is of great worth nd excellency, becaufe it tendeth to aine certainty of a thing which isofal ther molt precious:to wit,our Adop- tion 277 i Why wee mull labour for certain- ty of our adoption. 1
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