SEAM.
IX.1
.fHE
HIDDEN
LÍFE
OF
A
CHRISTIAN.
163
divine aids
to
lead
their
minds onward beyond the type,
to
those designed glories.
But carnal worshippers are
the.bulk
of
any sect
or
profession.
All
mankind,
by
nature,
is
ready
to
take up
with
the
forms
of
godliness,
and
neglect the
secret
power. We
naturally
pay too
much
reverence to shining formalities and empty.shews. Set
a christian to read the most
spiritual parts
of
gospel,
on
one,page
of
the
bible,
and let
some scene
of
the
history
be finely
graven,
and painted on the opposite side;
his
holy
meditations
will
be
endangered
by his eyes,
fair
figures and,
colours
attract
the
sight,
and tempt
the
soul
off from refined devotion.
I
cannot
think it any advantage
to
christian
worship,
to have churches
well
adorned
by
the
statuary
and
the
painter
;
nor
can
gay
altar-
pieces
improve
the,
commu-
nion
service.
While gaudy glittering
images
attract
and
entertain
the outward
sense,
the
soul
is
too much
at-
tached
to
the animal, to keep
itself
at
a
distance
;
while
the
sight
is
regaled and feasted, the 'sermon
runs
to
waste,
and
the hidden
life
withers and starves.
When
the
ear
is
soothed
with
a
variety
of
fine
harmony,
the
soul
is
too
often allured
away from
spiritual
worship,
even though a divine song
attend
the music.
Our
Savi-
our
therefore,
in much
wisdom,
and
in
much
mercy,
has
appointed
blessed
ordinances for
his
church, with
such plainness and
simplicity,
as
may
administer most
support
and nourishment
to
the
secret
life.
Thus
I
have finished the
remarks
on
the hidden
life
of
a
christian,
considered
as to its
spiritual
exercises
in
this
present
world.
.
I
proceed
to
consider,
in
what respects
this life
is hid=
den, as
it
is
more usually called
eternal
life,
or to
be
ex-
ercised and enjoyed
in
heaven.
And here
we
must
confess,
that
we
are
much
at
a
loss
to
say
any thing more
than
the
scripture
hath
said
before
us.
Life
and
immortality, indeed,
are
brought
to
light
by
the gospel
of
Christ,
in
far brighter measures than
the former
ages
and dispensations
were
acquainted
with
;
2
Tim.
i.
10.
But
still,
what the apostle
says
concern-
ing
all
the-
blessings of
the
gospel,
we
may
repeat
em-
phatically concerning
heaven,
that
eye
bath not
seen,
that
ear hath not
heard,
that
it hath
not
entered into
the
heart of
man
to
conceive; nor indeed hath God
him-
24- M