Clavis mystica a key opening divers difficult and mysterious texts of Holy Scripture; handled in seventy sermons, preached at solemn and most celebrious assemblies, upon speciall occasions, in England and France. By Daniel Featley, D.D.

THE LIVING TEMPLE. A Sermon preached at the Readers Feast in the Temple Church. THE SEVENTEENTH SERMON.

2 COR. 6.16.

For yee are the Temple of the living God.

Right Honourable, Right Worshipfull, &c.

COnsecrate your hearts to the service of God, and de∣dicate your eares to his holy Word, For yee are the Temple of the living God. If the heathen Orator ma∣king an Oration in aede Concordiae (a Temple conse∣crated to their goddesse Concord) used the place for a Topick, and drew an argument from the house in∣scription where they met, to perswade peace and concord: and the Apostle himselfe tooke the advan∣tage of the title of an Altar at Athens to declare un∣to them the true God, whoma 1.1 they ignorantly worshipped: and in his Epi∣stle to Philemon alludeth to the name of his unthrifty servantb 1.2 Onesimus, assuring him that howsoever in former time he had beene unprofitable, yet that hee should now prove 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, according to his name Onesimus, profi∣table to both of them: I perswade my selfe it will not be offensive to you to heare a lecture read upon your name, and many holy duties enforced from the sacred appellation in my text, wherewith your honourable socie∣ty is graced, that you may bee indeed what you are called, The Temple of the living God.

This text of the Temple admitteth of a like division to the partition of the Temple of Solomon, which was into three roomes or spaces:

• 1 Atrium, the outward court.
• 2 Sanctum, the holy place.
• 3 Sanctum sanctorum, the holy of holies.

• 1 In the outward court the people stood.
• 2 In the holy place the Priests offered their daily sacrifice.
• 3 In the holy of holies the high Priest appeared once a yeere.

• 1 Yee are, resembleth the outward court, where the people were.
• 2 Temple, the holy place.
• 3 The living God, the most holy. The Temple of God is holy, but the God of the Temple is infinitely more holy.

In passing through these spaces and partitions, let the eye of your religi∣ous observation fall upon

• 1 The proper title of the Elect, Temple.
• 2 The proper owner of the Temple, God.
• 3 The proper attribute of God, Living.

• 1 For expresseth and presseth a reason, What agreement, &c. For.
• 2 Yee specifieth the persons.
• 3 Are pointeth to the time.
• 4 The Temple is the title of Gods children.
• 5 Of God is added for distinction of Temples.
• 6 Living is adjoyned for distinction of Gods.

• 1 There are many who deserve to bee called cages of uncleane birds, or rather styes of uncleane beasts, than Temples, Yee are the Temple.
• 2 There are Temples of Idols, or rather Devils, not of God, Yee are the Temple of God.
• 3 There are gods not living, Yee are the Temple of thee living God.

Here is a sweet cluster of the grapes of the vine of Engaddi.

1 Presse the first grape, and it will yeeld this liquor, That Christians may not communicate with Idolaters, nor consort with prophane persons: For.

2 Presse the next grape, and it will yeeld this juice, That holinesse to God is the Imprese of the regenerate: Yee.

3 Presse the third, it yeeldeth this, That there are Saints upon earth, viz. in truth and sincerity, though not in perfection: Are.

4 Presse the fourth, it yeeldeth this, That the whole company of true be∣lievers make but one Holy Catholike Church; Temple not Temples: The Temple.

5. Presse the fift, it yeeldeth this, That reverence is due to the servants of God, that sanctity is in them, and safety with them. Of God. The Temple of God carrieth with it all three: and to whom indeed is due more reve∣rence, in whom shineth more sanctity, with whom is found more safety than Gods secret ones, who as stones coupled together, and built upon the corner stone Christ Jesus, rise up towards heaven, and become a holy temple of God?

6. Presse the last, and it yeeldeth this, That the God whom we Christians serve is the onely true living God, and source and fountaine of all life; which hee conveigheth to us in a threefold channell,

• 1 The broader of nature:
• 2 The narrower of grace:
• 3 The overflowing and everspringing of glory.

For: The reason standeth thus. Separate your selves from wicked and profane persons, For yee are a Temple. Secondly, keep your selves from dead and dumb Idols, For yee are the Temple of the living God.

[Doctr. 1] First, this (For) perforce draweth us from all familiar company and inti∣mate conversation with men of a leud, dissolute or profane carriage;c 1.3 Have no fellowship with them, saith the Apostle: elsewhere,d 1.4 Save your selves from them, saith Saint Peter: Come out from among them, and be youe 1.5 separate, and I will be a Father unto you, and you shall bee my Sonnes and Daughters. It was an abomination by the Law to touch any dead thing,f 1.6 Whosoever toucheth any thing that is uncleane by the dead, &c. and are not they that live in pleasure and sensualityg 1.7 dead while they are alive? but she that liveth in pleasure is dead whilest shee liveth. Shee is no loyall wife that deligh∣teth in company disliked by her husband, though but upon suspition. How can the sonne but incurre his fathers displeasure, who entertaineth such guests with all love and kindnesse whom his father hateth, and forbiddeth them his house? Those who are of worth seek to preserve their credit and good name as a precious oyntment, which is soone corrupted by the impure ayre of nasty society. For such a man is deservedly esteemed to bee, with whom hee ranketh himselfe: but corrupting the soule is farre worse than tainting a good name; and who is there almost that commeth faire off from foule company? hee cannot but learne evill by them, orh 1.8 suffer evill of them. Man in Paradise might be like the plants of Paradise, of which A∣thanasius reporteth that they imparted an aromaticall savour to the trees neere adjoyning: but since man was cast out, the corruption of his nature maketh him resemble rather the wan and withered vine in the Poet, which tooke away the fresh colour and sap from the neighbour vine;

i 1.9Uva{que} livorem conspectâ ducit ab uvâ.

