A. 2. God confers honourable titles upon his children : he calls them the excellent of the earth, Ps. xvi. 3., or the mognificent, as Junius renders it. They must needs be ex- cellent, who are e regio savguiue nail, — of the blood royal of heaven ; they are the spi- ritual j)!iaMiixes of the world, the glory of the creation. God calls his children his glory, Isa. xlvi. 13., " Israel my glory." God honours his childrL-n with the title of kings. Rev. i. 6., " And hath made us kings." All God's children are kings; though they have not earthly kingdoms : yet, l.f/. They carry a kingdom about them, Luke xvii, 21., " The kingdom of God is within you," grace is a kingdom set up in the hearts of (jod's children ; they are kings to ndi! over their sins, to bind those kings in chains, Ps. cxlix. 8. 2(1. They arc like kings; tiu'y have their hisignid regalia, — their ensigns of royalty and majesty. They have their crown ; in this life they are kings in a disguise ; they arc not known, there- fore they are exposed to jioverty and re- proaeii ; they are kings in a disguise; 1 John iii. 2., " Now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be." Why, what shall we be? Every son of God shall have his crown of glory, 1 Pet. V. 4., and white robes, Rev. vi. 11.
Robes signify dignity, and white signifies sanctity.
A. 3. This is their honour who have God for their Father, they are all heirs ; the y<)ungest son is an heir. 1. God's children are heirs to the things of this life ; God be- ing their Father, they have the best title to earthly things, they have a sanctified right to them ; though they have often the least share, yet they have the best right ; and they have a blessing with what they have, i. e. God's love and fai'our. Others may have more of the venison, but God's chil- dren have more of the blessing: thus they are heirs to the things of this life. 2. They are heirs to the other world ; " heirs of sal- vation," Heb. i. 14.; " Joint heirs witli Christ," Rom. viii. 17. They are co-sharers with Christ in glory. Among men com- monly tlie eldest son carries away all, but God's children are all joint heirs with Christ, they have a co-partnership with him in his riches. Hath Christ a place in the celes- tial mansions? so have the saints, John xiv. 2., " In my Father's house are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you." Hath he his Father's love? so have thcv, Ps. cxlvi. 8. John xvii. 26., " That the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them." Doth Christ sit upon a throne ? so do God's children. Rev. iii. 21. What an hiffh honour is this !
yj. 4. God makes his children equal in lu-nour to the angels, Luke xx. 36. They arc equal to the angels, nay, those saints who have God for their father, are in some sense superior to the angels ; for Jesus Christ having taken our natuic, vaturam nostrum nohUitavit^ Aug., hath ennobled and honour- ed it above the angelical, Heb. ii. 16. God hath made his children, by adoption, nearer to himself than the angels. The angels are the friends of Chnst, believers are the members of Christ, and this honour have all the saints. Thus you see the dignity of such as have God for their Father. AVhat a comfort is this to God's children who are here despised, and loaded with calumnies and invectives? 1 Cor. iv. 13., " We are made as the filth of the world," &c. But God will put lionour upon his children at the last day, and crown them with immor- tal bliss, to tlie envy of their adversaries.
OF THE rUEFACE TO THE LORD'S PRAYER
385
Quest. 7. Hoiv may we know that God is our lather 9 All cannot say, ' Our Father :' the Jews boasted that God was their Father, John viii. 4-1., " Jl'e have one Father, even God.'' Christ tells them their pediyree, ver. 44'., '* Ye are of your father the devil." Fliey who are of satanical spirits, and make use of their pouer to beat duwti the power of godli- ness, cannot say, God is their Father ,• they may say, * Our Father which art in hell.' Well then how may we knoiv that God is our Father ?