are not only under an outward administration of Son-ship wherein we should bee sure still to retain the mind and spirit of servants and enemies but have the hearts and spirits of Sons given unto us and are by this effectual provsion of the Lord no more in a spirit of bondage unto fear but of power and love and of a sound mind And thus our Lord hath redeemed us into the same state with himself hee being a Sonne wee are so too To the second question what enjoyment the Saints under the Law had of this priviledge my Answer is they then had this state of Son-ship in faith but not in possession until the fulnesse of time came they had a right to it as wee use to say but not in it the administration of the Law bowed down their backs they were at School under tutors and governours they did not receive this Adoption of Sons As heaven is now to us so was this state to them wee have a right to it and have it by faith yet stand obliged to the duties of our present administration in this life so they had a right to this Adoption of Sons by the son and saw it and hoped for it a farre off but lay obliged under the elements of the world and were shut up under the Law till the time appointed by their and our Father this better thing being kept for the Saints in these days that they without us might not bee perfect This Doctrin of the Saints son-ship being every where in the Scriptures witnessed unto I shall improve it these two wayes First By way of Use and then by way of Triall whether we be in possession of this state or not First And first if the Saints be now sons t is a shame to those who by a Legal carnal Ministery seek to make servants and slaves of them this they do who set up works and impose that yoak which our fathers were not able to bear who so urge the commands of the gospel as that they turn it into a meer Covenant of works and revive again the dead body of Moses which God himself hath buried and so erect a worldly Sanctuary as if Christ were not ascended and become a minister of the sanctuary and true tabernacle who brings the Conscience into bondage in those things wherein Christ hath made his people free who set the Saints to obtain that by works and conditions which they have by their sonship by inheritance this is the Devils constant design to scar men from the Gospel by obscuring that glorious life and spirit that is brought therein to light and if hee cannot overthrow the state of those that have received it to raise up Doctrins to make their course as wearisome and as full of bondage as hee can and therefore wee need often to read that advise of the Apostle in Gal. 5.1 stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free c. Secondly The second use may bee this if wee are sons do wee walk like sons of the most high are we filial towards God in our conversation are we as obedient Children not fashioned to this world if hee say come do wee come and if hee say go do wee go are wee at a beck waiting to bee disposed and directed by him and do we follow his commands as dear children without murmuring and without disputing if wee do not if wee professe God to bee our father may not hee say to us if I am your Father where is my honour the soveraignty of God may require our obedience from us but how much more should the consideration of him as a father beget it in us what the greatness of God will not do surely his goodnesse should not fail of Can there bee opposition unto kindness the infinite God takes that way to overcome us poor worms if God will own himself our father t is equal sure wee should behave our selves like his children and if hee bee our father should wee not shew forth his image if wee rightly consider it what greater priviledge imaginable what greater blessedness then to bear the glorious image of our Creator thus manifested in Christ who should do it if his sons his children should not wee are kept in the world for this purpose to bear forth his vertues and his praises before the blind world were it not for this work that is to be done he would soon take us to himself in the heavens What a great shame and dishonour is it unto the Lord to professe our selves his sons and yet walk in an earthy sensual devilish spirit le ts shew some tokens of our country and of our fathers house le ts carry some badge of a heavenly extraction wee have born the Image of the earthy plain enough O le ts bear the Image of the heavenly we are plainly Adams sons in nature le ts appear sons of God in grace How glorious how convincing would bee the life of a Christian if hee did shew forth the Image of his father whose tender mercies are over all his works who causeth his Sun to shine on the just and the unjust who when he bids us forgive till seventy times seven t is but that wee might bee like him our heavenly father who in that patience and goodness and forbearance and easinesse to be entreated which hee shews to us is a pattern what wee should do one towards another when ever a christian miscarries t is stepping aside from his Fathers Image this is that end concerning man God hath proposed to himself and been about by the Law by the Prophets by the Gospel by all as the way to make him happy and a fit object for his converse to stamp his own image upon him Thirdly Every Christian know your state thou art a son though but a babe in the Gospel wee are sons aad heirs and joynt heirs with Christ most Christians loose much of their comfort and strength by this they consider not the relation which in Christ God and man stand in together they live only in the comfort of their graces and not of their state A man may think easily too much of himself that is the error very many are in and hee may also think too low of himself the devil is not without his devises that way too A man can never bee debased enough as in himself and yet hee may exalt himself in that estate which God hath in Christ appointed him unto we may thus glory in the Lord Let not the Devil nor our unbeleeving hearts ever remove us from this wee are sonnes though Prodigals let this consideration help to recover us out of temptation when wee sit darkness and see no light Le ts think our selves too good to be feeding amongst the dogs and the swine of this world Le ts think our selves of too noble a quality and birth to be made slaves by Satan and captived at his will or to be servants unto men and to be in
