John Gill
Some think that adoption is a
part and branch of justification, and included in it; since that part of
justification which lies in the imputation of the righteousness of Christ
entitles to eternal life, hence called, "the justification of life",
as adoption does; so that the children of God may be said to
have a twofold title to eternal life; the one by the free grace of God making
them sons, which entitles them to it; the other by justification in a legal
way, and confirms the former, and opens a way for it; or that it may appear to
be founded on justice as well as grace: the learned Dr. Ames {1} seems to have
a respect to both these. And such that are justified by the grace
of God, through the righteousness of Christ, are "heirs" of it, as
adopted ones be; "if children, then heirs", #Ro 5:18 Tit 3:7 Ro 8:17.
Some consider adoption as the effect of justification; and Junius calls it,
"via adoptionis", the way to adoption: it is certain, they have a
close connection with each other, and agree in their author, causes, and
objects; the "white stone" of absolution, or justification, and the
"new name" of adoption, go together in the gift of
Christ to the overcomer, #Re 2:17. Though I am of opinion they are distinct
blessings of grace, and so to be considered: adoption is a distinct thing from
either justification or pardon. A subject may be acquitted by his sovereign
from charges laid against him; and a criminal, convicted and condemned, may be
pardoned, yet does not become his son; if adopted, and taken
into his family, it must be by a distinct and fresh act of royal favour.
I have treated already, see on
Adoption in 853, of adoption as an immanent act of the divine will, which was
in God from eternity; hence the elect of God were not only predestinated to the
adoption of children, to the blessing itself, openly and actually
to enjoy it in time, and to the inheritance adopted to; but this blessing
itself was provided and bestowed in the everlasting covenant of grace, in which
the elect of God had not only the promise of this relation, but were in it
given to Christ under this relation and character, #Eph 1:5 2Co 6:18 #Heb 2:13
hence they are spoken of as the children of God and Christ, previous to the
incarnation of Christ, and to his sufferings and death; as
well as to the mission of the Spirit into their hearts, as the Spirit of
regeneration and adoption, #Heb 2:14 Joh 11:52 Ga 4:6. I shall therefore now
consider it as openly bestowed upon believing in Christ, and as manifested,
applied, and evidenced by the Spirit of God. And,
1. Shall
consider, in what sense believers are the sons of God; which is by adoption, and
the nature of that: they are not the sons of God in so high a sense as Christ
is, who is God's own Son, his proper Son, his only begotten Son; which cannot
be said either of angels or men; for as "to which of the angels", so
to which of the sons of men "said God at any time, Thou art son, this day
have I begotten thee?" Nor in the sense that their
fellow creatures are, whether angels or men, who are the sons of God by
creation, as the former, so the latter; for they are all "his
offspring": nor in the sense that magistrates be, who are so by office,
and, on that account, called "the children of the most High", being
his representatives: nor as professors of religion, who are called the sons of
God, in distinction from the children of men; but by adoption;
hence we read of the adoption of children, these are predestinated unto, and
which they receive, through redemption by Christ, and of which the Spirit of
God is the witness; hence called the Spirit of "adoption": and even
the inheritance to which they are entitled, bears the name of
"adoption", #Eph 1:5 Ga 4:5 Ro 8:15,23. There is a civil and a
religious adoption. A civil adoption, and which obtained
among all nations; among the Egyptians, so Moses was adopted by Pharaoh's
daughter; and among the Hebrews, so Esther by Mordecai; and it obtained much
among the Romans, to which, as used by them, the allusion is in the New
Testament, in a religious sense; it is sometimes used of the whole people of
the Jews, to whom belonged "the adoption", #Ro 9:4 and at other
times, of some special and particular persons, both among
Jews and Gentiles; for of the former all were "not the children of
God"; and of the latter, if they were believers in Christ, they were
Abraham's spiritual seed, "and heirs according to the promise", #Ro
9:7,8 Ga 3:26,29. Between civil and spiritual adoption, in some things there is
an agreement, and in some things a difference.
1a. First, In some things they
agree.
1a1. In the
name and thing, uioyesia, a putting among the
children; so
spiritual adoption is called, #Jer 3:19 or
putting,
or taking, one for a son, who was not so by nature
and birth;
which is the case of adoption by special grace;
it is of
such who are, "by nature, children of wrath", and
"aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel"; and taking these
from the
family of the world, to which they originally
belonged,
into the family of God, and household of faith,
#Eph
2:3,12,19.
1a2. As
civil adoption is of one to an inheritance who has no
legal right
to it; so is special and spiritual adoption.