It is true, Bonum est sui diffusivum, Goodnesse is of a communicative na∣ture; but since our fall wee are not so capable of receiving good as evill. The example of an evill man sooner corrupteth a good man, than a good

example converteth an evill man. The weake and watery eye is not streng∣thened by looking on a quicke or strong eye; but on the contrary, many a strong and dry eye by looking on a watery eye waters it selfe. The sound man by lying with the sicke loseth his health, yet the sicke man by lying with the whole man gaineth not his health; the exchange is not mutuall. If you mingle bright and rusty metall together, the rusty will not become bright by it, but on the contrary the bright rusty; so, saithk 1.10 Seneca, a rusty companion rubbeth some of his rust upon a man of faire conditions, yet the man of faire conditions imparteth none of his candor to the rusty. The diseases of the minde are more taking than the diseases of the body; let us therefore take heed how wee come within the breath of a man who is of a rotten heart, and corrupt conscience. If Joseph living in Pharaohs Court learned to sweare by the life of Pharaoh, and the people of God be∣ing mingled with the heathen learned their workes: beware how you touch pitch lest you bee defiled, and bird-lime lest you bee entangled. Socrates was wont to say to Alcibiades, sometime the paragon of beauty both of body and minde, when hee met him among Gallants like himselfe, I feare not thee but thy company: and Saintl 1.11 Austine in his Confessions with teares complaineth of the hellish torrent of evill company, wherewith hee was carried away oftentimes, and fell into many a dangerous gulph: I had not the power to stay my selfe, saith hee, when they called; Eamus, faciamus, Let us goe, let us doe some noble exploit, or brave pranke of youth: nay, they so farre wrought upon mee, that I was ashamed of my shamefaced modesty, and blushed that I was not past blushing. You that are Gods chosen make choice of your company, let all your delight bee, with holy David,m 1.12 in such as excell in vertue, and have holinesse to the Lord engraven in their breasts. For yee are Temples, therefore bee yee separate from profane persons.

[Doctr. 2] Yee are the Temples of the living God, meddle not therefore with dumb and dead Idols. If Idolatry bee the spirits adultery, and Gods wrath a∣gainst Idolaters is jealousie, and his jealousie burneth like fire downe to the bottome of hell; I shall not need by arguments to deterre any understan∣ding Christian from comming within the verge of so dangerous an impie∣ty, the guilt whereof lyeth not onely upon those whose soules and bodies have been agents in Idols services, but also all those who by any speeches, acts, signes, or outward gestures, give any allowance or countenance there∣unto.n 1.13 Constantine the Emperour thought himself defiled if he had but seen an heathenish altar:o 1.14 David if he had but made mention of an Idoll; their of∣ferings of bloud I will not offer, nor take their names into my mouth. Saint Paul permitted not the Corinthians to taste of any dainties that were served in at the Idols table. Let them therefore beware of some fearfull judge∣ment of God, who without any calling or commission, out of meere curio∣sity, enter into the house of Rimmon, and behold those Idolatrous rites wherewith Romish superstition hath corrupted the pure worship of God. How can they bee there with them without offence? If they joyne not with these Idolaters in censing, bowing before, offering unto, and kissing their Images, in calling upon Saints, and praying for the releasing of soules out of Purgatory, they give offence to them: if they joyne with them, they

