Divine image, however, is not borne by all the human race, but by those alone to whom Christ is a covenant Head; for, as in Adam all those, whose representative he stood, fell and died; so in Christ Jesus all, in whose stead he suffered and bare the curse, shall be made alive to God, and to the enjoyment of happiness. These characters evince, that they were chosen in him from before the foundation of the world, by their belief of the gospel while they live; and all these characters shall, according to the promise, and through the grace of their heavenly Father, bear the image, and reflect the glory of Christ, their great Redeemer. Concerning this blessed image, I make three remarks: It is first impressed upon us at the time of our regeneration,-It shall visibly discover itself through the whole course of our Christian life,-It shall be rendered more conspicuous and glorious in the morning of the resurrection.

1. It is first impressed upon us at the time of our regeneration. For that is the time when "it pleased God, who separated us from our mother's womb, to call us by his grace, and to reveal his Son in us;" then it is that we are enabled "to put off the old man with his deeds, and to put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Effectual grace then gives a new bias to the mind, and the Father of the spirits of all flesh then makes us new creatures in Christ Jesus. O, most memorable day, when we were sealed to the day of redemption! O day, well worthy to be remembered with grateful feelings, when the image of Christ was first impressed upon our minds! With what new powers, what new feelings, what new desires, were we then enriched! The Saviour imparted to us the princi

ple of grace; he made us, who before lived only for folly and sin, to pant after holiness, as our noblest pursuit; to grasp after purity, as our noblest attainment. O what a difference did this make in our character! We were, indeed, formed anew; we were made partakers of Christ, and of a Divine nature; we then first began to bear the image of the heavenly there is a people, a host of worshippers, whom Jehovah has formed for himself, and they shall show forth his praise; every one of them has had a Divine impression made upon his mind by the Eternal Spirit, which altogether rendered him a new creature, and made him to bear the image of the heavenly. Never let us forget, that nothing but the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit can make us bear this sacred image; for without his gracious work upon the heart, the children of men remain still the slaves of Satan, the heirs of destruction, and God is not in all their thoughts; his word has not taken root in their minds; his image has not yet been impressed upon their hearts. But ye who believe have an unction from the Holy One; ye know all things; you bear the image of the heavenly.

2. This image shall visibly discover itself through the whole course of the Christian's life.

It shall be seen in the walk and deportment of a good man, that he bears the image of the heavenly. This lovely image shall produce a happy effect upon his temper, his passions, his pursuits; it shall make him to speak, to look, to live, like the children of God. To the world, to angels, and to men, it shall appear that he bears the image of the heavenly Adam; but if ever this holy image is made particularly visible, it is at the time when we walk closely with God, and live in the delightful

enjoyment of intercourse with heaven. O, what a lustre of piety does this shed over all that we do and say! O God! blessed are the men that habitually draw nigh unto thee! The men who are most with God have imparted to them, by their familiarity with their Maker, and the holy discoveries they enjoy, a general, a holy dignity in them; we behold the grace of God, the power of God, the image of God.

I will endeavor to illustrate what I mean, by one or two examples contained in the inspired records. When Moses had been with God on the mount of communion, he wist not that the skin of his face shone; but Aaron his brother, and all the children of Israel saw it, and the lustre was so great that he was obliged to put a veil upon his face, because they were dazzled with the sight; and I would inquire, What was this that rendered his appearance so glorious? What was that efful

gence of glory and splendor, at which they were so astonished, and almost afraid? What was it? It was the image of the Lord from heaven. Stephen, you know, was once summoned before the Jewish council, to give an account of the doctrines he preached, of the holy doctrines which ever inspired his mind with the liveliest joy, and the persuasion of the importance of which ever quickened his zeal, and enabled him to suffer and die for Jesus and while these Divine realities occupied his thoughts, and were the subject of his communication with those before whose tribunal he appeared, it is said, "All that sat in the council saw his face as it had been the face of an angel." It was the image of the heavenly Adam. By nothing else could such an effect have been produced; and we may be certain, that in one way or other, the same

image will, more or less, discover the reality of its existence in all them that believe.

3. This image shall be rendered more striking and glorious on the resurrection morning.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like him ; for we shall see him as he is." Such are the rational, the well-founded, the solid and certain hopes of the favorites of the second Adam. With eager anticipation and joyful hope, they look forward to the day when the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised; for then they are persuaded, that the image of the heavenly Adam will be far more conspicuous and glorious than it had been before, whether we regard their bodies or their souls. It will appear in our bodies; for, "He shall change our vile bodies, and fashion them like unto his own glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself." These now frail and dying bodies shall then be formed upon the model of the glorified body of the Redeemer and in holiness and purity our souls shall resemble our Lord's, since they shall sin no more, but be entirely and forever freed from every corruption, purified from every moral stain, and coustituted "holy and unblameable before him in love." The image of the heavenly Adam will then gloriously appear in all the saints; to his likeness they shall all be conformed; his glory they shall all reflect; they will then forever beautify and adorn the palace of our God. "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father," while their enemies will be obliged to say, We fools counted their lives to be madness, and their end to be without honor;

but now how are they numbered with the just, and their portion is with the righteous.

It is as certain that believers shall thus bear the image of the heavenly Adam, as it is that all mankind bear the image of the earthly; and this is the force of the apostle's reasoning: "As we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." And to show that this is no foolish conjecture, nor absurd speculation, consider that this is the end of predestination, of the inspiration of the Scriptures, and of the afflictions with which believers are exercised, that they should bear this lovely image.

It is the end of their predestination. "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren.” Jehovah elected them for this express purpose, that they might resemble the Saviour; he chose them in Christ, that they might be like unto Christ; and by the sovereign purpose of his will he secured their real, evident, beautiful, and everlasting conformity to Christ, their living Head. These his all-wise designs, his excellent counsels, would not be fulfilled, if his servants did not bear the image of the heavenly.

So, also, this is the design of the inspiration of the Scriptures. The Bible was written and circulated that we all, "with open face beholding, as

a glass, the glory of the Lord, might be changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." Our hearts are purified by the love of truth, and the written word ever directs us to the incarnate Word. The holy oracles of God are the means of sanctifying the souls of his servants, for his word directs them, and