None,
in a civil sense, are adopted, but to an inheritance
of which
they are made heirs; and so such who are adopted in
sense are
adopted to an inheritance incorruptible,
undefiled,
and eternal; and as the one are adopted to an
inheritance
they had no natural right unto, nor any legal
claim
upon; so the other are such who have sinned, and come
short of the
eternal inheritance, and can make no legal
pretension
to it by works of the law, #Ro 4:14 Ga 3:18.
1a3. Civil
adoption is the voluntary act of the adopter. Among
the
Romans, when a man adopted one for his son, they both
appeared
before a proper magistrate, and the adopter
declared his
will and pleasure to adopt the person
presented, he
consenting to it. Special and spiritual
adoption is
an act of the sovereign goodwill and pleasure
of
God, who has predestinated his to the adoption of
children, by
Jesus Christ, to himself, according to the
"good
pleasure of his will"; it is a pure act of his grace
to make them
his sons and heirs, and to give them the
kingdom, the
inheritance, even eternal life, which is the
free gift of God, through Christ, #Eph 1:5 Lu 12:32 Ro
6:23.
1a4. In
civil adoption the adopted took and bore the name of the
adopter: so
the adopted sons of God have a new name, which
the mouth of
the Lord their God names, a new, famous, and
excellent name, which no man knoweth, saving he that
receives it;
a name better than that of sons and daughters
of the
greatest earthly potentate; a name by which they are
called the
sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty,
#Isa 62:2
56:5 Re 2:17 1Jo 3:1.
1a5. Such
who are adopted in a civil sense are taken into the
family of
the adopter, and make a part of it; and stand in
the
relation, not of servants, but sons; so those who are
adopted of
God, are taken into that family, which is named
of him in heaven and in earth, and are of his household; in
which they
are not as servants, nor merely as friends, but
as the
children of God and household of faith,
#Eph 3:15,19
Joh 15:15,16 Ga 3:26 6:10.
1a6. Persons adopted in a civil sense, as they are
considered as
children,
they are provided for as such: provision is made
for their
education, their food, their clothing, their
protection,
and attendance, and for an inheritance and
portion for
them: all the children of God, his adopted ones,
they are taught of God, by his Spirit, his ministers, his
word and
ordinances; they are trained up in the school of
the church,
and under the ministry of the word, and are
instructed
by the preaching of the gospel, and by precepts,
promises,
and providences; as for food, they are
continually supplied with what is suitable for them, the
sincere milk
of the word for babes, and meat for strong men;
they are fed
with hidden manna, with marrow and fatness,
with the
finest of the wheat, with the richest dainties of
the gospel
feast: as for their clothing, it is change of
raiment, clothing of wrought gold, raiment of needlework, a
robe of
righteousness, and garments of salvation; fine
linen, clean
and white, which is the righteousness of the
saints: for
their protection, they have angels to wait upon
them and
guard them, who encamp about them, to preserve them
from their enemies, and have the care and charge of them,
to
keep them in
their ways; yea, they are kept by the Lord
himself, as
the apple of his eye, being his dear sons and
pleasant
children: and the inheritance he has prepared for
them, of
which they are heirs, is among the saints in light;
is incorruptible, undefiled, never fading, and eternal, and
is even a
kingdom and glory.
1a7. Such as
are adopted by men, come under the power, and are at
the command
of the adopter, and are under obligation to
perform all the duties of a son to a parent; as to honour,
reverence,
and obey, and be subject to his will in all
things. All
which are due from the adopted sons of God, to
him, their
heavenly Father; honour is what God claims as his
due from his
children; "a son honoureth his father; if I
then be a father, where is mine honour?" #Mal 1:6
obedience
to all his
commands highly becomes, and is obligatory on
them; they
ought to be obedient children, and imitate God in
all his
imitable perfections, particularly in holiness,
benevolence,
kindness, and goodness; and even should be
subject to his corrections and chastisements, which are not
merely for
his pleasure, but for their profit and good,
#1Pe 1:14-16
Eph 5:1 Mt 5:45,48 Lu 6:35,36 Heb 12:9,10.
1b. Secondly, In some things
civil and spiritual adoption differ.
1b1. Civil
adoption could not be done without the consent of the
adopted, his
will was necessary to it. Among the Romans the
adopter, and
the person to be adopted, came before a proper
magistrate,
and in his presence the adopter asked the person
to be adopted, whether he was willing to be his son; and he
answered, I
am willing; and so the thing was agreed and
finished.