give greater offence to the Church of God, and not onely receive ap 1.15 marke from the beast, but a grievous wound. The Corinthians, whom S. Paul in these words plucks, as it were, violently out of the idols Temple, had as co∣lorable a pretence as these Naamans can have. They pleaded that they went not to the idols temple to worship, but to make merry with their neighbors, and feede their bellies with the idols relicks; these in like manner say that they resort not to places where Masses are said to worship the wafer, or breaden god, but to feede their eyes with their garish shewes, and please their eares with their exquisite musicke. They proceeded farther in their defence, alledging that they knew the idoll was nothing, and in their eating of things offered to it, they had no relation to the Paynim deity, nor pur∣pose to worship it, but the true God, whose creatures they received with cheerefulnesse and thanksgiving. And is not this the fairest glosse they set upon their foule and scandalous practise in pressing into Popish chappels, that they know the sacrifice of the Masse is nothing, neither doe they any reverence at all to image or picture, but to God, to whom they pray against those superstitions even when they are at them? But what doth the Apostle answer to the Corinthians? viz. That though the idoll bee nothing in it selfe, yet sith it is a supposed Deity in the minde of the Idolater, who intendeth a religious worship thereunto, in keeping those heathenish feasts, a Christian may not joyne with him in the outward action of his i∣doll service (whatsoever the intention be) without receiving a foule staine both in his conscience and in his good name. To lift up the heart to God when they fall downe with their body before the Hoste or Image, will no more acquit them from idolatry, than it will cleare a woman from adul∣tery to thinke upon her husband when shee prostituteth her body to the impure soliciter of her chastity. Neither is it easie to sever the soule from the body in one and the selfe same act, asq 1.16 Alypius found by his woefull experience; who being violently drawne by his friends into the Romane Theater, thus reasoned with himselfe: What though you have drawne my body into this place? you shall not draw my soule: seeing you will have it so, I will stay with you, but I resolve to be absent when I am pre∣sent, and so I will deceive you and them. According to which his firme pur∣pose, hee kept the liddes of his eyes shut, that his soule might not, as it were, goe out of them, and gad after these vanities: And it had beene hap∣py for him, saith Saint Austine, if hee had locked up the gates of his eares also; for on the suddaine hearing a great shout and applause, ere hee was a∣ware hee opened his eyes, and by seeing that bloody spectacle received a deeper wound in his soule than the hurt Fencer in his body. Is it not to bee feared that as ther 1.17 sheepe which conceived before the coloured roddes brought forth spotted lambes, so the prayers and meditations which are conceived before idols, will receive some impression from the image, and bee tainted with idolatry, or spotted with superstition? Was it unlawfull for the Corinthians to partake with idolaters in meats offered unto idols, and can it bee lawfull for these men to communicate with Papists in pray∣ers offered unto them? If they answer, they pray to Saints, and before images and not idols; let them know that any image or creature to which re∣ligious worship is given, thereby becommeth an idoll. If Saint Cyprians zeale

transported him not too farre, when hee peremptorily determineth there can bee no society betweene faith and perfidiousnesse, or betweene the true and false worship of God. If thes 1.18 Apostle alloweth of no more communion betweene Christians and Idolaters than betweene righteousnesse and un∣righteousnesse, or light and darkenesse, ort 1.19 Christ and Belial; certainely all Interimists, and Pseudo-Cassanders, and catholike Moderators of these times, who goe about to bring Christ and Antichrist to an enterview, sod∣der unity and schisme, piece faith and heresie, and make the Whore of Ba∣bylon and Christs spouse good friends, are like to have a hard taske of it. For what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols? but yee are the Temple of God.

[Doctr. 3] Yee. The light of the sunne is common unto all, but not his influence: in like manner there are certaine enlightning gifts which are not deni∣ed to the unregenerate, but the sanctifying, and saving graces of the spi∣rit are peculiar to Gods children. God forbiddeth in the Law the annoin∣ting any thing with the holyu 1.20 oyle, save the things that are there specifi∣ed; he maketh it death to put that holy oyntment to any common use, and shall wee thinke that hee will shed the oyntment of his spirit into any im∣pure or prophane heart? will hee cast his pearle before swine? The pie∣ty of Paynims is Necromancy or Idolatry, of Heretickes is Will-wor∣ship, of Hypocrites is Formality, of Schismaticks is Faction. There can be no true devotion without illumination of the understanding, and renovati∣on of the will, and purifying the heart by faith; there is no Temple of God which is not built upon the corner stone Christ Jesus. Ye, and none but such as ye are. The Church in the song of Solomon is compared to a* 1.21 garden en∣closed, or a fountaine sealed. The prophane and ungodly drinke not of the river of her pleasures, they taste not of her delicate fruits, they who over∣come not eat notx 1.22 the hidden Manna: as they partake not of the Spouse her graces, so neither have they any right or title to her titles. They are no Temples, but rather styes; no dove-cotes, but cages of uncleane birds; no habitations for the holy Ghost, but rather haunts of uncleane spirits. They indeed live and move in God, for out of him they cannot subsist; buty 1.23 God himselfe liveth and moveth in the godly; God is in all places, and abi∣deth every where; yet heez 1.24 dwelleth onely in the hearts of true believers: For they and they onely are the Temple of the living God.

[Doctr. 4] Are. In the Romane Kalendar no Saints are entred till many miracles be voiced upon them after death; but in Gods Register wee finde Saints in the Church on earth, among thea 1.25 Romanes,b 1.26 Corinthians,c 1.27 Ephesians,d 1.28 Philippians, ate 1.29 Lydda, and elsewhere. But what Saints, and how? Saints by calling, Saints by a holy profession, and blamelesse conversation; Saints by gratious acceptation of pious endeavours, rather than of per∣formances; Saints by inchoation, Saints by regeneration of grace, Saints by daily renovation of the inward man, Saints by devotion and dedication of themselves wholly to God, Saints by inhabitation of the holy spirit in them, which maketh them a holy Temple of the living God. In this life we aref 1.30 Gods, for all things are yours, and you are Christs, and Christ is Gods; in the life to comeg 1.31 God is ours. In this life wee are Gods Temple, but in the life to come God isg 1.32 ours. Now God dwelleth with us, and is but

slenderly entertained by us; but there wee shall dwell with him, and have fulnesse of all things, yet without satiety or being cloyed there∣with.

