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laid; for then it may be faid, as Chrift to Zaccheus, This day is falvation come to thy houfe.'-Sometimes it is called a day of vengeance, Ifa. Ixiii. 4. The day wherein the foundation of the temple is laid, is the day wherein God deftroys the old building, and takes vengeance on all spiritual enemies, fin, Satan, and ftrong corruptions; and whatfcever oppofed the fpiritual building, the vengeance of God, and the vengeance of the temple purfued them in that day.-Sometimes it is called a day of fmall things, Zech. iv. 10.; becaufe when the foundation of the temple is a-laying, the beginning may be very fmall, even like a grain of muftard-feed; and yet, in the iffue, it fhall be a great and magnificent fabric; because, "He that hath begun the good work will perfect it;" for, "The Lord is a rock, and his work is perfect.”— And fo, finally, it is called a day of the Lord's making, Pfalm cxviii. 24. "This is the day that the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it." Where the pfalmift is fpeaking of the day wherein the ftone which the builders reject, fhall become the head of the corner, and that is eminently the day wherein the foundation of the temple is laid: From this day will I blefs you. But,

A Second Remark concerning this day is, "That there "is a very great difference between the day wherein the "foundation of the temple is laid, and the day wherein "the building is perfected; between the foundation-day "on earth, and the confummation-day in heaven."For, the foundation day is ufhered in with a very dark morning, or rather an evening, as it was faid, "The evening and the morning were the first day;" fo, when the foundation is laid, the evening ufhers in the morning, a dark evening of wrath and legal terror, conviction, and humiliation, as I told you already. Maný a dark cloud may cover the fky on that day; but the day of confummation will be a glorious day, and a clear day; furrounded with all gladening circumftances: for then fhall the head-ftone be brought forth with fhoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.-The day wherein the foundation is laid, is a day indeed wherein corruption gets a dead ftroke, and may feem, for a little while, to be almoft flain; yet afterwards it gets up its head again,

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cafts fire into the fanctuary, and many times defiles the temple; but the day wherein the building is confummated, will put an end to fin and corruption; there fhall be no more unbelief and enmity; no more fins, miftakes, jealoufies, or fears; no more danger from fpiritual enemies from without or from within.-Again, the day wherein the foundation is laid, is a day of fecrefy; perhaps the perfon is fitting at your fide, and you do not fee nor know when the Lord is laying the foundation of the fpiritual temple within him, or may be upon his knees at home: there is a fecret tranfaction in which the foul is laid as a ftone upon the fure foundation; but the confummation is open, before millions of faints and angels. In a word, after the foundation is laid, the believer may many times, through ignorance, and unbelief, and doubts, and fears, be at the razing of the foundation but when the temple is perfected, no fuch thing shall take place; for then he fhall have occafion to fing and say, "Farewel darknefs, and welcome light; farewel death, and welcome life; fare"wel forrow, and welcome joy; yea, farewel faith, "and welcome vifion; farewel hope, and welcome "fruition and the everlasting uninterrupted enjoyment "of God."-So that there is a great difference between the day wherein the foundation is laid, and the day wherein the building is confummate.

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The Third Remark concerning this day is, "That the "precife time, the particular day wherein the foundation "of the fpiritual temple is laid, and the foul is united "to Chrift, is agreed upon, between the Father and the

Son, in the covenant of grace and redemption from "eternity." That moment wherein the firft ftone of the building is laid, is determined by the Father, who hath put the times and feafons in his own power, to know and order them according to the counfel of his will, Acts i. 7. And, to lifp with reverence in the scripturelanguage, God, the great Architect, doth wait, with patience, for that day wherein he hath refolved to lay the foundation of the temple, according to that fweet and remarkable fcripture, which may be comfortable to them that cannot get that at duties, communions,

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and ordinances which they have been long looking for, and waiting for, Ifa. xxx. 18. "Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment, and bleffed are all they that wait for him." Are you waiting for a day of power? Why, God is waiting for this day himself. The poor humbled foul may be ready to think, Oh! "Chrift is not willing; I have fet days apart; I have gone to my knees, I have fought him in this and the "other ordinance; and yet I could not get clofed with him I have been almoft dipt in hell with affliction, and yet my heart was never melted; furely Chrift "is not willing." Ah! Sirs, beware of that blafphemy. The Lord Jefus is willing; but the fulness of time is not yet come. There is a fet day, a fixed moment of his coming; and for this day he waits; and for this day you are to wait: he knows the proper feafon; the crane, the swallow, and the ftork know their feafon, by a natural inftinct God hath given them; and will he not know his own feafon? Yea, "He waits to be gracious; and bleffed are they that wait for him," and wait for this day of power: for, when it comes, then there will be an aufpicious conjunction of all circumftances to conclude the work: the word is made lively; the Spirit acts powerfully; the foul is drawn fweetly and irrefiftibly and all things work together harmonioufly for lay ing the foundation, and carrying up the temple-work.

