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spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

And this filial frame of spirit being peculiar to believers ; that which none but believers have, and which yet is common to all believers; and this filial frame of spirit being that wherein believers bear the image of their heavenly Father, each one resembling the children af a King; for they view things, according to their measure, as God does, and love what God loves, and make his interest their interest, and are taken up with the same designs; I say, this filial frame of spirit being such a peculiar and remarkable thing, and that wherein they so nearly resemble God, and being also the immediate product of the indwelling and influence of the Holy Spirit, therefore, in scripture, it is spoken of as the distinguishing badge of a true believer: as a mark whereby God's children and Christ's sheep are to be known. This is what is called the seal of the spirit, in Eph. i.13. And this seal is the witness, evidence, and proof which the Holy Spirit gives to our consciences, that we are the children of God. Rom. viii. 16. This filial frame of spirit is what satisfies and assures the children of God. They feel the very temper of children towards God. They feel a heart to reverence and fear, love and honour him as a Father ; a heart to go to him; to trust in him; to be in subjection to him, and obey him as a Father. And by this they know they are his children.

Marvellous is the change which the poor sinner passes through in that awful hour of inexpressible solemnity, when he first comes into the awful presence of the dread Majesty of heaven and earth, through Jesus Christ, the glorious Mediator, venturing his ALL for ETERNITY upon this sure foundation. And now, from this time forward, he is quite another creature, under quite new circumstances. As when orphan children, left without a guardian or a guide, from running into riot and indulging themselves in all extravagancies, are taken and brought into the family of a wise and good man, who makes them his children; instills new principles and a new temper into them, and puts them under a new discipline, by which all things become new to them; so, here, from being without God and without hope in the world, and from running

to eternal ruin, we are taken and brought into God's family: have a new temper given to us; have a new father, and are under a new government. God's fatherly eye is upon us every hour, and he is daily labouring to bring us up to his hand; to train us up to his mind; to make us such as he would have us be. He contrives, and takes all manner of ways, by his spirit, and by his providence, and by his word, to make us more serious, spiritual, and heavenly; more humble, weaned from the world, and devoted to God. And thus he purgeth us, that we may bring forth more fruit. John xv. 2. He enlightens, he leads, he teaches, he quickens, he strengthens, he comfort us. Heb. viii. 10, 11, 12. Isai. xl. 31. When we want it, he instructs us. 1 John ii. 27. James i. 5. When we want it, he corrects us. Heb. xii. 6. And when we need it, he encourages and comforts us. 2 Cor. xii. 9. When we love him and keep his commands, he manifests himself unto us. John xiv. 21. And when our spiritual enemies are too strong for us, and our heart and our strength fail, our steps are slipping, our feet just gone; in the distressing juncture he puts underneath his everlasting arms: he takes us by the right hand; he prevents us by his grace; and before we are aware, we have gotten the victory, and begin to say, Whom have we in heaven but thee? And there is none on earth we desire besides thee. Our flesh and our heart faileth; but God is the strength of our heart, and our portion for ever. And O, It is good for us to draw near to God. Psalm lxxiii. And if at any time we forsake him, he follows after us, and visits our transgressions with the rod, and our iniquities with stripes; but never breaks his covenant with us. Psalm lxxxix. 30-34. He hedges up our way with thorns, and brings us to a hearty return. Hos. ii. 6, 7. And thus we are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation. 1 Pet. i. 5.; and finally are brought to the full vision and perfect fruition of God to all eternity. Rom. viii. 30.

Now faith in Christ entitles us to all this, by virtue of that divine constitution which we call the gospel, or covenant of grace; by virtue of that new and living way of salvation which God, the great Governor of the world, has contrived and provided, ratified and confirmed, the sum of which is

contained in John iii. 16.; which constitution God has been pleased to confirm by an oath, to the intent we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us. He has said, He that believeth shall be saved, and he has confirmed it by an oath, to remove all doubt, and to give the highest possible assurance. Heb. vi. 17, 18. And now, being assured that this way of salvation may be depended upon, as being contrived and confirmed by God himself; hence, here we rest secure and safe. We know that this new constitution must be from God, because the whole plan is altogether divine; it is just like God: God cannot but be pleased with it: it is perfectly suited to exalt God; to magnify the law; to discountenance sin; to humble the sinner, and to glorify grace; and if sinners are ever saved, it is infinitely fit that they should be saved in such a way, and in no other. There is such an apparent resemblance of the divine nature and perfections in this whole plan, as is sufficient to assure the heart that it is from God. None but God