[Doctr. 5] The Temple. Not the Temples, but the Temple.* 1.33 As the learned Hebrici∣ans from the construction of the noune plurall with a verb singular, as if you would say in Latine, Dii or Numina creavit, gather the trinity of per∣sons in the unity of the divine nature; so from the construction here of a singular adjunct with a subject plurall, wee may inferre the plurality of the faithfull in the unity of the Church. For wee that are many yet are truely one, many graines one bread, many sheepe one fold, many members one body, many branches one vine, many private oratories or chaplets but one Temple. The parts of the Catholike Church are so farre scattered and dissevered in place that they cannot make one materiall, yet they are so neare joyned in affection, and fast linked with the bonds of religion, that they make but one spirituall Temple. They are many soules, and must needs have as many divers naturall bodies; yet in regard they are all quick∣ned, guided, and governed by the same spirit, they make but one mysticall body, whose head is in heaven, and members dispersed over the earth. Can unity bee divided? If wee are rent in sunder by schisme and faction, Christ his seamelesse coate cannot cover us all. The Philosophers finde it in the naturall, the States-men in the politicke, and I pray God wee finde it not in the mysticall body of Christ,h 1.34 That division tends to corruption, and dissolution to death. Plucke a beame if you can from the body of the sunne, it will have no light; breake a branch from the tree, it will beare no fruit; sever a river from the spring, it will soone bee dryed up; cut a mem∣ber from the body, it presently dyeth; cast a pumice stone into the wa∣ter, and though it bee never so bigge, while it remaines entire, and the parts whole together, it will swimme above water, but breake it into pie∣ces, and every piece will sinke: in like manner the Church and Common∣wealth, which are supported, and as it were borne up above water by uni∣ty, are drowned in perdition by discord, dissention, schisme, and faction. It is not possible that those things which are knit by a band, should hold fast together after the band it selfe is broken. How can a sinew hold steddy the joint if it bee sprayned, or broken, or cut in sunder? Religion (beloved bre∣thren) is the band of all society, the strongest sinew of Church or Com∣monwealth; God forbid there should bee any rupture in this band, any sprayne in this sinew. The husbandman hath sowed good seede, cleane and picked in this Kingdome for more than threescore yeeres, and it hath fru∣ctified exceedingly since the happy reformation of Religion in these parts; O let no envious man sow upon it those tares which of late have sprung up in such abundance in our neighbour countries, that they have almost choaked all the good wheat. Let no roote of bitternesse spring up in our Paradise, or if it bee sprung, let authority, or at least Christian charity plucke it up. Wee are all one body, let us all have the same minde towards God, and endea∣vour to the utmost of our power toi 1.35 preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, that our spirituall Jerusalem may resemble the old Byzanti∣um, the stones whereof were so matched, and the wall built so uniformely, that the whole City seemed to bee but one stone continued throughout. It

was the honour of thek 1.36 old, let it bee also of the new Jerusalem, that it is a City at unity in it selfe.

[Doctr. 6] I have held you thus long in the Porch, let us now enter into the Tem∣ple. Glorious things are spoken of you, O ye chosen of God, yee are tear∣med vessels of honour, lights of the world, a chosen generation, a royall priesthood, a peculiar people, a celestiall society; yet nothing ever was or can be more spoken to Your endlesse comfort, and superexcellent glory, than that you are Children of the Father, Members of the Sonne, and Tem∣ples of the holy Ghost. Seneca calleth the world, Augustissimum Dei Tem∣plum, a most magnificent Temple of God; David, the heaven; Solomon, the Church; Saint Paul, the Elect in the Church; and in a sense not alto∣gether improper, we may tearme the world, the Temple of the Church, the Church the Temple of our bodies, our bodies the Temples of our soules, and our soules most peculiarly the Temples of the living God: because God dwelleth & remaineth in our souls, our souls in our bodies, our bodies in the Church, the Church in the world. There are many other reasons of this appellati∣on, but the Apostle dwelleth most upon this of dwelling. Where God dwel∣leth there is his Temple, but he dwelleth in our hearts by faith, we are there∣fore his Temple. If exception bee made to this reason, that dwelling pro∣veth a House, but not a Temple,l 1.37 Calvin answereth acutely, that if wee speake of the habitation of a man, wee cannot from thence conclude that the place where he abideth is a Temple: but God hath this priviledge, that his presence maketh the place wheresoever hee resideth necessarily a Temple. Whereas the King lyeth there is the Court, and where God abideth there is the Church. It might bee sayd as truly of the stable where Christ lay, as of the place where God appeared to Jacob, This is the house of God, and the gate of heaven. Here I cannot but breake out into admiration with So∣lomon, and say,m 1.38 The heaven of heavens cannot containe thee, O Lord, and wilt thou dwell in my house, in the narrow roome of my heart? Isocrates an∣swered well for a Philosopher, to that great question, What is the greatest thing in the least?n 1.39 The minde, said hee, in mans body. But Saint Paul teacheth us to give a better answer, to wit, God in mans soule. And how fitly hee tearmeth here believers the Temple of God, will appeare most evidently by paralleling the inward and outward Temple of God, the Church and the soule.

1 First, Churches are places exempt from legall tenures and services, and redeemed from common uses: in like manner the minde of the faith∣full and devout Christian is after a sort sequestred from the world, and wholly dedicated to God.

