A Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practically resolvedA Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practicaly resolved

But there is a Spiritual Light required that we may discern the Glory of this Worship, and have thereby an Experience of its Power and Efficacy ⟨p. 228⟩in reference unto the Ends of its appointment. This the Church of Believers hath. They see it, as it is a blessed Means of giving Glory unto God, and of receiving gracious Communications from him, which are the Ends of all the Divine Institutions of worship; and they have therein such an Experience of its efficacy, as gives Rest, and Peace, and Satisfaction unto their Souls. For they find, that as their worship directs them unto a blessed view by Faith, of God in his ineffable Existence with the glorious actings of each Person in the dispensation of Grace, which fills their hearts with Joy unspeakable; so also that all Graces are exercised, increased and strengthened in the observance of it, with Love and Delight.

But there is a Spiritual Light required that we may discern the Glory of this Worship, and have thereby an Experience of its Power and Efficacy ⟨p. 228⟩in reference unto the Ends of its appointment. This the Church of Believers hath. They see it, as it is a blessed Means of giving Glory unto God, and of receiving gracious Communications from him, which are the Ends of all the Divine Institutions of worship; and they have therein such an Experience of its efficacy, as gives Rest, and Peace, and Satisfaction unto their Souls. For they find, that as their worship directs them unto a blessed view by Faith, of God in his ineffable Existence with the glorious actings of each Person in the dispensation of Grace, which fills their hearts with Joy unspeakable; so also that all Graces are exercised, increased and strengthned in the observance of it, with Love and Delight.

But all Light into, all Perceptions of this Glory, all Experience of its Power, was amongst the most lost in the world. I intend in all these Instances, the time of the Papal Apostasy▪ Those who had the conduct of Religion could discern no Glory in te things, nor obtain any experience of their Power: Be the Worship what it will, they can see no Glory in it, nor did it give any satisfaction to their minds; for having no light to discern its glory, they could have no Experience of its power and efficacy. What then shall they do? The Notion must be retained, that Divine Worship is to be beautiful and glorious. But in the Spiritual Worship of the Gospel, they could see nothing thereof; wherefore they thought necessary to make a Glory for it, or to dismiss it out of the world, and set up such an Image of it, as might appear beautiful unto their fleshly minds, and give them satisfaction. To thi end they set their Inventions on work, to find out Ceremonies, Vestments, Gestures, Ornaments, Music, Altars, Images, Paintings, with prescriptions of great bodily Veneration. This Pageantry they call the Beauty, the Order, the Glory of Divine Worship. This is that which they see and feel, and which as they judge, doth dispose their Minds unto Devotion; without it they know not how to pay any reverence unto God himself; and when it is wanting, whatever be the Life, the Power, the Spirituality of the Worship in the Worshippers, whatever be its efficacy unto all the proper ends of it, however it be ordered according unto the prescription of the Word, it is unto them empty, indecent, they can see neither Beauty nor Glory in it.