Part 19

Faith, according to the beloved disciple John, and the great St. Paul, is the _belief of the truth_; the _believing that Jesus is the Christ_; or a giving _credit to the record that God gave of his Son_. These definitions are all of the same import, and are all divine. Being dictated by the Spirit of God, they cannot be contradicted by any, although some have glossed upon them, till they have brought in a sense diverse from the inspired writers. This faith, when it is _real_, as distinguished from that uninfluential assent to the gospel, which crowds, who hear it, profess to have, is an effect of the _divine influence in us_; hence it is said to be _of the operation of God_; and that it is _with the heart_ man believeth unto righteousness. As the righteousness by which the sinner is justified, is the sole work of Christ _for him_, so this is the work of the Holy Ghost _in him_, and no less necessary in its proper place; it being that, without which a sinner cannot apprehend, receive, and rest upon Christ for eternal life. By faith, as before observed, he becomes acquainted with the glories of the character of Jesus, the fulness of grace in him, and the suitableness and perfection of his righteousness; in consequence of this faith, he admires the Saviour’s personal excellencies, flies to him, ventures all upon him, and rejoices in him. These, to speak plainly, are all so many effects of faith. The sinner must have a view of the Saviour’s excellency, _before_ he will admire it. He must be persuaded, that Christ is the only safe refuge, _before_ he will _fly_ to him. He must know that there is in Christ sufficient matter of consolation, _before_ he will _rejoice_ in him. Of all these he is entirely satisfied _by faith_ in the testimony of God: subsequent to which is his _coming_, or _flying_ to him, _trusting_ in, or _venturing_ all upon him, _rejoicing_ in him, &c. e. g. Joseph’s brethren heard that there was corn enough in Egypt; they believed the report: this was faith; upon this they went down for a supply. Doubtless this was an _effect_ of their faith; for had they not believed the tidings, they would never have gone. So a sinner must _believe_ that Christ is a full and complete Saviour, _before_ he will _run_ or _fly_ to him. Sense of misery, and faith in his sufficiency, are the main stimulus. Or, I am sick, I hear of an able physician, I believe him to be so, upon which I apply to him: my _application_ to him, and my _belief_ of his character, are as distinct as any two things can be: my _trusting_ my life in his hands, is an effect of my _believing_ him to be an able physician. This distinction is obvious in the sacred writings, as well as in the nature of things. _He that_ cometh _to God, must_ believe _that he is_. Here is a manifest distinction between _coming_ and _believing_.

I apprehend that the same distinction should be observed, between _believing_ in Christ, and _receiving_ him. If so, it will follow, that “to receive Christ in all his offices, as a prophet, a priest, and a king,” is not properly _faith_, but an _effect_ of it, and inseparably connected with it. It is certain that a man must believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that he sustains these offices, before he can or will receive him in this light. Christ _came unto his own_ (meaning the Jews) _but his own received him not_. This refusing to _receive_ him was not unbelief, but an effect of it. Hence should you be asked, why they did not receive him? The answer is ready, _because_ they did not believe him to be the Christ. Nothing is more plain than that unbelief was the grand _cause_ why they rejected him. On the other hand, nothing is more evident, than that _receiving_ Christ, is an effect of _believing_ in him. And should you ask the man who defines faith, “a receiving Christ in all his offices,” why he thus receives him? he himself will be obliged to observe this distinction; for the only just answer he can give you is, “_because I believe_ he sustains them.”

Thus we see that faith is entirely distinct from the righteousness which justifies; at the same time it is indispensably necessary, answering great and good purposes. Under its influence the sinner _flies_ to Jesus, the hope set before him, and trusts his immortal interest in his hands, being perfectly satisfied with his adorable character. Faith is also the medium of peace and consolation. You may with equal propriety attempt to separate light and heat from the sun, as peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost, _from the faith of God’s elect_. The degree of Christian consolation may be greater or less, according to the strength and influence of faith. At one time the believer may have an inward peace and tranquility, which is exceedingly agreeable. At another time he may be favoured with what St. Paul calls _joy unspeakable and full of glory_. At another, guilt may rob him of his comfort, and separate between him and his God. Such are his exercises in the present state of things. But he is far from making a righteousness of his _frames_, _feelings_, or _experiences_. The distinction between these he well understands. The _righteousness_ by which he expects to be justified, is the work of Christ alone; the _faith_ by which he is enabled to receive it, is _of the operation of God_; the consolations that he enjoys are from this glorious Christ, in believing, or through faith: all as different as A, B, and C. His dependence for acceptance with God is neither on his faith nor experiences, but on Christ _alone_. At the same time he cannot conceive it possible, for a poor, wretched, undone sinner to be enabled to believe in Christ for eternal life, and not _rejoice_. A view of the glories of his person, and the fulness and freeness of his grace, cannot fail of introducing _strong consolation_.

