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SERMON XXXV.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.—1 JOHN iii. 2.

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THE apostle here reflects in upon the minds of those who were born of Christ, some blessed beams of everlasting love, and sovereign favour; well knowing that contemplations on the same, would do them good: as it would be the mean of their having communion with the Divine Majesty in the Person of the Father thereby, as it would of the Son also. had begun to speak of the grace of adoption, and here he proceeds with the same most important subject: shewing according to it what we now are-That the further glory of the same doth not yet appear; this is reserved for us, when our Lord shall come the second time without sin unto salvation: then we in consequence of our being the sons of God, shall be like our Lord; for we shall then see him as he is. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. In both these verses, the subject is brought home and applied. It is us and we in the former verse. It is we, in this now before us, which is an explanation of the former; in the which are contained the following particulars.

1. The address. Beloved.

2. The subject. Now are we the sons of God.

3. That what saints are, and what will be fully manifested, and be in future bestowed on them, doth not yet appear. And it doth not yet what we shall be. But the apostle adds, by way of casting light appear on the whole of this subject,

4. But we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him ; for we shall see him as he is.

May the Spirit of God and of glory, rest upon me, whilst I open these particulars, that the glory of them may appear, and be reflected forth on us. Amen. I am

1. To speak and take notice of the address. Beloved. It differs from all the former. It comes in here very pertinently. It is very suited to the subject. For surely if these persons were the sons of God by adoption, and John was one of them, contained in the terms us, and we, he could not but love these, they being the beloved of God.

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Moses the man of God, speaking of the tribe of Benjamin, and pronouncing his blessing on the same, says, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him. Deut. xxxiii. 12. The apostle Paul addresses the saints at Rome thus-beloved of God. ing the members of the church of Christ at Colosse, to the exercise of various graces towards each other, he uses the most endearing terms, saying, Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved. apostle Peter uses the same expression writing to the church of Christ at Babylon, he says Dearly beloved. And in his 2 Epis. iii. 17, he addresseth

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the saints with the word, beloved. The Spirit of Christ in all the apostles, was one and the same. The Lord's people, who were the beautiful flock, the flock of slaughter, redeemed, washed, sanctified, and purified in the blood of Christ, and brought nigh unto God, by the Mediator's blood and obedience, were exceedingly precious unto them, and beloved by them; not more by one, than the other: yet John was one whose whole soul seemed to breathe it out in such an affectionate way, as if there had been nothing but love in him, and as if he were swallowed up in it and as he here uses it, it is very congenial with the subject before him. These persons were the beloved of God. They were the sons of God: on whom the Father had fixed his love from everlasting: whom he had predestinated to himself, unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will. This he had manifested unto them, by bestowing this title upon them, that they should be called the sons of God. They had the grace of sons. They were born of God. They had the spirit of sons. The Holy Ghost the Spirit of adoption was bestowed upon them, whereby they called God, Abba, Father. They had the privileges and blessings, and benefits of adoption bestowed upon, and enjoyed by them; so that they were openly manifested to be the beloved of the Lord, and the blessed of the Lord, which made heaven and earth. The apostle had a most comprehensive view and apprehension of all this in his own mind. He addressed them thus, on the knowledge he had in his own soul of all this. He knew they were accepted in the Beloved; Christ being eminently so: He being the Son of God's love. The Father therefore having accepted their persons in Him, carried the strongest evidence with it, that these persons were the beloved of God. If so, they might well be beloved by the apostle. The elect of God are the beloved of God. And they are the elect of God because they are the beloved of God. They are not beloved because they are elected. But they were beloved, and therefore they were elected. It is an act of electing love towards them, their being the sons of God by adoption : and all the fruits of the same, are to be considered as so many acts of love, and blessing which flow therefrom. This love and grace in the will of God, is immutable. No change can take place there. This therefore having been manifested to these saints, the truth of it could never be broken in upou. The whole heart of God was fixed on the objects and subjects of His love. His grace could not be more gloriously expressed towards these, than it has been in the grace of adoption, and the bless-· ings and privileges bestowed on these, as the beloved. They were now what they would ever remain to be. Neither time nor eternity would make any alteration in what they were as the sons of God. They were by adoption, sons of God and joint-heirs with Christ: so that hereby God himself became their inheritance and their all. To view the title of the address, which the apostle here makes use of, and with which he here speaks to saints, is very cheering and refreshing. Beloved. Why my good friends, what can exceed this! To be the beloved of God! To be beloved by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, with all the love of everlasting complacency of good will and delight; this must be grace unspeakable! It must be grace which can never be fathomed! No. Not to the ages of eternity. It is no wonder the apostle should break out, as he did in the past verse. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of

