Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

For the Query, what is the cause of this conformity? I answer, The death of Christ is the cause of this conformity: And that a fourfold cause.—

¹1. It is a meritorious cause; Christ's death was of so great a price, that it deserved at God's hands our conformity to Christ. Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that by his death he might sanctify it, and cleanse it:—and present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

¹1. It is a meritorious cause; Christ's death was of so great a price, that it deserved at God's hands our conformity to Christ. Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that by his death he might sanctifie it, and cleanse it:—and present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

1. 1Eph. 5.25, 26, 27.

¹2. It is an exemplary cause: He suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps; he died for us, leaving us an example that we should die to sin, as he died for sin, we may observe in many particulars (besides those I have named) a proportion, analogy, and likeness betwixt Christ's death and ours; Christ died as a servant, to note that sin should not rule, or reign over us; Christ died as a curse, to note that we should look upon sin as a cursed thing; Christ was fast nailed on the Cross, to note that we should put sin out of case, yea, crucify the whole body of sin: Christ died not presently, yet there he hung till he died, to note that we should never give over subduing sin, while it hath any life or working in us.