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also be all righteous, &c. The branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified." This is that glory mentioned, Hag. ii. 7. "I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts."

[2.] Hence learn, that Christ alone is the great builder, whatever means he makes use of; he is the great builder of the temple, and repairer of the desolations of Zion: therefore prays the psalmist, "Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build up the walls of Jerusalem, Psal. li. 18. God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah," Psal. lxix. 35. See Psal. cii. 16. Isa. xiv. 32. "The Lord hath founded Zion. Behold, the man whose name is the Branch, he shall build the temple of the Lord; even he shall build the temple of the Lord, and he shall bear the glory," Zech. vi. 12, 13. The Lord indeed makes use of mortal men, as instruments, in raising up the gospel-temple, Paul to plant, and Apollos to water; but after all, he that plants is nothing, he that waters is nothing. Clay and spittle did as much to the opening of the blind man's eyes; the success depends wholly upon the Lord. I have told you of some sinful causes why the Lord may suffer men to destroy his temple, but the sovereign cause of his suffering it to be destroyed utterly in appearance, is, that he may raise it, as Christ of his own life. John x. 17." I lay down my life that I may take it again;" so he suffers the temple to be destroyed, that he may raise it again; and that it may appear it is he alone that raises it; that it is he alone that buildeth up Zion, when other builders build in vain; when vain is the help of man, his own arm bringeth salvation: therefore the work shall go on, maugre all opposition; by the speaking of one word he lays the foundation of a new heaven and a new earth; it is he that creates Zion a rejoicing, and her people a joy. If he says to Zion, It shall be inhabited; to Jerusalem, It shall be built; to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid; it is done. Whatever be the tool or instrument he employs, it is all one great instruments do not further; weak instruments do not retard his work. If he will fight, it is

all one to him, whether it be a sword or the jaw-bone of an ass. If he will take a city, he can storm it with trumpets made of rams horns, as well as with great guns. Again, if he intends to thresh the mountains, and beat them small: he can do it with a worm, even the worm Jacob. It is he that raises the temple.

[3.] Hence see, what is our Lord's usual time of raising up his temple, namely, not till there be a destroying and down-pulling of it; "When men are cast down;" or, as it may be read, "When there is a casting down, then thou shalt say, there is a lifting up," Job xxii. 29. His people are said to be cast down, but not forsaken; and when does he help them? Not till they be brought low, Psalm cxvi. 6." For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself concerning his servants; when he sees that their power is gone, and there is none shut up or left," Deut. xxxii. 36. When did he help Israel in Egypt? Exod. v. 22, 23. Not till their distress came to an extremity, that they thought he had done them evil, instead of doing them. good, and delivering them by Moses, who was sent on this errand," But thou hast not delivered thy people at all;" or, as it is in the Hebrew, Delivering, thou hast not delivered. When did he help and deliver his apostles from trouble? Not till they were pressed out of measure above strength, insomuch that they despaired even of life, 2 Cor. i. 8. And it is said, ver. 9. "We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God, who raises the dead." His time of raising up is, upon the matter, not till the third day after death; not till the temple be destroyed, and all hopes of relief in appearance quite fail. This he does, that he may shew our time of need, to be his time of love; and that he may shew his glory, as in the case of Lazarus; that he may make his work the more remarkable; that he might heighten the faith, and prayers, and praises of his people; that he may humble the loftiness of man, and that the Lord alone might be exalted.

[4.] Hence see, that the faith of a church's resurrec tion and restoration is to be built upon the power and

virtue of Christ's resurrection on the third day. Here is the sign of his power, the signal of his grace, the sure document of his design to restore the ruined temple of his church, and of his authority, ability, and purpose. The sign is given, "In three days I will raise it up." The sign given hath taken effect: "He rose the third day; and by him we may believe in God, that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God;" even our faith and hope of a spiritual resurrection, and of a church's restoration, notwithstanding death and destruction: and if faith be excited, it shall not be disappointed. Indeed, sirs, the Lord will either do no more than we believe, or believingly hope for in Christ, and through Christ, the resurrection and the life: or, if he does, you will not have the comfort of what he does. However, here is ground for faith and hope, the glorious Head is risen: therefore, "The vision is for an appointed time, in the end it will speak and not tarry ;" and though it seems to tarry, wait for it, and stay till the third day; the wall is to be built in troublous times. When the extremity is come, then in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen, the Lord will provide relief. Glorious is the design of God with reference to the raising up of his ruined temple. The building of Zion is his master-piece; because it is the counter-pane, the counter-part of the resurrection of Christ. The rebuilding of it is both exemplified and insured by his rising the third day.

