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is not fuitable to the illuftrious faith and piety of a man, who was commended by God himfelf. A celebrated expofitor has faid well on this place: God is called Father, as Mal. 1. 6, a fon honoureth his father, and a fervant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine bonour? And Ifa. 64. 8, but now, O Lord, thou art our father. By this appellation he fets forth the affection of God in this refpect, namely, his paternal care; his own affection in requesting, his brotherly love ; the end of the trial, and a filial reverence and confidence.

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XVI. All we have thus far faid of the grounds of this glorious ftate, is even applicable to the Old Teftament, believers. They had likewise a new life by regeneration, and were created again after the image of God: they were, in like manner, betrothed to Chrift, Hof. 2. 19, 20: their maker was their busband, Ifa. 54. 5. And v. 1, the church of the Öld Teftament is exprefsly faid to be married: nor were 'they without their adoption; who are Ifraelites, to obom pertaineth the adoption, Rom. 9. 4. And to conclude, were heirs of all, Gal. 4. 1: heirs of the grace of God in this life, Pf. 16. 5; and of the glory of God in the life eternal, Pf. 17. 15.

XVII. Though the condition of believers under But in the Old Teftament was very illuftrious, if compared great difwith that of unbelievers, who continue children of parity of degrees. "wrath, and heirs of the treasures of divine indignation; yet all that fplendor comparitively fpeaking was eclipfed to an almoft incredible degree, before the auguft majefty of believers under the New Teftament, as the light of the ftars before that of the fun: as will appear, by comparing them together.

XVIII. Believers under the Old Testament were, The anindeed, fons; but fons who were fubject to their fa- cients unther, and to the severity and difcipline of tutors, who der tutors. bound heavy burdens, and grievous to be born, and laid them on their shoulders; nevertheless, their father faid

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with

The father

with respect to these tutors; all whatsoever they bid you obferve, that obferve and do, Mat. 23, 3. 4. Namely, as long as they commanded nothing, that was contrary to, or inconfiftent with the will of the father., They were obliged to be fubject to the weak and beggarly elements of the world, and, like children, to be engaged all the day in the triffling ceremonies of the Mofaic inftitution, which were, in a manner, the play-things of the church. They were taught like infants, without being left to their own choice, not knowing how to conduct themselves, or what was fit for them, touch not, taste not, Col. 2. 21.!

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XIX. Befides, they were not admitted to that fanot fo ta miliarity with their father, as to penetrate into the miliarly myfteries of his will. The mighty God did then bide discover. bimfelf, Ifa. 45. 15; their tutors indeed, at times, acing him

felf.

Were ob

quainted them with fome things relating to God's purpose of grace, but that only rarely, and in myste rious. expreffions, and under enigmatical or parabolical reprefentations. And tho' many prophets and righteous men defired to fee and hear many things, yet they were not gratified, Mat. 13. 17.

XX. None of them was allowed to approach the liged to holy of holies, which was, as it were, the fecret place tand at a of their father: nay they had not accefs to the temple distance. itfelf, which was the father's houfe, but by means of

In fome

the altar, facrifices and priests, without which, if they took upon them to approach to God, instead of a bleffing, which they fought after, they incurred their father's difpleafure. Neither was it lawful for them to omit the conftant morning and evening fa crifice, Exod. 25. 28, 42...

XXI. Their inheritance was the land of Canaan, a meafure pledge, indeed, of the heavenly inheritance, but fübjected fomewhat obfcure, and fuch, as they were com to a typi- manded to be, in fome measure, fubjected to, cal inheTitance. and which the godly themfelves, were fometimes ob liged to be deftitute of, when forced into banishment. However they were to have fuch a tender regard to this land, that, when banished from their

dear

dear country, they were, in their prayers, to turn their faces thitherward, nor were they to pay their vows to heaven, without directing their eyes to that country, 1 Kings 8. 48, Dan. 6. 11. In all this, there was a notable fubjection to this pledge.

delivered

XXII. The cafe of believers under the New Tefta- N. Testament, is quite different. For, after our elder bro- ment bether, having taken upon him human nature, had lievers are vifited this lower world, and freely undergone a from tuitate of various fervitude for us, he brought us into tors. true liberty, John 8, 36, removed the tutors, blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances, which was con trary to us, declared us to be dead with himfelf, fet free from the elements of the world, so as they never after should have any dominion over us. Col. 2. 16,20. He would no longer have us fubject to thefe minute obfervances, but called us to a reasonable fervice, Rom.121 and having broken and removed that troublesome yoke, which was laid on the jaws of the ancients, Hof.vn. 4, daid his own upon us, which is eafy and light, Mat. 11. 30. onl

