to live always in a dependency on their Creator For although God made Man a perfect Creature filled him with his Grace and adorned him with his Image yet he was but a Creature and he was always to live and have his dependency on God for his subsistance and not to stand and continue in that state from and by himself but to depend wholly on him that made him This he was bound to do not only in point of prudence for his own security and peace but in point of duty as that which he was indispensably bound unto by the Law of his Creation His neglect of his duty in this occasioned his Dreadful Fall which ruined him I mean Adam and all his Posterity The same end doth God Regenerate men for namely that they may believe in Jesus Christ and in God the Father by him Joh. 14.1 1 Pet. 1.21 that they may trust commit themselves to him and live in a constant dependence on him Isa 26.4 Psal 37.3.5 Therefore doth he infuse his Faith into them when he Regenerates them Col. 1.12 and writes this Law in their hearts that they may obey it Jer. 31.33 Heb. 10.16 3 They were at first Created to love God with all their hearts and chiefest strongest and warmest love that they might esteem and love him as their highest and chiefest good and singular Object of all their affections This Law of our Creation we have exprest in Matth. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind So likewise this is Gods End in his second Creation or Regeneration and therefore doth he circumcise their hearts to love him Deut. 30.6 writes this Law in their hearts and sheds it abroad into them in Regeneration Rom. 5.5 that they may love him aright and that with his own love without which they cannot do it 4 The Lord Created Man to fear him to reverence and stand in awe of him as their great Soveraign Lord and King This Law was created with them and written in their hearts until sin had defaced and blotted it out This Law is also written in the Bible that men may remember what was written in their hearts in their Creation and know their duty and one of the ends for which they were Created how they have lost it and to provoke them to endeavour the recovery of it How often have we this Law exprest in Scripture Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God thou shalt stand in awe and sin not Deut. 6.13.24 Deut. 10.12.20 Psal 2.11 Psal 4.4 1 Pet. 2.17 It is a holy fear not a perplexing and heart-disquieting fear that is commanded it is a fear that is not an Adversary to Faith and Love as the forbidden fear is but it is useful for us and helpful to all other Graces Now in Regeneration God puts this fear into our hearts Jer. 32.39 40. that we may serve the Lord with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 that we may not sin or depart from God Jer. 32. I will put my fear into their hearts and they shall not depart from me But I must hasten 5 God Created Man to obey him and yield him free loving and chearful subjection and obedience He formed them for his Subjects and Children that they should subject themselves unto his Laws and Authority and yield or give to him the obedience of Subjects to their Soveraign and of Children to their Creator and Begetter and accordingly they were Created with the Principle and Power of obedience and to this Created Principle God presently added a positive Law to try and exercise their obedience unto God Gen. 2.16 17. But of the Tree of Knowledge thou shalt not eat of it nor touch it The Image of God in which Adam and we in him were Created was such as fully enabled him and us had we kept it to have yielded all heart and practical obedience unto his whole will he wanted nothing to help him but he had all Grace in perfection to obey and conform to the whole Will of God at all times But Sin rooted the Principle and Power of Heart-obedience quite out of us so that men have now neither will nor power to obey the Will of God until they are regenerated by Grace But that God might not loose this End altogether for which he created Man he is pleased of his meer Grace to Regenerate and renew some of Mankind and thereby frame and mould them to such obedience as he at first intended them for for men cannot neither will they obey until Grace hath restored this old Power and Principle of obedience which they had lost And therefore he Regenerates and infuses this Power and Principle into men to make them willing Subjects and obedient Children 1 Pet. 1.14 Rom. 6.16 17 22. This was Gods End in sending Paul to convert the Gentiles Rom. 15.18 and this is powerfully effected in men in and by the work of Regeneration 6 That they might serve and worship him according to his revealed will God made men to worship and serve him externally as well as internally by loving fearing him and the like Christ mentions this in Matth. 