and they heare and know their sins are many their estates bad and that iniquity will be there ruine if thus they continue yet all Gods light is without heat and it is but the shining of it upon rocks and cold stones they are frozen in their dregs be it knowne to you you have not one drop of that conviction which begins salvation Before I passe from this to the second work of compunction let me make a word of application If the Spirit begins thus with conviction of sin then let all the Ministers of Christ co-work with Christ and begin with their people here bee faithfull witnesses unto Gods truth and give warning to this secure world that the sentence of death is past and the curse of God lyes upon every man for the least sin Lift up thy voyce like a Trumpet was the Lords words to Isaiah Isay 58.1 and tell them of their sin Those Bees wee call drones that have lost their sting When the salt of the earth the Ministers of Christ Matth. 5. have lost their acrimony and sharpnesse or saltnesse What is it good for but to be cast out your hearers will putrify and corrupt by hearing such doctrines only as never search When the Lord inflicted a grievous curse upon the people Ezek. 3.26 the Lord made Ezekiel dumbe that hee should not be a reprover to them What was the lamentation of Ieremy thy Prophets have seen vaine and foolish things for thee and have not discovered thine iniquity how would you have the Lord Jesus by his Spirit to convince men must it not bee by his word verily you keep the Spirit of Christ from falling down upon the people if you refuse to indeavour to convince the people by your word Other doctrines are sweet and necessary but this is in the first place most necessary Beware of personating beware of bitternesse and passion but oh convince with a spirit of power and compassion and hee that shall bee instrumentall unto Christ in this or any other work for Christs sake unto him the Lord will be the principall agent and by him will attaine his own ends finish his great work gather in his scattered sheep who are in great multitudes throughout the Kingdome scattered from him if once they be throughly convinced that they are utterly lost and gone out of the way May not this also be sad reproofe and terrour to them that stand it out against all means of conviction and will not see their sin nor beleeve the fearfull wrath of God due to them for sin not a man scarce can be found that will come to this conclusion I am a sinfull man and therefore I am a dead I am a condemned man but like wild beasts fly from their pursuers into their holes and thickets and dens their sinfull extenuations excuses and apologies for sin and for themselves and if they bee hunted thither and found out there then they resist and article against that truth which troubles them They flatter themselves in their owne eyes untill their iniquities be found most hatefull Many a man dislikes the text the use especially the long use wherein his sinne is toucht and his conscience tost especially if it be his darling sin his Herodias his Rimmon especially if withall he thinks that the Minister meanes him he will not see it nor confeste it especially if hee apprehends he shall lose his honour or his silver shrines and profit by it he will not see his â—in that he may not be troubled in conscience for his sin that so he may not be forced to confesse and forsake his sinne and condemne himselfe for it before God and men Oh Lord I mourne that I can scarce meet with a man that either cares to be or will be convinced but hath something alway to say for himselfe their sins are not so great they are not so bad but have some good and therefore have some hope and if God be mercifull it is no great matter though they be exceeding sinfull or some such thing their mouths are not stopped to say nothing for themselves but guilty There is lesse conviction in the world in this age then many are aware of For I believe that all the powers of hell conspire together to blind mens eyes and darken mens minds in this great work of Christ Principiis obsta it is policy to stop Christ in his entrance in this first streake upon the soule but oh little doe you think what you doe herein and what woe you work to your selves hereby dost thou stifle and resist the first breathings of Christs Spirit when he comes to save thee what hurt will it be to know the worst of thy condition now when there is hope hereby of comming out of it who must else one day see all thy sins in order before thee to thy eternall anguish and terrour Ps. 50.21 When the Lord shall say to thee as unto Dives Remember in thy life time thou hadst thy good things remember such a time such a place such a sin which then you would not see But now thou shalt see what it is to strike an infinite God Remember thou wast forewarned of wrath to come but thou wouldest not beleeve thy selfe accursed that so thou mightest have felt thy need of him that was made a curse to blesse thee and therefore feele it now oh you will wish then that you had knowne this evill in that your day What dost thou talke of grace thou thinkest thou hast grace when as thou hast not the first beginning nay not the most remote preparation for it in this work of conviction what should wee doe for such as these but with Ieremy Ier. 13.17 if you will not heare my soule shall weep in secret for your pride Oh be perswaded therefore to remember your sins past and to consider of your wayes now All the prophanenesse of thy heart and life all the vanity of thy youth Eccles. 