But the improvement of our subject must not end here. Hitherto I have been giving bread to the children; and it is my meat and drink so to do: but must nothing be said to those of you who are without? I mean to such who cannot yet say, that they are “the temple of the living GOD.” And O how great, put you all together, may the number of you be: by far, in all probability, the greatest part of this auditory. Say not I am uncharitable; the GOD of truth, hath said it, “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Suffer me to speak plainly to you, my brethren; you have heard what has been said upon the words of our text, and what must be wrought in us, ere we can truly say that we are “the temple of the living GOD.” Is it so with you? Are ye separated from the world and worldly tempers? Are your hearts become houses of prayer? Doth the Spirit of GOD dwell in your souls? and whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, as to the habitual bent of your minds, do you do all to the glory of GOD? These are short, but plain, and let me tell you very important questions. What answer can you make to them? Say not, “Go thy way, and at a more convenient season I will call for thee.” I will not, I must not suffer you to put me off so; I demand an answer in the name of the LORD of Hosts. What say ye? Methinks, I hear you say, “We have been dedicated to GOD in baptism, we go to church or meeting, we say our prayers, repeat our creeds, or have subscribed the articles, and the confession of faith; we are quite orthodox, and great friends to the doctrines of grace; we do no body any harm, we are honest moral people, we are ♦church-members, we keep up family-prayer, and constantly go to the table of the LORD.” All these things are good in their places. But thus far, nay much farther may you go, and yet be far from the kingdom of GOD. The unprofitable servant did no one any harm; and the foolish virgins had a lamp of an outward profession, and went up even to heaven’s gate, calling CHRIST, “Lord, Lord.” These things may make you whited sepulchres, but not “the temples of the living GOD.” Alas! Alas! one thing you yet lack, the one chief thing, and without which all is nothing; I mean the indwelling of GOD’s blessed Spirit, without which you can never become “the temples of the living GOD.”
♦ “churc-hmembers” replaced with “church-members”
Awake therefore, ye deceived formalists, awake; who, vainly puffed up with your model of performances, boastingly cry out, “The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD are we.” Awake, ye outward-court worshippers: ye are building on a sandy foundation: take heed lest you also go to hell by the very door of heaven. Behold, and remember, I have told you before.
And as for you who have done none of these things, who instead of making an outward profession of religion, have as it were renounced your baptism, proclaim your sin like _Sodom_, and wilfully and daringly live as without GOD in the world; I ask you, how can you think to escape, if you persist in neglecting such a great salvation. Verily, I should utterly despair of your ever attaining the blessed privilege of being temples of the living GOD, did I not hear of thousands, who through the grace of GOD have been translated from a like state of darkness into his marvellous light. Such, says the apostle _Paul_, writing to these very _Corinthians_ who were now GOD’s living temples, (drunkards, whoremongers, adulterers, and such like) “such were some of you. But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the LORD JESUS, and by the Spirit of our GOD.” O that the same blessed Spirit may this day vouchsafe to come and pluck you also as brands out of the burning! Behold, I warn you to flee from the wrath to come. Go home, and meditate on these things; and think whether it is not infinitely better, even here, to be temples of the living GOD, than to be bond-slaves to every brutish lust, and to be led captive by the devil at his will. The LORD JESUS can, and if you fly to him for refuge, he will set your souls at liberty. He hath led captivity captive, he hath ascended up on high, on purpose to receive this gift of the blessed Spirit of GOD for men, “even for the rebellious,” that he might dwell in your hearts by faith here, and thereby prepare you to dwell with Him and all the heavenly host in his kingdom hereafter.
That this may be the happy lot of you all, may GOD of his infinite mercy grant, for the sake of his dear Son CHRIST JESUS our LORD; to whom with the Father, and the blessed Spirit, three persons, but one GOD, be ascribed all power, might, majesty, and dominion, now and for evermore. Amen! and Amen!