4.10 when the Devil desired external worship from him It is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God They were created in the Image of God to serve him with fear that is to worship God Psal 2.11 Heb. 12.28 Now God Regenerates men that they may by his Grace be enabled to do and perform that worship to him which he at first created them for and the Law of their Creation enjoyns them to that is to worship God in Spirit and Truth for such Christ tells us the Father seeks to worship him John 4.23 24. God works them for this self-same thing though not only for it says Paul 2 Cor. 5.5 Regeneration makes men together with the help of the Spirit worship God according to his own Will and appointment spiritually holily and acceptably through Jesus Christ Heb. 12.28 1 Pet. 2.5 Rom. 12.1 But assuredly there are not any such Worshippers in the World but Regenerate persons for all other men do what they do in the Worship of God without the Grace and Spirit of God and therefore cannot worship him in Spirit and Truth 7 God created Man in his own Image that they might know him and therefore gave them a sufficient light to see by and eyes to use that light revealed and made known himself unto them that they might clearly see him and always have him and his Will in their eyes The Image of God was Light and Knowledge as well as Righteousness and Holiness and therefore Adam knew and saw God so far as a Man was or in that state could be capable of knowing him which as it aggravated his sin so it heightned his happiness while he kept it The knowledge of God was absolutely necessary to help him and us in him to trust love fear and obey him so likewise to
overthrows the Devils Kingdom as the blowing of the Rams horns did fell down the walls of Jericho By this means the dead are raised to Life the blind are made to see Acts 26.18 and deaf ears are unstoped By the Gospel men are Translated out of the Kingdom of darkness into Christ's Kingdom of Light 7. God Regenerates men to and for holy and gracious ends and purposes They are created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God had before ordained that they should walk in them Eph. 2.10 That they that live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5.15 That they should walk in newness of Life and not serve sin Rom. 6.4 6. God Crowns them with and makes them the subject of his special grace that they may be Agents of his glory in bringing forth fruit worthy of their new state God hath great ends in bestowing great grace and special ends in giving special grace God honours and beautifies men with his grace that they may therewith adorn his Gospel and exalt his name By Regeneration God makes men loving and lovely and meetens them for communion with himself I have I think said enough to or of the definition of Regeneration therefore shall say no more of it in this place Quest. Pray explain the great work of Regeneration more fully and shew us what those works of God on men are that do not amount to or ordinarily Issue in Regeneration that so we may clearly understand what Regeneration is not and also what it is Answ I shall first shew what t is not 2. What it is more fully First Meer light in the head is not Regeneration For men may have much Spiritual light without Spirittual Life Some are enlightened who fall away from the truth and become Apostates Heb. 6.4 5 6. and after they have known the way of Righteousness do turn from the holy commands of God to their own wicked ways 2 Pet. 2.21 22. And we read of some who knew their Lords will but did it not Luk. 12.47 which shews that they were never Regenerated Secondly Men may have many and great convictions of sin and of their miserable and wretched conditions by reason thereof they may be under much trouble of Spirit and cry out with tears and heart-grief and they may mourn and be in bitterness of Soul in the sight of their sad case and perishing state and yet all may be blown over and come to nothing but end in sin and eternal death Pharoah crys out I am wicked Exod. 9.27 and Saul saw his wickedness and wept 1 Sam. 24.16 and confessed his sin 1 Sam. 26.21 Wicked Ahab had conviction of and was greatly troubled for his sin and humbled himself 1 King 21.27 28 29. so the Israelites in the Wilderness and afterward Judas was troubled and crys I have sinned Matth. 26.3 4. yet none of them were Regenerated Thirdly Men may greatly reform their ways and look like New Creatures their Conversations may be white while their hearts are black they may have a clean outside when they are foul and abominable within they may appear beautiful to men whilest they are but whited Sepulchres and full of all manner of wickedness within Mat. 23.25 26 27 28. they may be washed and yet be still Swine 2 Pet. 2.22 and they may go for Saints amongst men whilest they are Devils within Judas was so and the Lord Jesus tells us that many go in Sheeps cloathing but are indeed Wolves Matth. 7.15 Therefore meer Reformation is not Regeneration Thou mayst forsake many sins whilest thou lovest them and perform many duties that thou lovest not but loathest Herod was a Reformer he did many good things Mark 6.20 but he was not a New Man Fourthly Thou mayst have much spiritual joy and yet be still an unregenerate man Herod heard John preach with gladness Mark 6.20 The stony-ground hearers had joy for a time in the good ways of God Mat. 13.20 Thou mayst have many tasts of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come Hebr. 6.4 5. yea thou mayst have such tasts of the Heavenly Gift as to raise thy Soul to delight in drawing nigh to God in his Ordinances of Divine Worship and continue in thy unregenerate state Isa 58.2 Fifthly Thou mayst believe the truths of the Gospel and on the Lord Jesus Christ and yet be in an unregenerate state and condition Simon Magus believed when in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Act. 8.13.23 The rockie hearers did believe a while but were afterward Apostates Luk. 8.13 Christ his hearers are said to believe on him Joh. 8.30 yet in verse 44. he calls them the children of the Devil Ye are says he of your Father the Devil and his works ye will do The Hypocrites mentioned in Psal 106.12 13 14. were said to believe and so may you have Faith and believe and yet be Hypocrites still You may think you do believe aright unto Salvation when in truth you do not but delude your own Souls Sixthly Thou mayst be much in hearing and praying and yet be an unregenerate man Herod was a hearer of John Mark 6.20 Hypocrites in Ezekiel were great hearers of him and he was to them as a very lovely Song Ezek. 33.30 31 32. The three bad grounds were all hearers of the Gospel Matth. 