STILLMAN’S SERMONS.

Footnote 63:

_See Quest._ lxxx.

Footnote 64:

_See page 39, ante._

Footnote 65:

_See Quest._ lxxix.

Footnote 66:

_See Quest._ lxxviii.

Quest. LXXIV.

QUEST. LXXIV. _What is adoption?_

ANSW. Adoption is an act of the free grace of God, in and for his only Son Jesus Christ; whereby all those that are justified, are received into the number of his children, have his name put upon them, the Spirit of his Son given to them, are under his fatherly care and dispensations, admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God, made heirs of all the promises, and fellow-heirs with Christ in glory.

In speaking to this answer we shall consider,

I. The various senses in which persons are the sons of God; and particularly, how they are so called by adoption.

II. The difference between adoption as used by men, and as it is applied in this answer to God’s taking persons into this relation, as his children; from whence it will appear to be an act of his free grace.

III. We shall consider the reference the sonship of believers has to the superior and more glorious Sonship of Jesus Christ; and how it is said to be for his sake.

IV. The privileges conferred on, or reserved for them, who are the sons of God by adoption.

I. We shall consider the various senses in which persons are called the sons of God.

1. Some are called the sons of God, as they are invested with many honours or prerogatives from God, as a branch of his image: thus magistrates are called the _children of the Most High_, Psal. lxxxii. 6.

2. Others are called God’s children, by an external federal relation, as members of the visible church; in which sense we are to understand that scripture; wherein it is said, _The sons of God saw the daughters of men_, &c. Gen. vi. 2. And when Moses went into Pharaoh, to demand liberty for the Israelites, he was ordered to say, _Israel is my son, even my first-born_, Exod. iv. 22. This privilege, though it be high and honourable, by which the church is distinguished from the world; yet it is not inseparably connected with salvation; for God says, concerning Israel, when revolting, and backsliding from him, _I have nourished and brought up children; and they have rebelled against me_, Isa. i. 2. and many of those who are called the _children of the kingdom shall be cast into utter darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth_, Matt. viii. 12.

3. The word is sometimes taken in a more large sense, as applicable to all mankind: thus the prophet says, _Have we not all one father, hath not God created us?_ Mal. ii. 10. And the apostle Paul, when disputing with the Athenians, speaks in their own language, and quotes a saying taken from one of their poets, which he applies to the great God, as _giving to all life and breath, and all things_; upon which account men are called his _off-spring_, Acts xvii. 25. compared with 28.

4. They are called the sons of God, who are endowed with his supernatural image, and admitted to the highest honours and privileges conferred upon creatures: thus the angels are called the _sons of God_, Job xxxviii. 7.

5. Our Lord Jesus Christ is called the Son of God, in a sense not applicable to any other; as his Sonship includes in it his deity, and his having, in his human nature, received a commission from the Father, to engage in the great work of our redemption, as becoming surety for us; which is the foundation of all those saving blessings which we enjoy or hope for.

6. Believers are called the sons of God, by a special adoption; which is farther to be considered, as being the subject-matter of this answer. Adoption is a word taken from the civil law; and it was much in use among the Romans, in the apostles time, in which it was a custom for persons, who had no children of their own, and were possessed of an estate, to prevent its being divided or descending to strangers, to make choice of such who were agreeable to them, and beloved by them, whom they took into this political relation of children; obliging them to take their name upon them, and to pay respect to them, as though they were their natural parents; and engaging to deal with them as though they had been so; and accordingly to give them a right to their estates, as an inheritance. This new relation, founded in a mutual consent, is a bond of affection; and the privilege arising from thence is, that he who is, in this sense, a father, takes care of, and provides for the person whom he adopts, as though he were his son by nature; and therefore Civilians calls it an act of legitimation, imitating nature, or supplying the place of it: and this leads us to consider,

II. The difference between adoption, as used by men, and as it is applied in this answer, to God’s taking persons into this relation, as his children.

1. When men adopt, or take persons into the relation of children, they do it because they are destitute of children of their own to possess their estates; and therefore they fix their love on strangers: but God was under no obligation to do this: for if he designed to manifest his glory to any creatures, the holy angels were subjects capable of receiving the displays thereof; and his own Son, who had all the perfections of the divine nature, was infinitely the object of his delight, and, in all respects, fitted to be as he is styled, _Heir of all things_, Heb. i. 2.