11.9 all your secret sins all your sinnes against light and love checks and vowes all that time wherein thou didst nothing else but live in sin thus Gods people have done Ezek 6.9 thus all the elect shall doe oh consider the Lord remembers them all and that with griefe of heart against thee because thou forgettest them Hos. 2.7 Hee that numbers thy haires and tels the sparrowes that fall numbers much more thy sins that fall from thee they are written down in his black book They are not trifles for hee minds not toyes the bookes must bee opened oh reckon now you have yet time to cal them to minde which it may be shall not continue long it is the Lords complaint Ier. 8.6 of a wicked generation that hee could heare no man say What have I done Winnow your selves as the word is Eph. 2.1 Oh people not worthy to be beloved I pronounce unto you from the eternall God that ere long the Lord will search our Ierusalem with candles he will
off Iohn Baptists head you that can be content to heare him gladly and doe many things but he must not touch your Herodias and make a divorce there but suffer him to come in the spirit and power of Eliah nay of Christ Iesus to beat downe your mountaines fill up your vallies make your crooked rough waies smooth that you may see the glory of the Lord Jesus without which he shall be ever hid from you Cry you faithfull servants of the Lord that All flesh is grasse and all the glory of man of sin of world is a withering flower that the Lord Jesus may be revealed ever fresh and sweet and precious in the eyes of the Saints The evidence of this truth in the generall put blessed and learned Pemble upon another way for when he perceived as himselfe confesseth that it is the generall doctrine of all Orthodox Divines viz. that actuall faith is never wrought in the soule till beside the supernaturall illumination of the mind the will be also first freed in part from its naturall perversenesse God making all men of unwilling willing hereupon he concludes that this is done by the spirit of Sanctification and one supernaturall quality of holines universally infused in all the powers of the soul at once so that the Spirit instantly first sanctifies us puts life in us then it acts in sorrow for and detestation of sin and so we come actually to beleeve And because he fore-saw the blow viz. that in this way Christians are sanctified before they be justified he answers Yes we are justified declaratively after this Others who follow him answer more roundly viz. that we are sanctified before we are really and actually justified herein differ from him Now when it is objected against this viz. that our vocation is that which goes before our justification sanctification being part of glorification following after Rom. 8.30 Hereupon some others treading in his steps affirme that vocation is the same with sanctification and not comprehended under glorification Others perceiving the evill of this errour viz. to place sanctification before justification good fruits before a good tree they doe therefore deny any saving worke whether of vocation or sanctification before justification And hence on the other extream they doe place a Christians justification before his faith in vocation or holinesse in his sanctification so that by this last opinion a Christian is not justified by faith which was Pauls phrase but rather as he said wittily and wisely faithed by his justification Before I come to cleare the truth in these spirituall mysteries let this onely be remembred viz. That Sanctification which Pemble calls out spirituall life may be taken two wayes 1. Largely 2. Strictly 1. Largely for any awakenings of conscience or acts of the Spirit of life and so t is true we are quickned by these acts and so in a large sense sanctified first 2. Strictly for those habits of the life of holinesse which are opposite to the body of death in us and that we are not first sanctified before we are justified in this sense we shall manifest by and by Onely let me begin to shew the errour of the last opinion first viz. 1. That a Christian is not first justified before faith or vocation may appeare thus 1. It is professedly crosse to the whole current of Scripture which saith We are justified by faith and therefore not before faith and to say that the meaning of such phrases is that we are justifyed declaratively by faith or to our sense and feeling in foro conscientiae is a meere device for our justification is opposed to the state of unrighteousnesse condemnation going before which condemnation is not onely declarative and in the court of Conscience but reall and in the court of Heaven For so saith the Scripture expresly Iohn 3.18 He that beleeveth not is condemned already and verse 36. The wrath of God abideth on him and Gal. 3.22 The Scripture which is the sentence in Gods Court hath concluded all under sinne Hence a second Argument ariseth 2. If a man be justified before faith then an actuall unbeleever is subject to no condemnation but this is expresly crosse to the letter of the Text He that beleeves not is condemned already Iohn 3.18 and the wrath of God doth lye upon him The subjects of non-condemnation are those that be in Christ by faith Rom. 8.1 not out of Christ by unbelief Rom. 11.20 There is indeed a merited justification by Christs death and a virtuall or exemplary justification in Christs resurrection as in our