THE church's visitation. 375
their desire is, that God may govern and rule their whole conversation ; they have no idol above God in their hearts.
ilse 1. What a -wonderful mercy is this, that we are God's house ; that he will vouchsafe to dwell and take up his lodging in such defiled houses as our souls are. It is no mean favoui', that God should single out us poor wretches, to have his residence and abiding place in our souls, considering there is so much wickedness in the hearts of the best of us.
Oh what comfort ariseth to a Christian soul from the due meditation of this point. If we are God's house, then God will be our house ; ' Thou ait our habitation,' saith Moses, ' from generation to generation,' Ps. xc. 1. Howsoever we shufile in the world, now here and now there, having no cer- tain place of abode, but are here to day, and gone to-morrow, yet in God we have an house, ' Thou art om* habitation ;' he is oui-s, and we are his. And what a comfort is this that we are God's house. Certainly God will provide for his own house. He that lays this charge upon others, and hath put that aflection and care of provision into others for their families, ^sall he neglect his own ? he that makes us love, and puts that natural aflection into us of those that belong imto us, hath he not infinitely more in him- self? whenas that which we have, is but a beam or ray fi-om his infinite brightness.
Use 2. This should then, instruct us to labour that God may dwell largely and comfortably in us, to deUver up all to this keeper of our house, and sufier him to rule and reign in us. The Romish Chm*ch is become the habitation of devils ; that which was Bethel, is now become Bethaveu («). Why ? because they would not sufier God to mle in his own house, but would have coadjutors with Chiist, as if he were not a sufiicient head of the church to govern it, but he must have a vicax, the pope ; who, as if Christ were took * weak, wiU not sufier him to exercise his kingly oflice, unless he may support and help him. Thus they set up the abomination of desolation in the temple of God.
0 beloved, it much concerns us to cleanse and purify our hearts, that so we may entertain Chiist, and he may delight to abide and dwell with us. You know how heinously he took it, when his house was made a den of thieves, Luke xix. 46, and will he not take it much worse that our hearts should be made the very sinks and cages of all manner of uncleanness ?
How should we beg and cry to God that he would whip out these noi- some lusts and corruptions out of the temple of om- hearts by any shai-p correction or terror of conscience whatsoever, rather than sufier them to reside there, stiU to grieve his good Spirit. We should take a holy state upon us, as being temples of the Holy Ghost, and therefore too good to be defiled with sin. Our hearts should be as the holy of holies ; and there- fore the apostle exhorts us ' to abstain from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit,' for this cause, 'that God may dwell amongst us,' 2 Cor. ^ii. 1; for, ' what commimion hath light with darkness ? ' 2 Cor. vi. 14.
Use 3. Are God's people his house ? Then let the enemies of the chm-ch take heed how they deal ■with them, for God will have a special care of his own house. Howsoever he may seem for a time to neglect his childi'en, yet remember this, they are his house stiU ; and no ordinaiy house, but a temple, wherein sacrifice is offered to him continually ; and * he that de- stroyeth the temple of God, him wiU God destroy,' 1 Cor. iii. 17.
Quest. Here a question would be answered, which some uncharitable spirits make, and that is this, Whether England be the house of God, or no ?
* Qu, ' too ? '—Ed.
37d- THE church's visitation.
Ans. That the Church of England is God's house. I answer : the whole catholic militant church is but one house of God, though there be divers branches of the same. As there is but one main ocean of the sea, yet as it washeth upon the British coast it is called the British sea ; and as it washeth on the Germans, the German sea, &c. It hath divers names of the divers countries which it passeth through, nevertheless there is still but one main sea ; so it is with the house of God. God hath but one true chm-ch in the whole world, which spreads itself into divers nations and countries ujon the face of the earth ; one branch whereof is among us at this day.
Quest. How prove you that ?
Ans. Doth not Christ dwell amongst us by his ordinances, and by his Spirit working effectually in the same ? If a house be not in perfect repair, is it not still a house ? I beseech you, let us rather give God cause to delight to dwell within us, than call in question whether he dwelleth amongst us or no.