Milton

¶1Dictum est de prima parte auctionis regenerati hominis ad Patrem relata, nempe JUSTIFICATIONE: restat altera pars ADOPTIO.

¶2Ea est qua JUSTIFICATOS PER FIDEM DEUS IN FILIOS SIBI ADOPTAT.

¶3Dicimur quidem natura quodammodo filii Dei, utpote ab ipso creati; Luc. iii. 38. filii Adam, qui fuit Dei; sicut et angeli. Verum hic de filiis etiam adoptatis; quales illi, ut verisimillimum est, professione saltem, Gen. vi. 2. videntes filii Dei filias hominum. 1 Chron. xxviii. 6. elegi ipsum mihi in filium, et ego futurus sum ei in patrem. Isa. lvi. 5. nomen melius quam filiorum aut filiarum, nomen perpetuum daturus sum eorum cuique, quod non exscindetur.

¶4PER FIDEM. Joan. i. 12. quotquot eum receperunt, dedit iis hoc jus, ut filii Dei sint facti, iis qui credunt in nomen ejus. Gal. iii. 26. omnes filii Dei estis per fidem in Christo Jesu. Eph. i. 5. qui prædestinavit nos quos adoptaret in filios per Jesum Christum in sese, pro benevola voluntate sua. Heb. ii. 10. decebat enim ut ipse propter quem sunt hæc omnia, et per quem sunt hæc omnia, multos filios in gloriam adducendo, principem salutis ipsorum per perpessiones consummaret—. Gal. iv. 4, 5, 6. emisit Deus Filium suum, factum ex muliere, factum legi subjectum: ut eos qui legi erant subjecti redimeret, ut adoptionem acciperemus: quoniam p. 277autem estis filii, misit Deus Spiritum Filii sui in corda vestra clamantem, Abba, Pater.

¶5IN FILIOS. Rom. viii. 15, 16. non enim accepistis spiritum servitutis rursum ad metum, sed accepistis spiritum adoptionis, per quem clamamus, Abba, Pater: et ipse Spiritus testatur una cum spiritu nostro, nos esse filios Dei. et v. 23. adoptionem expectantes, redemptionem corporis nostri. Philipp. ii. 15. filii Dei inculpabiles. 1 Joan. iii. 1, 2. videte qualem charitatem dedit nobis Pater, ut filii Dei vocemur. Et quidem similes Deo, v. 2. et cap. iv. 17. per hoc adimpletur charitas nobiscum, ut fiduciam habeamus in die judicii, quod qualis iste est, tales et nos sumus in hoc mundo.

¶6Ex adoptione oritur primum libertas, quæ semper, etiam sub lege servitutis, Abrahami posteris, utpote filiis Dei nominatis, Deut. xiv. 1, ignota non erat; qua libertate præditi, ne religiosis quidem ritibus plane serviebant quoties charitas aliud requirebat. Hinc populum totum qui nati fuerant in deserto, in ipso itinere non circumciderant, Jos. v. 4. et Davides fame oppressus, comedebat quod alioqui fas non erat, 1 Sam. xxi. 6. cum Matt. xii. 4. Psal. cxix. 45. indesinenter ambulabo in ipsa latitudine, quia mandata tua quæro. Sed quoniam post adventum Christi, sicuti adoptio, ita et libertas, unde Christiana dicta est, multo clarius eluxit, de ea tum demum amplius dicetur, cum de evangelio dicendum erit.

¶7Ex adoptione hæredes etiam in Christo constituimur. Gal. iii. 29. quod vos estis Christi, nempe Abrahami semen estis, et secundum promissionem hæredes. et iv. 7. itaque non amplius es servus, sed filius; quod si filius, etiam hæres Dei per Christum. Rom. viii. 17. quod si filii, etiam hæredes; hæredes quidem Dei, cohæredes autem Christi. Tit. iii. 7. ut justificati illius gratia hæredes efficeremur, secundum spem vitæ æternæ. 1 Pet. iii. 9. ut benedictionem hæreditario jure obtineatis. Hinc et primogeniti: Heb. xii. 22, 23. accessistis ad ecclesiam primogenitorum. Et fratres Christi: Heb. ii. 11, 12. quam ob causam non erubescit eos vocare fratres; dicens, Annuntiabo nomen tuum fratribus meis. Et domestici Dei: p. 278Eph. ii. 19. non amplius estis peregrini et inquilini, sed concives sanctorum, et domestici Dei. Hinc etiam angeli nobis ministri. Heb. i. 14. nonne omnes sunt ministerii munere fungentes Spiritus, qui ministerii causa emittuntur propter hæredes salutis futuros?

¶8Et tandem nova etiam generatione et quasi natura et gloria filii. Luc. xx. 36. pares angelis sunt, et filii sunt Dei, quum sint filii resurrectionis.

¶1We have considered JUSTIFICATION, the first of those particulars connected with the increase of the regenerate which bear reference to the Father; that which remains to be treated of is ADOPTION.

¶2ADOPTION is that act whereby GOD ADOPTS AS HIS CHILDREN THOSE WHO ARE JUSTIFIED THROUGH FAITH.

¶3In one sense we are by nature sons of God, as well as the angels, inasmuch as he is the author of our being; Luke iii. 38. which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. But the sense here intended is that of adopted children, such as those probably were, though in profession only, who are mentioned Gen. vi. 2. the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair.³ 1 Chron. xxviii. 6. I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. Isai. lvi. 5. I will give them a name better than of sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.

¶4THROUGH FAITH. John i. 12. as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Gal. iii. 26. ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Eph. i. 5. having predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. Heb. ii. 10. for it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Gal. iv. 4—6. God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons; and because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

¶5HIS CHILDREN. Rom. viii. 15, 16. ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father: the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. v. 23. waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Philipp. ii. 15. that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God. 1 John iii. 1, 2. behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. We are also said to be like God, v. 2. and chap. iv. 17. herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as he is, so are we in this world.

¶6From adoption is derived, first, liberty;⁴ a privilege which, in virtue of their title as children of God, was not unknown to the posterity of Abraham, Deut. xiv. 1. even under the law of bondage. In the spirit of this liberty, they did not scruple even to infringe the ceremonies of religion, when their observance would have been inconsistent with the law of love. Thus they did not circumcise all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way, Josh. v. 5. and David when he was an p. 381hungred, did eat that which was not lawful for him to eat, Matt. xii. 4. compared with 1 Sam. xxi. 6.⁵ Psal. cxix. 45. I will walk at liberty, for I seek thy precepts. But the clearer and more perfect light in which liberty, like adoption itself, has been unfolded by the gospel, renders it necessary to reserve the fuller exposition of this privilege to that part of our work in which the subject of the Gospel is considered.

¶7By adoption we are also made heirs through Christ. Gal. iii. 29. if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. iv. 7. wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Rom. viii. 17. if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. Tit. iii. 7. that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 1 Pet. iii. 9. knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. This also confers the title of first-born. Heb. xii. 22, 23. ye are come......to the general assembly and church of the first-born. And of brethren of Christ. Heb. ii. 11, 12. for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. Hence we are said to be of the household of God. Eph. ii. 19. now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. Hence even the angels minister unto us. Heb. i. 14. are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them that shall be heirs of salvation?

¶8Lastly, we become sons of God by a new generation; by the assumption, as it were, of a new nature, and by a conformity to his glory: Luke xx. 36. they are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.