are made sons by adoption, who are so by birth. No man ever adopted his own son; those who are sons by nature, need not be made sons by adoption. Though the persons who are regenerated were adopted, yet they were not adopted as regenerate, but when they were in a state of alienation from God. In which state all men

are by nature as the descendants of an apostatehead. Adoption is therefore the taking those into the relation of children, who are not so by nature, or reckoning, or accounting those sons, who are not so by generation. Relation by adoption is therefore quite distinct from sonship, arising from regeneration, or a being generated, and born again, and accordingly we find it treated of as a separate subject in the word of God. Adoption is an act of God's sovereign will, according to Eph. i. 5, 6. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will; to the praise and glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Regeneration is the work of his power, it is a manifest change of soul produced by his Holy Spirit. Not by works, of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Tit. iii. 5. The people of God considered as children by adop

tion, were the subjects of redemption. Being through sin in a state of distance and dreadful captivity, Christ gave his life a ransom for them. He died the just for the unjust, that he might bring them to God. Hence those who were sometime afar off are made nigh by the blood of his Son. It was therefore expedient that Christ should die for the people, and gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad; John xi. 50, 52. For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory to make the Captain of their Salvation perfect through sufferings; Heb. ii. 10. They were not redeemed, considered as saints, but as sinners, not redeemed as children, by regeneration, but as sons by adoption, and of them as such Christ will at last say, Father, here am I and the children thou hast given me. The application of redeeming love, and the possession of the Redeemer's purchase is not enjoyed, nor by them desired till renewed in the spirit of their minds; but being God's adopted sons, therefore in his account they were entitled to them, and because they were sons, the Spirit of Christ is sent into their hearts, crying, Abba, Father. It is owing to the spirit of adoption, or the Holy Ghost bearing witness to their relationship as the children of God, that they are delivered from that bondage

and fear, which would otherwise overwhelm them in consequence of a sight and sense of criminal distance from God, and unlikeness to him; Rom. viii. 15, 17. The bodies of God's people were included in the act of adoption, and with their souls were given to Christ, and bought by him; ye are bought with a price, wherefore glorify God with your bodies which are his. But though the members of the body are instruments of righteousness unto holiness, in consequence of a person being renewed in the spirit of his mind, yet while in this life the bodies of the saints have no peculiar marks of divine sonship, but are subject to vanity, bondage, and corruption. The privileges of adoption therefore, as relating to them, will not be enjoyed till the resurrection, for the bodies of all men through sin are the seat of misery, and not only bodies in general, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body; Rom. viii. 23. Sonship by adoption is not contrary to, nor does it render relationship to God by regeneration UNNECESSARY, there is as much need of a meetness for heaven as a title to it. In order to consummate happiness, it is as necessary to have a disposition, or taste, for pure and refined pleasure, as it is to be delivered from pain. Therefore

except a man be born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, he cannot see it in its na- : ture, beauty, and spiritual glory, for the natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Hence (says Christ) ye must be born again. The doctrine of adoption is supporting to the believer's hope, even when he loaths and bemoans himself on the account of transgressions, for the very name Jesus (a Saviour) was given to Immanuel, because he should save his people from their sins; Matth. i. 21. But considered as born again, they are not denominated sinners but saints, for he that is born of God sinneth not. Sin is not his occupation. By adoption God's people were in point of relation made near to him, as respecting their persons. By regeneration they become followers of him as dear children, through their being the subjects of gracious principles and holy dispositions. To conclude, as sonship amongst men ariseth from adoption, and likewise from natural descent, or generation; the Lord therefore, more fully to express his love to his people, and the ground of their claim or title to heavenly things, has been pleased to discover himself as their father, under both considerations; which if properly attended to by the household of faith, their differences would in some measure subside, and their diffi

culties in some degree diminish; for according to the scriptural account of relation to God, they are most certainly right who say, that by regeneration or heavenly birth, the people of God are denominated sons in a proper sense, and in which sense they were not his children before, for we are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus; and if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his; and those who heartily subscribe to this truth, may surely without offence be allowed to say, that by adoption they were constituted sons before believing; for none are denominated believers till born of God, and it would be absurd to suppose they were not till then adopted. Equally absurd as to suppose Adam adopted Abel, or that it is necessary for his Majesty to adopt the Prince of Wales. When the scriptures treat only of men's relation to God, it is then attributed to adoption, or the gracious act of Jehovah's will towards them, which does not imply, but is distinct from his powerful influences in and upon them. But when likeness and relation to God are jointly considered, an heavenly birth is then intended or included. For, the holy spirit's operations in the souls of men, are illustrated by natural generation; because, such are thereby made partakers of the divine image, as it consisteth in righteousness and true holiness. The conside