2 Secondly, Temples are hallowed places, not by censing, or crossing, or burning tapers, or healing it over with ashes, and drawing the characters of the Greeke and Hebrew Alphabet, after the manner of popish consecra∣tion; but by theo 1.40 Word and Prayer, by which the faithfull are also conse∣crated. Sanctifie them, O Lord, with thy truth, thy Word is truth.

3 Thirdly, Temples are places of refuge and safety; and where more safety than in the houshold of faith? God spared the City for the Tem∣ples sake, and hee spareth the whole world for the Elects sake.

4 Fourthly, the Temple continually sounded with vocall and instru∣mentall

musicke; there was continuall joy, singing, and praising God: and doth not the Apostle teach us that there isp 1.41 joy in the holy Ghost, and continuall melody in the hearts of beleevers?

5. Fiftly, in the Temple God was to beeq 1.42 worshipped: and Christ teacheth that the truer 1.43 worshippers of God worship him in spirit and in truth: and Saint Paul commandeth us tos 1.44 worship and glorifie God in our body and spirit, which are his.

6. Sixtly, doe not our feet in some sort resemble the foundation, our legges the pillars, our sides the walls, our mouth the doore, our eyes the windowes, our head the roofe of a Temple? Is not our body an embleme of the body of the Church, and our soule of the queere or chancell, where∣in God is, or should be worshipped day and night? The Temple of God is not lime, sand, stone, or timber, saitht 1.45 Lactantius, but man bearing the image of God: and this Temple is not adorned with gold or silver, but with divine vertues and graces.

If this be a true definition of a Temple, and description of the Orna∣ments thereof, they are certainly much to be blamed, who make no recko∣ning of the spirituall Temple of God, in comparison of the materiall: who spare for no cost in imbellishing their Churches, and take little care for beautifying their soules: Hoc oportet facere, & illud non omit∣tere; they doe well in doing the one, but very ill in not doing the other. It will little make for the glory of their Church to paint their rood-lofts, to engrave their pillars, to carve their timber, to gild their altars, to set forth their crosses with jewells and precious stones, if they want that precious pearle which the rich Merchant man sold all that hee had to buy: to have golden miters, golden vessels,* 1.46 golden shrines, golden bells, golden snuffers and snuffe-dishes, if as Boniface of Mentz long agoe complained, Their Priests are but wooden or leaden. Saintu 1.47 Ambrose saith expresly, That those things please not God in, or with gold, which can bee bought with no gold. In which words hee doth not simply condemne the use of gold or silver in the service of God, no more than Saintx 1.48 Peter doth in the attire of godly Matrons, (Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the haire, and wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparrell: but let it be in the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price,) but he & Lactantius both speak comparatively, and their meaning is, that the chief adorning of Churches is not with the beauty of colours, but of holinesse: not with the lustre of pearles and precious stones, but with the shining of good workes: not with candles and tapers, but with the light of the Word: not with sweet perfumes, but with a savour of life unto life. It will bee to little purpose to sticke up waxe lights in great abundance in their Churches, after they have put out the pure light of Gods Word, or hid it as it were under a bushell in an unknowne tongue. Rhena∣mus reporteth that hee saw at Mentz two Cranes standing in silver, into the belly whereof the Priests by a device put fire and frankin∣cense so artificially, that all the smoake and sweet perfume came out at the Cranes beakes. A perfect embleme of the peoples devotion in the Romish Church: the Priests put a little fire into them, they have little

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warmth of themselves, or sense of true zeale: and as those Cranes sent out sweet perfumes out at their beaks, having no smelling at all thereof them∣selves; so these breath out the sweet incense of zealous praiers and thanks∣giving, whereof they have no sense or understanding at all, because they pray in an unknowne tongue.

And so from the holy place, the Temple, I come to the Holy of holies, the owner of this holy place, the

[Doctr. 6] Living God. The Apostle so stileth God here in my Text, to terrifie the Corinthians from provoking him either to jealousie by their Idolatry, or to anger by their impure conversation with the Gentiles; whose gods were dead and senselesse stockes, not able to apprehend, much lesse revenge any wrong offered unto them by their worshippers; and therefore they might bee bold with them, as the Philosopher was with Hercules, putting him to his thirteenth labour in seething his dinner: and Martial with Priapus, in threatning to throw him in the fire if hee looked not well to his trees: and* 1.49 Dyonisius with Aesculapius, in cutting off his golden beard, alledg∣ing for it, that it was not fit the sonne should have a beard seeing the Fa∣ther had none: but let Christians take heed of the least provocation of the living God,x 1.50 for hee is a consuming fire. A childe may play at the hole of a dead cockatrice, and a silly woman may strike a dead lion, but who dares handle a live serpent, or play with the paw of a ramping and roaring lion? how much more fearfull by infinite degrees a thing is it to fall into the hands of the living God, who with the breath of his mouth is able to blow downe the whole frame of nature, and destroy all creatures from the face of the earth! There is spirit and life in this attribute living, which comprehendeth in it all that wee can comprehend, and all that wee cannot comprehend of the Deity. For the life of God is his beeing, and his beeing is his nature, and his nature is all things. When wee call upon the living God, wee call upon the true God, the everlasting God, the Father of spi∣rits, the Author of life, the Almighty, All-sufficient, All-working God; and what is not comprised in all these? The more excellent the nature is of any thing, the more excellent is the life thereof: as is the life of beasts than of trees, of men than of beasts, of Angels than of men. What then may wee conceive of the life of God himselfe? from whence hee hath his name in Greeke, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: and because it is his chiefest attri∣bute, hee most frequently sweareth by it in holy Scripture, As I live saith the Lord.

