tempt, in coming to the Lord's houfe, ftanding fo near unto us, fo feldom, and fcarcely at any time. So far is it from a great many of us to come early in the morning, or give attendance without, who difdain to come into the temple and yet we abhor the very name of the Jews, when we hear it, as of a moft wicked and ungodly people. But it is to be feared, that in this point we be far worfe than the Jews, and that they fhall rife at the day of judgment to our condemnation, who, in comparison to them, fhew fuch flacknefs and contempt in reforting to the house of the Lord, there to ferve him, according as we are of duty moft bound. And befides this most horrible dread of God's juft judgment in the great day, we fhall not in this life efcape his heavy hand and vengeance, for this contempt of the houfe of the Lord, and his due fervice in the fame, according as the Lord himself threateneth in the first chapter of the Prophet Haggai, after this Haggai i. fort: Because you have left my boule defert and without company, faith the Lord, and ye have made hafte every man to his own boufe, for this caufe are the heavens flayed over you, that they should give no dew, and the earth is forbidden, that it fhould bring forth her fruit; and I have called drought upon the earth, and upon the mountains, and upon corn, and upon wine, and upon oil, and upon all things that the earth bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon beafts, and upon all things that men's hands labour for. Behold, if we be fuch worldlings, that we care not for the eternal judgments of God, (which yet of all other are moft dreadful and horrible) we fhall not efcape the punishment of God in this world by drought and famine, and the taking away of all worldly commodities, which we as worldlings feem only to regard and care for. Whereas, on the contrary part, if we would amend this fault or negligence, flothfulness and contempt of the houfe of the Lord, and his due fervice there, and with diligence refort thither together, to ferve the Lord with one accord and confent, in all holinefs and righteoufnefs before him, we have promises of Matt. xviii, benefits both heavenly and worldly. I berefoever two or three be gathered in my name, faith our Saviour Chrift, there am I in the midst of them. And what can be more bleffed, than to have our Saviour Chrift among us? Or what again can be more unhappy or mifchievous, than to drive our Saviour Chrift from amongst us, to leave a place for his and our moft ancient and mortal enemy, the old dragon and ferpent, Satan the Devil, in the midít of us? In the fecond of Luke it is written, how that the mother

Luke .

of

1

of Cbrift and Jofeph, when they had long fought Chrift, whom they had loft, and could find him no where, that at the laft they found him in the temple, fitting in the midst of the doctors. So if we lack Jefus Chrift, that is to fay, the Saviour of our fouls and bodies, we thall not find him in the market-place, or in the guildhall, much lefs in the alehoufe or tavern, amongst good fellows, (as they call them) fo foon as we fhall find him in the temple, the Lord's houfe, amongst the teachers and preachers of his word, where indeed he is to be found. And as concerning worldly commodities, we have a fure promife of our Saviour Chrift: Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and the righteoufnefs thereof, and all these things jhall withal be given unto you. And thus we have in the first part of this Homily declared by God's word, that the temple or church is the house of the Lord, for that the fervice of the Lord (as teaching and hearing of his holy word, calling upon his holy name, giving thanks to him for his great and innumerable benefits, and due miniftering of his facraments) is there ufed. And it is likewife declared by the Scriptures, how all godly and Chriftian men and women ought, at times appointed, with diligence to refort unto the house of the Lord, there to ferve him and to glorify him, as he is moft worthy, and we moft bound; to whom be all glory and honour, world without end. Amen.

The Second Part of the Homily of the Right Ufe of the Church.

IT

T was declared in the first part of this Homily, by God's word, that the temple, or church, is the house of the Lord, for that the fervice of the Lord (as teaching and hearing of his holy word, calling upon his holy name, giving thanks to him for his great and innumerable benefits, and due miniftering of the facraments) is there ufed. And it is likewife already declared by the Scriptures, how all godly and Chriftian men and women ought, at times appointed, with diligence to refort unto the house of the Lord, there to ferve him, and to glorify him, as he is most worthy, and we moft bounden.

Now it remaineth in this fecond part of the Homily concerning the right ufe of the temple of God, to be likewife declared by God's word, with what quietnefs,

filence,

filence, and reverence, thofe that refort to the house of the Lord ought there to use and behave themselves.

It may teach us fufficiently how well it doth become us Chriftian men reverently to ufe the church and holy houfe of our prayers, by confidering in how great reverence and veneration the Jews in the old law had their temple, which appeared by fundry places, whereof I will note unto you certain. In the twenty-fixth of Matthew it is laid to our Saviour Chrift's charge before a temporal judge, as a matter worthy of death, by the two falfe witnelles, that he had faid, he could deftroy the temple of God, and in three days build it again; not doubting, but if they might make men to believe that he had faid any thing against the honour and majefty of the temple, he fhould feem to all men moft worthy of death. And in the twenty-first of the Acts, when the Jews found Paul in the temActs xxi. ple, they laid bands upon bim, crying, Ye men Ifraelites, help; this is that man who teacheth all men every where against the people and the law, and against this place: befides that, be bath brought the Gentiles into the temple, and bath profaned this boly place. Behold how they took it for a like offence to fpeak against the temple of God, as to fpeak against the law of God; and how they judged it convenient, that none but godly perfons, and the true worshippers of God, fhould enter into the temple of God. And the fame fault is laid to Paul's charge by Tertullus, an eloquent man, and by the Jews, in the twenty-fourth of the Acts, before a temporal judge, as a matter worthy of Acts xxiv. death, that he went about to pollute the temple of God. And in the twenty-feventh of Matthew, when the chief priests had received again the pieces of filver at Judas's Mat. xxvii. hand, they faid, It is not lawful to put them into Corban, (which was the treafure-houfe of the temple) because it is the price of blood. So that they could not abide that not only any unclean perfon, but also any other dead thing that was judged unclean, fhould once come into the temple, or any place thereto belonging. And to this end is St. Paul's faying in the fecond Epiftle to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. vi. the fixth chapter, to be applied. What fellowship is there betwixt righteousness and unrighteousness? Or what communion between light and darkness? Or what concord between Chrift and Belial? Or what part can the faithful have with the unfaithful? Or what agreement can there be between the temple of God and images? Which fentence, although it be chiefly referred to the temple of the mind of the godly; yet feeing that the fimilitude and pith of the argu