Head and Surety and both these were before not onely our faith but our very being but to say that we are therefore actually justified before faith because our justification was merited before we had faith gives as just a ground of affirming that wee are actually sanctified whiles we are in the state of nature unsanctified Eph. 2.1 because our sanctification was merited by Christ before we had any being in him We must indeed be first made good trees by faith in Christs righteousnesse before we can bring forth any good fruits of holinesse God makes us not good trees without being in Christ by faith no more then we are bad trees in contracting Adams guilt without our being first in him God gives us first his Sonne offered in the Gospel and received by faith and then gives us all other things with him he doth not justifie us without giving us his Son but having first given him gives us this also 2. That sanctification doth not goe before justification may appeare thus 1. If guilt of Adams sinne goe before originall pollution Rom. 5.12 then imputation of Christs righteousnesse before renewed sanctification 2. To place sanctification before justification is quite crosse to the Apostles practise which is our patterne who first sought to be found in Christ Phil. 3.9 in the work of union not having his owne righteousnesse in the work of justification which in order followes that that he may then know him in the power of his death and resurrection in sanctification here comes in sanctification if by any meanes he might attain to the resurrection of the dead in glorification the last of all 3. This is quite crosse to the Apostles doctrine which makes justification the cause of sanctification and therefore must needs goe before it Rom. 5. as sin goes before spirituall and eternall death so righteousnesse goes before spirituall life in sanctification and eternall life in glory the Lord holds forth Christ in the Gospel first as our propitiation Rom. 3.24 and then it comes dying to sinne and living to God in sanctification chap. 6.1 Holinesse is the end of our actuall reconciliation Col. 1.21 22. 4. If sanctification goe before justification by faith then a Christians communion with Christ goes before his union to him by faith but our union is the foundation of communion and it is impossible there should be communion without some precedent
It may be so yet it is said After two dayes he will revive us and the third day wee shall live in his sight and we shall know him if we follow on to know him verse 6. His goings forth are prepared as the morning it may be night for a time but the Sun of righteousnesse will arise gradually and gloriously upon thy soule Truly brethren when I see the curse of God upon many christians that are now grown full of their parts gifts peace comforts abilities duties I stand adoring the riches of the Lords mercy to a little handfull of poore beleevers not only in making them empty but in keeping of them so all their dayes and therefore come to the Lord poore empty naked nothing cursed in the sense of thy want of all things for all things and then receive with gladnesse yet boldnesse and holy confidence not only pardon of some sins but of all beleeve answer not to some prayers but all Embrace in thy bosome not some few promises but all It is a great case of conscience When may a christian take a promise without presumption as spoken to him and given to him in particular and the rule is very sweet but certaine when hee takes all the Scripture and embraceth it as spoken unto him hee may then take any particular proper promise boldly my meaning is when a Christian takes hold and wrastles with God for the accomplishment of all the promises of the New Testament when he sets all the commands before him as his rule and compasse and guide to walke after when he applyes all the threatnings to drive him nearer unto Christ the end of them this no hypocrite can doe this the Saints should doe and by this may know when the Lord speaks in any particular unto them go I say again therefore unto the Lord for all and in the sense of all your emptinesse be abundantly comforted that though you doe not find supply from Christ yet you come unto the Lord Christ for it it is a certaine rule you shall not alway want that good which you come to Christ to supply nor alway be mastered with that sinne which you come to Christ with to take away only then be sure you come for all otherwise you doe not come truly come first for Christ himselfe and then as I said for all his benefits To conclude this is the direct and compendious way of living by Faith so much urged and pressed of Gods servants for to live by faith properly is to live upon the promise in the want of the thing or to apprehend the thing in the promise Heb. 11.1 now the promises are not given to the elect immediately without Christ but first Christ is given i. e. offered in the Gospell and received by Faith and then with him all things also and therefore the Scripture runs thus Isay 55.1 2 3 4. Come unto the waters and drinke and then I will make an everlasting Covenant which containes all the promises even the sure mercies of David the Apostle expressely disputes the case and saith Where there is a Testament containing Evangelicall promises there must first bee the death of the Testator Heb. 9.15 16. to whom we must first come by Faith before we can have right to any promise Heb. 7. 