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AN

HOMILY

FOR

Repairing and keeping clean, and comely adorning of
Churches.

IT

T is a common cuftom ufed of all men, when they intend to have their friends or neighbours to come to their houfes to eat or drink with them, or to have any folemn affembly to treat and talk of any matter, they will have their houfes, which they keep in continual reparations, to be clean and fine, left they fhould be counted fluttish, or little to regard their friends and neighbours. How much more then ought the houfe of God, which we commonly call the church, to be fufficiently repaired in all places, and to be honourably adorned and garnished, and to be kept clean and fweet, to the comfort of the people that fhall refort thereunto!

It appeareth in the holy Scripture, how God's houfe, which was called his holy temple, and was the mother church of all Jewry, fell fometimes into decay, and was oftentimes profaned and defiled, through the negligence and ungodlinefs of fuch as had the charge thereof. But when godly kings and governors were in place, then commandment was given forthwith, that the church and temple of God fhould be repaired, and the devotion of the people to be gathered for the reparation of the fame. 2 Kings xii. We read in the fecond Book of the Kings, how that King Joas, being a godly prince, gave commandment to the priefts to convert certain offerings of the people towards the reparation and amendment of God's temple.

2 Kings xxii.

Like commandment gave that moft godly King Jofias, concerning the reparation and re-edification of God's temple, which in his time he found in fore decay. It hath pleafed Almighty God, that these hiftories touching

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the re-edifying and repairing of his holy temple, fhould be written at large, to the end we should be taught thereby; firft, that God is well pleafed, that his people fhould have a convenient place to refort unto, and to come together, to praife and magnify God's holy name. And fecondly, he is highly pleated with all thofe, which diligently and zealoufly go about to amend and reftore fuch places as are appointed for the congregation of God's people to refort unto, and wherein they humbly and jointly render thanks to God for his benefits, and with one heart and voice praife his holy name. Thirdly, God was fore difpleafed with his people, because they builded, decked, and trimmed up their own houfes, and fuffered God's houfe to be in ruin and decay, to lie uncomely and fulfomely. Wherefore God was fore grieved with them, and plagued them, as appeareth in the Prophet Haggai. Thus faith the Lord: Is it time for you to dwell in your Haggai i. ceiled boufes, and the Lord's boufe not regarded? Ye have foved much, and gathered in but little; your meat and your clothes have neither filled you, nor made you warm; and be that bad his wages, put it in a bottomlefs purfe. By thefe plagues, which God laid upon his people for neglecting of his temple, it may evidently appear, that God will have his temple, his church, the place where his congregation fhall refort to magnify him, well edified, well repaired, and well maintained. Some, neither regarding godlinefs, nor the place of godly exercife, will fay, the temple in the old law was commanded to be built and repaired by God himfelf, because it had great promifes annexed unto it, and because it was a figure, a facrament, or a fignification of Chrift, and alfo of his church. To this may be cafily anfwered; firft, that our churches are not deftitute of promifes, forafmuch as our Saviour Chrift faith, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst among them. A great number therefore coming to church together in the name of Christ, have there, that is to fay in the church, their God and Saviour Jefus Chrift, prefent among the congregation of his faithful people, by his grace, by his favour and godly affiftance, according to his moft affured and comfortable promifes. Why then ought not Chriftian people to build them temples and churches, having as great promifes of the prefence of God, as ever had Solomon for the material temple, which he did build? As touching the other point, that Solomon's temple was a figure of Chrift: we know that now in the time of the clear light of Chrift Jefus,

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the Son of God, all fhadows, figures, and fignifications are utterly gone, all vain and unprofitable ceremonies, both Jewish and Heathenish, fully abolished. And therefore our churches are not fet up for figures and fignifications of Meffiahs and Chrift to come, but for other godly and neceflary purposes; that is to fay, that like as every man hath his own houfe to abide in, to refreth himfelf in, to reft in, with fuch like commodities; fo Almighty God will have his houfe and place, whither the whole parith and congregation fhall refort, which is called the church and temple of God, for that the church, which is the company of God's people, doth there aflemble and come together to ferve him. Not meaning hereby, that the Lord, whom the heaven of heavens is not able to hold or comprife, doth dwell in the church of lime and ftone, made with man's hands, as wholly and only contained there within, and no where elfe; for fo he never dwelt in Solomon's temple. Moreover, the church or temple is counted and called holy, yet not of itfelf, but because God's people reforting thereunto are holy, and exercife themfelves in holy and heavenly things. And to the intent ye may understand further, why churches were built among Chriftian people, this was the greateft confideration; that God might have his place, and that God might have his time, duly to be honoured and ferved of the whole multitude in the parith: firft, there to hear and learn the bleffed word and will of the everlafling God. Secondly, that there the bleffed facraments, which our Lord and Saviour Chrift Jefus hath ordained and appointed, fhould be duly, reverently, and decently miniftered. Thirdly, that there the whole multitude of God's people in the parifh fhould with one voice and heart call upon the name of God, magnify and praife the name of God, render earnest and hearty thanks to our heavenly Father for his heap of benefits daily and plentifully poured upon us, not forgetting to beftow our aims upon God's poor, to the intent God may blefs us the more richly. Thus ye may well perceive and understand wherefore churches were built and fet up amongft Chriftian people, and dedicated and appointed to thefe godly ufes, and wholly exempted from all filthy, profane, and worldly ufes. Wherefore all they that have little mind or devotion to repair and build God's temple, are to be counted people of much ungodlinefs, fpurning again good order in Chrift's church, defpifing the true honour of God, with evil examples offending and hindering their neighbours, other

