Angel tells the Virgin Mary that the Holy Ghost should come upon her and the Power of the Highest should overshadow her and therefore that Holy Thing which should be born of her should be call'd the Son of God And this our Saviour means by the Father's sanctifying him and sending him into the World For which Reason he says he might justly call himself the Son of God John 10.35 36. If he call them Gods unto whom the word of God came and the Scripture cannot be broken Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the World Thou blasphemest because I said I am the Son of God If there had been no other Reason this had been sufficient to have given him the Title of the Son of God that he was brought into the World by the Sanctification or Divine Power of the Holy Ghost 2. Christ is also said in Scripture to be the Son of God and to be declared to be so upon Account of his Resurrection from the Dead by the Power of the Holy Ghost His Resurrection from the Dead is here in the Text ascribed to the Spirit of Holiness or the Holy Ghost And so in other places of Scripture Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you And 1 Pet. 3.18 Being put to Death in the Flesh but quickned by the Spirit that is he suffer'd in that frail mortal Nature which he assumed but was raised again by the Power of the Holy Ghost of the Spirit of God which resided in him And upon this Account he is expresly said in Scripture to be the Son of God Psal 2.7 I will declare the decree The Lord hath said unto me Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee to which perhaps the Apostle alludes here in the Text when he says that Christ was decreed to be the Son of God by his Resurrection from the Dead To be sure these Words This day have I begotten thee St. Paul expresly tells us were accomplish'd in the Resurrection of Christ as if God by raising him from the Dead had begotten him and decreed him to be his Son Acts 13.32 33. And we declare unto you glad Tidings how that the Promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto their Children in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee He was the Son of God before as he was conceived by the Holy Ghost but this was secret and invisible and known only to the Mother of our Lord And therefore God thought fit to give a publick and visible demonstration of it so as to put the matter out of all question he declared him in a powerful manner to be his Son by giving him a new Life after Death by raising him from the Dead and by this new and eminent Testimony given to him declared him again to be his Son and confirmed the Title which was given him before upon a true but more secret Account of his being conceived by the Holy Ghost And as our Saviour is said to be the Son of God upon this twofold Account of his Conception by the Holy Ghost and his Resurrection to Life by the Spirit of God So the Scripture which does solicitously pursue a Resemblance and Conformity between Christ and Christians does likewise upon a twofold Account answerable to our Saviour's Birth and Resurrection call true Believers and Christians the Children of God viz. Upon Account of their Regeneration or new Birth by the Operation of the Spirit of God and upon Account of their Resurrection to Eternal Life by the Power of the same Spirit Upon account of our Regeneration and becoming Christians by the Power and Operation of the Holy Spirit of God upon our Minds we are said to be the Children of God as being regenerated and born again by the Holy Spirit of God And this is our first Adoption And for this Reason the Spirit of God conferred upon Christians at their Baptism and dwelling and residing in them afterwards is call'd the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby you cry Abba Father And Gal. 4.5 6. Believers are said to receive the Adoption of Sons God having sent forth the Spirit of his Son into their Hearts crying Abba Father That is all Christians for as much as they are regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God and have the Spirit of God dwelling in them may with Confidence call God Father and look upon themselves as his Children So the Apostle tells us Rom. 8.14 That as many as are led or acted by the Spirit of God are the sons of God But though we are said to be Children of God upon account of our Regeneration and the Holy Spirit of God dwelling and residing in Christians yet we are eminently so upon account of our Resurrection to Eternal Life by the mighty Power of God's Spirit This is our final Adoption and the Consummation of it and therefore Rom. 8.21 this is called the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God because by this we are for ever deliver'd from the Bondage of Corruption and by way of Eminency the Adoption viz. the Redemption of our Bodies We are indeed the Sons of God before upon account of the regenerating and sanctifying Virtue of the Holy Ghost but finally and chiefly upon account of our Resurrection by the power of the Divine Spirit So St. John tells us that then we shall be declared to be the Sons of God after another manner than we are now 1 Jo. 3.1 Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God Now we are the Sons of God that is our Adoption is begun in our Regeneration and Sanctification but it doth not yet appear what we shall be we shall be much more eminently so at the Resurrection We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him But the most express and remarkable Text to this Purpose is Luke 20.36 where good Men after the Resurrection are for this Reason said to be the Children of God because they are the Children of the Resurrection But they who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that World and the Resurrection from the Dead neither marry nor are given in Marriage neither can they die any more for they are equal to the Angels and are the Children of God being the Children of the Resurrection For this Reason they are said to be the Children of God because they are raised by him to a new Life and to be made Partakers of that which is promised to them and reserved for them For all that are raised by the Power of God out of the Dust of the Earth are not therefore the Children of God but only they that have part in the blessed Resurrection to Eternal Life and do inherit the Kingdom prepared for them Not those who are raised to a perpetual Death and the Resurrection of Condemnation These are not the Children of God but the Children of Wrath and the Children of Perdition But the Resurrection of the Just is the full and final Declaration that we are the Children of God not only because we are restored to a new Life but
