of a vifible Church of Chr. TS Mofes did look upon all the Work, and behold they had done it as the Lord commanded. Secondly, The Matter of the Tem- ple was prepared Matter ; i Kings v. 17, O. alnd the King commanded, and they brought great Stones, cooly Stones, and hewed Stones to lay the Foundation of the Temple ; and Solomon's Builders, and Hiram's Builders did hew them, and .the Stone- Squarers : So they prepared `Iiml er and Stones to build the Houfe. And it was builded of Stone made ready before it was brought thither. Anfwerable unto this, an militated Church mutt be built of prepared Matter : It is a fpiritual Houfe, and mutt be built with fpiritual 1VÏátter; the Matter mutt be fpiri- tual antecedent to the Formation of the Houfe. A fpiri- tual Houle cannot be built of carnal Matter ; the Founda- tion Stone is a living Stone, and the Superftrutture mutt be living Stones that mull firft come to the Foundation Stone, and afterward be joined one to the other, by which they become a fpiritual Hour, i Pet. ii. 3. (z.) I thall prove i¢ Prophetically. The Reafon why I go back to the Prophets to prove the Matter of an inflitu- ted Church to be vifible Saints, is, becaufe fach a Church is built upon the Prophets as well as the Apoftles, Chri/i himfelf the chief Corner -Stone ; Eph. ii. 21, 22, 23. In 'whom all the Building fitly framed together, proweth to a holy Temple in the Lord, in whom ye alfo are builded together for an Habitation of God thrcugh the Spirit ; Ye, the Church of Ephefus, to whom he wrote this Epiftle, I fay I thall prove it Prophetically, that the Mattel of an inftituted Church mutt be vifible Saints: Pfal. xv. i. Who fhall abide in thy Tabernacle, and who (hall dwell in thy Holy Hill ? He that cwalketh uprightly, and doth Righteoufnef , and fpeaketh the Truthfrom his Heart, &c. Pfal. xxiv. 3. Who fhall afcend into the Hill of God, and who (hall(land in his 'Holy Place ? He that bath clean Hands, and a pure Heart, &c. That this- is prophetical of the Matter of a Gofpel- inftituted Church, is evident; for there were no fach Prequalifications re- quired under the Law. Then a Yew, as fuch, being circum- cifed, might afcend into the Hill of God ; fo that David needed not put the Queltion, with Refpeét to that Difpen- fation; it was well known who might afcend: God h xi B z declars 1
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