The sovereign and final happiness of man with the effectual means to obtain itThe soveraign and final happiness of man with the effectual means to obtain it

Now the indispensable necessity of this holy Change is evident from the Words of our Saviour, for he speaks universally, Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God. He does not simply declare that an unregenerate Man shall not, but with the greatest Emphasis, cannot, to signify an absolute impossibility of it. The Jews highly presumed of the privilege of their carnal Birth, they sprang from the pure and noble Blood of Abraham, ⟨p. 84⟩God's Friend; they had the Seal of the Holy Covenant marked in their Flesh: and hence it was proverbial among them, that every Israelite should have a part in the World to come. But our Saviour overthrows this vain conceit, and tells them that the supernatural Birth entitles to the supernatural Inheritance. Circumcision then, and Baptism now, without real Grace is an ineffectual sign, of no avail to Salvation.¹ In the quality of Sons, we are Heirs of God's Kingdom. And that honourable Relation we have upon a double account;² by Adoption and Regeneration. Divine Adoption is not a mere change of our state, a naked Declaration that one shall be dignified with the Title of God's Son, but a holy Nature is always infused into the Person, whereby he is made like to God in his Excellencies. In this it differs from humane Adoption, that gives the Name, and Arms, the Honour and Estate of the Adopter to a Person, without conveying any of his intellectual or moral Endowments. Whom God adopts he begets to a Divine Life. Besides, our Saviour purchased this high privilege for us: God sent his Son made of a Woman, under the Law, to redeem ⟨p. 85⟩them that were under the Law, that we might receive the Adoption of Sons. By Union with him we receive the investiture of this Dignity. Now whoever is in Christ is a new Creature. For the quickening Spirit, that is to the Soul what the Soul is to the Body, the principle of Life and Strength, of Beauty and Motion, and an active purifying Faith that is influential upon all other Graces, are the band of that vital Union: So that as all in Adam are universally corrupt by the first Birth, all that are in Christ are made holy by a new Birth. But of this I shall speak in the next Chapter more fully, under a distinct Head. Briefly, the Spirit of Grace that sanctifies, is the Spirit of Adoption that seals our Right to that Kingdom.