This attribute, living, is applyed to God in a threefold regard:

1. To distinguish him from the false gods of the Gentiles, which were dead and senselesse stockes, bearing for the most part the image of a dead man, deified after death.

2. To represent unto us the sprightly and actuous nature of God, which is alwayes in action, and ever moving in it selfe.

3. To direct us to the Fountaine of life, from whom all life is derived into the creature by a threefold streame, of

• 1 Nature,
• 2 Grace,
• 3 Glory.

1 First, the true God is stiled the living God in opposition to the heathen Idols, which were without life, sense, or motion: they had eyes and saw not, eares and heard not, hands and handled not; whereas the true God hath no eyes, yet seeth; no eares, yet heareth; no hands, yet worketh all things. The heathen Idols were carried upon mens shoulders, or camels backs, as the Prophety 1.51 Esay excellently describeth the manner of their pro∣cession: but contrariwise, the true God beareth his children, and supporteth them from the wombe even to their old age, and gray haires. Mothers and nurses carry children but for a short space, God beareth his children all the dayes of their life. The heathen gods, as Saintz 1.52 Austine observeth in the siege of Troy, saved not them that worshipped them, but were saved by them from fire and spoyle; whereupon hee inferreth, What folly was it to worship such gods for the preservation of the city and countrey, which were not able to keepe their owne keepers? but the true God pre∣serveth them that serve him, and hideth them under the shadow of his wings.

2 God is called the living God, because hee is all life, hee understan∣deth and willeth, decreeth and executeth, beginneth and endeth, obser∣veth and ordereth, appointeth and effecteth all things: hee whirleth about the heavens, raiseth stormes and tempests, thundering and lightning in the aire, hee moveth upon the waters, and shaketh the pillars of the earth, hee turneth about the whole frame of nature, and setteth all creatures on work: in a word, as Trismegistus excellently expresseth this truth,* 1.53 He potentiateth all acts, and actuateth all powers.

3 Living, because hee giveth life to all that enjoy it, and preserveth al∣so it in them to the period thereof set by himselfe. All other living crea∣tures, as they have but one soule, so they have but one life: man to whom divers Philosophers assigne three soules, hath a threefold kinde of life,

• 1 Vegetative,
• 2 Sensible,
• 3 Reasonable.

But over and above, every faithfull man hath an estate of three lives in Gods promises:

• 1 The life of nature (which implyeth the former three) at our en∣trance into the world.
• 2 The life of grace at our entrance into the Church,
• 3 The life of glory at our entrance into Heaven.

Nature is the perfection of every creature, grace the perfection of na∣ture, glory the perfection of grace. The life of nature is given to us to seek the life of grace, which bringeth us to the life of glory. That God is the author of the life of nature, nature her selfe teacheth;a 1.54 In ipso vivimus, In him wee live, move, and have our being. That hee is the author of the life of grace, Saint John, whose name signifieth grace, testifieth;b 1.55 In ipso vita erat, In him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shi∣ned

in darkenesse, and the darknesse comprehended it not. Lastly, that hee is the author of the life of glory, Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life, declareth, s••ying,c 1.56 I am the resurrection and the life, whosoever belie∣veth in mee, though hee were dead, yet shall hee live. There remaineth no∣thing to the illustration of this point, but the removing of an objection which somewhat cloudeth the truth. For thus a man may argue; If God, as the Prophet speaketh, is the Well of life, in which there are the three springs abovenamed, one above the other, then is life conveighed to all creatures according to the capacity of their nature, and consequently all may truely and properly bee said to live; how then is life appropriated to God, and God by this attribute, living, distinguished not onely from fai∣ned deities, which were no creatures, but also from creatures which are not God? I grant that other creatures live, and that truely and properly. For the Angels live in heaven, the Birds in the ayre, the Fishes in the sea, Men and Beasts in the earth, the Divell and damned ghosts in hell; but none of them live the life of God: their life differeth as much from his, as their na∣ture from his.

1 His life is his nature, theirs the operation of their nature; the life of Angels is their contemplation, of Divels is their torment, of Men is their action, of Beasts their s••••e and motion, of Plants their growth; in briefe, Hee is life, they are but living.

2 His life is his owne, he liveth of himselfe, and by himselfe, and in him∣selfe; their life is borrowed from him, as all light is from the sunne.

3 His life is infinite, without beginning or ending; their life is finite, and had a beginning, and most of them shall have an end, and all might, if he had so pleased.

4 His life is entire altogether, and perfect, theirs imperfect, growing by additio•• of dayes to dayes, and yeeres to yeeres.

5 His li••e is immutable, theirs mutable, and subject to many alterati∣ons and chang••s.

To dr••w towards an end; you heare what You are, not prophane or common houses, but the Temple; not the Temple of Divels, but of God, ye•• the living God: marke I beseech you what will ensue upon it.

[Use.] 1 If the ••••••thfull are the Temple of the holy Ghost, to robbe or spoile any of them must needs bee sacriledge in the highest degree. To assault and set open Gods house, what is it but after a sort to offer violence to God hims••••fe, and commit a worse burglary than that which our lawes con∣demne ••••th death?

