all the creation seems ransacked to set him forth there, yet they are all as far beneath the real appearance of Christ, as the omnipresent God and king of glory, as a taper is beneath the sun. Το be conformed to this glorious image and likeness we are predestinated, says Paul; nay more, he says the vessels of mercy are afore by God prepared unto glory. This image of Christ, to which we are appointed and predestinated, is to be impressed by the Holy Ghost upon all the chosen seed in regeneration, and to be carried on by the renewing operations of the Holy Spirit till this begun work be perfected and completed. But I must hurry on to the next particular of the image of Christ, which is,

"His

5. Love. This is a most strking feature in Christ's image, as he is delineated by the spouse. Having given as good a description of him as she could, she sums up all together, and says, mouth is most sweet; yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem," Song v. 16. Now to this we are appointed also, as I hinted before: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love," Eph. i. 4. This is the perfecting stroke in this image. Hence are we exhorted to put on charity, or love, which is the bond of all perfectness; and charity is said never to fail. This is the badge of our holy profession; it is a seed of God, for God is love; and

nothing appears more conspicuous than this in the new man as soon as he is formed. It is by this we know that the spiritual birth has taken place in us; for," He that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God; but he that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love. My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." This is the work that was carried on in the secret council of the holy and blessed Trinity from everlasting.

Thus have I shewn you to what the Father hath predestinated and appointed us; to all which the Son of God agreed, with whom the bargain was struck, and with whom the covenant was made, and with whom it stands fast for ever and ever. And, if it be asked what part of the Holy Spirit took, or takes, in this work, it shall be proved, as

I

go on, that the beginning and finishing work of this image in Adam when he was formed, and in the elect when they are regenerated, and in all the saints at the day of judgment, when they shall be glorified, will be done and completed by God the Holy Ghost. But I must hasten to my next general head, which is to shew,

II. That the image of God in Adam was the noblest and grandest work that appeared in the whole creation when the world was made.

Some men, who are wise enough above what is written, and, through the judgment of God upon them, foolish enough below it, have dreamed of the eternity of matter; that the materials of which the world was made ever did exist, and will ever

abide the same as it now is. But God, who is the best judge, tells us it is not so; and that faith, which is God's gift, will believe what God says about it. "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God; so that the things which are seen were not made of the things which do appear," Heb. xi. 3. The things which are seen were not made of the things which do appear; for, if the matter, or the materials of the world, be eternal, and did ever subsist, however God might alter it, new model it, beautify it, or reform it, this would not have constituted him a maker or a creator, but a repairer, beautifier, or reformer. 'Out of nothing, nothing can be made,' say some. This, when applied to men, is true, but not with respect to God; for all things are possible with God, and nothing shall be impossible, Luke i. 37. To make God a reformer of the world, and to ascribe impossibilities to him, is to destroy out of our minds all the sense, reverence, and awe, that we have of his omnipotence, which the creation of the world is calculated to establish; as it is written, "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse," Rom. i. 20. His eternal power is to be known by the things that are made; and they who consider not the operation of his hands he shall destroy them, and not build them up. At the creation God's creating voice spoke that into ex

istence which never existed before; and this is called chaos, the gross and confused materials of the world, which at first was without form, and void of order; but every part of it moved at his word. God spoke, and the creating Word, which was with God and was God, went forth, and, "The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters;" and divided the elements, and made them prolific. God the Father spoke, and the Word and the Spirit instantly executed: God created all things by Jesus Christ, Eph. iii. 9. But this is not spoken to exclude the Holy Spirit, for the essential Word and the Spirit always work together: "By the word of the Lord were the heaven's made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth," Psa. xxxiii. 6. God said, Let there be light, let there be a firmament, let the waters be gathered together, let the earth bring forth, let there be lights in the firmament to give light upon the earth; and it was so: "For he spake and it was done, he commanded and it stood fast," Psalm xxxiii. 9. The all-wise Creator did not make man till he had brought the world into beautiful order for him. He prepared the vast kingdom, and then formed him that he intended should, under himself, have the dominion over it. We have seen, in all the parts of the creation, that they were done by speaking; "He spake and it was done." But about the formation of man there was a council held among the divine persons: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have do

minion," Gen. i. 26. These words were spoken by the Father to the Son, whom the Father possessed before the beginning of his way, Prov. viii. 22: and who, at the creation, was by him, as one brought up with him, and who was daily his delight, Prov. viii. 30. But some, who deny a plurality of persons in God, would make us believe that God spake these words to angels; but angels are creatures, and to apply the speech of God to them is to make them joint-creators and co-workers with God in the creation. But they had no hand in it; they are the morning stars that sang together, and the sons of God that shouted for joy, Job xxxviii. 7. And we need not wonder at their being called sons of God, for such they are by creation, and so are we: "Have we not all one father, hath not one God created us?" Mal. ii. 10. And in this sense angels may be called our brethren; and as they are all servants, and as they all minister to the heirs of salvation, they are fellow-servants also; and so they call themselves: " And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel that shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not; for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets; worship God," Rev. xxii. 8, 9. Strange it is that there should be such enemies to the Son of God, who, though he be the creator of angels, for he maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire, Heb. i. 7; yet they would introduce his angels into God's councils, and into the work of