the Divine nature."

Of this, the Evangelist John

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speaks in the following words: Which were born, "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the "will of man, but of God."k 2dly, With respect to our marriage with the Lord Jesus; for when we become his Spouse, we pass into the Father's family, and the Father addresses us by the endearing name of "Daughter," while Jesus himself describes us, with the same breath, as "his Sister and his Spouse."m 3dly, With respect to adoption, by which we obtain the right and the privileges of sons, and the eternal inheritance is bequeathed to us by an immutable testament. We read, "Who hath predestinated us unto the adoption " of children;"" and "If children, then heirs."

XXVI. The condition of the sons of God is truly excellent. If David accounted it so great a matter, to be called the son-in-law of such a king as Saul, how highly should we esteem the honour of being called the sons of the living God? 1st, How unparalleled is that dignity, by which we trace our descent, not from an earthly prince or monarch, but from the King of heaven! 2dly, What can be more beautiful than that Divine nature which we obtain by a new generation ! God himself glories in his sons as his peculiar treasure, and even calls them "the first fruits of his increase ;"r who are to him for a praise, and a name, and an honour. In this instance, his conduct almost resembles that of parents who glory before others in such of their

children as are remarkable for beauty. 3dly, What more desirable, also, than a conjugal relation to the First-begotten Son of God, who is "white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousands !" Nothing can even be conceived, more delightful, more enriching, or more glorious. 4thly, Nothing, in fine, can be more excellent than that inheritance, which the sons of God obtain in right of their adoption, and which is assigned them by an irrevocable testament.

XXVII. It will not be unprofitable to prosecute this topic a little further; and, opening our Father's TESTAMENT, to inquire WHAT and HOW GREAT are the Blessings bequeathed, and under what STIPULATIONS, he has bequeathed them to us. By the TESTAMENT, we understand, The last and immutable will of God, recorded in the sacred Scriptures, and confirmed by the death and blood of Jesus, by which he hath declared his chosen and believing people, heirs of the whole inheritance.

XXVIII. The Testament is the Will of God, or that "counsel of his will," by which he has appointed both the inheritance and the heirs, and to which our Lord referred, when he said, "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." I add, that it is the last and irrevocable will of the Father; for as this is is essential to a valid testament among men," so it is not wanting to this testament.

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Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of "mise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by "an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it "was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong

"consolation." In this Will, he has assigned the inheritance as well of grace as of glory, of which we shall speak immediately. He has also appointed the heirs, -not indefinitely, all that shall believe; but these and the other persons particularly, whose "names are writ"ten in heaven," and "graven upon the palms of God's "hands." This his Will, he has expressed in both parts of the holy Scriptures, which are, therefore, called a Testament. In fine, that this Will might in no respect be defective, the whole is confirmed and sealed by the blood and death of the Lord Jesus.b

XXIX. To understand this, we must observe, that God the Father, did, by testament, intrust his Son Jesus with this honour, that he should be the head of the elect, to excel them in glory, and to possess authority to impart to them, all his blessings. Jesus, again, by the power committed to him by the Father, bequeathes his benefits by testament, to the elect, that they may be joint-partakers of them with himself. "I appoint "to you (by testament) a kingdom, as my Father hath "(by testament) appointed unto me." This making of the Testament, then, is originally the doing of the Father, but immediately of Christ the Mediator; who died, not to make void the inheritance by his death, for he is alive for evermore," but to seal the promises, and to acquire for his people a right to the inheritance.42 Hence the blood which he shed, is called "the blood of the testament."f

* Heb. vi. 17, 18.

* Is. xlix. 16.

b Heb. ix. 16, 17.

d

y Luke x. 20.

a 2 Cor. iii. 14.

c Ps. ii. 8.

* Κάγω διατίθεμαι ὑμιν, καθως διεθετό μοι ο πατης με, βασιλειαν. Luke

xxii. 29.

f Zech. ix. 11. Mat. xxvi. 28.

e Rev. i. 18.

42 See NOTE XLII.

Xxx. The BLESSINGS bequeathed in the Testament, are inestimable. We reduce them at present to three principal heads. The first is THE POSSESSION OF THE WHOLE WORLD; for it was promised to Abraham and his seed, that they" should be heirs of the world." On these words, we may hear the commentary of Ludovicus de Dieu : "As sin, by separating us "from God and subjecting us to his curse, rendered us "exiles and outcasts, so that we had no spiritual right "or dominion, corresponding to the character of the sons of God, over even the meanest of the creatures; so, when God becomes our God and we become his "blessed people, we are restored, as sons, to the right "and dominion of the whole paternal inheritance:

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And, since there is nothing besides God and the "world, we are made heirs of the world, both the earthly and the heavenly, the present and the future. "Hence it is said, All things are yours; and, amongst "these all things, are mentioned, the world, and what"ever is in it, things present and things to come.”

XXXI. This possession of the world, we may observe, consists in the following things. 1st, Every son of God possesses as much of the good things of this world as the wisdom of our heavenly Father judges sufficient for the support of the animal life, without exposing the spiritual to detriment; and so possesses, that, in the enjoyment of it, he may taste the love of his Father, who confers it upon him as a pledge of better blessings, and of his Elder Brother, who himself became poor, that his people might be rich. This love of God the

Father and of Christ, added to the smallest crumb of

bread or drop of cold water, renders them, beyond measure, preferable to all the most exquisite luxuries of the rich of this world. "A little that a righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked."k 2dly, All the creatures must serve the children of God as steps by which they may ascend to the Creator. In all of them, as in a bright mirror, they contemplate his adorable perfections,' and thus find cause of exultation and delight. They perceive in them, in particular, the love of God towards themselves. When they behold the sun, the moon, and the stars, they rejoice that their Father hath lighted up so many luminaries for them, of which they may avail themselves in performing works which become them as the sons of God. Nor do they survey this display of his goodness with less admiration, than if every individual had his own sun, or his own moon, shining upon him." They do not exceed the bounds of propriety, when they even entertain the thought, that, for their sake, the world still remains in its present state, and that for this the wicked are indebted to them; for "the holy seed is the substance" (the support) of the world. 3dly, All the creatures, and the whole administration of God towards them, "work together for their good." This holds so extensively, that angels in heaven and devils in hell, are both obliged to bear a part in the service. As to angels in heaven, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent "forth to minister for them, who shall be heirs of sal"vation?" As to the infernal spirit, the great teacher of arrogance, was he not, when aiming at a very

differ

* Ps. xxxvii. 16.

1 Ps. civ. 24.

m Ps. xcii. 4, 5.

• Is. vi. 13.

n Ps. viii. 3, 4.

P Rom. viii. 28.

4 Πνεύματα λειτουργικκ. Heb. i. 14. Ps. xxxiv. 7. xci. 11.