A Practical Consideration OF THE SAINTS SONSHIP In a Discourse upon the fourth Chapter of the Galatians vers 6. London Printed by Robert Ibbitson 1656. A Practical Consideration of the Saints Son-ship GAL. 4.6 And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son in your hearts crying Abba Father THe Apostle having shewed the poor and mean condition the Law rendered us in holds out the glory of our condition under the Gospel in the consideration of our Son-ship wee being by our Lords comming freed from that pupillage and bondage wee were before held under that wee might receive the adoption of Sonnes and being redeemed thereunto receive the spirit and all good things as a consequent of such a state These words do acquaint us in the general scope of them with this great truth that it is not any Grace in us or works done by us That first brings us into that state of the Gospel wherein wee have favour and acceptance with God but God first appoints us unto such a state and thereupon gives us Grace sutable unto it Because yee are Sonnes Because God hath in Christ appointed you to such a glorious estate therefore is the spirit of his Sonne and all good things given unto you although I might speak much of this yet I intend to confine my self to the observing only this one truth Doct That the state of a Christian under the Gospel is a state of Son-ship Wee finde in our natural state wee are absolute enemies unto God under the Law wee come but to be servants but under the Gospel we become sons Wee bear herein a proportion with the Lord Christ our head who is not as Moses was a servant in Gods house but hee is a Son he is the Son in his own house and therefore his brethren are Sons that Son-ship that hee hath from the Father it carries their Son-ship in it As hee in his humanity became like them in all things sin only excepted so are they in their conformity made like him in all things save wherein hee is their Saviour and their head and as they have one common image to both so have they one principle and root for the Apostle tells us that our life is hid with Christ in God that is the Saints life and is hid together with Christs life in God hee is the fountain of both their lives This comprehends in a word the excellent Grace and glory of the Gospel that such poor remote wretches from God such strangers and enemies as wee are should become Sons should hee born of God in Christ and inherit freely all his grace and glory the Apostle seems to make a stop and admire at this Behold saith hee what manner of love the father hath shewed unto us that we should be called the Sonnes of God! T is not only a thing of admirable advantage but of astonishing honour could David think it a great matter to bee a Kings Sonne in Law and shall not wee value this high calling of God in Christ Jesus To bee his sons the Apostle speaks of this as the highest thing wee can attain to in this life now saith hee wee are the sons of God we finde in Scripture the Lord pleasing to afford this title three ways first and principally to Christ hee is always called the Son and somewhat more the only begotten Son of the father none ever begotten as hee was first in respect of his eternal essence wherein hee is the eternal Son and secondly in respect of his humanity and manhood and his headship therein to both creations hee being so begotten the spring of all natural life and being and the head of his body the Church wee finde also the Angells called the Sons of God and in Job 38.7 when the morning Stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy speaking of the Angels and in Luke 3.38 Adam is called the son of God This is in reference unto their first creation and lastly in this Gospel sense this honour have all the Saints to be called Sons and this their son ship through and in Christ the only son is farre more excellent than that of the Angels or of Adams the root of Adams state and glory lay in himself and so being mutable hee of a Son created became a fallen depraved bitter enemy this is unchangeably fixed and growing daily to perfection t is more excellent than that of the Angels in as much as it is wrought and ariseth to the exceeding glory of free grace out of enmity darknesse and a fallen state which they were never in and secondly as t is in Christ the head of this Son-ship exalted above the Angels in the excellency and glory of it There be two questions may be fitly resolved in this place 1 How come we to this estate and then wherein doth it consist 2 How stood the Saints under the Law in the old Testament in reference to it For the first question we come to this state by Christs purchase alone wee receive it from God through him and it hath its root in him hee dispenseth it to us him hath God the father sealed for this purpose this wee see in Joh. 1.12 But to as many as received him to them hee gave power or dignity to become the Sons of God It consists in this that our Lord Christ by what hee hath in his own person done hath taken from us the yoak of the first covenant and of the Law under which wee were as strangers and so dealt withall and hath obtained a right for us to this state of Son-ship and neerness to God wherein wee freely inherit life and salvation hee hath broken down the partition wall of sin and gilt that was between God and man by reason of his inability to fulfil the righteousnesse of the Law and having satisfied that and nailed the condemning power