"He hath given us the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ." And hence it is that the apostle, in that brief
collection of the wonderful mystery of godliness, places this in the
front thereof: "God was manifest in the flesh"--was manifested in
and by the person of Christ, when in the flesh he lived among us;
manifest, I say, for this as one reason, that the pure in heart, who
long after nothing more, might see him. "I beseech thee," said
Moses, "show me thy glory." "And will God indeed dwell with men on
the earth?" saith Solomon.

Though Adam be called the image or similitude of God, yet but so as
that he was the shadow of a more excellent image. Adam was a type of
Christ, who only is the express image of his Father's person, and
the likeness of his excellent glory; for those things that were in
Adam were but of a human, but of a created substance; but those
things that were in Christ, of the same divine and eternal
excellency with the Father.

Is Christ then the image of the Father, simply as considered of the
same divine and eternal excellency with him? Certainly not; for an
image is doubtless inferior to that of which it is a figure.
Understand, then, that Christ is the image of the Father's glory, as
born of the Virgin Mary, yet so as being very God also: not that his
Godhead in itself was a shadow or image, but by the acts and doing
of that man, every act being infinitely perfect by virtue of his
Godhead, the Father's perfections were made manifest to flesh. An
image is to be looked upon, and by being looked upon, another thing
is seen; so by the person and doings of the Lord Jesus, they that
indeed could see him as he was, discovered the perfection and glory
of the Father. "Philip, he that hath seen me, hath seen the Father;