And being in

could be the author of it. 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. 6. the first place, assured that it is from God, we have, in the second place, the highest assurance that God will abide by it, and act according to it. For, first, we have his promise; and secondly, we have his oath; so that there can be no reasonable doubt remaining. And now, upon this foundation, does the true believer build all his hopes and expectations; here is the bottom of all: for if I am assured that, by divine grace, I do rightly understand the gospel, and am brought to a genuine compliance therewith, now, then, I am safe, if the gospel be TRUE, and if that way of salvation may CERTAINLY be depended on; if it be no cunningly devised fable, but a way of God's own contrivance, and which he will CERTAINLY abide by. A clear, rational, spiritual conviction and assurance of this, is the very anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast. Heb. vi. 19.

If mankind had remained in a state of pure nature, i. e. under no constitution at all; under nothing but merely the law of nature, i. e. to have been guided and directed to their duty, and to have been rewarded or punished by God, only and merely by and according to the reason and nature of things;

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if this had been the case, then, so long as every individual should be continued in being by God, and should continue to love God with all his heart, and obey him in every thing, so long every individual would be perfectly happy but then, God might, without injustice, let one or all drop into nonexistence, if he pleased, and when he pleased, although perfectly holy. Job xxii. 2. and xxxv. 7. Or, if he was pleased to continue one and all in being for ever, yet, at what time soever any should commit the least sin, that soul should immediately sink down into an eternal hell. Rom. vi. 23.; a thousand years of perfect obedience, by the mere law of nature, not entitling to any promise for the time to come. God's giving and continuing being to us, and granting us advantages to know, and love, and serve him, would render us infinitely indebted to God; but our knowing, loving, and serving God could not bring him at all in debt to us. Rom. xi. 35, 36. Our doing so would naturally render us happy, so long as we should continue to do so; but if, at any time, we should be guilty of the least defect, all would be lost, and we undone for ever.

But then, by and according to the constitution with Adam, things were placed upon another footing. The eternal welfare of mankind was suspended upon another condition: for, according to this constitution, if Adam, the public head and representative of mankind, had remained obedient for some certain period of time, he and all his posterity would, by the free and gracious promise of God, have been entitled to everlasting life; as, on the other hand, if he sinned, all would be exposed to eternal death. But now, FAITH in Christ entitles us to eternal life, by virtue of a new constitution, called the gospel or covenant of grace, made and confirmed by the God of heaven.

The perfect obedience of Adam, had he stood, would not have entitled us to eternal life, notwithstanding he was our natural head, if he had not been made our representative by a divine constitution: so the perfect obedience and sufferings of Christ would not have freed us from condemnation, and entitled us to eternal life, whatever dependence we might have had upon him, if, by a divine constitution, it had not

been appointed and confirmed, that he that believeth shall be saved.

By and according to the law of nature, our own personal obedience would have recommended us to the favour of God, and laid the foundation of our happiness, so long as we should have continued in a state of sinless perfection. By the first covenant, the constitution with Adam, his perfect obedience through his appointed time of trial, would, by virtue of that constitution or covenant, have entitled us to everlasting life. By the second covenant, the perfect righteousness of Christ, the second Adam, entitles all true believers to everlasting life, by and according to this new and living way.

A perfect righteousness was necessary, according to the law of nature; and a perfect righteousness is insisted upon in both covenants. According to the law of nature, it was to be performed personally; but, according to both covenants, it is appointed to be performed by a public head. According to the first covenant, we were to have been interested in the righteousness of our public head, by virtue of our union to him as his posterity, for whom he was appointed to act. According to the second covenant, we are interested in the righteousness of Christ, our public head, by virtue of our union to him by faith.

Our faith is that whereby we unite to Christ; the act is an uniting act. We disunite, separate from, and renounce that to which we before were united, and did close with, and placed our hopes upon, viz. our own righteousness; and are no more emboldened by that, to come into the presence of God. And we unite to Christ, desiring to be found, not in ourselves, but in him; not in our own righteousness, but in his. Phil. iii. 8, 9. And from him we take encouragement to draw nigh to God; we come in HIS NAME. Heb. iv. 16. And now, by virtue of a divine constitution, established by the Governor of the world, all who thus unite to Christ by faith, are considered as being one with him, so as to have an interest in what he has done and suffered in the character of a Mediator, as a public person, so as, upon the account thereof, to be pardoned, and received to favour, and entitled to eternal life. Rom. v. 18, 19. Eph. i. 6. Rom. iii. 24, 25.

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