True , the Lord will be found of his humble devout servants in what place soever ; and I would have nothing understood , to the prejudice of private prayer : For Moses in the Sea , Iob on the Dunghill , Ieremie in the Dungeon , Daniel in the Den , Ionas in the Whale , the Children in the Furnace , S. Peter and Paul in Prison , calling upon God , were heard , as S. Basil noteth . And therefore the Apostle would have men pray every where , lifting up holy hands , 1. Tim. 2. Yes , every where , with holy hands . But are holy hands every where ? What shall the sinner doe , that is destitute of holy hands ? What else , but to the Temple with the Publican ? There he shall meete with holy hands , in the holy Assembly , and may speed the better , be graciously accepted for their sakes , as Iobs friends for his sake , Iob 42. In my devotions , let me joyne with the righteous , and then his prayer ( I shall hope ) will make way for mine : Nay , and how shall my charitie be augmented , my zeale kindled , my faith confirmed , when I heare the whole congregation , quasi manu factâ , to implore and send up an army of prayers , Tertull. for the pardon of my sinnes : For thus it is ever in these sacred meetings ; All for every one , and every one for all , that God may be gracious and have mercy upon all ; great reason then we should worship there .

And so often as we worship there , would God wee would remember where we are , that the place whereon we stand is holy ground : It was certainly part of the Prophets meaning , that the very name of Holinesse should make us beware of prophanenesse . He termes it rather a place of Holinesse , than the Tabernacle , or the Temple ; to put us in minde of that venerable , grave , religious behaviour , evermore requisite and expected here . For Holinesse becommeth thy House , O Lord , for ever , Psal. 93. to put us in minde to looke well to our feete when wee goe to the House of God , Eccl. 4. To our Feete , not to make that a walking place ; and to our Tongues , not to make that a talking place ; and to our Eyes , not to make that a gazing place . And he that whipt the buyers and sellers out of the Temple , would he not , thinke we , have silenced our praters in the House of Prayer , and have charged our Church-walkers to leave the Church ? Antiquitie so understood it , I am sure ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Hom. 36. in 1. Cor. In the Church unlawfull even to speake but to a neighbor ( saith S. Chrysostome ) and much more unlawfull to contrive & drive a Bargaine there , as if at a Mart or common Market : And how unsufferable then , that the Church should be made a place of rude contentions and uncivill contestations ?

But was not Antiquitie too precise ? No : they knew Religion is upheld by nothing more than Reverence ; that wee can never bee too cleane in the Sanctuarie , nor too holy in the place of Holinesse , where we are to meete with our Maker , and to worship the Lord most high , and most holy . Let us passe on now from this holy place ( as it is holy ) and behold it a while as beautifull ; for beautifull it is , as well as holy , even the beautie of Holinesse ; O worship &c.

Expositors finde themselves at a losse , and therefore strive to make it up as they may , by various expressions . Some say , in Sanctuario magnifico , in the stately Sanctuarie : Some , in magnificentiâ Sanctitatis , in the sumptuousnesse or magnificence of Sanctitie : Some , in splendore Sacrarii , in the splendour or glory of his holy Place : Some , in decore Sanctitatis , in the comelinesse or Beautie of Holinesse . Now put them together , and the Place recommended , is holy , comely , stately , sumptuous , glorious ; not more holy , than comely ; nor more sacred , than sumptuous : A most fit Place this to worship the Lord in : O worship the Lord in the beautie of Holinesse .

But is not our Prophet mistaken heere ? Or is not this combination made up of inconsistents ? For , can Holy and Stately , Beautie and Sanctitie , runne in a Line ? Yes , may and ought , as much as may be : and where they part and goe asunder , both abate of their perfection : for as nothing magnifies Greatnesse , more than Godlinesse ; so nothing sets off Godlinesse , more than Greatnesse . Poore and godly , are as little esteemed of the many , as poore and wise ; and yee know what the Wise man sayes and shewes too , The poore mans wisdome is despis'd , Eccl. 9.16 . And on the other side , what is a great ungodly man ( without amendment ) but like a great unsound Cedar , every day fitter and fitter for the fire ? But where Greatnesse and Goodnesse , Highnesse and Holinesse , Sanctitie and Sublimitie meet , there Gods worship is in the full , there God is magnified indeed ; and wee cannot but hope , the Lord will goe on to magnifie with the full measure of his Blessings .

