Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ

THUS Religion was lost and died. When Men could not obtain any experience in their Minds of the spiritual Mysteries of the Gospel, nor be sensible of any spiritual Change or Advantage by them, they substituted some outward Duties and Observances in their stead; as I shall show (God willing) elsewhere more at large. These produced some kind of effects on their Minds and Affections, but quite of another nature than those which are the real effects of true Evangelical Grace. This is openly evident in this substitution of Images instead of the representation of Christ and his Glory made in the Gospel.

THUS Religion was lost and died. When Men could not obtain any experience in their Minds of the spiritual Mysteries of the Gospel, nor be sensible of any spiritual Change or Advantage by them, they substituted some outward Duties and Observances in their stead; as I shall shew (God willing) elsewhere more at large. These produced some kind of effects on their Minds and Affections, but quite of another nature than those which are the real effects of true Evangelical Grace. This is openly evident in this substitution of Images instead of the representation of Christ and his Glory made in the Gospel.

HOWEVER there is a general Supposition granted on all hands; namely, that there must be a View of Christ, and his Glory, to cause us to love him, and thereby to make us conformable or like unto him. But here lies the difference; those of the Church of Rome say that this must be done by the beholding of Crucifixes with other Images and Pictures of him; and that with our bodily eyes: We say it is, by our beholding his Glory by Faith, as revealed in the Gospel, and no otherwise. And to confess the Truth, we have some, who as they reject the use of Images, so they despise that spiritual View of the Glory of Christ which we enquire after. Such Persons on the first occasion will fall on the other side; For any thing is better than nothing.