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Duration of the one, even that longest-lived Temple of Solomon, though called by n'a, domus sæculi, was but four hundred and thirty years; of the other, beyond time to eternity. The Extent of the one, to be measured by a few poles; yea, though ye take in the courts and all, by a few acres of the other, universal; so far as the King of Heaven hath any land. The Service in the one, performed by a few men, mortal, sinful; the blood of beasts shed upon the altar: in the other, performed by our Eternal High Priest, after that higher order of Melchisedec; offering up his own most precious blood for our redemption. In that, Christ Jesus was obscurely figured; in this, really exhibited, born, living, dying, rising, ascending, preached, believed, lived. Every way therefore, both in Efficient, Matter, Duration, Extent, Service, Major gloria.

Let no man tell me now of that just wonder of the world, the Jewish Temple; white marble without, lined with gold within, brazen pillars, golden vessels, costly vails; a high priesthood set forth with precious stones, rich robes, exquisite perfumes, curious music, and whatever that ancient goodly institution had rare and admirable: I say, the clay of the Gospel, is more worth than the marble of the Law; Evangelical brass, more worth than Legal gold; the rags of the Evangelical priesthood, more excellent than the robes of the Levitical. In short; the best of the Law, is not comparable to the basest of the Gospel.

John Baptist was the Janus of both Testaments. He was to the Churches, as Noah was to the Worlds: he saw both the first and the latter. It is a great word, that our Saviour saith of him; That amongst those, which were born, or rather, as ours read it better, begotten of women, there did not a greater than he arise: but it is a greater word, that he speaks of the children of the New Testament; That the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. I stand not upon examining the comparison; whether it be ratione sanctitatis, or officii. It makes either way for my purpose. Therefore was John so great, because he was the last of the Law, and the first of the Gospel: and the old rule is, minimum maximi majus est maximo minimi. Therefore is the least in the Kingdom of Grace greater than he, because he is all, what John was half; wholly under that Evangelium Regni, which is able to advance him to a greater perfection, than that harbinger of Christ.

What a favour then is it, Right Honourable and Beloved, that God hath reserved us to these better days of his Gospel; wherein the helps of salvation are more clear, obvious, effectual; wherein, as the glory of the latter house exceeded the former, so the means of that incomprehensible glory of the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, lie more open unto us! What should we do, but both uti and frui, gladly "use," and sweetly "enjoy" this unspeakable blessing, which God hath kept in store for us, and walk worthy of so incomparable a mercy? The old Jews lived in the dawning of the day; wherein they had but a glimmering of that sun, which would rise: we live after the high noon of that happy

day. If we walk not answerable to so great a light, what can we look for, but utter darkness?

Ye shall now give me leave, Right Honourable, to carry these words, in a meet analogy, to the present occasion. The Temples under the Law were both a figure and a pattern of the Churches under the Gospel. Within this roof, under which we now stand here, was both the former, and the latter house: and, even in these walls, doth God make his words good, That the glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former. The first foundation of it was, no doubt, both pious and rich. I shall not need to fetch the pedigrees of it from St. John Baptist in Jerusalem; nor to discourse of either the devotion or wealth of that religiously-military Order, for whom these stones were first laid*. Imagine the altar never so gay; the imagery never so curious; the vestments never so rich; the pillars, walls, windows, pavement, never so exquisite: yet I dare boldly say, this present glory of this house, in this comely whiteness and well-contrived coarctation, is greater than the former. What care I? nay, what doth God care, for the work of a lapidary, or painter, or mason? One zealous Prayer, one orthodox Sermon, is a more glorious furniture, than all the precious rarities of mechanic excellencies. I do most willingly (as what good heart doth not?) honour the virtuous actions and godly intentions of our worthy forefathers; which, no doubt, it hath pleased God in mercy to accept and crown; but, withal, it must be yielded, that they lived under the tyrannous injury and usurpation of those Pharisees, who kept the keys of knowledge at their own girdles, and would neither draw for them, nor suffer them to draw for themselves. Blessed be God for better conditions! The well of life lies open to us: neither are we only allowed, but invited, to those heavenly liquors; Inebriamini O Charissimi; Drink, yea, drink abundantly, O Beloved; Cant. v. 1. This happy liberty of the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ, daily and sincerely preached to us, Noble and Beloved Christians, is worthy to be more worth unto us, than all the treasures, ornaments, privileges, of this transitory world: and this, since, through the inestimable goodness of God, ye do and may find in this latter house, well hath God verified this word in your eyes and ears, The glory of the latter House shall be greater than of the former.