2. When men adopt, they are generally inclined to do it by seeing some excellency or amiableness in the persons whom they fix their love upon. Thus Pharaoh’s daughter took up Moses, and nourished him for her own son, because he was _exceeding fair_, Acts vii. 20, 21. or, it may be, she was moved hereunto, by a natural compassion she had for him, besides the motive of his beauty; as it is said, _The babe wept, and she had compassion on him_, Exod. ii. 6. And Mordecai adopted Esther, or took her for his own daughter; _for she was his uncle’s daughter, and was fair and beautiful_, and an orphan, _having neither father nor mother_, Esther ii. 7. But when God takes any into this relation of children, they have no beauty or comeliness, and might justly have been for ever the objects of his abhorrance. Thus he says concerning the church of Israel, when he first took them into this relation to him, _None eye pitied thee, but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the loathing of thy person: and when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live_, &c. Ezek. xvi. 5. It might indeed be said concerning man, when admitted to this favour and privilege, that he was miserable; but misery, how much soever it may render the soul an object of pity, it could not, properly speaking, be said to be a motive or inducement from whence the divine compassion took its first rise, as appears from the account we have of the mercy of God, as founded only on his sovereign will or pleasure; as he says, _I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion_, Rom. ix. 15. and also, from the consideration of man’s being exposed to misery by sin, which rendered him rather an object of vindictive justice than mercy. This therefore cannot be the ground of God’s giving him a right to an inheritance; and consequently adoption is truly said, in this answer, to be an act of the free grace of God.

3. When men adopt, their taking persons into the relation of children, is not necessarily attended with any change of disposition or temper in the persons adopted. A person may be admitted to this privilege, and yet remain the same, in that respect, as he was before: but when God takes his people into the relation of children, he gives them, not only those other privileges which arise from thence, but also that temper and disposition that becomes those who are thus related to him. This leads us to consider,

III. The reference which the sonship of believers has to the superior and more glorious Sonship of Jesus Christ; and how it is said to be for his sake. Here we must suppose that there is a sense in which Christ is said to be the Son of God, as the result of the divine decree, which contains in it an idea very distinct from his being a divine person; for that was not the result of the will of the Father; whereas it is said concerning him, _I will declare the decree; the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee_, Psal. ii. 7. And elsewhere, _he hath, by inheritance, obtained a more excellent name than_ the angels; and this is the consequence of God’s saying to him, _thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee_: and, _I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son_, Heb. i. 4, 5. which plainly refers to Christ as Mediator. Now when we consider this mediatorial Sonship of Christ, if I may so express it, we are far from asserting, that Christ’s Sonship, and that of believers, is of the same kind; for, as much as he exceeds them as Mediator, as to the glory of his person and office, so much is his Sonship superior to theirs. This being premised, we may better understand the reference which the sonship of believers has to Christ’s being the Son of God as Mediator; and therefore let it be farther considered,[67]

1. That it is a prerogative and glory of Christ, as the Son of God, that he has all things which relate to the salvation of his elect, put into his hand; and therefore, whatever the saints enjoy or hope for, which is sometimes called in scripture their inheritance, agreeably to their character, as the children of God by adoption; this is considered as first purchased by Christ, and then put into his hand; in which respect it is styled his inheritance, he being constituted, pursuant to his having accomplished the work of redemption, heir of all things; and as such, has not only a right to his people, but is put in possession of all those spiritual blessings in heavenly places, wherewith they are _blessed in him_, Eph. i. 3.

2. From hence it follows, that the sonship of believers, and their right to that inheritance, which God has reserved for them, depends upon the sonship of Christ, which is infinitely more glorious and excellent. As God’s adopted sons, they have the honour conferred upon them, of being _made kings and priests_ to him, Rev. i. 6. These honours are conferred by Christ; and, in order thereunto, they are first given to him to bestow upon them: thus he says, _I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me_, Luke xxii. 29. Christ is first appointed heir of all things, as Mediator; and then his people, or his children, are considered as _heirs of God_, as the apostle expresses it; _and joint heirs with Christ_, Rom. viii. 17. Not that they have any share in his personal or mediatorial glory; but when they are styled _joint-heirs_ with him, we must consider them as having a right to that inheritance, which he is possessed of in their name as Mediator: and in this sense we are to understand those scriptures that speak of God’s being first the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; and then, to wit, in him our Father; accordingly he says, _I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God_, John xx. 17. And elsewhere, God is styled _the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ_, and then _the Father of mercies_, or, our merciful Father, 2 Cor. i. 3. And elsewhere the apostle says, _Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings, in heavenly places, in Christ; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children, by Jesus Christ, to himself_, Eph. i. 3. compared with 5. and inasmuch as he designed to _bring many sons to glory_, as being _made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light_; he first _made the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings_, Heb. ii. 10. compared with Col. i. 12. In this respect our right to the inheritance of children, is founded in the eternal purpose of God, relating hereunto, and the purchase of Christ, as having obtained this inheritance for us.

