[3.] The estate wherein his grace found us, when he was pleased to take us into his family. We were by nature children of wrath, wretched children, Eph. ii. 3, that had deprived ourselves of the inheritance, wasted our patrimony, forfeited our right to the promises ; but our
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iaheiitauce is redeemed, and the forfeiture taken off by Christ ; we are brought back again into the family, dignified witli the privileges of the first-born, made priests unto God ; and above all his other creatures, do become his special portion : Jam. i. 18, ' Of his own will begat he us, to be a kind of first fruits of his creatures ; ' and made heirs of the kingdom, James ii. 5. Now for us to have the blessed God, whom we bad so often offended, to become our reconciled father in Christ, — O what wonderful love is this ! That we should be admitted into the church of the first-born, have free liberty to worship God, and have a right to such a blessed and glorious inheritance !
2. What is the spirit of adoption ? First, We are made sons, and then we have the Spirit of his Son, Gal. iv. G ; being adopted into Ood's family, we have a spirit suitable. They that use to adopt children give them some kind of token to express their love ; so here is a gift answerable to the dignity of our estate, and the love of a father, and that is the gift of the Spirit ; the dignity is inward and spiritual ; and the gift answereth it : ' He hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts.' God would not distinguish the good from the bad, the heirs of promise from the children of wrath, by the blessings of his common providence ; but with what suiteth better with that intimate communion that we have with him as a father : 1 John iii. 24, ' Hereby we know that we dwell in God, and God dwelleth in us, by his Spirit that he hath given us.' Spiritual things are best manifested and discovered to us in a spiritual manner, and by the effects proper to them. Secondly, it is the highest demonstration of God's love to us. In giving us worldly things, he givetli something without himself; but in giving us the Spirit he giveth us himself ; for the Godhead is undivided, and God hatU no greater thing to give us than himself ; as the apostle saith, Heb. vi. 13, that when God had no greater thing to swear by, he fsware by himself, so we may say here, it was the evidence of God's love to Christ as mediator : John iii. 34, ' He loved him, and gave him the Spirit without measure ; ' so those that are Christ's, because God loveth them, he giveth them the Spirit. Other things may be given in anger, but not the Spirit : Prov. iii. 32, ' The froward is an abomi- nation to the Lord, but his secret is with the righteous ; ' implying, that those that are an abomination to the Lord may have other things, and perish for ever ; but if his secret be with us, his illuminating, sanctifying, comfortiug Spirit, we have a sure pledge of his love. The context showeth wicked men may have worldly felicity, even to envy, but they have not his secret, which the righteous have. Though their condition be very mean and base in the world, he dealeth with them as with friends, yea, as children ; the one hath the visible blessings, the other hath his secret, the inward comforts and operations of his Spirit.
But yet the business is not dispatched. The text speaketh not only of the gift of tlie Spirit, but of the spirit of adoption. What is that ? Answer. We must distinguish between the spirit of regeneration, and the spirit of adoption ; they are two acts of the same Spirit, and the one maketh way for the other ; yet the consideration of them is different. The Holy Ghost, as a Spirit of regeneration, doth close us first with Christ; and afterwards, as a Spirit of adoption, maketh his abode in our hearts. As a Spirit of regeneration, he worketh in us the first
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grace, and causetli us to believe unto justification and adoption ; and having made his entry into our souls after believing, he is given to us in a more eminent manner than before, and doth possess us in the name of Christ, as his agent, and keepeth a-foot his interest in our souls. The spirit of regeneration is tied to no condition, but is dispensed according to the good pleasure of God ; only we are to use the means ; to attend upon the word and pray, and our heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him, Luke xi. 13. If any miss the gift, it is of themselves; if they have it, it is the mere grace of God. But the Spirit of adoption is tied to conditions, and is promised to those that with true faith and repentance do seek after the grace of God in Jesus Christ : Eph. i. 13, ' After ye believed, ye received the Holy Spirit of promise ; ' and Gal. iii. 14, ' Eeceive the promise of the Spirit by faith ; ' and Acts ii. 38, ' Kepent, and be baptized for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost;' and Prov. i. 23, ' Turn you at my reproof, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you ;' Acts xix. 2, ' Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed ? ' John vii. 39, ' This he spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive ; ' Acts v. 32, ' The Holy Ghost, which he hath given to them that obey him.' In these and many more places, the Spirit of adoption and further sanctification is spoken of. As a Spirit of regeneration, he buildeth an house for himself ; and then, as a Spirit of adoption, he dwelleth in the house so built and furnished; as bees first make their cells, and then dwell in them. By repentance and faith there is a fit mansion prepared for him, aud tlien he taketh up his residence and abode in us. The first grace is given that we may believe ; the second upon believing ; the first is the Spirit's renewing ; the second is the Spirit's inhabiting.