child, and entitled to all the privileges and blessings belonging to this relation. To adopt children in this manner has, it is well known, been a custom generally prevailing in all ages, and probably in all nations. Thus children were adopted among the Egyptians, Jews, Romans, and other ancient nations ; -and the same custom exists in the Christian nations of Europe, in our own country, among the American aborigines, and, so far as my knowledge extends, throughout the world.

Of the same general nature is that transaction in the divine economy, by which mankind become the children of God.

II. The reality of adoption may be thus illustrated:

Mankind are originally strangers to the family of God; enemies to him, to his law, to his kingdom, and to all his interests. From this situation they are invited to come, and enter into his family; to take his name upon them, to share in his parental care, tenderness, and blessings. Such of them as comply with the invitation are received into his family, and become entitled to his parental love, and all the offices of affection to which it gives birth. From this period they are styled the children of God. From this period they are permitted and required to address him as their Father, a character which he has been pleased to assume, and to consider themselves as his children, and as entitled to the character of his children.

Of this subject the Scriptures give us the following exhibition:

1. God announced the adoption of mankind into his family soon after the apostasy.

At the birth of Enos, we are told, that men began to call upon the name of the Lord.' In the margin, and, as it would seem, with greater correctness, men began to be called by the name of the Lord:'* that is, they began to be called his children, and to take upon themselves the name of God, as being now their parent; just as adopted children take upon themselves the names of those human parents by whom they have been adopted. The style, by which they began to be known at this early period, has been continued through every

* Taylor.

6

succeeding age of the church. In Gen. vi. 1, 2, we read of the sons of God.' These, I apprehend, are persons of the same class with those who in the time of Enos began to be called by the name of the Lord; and were now publicly designated by this title. That such persons were meant by the phrase, 'the sons of God,' is sufficiently manifest from the use of it elsewhere. In Job i. 6, it is said, the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord' and in Job xxxviii. 7, that at the creation, the morning stars sung together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy. In these passages, angels are undoubtedly the persons intended. When mankind in those early days received the same appellation, it was designed to indicate that they belonged to the same family, and were by adoption children of the same heavenly Parent.

In the communications made by God to Abraham and his family, the same scheme is more particularly and explicitly pursued. God, in the covenant of grace, declared to this earthly father of the faithful, I will be your God; and ye shall be my people :' phraseology exactly equivalent, in the mouth. of the Speaker, to the following, I will be your Father; and ye shall be my children.' In conformity to this scheme, Moses was directed, Ex. iv. 22, to preface his image from God to Pharaoh with, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn.' In the same manner Moses declared the same relation, Deut. xiv. 1, Ye are the children of the Lord your God.' In Psalm lxxxii. 6, it is said to the rulers of Israel, All of you are children of the Most High.' In the latter days of their kingdom, when they had become deeply depraved, they were still called by the title of children. Thus they are styled 'rebellious children;' corruptors;' 'lying children, that will not hear the word of the Lord.'

By the prophet Hosea it was again predicted, that they should be called the sons of God, when gathered again after their dispersion: It shall be said of them, Ye are the sons of the living God.'

This character, thus insisted on through the several ages of the Jewish Church, is more particularly and strongly insisted on in the New Testament. Here the important fact of our adoption is declared in the most explicit manner, and in a great variety of forms. In Eph. i. 5, it is said, that Christians ' were predestinated unto the adoption of children, by Jesus

Christ to God, according to the good pleasure of his will.' Agreeably to this determination, it is declared, John i. 12, that to as many as received Christ, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on his name. Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.' To persons of this character St. Paul says, but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.' These passages are amply sufficient to show the scriptural views of the reality of adoption. It would be useless therefore to quote a multitude of others of similar import.

2. The same doctrine is forcibly taught in the ordinance of baptism.

The ordinance of baptism is a solemn symbol of regeneration. By the affusion of the water upon every subject of this ordinance is exhibited, in a very affecting manner, the affusion of the Spirit of grace upon his heart; and by the cleansing influence of the water, the purification of his soul by the blood of Christ. In the administration of this ordinance, every subject of it is baptized,' by the command of Christ, s To ovo, into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. In this manner, baptism is a direct exhibition of our adoption into the family of God, and our rightful assumption of the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Accordingly, Christians are in the Scriptures entitled, after these names, Godly, Christian, and Spiritual. The ordinance, it is true, is, as from the nature of the case it must bo, external and symbolical. But the symbol is easy, intelligible, and plainly indicative of the adoption of Christians into the family which is named after Christ.

