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{Sermons on Ephesians 5:15
The Doctrine Explained
Precisians Are Proved to Be Not Fools
They Have the Treasures of Wisdom
They Have Gotten the Adoption}
The fourth great treasure that Precisians have obtained is the Adoption. They are Israelites to whom pertains the adoption (Romans 9:4). There is a twofold Israelite: an Israelite after the flesh, who is a natural child and of the posterity of Abraham, and an Israelite after the Spirit. All believers are the latter, children of the faith of Abraham. According to this distinction of Israelites, believers have a twofold adoption: outward and visible, which pertains to the natural seed, and inward and invisible, which is the special privilege of the spiritual seed, the children of the faith of Abraham.105 The adoption includes in it, first, the grace of adoption in which the Lord has given to us the relationship status of children and a right to all of the privileges and blessings that flow from that relationship. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12 NASB). Second, the adoption includes in it the Spirit of adoption. “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Galatians 4:6 NASB). This Spirit is called the Spirit of adoption, not only because He works in us the dispositions and dutiful affections of children, but especially because He bears witness of our sonship. “You received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:15–16 NKJV). The Spirit gives evidence and witness to our sonship, thus enabling us to cry, “Abba, Father,” that is, to call God our Father. The Spirit gives us the boldness and confidence of children so as to come to him on all occasions: to make our complaints to Him; to make known our wants, fears, and dangers to Him; to make our requests to Him; to depend on Him for provision and protection; to put in for a child’s portion, for a share in His riches; to lay claim to and lay hold upon the inheritance of sons; to cast our cares on Him; and to quiet and comfort ourselves in the sufficiency of our Father. The child says that he has nothing except from hand to mouth, but that his Father has enough. This is a blessed and glorious privilege that Christians have obtained, to be sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1 ESV). “Does it seem a small thing to you,” said David, “to be the son-in-law of a king?” (1 Samuel 18:23). Why, what king was it? It was one who was none of the best, and yet he was a king, and that was a great thing for such a poor man as David to be son-in-law to a king. But what is it to be sons and daughters and heirs to the King of Glory? The Lord says to all His children, as the father of the prodigal said to his eldest son, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours” (Luke 15:31 ESV). “Son, daughter,” says the Lord, “you will be ever with me and all that I have in Heaven and earth is yours.”106 “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). Why so? They are children of God. God’s children are blessed children; not one of them will be without the Father’s blessing. Unlike Isaac (Genesis 27:36–38), the Lord does not have a blessing for just one of His children, but like Jacob, a blessing for every child. (Genesis 49) If you are God’s child, God, even your God will give you His blessing.
105The present visible Church is a continuation of the primitive nation-church-state of Old Testament Israel. Likewise, the invisible Church is composed of all believers from Abel to the end of time. Hence, the adoption may be seen as twofold for believers since they are members of both the visible and invisible Church.
106This is Alleine’s prose, not a direct Scripture quote.
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