wife well and godly difpofed. The world thinketh it but a trifle to fee their church in ruin and decay. But whofo doth not lay to their helping hands, they fin against God and his holy congregation. For if it had not been fin to neglect and flightly regard the re-edifying and building up again of his temple, God would not have been fo much grieved, and fo foon have plagued his people, because they builded and decked their own houfes fo gorgeously, and defpifed the houfe of God their Lord. It is fin and hame to fee fo many churches fo ruinous, and fo foully decayed, almoft in every corner. If a man's private houfe, wherein he dwelleth, be decayed, he will never ceafe till it be reftored up again. Yea, if his barn, where he keepeth his corn, be out of reparations, what diligence ufeth he to make it in perfect ftate again! If his ftable for his horfe, yea, the fty for his fwine, be not able to hold out water and wind, how careful is he to do coft thereon! And fhall we be fo mindful of our common bafe houses, deputed to fo vile employment, and be forgetful towards the houfe of God, wherein be treated the words of our eternal falvation, wherein be ministered the facraments and myfteries of our redemption? The fountain of our regeneration is there prefented unto us, the partaking of the body and blood of our Saviour Chrift is there offered unto us; and fhall we not efteem the place, where fo heavenly things are handled? Wherefore, if ye have any reverence to the fervice of God, if ye have any common honefly, if ye have any confcience in keeping of neceflary and godly ordinances, keep your churches in good repair, whereby ye thall not only pleafe God, and deferve his manifold bleffings, but alfo deferve the good report of all godly people.

The fecond point, which appertaineth to the maintenance of God's houfe, is to have it well adorned, and comely and clean kept: which things may be the more eafily reformed, when the church is well repaired. For like as men are well refrethed and comforted, when they find their houfes having all things in good order, and all corners clean and fweet; fo when God's houfe, the church, is well adorned, with places convenient to fit in, with the pulpit for the preacher, with the Lord's table for the miniftration of his holy fupper, with the font to. chriften in, and alfo is kept clean, comely, and fweetly, the people are more defirous and the more comforted to refort thither, and to tarry there the whole time appointed them. With what earnestnefs, with what vehement zeal

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Matt. xxi. zeal did our Saviour Chrift drive the buyers and fellers out of the temple of God, and hurled down the tables of the changers of money, and the feats of the dove-fellers, and could not abide any man to carry a veffel through the temple! He told them, that they had made his Father's house a den of thieves, partly through their superftition, hypocrify, falfe worship, falfe doctrine, and infatiable covetoufnefs, and partly through contempt, abufing that place with walking and talking, with worldly matters without all fear of God, and due reverence to that place. What dens of thieves the churches of England have been made by the blafphemous buying and felling the most precious body and blood of Chrift in the mass, as the world was made to believe, at diriges, at months minds, at trentalls, in abbeys and chantries, befide other horrible abufes, (God's holy name be bleffed for ever) which we now fee and understand. All these abominations they that fupply the room of Chrift have cleanfed and purged the churches of England of, taking away all fuch fulfomenefs and filthinefs, as through blind devotion and ignorance hath crept into the church thefe many hundred years. Wherefore, O ye good Chriftian people, ye dearly beloved in Chrift Jefus, ye that glory not in worldly and vain religion, in fantaftical adorning and decking, but rejoice in heart to fee the glory of God truly fet forth, and the churches restored to their ancient and godly ufe, render your hearty thanks to the goodnets of Almighty God, who hath in our days ftirred up the hearts, not only of his godly preachers and minifters, but alio of his faithful and moft Chriftian magiftrates and governors, to bring fuch godly things to pafs.

And forafmuch as your churches are fcoured and swept from the finful and fuperftitious filthinefs, wherewith they were defiled and disfigured, do ye your parts, good people, to keep your churches comely and clean; fuffer them not to be defiled with rain and weather, with dung of doves and owls, ftares and choughs, and other filthinefs, as it is foul and lamentable to behold in many places of this country. It is the houfe of prayer, not the house of talking, of walking, of brawling, of minftrelfy, of hawks, and dogs. Provoke not the difpleafure and plagues of God, for defpifing and abufing his holy houfe, as the wicked Jews did. But have God in your heart, be obedient to his bleffed will, bind yourselves every man and woman to your power toward the reparations and clean keeping of the church, to the intent that ye may be par

takers

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