ty of his worship to himself, God is a Spirit, and therefore will be worshipped in Spirit and in truth. So it holds of his house, he must have a spiritual one, because he is a Spirit. So God's temple is his people.

And for this purpose chiefly did he make the world, the heaven and the earth: that in it he might raise this spiritual building for himself to dwell in for ever, to have a number of his reasonable creatures to enjoy him, and glorify him in eternity; and from eternity he knew what the dimensions, and frame, and materials of it should be. The continuance of this present world, as now it is, is but for the service of this work, like the scaffolding about it; and therefore, when this spiritual building shall be fully completed, all the present frame of things in the world, and in the church itself, shall be taken away, and appear no more.

This building is, as the particular designing of its materials will teach us, the whole invisible church of God, and each good man is a stone of this building; but as the nature of it is spiritual, it hath this privi. lege (as they speak of the soul) that it is tota in toto, & tota in qualibet parte: as the whole church is the spouse of Christ, and each believing soul hath the same title and dignity to be called so; thus each of these stones is called a whole temple, temples of the Holy Ghost", though taking the temple or building in a completer sense, they are but each one a part, or a stone of it, as here it is ex pressed.

The whole excellency of this building is comprised in this, that it is called spiritual, distinguishing it from all other buildings, and preferring it to them; and because he speaks immediately after of a priesthood and sacrifices, it seems to be called a spiritual building, particularly in opposition to that material temple wherein the Jews gloried, which was now null, in regard of its former use, and was quickly. after entirely destroyed: but when it stood, and the

VOL. I.

Joh. iv. 24.

P

P 1 Cor. vi. 19.

legal use of it stood in its fullest vigour, yet in this still it was inferior, that it was not a spiritual house made up of living stones as this, but of a like matter with other earthly buildings.

The spiritual house is the palace of the great King, or his temple. The Hebrew word for palace and temple is one. God's temple is a palace, and therefore must be full of the richest beauty and magnificence, but such as agrees with the nature of it, a spiritual beauty. In that Psalm that wishes so many prosperities, one is, that their daughters may be as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace. Thus is the church, that is called the King's daughter', but her comeliness is invisible to the world, she is all glorious within. Through sorrows and persecutions she may be smoky and black to the world's eye, as the tents of Kedar; but in regard of spiritual beauty, she is comely as the curtains of Solomon: and in this the Jews temple resembles it right, which had most of its riches and beauty in the inside. Holiness is the gold of this spiritual house, and it is inwardly enriched with

that.

The glory of the church of God consists not in stately buildings of temples, and rich furniture, and pompous ceremonies; these agree not with its spiritual nature. Its true and genuine beauty is, to grow in spirituality, and so to be liker itself, and have more of the presence of God, and his glory filling it as a cloud. And it hath been observed, that the more the church grew in outward riches and state, the less she grew, or rather the more sensibly she abated in spiritual excellencies. But the spiritualness of this building will better appear in considering particularly,

2dly, The materials of it, as here expressed, To whom coming, &c. Ye also as lively stones are, &c. Now, the whole building is Christ mystical: Christ, together with the entire body of the elect; He, as the foundation, and they as the stones built upon * Psal. xlv. 13.

