[He has redeemed us from that bondage in which we were once held. Though, as Gentiles, we have never been bound by the ceremonial law, we have, of necessity, been subject to the moral law, which is equally binding on every child of man : and under that we have been exposed to the most tremendous curses for our violations of it. But the Lord Jesus Christ, by his obedience unto death, has both fulfilled its de- mands, and suffered its penalties, for us ; and has thus freed us from it as a covenant, and has brought us into a better cove- nant, the covenant of grace. Hence it is that we receive a Spirit of adoption : for, in this better covenant, God grants all the blessings of salvation to us freely, whether we be Jews or Gentiles ; and, as soon as ever we believe in Christ, admits us into his own family, as his beloved children b. Thus are we brought to God in the relation of sons, and have all the bene- fits of children conferred upon us.]
But that which we are chiefly to notice, concerning the Christian, is,
II. The privileges, which, by virtue of this relation, he enjoys —
The Spirit of Christ is sent forth into his heart —
[The Holy Spirit is here, as in many other passages of Scripture, called, " the Spirit of Christ0." Not that we are to conceive of the Godhead as consisting of persons of unequal majesty and glory ; for the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are in glory equal, and in majesty co-eternal. But each person in the ever-blessed Trinity sustains a distinct office in the eco- nomy of redemption ; the Father sending the Son to work redemption for us ; and the Son sending the Holy Spirit to apply that redemption to us. It is in their official character alone that this subordination consists ; and, agreeably to this distinction, we must go to the Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit ; and expect blessings from the Father in the very channel by which we gain access to himd. Now, if we go to God in this way, he will send his Holy Spirit into our hearts as a Spirit of adoption ; giving us thereby,]
1. Liberty of access to him —
[The Jews dared not to draw nigh to God within the limits that were assigned them, whether on Mount Sinai, or in the temple. But, at the death of our blessed Lord, the vail of the temple was rent in twain, to intimate to us, that now there
b This the Apostle carefully marks, by using the Hebrew word for Father, as well as the Greek ; shewing thereby, that whether we be Jews or Greeks, we are placed on the same footing by the Gospel.
c Rom. viii. 9. 1 Pet. i. 11. a Eph. n. 18.
2071.] THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION. lb'5
was " opened for us a new and living way into the holiest of all," even for every child of mane ; and that the nearer we came to God's mercy-seat, the more certainly we should find acceptance with him.]
2. Boldness to spread our wants before him —
[To the Jews there were many things which, however they might desire them, they dared not ask. Korah and his com- pany were consumed for affecting the priesthood, and presum- ing to offer incense to the Lord. But to our requests no limit whatever is assigned, provided they be in accordance with God's will, and have a tendency to advance his glory. With these obvious and necessary distinctions, we may " ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us :" however wide we open our mouths, God will fill them. If we are " straitened at all, it is in our own bowels :" we are not straitened in God : for he is both " able and willing to do for us exceeding abundantly above all that we can either ask or think."]