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Righteoufhefs, and unites us with Chrift whose Righteoufhefs it is: Rom. v. 17. They which re 'ceive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jeft 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 righteoufnels which is of God by faith.!

6.

It is in Juftification that we obtain Reconciliation with God: 2 Cor. v. 19. God was in Chrift, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them.' Fam. ii. 23. Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: 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 shall 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. J. xxxii. 17. And the work of. righteoufnefs fhall be peace, and the effect of righteoufnefs, quietness and af furance for ever.' Jam. ii. 23. forecited.

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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.

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EXPLICATION.

All who are effectually called, are adopted into he Family of God: 2 Cor. vi. 17. 18. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye fe. parate, 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 A& perfected in an Inftant: 1 John iii, 2. Beloved, now

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are we the fons of God,' &c. But the full Enjoyment of the Benefits thereby coming unto us, will not be till the laft Day: Rom. viii. 23. "And not only they, but ourselves alfo, which have the firft fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves grone within ourselves, 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 justified, 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

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by.' verf. 19.

Now, therefore ye are no more ftrangers and foreigners, but fellow⚫ citizens with the faints, and of the houshold of • God.'

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Our natural Father, out of whofe Family we come, is the Devil: John viii. 44. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lufts " ther ye will do.' Matth. xiii. 38.

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of your fa

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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 yourfelves.' The Devil's Family is the World lying in Wick ednefs: 1 John v. 19. 'And we know that the 'whole world lieth in wickednefs.' 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 houfe. 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. 'Bleffed 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 himself. 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." 1 John iii. 1. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath beftowed upon us, that we should be called the fons of God.' His Act of adopt..

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ing us into his Family, is an Act 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 belo'ved.' 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 fanctifieth, and they who are fanctified, are all of one, for which caufe he is not ashamed to call them brethren.' It is confiftent with his Juftice, in that he adopts us for Chrift, as redeemed by him, Gal. iv. 4. 5. forecited.

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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 pleafant land, a goodly heritage of the hoft of nations? and I faid, 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. Those 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

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< come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerufalem, and to ⚫ an innumerable company of angels, to the ge'neral affembly and church of the first-born which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect? Eph. iii. 15. forecited. All thefe are the Sons of God. Jefus Chrift is the Son of God, by eternal Generation: Pfal. ii. 7. 'I will declare the decree: 'the Lord hath faid unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.' John. i. 14. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.' The holy Angels are the Sons of God, by Creation in his Image, which is confirmed on them: Fob xxxviii. 7. The 'morning-ftars fang together, and all the fons of God fhouted for joy? Compared with Eph. 10. That in the difpenfation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Chrift, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him.' The Saints are the Sons and Daughters of God, by fpiritual Marriage with Chrift, by Adoption, and by Regeneration: Ffal. xlv. 10. Hearken, O daugh ter, and confider, and incline thine ear; forget alfo thine own people, and thy father's houfe.' Eph. i. 5. forecited. Jahn iii. 9. 10. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin; for 'his feed remaineth in him and he cannot fin, because he is born of God. In this the children 'of God are manifeft. And by Adoption we are made Sons of God too, Eph. i. 5. Gal. iv. 4. 5. forecited.

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The peculiar Dignity of our Lord Jefus Chrift among that Number, is, That he is the First-born,

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