The f eft Sign PART III, :Image of Chrift,- which Men conceive in their Imaginations, is not in its own Nature, of any fuperiour Kind to the Idea the Papiffs con - ceive of Chrift, by the beautiful and affeaing Images of him which they fee in their Churches ; (tho' the Way of their receiving the Idea may not be fo bad) nor are the Affections they have, if built prima- rily on fuch Imaginations, any better than the Affe ions raifed in the ignorant People, by the Sight of thofe Images, which oftentimes are very great ; efpeciaily when thefe Images,thro' the Craft of thePriefts, are made to move, and fpeak, and weep, and the like Meerly the Way of I'erfons receiving thefe imaginary Ideas, don't alter the Nature of the Ideas themfelves that are received: Let them be re- ceived in what Way they will, they are flill but external Ideas, or Ideas of outward Appearances, and fo are not fpiritual. Yea, I. Men Ihould aétually receive fuch external Ideas by the immediate Power of the molt highGod upon their Minds, they would not be fpi- ritual, they would be no more than a common Work of the Spirit of God as is evident in Fait, in the Inflance of Balaam, who had im- preff'd on his Mind, by God himfelf, a clear and lively outward Re- prefentation or Idea of Jefus Chrift, as the Star rifrng out of Jacob, when he heard the Words of God, and knew the Knowledge of the moll High, andfaw the Vifion of the illmighty, falling into a 'Fiance, Numb. 24. 16, i 7. But yet had noManner of fpiritualDifcovery ofChrift ; that Day -Star never fpiritually rofe in his Heart, he being but a na- tural Man. And as thefe external Ideas have nothing divine or fpiritual in their Nature, and nothing but what natural Men, without any new Prin- " communicate to the Elea. So that tho' you fee the Lord " fo really,as that you become familiar with him,yetLuke 13. " 26. Lord, have we not eat and drank, &c. - --and fo perifh ". Shepard's Par. of the ten Virgins, P. I. p. 197, 198. 64 Satan is transformed into an Angel of Light : And hence " we have heard that fome have heard Voices ; fome have " feen the very Blood of Chrift dropping on them, and his 66 Wounds in his Side ; fome have feen a great Light fhining 66 in the Chamber ; .fome wonderfully a$èaed with their c6 Dreams ; fome in great Diftrefs have had inward Witnefs, 66 Thy Sins areforgiven; and hence fuck Liberty and Joy,that CC they are ready to leap up and down the Chamber. O adul- 66 terous Generation ! This is natural and ufual with Men, 66 they would fain fee jefus, and have him prefent to give 66 them Peace ; and hence Papiffs have his Images.- - --Wo to C6 them that have no other manifefted Chriff, but fuch an 6 one ". Shepard's Par. of the ten Virgins, P. I. p. 198. ciples,
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