thereof upon his crosse hee brings man that was so farre off thus neer unto God and makes him look upon God no more as an infinite being who is a law giver only and a judge but now in him become a most affectionate tender father and brings God who was thus in Christ reconciling himself to the world to bee no more as at a distance but neer and one with the Creature as a Father and in the deerest and neerest relations God is become in Christ a Father and wee his children our maker our husband and we his Spouse and so wee are brought into this blessed state wherein God deals with us as Sonnes with all love sweetness and familiarity And lastly That which makes this right of Son-ship which Christ hath so purchased and obtained effectuall and gives us the possession of it is God gives us the spirit of his Son Christs Son-ship is as it were communicated unto us and so wee have not only a right of Son-ship in Christ but through him the spirit of sons to apply to God as a Father and wee
his right hand with the son our head Let this consideration that the great God is our Father make us willing to shut our eyes to the world and bee no more seen here that wee may bee with him le ts say with Paul to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ and with him is best of all Let not the fear of death keep us as it did them of old all our life time in bondage but le ts now rejoycingly wait all the days of our appointed time till our change shall come And thus having had some glimmerings of this glorious state of the Saints and of the obligations or rather great priviledges that do attend it let us try and prove our selves whether wee bee in this state or not whether wee are Bastards only in profession and appearance sons or whether wee be sons indeed and have that true spirit of the son dwelling in us and that wee may do it I shall lay down some concomitants amongst many of that true state of Sonship wherein as in a glass wee may see out faces and judge of our selves as to this matter 1 If wee are sons wee have a spirit of prayer to go to God in all extremities t is not so with an hypocrite hee cannot pray always God sends the spirit of his son into our hearts and hee sends it crying Abba father t is a spirit of prayer while wee are in this world t is but crying and groaning in us A son hath not only the form of comming unto God and the gift of praying but the Grace of praying for him the spirit it self makes intercession with sighs and groans which cannot bee expressed if this spirit be hid t is hid to them that are lost 2 A son doth all out of love hee loves God as his father all his service t is out of love t is not forced and wrung from him hee doth not as Saul did force himself to sacrifice but he offers up himself freely He fears he repents hee mourns he mortifyes himself and all out of love he rejoyceth to dye daily he hath love that is strong as death many waters can not quench it hee loves God and therfore thinks nothing too much to do is not measuring the minutes of that time hee spends in his service but is through love all his dayes and in every thing giving himself up wholly to the Lord. 3 A son can bear affliction takes not things unkindly from God submits to the father of spirits A sonne trusts God though hee kill him hee knows though hee do sorely afflict him yet hee will at last return as hee did to Ephraim in Jer. 31. saith God is Ephraim my dear Sonne is hee a pleasant child since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still A son will hang upon God though hee seem never so angry with him Let mee go saith God to Jacob I will not let thee go saith hee till thou blesse mee This seems strange but t is the son like spirit A worldly man and an hypocrite grows presently out of love with God a little thing will make him fly in Gods face and cry out what profit is it that I have fasted A man without the spirit of a son when hee is under an afflicting hand hee tumbles like a wild bull in a net hee is presently with Jobs wife cursing of God a carnal professor grows worse and worse by the rod A Son learns obedience as Christ did by the thing that he suffers he is more meek more broken hearted lies lower at Gods feet and hee saies not a word more but with old Eli t is the Lord let him do what seems him good T is my fathers hand is upon mee though it seem heavy hee corrects me for my profit that I might partake of his holiness and hee so corrects every son that hee receives and I shall reap the quiet and peaceable fruit of righteousnesse by all in the end 4 Hee that hath the spirit of a son useth all enjoyments both natural and spiritual in freedome is sensible of his propriety in his Fathers right t is not so with another A Son is never hide-bound nor in bondage with what he possesseth he lives in the spirit of the son and that is a free spirit A Spirit of Adoption makes a man extream strickt and true to God as a Father and so extream free in whatsoever hee does He hath a large spirit and is not at touch not taste not handle not t is much otherways with a man that hath a legal conscience as Solomon says in another case so t is with him hee never eates his bread with comfort Every thing proves a snare and a burden to him If therefore any bee awakened to look heaven ward and desires to live the life of a Christian let him wait for the spirit of a son and so hee shall come to know that Kingdome of God that is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost FINIS
