(2.) There are child-like groans, as well as child-like comforts; com- pare Kom. viii. 26, ' The Spirit itself maketli intercession for us, with sighs and groans, which cannot be uttered ; ' with 1 Pet. i. 8, ' In whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeak- able, and full of glory.' In some the Spirit only discovereth himself by hungering and thirsting after righteousness ; in others he worketh peace which passeth all understanding, and joy unspeakable and full of glory.
(3.) There is a child-like reverence, wheu there is not a child-like confidence. They are afraid to offend their heavenly Father, though they cannot challenge all the fruits and effects of his fatherly love as belonging to them ; when they cannot own him as a father with delight- ful confidence, yet they dare not offend him; for all God's children have a child-like love to him, when they have not a full sense and as- surance of liis paternal love to them ; for he hath a title to our dearest love, before we can make out a title to his benefits. Now they that love God, hate evil, Ps. xcvii. 10 ; are tender of omitting any duty, or com- mitting any offence. Where there is this holy awe, there is a spirit of adoption; it is an owning of God as a father: 1 Pet. i. 17, 'If ye
118 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VUI. [SeR. XXIII.
call on the Father,' etc., and therefore this reverence we call filial fear.
(4.) The heart is carried out to heavenly things, though we cannot call them ours; all that are children, do look after a child's portion. There is a twofold hope, Fir.st, a hope which is the effect of regeneration, 1 Pet. i. 3 ; and a hope whicli is the ett'ect of experience, Rom. v. 4. Now this })uts a difference between the spirit of bondage, and the ser- vile mercenary spirit, when the current of tliine affections is carried out after the eternal inheritance ; servants and mercenaries must ha^'c pay in hand ; they covenant with you from day to day, or from quarter to quarter, or from year to year ; a child in the family tairieth for a child's portion: Mat. vi. 4, 'When thou dost thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogue, and in the street ; they have their reward ; ' AT7i-)(ovaL rov ixloOov avrSyv. Present wages they look for, discharge God from other things; if he will give them the honour and pleasure' of the world, they are satisfied, and look for no more.
5. Why this is the fruit of the new covenant di.?iiensation ? There are three things which must not be severed, [1.] The object. [2.] A powerful agent. [3.] The disposition of the subject thence resulting.
[1.] There is au object, and that is the gospel, offering pardon and life, reconciliation with God, and the everlasting fruition of him iu glory. In the gospel or new covenant, we have the highest discoveiy of God's fatherly goodness, that he might be more amiable and lovely to us, and be loved by us. The great end of reconciling and saving lost man by Christ, his wonderful condescension in his incarnation, life, sufferings and death, was to commend his love to us : Rom. v. 8, ' Herein God commended his love to us, in that when we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' To this end also tend his merciful cove- nant and promises, that we might not look upon God as a condemning judge, but as a gracious and reconciled father, ott'ering to be so to all that will accept Christ, and submit to him. God would not immedi- ately beget this persuasion in our minds by his own secret power, but use this objective means, work upon our love by love, because he will work on man agreeably to the nature of man ; his covenant shall speak him a father, that we may apprehend him as a father.
[2.] There is an internal powerful agent, and that is the Spirit. Besides the external objective means, there nuist be an internal effec- tive cause ; for though God's fatherly love doth shine resplendently without us, in the person of the mediator, and the riches of tlie gospel ; yet the dead and dark heart of man is not affected with it : — John i. 5, ' And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not,' till God shine into our hearts : 2 Cor. iv. 6, ' For God, who com- manded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ ; '■ — unless this doctrine of God's fatherly love and grace be accompanied witli his illuminaling, sanctifying, comforting Spirit, who sheds abroad this love in our hearts which is revealed in the gospel.
[3.] The disposition thence resulting from the application of this object to us by the Spirit. Such as the object is, such are the affec-
VeK. 15.] SERMONS UPON ROMANa VIII. 119
tious stirred up in us ; as by law-truths the Spirit worketh convictioa terrors of conscience, legal contrition, Acts ii. 37, and thence bondage ariseth ; so by the gospel, where God is represented as the Father of mercies, and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in him our God and Father, the impression must be suitable. This Spirit that worketh by the gospel, must needs be the spirit of adoption, or such a spirit as worketh a child-like disposition in us, for the impression must always be according to the stamp.