' in Chrift,, when he raised him from the dead,' &c. John v. 24. Verily verily I fay unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him • that fent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from ' death unto life.'

We are not juftified by Faith, as the Righteoufnefs itself for which we are juftified: Rom. v. 18. By the righteoufnefs of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.' verf. 19. By the obedience of one, fhall many be made · righteous.' But Faith is, according to the Style of the Scripture, faid to be counted to us for Righteoufnefs, (Gen. xv. 6. Rom. iv. 3.); not that -God judgeth it to be our Righteoufnefs, but because he treats it as if it were fo: Job xix. 15. 'They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their fight.' Chap. xiii. 24. Wherefore holdeft thou me for thine enemy?" Chap. xxxiii. 20. 'Behold, he counteth me for his enemy.' Compared with Chap. x. 7. Thou knoweft that I am not wicked. God treats Faith as if it were our Righteoufnefs in his Sight, in that immediately upon our Act of Believing he justifies us. But we are justified by Faith, as the alone Inftrument or Mean of our Juftification: John i. 12. As many

as received him, to them gave he power to be· come the fons of God, even to them that be'lieve on his name? Rom. iii, 28. ' Therefore we

conclude, that a man is juftified by faith without the deeds of the law. Chap. v. 1. There'fore being juftified by Faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. Faith juftifies us inftrumentally, as it receives the Gift of Righteoufnefs,

Righteoufnefs, and unites us with Chrift whofe Righteousness it is: Rom. v. 17. They which re'ceive abundance of grace, and of the gift of ' righteousness, fhall reign in life by one, Jefus 'Chrift. Phil. iii. 9. 'And be found in him, not having mine own righteoufnefs, which is of the · law; but that which is through the faith of Chrift, "the righteousness which is of God by faith.'

It is in Juftification that we obtain Reconciliation with God: 2 Cor. v. 19. God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himfelf, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them.' Jam. ii. 23. "A'braham believed God, and it was imputed unto

him for righteoufnefs: and he was called the ⚫ friend of God. The State we are brought out of, in our Reconciliation, is the State of Wrath : Rom. v. 9. 10. Much more then being now justi⚫fied by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more being reconciled, we fhall be faved by his life.' The State we are brought into, is a State of Peace and Friendship with God through Chrift: Rom. v. 1. forecited. . xxxii. 17.

And the work of righteousness fhall be peace, ' and the effect of righteousness, quietness and af"furance for ever.' Jam. ii. 23. forecited.

Queft. 34. What is Adoption? Anf. Adoption is an Act of God's free Grace, whereby we are received into the Number, and have a Right to all the Privileges of the Sons of God.

EXPLICATION.

All who are effectually called, are adopted into the Family of God: 2 Cor. v 17. 18. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye feparate, faith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye fhall be my fons and daughters, faith the Lord almighty.' Adoption, in the general, is a legal Act, whereby one doth, to all Intents and Purposes in Law, become wholly the Child of another, than him whose Child he was by Nature. Adoption, then, is not a Change of our Nature, but of our State. Neither is it a Work carried on by Degrees, but an Ac perfected in an Instant: 1 Johniii. 2. 'Beloved, now are we the fons of God,' &c. But the full Enjoyment of the Benefits thereby coming unto us, will not be till the last Day: Rom. viii. 23. 'And not

only they, but ourselves alfo, which have the firft-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves grone within curselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. We are adopted into the Family of God, in that Inftant, wherein, believing in Chrift, we are juftified, and reconciled to God: John i. 12. As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God, even to them that believe on his name.' Gal. iv. 4. 5. 'But when the fulness of the time was come, God fent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of fons. Eph. ii. 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crofs, having flain the enmity there

by

by.' verf. 19.

Now, therefore ye are no more ftrangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the faints, and of the houshold of 'God.'

Our natural Father, out of whofe

Family we

John viii. 44.

'Ye are of

come, is the Devil:
your father the devil, and the lufts
'ther ye will do.' Matth. xiii. 38.

of your faThe tares are the children of the wicked one.' Chap. xxiii. 15. Wo unto you, fcribes and pharifees, hypocrites; for ye compass fea and land to make one profelyte, and when he is made, ye make him "twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.' The Devil's Family is the World lying in Wickedness; 1 John v. 19. And we know that the whole world lieth in wickedness.' Compared with 2 Cor. vi. 17. 18. forecited. Pfal. xlv. 10. Hearken, O daughter, and confider, and incline thine ear; forget alfo thine own people, and thy 'father's house. The father who adopts us into 'his family, is God himself.' 2 Cor. vi. 18. forecited. The Perfon of the glorious Trinity, whofe Act in a peculiar Manner our Adoption is, is the firft Perfon, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift: Eph. i. 3. 5. Bieffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who hath blessed us with all fpiritual bleffings in heavenly places in Chrift: having predeftinated us unto the adoption of children by Jefus Chrift to himfelf.' Chap. iii. 14. 15. For this caufe I bow my knees unto the 'Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, of whom the 'whole family in heaven and earth is named. I John iii. 1. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we fhould be called the fons of God.' His Act of adopt

:

ing us into his Family, is an A&t of free Grace : 1 John iii. 1. above cited. It is an Act of free Grace, in that there is nothing in us moving him thereto Eph. i. 5. 6. Having predeftinated us * unto the adoption of children by Jefus Chrift to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praife of the glory of his grace, ⚫ wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.' But it is confiftent with the Honour of God, to adopt into his Family us who are by Nature Children of the Devil, in that he adopts us in Chrift, as being in him: Eph. i. 5. 6. above cited. Gal. iii. 26. 27. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Chrift Jefus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Chrift, have put on Chrift.' Heb. ii. 11. For both he that fanc'tifieth, and they who are fanctified, are all of one, for which cause he is not afhamed to call ' them brethren.' It is confiftent with his Justice, in that he adopts us for Chrift, as redeemed by him, Gal. iv. 4. 5. forecited.

We are dignified by Adoption, in that we are thereby received into the Number of the Sons of God: Fer. iii. 19. But I faid, How fhall I put

thee among the children, and give thee a plea"fant land, a goodly heritage of the hoft of nations? and I said, Thou fhalt call me, My fa ther, and shalt not turn away from me.' John i. 12. forecited. The Dignity then which we are by it advanced to, is Sonfhip to God, Eph. i. 5. 2 Cor. vi. 18. forecited. Thofe that make up that Number into which we are received by Adoption, are, our Lord Jefus Chrift himself, the holy Angels, and the Saints in Heaven and Earth: Heb. ii. 11. forecited. Chap. xii. 22. 23. But ye are 6 come