Christus in corde, or, The mystical union between Christ and believers considered in its…

Another privilege is Adoption. All men in a sense are the off-spring of God; the immortal Spirit in them had in the very make of it the natural Image of God, which was a nobler print of the Deity, than that which was upon all the material world besides. Adam in Innocency was in an higher way the Son of God; the holy Graces in him, which made up the Moral Image, had more of the divine Beauty shining in them, than that which was to be found in the Essence of the Soul: but Believers are the Sons of God in a more excellent manner; To as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the Sons of God, John 1.12. By ⟨p. 249⟩conjunction with Christ the natural Son, they become adopted ones. Adam was a Son only by Creation; his Soul had in the Essence of it a natural Image of God, and in the holy Graces of it a Moral one; but Believers are sons by mystical union with Christ the natural Son; neither is this a mere empty title, but they are born of God, they are of the seed-royal of Heaven; the Blood of God runs in their consciences; the divine Spirit, which formed Christ in the womb, doth by a supernatural overshadowing, form him in their heart; in their adoptive Sonship there is a shadow of the eternal one; the splendour of grace in them, resembling God in a measure, is a little picture of Christ, who is the brightness of his Fathers glory. This privilege, as it is from God, is a piece of admirable love: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the Sons of God, 1 John 3.1. The Apostle stands and wonders at it as an object of glorious and amazing Eminence: Also, as it is upon Believers, it is a piece of incomparable Dignity, such as doth far outshine all that lustre which is upon the Potentates of this world; all the glory of earthly Princes is but fumus seculi, the smoke of this lower Region, their titles glitter ⟨p. 250⟩only in carnal eyes; but adoption is radius coeli, a ray of heavenly glory, making believers, though but worms in themselves, shine to the eyes of Angels, who look upon them as mystical parts of Christ. Touching this privilege, I shall only touch on two or three things.

Another priviledg is Adoption. All men in a sense are the off-spring of God; the immortal Spirit in them had in the very make of it the natural Image of God, which was a nobler print of the Deity, than that which was upon all the material world besides. Adam in Innocency was in an higher way the Son of God; the holy Graces in him, which made up the Moral Image, had more of the divine Beauty shining in them, than that which was to be found in the Essence of the Soul: but Believers are the Sons of God in a more excellent manner; To as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the Sons of God,