SERM. conceived by Mortals, but infinitely exceedV. ing that, whereby any other Beings may be called the Sons of God.

OTHER Beings however are in a lower Senfe faid to be God's Sons, fuch as Angels and Men, not indeed by Generation, but Creation,--not by a Communication of Subftance, but a Derivation of Existence.

THE former are thus named in feveral Places of the Book of Job (n), where they are described under the Title of the Sons of God, as coming to prefent themselves before the Lord at certain Seasons, in order to attend the Pleasure of his heavenly Majefty, and to give an Account of their Miniftry, and as rejoicing at the Sight of this vifible new-formed World, when the Morning-ftars Jang together, and all the Sons of God fhouted for Joy (o).

THE latter are likewife honoured with the fame Appellation both in the New Teftament and the Old. Adam is exprefsly named the Son of God by the Evangelift St. Luke (p) on the Score of his Creation,

(n) Job i. 6. and ii. 1.
(p) St. Luke iii. 38.

(0) Job xxxviii. 7.

and

V.

and receiving Life immediately from the SER M. Hands of his Maker; and all Mankind are fo denominated by the Prophet Malachi in thefe Questions, which he afks, Have we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us? (q).

BUT neither in this Senfe of the Words is it, that we are in the Paffage before us pronounced to be the Sons of God. For as much as All, who are Partakers of human Nature, are in this Refpect on the fame Footing, equally God's Offspring in virtue of their being formed or created by him.

WHEREAS Chriftians, to whom our Apoftle particularly addreffes himself, are faid here to be the Sons of God in Oppofition to the rest of the World, and confequently the Name must be attributed to them in a more reftrained Signification, derived, not so much from the Right of Creation, as of Adoption, which still is a Spiritual Creation, and much more valuable than the natural; and by Reafon of their being admitted into a new Covenant of Grace with God, and regenerated, fanctified and led by his bleffed Spirit.

M

(q) Malachi ii. ro.

THAT

SERM.

V.

THAT this is the Truth of the Cafe before us, we have abundant Room to conclude from what is obfervable in the old Covenant. For if the People of Ifrael were entitled the Children of God on Account of the Covenant of the Law made with them and their Fathers, tho' it kept them, as it were, under Bondage, and treated them rather like Servants, than Sons: How much more justly may the Difciples of Jefus be fo reputed under the more liberal Difpenfation of the Gospel?

AND yet thus are the Ifraelites ftyled by Mofes (r): Ye are, fays he, the Children of the Lord your God: For thou art an boly People unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord bath chofen thee to be a peculiar People unto himself, above all the Nations that are upon the Earth. Now this was by no means true in the Sense of their refembling him, and being dutiful to him, or holy by an inward real change of Mind and Difpofition: For he himself elsewhere frequently affirms of the fame People, that they bad corrupted themselves.---that they had forfaken God that made them, and lightly esteemed the

(r) Deut. xiv. 1, 2.

Rock

Rock of their Salvation,---that they provoked SERM. him to Jealousy with strange Gods, and the V. like to be met with in every Part of the Bible And the many Inftances there left on Record of their Difobedience and Idolatry are undeniable Proofs, that they could not be called Ged's Children, or deemed holy for the Sake of their internal Holinefs, or Conversion from what they were by Nature to a god-like Temper of Soul and virtuous Practices; but only in Regard of their being separated from the reft of Mankind by a facred and divine Institution.

AND that Mofes's Meaning is not to be any otherwife understood, his own Words plainly make appear: For on telling the Jews that they were the Children of God and an boly People, he adds by way of Explication, that the Lord had chofen them to be a peculiar People unto himself. When all the World befides had eftranged themfelves from God,---had forfaken his Worfhip, and retained not fo much as the Knowledge of him in their Hearts, he made Choice of the Pofterity of his Friend for the Sake of their Anceftor's fingular Faith and Piety, and for other weighty Reasons best determined by his infinite Wifdom whom • he

M 2

SERM. he adopted for his Sons, and entered into V. fuch a League with them, as was most suit

able to their Genius and Circumstances, and which was to laft, till the appointed proper Seafon arrived for a better to take Place.

ACCORDINGLY, in due Time, a more ex. cellent one did fucceed; and though it was, for Caufes, to be fure, fufficiently important, fufpended and with-held from many Generations, yet when the Fulness of Time was come, St. Paul informs us, God fent forth his Son made of a Woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we, i. e. the Jews, as well as the Gentiles, might, both by Faith in Chrift Jefus, receive the Adoption of Sons (s). That Apostle acknowledges, that to the Ifraelites did once appertain the Adoption, and the Glory, and the Covenants, exclufive of all others (t). But now, fays another, to as many, as receive him, be they Gentiles or Jews, does he give the Power, and Right, to become the Sons af God (u). All Mankind, ever fince the Appearance of the Meffiah, in whom were compleated God's great Designs for the Redemption of the World,

(s) Gallat. iv. 4, 5.
(u) St. John i. 12,

(t) Rom. ix. 4.

are