2 If 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Saints of God are the Sanctuaries of the most High, what need they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••he ungodly pursue them fearefully to flye, and basely to seeke to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 person for s••ccour, o•• place for refuge? They carry a sanctuary about 〈…〉〈…〉 of their bodies. Why should they take sanctuary who are 〈…〉〈…〉 s••nctu••ry oftentimes to save the greatest offenders from God•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ Such a sanctuary was Noah to the old world, Lot to 〈…〉〈…〉, Saint John to those that were in the house, Saint 〈…〉〈…〉 were in the shippe with him. So soone as Noah left the 〈…〉〈…〉 entr•••••• into the Arke, the world was drowned; so soone as Lot lets God 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and ••led 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Zoar, Sodome was burned with fire and brimstone

from heaven: so soone as Saint John left the bath where he met Cerin∣thus the Hereticke, and got out of the house, the house fell downe: so soon as the Christians were safe at Pella out of Jerusalem, Jerusalem was de∣stroyed. The house of Obed-Edom was blessed for having the Arke in it; and thrice happy are those houses which have many of these Temples in them.

3 If Gods chosen are his most holy Temple, they must not admit Ido∣laters into their communion, nor profane persons into their houses; for this were to set open the Church of Christ to Belial, and to entertaine Gods enemies in his owne house.

4 Are our bodies and soules the Temple, and our faculties and members the Chappels of the holy Ghost? how holy then ought wee to be in our inward and outward man? how pure in our soules, and cleane in our bo∣dies? What a horrible and abominable thing were it for a man to doe any notorious villany, or commit any filthinesse in the Church upon the Com∣munion Table? the savage Gothes, and barbarous Infidels would not doe so wickedly. Can we possibly beleeve that we are the Temple of the living God, if wee bee so dissolute, and impure, and profane as some are? Know wee not that so oft as wee sweare vainly, and use curses and execrations, wee profane Gods Temple? so oft as wee draw bloud of our brother wee pollute it? so oft as wee corrupt him wee destroy it? so oft as wee defile our bodies with fornication, or our soules with Idolatry, wee com∣mit filthinesse, and practise wickednesse in the Temple of God, in the pre∣sence of God, even under his eye? Men and brethren, in this case what shall we doe? for who hath not in some kinde or other polluted Gods holy Temple, his soule and body? Lactantius giveth us the best counsell that may bee,d 1.57 Mundemus hoc Templum, Let us cleanse and purifie this Temple which wee have defiled. You will say, How is this to be done? Gorrham an∣swereth you out of the Law.

1 The pavement, according to the rites prescribed by Moses, was to be broken up, and all dead mens bones cast out: let us in like manner breake up the ground of the heart, and cast all dead workes out of our consciences.

2 It was to bee swept all over, and washed: let us in like manner wash our inward Temples with tears, and cleanse them with hearty repentance, and godly sorrow for our sinnes.

3 It was to be sprinkled with bloud: let us in like manner through faith sprinkle our consciences with the bloud of the Lambe.

4 It was to bee perfumed with sweet odours and incense: let us in like manner perfume our inward Temple with zealous prayers, and sighes for our sinnes. When God shall see his Temple thus purified, his house thus pre∣pared for him, hee will returne into it, and dwell in it againe, and take de∣light in it, and enrich it daily more and more. I will locke up the gates of this Temple with the golden Key of* 1.58 Lactantius: Let God bee consecra∣ted, or set up by us, not in the Temple, but in our hearts, and let us careful∣ly cleanse this Temple, which is soyled and blacked, not with smoake and dust, but with impure thoughts and earthly desires: which is not enlight∣ned with burning tapers, but with the light and brightnesse of wisdome: in which if wee beleeve that God is continually present, to the beames of

whose divine eyes the inmost Closets of all hearts lye open: let us so live that wee may ever enjoy his favour, and never feare his wrath.

Gracious Lord, who hast placed thy Tabernacle in the midst of us, in our hearts, consecrate them, wee beseech thee, for holy Temples unto thee; sprinkle them with thy bloud, cleanse them by thy grace, enligh∣ten them with thy Word, sanctifie them with thy Spirit, adorne them with thy gifts, and fill them with thy glory. O thou who dwellest in the highest heavens, come downe and visit thy lower houses, our bodies and soules, dedicated unto thee, take a lodging with us for a while in our earthly Tabernacles; and when we must leave them, receive thou us into thine everlasting habita∣tions. So be it. &c.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Act. 17.23. I found an altar with an inscrip∣tion, To the un∣knowne God.
• b 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ab 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 prosum. Phile. v. 11. I be∣seech thee for my sonne Onesimus, which in times past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me.
• c 1.3

  Ephes. 5.11.
• d 1.4

  Act. 2.40.
• e 1.5

  2. Cor. 6.17, 18.
• f 1.6

  Lev. 22.4.
• g 1.7

  1 Tim. 5.6.
• h 1.8

  Epictet. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• i 1.9

  Juven. sat. 1. Dedit haec contagio la∣bem, &c.
• k 1.10

  Senec. ep. 7. Rubiginosus comes etiam candido suam affricuit rubi∣ginem.
• l 1.11