the fecrets

XXIII. He introduced us into the father's fecret Taught counfels, and, fucking the breafts of our mother, of the fa taught us the things he fo much defired the fpouse ther. fhould be taught, Cant. 8. 2 declared to us what he had feen in the bofom of the father, nay and even the father himself, John 1. 18, and in himself prefented the father to our view, fo that we have no longer any occafion to fay, fhew us the father, John 14. 9. He brought along with him thofe times, of which Jeremiah prophefied, chap. 31. 34. He abundantly poured out upon us the unition from the holy one, which teacheth all things, 1 John 2. 20, 27. In a word, he does not now account us as fervants; for the jervant knoweth not what his Lord doeth; but he bath called us friends: for all things that he hath heard of his father, be bath made known unto us, John 15. 15.

XXIV, He

Have a free accefs to God.

And di

led to a

ance.

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XXIV. He has alfo obtained for us a free access to the father, having confecrated for us a new and living way, in which we may walk in full affurance of faith, Heb. 10. 20, 22. By his death, the vail of the inmost fanctuary was rent, and all belivers are made a royal priesthood, 1 Pet. 2. 9; none is excluded the holy of holies; and tho' the father ftill fits on a throne of majesty, yet it is at the fame time a throne of grace, to which we are invited to approach with boldness, Heb. 4. 6, without facrifice, without priefts, trufting only in the alone offering of Jefus our High Prieft, whereby he bath for ever perfected them, that are fanctified, Heb. 10. 14: and this is that better hope, by the which we draw nigh unto God, Heb. 7. 19.

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XXV. Nor hath he burdened us with any fubjecrectly cal- tion to a typical inheritance; but hath called us directly, to an inheritance of fpiritual and heavenly fpiritual inherit good things, and appointed unto us a kingdom, as his father bath appointed unto him, Luke 22. 29. There is now no corner of the earth, which we fhould defire, as more holy and more acceptable to God, than another; for, the earth is the Lords, and the fulness thereof, P. 24. 1. Nor does he difdain an altar in the midft of Egypt, If. 19. 19. And thus he hath made us partakers of a better covenant, which was established upon better promifes, Heb. 8. 6.

Therefore

XXVI. On account of thofe excellent prerogatives, eminently believers under the New Teftament are eminently called fons and emphatically called, the fons of God, 1 John 3. 2,

of God.

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beloved, now are we the fons of God, namely, by a much better right and title than before. To this the Apostle has undoubtedly an eye, Gal. 4. 4,5, 6, 7, but when the fulness of the time was come; namely, that appointed time, (till which the children were to be under tutors, v. 2,) God fent forth his fon, to redeem them, that were under the law, fetting them free from the infantile ufe of ceremonies, and that we might receive the adoption, not only that adoption, whereby

we are diftinguished from the children of the devil and of wrath, but also that, whereby we excel infants, not much differing from fervants: wherefore thou art no more a fervant, as formerly, but a fon. That this. is Paul's meaning, the whole connection of the dif courfe and the scope of the writer evince. For the whole tends to fhew, that believers under the New Teftament are fet free from, nor ought they any longer to be oppreffed with, the yoke of the old fervitude, which the falfe judaifing teachers, with the utmost endeavours, ftruggled to lay on their necks.

on being cxcellent. If David put

the fons of

XXVII. Certainly the condition of the fons of The con God is moft fuch a value dition of the ion in law of fuch a king as Saul, God molt 1 Sam. 18. 23: how highly should we esteem it, to be excellent. called the fons of the living God? ft. How unparallelled is that royalty, by which we derive the origin of our pedigree, not from any earthly prince or monarch, but from the king of heaven? 2. What can be more glorious than that divine nature, we obtain by a new generation? 2 Pet. 1. 4. God himfelf glories in his fons, as his peculiar property: nay, calls them the first fruits of his increafe, Jer. 2. 3, who may be to him in praife, and in name, and in bonour, Deut. 26. 19. Almoft as parents who glory, before others in thofe of their children, who are remarkable for their beauty. 3. What even can be more defireable than that marriage-relation to the only begotten Son of God, than which thought itfelf can conceive nothing more honourable, more advantageous, and, in a word, more glorious? He is white and ruddy, the chiefest (tandard-bearer) among ten thousand, Cant. 5. 10. When David, tho'

not yet come to the crown, fent his men to Abigail, to procure her in marriage, that prudent widow bowed herself on her face to the earth, and faid, behold, let thine hand-maid be a fervant to wash the feet of the fervants of my Lord, 1 Sam. 25. 41. And what may our foul fay, whenever it reflects, that, having broke

off

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