II. Hitherto the Comparative praise of the latter house: the POSITIVE follows, in the promise of a gracious effect; In this place will I give peace: wherein I know not, whether the Blessing doth more grace the place, or the Place the blessing: both grace each other, and both bless God's people; In this place will I give

peace.

If ye look at the Blessing itself, it is incomparable: Peace; that, whereby the Hebrews had wont to express all welfare in their salutations and well-wishes. The Apostolical benediction dichotomizes all good things into Grace and Peace: wherein, at the nar

* Consecrated by Heraclius, Patriarch of Jerusalem,

rowest, by Grace, all spiritual favours were signified; temporal, by Peace. The Sweet Singer of Israel could not wish better to God's Church, than Peace be within her walls: and, behold, this is it, which God will give; Dabo pacem. Yea, our eyes should stoop too low, if they should fix here. The sweet Choristers of Heaven, when they sung that divine carol, to the honour of the first Christmas, next to Gloria in excelsis Deo, said, In terris, Pax. Yet higher: the great Saviour of the World, when he would leave the most precious legacy to his dear ones on earth, that they were capable of, he says, My Peace I give you. And what he there gives, he here promises; Dabo pacem; I will give it.

But, where? whence? In this place. Not any where; not every where: but in his own house; in his latter house; his Evangelical House: as if this blessing were confined to his holy walls, he saith, In this place will I give peace. This flower is not for every soil: it grows not wild, but is only to be found in the Garden of Sion. It is very pregnant, which the Psalmist hath, Psalm cxxviii. 5, and cxxxiv. 3; The Lord, that made Heaven and Earth, bless thee out of Sion. He doth not say, "The Lord, that made the earth, bless thee out of heaven;" nor, "The Lord, that made heaven, bless thee out of heaven;" but, bless thee out of Sion: as if he would teach us, that all blessings come, as immediately and primarily from heaven, so mediately and secondarily from Sion, where this Temple stood. Some philosophers have held the moon to be the receptacle of all the influences of the heavenly bodies, and the conveyances of them to this inferior world; so as all the virtue of the upper orbs and stars are derived by her, to this elementary sphere. Such doth both David, and Haggai, repute the house of God; whither, as to Joseph's storehouse, doth God convey the blessings of peace, that they may be thence transmitted to the sons

of men.

How, and why then doth God give peace in this his house? Because here, as Bernard well, Deus et audit, et auditur, " God hears, and is heard here:" audit orantes, erudit audientes; "he hears his suppliants, and teacheth his hearers."

As this place hath two uses, it is both Oratorium and Auditorium; so, in respect of both, doth it bless us with peace: our mouth procures it in the one, our ear in the other; God works in our hearts by both.

In the first, God says, as our Saviour cites it, Domus mea Domus orationis; My House shall be called the House of prayer. And what blessing is it, even the best, of Peace, that our prayers cannot infeoff us in? Solomon, when he would consecrate the Church he had built, solemnly sues to God, that he would invest it with this privilege of an universal-gracious audience: and, numbering the occasions of distressed suppliants, makes it ever the foot of his request; Then hearken to the prayer, that thy servant shall make towards this place: Hear thou in heaven, thy dwelling place; and, when thou hearest, have mercy. If ever therefore we would have peace outward, inward, private, public, secular, spiritual; if we

would have peace in our estate, peace in our land, peace in our Church, peace in our souls; pray for it. And if ever we will pray for it, pray here, in God's house; for in this place will I give peace. In vain shall we look for it elsewhere, if we ask it not here. It is true, we are bidden every where to lift up pure hands to God; but they cannot be pure, that are profane; and they cannot be but profane, that contemn the holy ordinances of God. He said well, In templo vis orare? in te ora: for, know you not, that your bodies are the Temples of the Living God? but, let me as truly return it; In te vis orare? in Templo ora, "Wouldest thou pray with effect at home? pray at Church;" else thy devotion is but the sacrifice of fools: for He hath said it, who hath good reason to appoint the circumstances of his own beneficence, In this place will I give peace. Will ye then see the reason, why there is so much empty cask in the cellar of God? Therefore are men void of grace, because they are void of devotion. They seek not God, where he may be found; and, therefore, it is just with God, not to be found of them, where they pretend to seek him: for, In hoc loco, In this place will I give peace. Gerson distinguishes well, in his Sermon De Angelis, that there is Duplex Calum, "A double Heaven," Gloria et Ecclesia; of "Glory" above, of the " Church" below. The Church is the heaven on earth; where God is seen, heard, spoken unto: where are his saints, whose assemblies are here: where are his angels; Let the woman have power on her head, because of the Angels; 1 Cor. xi. 10. As the Jews then, whilst the Church of God was National, were wont, according to command, to look towards the Temple, if they could not come to it, in their devotions: so, now that the Church is Catholic, or Universal, and every of our Churches is equally God's House, nupiany; we shall gladly, with Peter and John, go up to this Temple to pray. How can we look for a better encouragement, than God gives us here; In this place will I give peace?

