Now the reasons why the second Adam changeth us into his own image are many :
First, Because lie is a poiverful head that changeth all his members, a
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powerful root that cliangeth all his branches into his own nature, a pon-erful husband that changeth his own spouse. I say, he is a quickening Spirit, a public person, and the root of all believers, as the first Adam was of us all as we are natural men.
Second, Again, it is meet that brethren should be all alike ; therefore, as it is in Rom. viii. 29, ' we are predestinate to be conform to Christ.' ' He is the first among many brethren.' The chief brethren must be all alike. Therefore we being predestinate to salvation, it was fit wo should be pre- destinate to be conformable to our elder brother, that brethren might be of one nature and disposition. It is fit that the husband and wife should be of one disposition. Christ is the husband and we are the spouse. There- fore by grace he alters, and cleanseth, and purgeth his spouse, as it is Eph. V. 25, seq., * He loved his spouse, and gave himself for it ; that he might purge it, and make it a glorious spouse.' It is meet the wife should be the glory of the husband, as St Paul saith, 1 Cor. xi. 7, that is, that she should reflect the excellencies of her husband. Therefore that the church might be the glory of Christ and reflect the excellencies of Christ, she is changed to be like Christ more and more dail}-. There is a kind of con- gruity that brethren should be like, and that the spouse and the husband should be alike. Therefore God hath ordained that we should be like him in a threefold degi'ee : in sufiering, in grace, and in glory. "Whosoever will be like him in glory, must be like him in grace. First God's election and ordaining must have its issue ; that is, the representation of the hkeness of Christ in our natures.
Third, Again, the end of Christ's coming itas ' to destroy the icorks of the devil,' 1 John iii. 8, to deface all Satan's works, especially his work in us, the image of Satan in our dispositions. For every man by nature carries the image of the devil on him, till the image of Christ be stamped on, and the image of Satan rased out. For in man there is naturally an opposition to the truth, a hatred of God and of good things. Now Christ coming to dissolve the works of the devil, puts out this image, and sets his own stamp and image upon the soul. Therefore unless Christ change us to his own image he should miss of the end of his coming. These and many such reasons there are to prove that we are restored according to the image of Christ Jesus, and why Christ will change us to his own likeness. To add one more :
Fourth, The end of Christ is, that we should enter into a sweet communion u-ith him.. Therefore he will set such a stamp upon us as he may delight in us and be friends. Now if he should not change our natures, what cor- respondence could there be between Christ and us ? Now when he hath altered and changed us, he looks on us as carrying his stamp and image.
Use 1. If this be so, that we are changed into the image of the second Adam, Jesus Christ, then I beseech you let 7ts labour every day more and more to study Christ, that so by beholding Christ we may be transformed into his likeness. For the looking upon Christ is a transfonning sight. Therefore let us look into his disposition as it is set forth in the gospel, and to his carriage, and look to hia privileges, that so we may receive ' grace for grace,' grace suitable to his grace, disposition suitable to his disposition, conversation suitable to his conversation, and privilege and prerogative suitable to his prerogative, that we may be like him every way.
What was his disposition and carriage ? It were too large to unfold it to you as it is in the gospel, but because we must be changed into the image of Christ, it is good to look to that picture, that we may resemble that
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ImagG as much as may be. You sec in the gospel how he carried himself to his friends, enemies, the devil, himself.
You see how full of love he was. What drew him from heaven to earth, and so to his cross and to his grave, but love to mankind ? You see how full of goodness he was : ' He went about doing all the good he could,' Acts X. 38. How much good doth that speech savour of that Paul speaks of him, ' It is a more blessed thing to give than to receive,' Acts xx. 35. See how full of zeal he was ! He whipped the buyers and sellers out of the temple, John ii. 15. He was full of goodness. It was his meat and drink to do good, John iv. 32, scq. It was as natural to him as for a fountain to stream out.