The Temple Opening

p. 1THE TEMPLE Opening.

In whom you also are Built together—

THE Greatest, the Noblest Work, that ever is done among the Children of Men, is this Day to be done in this Assembly. The very Angels of Heaven, fly to the Windows of Heaven, that they may be the Glad Spectators of Such a WORK done among the Children of Men upon Earth. It is, To Erect a TEMPLE of God. And what? An American Wilderness be the Place, where the Glorious LORD shall See Temples Erected for Him! O Sovereign GRACE! O Wonderful p. 2GRACE! It is even so, Lord, because it Pleases thee!

Indeed, the Whole CHURCH of GOD, collectively taken, is a TEMPLE, which our Magnificent Solomon is Building for Him. The Building is not yet Finished. The Period which answers to the Seventh Year, wherein the Temple of Solomon was finished, is not yet arrived. When it is arrived, the Acclamations [and Solomons too among the rest!] will be such as no Age ever yet heard: they will be Astonishments, beyond all that were ever yet seen in the World. In the mean time, we are told; All the Building fitly framed together, groweth unto an Holy Temple in the Lord. The Temple is Growing, in the Conversion of Sinners unto GOD; and the Addition to the Church daily of those that shall be Saved. When a Sinner is Converted, a New Stone is brought and laid in the Building of the Temple. The Temple grows bigger and higher, as often as any Sinner is Converted. God fetches in Matter for His Church, from all Corners of the World. He will go on doing so, till all the Elect are Effectually Called. The Top-stone of the Church will not be laid, until the Last of the Elect be called home to God, that ever shall be so. What a Shout will be given upon that Stroke, It is Finished! It is Finished! Until this be done, this is the Reason why we are so earnest with our Hearers, to Repent of Sin, and Return to p. 3God, and Believe on Christ, and Lay Hold on Eternal Life. The Ministers of the Gospel are Workmen about the Temple. Their only Work in the World should be, to build the Temple of GOD. For this we are in continual Agony. Oh▪ That this Consideration might prevail with our Hearers, to become Seriously Religious.

p. 3Children; At the Moment that you do indeed Resolve to become Seriously Religious, the Temple of GOD, receives a desireable Growth by your Accession unto it. You will contribute unto the Growth of the Temple, in the Day that you turn unto God. Oh! Happy Souls, that are Stones in the Temple of the Lord! Oh! Glorious Happiness, to be a Part of such a Temple! GOD will own you for His, in the Day when He makes up His Jewels.

But there is another Observation, unto which we are now to be invited. As the Vniversal Church is the Temple of GOD, So Every Particular Church is to be a Temple.

There were Three Things of High Account, among the Ancient People of GOD; The City of Jerusalem; The Family of David; And, the Temple of the LORD. In the CHURCH of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, there is a bright Constellation of all those Glories meeting together. That CHURCH, which is the Body of them, that Love the Lord, and Hate Evil, and hope for Blessedness in the Heavenly World. Our p. 4Apostle assures us, That this Church, is, The City of God; and▪ The Family of God; and, The Temple of God. And, Oh! who would not give himself up unto the Conduct of a Glorious CHRIST, that he may be brought into a Church of so great a Character!

Now, the Apostle having said, That the Vniversal Church is the Temple of God, presently sayes to the Church of Ephesus; You also are builded together. The Particular Church of Ephesus; the Congregational Church, was also a Temple.

I may then, without any Obstruction in the way, pass on to this Doctrine and Admonition of the Lord.

Every Particular CHURCH of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, is to be together Built in the Glorious LORD, as a TEMPLE of GOD.

A Particular Church, is, A Society of Christians▪ combining for the Worship of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, in the ways that He has Instituted. Or, as our Catechised Children can tell us; 'Tis a Congregation of Saints joyned together in the Bond of the Covenant, to Worship the Lord, and Edify One another, in all His Holy Ordinances. I make no Scruple, to call it, A Congregational Church. For it is unquestionable, That a Congregational Church is an Instituted Church. If a Church of another p. 5Form, should pretend unto Institution, still 'tis the Congregational Church, that has the First claim, and a Plain claim it has, unto it. The Churches mention'd in the New Testament, were every One of them, evidently Congregational. And the most Judicious, Laborious and Impartial Searches into Christian Antiquity, do declare, That they can't find any other Churches, in the First Ages of Christianity, but what were Congregational. This Truth will most certainly gain, as Ignorance, and Prejudice, and Passion, in the Treating of such matters, does abate in the World. Concerning such a Particular Church, we are now to receive divers Propositions.

p. 51. Unto what may a CHURCH of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, be likened? Unto what, so well as unto an House, unto which our Lord JESUS CHRIST Himself has likened it. You shall find this comparison asserted; 1. Tim. 3.15. The House of God, which is the Church of the Living God. In many Articles 〈…〉 the Comparison be carried on; we will with Delight and Profit, Reflect upon several of them.

Has not an House, a Builder? A Church has One. And 'tis the Lord Himself, that is the Builder of it. We read, Heb. 3.4. Every House is built by Some Man; but he that built all things (here) is God.