him, as the perfon whom God has given Eph.i. 22. us to be the Head over all things: That we

are to depend upon him, as the Author of our Life towards God; as the Only Lord and Saviour, through whom the kindness Tit.iii.4,6. and love of God our Saviour has appeared toward Man, and is fhed on us abundantly. That we are to imitate him, as our Example; to obey him, as our Mafter; to follow him, as our Guide; and be in all things fubject to him, as the several Members of the Body are to the Superiour Powers and Faculties of the Soul.

Tis alfo further to be obferved, that as all the Members of the Body are fubject to the Head, fo they are also fitly contrived to be useful and helpful to Each Other. And This likewife does, by a very handfom fimilitude, represent to us our Duty, as being fellow-members of the fame Body. That we should in all things be helpful and beneficial one to another, as brethren, and partakers of the fame common Salvation. For as the Body is one, and hath ma- 1 Cor.xii. ny Members; and all the Members of that 12,

one

one Body, being Many, are One Body; fo alfo is Chrift. That therefore we should ver.25,26. have the fame care One for Another: And whether One member fuffer, all the members fuffer with it; or One member be bonoured, all the members rejoice with it.

ver. 21.

ver. 15.

Laftly: THIS Similitude of our being Members of the fame Body, is ftill further fignificant of our Duty. That as, in the natural Body, the Eye cannot fay unto the Hand, I have no need of You; nor again, the Head to the Feet, I have no need of You; neither, on the other fide, can the meaner parts, can the Foot fay, because I am not the Hand, I am not of the Body: So in the Body of Chrift, of which we are All members, no man ought to defpife his meaner brother, nor envy his greater. The Rich or the Learned, muft not despise the Poor or the Ignorant; nor the Poor or Ignorant envy the Rich or the Learned; fince God has made them All equally Members of Chrift, and defigned them to be useful and beneficial to each other.

2, THE Second Privilege to which a person is admitted by Baptifm, is; that therein he is made " The Child of God. That is to say: Whereas by Nature we are only in general the Creatures of the Almighty, and the Work of his Hands; and, by Sin, were become Objects of his Wrath and Difpleafure; we are by Chrift restored, through the Covenant of Repentance, to the Favour of God as of a tender Father: And our Nature is raised to some fimilitude with His, who was in a fingular manner The Son of God, and yet condefcended to become our elder Brother. As many as received him, to them gave he power to be- 13. come The Sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name. Who were born, not of Blood, nor of the Will of the Flesh, nor of the Will of Man, but of God.

As the Jews of old, through the Obedience of their Father Abraham, became the peculiar, the elect, the chofen people of God; the Standard of true Religion, and of the Worship of the One True God of the Universe, for a Testimony against all

the

Joh. i. 12,

the idolatrous Nations of the Earth: So Chriftians now, in a more excellent and fpiritual manner, of which all the Jewish Privileges were but Types and Figures, do, through the interpofition of Chrift, and by their embracing the Terms of his ERev. xiv. verlasting Gospel, become The Sons of God Actsiii. 25. and Children of the Covenant.

6.

Gal. iv. 7.

15.

HENCEFORTH therefore we are no

God

more Servants, but Sons. That is requires not of us any hard and burdenfom Services, with the Severity of a rigorous Master; but only a rational and filial Obedience, with the Indulgence of a tenPf.ciii. 14, der and compaffionate Father. He knoweth whereof we are made, and remembreth that we are but Duft: Like as a Father pitieth his children, even fo the Lord pitieth them that fear him. He fupports us with all Neceffaries, he affifts us by his Spirit, he pardons our Infirmities, and gracioufly forgives us all our Sins, upon fincere Repentance and real Amendment of Life, through the Interceffion of Chrift.

Rom. viii.

THIS is what the Scripture calls, The Adoption of Sons; and, the Spirit Gal.iv.5. of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Fa- 15. ther.

THIS is the Privilege we are admitted to by Baptism, of being the Children of God. And 'tis likewise no less fignificant of our Duty. For every Relation whatsoever, neceffarily fuppofes and implies the Duty correfpondent to that Relation. If therefore we live not in Obedience to the Commands of our Heavenly Father, it will nothing profit us to have had the Name of his Children. Nay, we shall be rejected and punished with fo much the greater Severity, for not having lived worthy of Eph. iv. 1. the Vocation wherewith we were called. He Rev.xxi.7. that Overcometh, shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and He fhall be my Son.

3. THE Third Privilege to which a Person is admitted by Baptifm, is; that therein he is made "an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven, " For whereas

the