II. The declaration founded upon it —
God denounces the heaviest judgments against those who abuse this privilege —
[He would not suffer any unclean person to enter into his temple of old, however free he might be from moral pollution, or however ignorantly he might have contracted his ceremonial defilementf'. These ordinances were intended to shew, that sin of any kind, and much more such as now prevailed among the Christians at Corinth, was extremely hateful in his sight : such purity does he require in all that come nigh unto him. Doubtless there are errors, both in faith and practice, which, though injurious to his people's happiness*^, will not destroy the relation that subsists between him and them': but, if they be of such a kind as to affect the foundation of the Christian's hope, or greatly to dishonour the superstructure, they will surely bring down the divine judgments on all who harbour them ^. This is declared respecting every kind of open immo- rality ^ : but it is declared also, with very remarkable force and energy, respecting any departure from the principles of the Gospel, or any declension from a life of entire devotedness to God. St. Paul says to these very Corinthians, " I fear, lest as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so any of you should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ "*." Why does he use the term " corrupted ? " Why does he not say, turned from the simplicity that is in Christ ? Why does he use the very same word as in my text is translated by the terms "defile," and "destroy?" No doubt he intended to shew us, that any great departure from Christian principles would corrupt, defile, and destroy the soul : and it is a fact, that such a dereliction of Christian simplicity does proceed from corruption in the soul, and will generate corruiition in the life. This idea is strongly confirmed by what the Apostle elsewhere says of those who propagate specious errors, being " vainly puffed by their fleshly mind"*. They do, in reality, the devil's work° ; and him they serve under the semblance of an angel of lightP. Beware then of his devices, of whatever kind they be, lest ye bring upon yourselves destruction from the Lord.]
This denunciation is even founded on the privilege itself —
g Numb. xix. 13. ^ ver. 15. » ver. 12 — 15.
^ (pdeipti, must import such a degree of defilement as has a ten- dency to destroy ; because the destruction menaced is also expressed by the word (pOepe'i.
> 1 Cor. vi. 18. "» 2 Cor. xi, 3. (pdap^. " Col. ii. 18.
0 The text. p 2 Cor. xi. 13,14.'
1947.] DANGER OF DEFILING god's TEMPLE. 119
[Why was God so jealous of the honour of his tem- ple, but because it was his immediate residence ? the more nearly it was connected with him, the more was he himself dishonoured by any pollutions introduced into it. Thus we also, instead of having any reason to hope for impunity on account of our relation to him, are taught to expect rather the heavier indignation, if we provoke the eyes of his glory i. He may not indeed depart instantly and at once ; because he is long-suffering as in the days of old. In forsaking his temple at Jerusalem, he removed to the threshold of the temple firsf, and then to the court of the temple % and then to the door of the east gate', and then to the mountain", that very Mount of Olives, from whence Jesus, the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person, afterwards took his departure from the midst of them. So he may be often grieved by us before he finally departs from us : but we may so resist his sacred motions as ultimately to " quench" them^: and then he will abandon us to our utter ruin^.]
Improvement —
1. Let us seek to possess this great privilege —