13 18-22 but not a good hearer amongst them they were all stark naught and so mayst thou be also who art a great hearer of good men and then for praying or rather saying of prayers thou mayst pray often and long and yet be an hypocrite and an unregenerate man yea thou mayst have the gift of prayer and yet be a graceless man The Scribes and Pharisees made many and long prayers Matth. 23.14 So the hypocrites we read of in Job Chap. 27.8.10 Many make such prayers as God abhors and will not hear Isa 1.14 15. Seventhly Thou mayst be very strict and very severe in fasting and afflicting thy self and yet be an unregenerate man The Scribes and Pharisees fasted and afflicted themselves in the height of their hypocrisie Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the week And wherefore have we fasted and afflicted our souls say the hypocrites in Isa 58.3 and the like they did in Babylon Zach. 7.5 6. Eighthly Thou mayst be a charitable man I mean thou mayst give much Alms to the poor and yet be an unregenerate man The Scribes and Pharisees did so Mat. 6.1 2. Luk. 18.12 Ninthly Thou mayst be a zealous man for and in Religion and yet be in an unregenerate state Paul was so before his Regeneration Act. 22.3 Gal. 1.14 The Jews had a zeal for God when in their blindness and hardness of heart Rom. 10.2 Thou mayst be of a warm zealous spirit even whilest thou hast a carnal unregenerate heart Tenthly Thou mayst have much Integrity and do many good things uprightly or without designed guile or fraud towards God
neither do they desire there should be their minds and thoughts are wholly taken up about making provision for their Pride Covetousness Carnal Security Vain Glory Good Opinion of themselves and other filthy Lusts and they make themselves their Drudges and humble servants Rom. 13. ult And hence they are said to serve sin Rom. 6.6.17.20 But new Creatures know and account their Lusts their greatest Enemies and prosecute them with implacuble enmity and hatred They know either they must destroy their Lusts or they will destroy them They know that they have trucifyed the Son of God and put him to open shame and they know that they have greatly wronged their own Souls Pro. 8. ult And therefore they will give them no Quarter but stab them to the heart whatever it cost them to do it 4. Watching They are called to and imployed in the work of watching and guarding themselves against all their enemies This is another of their Special and peculiar works and businesses It is spetial and peculiar to new or regenerate men though it is the duty of all men yet none but they are conscientiously and dutifully imploying and exercising themselves in it But good men are 1 Joh. 5.18 But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself That is they do watch aâ—me and guard themselves so David did Psal 102.7 Psal 130.6 and the Scripture makes it one of the Special properties of good servants as well as their workes Habak 2.1 which Christ pronounces Blessed Revel 16.15 2 Cor. 11.27 Luk. 12.37 Regenerate men are beset with enemies which watch their opportunities to assault and betray them and that they know They know that Satan watches them and Lusts watch and the world watches to hurt and mischief their Souls and therefore they watch them and prepare against them It is true that good men are apt to be too negligent in this duty and need stirings up to it and it is as true that they do ordinarily practice this duty and worke They are moved to it 1 by the will and command of God God requires them to watch guard themselves Mark 13.33 34 37. 1 Their own hearts Pro. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence 2 the Devil 1 Pet. 5.8 Be Sober be Vigilant for your adversary the Devil as a Roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour 3 The World Luk. 21.34.36 4 To watch unto prayer and all other duties Col. 4. and Acts 20.31 1 The Calls to and opportunities for them that through heedlesness and inadvertency we let them not slip away from us without imbracing and improving them to the Glory of God and our Souls profit or advantage of others 2 That we may close in and joyn Issues with God and his designes in giving them to us and that in the time and season of them and that freely and readily 2 They are moved to a fervent attendance on this work and duty by and from their dangers They are in continual danger of assaults and surprizalls from them and therefore they must be always upon their watch to prevent their designs discover their plots and foyl them in their Attempts 3 From their own security and comfort they are moved to this worke It is easier keeping an Enemy out of the Garison of the heart then dealing with and driving him out â—hen admitted in Their own as well as Christs honour safety