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and true as done by us, all this is of and from the Lord alone; and therefore nothing is to be afcribed unto man. He has no merit, nothing to boaft of, or glory in, fave the Lord his God.

And, laftly, Let us remember, that as we admit the love and truth of the Lord into our will and understanding, and our life is regulated thereby, we become the fervants and children of the Lord, our heavenly father and master; confequently, we shall receive the reward of faithful fervants and obedient children-which will be no less than eternal conjunction with our God-the enjoyment of his kingdom-the glories, felicities, and honors thereofthe full fruition of his love and goodnefs-and all this through the boundlefs ages of a never-ending eternity.

In the pleafing profpect of this fuperlative and unspeakable glory, may we be the faithful fervants of our divine Lord-the obedient children of our heavenly Father-until meetened for heaven, we' are called to his arms, to fit down in his kingdom, and be for ever happy! Amen.

SERMON

SERMON XIII.

THE TEMPLE CLEANSED;

OR,

THE HEART NO LONGER A HOUSE OF MERCHANDISE.

John ii. 16.

Take these things hence; make not my Father's houfe an houfe of merchandise.

WE are informed in this chapter, that

the Lord Jefus went up to Jerusalem about the time that the Jews paffover was at hand; a feaft which they kept yearly in remembrance of the deftroying angel's paffing by their doors, when all the first-born in Egypt were flain. About this time Jefus went into the temple at Jerufalem, and when he came there," he found in the temple "thofe

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"thofe that fold oxen, and fheep, and doves, and "the changers of money, fitting: and when he "had made a fcourge of small cords, he drove "them all out of the temple, and the fheep, and "the oxen, and poured out the changers money, "and overthrew the tables." And in Matthew and Mark it is added, "he faid unto them, It is written, my house fhall be called the houfe of 66 prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." And, in the words of our text-" Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an "houfe of merchandise."

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It is obvious, that the temple at Jerufalem was built by the particular direction and command of the Lord, as a houfe of prayer and religious worfhip; that it was, therefore, holy and facred, and by no means ought to be profaned or defiled. But it was not only devoted to religious fervices, and facred to the Lord-it was alfo, in every particular of it, reprefentative. Its form, materials, utenfils, ceremonies, facrifices, offerings, and worship, were all representative of the Lord, his spiritual church, and the man of the church; and therefore it was moft boly.

But the Jews, and even those who officiated in the fervice of the temple, were become fo fenfual and evil, that they not only profaned their offices, and polluted the worship, but also defiled and profaned the temple itself, that holy place, devoted to God and his fervice only. They made it a place

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of traffic, a mere market, in which they bought and fold oxen, fheep, doves, and the like. Our Lord entering in, and beholding this facrilege and profanation, not only manifested his disapprobation, his indignation at their iniquitous conduct, but also his divine power and authority; for he made a fcourge of fmall cords, drove them all out of the temple, and the fheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers money, and overthrew the tables. -I have frequently confidered this tranfaction, and have thought it as wonderful and fingular as almoft any recorded in the four evangelists.

Here is the Lord Jefus, who appeared as a man, and was looked upon as no more than a man, entering the temple, without any visible authority-not sustaining any civil office in Judea; he takes a fcourge of cords, drives out all the buyers and fellers, fcatters their money upon the floor, difperfeth their oxen and fheep, and no one appears to make any refiftance !-all are aftonishedenraged-but not a hand moved against him!When it was all over, they ask him, "What fign "shewest thou unto us, feeing thou doeft all these "things?" This is all that we hear concerning it.— But why did they not resist the Lord? Why did they fuffer themfelves to be forced out with a fcourge their oxen and sheep to be driven awayand their money fcattered upon the ground? Why, firs, confcious guilt will fink the proudest mind, and make a coward of the ftouteft heart. They knew that

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that what they did was facrilegious and profane. By infernal demons prompted to this vile conduct, they fled with fhame and wild confufion when Chrift the God appeared.

There is much spiritual inftruction to be gathered from these circumstances, fome of which we shall notice presently.

We will proceed to our text-"Take these "things hence; make not my Father's house an " house of merchandise." In fpeaking from which we will,

First, Explain what is meant by the Father's house. Secondly, What by its being made a house of merchandise.

Thirdly, Confider what things are to be taken thence, and the reasons why.

And firft, What is meant by the Father's houfe?

The temple at Jerufalem, as I before obferved, was in every particular reprefentative; it was alfo a facred and holy building, as being built by the command and direction of the Almighty. And as divine representative worship was to be performed in it, confequently it ought not in any manner to be profaned. But when the real things which the temple represented are known, then we fhall see why it is called the houfe of God, and why it ought not to be polluted.

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