[3.] It giveth us confidence in the power of God. He which made us out of nothing is able to keep, preserve, and supply us when all things fail, and in the midst of all dangers. Saints are able to make use of this common relation. And therefore it is said, 1 Pet. iv. 19, that we should ' commit our souls unto him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator.' The apostle speaks of such times when they car- ried their lives in their hands from day to day. They did not know how soon they should be haled before tribunals and cast into prisons. Eemember, you have a Creator, which made you out of nothing ; and he can keep and preserve life when you have nothing. Thus this common relation is not to be forgotten, as he gives us our outward life and being : Ps. cx:xiv. 8, ' Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.' As if the psalmist had said, as long as I see these glorious monuments of his power, these things framed out of nothing, shall I distrust God, whatever exigence or strait I may be reduced to ?
Secondly, More especially there is a particular sort of men to whom God is a father in Christ, and that is, to believers : John i. 12, ' To as many as received him, to them gave he power to be called the sons of God.' Those which in their natural state and condition were chil- dren of wrath, and slaves to sin and Satan, when they come, and are willing to welcome and receive Christ into their hearts, in a sense of their misery, are willing to make out after God and Christ ; they have an allowance to call God Father, and may have child-like communion with him, and run to him in all straits, and lay open their necessities to him. 2 Kings iv. 19, When the child cried unto his father, he said, ' Carry him to his mother : ' so when we are ill at ease and in any straits, this is the privilege of our adoption, that we have a God to go to ; we may go to our Father and plead with him, as the church : Isa. Ixiii. 16, ' Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not : thou, 0 Lord, art our father, our redeemer.' It is good to know God under this special relation of a father in Christ ; and this is that which is the grace of adoption. Adoption is an act of free grace, by which we that were aliens and strangers, servants to sin and Satan, are, in and by Christ, made sons and daughters of God, and accordingly are so reckoned and treated with, to all intents and purposes. It is a great and special privilege, given to God's own children, by virtue of their interest in
44 AX EXPOSITION OF [Mat. VI. 0.
Christ; find therefore it is said, 1 Juhn iii. 1, ' Behold, what love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God !' That is, behold it as a certain truth, and admire it as a great privilege. This second relation is a very great privilege, and it will appear to be so, if we consider : —
[1.] The persons that receive it. We that were aliens, and enemies, and bond-slaves ; that were of another line and stock ; that might ' say to corruption, Thou art my father ; to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister :' Job xvii. 14. AVe that were cousin-germans to worms, a handful of enlivened dust, that we should be taken into such a relation to God ! We that might say indeed to the devil, Thou art our father, and the lusts of our father we will do: John viii. 24. Satan is the siuners' father, and God disclaims them. The Lord dis- claims the people which were brought out of the land of Egypt, Avhen they rebelled against him : Exod. xxxii. 7, ' The Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down, for thy people which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.' Thy people, which tJioic hast brought, in scorn and disdain, as if God did disavow them from being his. And so it was with us all. When Adam had re- belled against God, God executed the law of the rebellious child against him, which was this, that he should be turned out of doors. So was Adam turned out of paradise, and lost his title and lieritage ; and we were reckoned to the devil. Now, ' behold, what manner of love was this, that we should be called the sons of God ! '
[2.] You will wonder at it, you will behold it as an excellent privi- lege, if you consider the nature of the privilege itself, to be sons and daughters of God, to be able to call God Father. This was Christ's own title and honour. When God had a mind to honour Christ, he proclaims it from heaven : Mat. iii. 17. ' This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' Surely, if our hearts were as apprehensive of heavenly privileges as they are of earthly, we would admire it more. Earthly alliance, how is it prized I If a great man should match into our blood and line, what an honour and glory do we reckon it to us ! 1 Sam. xviii. 23, ' Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's sou-in-lav\' ? ' Do we account this a small matter, to be related to kings, and princes, and potentates ? No, no ; we have high thoughts of it. And is not this an excellent thing, to be sons and daughters of God ? In all other cases, if men have children of their own, they do not adopt. God had a Son of his own, in whom his soul found full delight and complacency ; yet he would adopt and take us wretched creatures, he would invest us with the title of sons ; and shall it be said of this and that believer, here is the son of God ? 0 behold what manner of love ! &c.