offered to us; and fhall we not esteem SERM. the Place where fuch heavenly Things IV. are handled? Wherefore, if ye have any 'Reverence to the Service of God, if ye ⚫ have any common Honesty, if ye have any Confcience in keeping of neceffary ' and godly Ordinances, keep your Churches in good Repair;' and not only repair them but beautify and adorn them, and furnish them with fuch Things as are required in them, and preferve them clean, comely, and sweet; that ye may encourage People to refort thither, and to continue there. Confider with what Earnestness, with what vehement Zeal, did our Saviour Chrift drive the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple of God, and threw down the Tables of the Money-Changers, and the Seats of the Sellers of Doves, and could not abide that any Man fhould carry a Veel through the Temple; he told them, that his Father's Houfe was a Houfe of Prayer, but they had made it a Den of Thieves. And yet the Place where these MoneyChangers fat, and the Seat of the Sellers of Doves were, was only the outward Temple; and what they bought or fold, was only for the furnishing the People with Materials for their Sacrifices. IF SERM. ཀ If therefore the Building, Enlarging and IV. Beautifying of Churches is fo commendable and praife-worthy a Work, fo acceptable to God, fo beneficial to Men, then let us join together in offering up the Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving to our good God, who has put it into the Hearts of charitably difpofed Perfons, to enlarge and adorn this Place, dedicated to his public Worship. And, fince God is exalted above the Praife of Men or Angels, fince he dwells in Light inacceffible, let us fhew thefe Tokens of our Gratitude and Esteem to thofe Inftruments whom he has made Ufe of, to hand down his Benefits unto us. Let us pay them that due Respect which their good Deeds deferve, and treat them as public Benefactors to their Country. And, laftly, LET our Gratitude to God for these, and all his Bleffings, fhew itself in our Good-will towards Men, in Works of Love and Charity, of Kindness and Liberality to the Poor, thofe living Temples of the Lord. And let us all put on fuch Bowels of Mercy and Compaffion to our indigent Brethren, that, by making ourfelves Friends of the Mammon of Unrighteousness, we may be received, at the Laft Last Day, into those Mansions of Bleffed- SERM. nefs prepared for us eternal in the Hea- IV. vens; and that our Light may fo fhine before Men, that others, feeing our good Works, may glorify our Fother which is in Heaven: Which God of his Mercy grant for Jefus Chrift his Sake. Amen and Amen. SERMON SERM. V. (96) SERMON V. Of Places dedicated to God's EXO D. XX. 24. In all Places where I record my Name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. T HE Children of Ifrael were God's peculiar People, chofen out of all the Nations of the World, and placed under his own Government; he was both their God and their King, and they managed both their civil and facred Affairs under his more immediate Direction. He brought them out of the Land of Egypt with Signs and Wonders, with a high Hand, and an outftretched Arm, and fettled them in the Land of Canaan. He gave them Victory over all Nations round about them; and SERM. was fo fignally prefent with them, that V. they hardly eat or drank without a Miracle. And yet, fuch was their Stupidity and Ingratitude, that there was no Nation upon Earth so much addicted to Idolatry, as they were! They foon forgot the God that made them, and had loaded them with fo many and fo great Benefits, and turned away unto ftrange Gods, and worshiped the Gods of those very Nations, whom they had conquered. And therefore, when God gave them the Moral Law, contained in the Ten Commandments, he gave it them from a Mountain Smoking, and with the Voice of Exod. xx. a Trumpet, in the Midft of Thunderings 18. and Lightnings; with which they were fo terrified that they fled from it, and stood Ver. 19. afar off, and faid unto Mofes, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God Speak with us, left we die. WHEN God had revealed himself to them after this terrible Manner, he cautions them particularly against the Sin of Idolatry, and forbids the Making with him, Gods of Silver, and Gods of Gold. An Altar of Earth fhalt thou make unto me, and fhalt facrifice thereon, thy Burntofferings, and thy Peace-offerings, thy Sheep, VOL. II. H and Ver. 23. Ver. 24 |