408 CHRIST ADMT, AND GLORIFIED [DISC. 1V. conflict, many a dreadful battle, , and they are at last made " more than conquerors, through hirn that has loved them," Rom. viii. 37. They attribute à1l their victories to the wisdom, the goodness, and the power of their divine Leader, and even stand amazed at their own success against such mightyadversaries : 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 virtues 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 undefiled, and separate from sin- ners ;" Heb. vii. 2G. As hé now is, so are they, glorious in holiness and divinely beautiful, while each of them re- flects the image of their blessed Lord, and they appear as wonders to all the beholding world. They were un- known here on earth, even as Christ himself was un- known : This is the day appointed to reveal their works, and their graces. Jesus is the " brightness of his Fa- ther's glory, 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, buttheir 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 resem- bling the children of a king !" Judges viii. 18. Vigour and health, beauty and immortality shine and reign throughout all that blessed assembly. The adopted sons anddaughters of God resemble the original and only-be- gotten 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. vrü. 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 their vile bo- dies into the likeness of his own glorious body, by that power wherebyhe is able to subdue all things to himself;'` Phil. iii. 21. He shall be admired as the bright original, and each of the saints as a fair and glorious copy: The
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