Let no one in whom grace has begun be discouraged. God will go on with his grace. When he has begun a good work, he will finish it to the day of the Lord (Phil. 1:6). Though grace is little at first,...  Read More

The church clothed with Christ, who is the glory of the church, tramples all earthly things underfoot. Grace is victorious and conquering, prevailing over those corruptions that prevail over ordinary...  Read More

The image of God makes a man glorious. It makes him shine. It is an excellent state to see a man in his place in the commonwealth. What a glorious sight is it to see a Joseph, a Nehemiah, a Paul, all...  Read More

Grace is glorious. As the wise man says, 'Wisdom makes a man's face to shine' (Eccles. 8:1). Is not wisdom a glorious thing: a wise, understanding man able to guide himself and others? It puts a beau...  Read More

As for those who find themselves to be ‘old men' still, who have lived, and still live, in corruption, they must not think they have any benefit by the gospel. If they do, they deceive themselves. Fo...  Read More

How can we know for certain that we see God in Christ and the glory of God in the gospel? Does this sight have a transforming power in you, to make you like the image of Christ? If it does not, it is...  Read More

Of all contemplations under heaven, there is no contemplation so sweet and powerful as to see God in Christ and Christ first abased for us, and to see ourselves abased in Christ, and crucified in Chr...  Read More

The reasons for this change are from Christ. By knowing Christ, we know the cursed state to be absent from him and see the glorious benefits by Christ’s redemption and glorification. These are set be...  Read More

There are two conformities of exceeding comfort to us, and we must meditate on both. (1) Christ's conformity to us. He was transfigured into our likeness. In love to us he became man. He took man's n...  Read More

Also, the image of God in the second Adam is more durable. All excellencies and grace are more firmly set on Christ than they ever were upon Adam. They are set upon him with such a character and stam...  Read More

The pattern to which we are changed is the image of Christ. It is a true rule that the first in every kind is the measure—the idea and pattern—of all the rest. Now Christ is the first, for he is the ...  Read More

(5) Finally, whenever God calls and dignifies, he also qualifies. Princes cannot qualify those they raise, but God, whom he advances to glory, he fits and qualifies for glory. Where he bestows his me...  Read More

(4) Actions correspond to powers and abilities, and no holy action can come from an unchanged ability. A change in the souls faculties must precede a change in life and conduct. In nature we live, an...  Read More

(3) The soul that truly desires mercy and favour always desires power against sin. Pardon and power go together, both in God's gift and in the desire of a Christian's soul. There is no Christian soul...  Read More

(2) We all expect glory in heaven. But how can we reach that unless we are made fit for it? The church is the fitting place for glory. We enter into heaven in the church here. We are hewn and squared...  Read More

We must be changed from the state in which we are, as Christ tells Nicodemus (John 3:7), and such a change as a new birth. We must be all new, just as a bell that has even one crack must be newly mou...  Read More

That we may be changed into the likeness of Christ, let us fix our meditations upon him, and we will find a change, though we do not know how it happens. As those who are in the sun for work or play ...  Read More

What things in Christ's death especially reveal themselves to us? Three things: wonderful love, that he died for us; wonderful hatred, that he would die for sin; and wonderful holiness and love of gr...  Read More

How are we changed into the likeness of Christ? When we believe in Christ, we are planted into the likeness of his death and his resurrection. This is somewhat mystical, yet it is taught in the Scrip...  Read More

It is good upon all occasions, every day, to think, 'What would my blessed Saviour say if he were here? What did he do in similar cases when he was upon earth? I must be led by the Spirit of Christ, ...  Read More

So, you have a taste of Christ's behaviour to his friends, to his enemies, to Satan. And as for hypocrites he says, 'Woe to them' (Matt. 23:13). He hated them above all the proud Pharisees. I might s...  Read More

How did he behave toward his enemies? Did he call for fire from heaven when they wronged him? He shed tears for those who would shed his blood: 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem' (Matt. 23:37), who afterward c...  Read More

He would not ‘quench the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed' (Matt. 12:20), so gentle and sweet a Saviour have we. He loved and responded to those who sought him out, as when the rich young man...  Read More

If it is so that we are changed into the image of the second Adam, Jesus Christ, then let us labour every day more and more to study Christ, so that by beholding him we may be transformed into his li...  Read More