and happiness is much concerned in their so doing God hath 1 committed themselves to their own keeping and given them the care and charge of themselves 1 Joh. 5.21 Pro. 4.23 Jam. 1. ult 'T is true â—â—at God doth watch over and keep them in especially manner also Isa 27.3 1 Pet. â—5 and that when they are most careful to â—eep themselves 2 God hath intrusted them with power light will and abilities to keep themselves and in their doing of it in obedience to his will he hath promised to keep and secure them from Sin and danger likewise 1 Pet. 5.7.2 Tim. 4.18 They watch and keep themselves dutifully in order to their safety and God keeps and watches them powerfully and effectually so as that the sâ—es of Hell shall not prevaile against them Math. 16.18 But they cannot so keep and secure themselves with their utmost diligence This I say is the work and imployment of regenerate persons they and they only live in the practice of it Unregenerate persons do no way concern themselves in this great and special work They know it not they love it not neither have they hearts to do it withal They think it a work of supererogation and that such as are busied about it are more strict and precise than they should be They fear neither God Sin World nor Devil neither are they sensible of the danger they are in of destruction but go on securely in the wayes of their own hearts and speak peace unto themselves presuming that no evil shall come to them 5 They are employing and exercising themselves in worshiping God according to his own will and Appointment namely to worship God in Spirit and Truth and that with his own worship We are they sayes Paul of himself and other Saints who worship God in Spirit Psal 3.3 They are convinced that they must and that God will so be worshiped of them Joh. 4.24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth For this self-same thing though not onely doth God Regenerate men and thereby lays in and sets up a principle of divine worship in them that so they may readily do it according to the will of God For sayes Christ the Father seeketh such to worship him Joh. 4.23 that is that the Father doth by Christs Gospel and the holy Ghost call and regenerate teach and Spirit some to worship him It is their desire choice care and study to draw nigh to God in all parts of his worship with true hearts Heb. 10.22 and to worship God sincerely and Spiritually To please and honour him to sanctify his name and holy worship and to give unto the Lord the honâ—â—â— due unto his name to comply with his holy will and ends to make his praise glorious Psal 29.1 2. Psal 66.2 This is also one of their high and noble works holy and Spiritual imployments and that wherein their Souls delight to this they are called for this they are in part fitted and qualified in their Regeneration and this is their work and business ever â—â—er Thus it is with you and so is your â—ractice if you are Regenerated Unregeneâ—â—te men are strangers and adversaries to this peculiar work and duty of new Creatures they know it not they do it not neither conâ—â—rn themselves with it They take up in and are satisfied with the Letter without the Spirit with the form without the Truth and â—â—er of Godliness and they imagine that they have done God good service when they have spent some time in external duties and ordiâ—ances without the great
and constantly go to the Court of Justice and Mercy and crave Pardon of all your sins and take out sealed Pardons through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant For Christ gave himself to Redeem you from all Iniquity Tit. 2.14 so that you are now in and by believing made free from sin and stand as clear in Christs Righteousness and Gods Justification as if you had never sinned This is another of your glorious Priviledges who are New Creatures 4. You are Priviledged with great Interest in Christ and God the Father by him and have free â—ccess to him at all times in your dutiful carriages and obedient walkings towards him You have great interest in and power with God and you are priviledg'd with open ingress to him His doors stands always open to let you into his Presence Chamber for the Lord Jesus hath opened them for you and none can shut them against you You have this great Master of Requests waiting on or rather sitting by the great God and waiting for you that when you come with your Petitions you may find him ready to attend and prosecute your concerns in Heaven for you Heb. 7.25 Heb. 9.24 Rom. 8.34 You have his heart and he hath always his Fathers ear Job 11.42 so that you need never fear any miscarriage of or in your businesses there And be sure that all your greatest concerns lie in his hand and he is engaged to you and to his Father for you to mind and mannage them to your advantage For he tells us That he would go to Heaven and pray the Father for you Job 14 16. and hath told us since he went to Heaven that he was always attending on it Heb. 7.25 Before he left the World in his last Will and Testament he bequeathing this Priviledge unto his People and left it as a part of their Legacy to and for them that we might have what we would of him Joh. 14 13 14. And he gives us all possible assurance of it by his Asseverations Verily verily vers 12. says he I say unto you that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name that will I do And then he further confirms his grant and promise