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spirit_n true_a worship_v worshipper_n 5,566 5 12.1877 5 false
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A16893 The glorie of the latter temple greater then of the former Opened in a sermon preached at the consecration or restitution of the Parish Church of Flixton in the island of Louingland in the county of Suffolke; being sometimes the mother church of the East-Angles. 11. March. 1630 / By Iohn Brinsley. Brinsley, John, 1600-1665. 1631 (1631) STC 3789; ESTC S119303 16,363 28

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was the presence and manifestation of him whom that ladder signified the eternall Sonne of God the Mediatour of the Couenant whose office it is to reconcile things in heauen and things vpon earth God and man as that ladder vnited heauen and earth He it was who was pleased at that time and in that place to manifest his presence by some visible tokens and that manifestation it was which made that place though in the open field dreadfull fearefull glorious It is this presence of Christ that maketh a place first to be the house of God and then that house glorious Ey but how is he present now vpon earth whom the heauens must containe vntill all things be restored How is Christ present in our Temples our Synagogues our Churches Why he is present after a spirituall manner in the midst of his publique ordinances in the Word in the Sacraments Where Christ is truly preached there is he truly present present with the Ministers present with the people With the Ministers I will be with you to the end of the world they are the last words of our Sauiour to his Apostles and their successours With the people Where two or three are gathered together in my name c. Christ is truly present in all places but in the midst of the seuen golden candlestickes he walkes he is present after a speciall manner with speciall assistance with a speciall euidence of his Spirit a speciall declaration of his power there is his arme reuealed As in the Word so in the Sacraments there is he present though not locally yet truly yet spiritually pardon the word really present to the faith of the receiuer And this is the glory of our Temples a spirituall glory consisting in the spirituall presence of Christ in the midst of his publique ordinances It must needs be so Glory to speake properly it is nothing else but an opinion of some excellency or worth conceiued by others to be in such or such a thing Now if glory be measured by opinion then is this spirituall glory The Glory It is so in the estimation both of God and his Saints First For God himselfe there is no Temple glorious in his eye where this Spirituall glory is wanting Be the building the outside the inside what it will he regardeth it not he dwels not in it So much in expresse words Saint Paul telleth those superstitious Athenians where beholding their blind deuotion in erecting of Altars and such other ceremoniall externall obseruances he tels them plainely that God who made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of heauen and earth he dwelleth not in temples made with hands Be the Temple what it will if there be no more in it but the worke of mens hands God dwels not there he delighteth not in it True indeed God did once dwell in a materiall temple betwixt the Cherubins but wherfore was it the Ark was there God doth at this day dwel in the places of his publike worship and seruice but wherfore is it Why the Assemblies of his Saints his publique ordinances are there It is this spirituall worship and seruice which God delighteth to be entertained wth Time was indeed when externall rites and ceremoniall obseruances seemed to be in great request with God They were not onely a means but a part of his worship vnder the Gospell it is not so The time commeth and now is saith our Sauiour when the true worshippers shal worship the Father in spirit in truth for the father requireth euen such to worship him It is this Spirit Truth in holy performances the spirituall maner of worshipping God that maketh seruices persons places to be accepted of him And this it is that made not onely this Temple but euery Synagogue in Hierusalem nay that maketh euery Temple vnder the Gospell more glorious in the eyes of God then the Temple of Salomon was Salomon in all his royalty is not as one of these saith our Sauiour concerning the Lillies his beauty was artificiall theirs was natural Salomon● Temple in al the royalty of it was not as one of these these Temples these Synagogues these Churches where Christ is plainely and powerfully preached published offred applied in the word Sacraments There was a Ceremoniall here is a spiritual glory And secondly As in the eyes of God so in the eyes of his Saints this spirituall glory is The Glory what so glorious an obiect in the eyes of a Christian as Christ himselfe especially when he is reuealed A light to be reuealed to the Gentiles and the glory of his people Israel so old Simeon stileth him This is the glory in the eyes of a Christian when Christ is reuealed to his soule powerfully effectually in the publique ministery of the word So great is the glory of Christ crucified in the preaching of the word that Saint Paul cannot but wonder that his Galathians before whose eyes Christ had beene thus crucified in his Preaching of him should be so farre bewitched as to looke off from it as to looke after any thing els but Christ and the doctrine of Christ. O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you Gal. 3. 1. No glory like vnto this when the veile is taken off not from Moses his face but from the face of Iesus Christ himselfe in the publique Ministry of the word This blessed be God that we may speake it without either feare or flattery is the glory of our Temples Children it may be are in loue with their bookes for the guilded couers for the babies and pictures sake it is the matter that men of vnderstanding looke at Poore blind ignorant soules whose deuotion is nothing but superstition may be in loue with the Temple for the painting caruing guilding decking but that which maketh it truly glorious in the eyes of God and his Saints is the glory of the latter Temple y● spirituall worship of God the presence and reuelation of Christ in his publike ordinances The time concludes me I must obey That which remains is a word of application I might in the first place from this ground take a iust occasion to discouer and taxe that childish superstition of the Church of Rome in their preposterous adornations of their Temples Let none anticipate my intentions or through preiudice either mistake my words or misconstrue my meaning I haue nothing to say against the decent beautifying of the places of Gods publique worship In this case I should rather make vse of a spurre then a bridle if the time would permit It is the shame of our nation in many parts of it if I could hide it I would not discouer it the houses of God seeme to lie neglected waste ruinous as if neither God nor man dwelt in them or had any reference to them we may without any iniurie write vpon the doores of them Ichabod there is no glory no beauty no decency neither in the outside