Doctrine ♦5. _The state of adoption, whereby we are made the sonnes of God, should stir us up to the practise of holinesse._ ♦ “V” replaced with “5” for consistency This is gathered from these words: _As obedient Children._ _Reason_ 1. Because Children should beare the image of their Father: Now the image of God consists in holinesse and righteousnesse. 2. Because it is the duty of Children, readily and of their owne accord to apply themselves to the will of their Father. Now the will of God is our sanctification. _1 Thessalonians 4.3._ this is it that is intimated in that title, where the faithfull are called _obedient Children_. _Vse_ 1. This may serve _to condemne_ those, that with the wicked Jewes say, they are the Children of Abraham and of God, when notwithstanding, they doe the workes of the Devill, _Iohn 8.41,2,4._ _1 Iohn 3.8,10._ 2. _To exhort us_, in all things to make it appeare, that we are the true sonnes of God, by obedience unto his will, and our practise of holinesse: for unlesse we beare the chastisements of the Lord, that by them we may be made partakers of his holinesse, hereby we shew that we are bastards, and nor true sonnes. _Hebrews 12.8,10._ Doctrine 6. _This filiall obedience, and the fashioning of our selves according to the former lusts of our sins, cannot stand together._ This is gathered from the opposition, that is made betwixt these two, verse 14. where the one being affirmed, that we are obedient Children, the other is denyed, that we should not fashion our selves according to our lusts. _Reason_ 1. Because they, which by regeneration are made the Children of God, are new creatures, have a new nature and new affections, so that they have wholy renounced their former nature and affections: and for this very cause they are called in the Text, _Former lusts_, or, _which were before_. 2. Because the former lusts of sinne do wholly withdraw us from the will of God, which we ought to obey. 3. Because the former lusts of sinne are such, that all that are come to the knowledge of the truth, may be asham’d of them; this is intimated in the Text, where they are called _lusts which were in our ignorance_: because they cannot endure the light. _Vse_ 1. This may serve _to condemne_ those, that professe themselves the children of God, and call upon God as their Father, & yet follow the same course of life that the children of this world do. 2. _To exhort us_, not to conforme our selves to this world, _Romans 12.2._ where there is a reason also given of this exhortation, in the 1 Verse, because if we do this we cannot present our selves to God as a living sacrifice, acceptable unto him. So _2 Timothy 2.19._ Doctrine 7. _The calling of the faithfull doth necessarily require holinesse in them._ This is gathered from Verse 15,16. _Reason_ 1. Because holinesse is one of the chiefe ends of this calling, therefore it is usually called in the Scriptures a holy calling, _2 Timothy 1.9._