Spiritual Perfect- lion: 381 view, but has a vital efficacy to tranf- form us into his Likenefs ; as the fight of the Brazen Serpent conveyed aheal- ing Vertue to the wounded Ifraelites. The Apoflle tells us, that we all with open Face, beholding as in a glafs, the Glory z Qr. 3. I6'.; the Lord, are changed into the fame image, fromGlory to Glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord. The Gofpel is the Glafs, wherein there is a permanent. Image of Chrift in his Life and Death, a full manifeftation of all his Vertues ; and this fight, by the operation of the Spirit, changes us, into. his Likenefs, from Glory to Glory ; that . is, by feveral degrees of. Grace to a full conformity to him in Glory. As a Pain- ter often fixes his Eye upon the Objet}, to form in his Imagination the Idea, that guides his Hand in the defigning and colouring the Face, that the Copy may refemble the truth of Nature in the ori- ginal : So we fhould confider the Holi- nefs and Perfeaion of our Saviour's Aai- ons, and draw the'firfi Lines of Refolu- tion to imitatehim, and every day en- deavour to fill and compleat them in. Aaions, till Chrift be forma in us. Let us often compare our Lives with the Life of Chrift, that we may fee our Imper- feEuions in his Excellencies, which will dif- cover them,; and how to corred there.. Now
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=