this fignifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifeft, while as the firft tabernacle was yet standing, which was a figure for the time then present: but Chrift being come, an high priest of goods things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to fay, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."

2d. The tabernacle and temple were typical of the incarnation of Chrift, who tabernacled among us; and this he himself intimates when he says, stroy this temple, and in three days I will raife it up :" but he spake of the temple of his body. And, 3d. It was a figure of the church of God, which is called the temple of the living God, as God hath faid, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them.”

The first tabernacle was built partly with the fpoils of Egypt, and perhaps partly with the spoils taken in the wars with Sihon and Og; and partly with the free-will offerings of the people. And the temple of Solomon appears to have been built with the fpoils taken in David's wars, and with the offerings of Ifrael. And fo in like manner is the church of God; there is not a lively ftone, a wedge of gold, or a precious jewel, in all the building of mercy, but what the king of Zion takes out of the hand of the Amorite with his fword (Pfalm, xliv. 3), and with his bow (Rev. vi. 2.) And, when

these spoils are taken from the mighty, and these lawful captives delivered, then they willingly offer themselves.

The next thing done, in building the tabernacle and temple, was the confecration of these materials. The tabernacle, the books, the people, and almost all the veffels of the miniftry, were purged with blood; and without fhedding of blood there is no remiffion. "It was neceffary that the patterns of things in the heavens fhould be purified with thefe; but the heavenly things themselves," or the veffels of mercy, "with better facrifices than these."

Another part of their confecration was oil and fpice; and, if this was not fprinkled upon all the materials, all the materials were perfumed by the odour of thein.

Two men called of God, and called by name, were infpired with the Holy Ghoft, and furnished with wisdom from above to put these materials of the tabernacle together; and Solomon, not David, was to build the temple. Divine wifdom had a hand in all their joints and joinings, and fo it is now. Every builder, that builds to purpose, must be endowed with wifdom from above, or be made wife to falvation, or he can be of no ufe in God's building; for fuch are fure, firft or laft, to set at naught the chief Corner-ftone, and prefer the fand; nor will fuch choofe gold, filver, or precious ftones, but rather hay, ftraw, and ftubble. A builder of

this house must be joined to the Lord, and in fellowship with the Father and the Son; and be in covenant with God, and understand the bond of peace, the unity of the faith, and divine love, the bond of all perfectness, or he can be of no use he may paint, plaster, and daub, but he is no joiner.

But the completing and perfecting work was the grand and glorious entrance of the Lord into it, when he took poffeffion of the house, and made it his habitation. Here the glory of God appeared, and out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, he fhined forth. So it is now with the church of God; he takes poffeffion of the broken and contrite heart, and fays he will dwell with fuch: "Zion is my people, this is my reft for ever; here will I dwell, for I have defired it." Nor is his entrance into his church like that of his coming down into the temple; many faw that glory, and were filled with terror at the fight: for although, many faw it, few felt and enjoyed it. He dwelt between the cherubims, but he now dwells in the hearts of his people; that was the shechina, fome say the symbol, of his prefence, but into the church come the whole Trinity. "If a man love me he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him," John xiv. 23. The Spirit defcends to convince us of fin, and to testify of Chrift. The Saviour appears in his own time; his reward is with him, and his work before him. He washes

away our fins, heals the wound of the old ferpent's fting, binds up the broken heart, and becalms the foul with the fentence of juftification unto life, and with the abundance of peace as the fruit and effect of it; and in the heart by faith he dwells, in the affections he is crowned, in the will and conícience he fways his powerful fceptre, and makes the foul rejoice in his government, and admire the glorious majefty of his kingdom, while fin and devils rage in vain. God the Father sheds abroad his love in the heart, and in that love he takes up his abode, in that love he dwells, and we in him; faying, "this is my reft for ever, here will I dwell, for I have defired it." The ever-bleffed Spirit bears his witness to our juftification by faith, and to our acceptance with God in his dear Son's righteousness, and to our adoption into God's family, and cries Abba, Father, in confirmation of it. If the glory of Solomon's house was great, having the divine thechinah in it, and the fecond temple more glorious, having God incarnate in it, furely the third temple (the church of the living God) must exceed the glory of both thefe; having the gracious. and glorious difplay of the moft Holy Trinity in it, who really do inhabit, and take up their eternal abode, in the fouls of every member of it.

But I have a few more things to fpeak of concerning the glory of the fecond, or rather of the third house, the church of God; for furely they be glorious things that are spoken of it. This excel

ing glory doth not appear in pulling down the old building, nor yet in digging out the materials, nor in cutting, fquaring, and forming the ftones; for no glory appears here but the glory of justice, truth, and terrible majesty. The glory appears in raising the fabric; "When the Lord fhall build up Zion he shall appear in his glory." It is the Holy Ghoft, as the fpirit of revelation and understanding in the knowledge of Chrift, that teftifies of him, which he does by taking off the old veil, by anointing the eyes of the understanding, and by calling up the heart in faith to behold the fight; for, like David, we should faint at the fight of this glorious goodness, unless we believe, for it is the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living; the object presented to view is, "that juft One," the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, the exprefs image of the Father's perfon, and the brightness of his glory, and the glory of the Father is seen in it. We have the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jefus Christ; and fure I am that no man living could bear this fight without terror, unless propt up with the faith of intereft, and influenced with love to embrace the object set before us. The devils have great light, therefore the more light, the more miferable. So fome profeffing people have much light into spiritual things, but their affections are fet upon carnal things. But this is not the true light, but the contrary; this light our Lord calls

but much enmity;