IV. We are now to consider the privileges conferred on, or reserved for them who are the sons of God by adoption. These are summed up in a very comprehensive expression, which contains an amazing display of divine grace; as it is said, _He that overcometh, shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son_, Rev. xxi. 7. It is a very large grant that God is pleased to make to them; they shall inherit all things. God is not ashamed to be called their God; and in having him, they are said to possess all things, which are eminently and transcendently in him; they have a right to all the blessings which he had designed for, and which have a tendency to make them completely happy: in this sense we are to understand our Saviour’s words in the parable; _Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine_, Luke xv. 31. Nothing greater than this can be desired or enjoyed by creatures, whom the Lord delights to honour. But, that we may be a little more particular in considering the privileges which God confers on, or has reserved for his children, it may be farther observed,

1. That they are all emancipated, or freed from the slavery which they were before under, either to sin or Satan; they who were once the _servants of sin, are_ hereby _made free from sin, and become the servants of righteousness_, or become _servants to God_, Rom. vi. 17, 18, 22. _have their fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life; the Son makes them free_; and therefore _they are free indeed_, John viii. 36. Before this they are described as _serving divers lusts and pleasures_, Tit. iii. 3. and are said to be _of their father the devil_, and to _do his works_, or follow his suggestions, John viii. 44. ensnared, and _taken captive by him at his will_, 2 Tim. ii. 26. and, as the consequence hereof, are in perpetual bondage, arising from a dread of the wrath of God, and that _fear of death_ impressed on their spirits, by him, who is said to have the _power of death_, Heb. ii. 14. this they are delivered from, which cannot but be reckoned a glorious privilege.

2. They have God’s name put upon them, and accordingly are described as _his people called by his name_, 2 Chron. vii. 14. This is an high and honourable character, denoting their relation to him as a peculiar people; and it is what belongs to them alone. Thus the church says, _We are thine; thou never bearest rule over them_, Isa. lxiii. 19. namely, thine adversaries; _they were not called by thy name_. They have also Christ’s name put on them, _of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named_, Eph. iii. 15. which not only signifies that propriety which he has in them as Mediator, but their relation to him as the ransomed of the Lord, his sheep, whom he leads and feeds like a shepherd; and they are also styled his children, _Behold I and the children which God hath given me_, Heb. ii. 13. and indeed, when he is called a surety, or an advocate, or said to execute certain offices as a Saviour or Redeemer; these are all relative terms; and whatever he does therein, is in their name, and for their advantage; as it is said, _of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption_, 1 Cor. i. 31.

3. They are taken into God’s family, and dealt with as members thereof; and accordingly are styled _fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God_, Eph. ii. 19. And as the consequence hereof, they have protection, provision, and communion with him.

(1.) They have safe protection; as the master of a family thinks himself obliged to secure and defend from danger, all that are under his roof, whose house is, as it were, their castle; so Christ is his people’s defence, concerning whom it is said, _A man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land_, Isa. xxxii. 2. and, as the consequence hereof, it is added, _My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places_, ver. 18. _They dwell on high; their place of defence is the munition of rocks_, chap. xxxii. 16. He who has subdued their enemies, and will in his own time, bruise them under their feet, will take care that they shall not meet with that disturbance from them, which may hinder their repose or rest in him, or render their state unsafe, so as to endanger their perishing or falling from it.

(2.) They enjoy the plentiful provisions of God’s house, and therefore Christ is called their _shepherd_, Psal. xxiii. 1. not only as leading and defending them, but as providing for them; _He shall feed his flock like a shepherd_, Isa. xl. 11. As all grace is treasured up in him, and there is a fulness thereof, which he has to impart to the heirs of salvation, that is sufficient to supply all their wants; so they shall never have a reason to complain that they are straitened in him; the blessings of his house are not only exhilirating, but satisfying, and such as have a tendency to make them completely happy.