But in spiritual adoption, though the believer,
when he
comes to be acquainted with the privilege of
adoption he
is favoured with, and is highly delighted and
pleased with it, and admires and adores the grace that has
brought him
into the relation; yet his will and consent were
not necessary
to the constitution of the act of adoption; it
may be said
of that as of every other blessing of grace,
that
"it is not of him that willeth"; such was the grace of
God that he did not wait for the will of the creature to
complete
this act, but previous to it put him among the
children;
and such is his sovereign power, that he had an
uncontrollable
right to take whom he would, and make his
sons and
daughters; and such the influence and efficacy of
his grace, as to make them willing in the day of his power
to
acknowledge the relation with the greatest wonder and
thankfulness,
and to behave according to it.
1b2. Civil
adoption was allowed of, and provided for the relief
and comfort of such who had no children, and to supply that
defect in
nature; but in spiritual adoption this reason does
not appear:
God did not adopt any of the sons of men for
want of a
son and heir; he had one, and in a higher class of
sonship than
creatures can be; more excellent and divine,
and suitable to the divine nature; his own proper Son,
begotten of
him, was as one brought up with him, and his
daily
delight; the dear Son of his love, in whom he was well
pleased; and
who always did the things that were pleasing to
him, and who
inherited all his perfections and glory.
1b3. In
civil adoption there are generally some causes and
reasons in
the adopted which influence and move the adopter
to take the
step he does. There are two instances of
adoption in
scripture, the one of Moses, the other of
Esther; in both there were some things that wrought upon
the
adopters to
do what they did. Moses was a goodly child,
exceeding
fair, and lovely to look upon, which, with other
things,
moved the daughter of Pharaoh to take him up out of
the water,
to take care of him, and adopt him for her son;
Esther was also a fair and beautiful maid, and besides was
related to
Mordecai, which were the reasons why he took her
to be his
daughter: but in divine adoption, there is nothing
in the
adopted that could move the adopter to bestow such a
favour; no
worth nor worthiness, no love nor loveliness,
nothing attracting in them; children of wrath by nature, as
others;
transgressors from the womb, and rebels against God.
There were
so many objections to their adoption, and so many
arguments
against it, and none for it in themselves, that
the Lord is
represented as making a difficulty of it, and
saying, "How shall I put them among the
children?" #Jer 3:19
such
blackamoors and Ethiopians as these are? so abominable
and so
disobedient, enemies in their minds by wicked works,
hateful and
hating one another?
1b4. In civil adoption, the adopter, though he takes one
into his
family, and
makes him his son and heir, and gives him the
name and
title of a son, and a right to an inheritance
designed for
him; he cannot give him the nature of a son,
nor
qualifications fitting him for the use and enjoyment of
the estate he is adopted to; he cannot give him a suitable
disposition and
temper of mind, nor communicate goodness,
wisdom, and
prudence for the management of it; he may turn
out a fool,
or a prodigal: but the divine adopter makes his
sons
partakers of the divine nature, and makes them meet for
the inheritance with the saints in light.
1b5. Persons
adopted in a civil sense cannot enjoy the
inheritance
while the adoptive father is living, not till
after his
death: but in spiritual adoption the adopted enjoy
the inheritance, though their father is the everlasting and
ever living
God; and Christ, the firstborn, lives for ever,
with whom
they are joint heirs.
1b6. In some cases civil
adoption might be made null and void
{2}; as among the Romans, when
against the right of the pontifex, and without the decree of the college; but
spiritual adoption is never made void on any account.
There is a
difference also between adoption and
regeneration, though, divines usually confound these two
together.
They both have the same author; the same God and
Father
adopts and regenerates; they flow from the same love
and grace;
and the same persons that are adopted are
regenerated;
and they are adopted and begotten again unto
the same inheritance: but adoption is before regeneration;
the one is
an act of God's will in eternity, the other is an
act and work
of his grace in time; the one is the cause, the
other the
effect; men are not adopted because regenerated,
which would
seem unnecessary; but they are regenerated
because adopted; "because ye are sons, God hath sent
forth
the Spirit
of his Son into your hearts"; to regenerate, to
sanctify,
and testify their adoption, #Ga 4:6 regeneration
is the fruit
and effect of adoption, and the evidence of it,
#Joh 1:12,13
adoption gives the name of sons, and a title
to the inheritance; and regeneration gives the nature of
sons, and a
meetness for the inheritance.
