The Jewish temple was also a place where the Great Jehovah was pleased in a more immediate manner to reside. Hence, he is said to put and record his name there, and to sit or dwell between the cherubims; and when _Solomon_ first dedicated it, we are told, “the house was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD had filled the house.” And wherefore all this amazing manifestation of the Divine Glory? Even for this, O man, to shew thee how the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, would make believers hearts his living temple, and dwell and make his abode in all those that tremble at his word.
To this, the apostle more particularly alludes in the words immediately following our text; for having called the _Corinthians_ “the temple of the living GOD,” he adds, “as GOD hath said, I will dwell in them, and I will walk in them, and I will be their GOD, and they shall be my people.” Strange and strong expressions these! But strange and strong as they are, must be experienced by all who are indeed “the temple of the living GOD.” For they are said, to be “chosen to be a holy habitation through the Spirit; to dwell in GOD, and GOD in them; to have the witness in themselves, and to have GOD’s Spirit witnessing with their spirits that they are the children of GOD.” Which expressions import no more or less, than that prayer of our LORD which he put up for his church and people a little before his bitter passion, “That they may be one, even as we are one, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one:” This glorious passage our church adopts in her excellent communion office, and is so far from thinking that this was only the privilege of the apostles, that she asserts in the strongest terms, that it is the privilege of every worthy communicant. For then (says she) if we receive the sacrament worthily, we are one with CHRIST, and CHRIST is one with us; we dwell in CHRIST, and CHRIST in us. And what is it, but that inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which we pray for in the beginning of that office, and that fellowship of the Holy Ghost, which the minister, in the conclusion of every day’s public prayer, entreats the LORD to be with us all evermore?
Brethren, the time would fail me to mention all the scriptures, and the various branches of our liturgy, articles, and homilies, that speak of this inestimable blessing, the indwelling of the blessed Spirit, whereby we do indeed become, “the temples of the living GOD.” If you have eyes that see, or ears that hear, you may view it almost in every page of the lively oracles, and every part of those offices, which some of you daily use, and hear read to you, in the public worship of Almighty GOD. In asserting therefore this doctrine, we do not vent the whimsies of a disordered brain, and heated imagination; neither do we broach any new doctrines, or set up the peculiar opinions of any particular sect or denomination of christians whatsoever; but we speak the words of truth and soberness, we shew you the right and good old way, even that, in which the articles of all the reformed churches, and all sincere christians of all parties, however differing in other respects, do universally agree. We are now insisting upon a point, which may properly be termed the christian _shibboleth_, something which is the grand criterion of our most holy religion; and on account of which, the holy _Ignatius_, one of the first fathers of the church, was used to stile himself a _bearer of_ GOD, and the people to whom he wrote, _bearers of_ GOD: For this, as it is recorded of him, he was arraigned before _Trajan_, who imperiously said, Where is this man, that says, he carries GOD about with him. With an humble boldness he answered, I am he, and then quoted the passage in the text “Ye are the temple of the living GOD; as GOD hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their GOD, and they shall be my people.” Upon this, to cure him of his enthusiasm, he was condemned to be devoured by lions.
Blessed be GOD! we are not in danger of being called before such persecuting _Trajans_ now: under our present mild and happy administration, the scourge of the tongue is all that they can legally lash us with. But if permitted to go farther, we need not be ashamed of witnessing this good confession. Suffering grace will be given for suffering times; and if, like _Ignatius_, we are bearers of GOD, we also shall be enabled to say with him, when led to the devouring lions, Now I begin to be a disciple of CHRIST.
But it is time for me,
_Secondly_, To make some practical improvement of what has been delivered. You have heard in what sense it is that real christians are “the temple of the living GOD.” Shall I ask, Believe ye these things? I know and am persuaded that some of you do indeed believe them, not because I have told you, but because you yourselves have experienced the same.