from the world-to quicken them in their dutyto prove their fincerity-and prepare them for heaven. David confidered his adverfity as a fruit of God's parental faithfulness and love. "I know, O God, that thy judgments are right, and thou in faithfulness haft afflicted me."

Affliction, confidered in itself, is grievous-confidered as the effect of fin, is humbling-but, confidered as the allotment of divine wifdom for our eternal advantage, it is matter of thankfulness and joy. "Count it all joy," fays St. James, "when ye fall into divers temptations, for the trying of your faith worketh patience." "Rejoice," fays St. Peter, "in as much as ye are partakers of the fufferings of Chrift, that when his glory fhall be revealed, ye may be glad alfo with exceeding joy." The children of God must esteem it a mighty privilege, that they are under the care of a wife and gracious parent, who will always treat them according to their wants; will give them prosperity as far as it is fafe, and withdraw it when it would be dangerous; will fend correction when it is needed, and remove it when the occafion ceafes; and, in a word, will caufe all things to work for their good.

3. Adoption includes a title to a glorious refurrection from the dead, and to an eternal inheritance in the heavens.

So this Apoftle explains it in the eighth chapter to the Romans. "We have received the spirit of adoption-and the fpirit itself beareth witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Chrift. If we fuffer with him, we fhall also be glorified with him; and all the sufferings of the present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory, which shall be revealed in us. For the earneft expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifeftation of the fons of God; for the creature fhall be delivered from the bondage of corruption

into the glorious liberty of the fons of God. And we, who have the firft fruits of the spirit, groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, even the redemption of the body." To the fame purpose are the words of St. John, 1 Epiftle, Chapter iii. "Behold now, what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us, that we fhould be called the fons of God.-Now we are the fons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we fhall be; but we know that when. Chrift fhall appear, we fhall be like him, for we fhall fee him as he is." So alfo fays St. Peter, 1 Epiftle i. 3. "Bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who hath begotten us to a lively hope by the refurrection of Chrift from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, fading not away, referved in heaven for us."

Now if believers are the children of God, then their temper must be a child like temper-a temper correfponding to their relation, condition and character. Let us therefore, as becomes obedient children, be holy in all manner of converfation, for he who has called us is holy. Let us be followers of God as dear children, walking worthy of him, who has called us to his kingdom and glory. Let us reverence and love our Supreme Parent, truft ourfelves in the hands of his goodness, patiently bear the corrections of his love, humbly fubmit to the difpofals of his wifdom, maintain a daily correfpondence with him, attend to all the discoveries of his will, and in all things cheerfully comply with his commands, however contrary to our natural wishes. In imitation of his goodness let us do good as we have opportunity; and, regarding his profeffed children as our brethren, let us walk in love to them, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace; for he, who is the God and Father of all, is above all, through all, and in us all.

I proceed to our fourth,

IV. Obfervation: That all fpiritual bleffings are derived to us through Jefus Chrift. "God hath chofen us in Chrift-predeftinated us to the adoption of children by Chrift-made us accepted in the Beloved." It is the grand theme of the gospel, that "God is in Chrift, reconciling the world to himfelf."

The wifdom of God faw fit to exercife mercy to finful men through the mediation of his Son, who came into our world, affumed our nature, and fuf fered death on the cross for our fins. What were all the reafons, which, in the divine government, made fuch a fcheme of redemption neceffary, it may be difficult for us to determine, and it is needlefs to inquire. We may, however, easily difcern fome important ends, which it anfwers. It clearly displays the holinefs, juftice and mercy of God, the evil and demerit of fin, the punishment which it deferves, the grace of God to pardon it, and the amazing danger of continued impenitence in it :We must therefore fuppofc, that thefe were among the reasons why it was adopted.

As Chrift is the Mediator, fo all the bleffings, which we enjoy and hope for, are reprefented as coming to us through him. We are juftified through his blood-adopted in him-obtain the promife of the Spirit and are fanctified in him-are admitted to the means falvation, called to the privileges of the gospel, and made partakers of eternal life through

him.

The Apoftle fays, God has chofen us in Chrift, before the foundation of the world. It was the eter nal plan of divine wifdom to fave finners through Jefus Chrift, who, in the purpofe of God, was a lamb flain from the foundation of the world.Their falvation therefore cannot originate from any worthiness in themselves, but muft depend on the interpofition of the Savior; for every thing which

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God has done, and which, even before the foun. dation of the world, he purpofed to do for the recovery of finners, was in confideration of that all perfect facrifice which has been offered on the crofs.

Now if all fpiritual benefits come to us only through Chrift, it is an obvious conclufion, that we must seek and expect them in his name: For we muft evidently apply for them in the way in which God bestows them. Faith in Chrift, therefore, becomes a neceffary condition of acceptance with God. However God may fee fit to deal with fome, who enjoy not our light, yet to us, who have known the mystery of his will, faith in Chrift is a neces_ fary principle of religion. "For as much as we know, that we are not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Chrift, who was ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifefted in these laft times for us, we must come to God by him, and by him believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God."

V. The Apoffle farther teaches us, that the reafon of God's choofing believers in Chrift, and predeftinating them to adoption, is the good pleasure of his will.

If we admit that we are finful, fallen creatures, unworthy of God's favor, and infufficient for our own redemption, which is a plain doctrine of the gofpel, and an evident dictate of experience, then our falvation muft ultimately be refolved into God's good pleafure. There is no other fource from which it can be derived. If death is our defert, our deliverance must be by grace.

Final falvation is fufpended on the condition of our repentance, faith and holiness; but it is not the lefs grace; for these previous requifites are not merely of ourselves; they are the gifts of God.

The original plan of falvation is from him, not
from us: The gofpel itfelf is a divine gift, not a
human discovery: Our being under circumstances
to enjoy it is not the effect of our previous choice,
but of God's fovereign goodness: It is the good
Spirit of God, who awakens the attention of finners
to the gospel, excites them to the use of the means
in their hands, and makes thefe means fuccessful.
The gofpel confiders and treats us as free, but not
as independent agents. In common life, the fuc-
cefs of our labors, as well as our ability to labor,
depends on the fúpport and concurrence of Provi-
dence. In the fpiritual life, we are no lefs depend-
ent on the influence of grace. As our encourage-
ment to worldly induftry arifes from a belief, that
God's Providence always attends us, fo our anima-
tion in the Chriftian life fprings from a perfuafion,
that God's grace is fufficient for us.
"The just
live by faith."

Salvation is the purchase of Chrift; but ftill it no less originates from God's good pleafure; "for in this was manifested the love of God toward us, because he sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." "God, who is rich in mercy," fays our Apostle, "for the great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in fins, hath quickened us together with Christ, that in the ages to come, he might fhew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness to us by Jefus Chrift. For by grace are ye faved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, left any man fhould boaft; for we are his workmanship, created in Chrift Jefus to good works, which God hath ordained, that we fhould walk in them."

This brings us to our last observation,

VI. That the great purpose for which God has chosen and called us, is the praife of the glory of h

grace.

his