then heirs,' &c. All God's children are first-born, Heb. xii. 23. and therefore are heirs; hence the whole weight of glory that is prepared for them, is called the inheritance ; Col. i. 12. the inheritance of the saints in light.' If you be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise;' Gal. iii. 29. Heirs of the promise; that is, of all things promised unto Abraham, in and with Christ.

There are three things that in this regard the children of God are said to be heirs unto.

[1st.] The promise, as in that place of Gal. iii. 29. and Heb. vi. 11. God shews to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his council;' as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are said to be 'heirs of the same promise; Heb. xi. 9. God had from the foundation of the world, made a most excellent promise in Christ, containing a deliverance from all evil, and an engagement for the bestowing all good things upon them; it contains a deliverance from all the evil which the guilt of sin, and dominion of Satan had brought upon them, with an investiture of them in all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ Jesus. Hence Heb. ix. 15. the Holy Ghost calls it a 'promise of the eternal inheritance.' This in the first place are the adopted children of God heirs unto. Look whatever is in the promise which God made at the beginning to fallen man, and hath since solemnly renewed, and confirmed by his oath; they are heirs of it, and are accepted in their claim for their inheritance in the courts of heaven.

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[2dly.] They are heirs of righteousness; Heb. xi. 7. Noah was an heir of the righteousness which is by faith; which Peter calls a being heir of the grace of life;' 1 Pet. iii. 9. and James puts both these together; James ii. 6. heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised;' that is, of the kingdom of grace, and the righteousness thereof, and in this respect it is that the apostle tells us, Eph. i. 11. that 'we. have obtained an inheritance;' which he also places with the 'righteousness of faith;' Acts xxvi. 13. Now by this righteousness, grace, and inheritance, is not only intended that righteousness which we are here actually made partakers of, but also the end, and accomplishment of that righteousness in glory; which is also assured in the next place,

[3dly.] They are 'heirs of salvation,' Heb. i. 14. and

heirs according to the hope of eternal life;' Tit. ii. 7. which Peter calls an inheritance incorruptible,' 1 Pet. i. 4. and Paul the reward of the inheritance;' Col. iii. 24. that is, the issue of the inheritance of light, and holiness which they already enjoy. Thus then distinguish the full salvation by Christ, into the foundation of it, the promises, and means of it. Righteousness and holiness, the end of it eternal glory; the sons of God have a right and title to all, in that they are made heirs with Christ.

And this is that which is the main of the saints' title and right, which they have by adoption; which in sum is, that the Lord is their portion' and inheritance, and they are the inheritance of the Lord; and a large portion it is that they have, the lines are fallen to them in a goodly place.

2dly. Besides this principal, the adopted sons of God have a second consequential right; a right unto the things of this world; that is, unto all the portions of it, which God is pleased to intrust them here withal. Christ is the heir of all things; Heb. i. 3. all right and title to the things of the creation was lost, and forfeited by sin. The Lord by his sovereignty, had made an original grant of all things here below for man's use; he had appointed the residue of the works of his hands in their several stations, to be serviceable unto his behoof. Sin reversed this whole grant and institution; all things were set at liberty from this subjection unto him; yet that liberty being a taking them off from the end to which they were originally appointed, is a part of their vanity and curse. It is evil to any thing to be laid aside as to the end, to which it was primitively appointed; by this means the whole creation is turned loose from any subordinate ruler; and man, having lost the whole title whereby he held his dominion over, and possession of, the creatures, hath not the least colour of interest in any of them, nor can lay any claim unto them; but now the Lord intending to take a portion to himself, out of the lump of fallen mankind, whom he appointed heirs of salvation, he doth not immediately destroy the works of creation, but reserve them for their use in their pilgrimage. To this end he invests the whole right and title of them in the second Adam, which the first had lost; he appoints him, 'heir of all things.' And thereupon his adopted ones, being 'fellow

heirs with Christ,' become also to have a right and title unto the things of this creation.

To clear up this right what it is, I must give some few observations.

(1st.) The right they have, is not as the right that Christ hath; that is sovereign and supreme, to do what he will with his own; but theirs subordinate, and such, as that they must be accountable for the use of those things whereunto they have a right and title. The right of Christ, is the right of the Lord of the house, the right of the saints is the right of servants.

(2dly.) That the whole number of the children of God have a right unto the whole earth, which is the Lord's and the fulness thereof, in these two regards.

[1st.] He who is the sovereign Lord of it, doth preserve it merely for their use, and upon their account; all others whatever being mala fidei possessores invading a portion of the Lord's territories, without grant or leave from him.