2. The causes of adoption.
2a. First,
The efficient cause, God; none can adopt any into the family of God but God
himself; none can put any among the children of God but he himself; none but he
can do it, who says, "I will be his God, and he shall be my Son", #Re
21:7. God, Father, Son, and Spirit, are concerned in the affair of adoption.
2a1. God the Father; "What manner of love the Father
hath
bestowed
upon us"; the Father of Christ, the one God and
Father of us
all; "that we should be called the sons of
God",
#1Jo 3:2. The God and Father of Christ, who blessed
and chose
his people in him, he predestinated them to the
adoption of children by him; both to the grace of adoption,
and to the
inheritance they are adopted to, and obtain in
Christ, in
virtue thereof, #Eph 1:3-5,11 he also
predestinated
them "to be conformed to the image of his Son,
that he
might be the firstborn among many brethren"; he set
him up as the pattern of their sonship, that as he partook
of their
nature, they should be partakers of the divine
nature; and
that as he was a Son and Heir of all things,
they should
be likewise; and which will more manifestly be
seen when
they shall appear to be what they are, as sons,
and be like unto him, #Ro 8:29 1Jo 3:2. Besides, God the
Father has
not only determined upon their adoption, and all
things
relative to it; but he has provided this blessing in
covenant for
them, and secured it there; this is one of the
"all
things" in which "it is ordered" and sure; it is one of
the spiritual blessings of the covenant, which he has
blessed his
people with in Christ; which covenant runs thus;
"I will
be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and
daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty", #2Co 6:18 yea, the act
of adoption
itself, or putting among the children, is his
act; for though he says, "How shall I put thee among
the
children?"
there being no difference between them and others
by nature,
they are as bad and as black as others; yet he
did do it.
2a2. The Son of God has a concern in adoption; and there
are
several
connections and relations he stands in to his
people,
which serve greatly to illustrate and confirm it.
There is an
union between them, a very near and mysterious
one, #Joh
17:21 and from this union flow all the blessings
of grace to the saints; they are first of God in Christ,
and
then he is
everything to them, and they have everything
through him
to make them comfortable and happy; and
particularly,
he and they being one, his God is their God,
and his
Father is their Father; he is a Son, and they are
sons; he is an heir, and they are joint heirs with him.
There is a
marriage relation between Christ and his people;
he has
betrothed them to himself in righteousness, and that
for ever; he
is their husband, and they are his spouse and
bride; and
as when a man marries a king's daughter, he is
his son-in-law, as David was to Saul; so one that marries a
king's son
becomes his daughter: and thus the church being
married to
Christ, the Son of God, becomes the King's
daughter,
#Ps 45:13 through the incarnation of Christ, he
not only
became the "goel", the near kinsman, but even a
brother to those whose flesh and blood he partook of; and
because he
and they are "of one", of one and the same
nature,
"he is not ashamed to call them brethren"; and if
his
brethren, then, as he is the Son of God, they must be
sons of God
too: and through the redemption wrought out by
him, they come "to receive the adoption" of
children, the
blessing
before prepared for them, in the purpose and
covenant of
God; yea, the actual donation of the blessing of
adoption is
bestowed by Christ; for "as many as received
him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God",
#Joh 1:12. It is "the Son who makes free"; that
is, by
making them
children; for the children only are free; not
servants,
#Joh 8:36.
2a3. The Spirit
of God has also a concern in adoption; he is the
author of regeneration; which, though it is not adoption,
it
is the
evidence of it; the sons of God are described as
"born
of God", #Joh 1:13 and this spiritual birth, which
makes men
appear to be the sons of God, is owing to the
Spirit of
God; for "except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit", that is, of the grace of the Spirit,
comparable to
water,
"he cannot enter into the kingdom of God", #Joh 3:5.
It is by faith
in Christ that men receive the adoption of
children;
hence believers are said to be "the children of
God by faith
in Christ Jesus"; this receives and claims the
privilege and blessing; which faith is of the operation of
the Spirit
of God, who is therefore called "the Spirit of
faith",
#Ga 3:26 2Co 4:13. Moreover, it is the Spirit who
witnesses
the truth of adoption; he bears witness to the
spirits of
believers that they are the children of God; they
receiving him as the Spirit of adoption, who is sent into
their hearts
for that purpose; "for because ye are sons, God
hath sent
forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts,
crying,
Abba, Father", #Ro 8:15,16 Ga 4:6 to all which
may be
added, that the several operations of the Spirit on
the souls of men, such as his leadings and teachings,
confirm unto
them the truth of their sonship; "for as many
as are led
by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God",
#Ro 8:14 who
are led out of themselves, and off of
themselves,
to Christ and his righteousness; who are led
into all truth as it is in Jesus, and to the fulness of
Christ; and
who are led through him, the Mediator, by the
Spirit, unto
God, as their Father; and which Spirit is
given, and
abides, as an earnest in their hearts; even "the
earnest of
the inheritance" they are adopted to, "until the
redemption of the purchased possession", #2Co 5:5
#Eph 1:14.
