DISCOURSE IV. io church ? Behold his subjects waiting on him, a numerous and a loyal multitude, who have the Jaws of their king engraven on their souls. These are the sons and daughters of Adam, whom he has rescued, by his power, from the kingdom of darkness; and the hands of the devil : He has guarded them from the rage of their malicious adversaries in earth and hell, and brought them safe through all difficulties to behold the glories of this day, and to celebrate the honours of their king. Is he the Captain of salvation? See what a blessed army he has listed under his banner of love ; and they have followed him, through all the dangers of life and time, under his conduct. These are the chosen, the called, the faithful. They have sus- tained many a sharp conflict, many a dreadful battle, and they are at last made more than conquerors through him that has loved them ; Rom. viii. 37. They attribute all their victories to the wisdom, the goodness, and the power of their divine Leader, and even stand amazed at their own success against such mighty adversaries: But they fought under the banner, conduct and influence of the Prince of life, the King of righteousness, who is always victorious, and has a crown in his hand for every conqueror. Is Jesus the great example of his saints ? Behold the vir- tues and graces of the Son of God copied out in all his followers. As he was, so were they in this world, holy, harmless, and un- defiled, and separate from sinners; Heb. vii. 26. As he now is, so are they glorious in holiness and divinely beautiful, while each of them reflects the image of their blessed Lord, and they appear as wonders to all the beholding world. They were unknown here on earth; even as Christ himself was unknown : This is the day appointed to reveal their works, and their graces. Jesus is the brightness of his Father's glor9, and the express image of his person ; Heb. i. 3. and all the sons and daughters of God shall then appear as so many pictures of the blessed Jesus, drawn by the finger of the eternal Spirit. And not their souls only, but their glorified bodies also, are framed in his likeness. What grace and grandeur dwells in each countenance, " As thou art, O blessed Jesus, so shall they be, in that day, all of them resembling the children of a king l-- Judges viii. 18. Vigour and health, beauty and immortality shine and reign throughout all that blessed assembly. The adopted sons and daughters of God resemble the original and only-begotten Son : Christ will have all his brethren and sisters conformed unto his glories, that they may be known to be his kindred, the children of his Father, and that he may appear the first -born among many brethren ; Rom. viii. 29. When the Son of God breaks open the graves, he forms the dust of his saints by the model of his own glorious aspect and figure,, and changes
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