by an Argument taken from his Father his concern and interest in his so doing namely That the Father may be glorified in the Son that is by the grant he had given his people of power and interest in him to make use of him and using his Name at the Throne of Grace with his Father as also his praying and appearing for them to and with his Father and carrying on his peoples concernments there â—is Father would take it as his honour concern and interest This Truth is evidenced and confirmed throughout the Gospel in innumerable places As in Joh. 15.7 Joh. 16. This is another of your great and dear bought Priviledges which are confer'd on you and put into your possession in Regeneration For assuredly other men have it not neither had it you before I pray for them I pray not for the world no but for them which thou hast given me out of the world for they are thine and mine says Christ Joh. 17. Other men have nothing to do with me in this matter nor I with them I pray for my Sheep my Members my Believers my New Creatures For such as have chosen me for their King and High Priest to govern and interceed for them These are the persons for whom I have shed my Blood and for whose Souls I sacrificed my Life to Divine Justice These are the men that I have dearly bought and those are the persons that wear my Livery and bear my Image and therefore I pray for them They lie deep in my Affections and so do I in theirs They are near and dear to me and so am I to them likewise I have promised this priviledge to them and they have thankfully accepted it and kindly embraced it They make use of me and have their eyes and dependence on me to appear for them in Heaven and therefore they may come boldly to my Throne of Grace and find favour and Grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. ult These my New Creatures may ask of me what they will and it shall be done to them Job 15.7 And as they have great Interest in the ear and heart of Christ and may be familiarly bold with him as he doth and will pray for and mannage their concerns in Heaven for them so they have free access unto the Father and a great interest in his ear and heart also upon Christs account Hence the Lord Jesus tells his Disciples when he was comforting and encouraging them and pouring out as it were his heart and Bowels of Love unto them I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you Joh. 16 26 27. That is your heavenly Father hath such Love and Affection for you and your interest is so great in him upon my account that if I should hold my peace and not speak a word to him in your behalfs yet he hath Grace and Love enough to and for you and that he will also mind your concernments And you may go to him in my Name and make use of him in all your matters and businesses 5. All the promises that are made and given appointed and intended for the Saints and People of God in the Gospel are yours All the promises of Grace and to Grace and Gospel obedience with all the good all the marrow and fatness of them are yours Not a Hony-comb in all the Hive of the Gospel-Covenant but what will yield you some drops of hony and sweetness And you being new Creatures and married to Christ in whom are all the Promises yea and amen 2 Cor. 1.20 all the Promises are your Dowry and Portion They are all Intayled on and made over to you they are your great Pattent and Charter for all Grace and Glory and by which you may plead and do hold your Right and Title to Grace and Christ hear and Eternall Life hereafter For if all things be yours as the Gospel saith they are 1 Cor. 3.22 Then all the Promises of the new Covenant are yours likewise And with a holy boldness you may Claim and appropriate them and all the milk and hony of them to your selves as yours by Grant and Purchase Are you indeed and in Truth Regenerate Persons why then rejoyce and be exceeding glad for the great Charter of heaven is yours You are of the little holy and heavenly corporation and City Citizens of the new Jerusalem that came down from heaven and therefore you have a Right unto and Interest in all the promises of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 You have the promises of all Grace and happiness and for whatever you need and much more To instance in a few of many and that briefly 1. You have the Promises of pardon of the
us that 〈◊〉 should be called the Children of God Behold what manner of love is this I cannot conceive much less express how great and admirable his love is to his children God onely knows how much he loves them but they do not know it no nor yet can they tell how much they do love God For love between them and God and God and them is unmeasurable innumerable unsearchable and past finding out Their love to Christ is as strong as Death that many waters cannot quench Cant. 8.6.7 O! then how great is his love to them New creatures are sick of love to Christ it is so fervent strong and working Cant. 5.8 How much more strong and fervent is Christs love to them 'T is true that Christ is a far more lovely and desirable object of and for their love and delight than themselves are for Christs for he is the fairest of Ten thousands and altogether lovely â—â—t 5.10 ult But then they have not so â—uch love for Christ in their hearts as he â—â—th for them The Lord Jesus looks on his â—â—w Creatures his Spouses like a true and â—â—hement Lover indeed Like one that is enaâ—ored and ravished