Two Conformities (1)

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 nature, and man's base condition (Phil. 2:8). Here is the ground of our comfort, that Christ took our form, he transfigured himself to our lowliness. Will we not labour to be transformed, to be like him, who out of love stooped so low as to be like us? Let us but think of this! Our blessed Saviour took our nature on him pure and holy by his Spirit. He followed sin to death. He was conceived, and lived, and died without sin, to satisfy for sin; and now by his Spirit he cleanses out sin. He pursued and chased out sin from his conception through all the passages of his life; so we should be like him. Drive away sin, get the Spirit, that our nature in us may be as it was in him: holy, pure, and spiritual. Shall he be conformed to us, and we not be conformed to him?
(2) Our conformity to him. Christ, in this work of changing, is all in all. There are many reasons and considerations to move us to be changed into the image of Christ and the reasons inducing us to change are all from Christ. For we are changed not only by power, but by reason. There are the greatest reasons in the world to be a Christian and to come out of the state of nature. When our understanding is enlightened to see the horrible state of nature, and the angry face of God with it, and then to have our eyes opened at the same time to see the glorious and gracious face of God in Jesus Christ, it is the greatest wisdom in the world to come out of that cursed state to a better one.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
Glorious Freedom, pp. 121-22 [132-34]
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