22.25 and 10.16 17 18.22 Being justified by Faith now we have peace with God nay we have accesse to God nay now we are sure of standing now we hope in God and glory to come Rom. 5.1 2 3 4. all followes the first How shall a Christian therefore live by Faith truly first receive Christ and come to him for the end I mention and then thou maist be sure all other things shall be given to thee As for example dost want any temporall blessing suppose it be payment of debts thy dayly bread provision for thy family a comfortable yoake-fellow c. look now through the Scripture for promises of these things and let thy faith act thus If God hath given me Christ the greatest blessing then certainly he will give me all these smaller matters as may be good for me but the Lord hath given me Christ and therfore I shall not want Psal. 23.1 The Lord is my shepherd saith David what follows I shall not want there is the like reason in all other things suppose it be in case of protection from enemies if the Lord hath given me Christ to save me from hell then he will save me from these fleshly enemies much more you shal see Isa. 7. a promise given that Syria should not prevaile against Iudah they doubted of this how doth the Lord seek to assure them you shall see verse 14. it is by promising a Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne and his name shall be Emmanuell this is a strange reason yet you may see the reason of it if you consider this point so Isay 9.5 6. The oppressors rod shall be broken For unto us a Sonne is borne a Sonne is given By Faith they put to flight the Armies of Alients brake downe the walls of Jericho did wonders in the world What did they chiefly look to in this their faith you shall see Heb. 11.39 40. it was by respecting the promise to come and that better thing Christ Jesus himselfe which we now see with open face and therefore he concludes Heb. 12.1 2 3. Having such a cloud of witnesses that thus lived and dyed by faith let us look unto Iesus the Authour and finisher of ours The Prophet Habbakuk Hab. 2.5 affirmes that the just shall live by Faith What faith is that consult with the place you shall see it was in the promise of deliverance from the Chaldean tyranny yet the Apostle Paul applyes it to faith in Christs righteousnes and that truly because if their faith had not respected Christ himselfe in the first place they could never have expected any deliverance by the promise of deliverance from the Caldeans but thus they might 5. The speciall ground of Faith The last thing in the description of Faith is that the soule thus comes upon the call of Christ in his word and this is the speciall ground of Faith wherefore the soule comes to Christ take a sinner humbled and broken for sin he cannot prevent the Lord by comming of himselfe unto Christ and therefore the Lord prevents him by his gracious call and invitation to come in Whom God hath predestinated them hath he called our translation from darknesse into Gods marvellous light is by being called The soule is lost in humiliation the Lord Jesus who is come to save that which is lost seeketh it out in vocation or calling Sanctification is the restoring of us to the image of God we once had in Adam as corruption is the defacing of that image Vocation is the calling of the soule unto Christ this voyce Adam never heard of he did not need any call to come to Christ and therefore was immediately sanctified as
eternall righteousnesse that never can be lost if the Lord should make thee as perfectly righteous as once Adam was or Angells in heaven are and put on thy royall apparell againe thou wast in danger of losing this and of being stript naked againe but now the Lord hath put your righteousnesse into a safer hand which never shall be lost Heb. 9.12 Dan. 9.24 By this you please God and are more amiable before him then if you had it in your selfe doe not say this is a poore righteousnesse which is thus out of my selfe in another why doe you think righteousnesse in your selfe would be best is it not because hereby you think you shall please God Suppose thou hadst it yet thy righteousnesse should be at the best but mans righteousnes but this is called the righteousnesse of God which cannot but be more pleasing to him then that in thy selfe 2 Cor. 5.20 what is Angelicall righteousnesse to the righteous-of God t is but a glow-worm before the Sunne the smell of Esaus garments the robes of this righteousnesse of the Sonne of God are of sweeter odour then thine can be or ever shall be Eph. 5.1 2. tis said By faith Abel Enoch c. pleased God their persons were sinfull their owne duties were weak yet by faith in this they pleased God thou thinkest when thou goest to Prayer if I had no sinne but perfect holinesse in me surely God would heare me I tell you when you bring this offering of Christs righteousnesse the Lord had rather have that then all you can doe you bring that which pleaseth him more then if you brought your owne For aske thy owne conscience if it be possible for the righteousnesse which is done by thy self to be more pleasing to God then the righteousnesse of the Sonne of God the Lord of Glory himselfe done and perfected for thee 7. By this you glorifie God exceedingly as Abraham beleeved Rom. 4. and gave glory unto God In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Esay 45.25 For 1. By this you glorifie him perfectly in an instant for you continue to doe all that the Law requires that instant you beleeve The Apostle propounds the