God! If this deserved to be thus introduced, with the word Behold, to mark the importance of the subject, surely, unless he would have used the same word, none could be better than the word Beloved. Which is here prefixed, when he is going to cast light and explain this most glorious and surprising subject of free, sovereign, and glorious grace. The word grace, and love, are one and the same, as used in the book of inspiration. If there be any difference designed by them, it is only to express the freeness and sovereignty of God's love, in the displays thereof. I might here observe, as the address, Beloved, suits the subject, so by it was way made, for the reception of the same into the mind. It was as a preface to set the subject forth in all its glory. It opened the heart to receive what was about to be pronounced, before it was actually delivered. If they were beloved by the apostle, it was for the Lord's sake. If the Lord loved them, it must be from Himself alone. And according to his own heart. Then the blessings of his love, and which he had bestowed on them, must be proportionable to the same. The true apprehension of this, could not but enlarge their minds, and make way, for a more full, and clearer apprehension thereof. But we will proceed

2. To the subject. Beloved, now are we the sons of God. A vast subject. It is a present one. It is now even now, at this present time, and in this present world in the which we now are, that we are the sons of God.

The subject contains an immensity of grace: such as can never be fully opened. No; not in all the different and distinct ages, and periods of time, nor in heaven, throughout the ages of eternity. Beloved, now are we the sons of God. If what we were in the former verse said to be, those on whom the Father hath bestowed the grace of adoption, and the title of adoption, so as that we wear it as our proper badge, it being our very peculiar armorial bearings, the sons of God: and we in Christ, and with his righteousness on us, and as washed in his blood, possessed by his Spirit, adorned with all his graces, by virtue of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, walk up and down in the name of the Lord of hosts, and wearing this for our coat of arms, the sons of God; surely this is honour which is personally and peculiarly ours. Then, seeing we are at present the subjects of sin, and are always discovering and perceiving more of the same in us, than we do of grace, it must be most truly blessed to be informed from good authority, we are even now, the sons of God. We have not only the title and dignity of it, bestowed on us, but we are really so. Beloved, now, at this very present time, feel what we may of sin, and corruption in our mortal bodies, are we the sons of God. This is by the grace of adoption; let this therefore be remembered. It was opened in the past sermon, Christ is the Son of the living God, in a personal, distinct, and peculiar way, in the which we are not. He is the Son of the living God, by personal distinction from the Father, and Spirit, in the same infinite, incomprehensible Essence. He is the only begotten Son of God: of the same Essence, glory, majesty, eternity, and self-subsistence with the Father and the Spirit: one and the same everliving, everlasting God. He is also God-Man, in one Person. It is as God-Man, He was chosen and appointed to be the Head, Bridegroom, the Lord, the Saviour of his church. It is by virtue of our union to his Person, we are married unto Him, and are the sons of God. This we are now: we have but poor glimmerings of it in this present time state;

for the glory and perfection of this is all to break forth and fully appear in life everlasting; when we shall be admitted into that state, where Christ our Head in glory is; and where he shines forth in the glory of the Father. We are now in our non-age, as it respects our knowledge of the Father, of Christ, of our state and perfection in Him; of what we are as the sons of God: of what we must enjoy and be partakers of, in consequence of all this. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. Here by faith we have a certain knowledge of all this. We know Christ to be our Head. We know we are to be like him in glory and blessedness. This is to be with a difference of degrees, between our Head and us. He as Head hath our All. We as members, are to receive our all from Him. We shall never communicate to Him. But He will in heaven, be communicating out of his immensity of glory, all blessedness to us. He will when he appears, so enlarge our spiritual faculties, as that we shall receive into our understandings, such clear knowledge of his glorious Person, as will satisfy our minds, with the fruition and enjoyment of his presence for ever. We shall also have clear apprehensions of his union to us, love and delight in us. This will afford us unceasing joy and consolation throughout the ages of eternity. All this will be enlarged on, as we get into the particular heads of this discourse, to which the same most properly belongs. Here indeed our subject is this particular part and branch of the subject, Beloved, now are we the sons of God. We, us, you, all of us, whether apostles, ministers of the Lord and Saviour, or you believers in Christ: we are all one in Christ: we all equally share in the blessings of adoption. It is an ancient and high act in the mind of our heavenly Father towards us. It is grace beyond the very uttermost extension of our present comprehension. The more we survey it, the more we are lost and swallowed up in what is comprehended in it. therefore say to you, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