2b. Secondly, The moving cause
of adoption, is the love, grace, free favour, and goodwill of God. There was
nothing in the creature that could move him to it; no agreeable
disposition in them, no amiableness in their persons, nor anything engaging in
their conduct and behaviour; but all the reverse, as before observed:
wherefore, considering these things, the apostle breaks forth in this pathetic
expression, "What manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God", #1Jo 3:1 in which he points out the
source and spring of this blessing of grace, the amazing
love of God.
3. The objects of adoption.
And they are such who are the objects of the love of God; for since adoption
flows from the love of God, such who are the children of God must be interested
in it; and they are "dear children", strongly interested in his affections, like Ephraim, dear sons and pleasant children,
whom God loves dearly, and loves with a love of complacency and delight; they
are the chosen of God; for such that are chosen of God in Christ, they are
predestinated to the adoption of children by him; hence sons before calling.
They are also redeemed from among men, out of every kindred, tongue, people,
and nation, being the children of God scattered abroad,
Christ came to gather together; and who, through redemption by him, receive the
adoption of children, previously provided for them; though, in their natural
state, they are rebellious children, children that are corrupt, and that are
corrupters; children of wrath by nature, as others, and in no wise better than
others; but are only openly and manifestly the children of God, when they commence believers in Christ: till then they cannot be called
the children of God by themselves, or by others; till then they have no claim
to the blessing, nor have they the power, the privilege, the dignity, and
honour, to become the sons of God. These are the characters of the adopted
ones, both secretly and openly.
4. The
nature and excellency of this privilege.
4a. It is an act of surprising
and distinguishing grace; it is an act of God's free grace to predestinate to
the adoption of children; it is part of the grace of the covenant, and of the
grace given in Christ before the world began; it is owing to the grace of God that Christ was sent to redeem any of the sons of men,
that they might receive the adoption of children: it is an instance of grace in
God to send his Spirit to manifest it, and bear witness of it; and everyone
that has seen his own sinfulness and vileness by nature, must say, that if he
is a child of God, it is by the grace of God: and it is an act of marvellous
grace, #1Jo 3:1 considering all things; and it will appear
so, when the adopter and the adopted are put in a contrast; the adopter is the
King of kings and Lord of lords, the most high God; hence these his children
are called, "the children of the Highest"; and they are, by nature,
in the lowest and meanest circumstances that can be imagined; lost and undone,
poor and miserable, beggars and bankrupts, the foolish things of this world,
and things that are not; and yet such God is pleased to adopt
and take into his family: and it is an act of distinguishing grace, both with
respect to angels and men; for they are men, the posterity of fallen Adam, that
become the sons of God; and not angels, who are ministering spirits, or
servants, but not sons; and of men, not all, only some, are the children of
God; who are distinguished from the world who are not so, and who know not them that are the children of God, #1Jo 3:1.
4b. It is a blessing of grace,
which exceeds other blessings; as redemption, pardon, justification, and
sanctification; a man may be redeemed out of a state of slavery by a king's
ransom, may be pardoned by his prince, though he has been a rebel and traitor to him, and may be acquitted from high crimes laid to
his charge, and yet not be a king's son; if adopted, and taken into his family,
it must be by another and distinct act of royal favour and it is more to be a
son than to be a saint, as Zanchy {3} observes; who thinks, that to be
predestinated to the adoption of children is something over and above, and what
exceeds being chosen to be holy, and without blame: to
which may be added, that angels are saints, or holy ones, even perfectly holy;
"he came with ten thousands of his saints", #De 33:2 but they are not
sons, at least in the sense that some of the sons of men are.
4c. It is a blessing of grace,
which makes men exceeding honourable. David observed, that
it was "no light thing to be a king's son-in-law"; it certainly
cannot be, to be a son of the King of kings; the name of a son of God is a new
name, a renowned and excellent one; a name which no man knows the grandeur and
dignity of but he that receives it; it makes a man more honourable than Adam
was in his state of honour, and than the angels are in their high estate in
heaven; since, though these are sons, yet only by creation,
not by adoption, as saints are.