Question Rom. 3.21 whether a Christian by faith doth make void the Law No saith the Apostle but we establish the Law How is that Paraeus shews three wayes One is this because that perfect righteousnesse which the Law requires of us we performe it in Christ by faith So that in one instant thou continuest to doe all that the Law requires and hence ariseth the impossibility of a true Beleevers apostacie as from one principall cause They that deny satisfaction by Christs doing of the Law because by our own works and doings we cannot be justified before God may as well deny satisfaction by Christs sufferings because by our owne sufferings we cannot be justified our obedience to the Law in way of suffering is as truly the works of the Law as our obedience in way of doing 2. By this you glorifie Gods justice what ever Justice requires to be done or suffered you give it unto God by faith in Christ. 3. By this you glorifie grace and mercy Ephes. 1.7 for by this meanes mercy may over-abound toward you and you may triumph in it as sure and certaine to you What a blessed mysterie is this Doth it not grieve you that you cannot glorifie God in your times and places Behold the way if thou canst not doe it by obedience thou maist by faith and thereby make restitution of all Gods glory lost and stolne from him by thy disobedience to him By this you have peace in your consciences by this Christs blood is sprinkled upon them and that cooles the burning torments of them Rom. 5.1 The commers unto the Leviticall sacrifices and washings types of this offering of Christ could not thereby be perfected and bee without the guilty conscience of sinne none of your duties can pacifie conscience but as they carry you hither to this righteousnesse but the commers to this have no more terrours of conscience for sinne I meane they have no just cause to have any this Rain-bow appearing over your heads is a certaine signe of fair weather and that there shall be no more deluge of wrath to overwhelme thee By this all miseries are removed when thy sinnes are pardoned there is something like death and shame and sicknesse but they are not it 's said Isay 33. ult There shall be none sicke among them why so because they shall be forgiven their iniquities T is no sicknessse in a manner no sorrow no affliction if the venome sting and curse be taken away by pardon of sinne thy sicknesse sorrow losses death it selfe is better now then health joy abundance life you may here see death hell grave swallowed up in victory and now tread upon the necks of them 1 Cor. 15. You may see life in death heaven in the deepest hell glory in shame when thou seest all thy sinnes done away in the blood of Christ Jesus This is the blessednesse of all you poore beleevers and commers to the Lord Jesus what should you doe but beleeve it and rejoyce in it If the wicked that apply this righteousnesse presumptuously say Let us sinne that grace may abound and make no other use of forgivenesse but to run in debt and sinne with a license Why should not you say on the other side Let me beleeve and owne my portion in this righteousnesse that as my sinnes have abounded so my love may abound as my sinnes have been exceeding great so the Lord may be exceeding sweet as my sinnes continue and increase so my thankfulnesse glory in God triumph over death grave sinne through Christ may also increase as you see righteousnesse in Christ for ever yours so you may from thence expect from him such a righteousnesse as may make you righteous also as hee is righteous Tremble thou hard-hearted impenitent wretch that didst never yet come to Christ nor feele thy need of him or prize his blood this is none of thy portion all thy sinnes are yet upon thee and shall one day meet thee in the day of the Lords fierce wrath when he shall appeare as an everlasting burning before thine eyes and thou stand guilty before him as chaffe and stubble SECT 2. Secondly Reconciliation This is the second benefit which in order of nature followes our Justification although sometime in a large sense it is taken for the whole work of Justification strictly taken it followes it Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God i. e. not onely peace from God in our consciences but peace with God in our reconcilement to him and his favour toward us Being justified we shall be saved from wrath i. e. not onely the outward fruits of wrath but wrath from whence those come Christ is first King of Righteousnesse then King of Peace Heb. 7.2 for is not finne the cause of
that despise this peace 6. That being thus pacified you may come into Gods presence with boldnesse at any time and aske what you will I wonder what he can deny you if he loves you Rom. 5.2 and which is yet more that now all creatures are at peace with you Iob 5.23 as when the Captaine of the Army is pacified none of his souldiers must hurt or strike that man nay that hereby all your enemies should be forced to doe good to you Oh death where is now thy sting I have oft wondred if Christ hath borne all our miseries and suffered death for us why then should we feel any miseries or see death any more and I could never satisfie my owne heart by many answers given better then by this viz. that if the Lord should abolish the very being of our miseries they should indeed then doe us no hurt but neither could they then doe us any good for if they were not at all how could they doe us good now the Lord Jesus hath made such a peace for