"Fellowship." must be aware, Catholic," as most of you 66 means universal," and "Church" or Kirk (i. e. Circle) means the same as "Congregation" or Assembly, which are elsewhere given as translations of the same original word " ecclesia." That Holy universal Assembly, therefore, which is the Communion of Saints, i. e. the fellowship or community of those who are sanctified by faith in Christ, comprehends all Christians in the bond of obedience and gratitude to one Redeemer, and participation in the guidance of the same Spirit, (if they will be led by that Spirit) and in mutual love, and good-will, and concord among themselves; "endeavouring" (says the Apostle), "with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love, to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace;" for there is, says he, "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Now it is plain that in a religion such as this, it would have been utterly unsuitable that there should be any one Temple made with hands, as of old " in the place which the Lord had chosen to set his name there;" and equally so that there should have been several Temples of such a character; which, indeed, could hardly have failed to lead to the worship of several distinct gods. Indeed, the appointment of a particular place as the seat of Government (if I may use such an expression) of the all-present God, was fitted only for a rude and half-barbarian people, and for a preparatory religious dispensation, to be succeeded by a more perfect one. The final and more glorious manifestation of the Lord was to be in a Spiritual House, even the Christian Church (or Assembly) itself; of which the members "as living stones are builded together (edified)* into a holy Temple," the "Temple of the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in them." But lest it should have been supposed that the promise of divine presence, and manifestation of power in this third Temple was to be confined to a collective assemblage of all Christians (which after a very few years would have been impossible), our Lord is careful to *See Sermon III. give distinct notice that every Christian assembly, however small, would be entitled to this gracious and glorious privilege. "Wheresoever," says He, "two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." The Apostles, accordingly, went every where preaching the word, and founding, wherever they were received, distinct religious communities (called, in the Acts of the Apostles, Churches*) quite independent (as may plainly be seen in that history) one of another, and having no common government on earth; but connected together only by their common faith in their one Master in Heaven, and their common participation in his Spirit. But in founding these Communities or Churches, they did conform to the Jewish customs in which they had been brought up, as far as these were not at variance with the religion of the Gospel. They took for their model,—and, in most cases probably, for their foundation, in establishing a Christian Church, -the Jewish Synagogues. And, hence it is, *See Hinds's History, vol. ii. p. 41. that when we read of their " ordaining Elders in every city," it is not spoken of as if they were introducing any new and unheard-of kind of office. For the Jewish Synagogues (i. e. houses of assembly) which were frequented every week for prayer, and for the reading and expounding of the Scriptures, had Elders and other officers (as all places of public assembly must have) for their govern ment and regulation. If, therefore, in any city, the synagogue, or connected set of synagogues there subsisting, thought fit to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, no further change in its constitution was necessary; but it became at once, by that very circumstance, a Christian Church, with all the proper officers ready appointed. And as a Jewish Synagogue had no Priest, nor Altar, nor Sacrifice (these pertaining to the Temple at Jerusalem), but was a meeting for divine worship and instruction only, so, the Christians were taught to look to their one great High Priest, "ever living to make intercession for them," in the true Holy of Holies, and to his one great atoning sacrifice, answering -- to the Passover, and to the yearly day of atonement. The other, the daily sacrifices offered in the Temple,-answer to the prayer and selfoblation of Christians; whom the Apostle beseeches to " present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God." It is for this purpose, my Christian Brethren, that we are now met; and we are now met on the especial occasion of setting apart a building for this particular use. It is for that reason that I have thought it needful to impress on your minds that it is not this, or any other building made with hands, that is to be regarded as the Christian Temple, but you, the Christian People. Reflect, therefore, I entreat you, each one of you, not now only, but at home, in the retirement of the closet, and in the business of the world, that you are a living stone,-a portion, of God's Temple. It is a glorious, but it is an awful privilege; for "if any man," says the Apostle, "defile the Temple of God, him will God destroy." ""* But in a place, and on an occasion such as * Φθείρειν is the word used in both places. |