4d. It brings men into the
highest connections, alliances, relations, and offices; such are not only the
sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty; but they are the brethren of
Christ, the Son of God, are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; yea, they become kings and priests unto God.
4e. The inheritance they are
adopted to exceeds all others: it is a most comprehensive one, it includes all
things; "he that overcometh shall inherit all things"; the ground and
foundation of which, lies in the relation between God and such
persons, as follows; "and I will be his God, and he shall be my son",
#Re 21:7 all things are theirs, civil, ecclesiastic, spiritual, and eternal;
they are heirs of the grace of life, and possess the blessings of it; and they
are heirs of everlasting salvation, and shall certainly enjoy it, #1Co 3:22,23
1Pe 3:7 Heb 1:14 yea, they are heirs "of God" himself; he is their
portion, and their exceeding great reward, both in this
life and that to come; they, in some sort or other, enjoy the benefit of all
the perfections of God, and of his purposes, promises, and providences; the
heavenly state, particularly, is their inheritance, which is sometimes called
"glory, substance", and the "inheritance of the saints in
light", #Pr 3:35 8:21 Col 1:12 and has such epithets given it, as show it
to be superior to all other inheritances, #1Pe 1:4.
4f. All other inheritances are
subject to corruption, and have pollution written upon them, are fading things,
and liable to be lost, and often are; but this is an incorruptible crown, a
crown of glory, that fadeth not away; a crown of righteousness
laid up in heaven, in the covenant of grace, and in the hands of Christ, the
Surety of it; and who is the saints feoffee in trust, and so it is sure to all
the seed.
4g. Adoption is a blessing and
privilege that always continues. The love of God, which is the source of it,
always remains; predestination, which gives birth to it, is the
purpose of God, that stands sure, which is never revoked nor repented of; and
therefore adoption is one of those gifts of grace of his which are without
repentance; the covenant of grace, in which it is secured, is sure, can never
be broken, nor will ever be removed: union with Christ is indissoluble, the
bond of which is everlasting love; the marriage knot can never be untied;
saints are members of his body, and one spirit with him;
and the relation between them as husband and wife, as children and brethren,
will ever remain. The Spirit, as a spirit of adoption, abides for ever; and he
is the never failing earnest of the heavenly inheritance, and by whom the
saints are sealed up to the day of redemption: the children of God may be
corrected for their faults, and chastised by their heavenly Father; but never
turned out of doors, nor disinherited, much less disowned,
which is impossible; the son abides in the house for ever; and such that are
sons are never more servants; once a child of God and always so, #Joh 8:35 Ga
4:7 such who are the sons of God may judge themselves unworthy of the relation,
as the prodigal did; and who proposed within himself to desire his father to
make him one of his hired servants; but he was not suffered
to ask it, because it was what could not be done, #Lu 15:19,21 yea, they may
conclude they are not the sons of God; because they may imagine their spots are
not the spots of God's children, and yet they are in such a relation in which
they shall always continue.
5a. A share in the pity,
compassion, and care of God, their heavenly Father; who, as a father pities his
children, so he pities them that fear him, and reverence him as their Father;
in all their afflictions he is afflicted, and sympathizes with them, and delivers them out of all their troubles; when they are in want
of whatsoever kind, and particularly of food, he supplies them, and for which
they are encouraged to ask it of him, as children of their parents; so our Lord
reasons, "If a son", &c. #Lu 11:11-13.
5b. Access
to God with boldness; they can come to him as children to a father, use freedom
with him, tell him all their complaints and wants, and come boldly to the
throne of grace, and ask grace and mercy to help them in their times of need.
5c. Conformity to the image of
Christ, the firstborn among many brethren; which is begun
in this life, and will be perfected in that to come; when the sons of God shall
be like him, and see him as he is.
5d. The Spirit of adoption,
given to testify their sonship to them; for "because they are sons, God
sends forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, crying, Abba, Father", #Ga 4:6.
5e. Heirship; for "if
children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ", #Ro 8:17
heirs of the grace of life, heirs of a kingdom, of an inheritance most
glorious, to which they are entitled, and for which they are made meet by the
grace of God.
{1} "Hinc omnes fideles duplici
quasi titulo vitam aeternam expectant, titulo nempe redemptionis, quem habent
ex justificatione, et titulo quasi filationis, quem habent ex adoptione",
Ames. Medulla, Theol. l. 1. c. 28. s. 7.
{2} Alex.
ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 2. c. 8.
{3} Comment. in Eph. i. 5.