And wee shall quickly perceive Gods worship to be advanced as well by the dignitie of the place , as the person : And it will not doe amisse , to appeale in this case to common experience ; for doe wee not finde our selves otherwise affected , when we come into a naked , deformed , ruinous Temple , adorned with nothing but dust and cobwebs , and when we come into a goodly reverend beautifull Church , wherein we may behold on every side remarkeable testimonies of devout Magnificence ? Doth not the very Fabricke and fashion , and solemne accommodation beget in our hearts a religious regard , and venerable thoughts ?

True , a sort of Christians there are , so transelementated and refined , as to despise all succours and supplies of this kinde , as matter of distraction , and palpable inducements to superstition : Talke , as if God regarded no longer any other Temples , but the bodies and soules of his Saints . And we cheerefully professe , wee can never too carefully preserve , the inward beautie of these living Temples ; for that is the beautie of Holinesse indeed ; and if any man shall pollute this beautie , or defile this temple , him shall God destroy , 1. Cor. 3. But how the inward grace of these living Temples , should be thought prejudiciall to the outward grace of the beautie of Holinesse , is I confesse beyond my capacitie .

For whether wee looke backe to the manner of Gods Service under the Law , or to the choisest times under the Gospel , wee shall soone discover Beautie and Holinesse sweetly accorded , till the love of the World had gotten the upper hand of the love of God . For first , what can wee almost imagine , more rich and gorgeous than the Tabernacle was ? wherein all the Instruments and Vtensils were of pure Gold , even to the Snuff-dishes , Exod. 25. And afterward , the Temple what was it else ; but very matter of wonder and astonishment ? a glorious Spectacle of admiration to all the World . When the Queene of Sheba beheld it , the majesticall beautie and service thereof so filled her heart , that there was no more spirit in her , 1. Kings 10.5 . And very memorable it is ; when the foundation of the later House was layd , the Fathers and ancient men mourned and wept , because it was like to be lesse glorious than the first , Ezr. 3.12 . Now what might be the reason of this incredible magnificence in the first , or of this religious emulation in the second Temple ? Take the reason from King Salomon , who had studied the point ; The house which I build is great , for great is our God above all Gods , 2. Chron. 2.5 . And if — quia magnus Deus , be a good argument , the Lord at this day , is as great as ever , and then is this argument as good as ever .

And had not ( thinke wee ) the Founders of Churches in Christendome a speciall Eye to his glorious Majestie , for whose service they were erected ? yes verily : This made Constantine the Great , and Iustinian the Emperour , and Charles the Great , and Charles the fourth , to honour the Gospell of Christ with so many stately monuments of their pietie all the world over : Saint Cyrill describing one of them in Hierusalem , calles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Catech. 14. A Church all adorned and embossed with silver and gold . And Eusebius reporting of the spacious and beautifull Church at Tyre , which was built anew by the famous B. P. Paulinus , sayes , the lusture and splendour was such — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Lib. 10. as made beholders amazed to behold it . And generally thus it was , wheresoever Churches of note were repaired ( which infidels had desolated ) they evermore added — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Euseb. lib. 10. a more exquisite beautie than ever before ; alleadging for themselves , by way of encouragement , The glory of the latter house , shall be greater than that of the former ; Hag. 2. and that of our Prophet , Great is the Lord , and greatly to bee praised in the Citie of our God , Psal. 48.1 .

But yet it must bee granted , this Christian zeale for the beautie of Holinesse , was not every where alike ; decencie and comelinesse in all the houses of God , but — Magnificentia Sanctitatis , this state of Holinesse ; Holinesse in state , was not usually seene , save in Cities and populous Places , whither huge multitudes resorting , very ample , and capacious Receits were requisite , which anon by the bountifull largition of devouter Christians , became as sumptuous as capacious : and there was no iniquitie in such inaequalitie ; For the beautie of Holinesse doth well admit of Magis and Minus ; worship , and Holinesse , and beautie , like the three Graces , should goe hand in hand ; but yet so , as where more worshippers , there more holinesse , and then more beautie there , as a kinde of portion and dowrie of Holinesse .