[2dly.] In that Christ hath promised to give them the kingdom and dominion of it, in such a way and manner, as in his providence he shall dispose; that is, that the government of the earth shall be exercised to their advantage.

(3dly.) This right is a spiritual right, which doth not give a civil interest, but only sanctifies the right and interest bestowed. God hath providentially disposed of the civil bounds of the inheritance of men, Acts xvii. 26. suffering the men of the world to enjoy a portion here, and that oftentimes very full and plenteous, and that for his children's sake, that those beasts of the forest, which are made to be destroyed, may not break loose upon the whole possession. Hence,

(4thly.) No one particular adopted person, hath any right by virtue thereof, to any portion of earthly things, whereunto he hath not right and title upon a civil interest given him by the providence of God. But,

(5thly.) This they have by their adoption; that

[1st.] Look what portion soever God is pleased to give them, they have a right unto it, as it is reinvested in Christ, and not as it lies wholly under the curse and vanity that is come upon the creation by sin, and therefore can never be called unto an account for usurping that which they have no

right unto, as shall all the sons of men, who violently grasp those things which God hath set at liberty from under their dominion because of sin.

[2dly.] By this their right, they are led unto a sanctified use of what thereby they do enjoy; inasmuch as the things themselves are to them pledges of the Father's love, washed in the blood of Christ, and endearments upon their spirits to live to his praise, who gives them all things richly to enjoy.

And this is a second thing we have by our adoption; and hence I dare say of unbelievers, they have no true right unto any thing of what kind soever, that they do possess.

They have no true, unquestionable right, I say, even unto the temporal things they do possess; it is true they have a civil right in respect of others, but they have not a sanctified right in respect of their own souls. They have a right and title that will hold plea in the courts of men, but not a right that will hold in the court of God, and in their own conscience. It will one day be sad with them when they shall come to give an account of their enjoyments. They shall not only be reckoned withal for the abuse of that they have possessed, that they have not used and laid it out for the glory of him whose it is; but also, that they have ever laid their hands upon the creatures of God, and kept them from them for whose sakes alone they are preserved from destruction. When the God of glory shall come home to any of them, either in their consciences here, or in the judgment that is for to come, and speak with the terror of a revengeful judge: I have suffered you to enjoy corn, wine, and oil, a great portion of my creatures; you have rolled yourselves in wealth and prosperity; when the right heirs of these things lived poor, and low, and mean, at the next doors; give in now an answer what and how you have used these things, What have you laid out for the service and advancement of the gospel? What have you given unto them for whom nothing was provided? What contribution have you made for the poor saints? Have you had a ready hand, and willing mind, to lay down all for my sake? When they shall be compelled to answer as the truth is, Lord, we had indeed a large portion in the world, but we took it to be our

own, and thought we might have done what we would with our own; we have eat the fat, and drank the sweet, and left the rest of our substance for our babes; we have spent somewhat upon our lusts, somewhat upon our friends, but the truth is, we cannot say that we made friends of this unrighteous mammon, that we used it to the advancement of the gospel, or for ministering unto thy poor saints, and now behold we must die, &c. So also, when the Lord shall proceed farther and question not only the use of these things, but also their title to them, and tell them the earth is mine and the fulness thereof;' I did indeed make an original grant of these things to man, but that is lost by sin; I have restored it only for my saints, Why have you laid then your fingers of prey upon that which was not yours? Why have you compelled my creatures to serve you and your lusts, which I had set at loose from under your dominion? Give me my flax, my wine, and wool, I will set you naked as in the day of your birth, and revenge upon you your rapine, and unjust possession of that which was not yours. I say at such a time, what will men do?

[3.] Boldness with God by Christ is another privilege of our adoption; but hereof I have spoken at large before, in treating of the excellency of Christ in respect of our approach to God by him; so that I shall not reassume the consideration of it.

[4.] Affliction also, as proceeding from love, as leading to spiritual advantages, as conforming unto Christ, as sweetened with his presence, is the privilege of children; Heb. xii. 3-6. but on these particulars I must not insist.

This, I say, is the head and source of all the privileges which Christ hath purchased for us, wherein also we have fellowship with him: fellowship in name; we are (as he is) sons of God; fellowship in title and right; we are heirs, coheirs with Christ; fellowship in likeness and conformity; we are predestinated to be like the first-born of the family; fellowship in honour; he is not ashamed to call us brethren; fellowship in sufferings; he learned obedience by what he suffered; and every son is to be scourged that is received; fellowship in his kingdom; we shall reign with him. Of all which I must speak peculiarly in another place, and so shall not here draw out the discourse concerning them any farther.