us as that our enemies shall not only not hurt us but they shall be forced himselfe ordering of them to doe much good unto us all your wants shall but make you pray the more all you sorrowes shall but humble you the more all your temptations shall but exercise your graces the more all your spirituall desertions shall but make you long for heaven and to bee with Christ the more it is now part of your portion not only to have Paul and Apollos and world but death it selfâ— to doe you good Oh Lord what a blessed estate is this which though thousands living under the Gospel of peace heare of yet they regard not they can strain their consciences in a restlesse pursuit of the favour of men and in seeking worldly yet peace to this day though born enemies to God never spent one day it may be not one houre in mourning after the Lord for favour from him nor care not for it unlesse it be upon their owne tearmes viz. that God would be at peace with them but they may still remain quietly in their sins and war against God and thence it is that the Lord will shortly take away peace from the whole earth and plague the world with war and blood-shed and as it is in Zach. 11.6 deliver every man into the hand of his neighbour and into the hand of his King and they shall smite the Land even for this very cause for despising the peace and reconciliation with God you might and should have accepted in the Gospell of peace SECT III. Thirdly Adoption This is the third benefit which in order of nature followes our reconciliation whereby the Lord accounts us Sons and gives us the Spirit and priviledges of Sons for in order we must be first beloved before we can be loved so as to be accounted Sons 1 Iohn 3.1 2. for the Lord of unjust to account us just in our justification is much but for the Lord to account us hereby as friends this is more but to account us Sons also this is a higher degree and a farther priviledge and hence our Adoption followes our Faith Iohn 1.12 Gal. 3.26 and if Adoption then the Spirit of Adoption much lesse doth not precede Faith By Christs active obedience our Divines say we have right unto life by Adoption wee have a farther right the one destroyes not the other for a man may have right unto the same thing upon sundry grounds we know there are 2 sorts of Sons 1. Some by nature borne of our own bodies and thus wee are not Sonnes of God but children of wrath 2. Some by Adoption which are taken out of another family and accounted freely of us as our Sons and thus Moses was for a time the sonne of Pharaoâ—s daughter and of this Son-ship by Adoption I now speak the Lord taking us out of the family of hell to be his adopted Sons Christ is Gods Son by eternall generation Adam by creation all believers are Sons by Adoption Now Adoption is two-fold 1. Externall whereby the Lord takes a people by outward covenant and dispensation to be his Sons and thus all the Jewes were Gods first-borne Exod. 4.22 and unto them did belong the Adoption Rom. 9.4 5. And hence their children were accounted Sons as well as Saints and holy 1 Cor. 7.14 Ezech. 16.20 21. but many fall from this Adoption as the Jewes did 2. Internall whereby the Lord out of everlasting love to particular persons in speciall he takes them out of the family of Satan and by internall love and speciall account reckons them in the number of Sons makes them indeed Sonnes as well as calls them so Isaac by speciall promise was accounted for the seed Rom. 9.8 and of this we now speak Now this is double 1. Adoption begun 1 Iohn 3.1 2. â—OW we are the Sons of God To some of which though Sons indeed yet the Lord behaves himselfe toward them for some time and for speciall reasons as unto servants exercising them with many feares Gal. 4.1 2. some spirits will not bee the better for the love of their father but worse and therefore the Lord keeps a hard hand over them to others the Lord behaves himself with more speciall respect in making them cry with more boldnesse Abba Father Rom. 8.15 16 who will be more easily overcome and bent to his will by love 2. Adoption perfected when we shall receive all the priviledges of sons not one excepted Rom. 8.23 where we are said to wait for our Adoption the Redemption of our bodies By the first we are sons but not seen nor known such 1 Iohn 3.1 2. By the second we shall be knowne before all the world to be such we now speak principally of Adoption begun whereby we are sons in Gods account and by reall reception of the Spirit of Sons the manner of this Adoption is thus 1. God loves Jesus Christ with an unspeakable love as his only Son and as our elder brother 2. Hence when we are in Christ his Son he loves us with the same love as he doth his own Son 3. Hence the Lord accounts us sonnes Eph. 1.5 6. Gods love is not now toward us as to Adam his son by creation viz. immediately diffused upon us but in loving his owne Son immediately hence he loves us and hence adopts us and accounts us children Oh that the Lord would open our eyes to see this priviledge Behold it saith Iohn 1 Iohn 3.1 stand amazed at it that children of wrath should become the Sonnes of the most high God for a begger on the dunghill a vagabond runnagate from God a prodigall a stranger to God whom the Lord had no cause to think on to be made a Son of God Almighty If Sons then the Lord doth prize and esteem you as Sonnes if a man hath twenty sonnes he esteems the poorâ—st least sick child he hath more then all his goods and servants