SER M. times, the New Creation; Defcribing

IV.

fuch perfons, as being in a spiritual sense, Created anew unto good works; and Born, not of blood, nor of the Will of the Flesh, nor of the Will of Man, but of God, Joh. i. 13. Being born again, not of corruptible feed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever, 1 Pet. i. 23. The God and Father of our Lord Jefus Christ, having, according to bis abundant mercy, begotten us again unto a lively hope, ver. 3. And the plain Meaning of all these figurative expreffions, is; that when a Sinner fincerely returns to a Sense of his

Duty, and effectu

God, who confide

ally amends his Life;
reth whereof we are made, and remem-
breth that we are but Duft, pitieth him
even as a Father pitieth his children; and,
though in ftrictness of estimation he be
indeed no more worthy to be called his
Son, yet, upon this his true Repentance,
he receives him again to the Arms of his
Mercy, and fays, Rev. xxi. 7. 1 will be
bis God, and he shall be my Son. An-
fwerable to which account of this relative
character on God's part, 'tis manifest that
the Title on Our part, of being children

of

IV.

of God, is expreffive of the highest obli- SER M. gations of Duty and Obedience, and of our ftedfaftly perfevering in the practice of all Virtue and Righteoufnefs. The departing from which originally, as it caufed those who by creation were naturally the Sons of God, to become Strangers and Enemies to him; fo by returning to it again, and by no other method whatfoever, can they, who through wicked works have been ftrangers and enemies to God, become again, through the divine Mercy, the Sons of God by adoption, and continue to preserve That character by their perfeverance therein. In This, the children of God are manifeft, and the children of the Devil: Whosoever does not righteous nefs, is not of God.

HAVING thus explained briefly, what the Apostle in the text means, by ftiling us the children of God; the next thing I propofed to confider, was

2. WHAT we are to understand by the following characters; being Heirs of God, and joint-beirs with Chrift: If children, then Heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Chrift. The word children, being a Title of affection and Love,

implies,

when

IV.

SER M. when used in the figurative Senfe, an expectation of favour, and a dependance for Support. Gal. iv. 7. Wherefore thou art no more a Servant, but a Son; and if a Son, then an Heir of God through Chrift. The expreffion is exactly the fame with That in the Text; We are the children of God, and, if children, then Heirs. If the relation of children be acknowledged, the very Notion of that relation carries along with it in courfe a Promise or Affurance of a Bleffing. And becaufe God is infinitely more able to provide for those who rely on Him, than earthly Parents are to make provifion for their natural Pofterity; and the portion of God's children can by no poffible misfortune, by no Accident, by no Force, by no Fraud, be taken from them, unless by departing from the commandments of their Heavenly Father, they voluntarily caft themfelves out of His Favour. Therefore the inheritance of thofe on whom the Father has bestowed fuch manner of love, that they fhould be called the Sons of God, is in Scripture ftiled a Kingdom which cannot be moved, the things which cannot be shaken, a xi. 10, 13, City which bath foundations, a continuing

Heb. xii.

27, 28.

14.

IV.

مز

city, an inheritance among them that are SER M.
Janctified, the inheritance of the Saints in
Light, an inheritance incorruptible and un- A&ts xx.
defiled that fadeth not away. And God him- 32.
felf, in St John's vifion, fpeaking from the Pet, i. 3.
throne of his glory, thus declares, Rev.

xxi. 7.
He that overcometh, fhall inherit
all things, and I will be his God, and he
Jhall be my Son. Here the Title of Son or
Child of God, being used as of the fame
import with One that is to inherit all
things, that is, all thofe things which
God has promised to Them that love
him; is exactly correfpondent to the A-
postle's manner of speaking in the Text,
If children, then Heirs. And because the
Promise of God, who cannot lie, ftand-
eth always fure; fo that the Reward of
Virtue, however at prefent diftant and in-
vifible, is yet in reality as Certain in the
determinations of the Divine Counsel, as
if it was already actually in poffeffion;
hence St Paul, carrying the fame figure
still higher, in his description of the Hap-
pinefs of thofe fincerely religious perfons,
whom in the text he ftiles Heirs of God,
thus expreffes himself, Eph. ii. 5. God
bath quickned us together with Christ, and

Col i. 12.

bath

SERM. hath raised us up together, and made us fit, IV. (hath already made us fit) together in bea

venly places in Christ Jefus. And elfewhere he calls them, fellow-citizens with the Saints, and of the houshold of God: And tells them that they are come, (that they are already come) unto Mount Sion, unto the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerufalem; and to an innumerable company of Angels, and to the Spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jefus the Mediatour of the New Covenant, and to God the Judge of All.

THIS is the full meaning of that Second character, given in the Text to fincere Chriftians; that they are Heirs of God; Heirs of his Promifes, and Kingdom.

IT follows; And Joint-Heirs with Chrift: Heirs of God, and Joint-beirs with Chrift. The sense of which expreffion, is this. Though Men, as well as all fuperior rational Creatures, are originally by Creation the Children of God; and fo long as they continue to obey the Law of their Nature and the Commands of God, cannot fail confequently to continue in his Favour; And though Sin

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