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of whom fo great care hath been taken, and to whom fo much Mercy hath been fhewn, O that thou hadst hearken'dto these things, and fuffer'd them fo far to have prevail'd upon thee, as to avert thine utter Ruin! Once more, Even thou, in this thy day; that is, tho thou hadst neglected many a Call, and let lip many Opportunities, yet 'twas to be wifh'd thou hadít at leaft minded the main Season, or not fuffer'd the laft and critical time of thy Welfare or Deftruction to pafs away unobferv'd. All which fhews the merciful and gracious Temper of our Bleffed Saviour, and likewife how oppofite thereunto thofe unrelenting Spirits are, who delight in giving trouble, and doing hard things to those of their own kind.

3dly, From Chrift's wifhing in the behalf of Jerufalem, that they had known, in this their day, the things that belong'd to their peace, we learn that all Men, both in their publick and private Capacity, have a Day of Grace, or particular Seafon of making their peace with God, and preventing their future Ruin. This is here manifeftly imply'd, and fignifies, that if we have the Wisdom to know, and the Forefight to improve this Opportunity to the best advantage, we may obtain the Favour of God, and secure. our everlafting Welfare for the having this their day for that purpofe, was not a Favour peculiar only to Jerufalem, but is a Mercy extended to all Perfons and Places; to whom God Almighty is pleas'd to allot a particular Time or Seafon of reconciling themfelves to him, and promoting thereby their own Salvation.

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Some have obferv'd, that even in the Courfe of worldly Affairs, all Men have fome critical Time or Opportunity of making or mending their Fortunes here in this Life which if neglected or let flip, is not eafily regain'd. Efau that fold his Birthright for a Mefs of Pottage, could not afterward obtain it, tho he fought it carefully with Tears. And we have known many, who have complain'd of the lofs of fome Seafons and Opportunities of bettering their Conditions, which they could never after recover.

But this is more plainly reveal'd of our future and final State in the World to come; for the Holy Scriptures often mind us of a Day of Grace, or Seafon of Salvation, in which we are call'd upon to mind the Business of our Souls, and to provide for Eternity. Of this day our Sa viour here minds the Inhabitants of Jerufalem; and the Apoftle puts all Chriftians in mind, that whilft it is call'd

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to-day, they should hearken to the Voice of God, left their Heart's be harden'd thro the Deceitfulness of Sin. Now this Day of Grace and Salvation may be understood either of the whole Space of our Life, which for the Shortnefs of it, is in Scripture often call'd and compar'd to a Day; or elfe more particularly, for the prefent time or inftant part of it, which is all that we can call our own, or fafely depend upon: So the Apoftle, Now is the appointed time, now is the Day of Salvation; 2 Cor. 6. 2. Hereafter may be nothing to us, because we are not fure of living to it: the prefent time is our Opportunity, for we are not certain of any more; or if our Days be prolong'd, we are not fure that the Means of Grace may be fo too, for the Spirit of God will not always ftrive with us. Now is God's time and ours too, which we are therefore to lay hold of and improve, for we know not how long it may continue: the Day of Grace may be over, before the Days of our Life may be ended, not for want of Mercy and Favour in God, but for want of a Will or Heart to repent, to make us capable of it. The Heart may be harden'd by a Custom in finning, and many by long contracted Habits have outliv'd the Poffibility of Repentance; the Confcience may be fo fear'd, as with an hot Iron, that nothing can awaken or make any Impreflion upon it: And therefore, Now whilft 'tis called to-day, we are call'd upon to repent, and to accept of Mercy and Salvation; and this is our Day, in which we are to know and confider the things that belong unto our Peace.

4thly, From thefe Words of our Saviour, But now they are hid from our eyes; we learn the Danger of deferring Repentance, or putting off the Day of Grace; which if let flip, will not be had any more. This was the wretched and remedilefs State of Jerufalem, which made our Saviour lament and weep over it: and he who afterwards fhed his Blood for their Salvation, here fhed his Tears for their Folly in neglecting it. They had their Day of knowing and ma king their peace with God; but letting flip the Seafon, they were left for ever to repent without any Hopes of repairing it. And 'twill fare no better with us; if we neglect our time, and let go the Seafon of finding Mercy, we may never look for it again, but muft remain for ever in a hopelefs and helpless Condition. Opportunities that were once before us will foon flip away, and perhaps look back to deride our Folly in not making better ufe of them: the

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things of our Peace, that are now plainly in our fight, will e'er long be bid from our eyes, and then 'twill be too late to amend what we fhall for ever lament. This we may easily fee here in the cafe of Jerusalem, of whom we read in the next words,

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The Days fhall come upon thee, that thine Enemies shall caft Trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every fide, and shall lay thee even with the Ground, and thy Children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one Stone upon another, because thou kneweft not the time of thy Vifitation. This was a Prophecy of the Romans fpeedy coming to befiege and deftroy the City, and all that were in it; which foon after came to pafs in all the Particulars of the Prophecy for Titus the Roman General coming with an Army to befiege Jerufalem, first caft a Trench about it, to cut off all Communication, and intercept Provifions; then he compafs'd it round with a Wall thirty nine Furlongs long, containing within it thirteen Castles or Forts, in compafs ten Furlongs, all which (as Jofephus tells us) was finifh'd in three Days; de Bell, Jud. lib. 6. cap.8. By this the People were kept in on every fide, there being no poffibility of their coming out, which reduc'd them to the greatest Distress, even to the eating Dung and Dirt, Hay and Mens Flesh; yea, and (as Jofephus relates it) Women feeding on their own fucking Children. After which, the City was laid even with the Ground, and the Children within it; there being not one Stone left upon another.