ment

ment is taken from the material temple, it enforceth thatno ungodlinefs, fpecially of images or idols, may be fuffered in the temple of God, which is the place of worfhipping God; and therefore can no more be fuffered to ftand there, than light can agree with darknefs, or Chrift with Belial; for that the true worfhipping of God, and the worfhipping of images, are moft contrary. And the fetting of them up in the place of worthipping may give great occafion to the worthipping of them. But to turn to the reverence, that the Jews had to their temple : you will fay that they honoured it fuperftitiously, and a great deal too much, crying out, The temple of the Lord, the tem-Jer. vii. ple of the Lord, being notwithstanding moft wicked in life, and be therefore moft juftly reproved of Jeremiah, the Prophet of the Lord. Truth it is, that they were fuperftitioufly given to the honouring of their temple. But I would we were not as far too thort from the due reverence of the Lord's houfe, as they overfhot themfelves therein. And if the Prophet juftly reprehended them," hearken alfo what the Lord requireth at our hands, that we may know whether we be blame-worthy or no.

It is written in Ecclefiaftes, the fourth chapter, When Ecclef. iv. thou doft enter into the house of God, faith he, take heed to thy feet; draw near that thou mayeft bear: for obedience is much more avorth than the facrifice of fools, which know not what evil they do. Speak nothing rafhly there, neither let thine beart be favift to utter words before God: for God is in heaven, and thou art upon the earth; therefore let thy words be few. Note, well-beloved, what quietnefs in gefture and behaviour, what filence in talk and words, is required in the house of God; for fo he calleth it. See whether they take heed to their feet, as they be here warned, which never ceafe from uncomely walking and jetting up and down and overthwart the church, fhewing an evident fignification of notable contempt, both of God, and all good men there prefent: and what heed they take to their tongues and fpeech, which do not only speak words fwiftly and rafhly before the Lord, (which they be here forbidden) but also oftentimes fpeak filthily, covetously, and ungodlily, talking of matters fearce honeft or fit for the alehoufe or tavern, in the houfe of the Lord; little confidering that they fpeak before God, who dwelleth in heaven, (as is here declared) when they be but vermin here creeping upon the earth, in comparifon to his eternal Majefty, and lefs regarding that they must give an ac- Matt. xi. count at the great day of every idle word, wherefoever it be Spoken,

1

Spoken, much more of filthy, unclean, or wicked words fpoken in the Lord's houfe, to the great difhonour of his Majefty, and offence of all that hear them. And indeed, concerning the people and multitude, the temple is prepared for them to be hearers rather than fpeakers, confidering that as well the word of God is there read and taught, whereunto they are bound to give diligent ear with all reverence and filence, as alfo that common prayer and thanksgiving are rehcarfed and faid by the public minifter in the name of the people and the whole multitude prefent, whereunto they, giving their ready audience, Cor. xiv. fhould affent and fay, Amen, as St. Paul teacheth in the firft Epiftle to the Corinthians... And in another place, glorifying God with one spirit and mouth; which cannot be when every man and woman, in feveral pretences of devotion, prayeth privately; one afking, another giving thanks, another reading doctrine, and not regarding to hear the common prayer of the minifter. And peculiarly, what due reverence is to be used in the miniftering of the facraments in the temple, the fame St. Paul teacheth to the Corinthians, rebuking fuch as did unreverently use them1 Cor. xi. felves in that behalf. Have ye not boufes to eat and drink in? faith he. Do ye defpife the church or congregation of God? What shall I fay unto you? Shall I praife you? In this I praife you not. And God requireth not only this outward reverence of behaviour and filence in his houfe, but all inward reverence in cleaning of the thoughts of our hearts, threatening by his Prophet IIofea in the ninth Hofea ix. chapter, that, for the malice of the inventions and devices of the people, he will caft them out of his houfe: whereby is alfo fignified, the eternal cafting of them out of his heavenly houfe and kingdom, which is moft horrible. And, Levit. xix. therefore in the nineteenth of Leviticus God faith, Fear you with reverence my fanctuary, for I am the Lord. And according to the fame the Prophet David faith, I will en-, ter into thine houfe, I will worship in thy boly temple, in thy fear fhewing what inward reverence and humbleness of mind the godly man ought to have in the houfe of the Lord. And to allege fomewhat concerning this matter out of the New Teliament, in what honour God would have his houfe or temple kept, and that by the example of our Saviour Chrift, whofe authority ought of good reafon with all true Chriftians to be of molt weight and eftiMatt. xxi. mation. It is written of all the four Evangelifts, as a notable act, and worthy to be teftified by many holy witneffes, how that our Saviour Jefus Chrift, that merciful

Pfal. v.

Mark xi.

Luke xix. John xi.

and