Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ

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.

BUT as we have a sure word of Prophecy to secure us from these abominations by an express prohibition of such Images unto all ends whatever; so unto our stability in the profession of the Truth, and experience of the efficacy of this Spiritual View of Christ transforming our Souls into his own likeness, is absolutely necessary. For if an Idolater should plead, as they do all, that in the beholding of the Image of Christ, or of a Crucifix, especially if they are sedulous and constant therein, they find their Affections unto him greatly excited, increased, and inflamed (as they will be, Isa. 57. 5.) and that hereon he endeavours to be like unto him, what shall we have to oppose thereunto? For it is certain that such Images are apt to make impressions on the Minds of Men; partly from the readiness of the senses and imagination to give them admittance into their thoughts; and partly from their natural inclinations unto superstition, their aversation from things spiritual and invisible, with an inclination unto things present and visible. Hence among them who are satisfied that they ought not to be adored with any Religious Veneration, yet some are apt upon the sight of them to entertain a thoughtful Reverence, as they would do if they were to enter into a Pagan Temple full of Idols; and others are continually making approaches towards their use and veneration in Paintings and Altars and such outward postures of Worship as are used in the Religious Service of them. But that they do sensibly affect the Minds of Men carnal and superstitious, cannot be denied, and as they suppose, it is a love unto Christ himself. However, certain it is in general, and confessed on all hands, that the beholding of Christ is the most blessed means of exciting all our Graces, spiritualizing all our Affections, and transforming our Minds into his likeness. And if we have not another, and that a more excellent way of beholding him, than they have who behold him,