The temple A sermon preached at Pauls Cross the fifth of August. 1624. By…The temple A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse the fifth of August. 1624. By…

If Christ, while he was upon the Cross, saith Bernard, had given me some drops of his own blood in a Viol, how carefully would I have kept them, how dearly esteemed them, how laid them next my heart? But now he did not think it fit to trust me with those drops, but he hath entrusted to me a flock of his lambs, those souls for whom he shed his blood, like whom his own blood was not so dear unto him: upon these let me spend my care, my love, my labour, that I may present them holy Saints to my dear Lord Jesus.

If Christ, while hee was vpon the Crosse, saith Bernard, had giuen mee some drops of his owne blood in a Violl, how carefully would I haue kept them, how dearely esteemed them, how laid them next my heart? But now he did not thinke it fit to trust me with those drops, but hee hath intrusted to me a flocke of his lambes, those soules for whom hee shed his blood, like whom his owne blood was not so deare vnto him: vpon these let mee spend my care, my loue, my labour, that I may present them holy Saints to my deare Lord Iesus.

2. The other concerns all Christians; that they beware, lest for the abuses of men, they despise the Temple of God. For as the Altar cannot sanctify the Priest, so nor can the unholiness of the Priest dishallow the Altar. His sin is his own, and cannot make you guilty: the virtue and comfort is from God, and this is still able to make you holy. When we read, ¹that the sin of the Priests was great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord: this we all confess, was ill done of the Priests; and I hope no man thinks, it was well done of the people. Say their sins, yea their very persons were worthy to be abhorred, shall men therefore scorn the Sanctuary, & cast that contempt ⟨p. 18⟩on the Service of God, which belongs to the vices of man? This were to add our own evil to the evil of others, and to offend God because he was offended. Cannot the faults of men displease us, but we must needs fall out with God? Do we not provoke him justly to abhor our souls, when we so unjustly contemn his service? Know, that he is able to sanctify thy heart, even by the ministry of that man whose heart he hath not yet sanctified. The virtue consists not in the humane action, but in the divine Institution. We say of the Sacraments themselves, much more of the Ministers; Isti non tribuunt, quod per istos tribuitur: these do not give us, what God doth give us by them.