  Aug. confes. l. 2. c. 9. Eamus, faciamus, pudet non esse impu∣dentem.
• m 1.12

  Psal. 16.3.
• n 1.13

  Amb. ep. 31. Pollui se puta∣bat si aram vi∣disset.
• o 1.14

  Psal. 16.4.
• p 1.15

  Hom. against rebellion the Pope is called the Baby∣lonish beast.
• q 1.16

  Aug. confess. l. 6. c. 8. Alypius ab amicis vio∣lenter in am∣phitheat um adductus, di∣cens, si corpus meum in illum locum trahitis, numquid & a∣nimum? adero ita{que} absens, & sic & vos & illa superabo: ille diuclausis oculo∣rum foribus, in∣terdixit animae ne in tanta ma∣la procederet, utinam & aures obturasset, nam quodam pugnae casu cu∣riositate victus, aperuit oculos, & percussus est graviore vulne∣re in animâ quam ille in corpore.
• r 1.17

  Gen. 30.39. And the flockes conceived before the rods, and brought forth cat∣tell ring streked, speckled, and spot∣ted.
• s 1.18

  2 Cor. 6.14. What fellowship hath righteous∣nesse with unrigh∣teousnesse? &c.
• t 1.19

  Ver. 15.
• u 1.20

  Exod. 30.33.
• * 1.21

  Cant. 4.12. A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse a spring shut up, a foun∣taine sealed.
• x 1.22

  Apoc. 2.17.
• y 1.23

  Gal. 2.20. Ne∣verthelesse I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me. Rom. 8 9. 2 Cor. 6.16.
• z 1.24

  Ephes. 3.17.
• a 1.25

  Rom. 1.7.
• b 1.26

  1 Cor. 1.2.
• c 1.27

  Eph. 1.1.
• d 1.28

  Phil. 1.1.
• e 1.29

  Act. 9.32.
• f 1.30

  1 Cor. 3.23.
• g 1.31

  Apo. 21.22. And I saw no Temple therein, for the Lord God almigh∣ty and the Lambe are the Temple thereof.
• g 1.32

  Apo. 21.22. And I saw no Temple therein, for the Lord God almigh∣ty and the Lambe are the Temple thereof.
• * 1.33

  Gen. 1.1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• h 1.34

  Cyp. de simplic. prel. A velle ra∣dium à sole, di∣visionem lucis unitas non ca∣pit, ab arbore frange ramum, fructum germi∣nare non pote∣rit, à fonte prae∣cide rivum, prorsus arescet.
• i 1.35

  Eph. 4 3.
• k 1.36

  Psal. 122.3. Jerusalem is buil∣ded as a City that is compacted toge∣ther.
• l 1.37

  Cal. in hunc lo∣cum. De homi∣ne si dicatur hic habitat, non e∣rit protinus templum, sed domus propha∣na, sed in Deo hoc speciale est, quod quem∣cunque locum suâ dignatur praesentiâ, eum sanctificat.
• m 1.38

  1 Kin. 8.27.
• n 1.39

  Isoc. ad Dem. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• o 1.40

  Joh. 17.17.
• p 1.41

  Eph. 5.19.
• q 1.42

  Phil 3.3.
• r 1.43

  John 4.24.
• s 1.44

  1 Cor. 6.20.
• t 1.45

  Lact. divin. instit. l. 5. c. 8. Templum Dei non sunt ligna & lapides, sed homo qui Dei figuram gestat, quod Templum non auro, & gemmarum donis, sed vir∣tutum muneri∣bus ornatur.
• * 1.46

  Mat. 13.46.
• u 1.47

  Amb. Auro non placent quae auro non emuntur. Jnven. sat. 11. Fictilis & nul∣lo violatus Ju∣piter auro.
• x 1.48

  1 Pet. 3.3.
• * 1.49

  Eras. apoph. l. 5. Jovi Olym∣pio detraxit magni ponde∣ris amiculum, dicens, aestare grave, hyeme frigidum: Aes∣culapii auream barbam de∣traxit, quod negaret deco∣rum patrem Apollinem imberbem, ip∣sum barbatum conspici.
• x 1.50

  Heb. 12.29.
• y 1.51

  Esa. 46.1.2.3.
• z 1.52

  L. 1. de civit. Dei, Ne{que} enim homines a si∣mulachtis, sed simulachra ab hominibus ser∣vabantur, quo∣modo vero co∣lebantur ut pa∣triam custodi∣rent & cives, quae suos non valuere custodi∣re custodes?
• * 1.53

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• a 1.54

  Act. 17.28. In him wee live, &c. as some of your Poets have sayd.
• b 1.55

  Joh. 1.2.
• c 1.56

  Jo••. 11.25.
• d 1.57

  Lact. de ira Dei, c. ult.
• * 1.58

  Lact. l. de ira Dei, c. ult. Sit Deus in nobis, non in templo, sed in corde consecratus; mundemus hoc templum, quod non fumo nec pulvere, sed malis cogitati∣onibus sordi∣datur; quod non cereis ar∣dentibus, sed claritate & lu∣ce sapientiae illuminatur; in quo si Deum semper credi∣derimus habe∣re praesentem, cujus divinitati secreta mentis pateant, ita vi∣vamus ut pro∣pitium semper habeamus, & nunquam vere∣amurs iratum.