this the Apostle tells us was the Condition of those who apostatized from the Gospel Chap. 10.26 27. For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversary The great Sacrifice and Propitiation for Sin was the Son of God and they who renounce him what way of Expiation can they hope for afterward what can they expect but to fall into his Hands as a Judge whom they have rejected as a Sacrifice and a Saviour And then 3 dly Those who are guilty of this Sin provoke God in the highest manner to withdraw his Grace and Holy Spirit from them by the Power and Efficacy whereof they should be brought to Repentance so that it can hardly otherwise be expected but that God should leave those to themselves who have so unworthily forsaken him and wholly withdraw his Grace and Spirit from such Persons as have so notoriously offer'd despite to the Spirit of Grace I do not say that God always does this he is sometimes better to such Persons than they have deserved from him and saves those who have done what they can to undo themselves and mercifully puts forth his Hand to recover them who were drawing back to Perdition especially if they were suddenly surprized by the violence of Temptation and yielded to it not deliberately and out of choice but merely through weakness and infirmity and so soon as they reflected upon themselves did return and repent This was the case of St. Peter who being surprized with a sudden fear denied Christ but being admonish'd of his Sin by the signal which our Saviour had given him he was recovered by a speedy and hearty Repentance And so likewise several of the Primitive Christians who were at first overcome by fear to renounce their Religion did afterwards recover themselves and died resolute Martyrs but it is a very dangerous State out of which but few recover and with great difficulty And thus I have done with the five things I propounded to make out for the clearing of this Text from the mistakes and misapprehensions which have been about it I shall now draw some useful Inferences from hence by way of Application that we may see how far this doth concern our selves and they shall be these 1 st From the Supposition here in the Text that such Persons as are there described namely those who have been baptized and by Baptism have received remission of Sins and did firmly believe the Gospel and the Promises of it and were endowed with miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost that these may fall away this should caution us all against Confidence and Security when those that have gone thus far may fall let him that standeth take heed Some are of opinion that those whom the Apostle here describes are true and sincere Christians and that when he says it is impossible if they fall away to renew them again to Repentance he means that they cannot fall away totally so as to stand in need of being renewed again to Repentance But this is directly contrary to the Apostle's design which was to caution Christians against Apostacy because if they did fall away their recovery would be so exceeding difficult which Argument does plainly suppose that they might fall away On the other hand there are others who think the Persons here described by the Apostle to be Hypocritical Christians who for some base ends had entertained Christianity and put on the Profession of it but not being sincere and in good earnest would forsake it when Persecution came But besides that this is contrary to the description which the Apostle makes of these Persons who are said to have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and to have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost by which if we understand Justification and Remission of Sins and the Sanctifying Virtue of the Holy Ghost which in all probability is the meaning of these Phrases these are Blessings which did not belong to Hypocrites and which God does not bestow upon them I say besides this there is no reason to imagine that the Apostle intended such Persons when it is likely that there were very few Hypocrites in those times of Persecution for what should tempt Men to dissemble Christianity when it was so dangerous a Profession or what Worldly Ends could Men have in taking that Profession upon them which was so directly contrary to their Worldly Interests So that upon the whole matter I doubt not but the Apostle here means those who are real in the Profession of Christianity and that such might fall away For we may easily imagine that Men might be convinced of the Truth and Goodness of the Christian Doctrine and in good earnest embrace the Profession of it and yet not be so perfectly weaned from the World and so firmly rooted and established in that Persuasion as when it came to the Trial to be able to quit all for it and to bear up against all the Terrors and Assaults of Persecution so that they might be real Christians and no Hypocrites though they were not so perfectly established and confirmed and so sincerely resolved as many others They were not like St. Paul and those tried Persons whom he speaks of Rom. 8.35 37. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors They had been tried by all these and yet had held out upon which he breaks out into those triumphant Expressions I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. They might not I say be like those and yet for all that be real in their Profession of Christianity and no Hypocrites In short I take them to be such as our Saviour describes him to be who received the seed into stony places namely he that heareth the word and anon with joy receiveth it yet hath he not root in himself but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended This is no description of a Hypocrite but of one that was real as far as he went for he is said to receive the word with joy but was not well rooted and come to such a confirmed State as resolutely to withstand the assaults of Persecution So that tho' we have truly embraced Christianity and are in a good degree sincere in the Profession of it yet there is great Reason why we should neither be secure nor confident in our selves Not secure because there is great danger that our Resolution may be born down one time or other by the Assaults
