24
Cotton concludes, The lack of love to any of our brethren is a sign of abiding in the
state of damnation, or in an unregenerate and carnal state.
80
Privileges and benefits of adoption
The Puritans spend more time expounding what are variously called the privileges,
liberties, benefits, blessings, or rights of adoption than any other aspect of adoption. This
is also evident in the Westminster Confession of Faith (XII) and Larger Catechism (Q.
74), where more than half of the material on adoption is devoted to a listing of these
liberties and privileges, each of which the Spirit uses to exercise His transforming
power and comfort in the lives of God`s children.
The overarching privilege can best be summarized as heirship. God`s adopted
children are all royal heirs apparent and co-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:16-17). Men may
have many children yet but one is an heir, writes Burroughs. But all the children of
God are heirs.
81
Hebrews 12:23 calls them first-born heirs.
The Puritans make much of joint-heirship with Christ. As co-heirs with Christ,
believers share in Christ`s kingship, and therefore partake of the kingdom of heaven as
their inheritance. Believers are made kings of the Father in His spiritual kingdom in three
respects, writes Thomas Granger. 1. Because they are Lords and Conquerors of their
enemies, Sinne, Satan, the World, Death, Hell. 2. They are partakers of the kingdome of
Christ and of saluation; for wee haue receiued of Christ grace for grace, and glorie for
glorie. 3. They haue interest, dominion, and soueraigntie of all things by Christ.
82
Witsius stresses that this all things includes the right of possession of the whole
world, which was given to but lost by Adam (Gen. 1:28; 3:24), promised to Abraham
(Rom. 4:13), and repurchased by Christ for himself and his brethren (Ps. 8:6), so that
now all things, both present and to come, are His people`s.
83
Ultimately, believers are
lords and possessors of all things, because they belong to Christ who belongs to God (1
Cor. 3:21-23).
84
Nothing in this world can match the inheritance of believers. It knows no
corruption (1 Pet. 1:4)--not by outward principles, as fire, violence, &c.; nor by inward
principles, as sin and other taints which defile (Is. 29:14; 1 Pet. 1:18). It has no
succession. The heavenly Father and His children always live out of the same inheritance,