The Fourth Remark concerning this day is," Thất "there are feveral figns and characters whereby this

day may be known, when it comes." I fhall not fay that every convert knows the day of his firft converfion; but with refpect to all adult perfons, I am fure it may be known; for none are converted fleeping, or in a dream. There are many figns of it that are not at all to be confined to a natural day; but run through the feveral stages of a believer's life, ever fince the foundation of the fpiritual temple was laid. The figns of this day, then, whereby it may be known, are, in fhort, to this purpose.

1. It is a day of light; light breaks in into the win

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dow of the foul, that puts a man in cafe to fay, "Once, I was blind, now I fee:" the man has now another fight of fin, of God, of Chrift, and of religion than the reft of the world; yea, another view than even he himself had; before, he had heard of him by the hearing of the ear, but now his eyes fee him. He hath an ocular demonftration of fpiritual things, by the light of the word and Spirit, as a Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Chrift.

2. It is alfo a day of life, of life from the dead: "You hath he quickened, who were dead in trefpaffes and fins.", It is true, many think they have a fpiritual life, and are not dead in fin, because they live in the practice of many good duties; that is very well done: but, O man, woman! know you what a new life, a new obedience is? a life of new and gofpel-obedience? the meaning of that word, "I am alfo dead to the law, that I might live unto God?" Gal. ii. 19. Though you fhould live like an angel of light, till you know fomewhat of this, in your experience, you are ftrangers to this day of life. For, you know fome things naturally of the firft covenant, Do and live; but nothing fpiritually of the new covenant way of living to God. Again,

3. This day is a day of love: O how is the love of God fhed abroad upon the heart on this day, whereby the foul is in cafe to fay, "Whom have I in heaven, but thee? and there is none in all the earth, whom I defire befides thee." God's mighty love is fo difcovered in Chrift, as that it kills the mighty enmity in the foul against God, and creates love to him.

4. It is a day of joy: when the poor foul gets a view of the mifery it is freed from, the many good things that it is entitled to, and the eternal happinefs that is fecured for it, how will it rejoice in God its Saviour, be glad in the Rock of its falvation, and fo hold on its way rejoicing!

5. This day is a day of liberty, wherein bonds are loofed, and the prifoners of hope go forth at the call of Chrift, who proclaims liberty to the captives on that day, and the opening of the prifon to them that are bound; at whofe mighty. word of power, the maffy chains of

fin, unbelief, darknefs, atheifm, and ignorance are loofed, and the foul made to walk at libery, and to run the way of God's commandments with an enlarged heart.

6. This day is a day of wonder; when the man looks to the rock whence he was hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence he was digged, O he wonders that ever fuch a lump of hell fhould be made a spiritual temple for the God of heaven! "O wonder! fays weak faith, if ever "the Lord will pity the like of me. And, O wonder!

fays ftrong faith, that ever God fhould have loved "the like of me with an everlafting love, and drawn "me with loving-kindnefs." What an extafy of wonder and amazement is raised in the man's heart! Why, "I was dead, now I live; I was weak, now am I ftrong; "this morning, perhaps, I was under affliction, and "under the terrors of God, and now he hath ravished "me with the confolations of the Spirit. I was afraid "of hell, and now I have the hope of eternal life."O what a day of wonder is it!

7. This day is a day of victory. O do you mind the day when you thought there was a legion of devils, a regiment of lufts, and armies of corruptions within you? But, behold, in furprising mercy, you got grace to believe, and lay hold upon Chrift, and fo by faith, to turn to flight the armies of the aliens, and overcame by the blood of the Lamb; and thus got victory over Satan, over fin, over the world, over an ill heart, and an ill frame; and victory over all your doubts and fears.

8. This day is a day of praife, and voice of gratitude.. The foul will be ready to break forth in fuch a day, crying," what fhall I fpeak for Chrift? What shall "I do for him? What fhall I fuffer for him? It is true, "it must be given me both to do and to fuffer; for I will "never hold out a moment, if he leave me; I will ne"ver have a day to do well, if he leave me but, O! "if he would fupport me by his grace, and comfort me "with his glory, I think I could go through fire and "flames for him."

9. In a word, this day is a day of difcovery; efpecially of the glory of God in the face of Chrift. The man fees the King in his beauty. O! hath ever Chrift got in

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