9 Psal. exliv. 12.

him; He, the living stone, and they are likewise, by union with him, living stones; He, having life in himself, as he speaks, and they deriving it from him; He, primitively living, and they by participation for therefore is he called here a living stone, not only because of his immortality and glorious resurrection, being a lamb that was slain, and is alive again for ever; but because he is the principle of spiritual and eternal life unto us, a living foundation that transfuses this life into the whole building, and every stone of it, In whom (says the Apostle'), all the building is fitly framed together. It is the Spirit that flows from him which enlivens it, and knits it together, as a living body; for the same word σvvapμodovéμevov is used", for the church under the similitude of a body. When it is there said, to be built upon the foundation of the prophets and Apostles, it only refers to their doctrine concerning Christ; and therefore it is added, that He, as being the subject of their doctrine, is the chief corner-stone. The foundation then of the church lies not in Rome, but in Heaven, and therefore is out of the reach of all enemies, and above the power of the gates of hell. Fear not then when you see the storms arise, and the winds blow against this spiritual building, for it shall stand; it is built upon an invisible immoveable Rock; and that great Babylon, Rome itself, that under the false title and pretence of supporting this building, is working to overthrow it, shall be utterly overthrown, and laid equal with the ground, and never be rebuilt again. But this foundation-stone, as it is commended by its quality, that it is a living and enlivening stone, having life, and giving life to those that are built on it; so is also further described by God's chusing it, and its own worth, both opposed to men's disesteem, and therefore said here, to be chosen of God. God did indeed from eternity contrive this building, and chuse this same foundation, and accordingly in the fulness of time did perform his t Eph. ii. 21. "Chap. iv. 16. Chap. ii, 20.

• Joh. vi.

purpose; so the thing being one, we may take it either for his purpose or performance, or both, yet it seems most suitable to the strain of the words, and the place after alledged, of laying him in Sion, and opposing the rejection of men, that we take it for God's actual employing of Jesus Christ in the work of our redemption: He alone was fit for that work; it was utterly impossible that any other should bear the weight of that service, (and so of this building) but he who was Almighty; therefore the spouse calls him the select, or choice of ten thousand, yet rejected of men. There is an antipathy (if we may so speak) betwixt the mind of God and corrupt nature: the things that are highly esteemed with men are abomination to God; and thus we see here, that which is highly esteemed with God, is cast and disallowed by men. But sure there is no comparison; the chusing and esteem of God stands, and by that (judge men of Christ as they will) he is the foundation of this building. And he is in true value. answerable to this esteem: he is precious, which seems to signify a kind of inward worth, hidden from the eyes of men, blind unbelieving men, but well known to God, and to those to whom he reveals him. And this is the very cause of his rejection by the most, the ignorance of his worth and excellency; as a precious stone that the skilful lapi dary esteems of great value, an ignorant beholder makes little or no account of.

These things hold likewise in the other stones of this building, chosen before time; all that should be of this building are fore-ordained in God's purpose, all written in that book before-hand, and then in due time they are chosen, by actual calling according to that purpose, hewed out and severed by God's own hand out of the quarry of corrupt nature ; dead stones in themselves, as the rest, but made living, by his bringing them to Christ, and so made truly precious, and accounted precious by him that hath made them so. All the stones in this

1

building are called God's jewels. Though they be vilified, and scoffed at, and despised by men; though they pass for fools and the refuse of the world, yet they may easily digest all that, in the comfort of this, if they are chosen of God, and precious in his eyes. This is the very lot of Christ, and therefore by that the more welcome that it conforms them to him, suits these stones to their foundation.

And if we consider it aright, what a poor despiseable thing is the esteem of men! How soon is it past! It is a small thing for me, says the Apostle, to be judged of men". Now, that God often chuses for this building such stones as men cast away, as good for nothing, and where he says, that he dwells in the high and holy place, What is his other dwelling? His habitation in earth, Is it in great palaces and courts? No. But with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit. Now, these are the basest in men's account, yet he chuses them, and prefers them to all other palaces and temples, Thus saith the Lord, The Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my foot-stool: Where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite Spirit, and trembleth at my word. d. You cannot gratify me with any dwelling, for I myself have made all, and a surer house than any you can make me, The Heaven is my throne, "and the earth my foot-stool: but I, that am so high, am pleased to regard the lowly."

66

166

66

q.

3dly, We have the structure, or way of building, To whom coming.] First coming, then built up. They that come unto Christ, come not only from the world that lieth in wickedness, but out of themselves. Of a great many that seem to come to Christ, it may be said that they are not come to him, because they have not left themselves. This is be

y Mal. iii. z 1 Cor. iv. 3. a 1 Cor. i. 26, &c.
Isa. lxvi. 1, 2.

b Isa. li.. 17..