[5.] Hence see the sweet and easy, yet weighty and momentous work and business of Under-builders of the temple. What is their duty when the temple is defiled and destroyed? Why,

1. Their duty is to look to the chief Master-builder of the temple, and to lay the stress and weight of all upon him, saying, "Who is sufficient for these things? &c. Our sufficiency is of God;" especially when men are left to busy themselves about destroying-work: then they ought to employ their Master to come and put hand to his building-work. Destroying-work is not his though his holy hand may be seen, and his righteousness in suffering it; yet he is not the Author

of confusion or destruction; he puts destroying-work away from him into sinful hands who are active therein: " Destroy this temple." It is his work to raise and rebuild the temple when it is destroyed; to purge the temple when it is defiled. Let not under-builders be discouraged, as if destroyers could hinder him in his work of raising up. There are four things he cannot do, and it would imply imperfection if he could. (1.) He cannot LYE, " The strength of Israel cannot lye," Num. xxiii. 19. (2.) He cannot DIE; for," He lifts up his hand to heaven, and says, I live for ever," Deut. xxxiii. 40. (3.) He cannot CHANGE: "I am the Lord, I change not," Mal. iii. 6. He is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, Heb. xiii. 8. (4.) He cannot be HINDERED in his work, nor DISAPPOINTED of his design; "None can stay his hand, or say unto him, What dost thou? The counsel of the Lord, that shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure." Therefore,

2. Their duty is to put hand to this temple-building work, wherein he is all in all, and they are nothing; yet, as they would escape the curse of Meroz, they are to go forth to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Though he stands in no need of our help, yet as we that are under-builders are called workers together with him, 2 Cor. vi. 1.; so our faith must not be an idle faith. It is a great dishonour not to have a hand, as instruments, in carrying on the work: but it is, and ought to be looked upon as our glory and credit, to put to our hand to this work. When the Lord builds up Zion, he appears in his glory; and if we put to our hand to the work, it is our honour and glory and as God appears most glorious in repairing the temple when it is most ruinous; so it is a most honourable work, to be active in repairing the desolations of the temple; when men and devils are most active in pulling down the carved work; yea, dashing it down as with hammers and axes, and that under pretence of building and rearing it, and are destroying the temple and the builders of it both, let us work in dependence on the strength. and wisdom of the wise Master-builder.

[6.] Hence see the duty of people, as well as pastors;

and particularly, it may shew what is their duty, both with reference to the public concerns of the temple, and with reference to their own personal concern in this doctrine.

1. With reference to the public concerns of the temple of Christ's inystical body, especially amongst the members of the Association, in such a day of dreadful temptation and delusion, wherein God is letting loose Satan in his instruments, even amongst some of the godly, to be destroyers of his work, and saying to them, "Destroy this temple." Surely it is our duty, without drawing hasty conclusions, and turning aside to any new and crooked way, to "Wait till the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion, and upon Jerusalem;" and till he accomplish his word upon his mystical body, which is accomplished upon his human body; "In three days I will raise it up." Christ said once to his disciples, "What! could ye not watch with me one hour?" And may it not be said here, What! cannot we wait for him three days, or stay till the third day? I mean, the appointed time of repairing these desolations. Why, how long shall I wait? Indeed, whenever it comes to a destroying time, then may be expected a rebuilding time. Let not the eye of sense only look to what men are doing, when destroying this temple, but let the eye of faith look to what God is to bring out of these ruins, and wait a little for, if we look upon a fine building, while it is yet amongst the workman's fingers, before he hath given it the finishing stroke, we may readily see nothing but a mass of confusion; but when the work is perfected, then doth the beauty of it appear: so, if we look upon the Lord's work about Zion by halves, we would sometimes think he is pulling it down wholly; but, as in the fore-cited word, Job xxii. 29. "When there is a casting down, then thou shalt say, There is a lifting up." O sirs, behold the wonders of divine providence towards his church. Sins, and temple provocations, bring on tem ple desolations: and then, in infinite mercy, temple desolations make way for temple restoration, with a "Nevertheless he saves for his name's sake." Mean

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