VI. Mistakes about the beauty and glory of Christian religion have been no small cause of apostasy from its power and holi- ness. That it should have a glory, somewhat that might render it honourable in the eyes and esteem of men, was always thought un- questionable ; and it is certainly true, provided that we suppose those with whom we have to do have eyes to see that glory, and minds enlightened to make a true judgment of it. In compliance here- withal was religion outwardly figured and represented among the Jews. And as the apostle declares that the worship of God in the administration of the gospel is truly glorious, and eminently so above what was to be found in the administration of the law ; so Chris-
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OTHER CAUSES OF THE DECAY OF HOLINESS. 209
tian religion is in itself truly honourable, and contains in it every thing that is so, in the judgment of God and the rectified reason of mankind. But about the true notion and apprehension of that _ glory and honour which is proper unto religion and suited unto its nature, men have fallen into many woful mistakes; for whereas it principally consists in the glorious internal operations of the Holy Spirit, renewing our nature, transforming us into the image and likeness of God, with the fruits of his grace in righteousness and true holiness, in a meek, humbleggracious conversation, and the per- _ formance of all duties according to the rule, few are able to discern beauty or glory or honour in these things. But yet where there is not an eye to discern them, the gospel must of necessity be despised and abandoned, and somewhat else substituted in the room thereof, This therefore also proved a great furtherance of the general apostasy, and continues an efficacious means of keeping multitudes under the power of it unto this day; for,—
1. Through the loss of spiritual light and neglect of the grace of God, things were come to that pass in the world, that those who had the conduct of religion saw no real glory themselves in the things wherein all the glory of the religion taught and appointed in the gos- pel doth consist. And they are but few that do so at this day. There- fore the profession that is made of them by any is generally looked on as hypocrisy, mixed with a certain kind of superstition, and is ac- cordingly despised; yea, nothing is more contemptible in the world than the possession and profession of those ways which are truly, if not only, noble. Their view, therefore, being lost in the eyes of the leaders of the church, it could not be expected that they should be ~ instrumental to open the eyes of others, or careful to instruct them how to look after what themselves did not discern.
2. They were fully satisfied that there was in these things no evi- dence of glory unto the eyes of the generality of mankind, where- unto they thought it wisdom to accommodate themselves and the notions of religion. Men naturally can see no more beauty in the spiritual power of Christianity than the Jews could see in the per- son of Christ when they rejected him, because unto them he made no appearance thereof, Isa. liii. 2. That religion should be set off and represented as truly glorious and honourable in the eyes of men, they thought it incumbent on them to take care; but leaving herein the judgment of God, of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, as de- clared in the Scripture, they accommodated themselves unto the carnal apprehensions of them with whom they had to do, which were also suited unto their own. Wherefore, that this glory of religion consisted in a ministry in the church humble, holy, laborious, emi- nent in the graces and gifts of the Spirit, looking for no honour or
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210 THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF APOSTASY.
respect but for their work’s sake; in a worship plain, unadorned, spi- ritual, whose life and excellency consist in the invisible, effectual
administrations of the Spirit of God; in meekness, self-denial, morti- _
fication of sin, and the fruits of righteousness, proceeding from the grace of the Holy Ghost,—they neither did apprehend themselves nor could imagine that others would be of that mind: for the world generally supposeth the direct contrary unto all these to be honour- able and glorious. Things which have a pretence of height and gallantry of spirit, a religious worship set off with such ornaments and modes as to affect the outward senses, with somewhat that may give satisfaction unto lust and conscience at the same time, are the things which unto the most are alone desirable. Wherefore, all pretence unto the power of religion dwindling away mto an empty,
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jejune form and appearance of it in monkery, the supposed glory of _
Christianity in the world issued in these three things:—
(1.) The secular pomp and grandeur of the rulers of the church. This was designed to beget a reverence unto their persons and offices, without which religion itself would be despised. And it is easily conceivable how by this means their minds were drawn off from a due consideration of all those things which are truly honour- able in them, and the neglect whereof will be the loss of the power of religion in the most at any time; for when they had secured unto themselves that honour, respect, and reverence which they esteemed needful unto the glory of religion, and found very suitable unto their own desires and ends, to what purpose should they trouble er perplex themselves with those hard duties of exemplary mortifi- cation, self-denial, and painful labour in the work of the ministry, when the whole of what they aimed at or needed was prepared for them? And how corrupt a spring of apostasy brake forth hereon hath been before declared. ;