Religion & morality > Human nature in its four-fold state ... in several practical discourses

gjo Adoption. State III.
A ‘third B:nsfic flowing from Union with Chrift,
is Adoption. Believers being united to Chrift, be¬
come Children of God, and Members of the Family
of Heaven. By their Union with him, who is the
Son of God by Nature, they become the Sons of
God by Grace, John i. 12. As when a Branch is
cut off from one Tree, and grafted in the Branch of
another j the ingrafted Branch, by Means of its
Union with the adopting Branch (as fome not un¬
fitly have called it) is made a Branch of the, fame
Stock, with that into which ’tis ingrafted : So Sin¬
ners being ingrafted into Jefus Chrift, whofe Name
is the B r a n c h, bis Father is their Father, his
God their God, John xx. 17. And thus they, who
are by Nature Children of the Devil, become the ^
Children of God. They have the Spirit of Adopti¬
on, Rom. viii. 15. namely, the Spirit of his Son,
which brings them to God, as Children to a Fa¬
ther ; to pour out their Complaints in his Boflbm,
and to feek neceflary Supply, Gal. iv. 6. Becaufe ye
are Sons, God hath fent forth the Spirit of his Son in¬
to your Hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Under all
their Weaknefles, they have fatherly Pity and Com-
paffion (hewn them, Pfal. ciii. 13. Like as a Father
pitieth his Children: So the Lord pitieth them that
fear him Altho’ they were but Foundlings, found
in a defart Land; yet now that to them belongs the
Adoption, he keeps them as the Apple of his Eye,
Deut. xxxii. 10. Whofoever purfue them, they have
a Refuge, Prov. viv. 26. His Children (hall have
a Place of Refuge. In a Time of common Calami¬
ty, they have Chambers of Protection, where they
may be hid, until the Indignation be overpaft, Ifa.
xxvi. 20. And he is not only their Refuge for Pro¬
tection, but their Portion for Provifion, in that Re-