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Believers in Christ, we are now as truly in Him, as we shall be, when we are with Him in heaven. Now are ye the sons of God, as really, as you will be, when all the glory and perfection of that glory which belongs to this relationship shall break forth towards you, within you, and upon you in eternal Glory. It is good for us to be spiritually engaged in contemplations of these subjects: that is the way, in the which we enjoy and receive the benefit of the same into our minds, and have real communion with the Father, and the Son in our hearts, in the true knowledge and belief of the subject, by the grace and indwelling of the Holy Ghost within us. Our union to the Person of Christ, is in this life as perfect as it ever will be in glory. We are as truly the sons of God, as we ever shall be. Our text lays a mighty emphasis on this. Beloved, now are we the sons of God. Our union and sonship to God, are founded upon our union and marriage to Christ. The glory of sonship which we have is by free gift. Dr. Goodwin expresseth himself on this great subject thus: "Christ's being the Son of God, is the highest glory of

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Christ, and more than all, even the foundation of all. If we consider Him as Second Person simply, He is the Son of God Personally, as one in distinction from the Father and the Spirit. If we consider Christ as Man, he is the Son of God, by personal union, unto the Second Person, If we consider ourselves as the sons of God, it is by adoption, and union with Him, who is Essentially and Personally, the only begotten Son of God." These are great and most sublime truths: calculated to lift up our hearts to worship, praise, and bless the Lord for what was conceived in the incomprehensible mind of the Three in Jehovah, concerning us before all worlds. The whole volume of revelation, consists in setting before us the will, counsels, decrees, and secrets of the Most High towards us: so that we are hereby led into the knowledge of the same, and thereby also, into real and personal communion with the Three Persons in God. Now as this Epistle was designed to promote, increase, and enlarge the communion of saints with each other, and the Trinity in Unity, it is therefore the apostle brings forth this great truth here. Beloved, now are we the sons of God-To suggest to them, there was in the true knowledge and apprehension of this, a cordial which contained in it everJasting consolation. Our apostle seems to be more taken with the grace part of the gospel, than with the doctrinal part of the same. And herein it is, he writes so differently from the other apostles. We may from hence observe, such of the Lord's ministering servants as are led most immediately into personal communion with Christ, are generally led out in the general course of their ministry to express themselves in an heart warming manner on the most glorious and sublime Truths in the everlasting gospel. The truth of the matter if rightly stated is as follows. The doctrinal part of the gospel is the foundation of the grace part of it. Yet the grace part is that in which the essence and marrow of it is to be found. Some are chiefly attracted with the one, and some with the other. Paul is by far greater in the doctrine than John, and the latter more on some points of grace which are wholly and altogether spiritually experimental than on those very points which are most truly sublime. Some think all ministers of Christ are alike; and that the Lord makes an equal use of them: this is not the case; nor can one minister do the work of another. The work to be done by each of them is, and it must be agreeably with the gifts the Lord hath bestowed on them. For example, take these two apostles, Paul and John. None were beyond them in the church of the living God, for gifts, grace, and usefulness. Yet Paul could no more have written this Epistle, nor expressed what is here recorded, than either of us could. Nor could John have written as Paul, or Peter, or James, or Jude did, because it was not suited to the gift of grace bestowed on him. If the churches of Christ would notice the gifts of grace, bestowed on those persons whom they have chosen, and set over them in the Lord, and neither contrast them with others, nor expect more from them than they have a right unto, it would be of very great use, and promote very beneficial effects amongst themselves. No minister should aim at going out of the gift, and the way the Lord hath led him, to imitate another. He should be sensible of the gift of grace bestowed on him. He should be thankful for it, and be very industriously employed in the cultivation and improvement of the same; and leave it with the Lord to follow the same with his blessing, as seemeth good in his sight. It is a title given the saints of the Most High,

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