bondage unto them or to become drudges to dirty unsatiable lusts We are bought with a price the blood of out dearest Lord unto Sonship and unto spiritual freedome le ts not bee like prophane Esau le ts not part with it upon any terms there is nothing under the Sun can bee a price for it Fourthly If wee are sons Le ts go to God always as to our Father le ts treat with him more intimately and freely than a man would do with his friend And acquaint him with all our wants and griefes as knowing him properly concerned therein and bury all our cares in his bosome How sweet will our communion bee with him if whensoever wee come to call upon him wee bring this setled apprehension with us that hee is our father the reason why wee often miscarry in the comfort of our prayers it is because wee think but randomly of him according to what our present temper is wee frame out imaginations of God of what wee finde in our selves the prodigal hee recovered himself with this saith hee I le go to my Father if hee bee my Father there is my hope though I have never so much misbehaved my self t is hard to find a case that a Fathers heart on earth will not bee stirred towards his son but if that should bee t will never bee so with our Father which is in heaven wee can no sooner make towards him but hee 'le meet us whilst wee are a farre off and embrace us and take us home let our Lord herein bee a pattern to us who whilst hee conversed in this lower world would ever keep up this claim to God to bee his Father the meannesse of his condition nor the Jews threats to stone him for it never made him let go the owning of this relation O take heed of nourishing up hard thoughts of God! t is the ground of all Apostasy if you pray not to God as your Father you will not pray to him long at all you will take the first opportunity to quit his service you will do nothing but to stop the mouth of a hungry gnawing conscience the more you think of him the more you will bee troubled All approaches to God under any other apprehension but this will but awaken terrour and multiply guilt before your face O remember therefore our Lord hath taught us to begin all our approaches unto God with calling him Our Father This term will make all our guilt to vanish and bury it out of our sight and drive away our sins as a thick cloud and make all those considerations of his greatness and his majesty sweet unto us Fifthly if God be our Father why doubt we of being provided for can those that have such a father want why take wee so much care why do wee seek an inheritance in the world doth not our Father know what wee want of these things Le ts not choose for our selves but let him provide for us hee takes care of the Lilies and hee feeds the Ravens and shall his children want Shall Christs seed bee unprovided for Paul tells us t is the Fathers work to provide for the children How unbecomming a thing is it for a man that cals God his Father to seek help any where else remember that good man who was ashamed to ask a troop of horse of the King because hee had named the name of the Lord Never apply but to the Lord if you ask him bread he will not give you a stone and if you ask him a fish hee will not give you a Scorpion in our Fathers house there is bread enough And le ts be content with the portion our Father gives us hee loves us much more then wee love our selves and hee infinitely knows what will best fit us Hee lets us know as much of his love as wee are able to bear and fit to bee Masters off in this present state Hee that hath of has meer Grace appointed us to glory should wee not trust him as knowing best how to carry us through this world unto it And hee lets us want nothing of this world that would not hurt us when hee denyes us herein but to keeps us out of deadly snares and fence us from being peirced through with many sorrows whatever our condition bee in this world let this consideration sanctify the best and sweeten the worst to us t is our Fathers portion Sixthly If wee are sons le ts love our brethren le ts not bee unnatural to the Saints enquire for them as David did after the house of Saul that hee might shew kindnesse to them and use them as he did Mephibosheth though hee were lame of his feet take them into your bosome though they are deformed before the world perhaps they want their right hands and their right eyes nay though they have many infirmities and are some of them poor peevish froward children yet love them for their fathers sake our Lord expects this at our hands that we should love the Brethren and hath left a solemn charge with us in his absence to do it we have these always with us to shew our love to but we have not him always Where should love be perfected if not amongst those who have him that is love it self for their Father wee shall have nothing but hatred from the world should not that make us love the more Le ts not therefore bee unkind to the poor Saints say of them wheresoever and in what soever condition you find them as Adam said of Eve when shee was brought to him this is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh wee came all out of that pierced side of our Lord and bee not unkind to your own flesh but love it and cherish it hereby shall wee appear to bee sons in loving the Saints as brethren Seventhly and Lastly If God bee our father be not afraid nor troubled to go to him remember how our Lord comforted himself and his Disciples at his departure I go saith hee to my father and your father O bee not troubled to dye you shall bee with your father that loves you bee not discouraged to come before him because of your unkind untoward dealings with him hee is your father that hath freely passed by all you shall read in Gen. 50.16 17. when Josephs brethren after their Fathers death spake to him of their former unkindnesse to him and discovered their fears that he would punish it upon them Joseph wept the Text saith when they spake unto him they much mistook his heart they took a wrong measure of his spirit by the narrownesse of their own t is so with us in this case wee shall when wee dye bee at home wee are here in a strange Countrey ill used not known there wee shall be in honour wee shall see our father whom wee have so much longed to know and who hath kept us all our life long and we shall be used like sons and sit down at