himself lived when he was pleased to assume our Nature and to become Man And then we are to consider that the Son of God did not assume our Nature in its highest Glory and Perfection but compast with Infirmities and liable in all points to be tempted like as we are but still it was without Sin and therefore God doth not exact from us perfect Obedience and that we should fulfil all Righteousness as he did he makes allowance for the corruption of our Nature and is pleased to accept of our sincere though very imperfect Obedience But after all this his humane Nature was united to the Divinity and he had the Spirit without measure and this would indeed make a wide difference between us and our Pattern as to the purpose of Holiness and Obedience if we were destitute of that assistance which is neceessary to enable us to the discharge of our Duty But this God offers and is ready to afford to us for he hath promised to give his holy Spirit to them that ask him and the Spirit of him that raised up Christ Jesus from the Dead dwells in all good men who sincerely desire to do the Will of God in the working out our Salvation God worketh in us both to will and to do So that as to that Obedience which the Gospel requires of us if we be not wanting to our selves if we do not receive the Grace of God in vain and quench and resist his blessed Spirit we may be as really assisted as the Son of God himself was for in this respect all true and sincere Christians are the Sons of God so that St. Paul tells us Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God So that if all things be duly consider'd the Life of our blessed Saviour as it is the most perfect so in the main it is a very proper Pattern for our imitation and could not have come nearer to us without wanting that perfection which is necessary to a compleat and absolute Pattern The Son of God condescended to every thing that might render him the most familiar and equal Example to us excepting that which as it was impossible so had been infinitely dishonourable to him and would have spoil'd the perfection of his Example he came as near to us as was fit or possible being in all things like unto us Sin only excepted that is abating that one thing which he came to destroy and abolish and which would have destroyed the very end of his coming for if he had not been without Sin he could neither have made an expiation for Sin nor have been a perfect Pattern of Holiness and Obedience And as the Life of our blessed Saviour had all the perfection that is requisite to an absolute Pattern so that by considering his Temper and Spirit and the actions of his Life we may reform all the vicious inclinations of our Minds and the exorbitances of our Passions and the errors and irregularities of our Lives so it is a very powerful Example and of great force to oblige and provoke us to the imitation of it for it is the Example of one whom we ought to reverence and have reason to love above any Person in the World The Example of our Prince and Soveraign Lord of our best Friend and greatest Benefactor of the High Priest of our Profession and the Captain of our Salvation of the Author and Finisher of our Faith of one who came down from Heaven for our sakes and was contented to assume our Nature together with the infirmities of it and to live in a low and mean condition for no other reason but that he might have the opportunity to instruct and lead Mankind in the way to Life to deliver us from Sin and Wrath and to bring us to God and Happiness 'T is the Example of one who laid down his Life for us and sealed his Love to us in his Blood and whilst we were Enemies did and suffer'd more for us than ever any Man did for his Friend And surely these Considerations cannot but mightily recommend and endear to us this Example of our Lord and Saviour We are ambitious to imitate those whom we highly esteem and reverence and are apt to have their Examples in great veneration from whom we have received great Kindnesses and Benefits and are always endeavouring to be like those whom we love and are apt to conform our selves to the Will and Pleasure of those from whom we have received great Favours and who are continually heaping great Obligations upon us So that whether we consider the Excellency of our Pattern or the mighty Endearments of it to us by that infinite Love and Kindness which he hath exprest towards us we have all the temptation and all the provocation in the World to endeavour to be like him for who would not gladly tread in the steps of the Son of God and of the best Friend that the Sons of Men ever had Who will not follow that Example to which we stand indebted for the greatest Blessings and Benefits that ever were procured for Mankind Thus you see of what force and advantage the Example of our blessed Saviour is toward the Recovery and Salvation of Mankind 3 dly He is the Author of Eternal Salvation as he hath purchased it for us by the Merit of his Obedience and Sufferings by which he hath obtained Eternal Redemption for us not only deliverance from the wrath to come but Eternal Life and Happiness when by our Sins we had justly incurred the wrath and displeasure of Almighty God and were liable to Eternal Death and Misery He was contented to be substituted a Sacrifice for us to bear our Sins in his own Body on the Tree and to expiate the guilt of all our Offences by his own Sufferings He died for us that is not only for our Benefit and Advantage but in our place and stead so that if he had not died we had eternally perish'd and because he died we are saved from that eternal Ruin and Punishment which was due to us for our Sins And this tho' it be no where in Scripture call'd by the Name or Term of Satisfaction yet which is the same thing in effect it is call'd the prize of our Redemption for as we are Sinners we are liable and indebted to the Justice of God and our blessed Saviour by his Death and Sufferings hath discharged this Obligation which Discharge since it was obtained for us by the shedding of his precious Blood without which the Scripture expresly says there had been no Remission of Sin why it may not properly enough be called Payment and Satisfaction I confess I cannot understand Not that God was angry with his Son for he was always well pleased with him or that our Saviour suffer'd the very same which the Sinner should have done in his own Person the proper Pains and Torments of the damned but that his perfect