Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT300 .O9 1679

' ' ~ Conformity unto Chrift, rr~ c::,.,cov, an hob thing,, Luke 1.) 5. It was alfo necefTary unto h1m, as unto his own Ohedience in the flefh, wherein he ful– 'filled all Righteoufnefs, did rio fin, neither was guile found in his mouth, 1 Pet. 2. 22. And it was fo unto the difcharge of the Office he undertook: Forfoch an High Priefl became u.r, who was hob·, harm~efs, undefiled, and feparate from ./inners, Fie/;. 7· 26. Howbeit the inhnite Wifdom ofGod had this far– ther defign in it alfo, namely, that he might be the Pattern and Example of the Renovation of the Image of God in us, and of the Glory that cloth enfue thereon. He is in the Eye of God as the Idtea of what he intends in us, in the commu– nication of Grace and Glory ; and he ought to be fo in ours as unto all that we aim at in a way of Duty. He hathpredeflinated zu to he conformed unto the Image of his Son, that he might be the ftrfl-!Jorn among, many Brethren~ Rom. 8. 30. In the collation of all Grace on Chrifi, God de– tigned to make him thefirfl-/Jorn of many Brethren; that is, not only to give him the Power and Authority of the firfi– born, with the Trufi of the whole Inheritance to be commu– nicated unto them)but alfo as the Example ofwhat he would bring them unto. For hoth he that fanElijeth, and they that are jcmElified are all of one, for which caufe he is not ajhamed to call them Brethren, He/;. 2. I I. It is Chrifi who fan&ifieth Believers; yet is it from God, who firfi fancrified him, that he and they might be of one, and fo become Brethren, as bearing the Image of the fame Father. God defignedand gave unto Chrift Grace and Glor..,~; and he did it that he· might be the Protot,pe of :what he defigned unto us, and would befl:ow upon us. H~nce the Apoftle fhews that the effetl: ofthis Predeflination to conformity unto the Image of the Son, is the communication of all effectual favingGrace, with the Glory that enfues thereon. 'Per. 30. Moreover whom he clid predeflinate, them he alfo called; andwhom he called, them

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