SERMON IV.

CHRISTIANS TEMPLES OF THE HOLY GHOST.

For Charity Schools.

1 COR. VI. 19, 20.

"WHAT? KNOW YE NOT THAT YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GHOST, WHICH IS IN YOU, WHICH YE HAve of God, aND YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN? FOR YE ARE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE: THEREFORE GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY, AND IN YOUR SPIRIT, WHICH ARE GOD'S."

We shall find, upon inquiry, that the very heathen, "even of themselves, judged what is right," willing not that any one should do unto another that which he would not should be done unto himself. This is the morality of the heathen philosopher; and, "all things

1 S. Luke xii. 57.

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whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; this is the Law and the Prophets."

Accordingly, we find, throughout the Law and the Prophets, the holy men of old, with hearts filled and fulfilled with all the deep consciousness, as of their own wants, so of the wants of others; as of their own privileges, so of what they would wish might be made the privileges of others.

With them no loss like the loss of GOD'S favour. No blessing like the bliss of His acceptance. How could they live," without GOD in the world?" And how could they "walk through the valley of the shadow of death," unless HE were "with them,"-unless "His Rod and His Staff comforted them?" And, if these things were so, how could they endure that themselves should have life, and others around them perish; themselves from day to day advance along their Heaven-ward path, and lend no helping hand to them whom they were passing by on the road side? It was this which caused Noah to continue "a preacher of righteousness" during an hundred and twenty 1 S. Matt. vii. 12. 2 Eph. ii. 12.

years, "while the ark was a-preparing;"" and Abraham to intercede for guilty Sodom ;" and Moses to exclaim, when the people sinned, "if THOU wilt forgive their sin; and, if not, blot me, I pray THEE, out of THY Book, which THOU hast written." What but this led the holy Job to offer sacrifices for his children, when they had been feasting and rejoicing? What but this brought Daniel "unto the LORD GOD, to seek by prayer, and supplication, with fasting, and sackcloth and ashes ?" Was it not the sense of his own wants, and the wants of others, and the fulness of their satisfaction in GoD, that constrained David, when even his enemies were sick, to "put on sackcloth, and humble his soul with fasting?"" It was thus they did, and thus they spake, because they knew, by experience, the blessed privileges of the godly, and would have others share in them : because they "knew the terror of the LORD " from which they were seeking escape, and they would "persuade men to seek escape

too.

1 2 S. Pet. ii. 5; 1 S. Pet. iii. 20.

3 Exod. xxxii. 32.

5 Ps. xxxv. 13.

2 Gen. xviii. 23-33.

4 Dan. ix. 3.

6 2 Cor. v. 11.

Clearly, "therefore, all things whatsoever we would that men should do to us, that we should do even so to them," clearly "this was the Law and the Prophets." How much more, then, must it needs be the Gospel! And so, in truth, from the first preaching of the Gospel, we find it. "The glorious company of the Apostles, the goodly fellowship of the Prophets, the noble army of Martyrs," went forth to tell what things the LORD had done, not for themselves alone, but for those who were to become "the Holy Church throughout all the world." And so was it for that branch of CHRIST'S Holy Church which has been planted in this land, yea, and for this very parish, and for us, for us here present, that they went forth "as sheep in the midst of wolves;" "not counting their lives dear unto themselves;""" gladly spending and being spent," in their Master's service; laying down their lives for the brethren;" "loving not their lives unto the death." For they went out to "both save themselves," and them that should "hear them." To win back a ruined world to

1 S. Matt. x. 16.
4 1 S. John iii. 16.

2 Acts xx. 24.
5 Rev. xii. 11.

32 Cor. xii. 15. 61 Tim. iv. 16.

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CHRIST. For they ever set His bright example before them, and learned from HIM the value of immortal souls, both in this world, and in the world to come. And it was His Brightness which shone reflected forth from them, when they went forth to shine as lights in the world." He was "the Light of the world," into whose depth of darkness they darted the glory of CHRIST the glorious things which He had done for them, and "for them also which should believe on HIM through their word." None as He could tell the wretchedness of those whose days on earth drag on without GOD. None as He could know the loss which would be theirs who should lose Heaven the horrible gain of those who should get for themselves damnation.

And HE" came into the world to save sin

ners;

;""by the mystery of His Holy Incarnation, by His Holy Nativity and Circumcision, by His Baptism, Fasting, and Temptation, by His Agony and Bloody Sweat, by His Cross and Passion, by His precious Death and Burial, by His glorious Resurrec

1 Phil. ii. 15.

3 S. John xvii. 20.

2 S. John ix. 5.

4 1 Tim. i. 15.