In some respects indeed the parallel does not hold : for, amongst men, the eldest only is the heir, and the younger have smaller portions allotted to them : but, of the children of God, every one has an equal right to the whole inheritance. Besides, the heirs of men may die, or be defrauded of their inheritance: but the children of God have their inheritance reserved for them; and they are kept for itg. Moreover, the heirs of men retain their possessions but a little time, and lose them entirely at death: but the children of God come to the full enjoyment of their inheritance, when they die ; and then possess it for ever and ever.]
a 1 Pet. i. 3, 4. " John i. 13. "1 John ii. 27.
(i John vi. 53 — 55. Ps. lxxviii. 25. e Isai. lxi. 10.
f Heb. i. 14. s 1 Pet. i. 4, 5.
2. Strongly amplified —
[When the Apostle says, " heirs ; heirs of God," he does not intend merely to repeat the idea, but to enlarge and amplify it by a very important addition. The children of men, though denominated heirs of such or such a person, can only inherit the substance belonging to that person : but the children of God inherit all that God has, and, if we may so speak, all that he is. To them belong " all things," whether present or future, whether temporal or eternal11. To them belong also all the perfections of the Deity, so far at least as they need to have them exercised for their good in this world, and for their happi- ness in the next : they can say with David, " The Lord himself is the portion of mine inheritance1." ,
Further light is thrown upon this subject by the additional expression, " joint-heirs with Christ." Christ is the Lord and " Heir of all thingsV But " he is not ashamed to call us brethren1." By virtue of this relation to him, we are par- takers of all that he inherits. Has " his Father appointed unto him a kingdom? Such is appointed to us" also"1. Has his Father called him to a throne? We also are seated on it together with him11. Does he, agreeably to his Father's will, possess a glory and felicity infinitely surpassing our highest conceptions ? The same also is given to us for our everlasting portion0.
But, whatever be the means of bringing us to the enjoyment of this portion, our right and title to it arises wholly from our relation to God the Father as his children ; " If children, then heirs;" " if a son, then an heir of God through Christ5. "]
We must not however forget, II. The condition on which they are bestowed —
Though we are not required to do any thing in order to earn these privileges, or to render an equi- valent for them when bestowed upon us, yet are conditions imposed upon us ; and we must submit to those conditions, if ever we would participate the blessedness of God's children.
For the sake of perspicuity, we will shew,
1. What the condition is —
[Christ, our elder Brother, was a sufferer, " a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief q." In this respect all the
h 1 Cor. Hi. 21—23. • Ps. xvi. 5. k Heb. i. 2.
1 Heb. ii. 11. m Luke xxii. 29. » Rev. Hi. 21.
0 Join xvii. 22. p Gal. iv. 7. <J Isai. liii. 3.
1872. J PRIVILEGES OF GOD's CHILDREN. 289
family must resemble him : every one of them must learn obe- dience in the same way1, and be perfected by the same means s. It is appointed to all the disciples of Jesus to " take up their cross, and follow him." They must expect the same treatment from an ungodly world as he experienced : they must be hated, reviled, persecuted: "the disciple cannot be above his Lord; it is sufficient for him to be as his Lord :" " if they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, much more will they those of his household."