[3.] It is in one spirit that we have access unto God in his worship; and in his administration doth the apostle place the glory of it, in opposition unto all the glory of the Old Testament, as doth our Lord Jesus Christ also in the place before referred unto; for,

1st. The whole ability for the observance and performance of it, according to the mind of God, is from him alone. His communication of grace and gifts unto the church, is that alone which makes it to give glory to God in his divine service. If this should cease, all acceptable worship would cease in the world. To think to observe the worship of the gospel, without the aid and assistance of the Spirit of the gospel, is a lewd imagination. But where he is, there is liberty and glory; 2 Cor. iii. 17, 18.

2dly. By him the sanctified minds of believers are made temples of God, and so the principal seal of evangelical worship; 1 Cor. iii. 16. vi. 19. This temple being of God's own framing, and of his own adorning by his Spirit, is a much more glorious fabric than any that the hands of men can erect.

3dly. By him is the church led into internal communion and converse with God in Christ, in light, love, and delight, with holy boldness; the glory whereof is expressed by the apostle, Heb. x. 19. 21, 22.

In these things, I say, doth the true glory of evangelical worship consist; and if it doth not, it hath no glory in comparison of that which did excel in the old legal worship. For the wit of man was never yet able to set it off with half the outward beauty and glory that was in the worship of the temple. But herein it is that it not only leaves no glory thereunto in comparison, but doth unspeakably excel whatever the wit and wealth of men can extend unto.

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 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 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 apostacy. Those who had the conduct of religion could discern no glory in these 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 this 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 neither see beauty nor glory in it. This light and experience being lost, the introduction of beggarly elements and carnal ceremonies in the worship of the church, with attempts to render it decorous and beautiful, by superstitious rites and observances, wherewith it hath been defiled and corrupted, as it was and is in the church of Rome, was nothing but the setting up a deformed image in the room of it and this they are pleased withal. The beauty and glory

which carving, and painting, and embroidered vestures, and musical incantations, and postures of veneration, do give unto divine service, they can see and feel, and in their own imagination are sensibly excited unto devotion by them. But hereby, instead of representing the true glory of the worship of the gospel, wherein it excels that under the Old Testament, they have rendered it altogether inglorious in comparison of it; for all the ceremonies and ornaments which they have invented for that end, come unspeakably short for beauty, order, and glory, of what was appointed by God himself in the temple, scarce equalling what was among the pagans.

It will be said, that the things whereunto we assign the glory of this worship are spiritual and invisible. Now this is not that which is inquired after; but that whose beauty we may behold, and be affected with. And this may consist in the things which we decry, at least in some of them: though I must say, if there be glory in any of them, the more they are multiplied, the better it must needs be; but this is that which we plead, men being not able by the light of faith, to discern the glory of things spiritual and invisible, do make images of them unto themselves, as gods that may go before them, and these they are affected withal: but the worship of the church is spiritual, and the glory of it is invisible unto eyes of flesh. So both our Saviour and the apostles do testify in the celebration of it: We come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel;' Heb. xii. 22-24. The glory of this assembly, though certainly above that of organs, and pipes, and crucifixes, and vestments, yet doth not appear unto the sense or imaginations of men.

That which I design here, is to obviate the meretricious allurements of the Roman worship, and the pretences of its efficacy to excite devotion and veneration by its beauty and decency. The whole of it is but a deformed image of that glory which they cannot behold. To obtain and preserve in

our hearts an experience of the power and efficacy of that worship of God which is in spirit and truth, as unto all the real ends of divine worship, is that alone which will secure us. Whilst we do retain right notions of the proper object of gospel-worship, and of our immediate approach by it thereunto, of the way and manner of that approach through the mediation of Christ, and assistance of the Spirit; whilst we keep up faith and love unto their due exercise in it, wherein on our part the life of it doth consist, preserving an experience of the spiritual benefit and advantage which we receive thereby, we shall not easily be inveigled to relinquish them all, and give up ourselves unto the embraces of this lifeless image.

3. It is a universal unimpeachable persuasion among all Christians, that there is a near intimate communion with Christ, and participation of him in the supper of the Lord.

He is no Christian who is otherwise minded. Hence from the beginning, this was always esteemed the principal mystery in the 'agenda' of the church, and that deservedly; for this persuasion is built on infallible divine testimonies. The communication of Christ herein, and our participation of him, are expressed in such a manner as to demonstrate them to be peculiar; such as are not to be obtained in any other way, or divine ordinance whatever; not in praying, not in preaching, not in any other exercise of faith on the word or promises. There is in it an eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ, with a spiritual incorporation thence ensuing, which are peculiar unto this ordinance. But, this especial and peculiar communion with Christ, and participation of him, is spiritual and mystical, by faith, not carnal or fleshly. To imagine any other participation of Christ in this life but by faith, is to overthrow the gospel. To signify the real communication of himself and benefits of his mediation unto them that believe, whereby they should become the food of their souls, nourishing them unto eternal life, in the very beginning of his ministry, he himself expresseth it by eating of his flesh, and drinking of his blood; John vi. 53. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.' But hereon many were offended, as supposing that he had intended an oral, carnal eating of his flesh, and drinking of his blood,

and so would have taught them to be cannibals. Wherefore to instruct his disciples aright in this mystery, he gives an eternal rule of the interpretation of such expressions, ver. 63. It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.' To look for any other communication of Christ or of his flesh and blood, but what is spiritual, is to contradict him in the interpretation which he gives of his own words. Wherefore this especial communion with Christ, and participation of him is by faith. If it were not, unbelievers ought all to partake of Christ as well as those that believe, which is a contradiction: for to believe in Christ, and to be made partakers of him, are one and the same. We must therefore find this peculiar participating of Christ in the special actings of faith, with respect unto the especial and peculiar exhibition of Christ unto us in this ordinance. And these actings of faith are divers and many, but may be referred unto four heads.

(1.) It acts itself by obedience unto the authority of Christ in this institution. This is the foundation of all communion with Christ, or participation of him in any ordinance of divine worship whatever, that is peculiarly of his own sovereign appointment, and that in, and with such circumstances as unto the time, or season, and manner of it, as requires especial actings of faith with respect thereunto; for the institution of this ordinance was in the close of his ministry or prophetical office on the earth, and in the entrance of the exercise of his priestly office in offering himself a sacrifice unto God for the sins of the church; between them both, and to render them both effectual unto us, he interposed an act of his kingly office in the institution of this ordinance. And it was in the same night wherein he was betrayed, when his holy heart was in the highest exercise of zeal for the glory of God, and compassion for the souls of sinners; faith hath herein an especial regard unto all these things. It doth not only act itself by a subjection of soul and conscience unto the authority of Christ in the institution, but respects also the exerting of his authority in the close of his prophetical, and entrance of the exercise of his sacerdotal office, on the earth; with all those other circumstances of it, which recommend it unto the souls and con