May 13

And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit.—Luke 23:46.

THE words are the prayer of our blessed Saviour in the extremity of his passion. His unrighteous and implacable enemies had nailed his body to the cross, but they had no power over his spirit, that was ready to take its flight to the sanctuary of Life and Immortality. This dying prayer of Christ is a pattern for sincere Christians: he has invested them with the relation of children of God; and authorizes them by his example, to commend their departing spirits to his powerful love.

Consider the relation of God to the saints. The title of Father is upon several accounts attributed to God.

1. He is a Father by Creation: O Lord, thou art our Father; we are the clay, thou art the potter; we are the work of thine hands, Isaiah 64:8. He formed man's body into a majestic figure, becoming his original state, being Lord of the lower world. But in a peculiar manner he is called the Father of spirits: they have a near alliance, and resemblance to the Father of lights, in their intellectual powers, and their immortal nature. From hence it is, the angels are called the sons of God. They are the eldest offspring of his love. Adam has the title of a son of God. And since the fall, men are called God's offspring. There is an indelible character of dignity engraven in the reasonable nature by the hand of God. But since man turned rebel to his Creator and Father, this endearing, obliging relation aggravates his rebellion, but gives him no interest in the paternal love of God, of which he has made a deadly forfeiture. It is threatened against ignorant, perverse sinners, He that made them, will not save them.

2. Upon the account of external calling, and profession, there is an intercurrent relation of Father and sons between God and his people. Thus the posterity of Seth are called the sons of God, and the entire nation of the Jews are so styled: When Israel was young, I called my son out of Egypt. And all that have received baptism, the seal of the holy covenant, and profess Christianity, in this general sense may be called the children of God. But it is not the outward dedication that entitles men to a saving interest in God, unless they live according to that dedication. There are baptized infidels, as well as unbaptized. How many every day fall as deep as hell, whose hopes were high, on account of their external Christianity.

3. God is our Father upon a more excellent account, by renovation and adoption. The natural man is what Paul says of the voluptuous widow, dead while she lives. There is not only a cessation of spiritual acts, but an utter incapacity to perform them; he can not obey nor enjoy God. Now the renewing of man is called a regeneration. Our Saviour tells Nicodemus, Verily I say unto you, unless a man be born again, he can not enter into the kingdom of heaven. The reason of the expression is, because there is a new nature, spiritual, holy, and heavenly, communicated, different from the carnal, polluted, and earthly nature, derived from the first Adam. And as the relation of a father results from the communicating a vital active principle to another, in that kind of life like his own; so God, by making us partakers of a divine nature, of his life and image, is styled our Father: Of his own will begat he us, with the word of truth. And we are said to be born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. By the divine influence, the word of God implants in them such qualities and dispositions whereby they resemble God, are holy, as he is holy, in all manner of conversation. They are called godly, as they are like him in their minds, affections, and actions. And to such God has the eye and heart of a Father, to regard and relieve them in all their exigencies. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that serve him.

We are also the children of God by adoption. This heavenly privilege is obtained for us by the meritorious sufferings of Christ, and is founded in our union with him. God sent his Son, that he might redeem them that were under the law, that they might receive the adoption of sons. For his sake we are not only pardoned, but advanced to this heavenly dignity. It is worthy of observation, that the degrees of our redemption mentioned in scripture, have annexed to them parallel degrees of our adoption. Thus when it is said, We are redeemed from the curse of the law, it is added, that we might receive the adoption of sons. When it is said, We are freed from the servile spirit of the law, it follows, We have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,

Father. And the apostle tells us, that the redemption of our bodies from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God is our adoption, that is, the manifestation of it before all the world.

Our adoption is founded in our union with Christ. A member of Christ and a son of God are the same: it is therefore said, As many as received him, to them gave he power, or privilege, to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. And, ye are all the children of God, by faith in Jesus Christ. This is the vital band of our union with Christ, and invests us with his relation to God. When he was to leave the world, he sends this comfortable message to his disciples: Go tell my brethren, I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. His relation has the precedence in order, dignity, and causality. He is God's own Son, in a sense infinitely high and proper to himself: To which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, to-day have I begotten thee! The sublimest prophet breaks forth with wonder, Who shall declare his generation? It is above our capacity and conception. It becomes us to acquiesce in what the Scripture reveals. He is the eternal Word and Wisdom of God, The brightness of his Father's glory. This is the most fit comparison: for as light is productive of light without any diminution; so the eternal Father communicated his essence to the Son. In short, God is Christ's Father by nature, and God by dispensation; he is our God as the Author of nature, and our Father by adoption.

Now from this special relation and interest of God in the saints, there is a sure foundation in their trust in his saving mercy. David addresses himself to God for his preservation from imminent danger, I am thine, save me. As if his miscarrying would be a loss to God, who had so dear a property in him.