<OL TYPE="1"><LI>adoption, adoption as sons<OL TYPE="a"><LI>that relationship which God was pleased to establish between himself and the Israelites in preference to all other nations<LI>the nature and condition of the true disciples in Christ, who by receiving the Spirit of God into their souls become sons of God<LI>the blessed state looked for in the future life after the visible return of Christ from heaven</OL></OL>