A discourse of Christian religion, in sundry points preached at the merchants lecture in Broadstreet / by Thomas Cole ...

CHAP. I.

Of Adoption in general.

THE Apostle here shews the diffe∣rence between the Jewish and the Gentile Church; That was as an Heir in his Minority, This as an Heir come to full age. All Old Testament Saints were God's Heirs; But living under a darker Dispensation of Gospel Grace, before the coming of Christ in the flesh, in that respect they were un∣der

age, and in bondage under the Elements of the World; but when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, v. 4, 5. i. e. To free them from the servile Discipline of the Law; pouring our a more ample measure of his Spirit upon Believers now; That we might receive the Adoption of Sons. Old Te∣stament Sains were Children as well as we; they are so called, Deut. 14. 1. Jer. 31. 20. Isa. 63. 16. Doubtless thou art our Fa∣ther; they had God for their Portion, Lam. 3. 24. were Heirs, as well as we, Gal. 4. 1. But their time and ours was not the same; they lived in the beginning of Gospel time, when Grace first broke out; the Glass was then first set a running, and is now run to a fulness, v. 4. i. e. to the time appointed of the father, v. 2. For the fuller manifestation of Gospel-Grace; Adoption is not to be restrained altogether to the times of the New Testament; the Saints of Old had their share of it, sucked some comfort from those more obscure Promises of Gospel-Grace; they were acted by some love, as well as fear; truly, Saints now are not altogether without their fears under this abundance of Grace that is revealed to them; so that their Adoption and ours, dif∣fer not in substance, but in the manner

of Revelation; 'tis clearer to us, than it was to them.

Adoption in Scripture is taken more largely, as including those who are Sons of God by Name only, as all common Profes∣sors, who are but externally in Covenant, such are called the Sons of God, and of the Kingdom, Gen. 6. 2. Mat. 8. 12. But such Children may prove Bastards, not true sons of God. So God chuseth the Nation of the Jews to be his peculiar Peo∣ple, this is called Adoption, Rom. 9. 4. Exod. 4. 22. Jer. 31. 1. This was a type, or resemblance of our spiritual Adoption in Christ; and in this strict sense I now take it, as it is applicable only to those who are the Children of God from special Sa∣ving Grace, who have the Nature, Affe∣ction, and Disposition of Children.

Christ is the Son of God by eternal Ge∣neration, Angels by Creation, Believers by a voluntary Adoption; and of this I am now to speak.

First, What this Adoption is.

1. As to the thing it self. Adoption is a high expression of God••s love to us; a clear evidence of that great intimacy and nearness that is between God and Believers, who are admitted into fellowship with the

Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. How our Adoption rises from the Son-ship of Christ, by vertue of our Union to, and Communion with him, I shall shew in its proper place. For the present, take this general description of it, viz. 'Tis a gra∣cious act of God, giving all Believers power to become the Children of God, John 1. 12. looking upon them ever after as such; taking them into his Family, and under his eternal Care, Eph. 2. 19. Eph 3. 15. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, quasi filii constituti, constituted, ordained, and appoint∣ed by God to be his Children, to be in the state and condition of Children unto him.

Power to become, i. e. jus, or right to Adoption; the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, signifies a lawful Liberty, or License given by God, 1 Cor. 8. 9. So here, Believers do not u∣surp a Name or Title that does not belong to them; God has called them his Children, and made them his Children; therefore they may lawfully and rightfully be called by that Name: The word also implies a special Prerogative, Dignity, and Honour conferred upon them, which is primarily intended in this place.

As Justification, so Adoption makes only a relative change of state in the Judgment of God; reckoning, or reputing us to be his Children, whom he will love and own as such.

2. As to its order and place in Divinity, how comes it in, and where, after what? 'Tis an Article of Faith; I am now enqui∣ring, What joint in the whole body of Di∣vinity is the proper Seat of this Article; that we may know what immediately goes before it, and what immediately follows after it: We have not a right Method or Scheme of Divinity in our Heads, till we see the coherence, dependance, and reference that one Gospel-truth hath with, upon, and to another, that stands next it.

There is some variation here among Di∣vines, tho no material difference; some re∣ferring it to Predestination, some to Voca∣tion, some to Justification, some to Sancti∣fication, and some to Glorification; indeed it has some reference to all those, as will appear by and by.

I conceive Adoption comes orderly to be considered after Justification, as an Appen∣dix, or consequent of it; it presupposes Faith, John 1. 12. And therefore is no part of Justification, but a Spiritual priviledge flowing from it.

Believers have a double right to Heaven, one from Redemption, the other from Fili∣ation; this is an accumulative right, ex a∣bundanti, given purposely to confirm them in their hope of Glory, Rom. 8. 17. A∣doption tends to Glorification, and gives a

right to it; I mean, it is not the Meritorious cause, but only causa dispositiva, it doth na∣turally tend, both to Sanctification, and Glorification. God draws Arguments from one act of his Grace towards us, to proceed further and further in a way of Grace with us; having made us his Children, it pleases him to give us a Kingdom.

Secondly, How it is brought about, as to the cause, manner, and time of it.

1. The cause of it.

1. The free Grace of God the Father, not any Merit of ours, John 3. 1. Eph. 1. 5. Therefore we should be thankful to him for it, Col. 1. 12. To the father who hath made us meet, &c. He hath wrought us for the self-same thing, 2 Cor. 5. 5. Who hath not only conferred a right of inheri∣ting Glory, but also hath suited and qualifi∣ed our hearts and nature by his Grace, to enjoy this glory, and delight in it.