In the latter, as it is Auditorium; so, I create the fruit of the lips to be peace, saith God. Naturally, we are all, even those that applaud themselves in the best opinion of their harmless and fair disposition, enemies to God: enemies, both actively and passively. Actively, 90UYɛis, God-haters; Rom. i. 30. Passively, Filii ire, The sons of displeasure. We fell out in Adam, through our own wilful apostacy and disobedience; and we still stand out, in the maintenance of our inward corruption. There is no way to peace, but by reconciliation: there is no way to reconciliation, but by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is Evangelium Pacis: there is no proper element for the Gospel of God, but the House of God; Locus iste, In this place will I give peace.

It is not, I know, for every heart to apprehend, either the want of this peace, or the misery of this want,

This is one of those happinesses, which is most bragged of, where it is least had. The sensual Securitan pleases himself in the conceit of his own peace. All is well at home: he quarrels not with himself; for he denies himself nothing: God quarrels not with him:

here are no checks of a chiding conscience; no frowns of an angry judge; nothing but Pulchritudo Pacis, as the Prophet speaks, Alas, my Beloved, call not this peace: call it stupidity. Even hell itself is not a kingdom divided in itself. There is no blessing, which is not also counterfeited. Pacem veram dabo, is the stile of the Prophets; Jer. xiv. 13. This were a needless epithet, if there were not a false peace. Such is this of carnal hearts. That word of eternal truth must stand; There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. Have you seen a sore suddenly filled up with unsound flesh, and fairly skinned over, without all offence to the eye; which, ere long, will break out again, and bewray a secret and so muchmore-hardly-cured corruption? such is a wicked man's peace, Have you seen a slave sit quietly in the galley; not struggling with his chain; not repining at his oar? Necessitas, fortiter; consuetudo, facilè: "Necessity hath taught him to bear it strongly ; custom, easily." Have you heard a dying man profess, that he felt no pain? such is a wicked man's peace, of which he shall once say, though now all seem smooth and plausible; In pace amaritudo mea amarissima; In peace I had great bitterness; Isaiah Xxxviii. 17.

Neither is the want of this peace less perceived, than the misery of this want. Men see no difference in the face of heaven, whatsoever they do their blasphemies and prayers find the same entertainment: therefore, the careless man resolves, "I shall have peace, though I follow the ways of mine own heart." Oh the miserable sottishness of wilful sinners! Sin lies, like a sleeping Bandog, at the door of their heart: they look upon him, as if he would never wake; or, as if, though he should, yet he were so clogged and chained and muzzled, that there can be no danger of his hurt. Let God but rouse him up a little, he shall bay them to despair: he shall fly upon them, and pull out their throats. Then shall their troubled heart project terrible things; and they shall feel what it is, to live in the anger of a God. They shall see the Almighty putting himself into the fearful forms of vengeance. Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire; and the rocks are thrown down before him; Nahum i. 6.

And if his very love have drawn blood of his dear ones; Terrores Domini militant contra me, saith holy Job; The terrors of the Lord are set in array against me; Job vi. 4: and he, that bore the chastisements of our peace, the Son of his Love, could say. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Oh, what shall be the judgments of his wrath? If this be the rod of children, Oh, what shall be the scorpions for his enemies? They shall see that gulph of fire, ready to receive them into everlasting burnings. They shall see the devils, their incessant tormentors, ready to seize upon their guilty souls. Then, Oh then, shall they know, too late, what a happiness it is, that God here promises, Dabo pacem.

Would we then avoid the unspeakable horror of this woeful condition? Would we find the bed of our sickness and death, com

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