But I said
Within himself, in the thoughts of his heart, when he took up a
resolution concerning their conversion, open adoption, and return
to their own land, as a symbol of the eternal inheritance:
how shall I put thee among the children?
among the children of God, who are so by special adopting grace,
which is a high and honourable privilege, greater than to be the
sons and daughters of the greatest potentate on earth; who as
they are high birth, being born of God, so they are brought up,
and fed, and clothed as the children of the King of kings; they
have great nearness to and freedom with God their Father; they
are heirs with God and joint heirs with Christ, and shall ever
remain in this relation. There is a secret and an open putting of
the sons of men among the children of God. The secret putting of
them among the children is by God the Father, when he
predestinated them unto the adoption of children by Christ; when
he promised in covenant he would be their Father, and they should
be his sons and daughters; and as an act of his own will,
secretly, in his own breast, adopted them into his family, his
will to adopt being the adoption of them; hence they are called
the children of God, previous to their redemption and
sanctification, ( Hebrews 2:13
Hebrews
2:14 ) ( John 11:52 ) ( Galatians
4:6 ) . Moreover, our Lord Jesus Christ was concerned in this
affair by espousing these persons to himself in covenant, whereby
his Father became their Father, and his God their God; and by
assuming their nature, whereby they became his brethren, and so
the children of God; and by redeeming them, whereby way is made
for their actual reception of the adoption of children; when they
are openly put among them in the effectual calling, in which the
Holy Spirit is concerned, who regenerates them, works faith in
them, and witnesses their adoption to them, from whence he is
called the Spirit of adoption; regeneration and faith are the
evidences of adoption, ( John 1:12 John 1:13 ) ( Galatians
3:26 ) and the Spirit the witness, ( Romans 8:15 Romans 8:16 ) . Now, as
all things were seen in one view by the Lord from eternity, as
well when he secretly as openly puts them among the children, it
may well be thought there were difficulties, at least seeming
ones, in the way of it; or, however, such as make it wonderful
and marvellous that any of the sons of Adam should be put among
the children of God; seeing they that are, sinned in Adam as the
rest, fell with him in his transgression into a state of
condemnation and death; are corrupt in their first birth, defiled
in soul and body, and cast out like the wretched infant, to the
loathing of their persons; are as the children of the Ethiopians,
black with original and actual sins; are children of
disobedience, traitors and rebels against God, and children of
wrath, even as others. And though these words may have a
principal respect to the Jews, who dealt treacherously with God,
in departing from his pure worship, rejecting the Messiah, and
continuing in their obstinacy and infidelity, having a "loammi"
upon them, and notwithstanding shall be called the children of
the living God, ( Hosea 1:9 Hosea 1:10 ) , yet may
be applied to any of the sons and daughters of men, whether Jews
or Gentiles, that are put among the children of God. And
give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of
the
nations?
the allusion, doubtless, is to the land of Israel, which was a
goodly and desirable land, a land flowing with milk and honey,
and was the heritage or inheritance of the children of Israel,
but not of the hosts of nations; wherefore heaven and eternal
happiness is ultimately meant, the better country Christian
pilgrims are seeking after, and the desired haven Christian
sailors make unto: this is a "pleasant land"; pleasantly situated
on high, where are great plenty of provisions, solid substance,
enduring riches, the greatest liberty and choices, privileges,
and the best of inhabitants and company, Father, Son, and Spirit,
angels and glorified saints: this is a goodly
heritage
or "inheritance"; not only a house not made with hands, a city
that has foundations, but a kingdom and glory, an inheritance
incorruptible, undefiled, which fades not away, reserved in the
heavens: and it may be said to be of the hosts of
nations;
for, though it is but one inheritance, vast numbers will share in
it, and possess it; even an innumerable company of all nations,
kindreds, people, and tongues, which are chosen, redeemed, and
called out of them: and this is in, the "gift" of God; he
regenerates to a lively hope of it, makes meet for it, and of his
own good pleasure bestows it; and marvellous it is that he should
give it to the persons before described; the putting of them
among the children of God, and giving them such an inheritance,
are entirely owing to his sovereign grace and goodness, which
only can answer the question put, concerning these things.
And I said, thou shalt call me my father;
not merely saying these words, but expressing them with affection
and faith, under the witnessings of the Spirit of God; and
declaring the relation by deeds, by honouring and obeying him,
and being a follower of him in his ways and worship: and shalt
not turn away from me; either from calling him Father, through
the prevalence of unbelief; or from his service and worship,
through the power of corruptions, backsliding and revolting from
him, with which they are often charged in this chapter; so the
Targum,
``shalt not turn from my worship.''