The Iewes had their beautie of holinesse more conspicuously in the Tabernacle and the Temple ; but Christians more especially in their Diocesian and mother Churches ; even ever since the Gospell and Christian Faith were well setled ; And it is strange to reade how the Iewes did excell in bountie , for better preserving that eminent beautie ; Exerc. pag. ●84 . For as Casaubon and Cuneus have faithfully collected , all , even they also of the dispersion , P. Cun. lib. 2. cap. 12. & 23. Ex Ioseph . lib. 16. cap. 10. from all parts and quarters sent yeerely Contributions to Hierusalem for the maintenance of the Temple ; Because they delighted in the stones thereof , and had pitie on the dust thereof , Psal. 102.

And here I cannot but congratulate the present times , wherein the Beautie of Holinesse in Citie and Countrey seemes to revive and flourish as never more : It argues Religion hath life in it , and that wee are in love with Religion : And I beseech you give mee leave to condescend a little to particulars , and to magnifie the Lord in the words of Ezra the Priest . Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers who hath put such a thing as this in the Kings heart , to beautifie the house of the Lord which is in Hierusalem , Ezra 7.27 . And blessed bee those many Worthies which have strengthned the hands of the workemen , to take away the reproach from Israel by removing the abomination of desolation . And blessed be all that incourage the worke by their cheerefull beneficence , even to the poore widow , that shall cast in her two mites ; Let them prosper upon earth , and let their names be recorded in the Booke of Life . And oh how were it to be wished , that they which were at laying the first stone , might live to behold the consummation . That they , and all the Benefactors , and above all our most gracious Zerubbabel , might ( when all is finished ) worship the Lord , in that beautie of Holinesse ; Howsoever this shall bee written for the generations to come , and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord for this honourable onset . For what can make a more honourable testimony , or truer evidence , of our unfeined esteeme of Holinesse , of our love to God , of our zeale for his Gospell , than thus to reach out a liberall hand to the supportation , and a bountifull hand to the exornation of that sacred edifice , where from age to age beyond all discovery , Holinesse hath had her habitation ? As for Tatnai , and Shetherbosnai , and Sanballat , open or clandestine enemies to the beauty of Holinesse , Fill their faces with shame , that they may seeke thy name , O Lord ; That we , and they , and all that lay claime to true Holinesse , may preferre the beauty of Holinesse before all other beauties , and with cleane hands , and pure hearts , delight to worship the Lord , in the proper place of his Worship , the beauty of Holinesse . I haue done at last with the properties of the place , Holy , and beautifull ; Now followes the Prophets entreaty which I shall treate of in very few words , and so conclude ; O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holinesse .

Take it joyntly together , and it is not more a Precept than a Prayer ; a very emphaticall obsecration , full of holy importunitie , and which argues in our Princely Prophet an extraordinarie love to the Place and the Service here commended ; that his chiefe delight was there : For , How amiable are thy Tabernacles , O Lord of Hosts , Ps. 84. And how disconsolate , when hee was driven thence ? Woe is mee . that I am constrained to dwell in Mesech , and to have my habitation among the Tents of Kedar , Ps. 120. seemes to envie the filly Birds ; The Sparrowes and Swallowes may lay their young even by thine Altars , O Lord of Hosts , my King and my God : nor so desirous though to be there alone , but there with his people ; I was glad when they said unto me , We will goe into the House of the Lord , Ps. 122. It joyed him to be seene , In medio Ecclesiae , in the midst of the Congregation will I prayse thee , Ps. 22. Hee would pay his Vowes ( in an exemplarie way ) in the presence of all his people , Ps. 116. And wee cannot otherwise understand him here ; Come children , hearken unto me , doe as yee see mee doe ; adorate and adorabo went together , we may be sure : And a blessed sight it was , to see Religion countenanced , and the people religious , not more by his Regall Precepts and Edicts , than his Presence and Practice ; Now blessed are the people that be in such a case .