with them hence we have â—â—â—en such expressions falling and droping â—â—om his pure Lips How faire and how pleasant â—â—t thou O Love for delights Cant. 7.6 And â—â—ou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse â—â—â—u hast ravished my heart with own of thine eies â—ith one chaine of thy Neck Cant. 4.9 By all which expressions of his he commends and sets out his exceeding great love to his people Oh! what a rich and invaluable priviledge is this to be so much and lye so deep iâ— the love and affections of the great God and the Lord Jesus Christ He loved you before your Regeneration so as to make you truely lovely with his Grace and Spirit with his Righteousness and holyness But now he loves you as most lovely and dilightful persons indeed He loves you now with the love of delight joy and complacency as was shewed You are his delight and Crown of rejoycing your Countenance is comely and your voice sweet to him Cant. 2.14 His Love to you is true and hearty strong and fervent fruitful and profitable and it is everlasting and unchangable he loves you notwithstanding your many unlovely carriages towards him and with all your personal deformities he taketh pleasure in you and refreshes as it were himself with you he cannot endure to see you slight and forget him or to suffer your minds and affections to depart from him he delights in you and in his love to or loving of you and the like he doth in your love to or loving of him The more you love him the more be sure he will unbosome himself and open unto you the hidden Treasures of his love Prov. 8.21 For his great love to you causes him to desire and call for love from you Seventhly You have the priviledge and great dignity of Adoption You were Vagabous and Miserable Beggars cast out to the loathing of your Persons None pitied you or took you in none hearkned to you nor cared for you neither had you any hand stretched out to help you until you came to the Lords door But there you found compassion and mercy there you found provision ready for you You knockt but once there before the the Lord of Glory came himself and opened the door to you and invited you into his house He hastned to bring the Fatted Calf and called for his best Robes took off your filthy Rags and put oâ— his own Garments of Grace Righteousness and holyness on you then he writ his own name on you and Stampt divine nature upon you and made you beautiful and desirable He gave you a new name when he made you new Creatures which is your honour and glory and the he said of and unto you These shall be my sons and daughters 2 Cor. 6. ult And hence forth he accounts and calls them so These are my Sons and my Daughters which I have formed for my self and taken into my house and family Ezek. 16.20 Isa 43.21 For they are my first born They were born for and unto me as in that of Ezekiel I have appointed and ordained them to live in my house as my Sons and Daughters and they shall go no more out or returne to their former estate again For they must abide with me for ever For the Son though not the Servant abideth for ever in his Fathers house or family as the Son of such a Father Joh. 8.35 I have says God put in their names their new names for and intituled them unto an Eternal Inheritance Coll. 1.12 Heb. 9.15 Eph. 1.11.14 1 Pet. 1.4 I have made them my heirs yea joynt heirs with my Christ whom I have given to be the heir of all things Heb. 1.2 Rom. 8.17 These shall in due time be put into the possession of their Inheritance for it is reserved in heaven for them and I will keep them for it 1 Pet. 1.4.5 and in the mean time they have and shall keep in their hands their hearts the Earnest and first fruits of it namely the holy Spirit of Promise He is the Spirit of adoption to and in them Rom. 8.14.15 Gal. 4.5 by and as working and fitting them for it and the meetening them to live as Children in their heavenly Fathers house and to demean themselves there as they ought to do So likewise to Seal up and confirm their Inheritance to them and bear witness to the reallity and Truth of it namely that there is such an Inheritance reserved for them and that they are appointed for and chosen to it and also to the Truth and faithfulness of God who hath promised it Rom. 8.16 Eph. 1.13.14 In their Scriptures he is called a witnesser and a Sealer Now to what doth he Seal and witness but to the hearts and faith of the adopted that there is such an Inheritance entailed on them that they shall possess and enjoy it and to thâ—â— faithfulness Truth and Alsufficiency of God who hath promised it and must do it for them Besides this there is another priviledge in you adoption which is your boldness and Intimacy with your God and Father notwithstanding the Infinite distance that there is between you and him which you have mentioned in Gal. 4.6 And because ye are Sons God hath sent foâ—â— the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Crying Abâ—â— Father And in Rom. 8.15 but ye have received 〈◊〉 Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father That is we may now in and by your Adoption and the Spirit thereof in our hearts conveâ—â— familiarly Intimately and boldly with God through Jesus Christ We may draw near to 〈◊〉 in full Assurance of Faith as commanded Hâ— 10.22 And boldly Heb. 4. ult And that because we are adopted Children in our Father house and can come to and converse in wiâ—â— and by the Spirit of Adoption