May 29

Who are the recipients? "Sons"—a name often given to the people of God in the Scriptures. They are subjects, and he is their Sovereign, and they owe him obedience; they are servants, and he is their master, and they owe him attendance—But these relations do not go far enough: they are not sufficiently affectionate, and near, and privileged, to express the state of Christians. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon them—They are called the sons of God. And now are they the sons of God. And they are so, not only or principally because they are the creatures of his power, but the partakers of his grace. And two ways the title is applied to them exclusively: adoption; and regeneration. For they are not only taken into the household of faith, but they are new born, born again, born of God. Among men these sources of filiation are never united. A man does not adopt those who are begotten of him. And when he admits the offspring of others into family relation, and gives them his name, he cannot convey to them his qualities. He may be generous, and they may be selfish; he may be meek, and they may be severe. He may indeed instruct and admonish them, and exemplify his requisitions in his own life: but this is all. But God not only changes our state, but our nature. He works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure—He speaks; he acts like himself—"Behold, I create all things new."

What is the blessing? "The Spirit of his Son."—There are several other places in which the Spirit is held forth by this relation to Christ. But wherefore? Peter, speaking of the prophets, says, "the Spirit of Christ which was in them, testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow"—It was employed in bearing witness to him from the beginning. Our Saviour also said, "He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." He also personally possessed this Spirit, and was always actuated by it. "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." But the principal reason of the name is, that he procured this Spirit for us by his sufferings and death; the whole dispensation of it was lodged in his hands; and from his fulness all we receive, and grace for grace. Therefore he said to his disciples, "If I depart, I will send him unto you." "I will send you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever." And Peter reports the accomplishment in a most signal instance: "Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear." It is therefore derived from him to us—"We have an unction from the Holy One."

Where does it reside? "Because we are sons, he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts." Here God begins; "he shines in our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ." Here he places the riches of his grace, and "a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. The Lord looketh at the heart. If this be for him, every thing else will follow; but all is nothing without this. What is practice without principle, but a tree without a root, or a