111. The importance of adoption may be illustrated from the following considerations:

1. The act of adoption produces a real relation in us to God.

In reading the Scriptures, a book so fraught with figurative language, it is no unnatural and, I believe, not a very uncommon thing for persons to regard whatever is said on this subject as a mere collection of fine phraseology, intended to express, with strength and beauty, the dignity of the Christian's character, and the desirableness of his situation; and not to

denote a real and important part of the scheme of redemption. This, however, is an erroneous mode of thinking concerning the subject. We are, in fact, strangers to the divine family; and have ceased to be, in any sense, useful to ourselves, and dutiful children of God. We have allied ourselves voluntarily to strangers, and become aliens from the commonwealth' of the spiritual Israel.' In this manner we have wandered, and remained far off from God; and, but for his mercy employed to bring us back, had widened our distance from his house and favour for ever. In this situation we were related to him only as froward and rebellious creatures, and were objects only of his eternal indignation. But when we are adopted into his family, we become his children anew, are acknowledged as such and shall be treated as such throughout eternity. The act by which we are adopted, and which creates this relation, is also a publication of it to the universe; solemnly announcing to all the subjects of the divine kingdom, that henceforth we are regarded by God as his children; that he will be a Father to us,' and that we shall be his sons and daughters ;' that the name, the duties, and the privileges of children will henceforth be rightfully ours.

2. This relation is very near, and very interesting.

In the original condition of mankind, they stood related to God by creation and preservation. This, considered as the state of intelligent beings, is a relation of high and interesting importance. Adam accordingly, on account of this relation, is together with the angels, dignified with the title of a' son of God.' See Luke iii. 38.

This relation is often insisted on with much magnificence by the ancient heathen sages, who exhibited their views of it in a variety of bold and strong images. Particularly,. they represent the soul of man as an emanation from God; as á part of the divine mind, separated for a season, to return again, and be re-absorbed by the original source of perfection; as a beam of divine light, a particle of ethereal fire, sent forth from the uncreated sun, to be re-united hereafter to its parent orb. It will be easily seen from these representations, what stress they laid upon our divine original; and it will be not less easily seen, that the more perfect views of the original mind furnished by the Scriptures, enhance exceedingly the honour and importance derived to us from this source.

But though it is honourable to an intelligent being, that God was pleased to bring him into existence, and endow him with such noble faculties; yet, in the adoption of the covenant of grace, a much nearer, dearer, and more exalted relation is formed and finished. In this proceeding God takes rebels, sinners, and outcasts, and with immense exertions, and with means most wonderful, brings them back into his family and favour. They were before created and preserved; now they are redeemed, sanctified, and forgiven. An act of creative power was before exerted to bring them into being; and of preserving power, to continue them in being; but now Christ has been made man, has lived, suffered, and died, has descended into the grave, risen again, sat down on the right hand of God, and begun an eternal intercession, that they may be restored to the character of children, and to the blessings which flow from infinite love. The Spirit of God has also with infinite condescension, patience, and kindness, sanctified, enlightened, quickened, and purified them unto the end. The Father of spirits has formed and completed a new dispensation in the universe, a dispensation of grace and forgiveness, for their sakes; has forgiven and justified them, and re-admitted them to his kingdom and everlasting love. These are all new, great, and glorious things, things which have been done for no other.

Correspondent with the degree of that which is done or suffered by an intelligent being for any other, is their mutual love. He for whom most is done, and to whom most is forgiven, will naturally love the most. This is directly taught by Christ in his parable of the two debtors, recorded Luke vii, 40; And Jesus, answering, said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee; and he said, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor, who had two debtors; the one owed five hundred pence; the other, fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered, and said, I suppose, he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.' In proportion then to what has been done for the redeemed, will be their love, and the cause of it also throughout eternity.

On the other hand, he who does or suffers much for others, loves them also in proportion to what he has done and