But what was the reafon of all this Mifery and Defolation? Why, that is added in the following words, Because thou kneweft not the time of thy Vifitation. They would not know or improve the Time of God's visiting them in Mercy and Loving-kindness; nor would they confider or prevent the Time of his visiting them with Vengeance and Destruction, and therefore did all this Diftrefs come upon them. Obftinate and incorrigible Wickedness expofes Men to the Wrath of God, and the forest of all his Judgments. The old World for not hearkning to Noah a Preacher of Righteoufnefs, but going on still in their Wickedness, were fwept away with a Deluge, and irrecoverably drown'd in Mifery and Perdition. Sodom and Gomorrah, for not amending upon the Admonitions and Example of righteous Lot, were confum'd by a Fire from Heaven; and burning in their Lufts one to another, were made to fuffer the Vengeance of eternal Fire. In like manner,

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'twas the Obftinacy and Impenitence of the Jews, their wilful Refufal of the Means of Salvation, that occafion'd the Sacking and Destruction of their City: They had many repeated Warnings to avoid the Danger, many loud Calls and paffionate Invitations to Repentance, to prevent their Ruin; but they turn'd the deaf Ear to them all, and nothing could prevail with them to accept their own Happinefs. Inftead of hearkning to, they kill'd the Prophets, and fton'd them that were fent to them, and the Judgment that follow'd it was, Behold your Houfe is left unto you defolate, Mat. 23. 37, 38. Therefore is Defolation come upon you your City, Temple, and whole Nation are irreverfibly deftroy'd; your City for the Oppreffion and Injustice practis'd in it, your Temple for not hearkning to the In-1 ftructions deliver'd in it, and your whole Nation for abufing the Mercies and Bleffings conferr'd on it. Thus they who wilfully refus'd the Offers of Mercy, became the Objects of Vengeance, and are fet forth as Monuments of Divine Juftice to all fucceeding Generations, to let us know, that if we follow their Steps, we maft expect the fame Fate; and except we repent, we must all Likewife perish.

This is the first Part of the Gospel for this Day, which is defign'd for a Warning to all wilful and impenitent Sinners. There is yet a fecond Part of it, which relates to the Reverence due to the Temple, or the publick Places of God's Worship, held forth in the following words; And he went into the Temple, and began to caft out them that fold therein, and them that bought, faying, My House is the House of Prayer, but ye have made it a Den of Thieves. Where we fhall obferve,

ift, That publick Places were fet apart for Divine Worfhip both under the Old and New Teftament, and that not only by the Divine Liking and Approbation, but by Divine Appointment and Defignation. This is evident in the Old Testament, by the Tabernacle firit, and afterward by the Temple; the former being ftil'd the Tent which God had pitch'd among Men, Pfal. 78. 60. the latter, the Sanctuary, the high and holy Place, and the Place which he had chofen to fet his Name there: with many other Expreffions to the like purpofe. In the New Teftament 'tis plain from thofe words of the Apostle, Have ye not Houses to eat and drink in, but defpife ye the Church of God?

I Cor. 11. 22. Where the Church of God being oppos'd to Houses where they might eat and drink, must be understood of the Publick Place of God's Worship, where fuch common and ordinary Actions are not to be done. This is fo fully prov'd by the Learned Mr. Mede on that Place, that I need not enlarge upon it, but refer the Reader to him.

2dly, We may obferve farther, that the publick Places of Divine Worfhip were and ftill are to be accounted Holy unto the Lord; not indeed by any inherent Holiness, for neither Times nor Places are capable of that, but by a relative Holiness, because they belong to God, and are separated from all common Ufes, and apply'd only to holy and religious Purposes. Thus the Sabbath-day is call'd Holy, because 'tis fet apart for the Service of God, and other Holy Ufes; and for the fame reafon the Sanctuary, the Temple, the Church, are to be accounted Holy unto the Lord, being appropriated wholly to his Ufe and Service. From whence we may obferve,

3dly, That fome kind of Refpect and Reverence is due to fuch Places, for the Relation they bear to God, and their Dedication to his Worship. So God himself exprefly commands, Ye shall fanctify my Sabbath, and reverence my Sanctu ary; Lev. 19. 30. God's more immediate Prefence there requires from us the Refpect of the Cap and the Knee ; and his Promise to meet, to direct, to affift and bless us there, calls for a greater Regard to be paid to it, than other ordinary Places. To fatisfy us herein, we may,

4thly, Obferve our Saviour's great Care to keep the Temple from Profanation. For going into the Temple, and finding Buyers and Sellers there, he caft them out with great Indignation, and forbad the carrying of any Veffel or Burden thro it. St. Matthew and St. Mark tell us, that our Saviour, himself overthrew the Tables of the MonyChangers, and the Seats of them that fold Doves; tho they pretended to fit there for the Convenience of Offerings and Sacrifices for the Ufe of the Temple. And St. John, that be made a Scourge of Small Cords, and drove them all out of the Temple, which he did with that Indignation and Zeal, as made the Difciples call to mind that prophetical Saying of David concerning him, The Zeal of thy Houfe hath ea ten me up, as we read, John 2. 14, 15, &c. From hence a Learned Divine hath obferv'd, That our Saviour, whilft he was upon Earth, never exercis'd any kingly or coercive Ju risdiction,

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