ECONOMY OF THE COVENANTSARY Professor of Divinity in the Universities of Franeker, Utrecht, and Leyden; and also Regent FAITHFULLY TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN, AND CAREFULLY REVISED, BY WILLIAM CROOKSHANK, D.D. A NEW EDITION, WITH THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: PRINTED FOR T. TEGG & SON, CHEAPSIDE; R. GRIFFIN AND CO., GLASGOW; T. T. AND H. TEGG, DUBLIN ; ALSO J. AND S. A. TEGG, SYDNEY AND HOBART TOWN. MDCCCXXXVII, 125334 THE ECONOMY OF THE DIVINE COVENANTS. BOOK III. CHAPTER XI. Of the Spirit of Adoption. adoption 1. HAVING thus explained the nature of adoption, The Spirit of as far as our design required, we are now carefully to described. inquire what the Spirit of adoption is: and this is the Holy Spirit, operating those things in the elect which are suitable to and becoming the sons of God, who love God, and are beloved by him. Distinguished spirit of II. This spirit differs from the spirit of bondage in this, that the spirit of bondage represents God as an from the austere master and a tremendous judge; hence it is bondage. that they, who are actuated by this spirit, in so far as they act thereby, perform the commands of their master from dread and terror. But the Spirit of adoption discovers God to the believing soul, as a kind and indulgent Father, and, by giving him assurance of the love of God, and sweetly cherishing the hope of the future inheritance, makes him, with alacrity and generous emotions of a filial reverence, willingly obey God, as an affectionate parent. Common to believers in all ages. III. Moreover, seeing all believers were sons of God in every period of time; we may with propriety assert, that the Spirit of adoption was granted to them all in their measure and degree. For certainly what Paul says, Gal. iv. 6, "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts," and Rom. viii. 9, “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his," is true of all periods. 174403 VOL. II. |