2. As God the Father is the prime Au∣thor of Adoption, so Christ is the exemplar; the Spirit impressing upon us the similitude of that exemplar, we become the Children of God. I shall open this a little, and shew you what influence Christ has into our A∣doption: God gives the Elect to Christ as his Children, as the Heirs of God, and

joint-Heirs with Christ; they lostt-heir In∣heritance in the first Adam, and recovered it in the second Adam; they now stand in the same relation to God, (in their mea∣sure) as Christ does; I, and the children thou hast given me, Heb. 2. 13. The Son of God must become the Son of Man, that we might be made the Sons of God in him, Gal. 4 4, 5. Here comes in our A∣doption by vertue of our relation to Christ our elder Brother, as one with him, Gal. 3. 28. All God's Adopted Children are found in his natural Son, mystically united to him, deriving from him that filial relation which they have to God: Al God's Chi∣dren are of one mould, of one shape and fashion, all conformable to the image of his Son; this is the Mark by which they are known and distinguished from others. The great enquiry that God makes, is, What of Christ there is in us? what of Christ there is held forth by us? God owns none for his Children, but such as resemble Christ; Christ is the express Image of the Father, and Christians are the express Image of Christ. The reason why God the Father is so well pleased with the man Christ, is, be∣cause he sees his own Image in him; he sees himself, his own essence in Christ, not so in the Saints; the Image of the Father in Christ, and the Image of Christ in the

Saints, do agree in many things, yet they differ in some; the Image of Christ in the Saints, is not the essence of God, for that is incommunicable to any mere Creature; but it is a lively resemblance of all the communicable attributes of God in some degree and measure drawn from the very face of Christ, upon the faces, hearts, and lives of all Christians; yet still, Christ is the original, by eternal Generation; the Saints are but so many Copies drawn in time from that Original, and they are drawn to the life, not only in a way of outward resem∣blance, but by a real inward participation of the Life and Spirit of Christ, according to their finite capacity. As the humane Na∣ture does subsist in the Divine Person of Christ; so our humane Persons, so far as we are new Creatures, do Subsist in Christ, in whom we spiritually live, move, and have our Being, as New Creatures; the Divine Graces of Christ do subsist in the Saints, by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them; i. e. They act the same Graces fi∣nitely, which Christ acts infinitely; they receive of his fulness, but cannot contain all his fulness, they have not a capacity for that; they enter into his fulness, but all his fulness cannot enter into them.

3. Our Adoption is brought about, not only by the Father and the Son, but also by

the Spirit; bearing Witness with our spirit to the truth of the Image of Christ drawn upon the Soul, inferring from thence our Adoption. The same Image bears the same name, implies (in a measure) the same nature and Spirit to be in us, that is in Christ, puts us into the same relation to God, that the Man Christ stands in; the names of things would never occur to our memo∣ries, if the likeness of the object we look upon, did not teach us what to call it; con∣veniunt rebus Nomina &c.

The Spirit witnesses by inward impres∣sins, tho no voice be heard; and these im∣pressions are always according to the word; the Spirit does not speak from himself, sugge∣sting any thing to us not contained in the word; but of this more hereafter. I am now shewing how Adoption is carried on by the Spirit, therefore called the Spirit of Adop∣tion, because given only to the Adopted; and because he bears witness to them of the good Will of God, wherewith the Father hath accepted them in the beloved, that he might be a Father to them: Tho the Spirit works all other saving Graces in us, yet because Adoption is the prime, and chief work of the Spirit, therefore he is called the Spirit of Adoption.

2. The manner of it.

This is clearly set down, Gal. 3. 25. ad

finem. 'Tis Faith makes us the Children of God, by joyning us to Christ; our union to, and communion with Christ, the na∣tural Son of God, is the Foundation of our Adoption, Gal. 3. 29. Christ by com∣ing into the World in our Nature, made way for our Adoption, of which Baptism is the symbol or sign; we are Baptized into Christ, we put on Christ, are incorpora∣ted into him by Faith; are all one in him, Gal. 3. 27, 28. If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the pro∣mise, Gal. 3. 29. All Abraham's believing Posterity are blessed in Isaac, i. e. in Christ, Gal. 3. 16. They are Children, and remain in the House of God, i. e. in the Church for ever, John 8. 35.

3. The time of it.

1. From Eternity, in the purpose of God. This is virtual Adoption, Eph. 1. 5. Hence the Elect, not yet called, are said to be the Children of God, John 11. 52. compare with John 10. 16. God intended Adopti∣on in Predestination, and in the fulness of time, sent Christ to effect it, Gal. 4. 4, 5. And his Spirit to evidence it, Gal. 4. 6. We were Adopted in the purpose of God, be∣fore we were born; this is virtual Adoption.

2. At our effectual vocation, then actu∣al Adoption begins; we receive the

first fruits of it here; it follows Faith, at least, as to our sense of it, Ephesians 1. 13.

3. At our Glorification, then will our Adoption be compleated and perfected in our Bodies and Souls; we shall actually en∣joy all the Priviledges of it; then there will be a clearer manifestation of the Sons of God; the glorious Liberty of the Children of God, will more fully appear, then now it does, Rom. 8. 19, 21. Hence the Con∣summation of our Redemption, at the last day, is called Adoption, Rom. 8. 23. 24. But I now speak only of the present fruits of Adoption, which the Saints enjoy in this life.