choice of this as most likely so to do. One of the two things is plainly signified by the original word of the sacred text, (viz. oπovdaíws,) which we translate" instantly." And either of the significations beng taken, it serves evidently to shew what a great notion both parties, our blessed Saviour as well as the elders of the Jews, had of the centurion's piety, on account of his having built a synagogue. As for our blessed Saviour, by His immediate complying with the desire of the Jews, upon their mentioning this act of the centurion's piety, He plainly teaches us, that He allowed of the argument or motive made use of by the Jews as good and weighty; namely, that the centurion's building a synagogue was a very good mark of the sincerity and greatness of his love to God, and consequently did render him worthy for whom so much should be done, though at the expense of a miracle.

And if so, if we are thus plainly taught by our Saviour's behaviour toward

Inferences

from the said

jation to hurches.

passage, in re- this centurion, to look on building a place for divine worship as a very

good token of our love to God; then, since we are indispensably bound to express our love to God all the ways we can, it will follow that we are indispensably bound not only to contribute liberally toward the building of churches, but even, if we are of ability, to build them entirely at our own costs and charges where they are wanting, rather than the service of God should be neglected, or not performed with that decency as it ought, and that to act contrary is a shrewd sign of our not being affected with the love of God as we ought. It remains only to observe, with reference to this passage of the centurion, that as it evidently enforces or shews the necessity of practising the duty I am speaking of, so it evidently contains also a great encouragement thereto, of which in the close of this treatise.

CHAPTER XI.

Wherein the duty here treated of is enforced from our Saviour's own example, or zeal for the House of God.

THA

THAT the centurion's building a synagogue should be most highly pleasing to our

Our Saviour never exerted any act of pub

blessed Saviour, and thereby a most

lic authority, strong motive with Him for to gra

but in order to preserve the honour and respect due to the temple.

tify the centurion's desire even by a miracle, (as has been observed in the foregoing chapter,) is no wonder; since our Saviour Himself upon all occasions shewed Himself affected with the highest concern for the honour and respect due to the places of God's worship. We read but twice (as I remember) that Christ exercised any public act of civil authority; and both times it was upon the same account, namely, to preserve the honour and respect due to the temple.

The first time was a little before the first Passover after Christ's baptism, or entry upon public

preaching. Of which we have an account given us only by St. John. The Jews' Pass

over was at hand, and Jesus went The first of

these acts.

up to Jerusalem, and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: and when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not My Father's house an house of merchandise. And His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of Thine house has eaten me up." "h

The other time when Jesus exercised the like act of authority, was a little before the third Passover after His last bap- The second tism, or that whereat He was cruci

and last of

them.

fied. And we have an account given of this by all the other three Evangelists besides St. John, and most particularly by St. Mark. "And they came to Jerusalem and Jesus

h John ii. 13-17.

went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the table of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; and would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And He taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called an house of prayer for all nations? but ye have made it a den of thieves." i

From these two accounts the reader may observe, how very zealous our blessed Saviour The inference was, that due honour and respect

from our Sa

viour's beha- should be shewn to the temple :

viour and zeal

in this matter.

how He taught or inculcated, that the reason why honour and respect was to be shewn to the temple, was on account of the special relation it had to God's service, namely, because it was His "Father's house," and "the house of prayer." Which reasons equally belonging to all Christian churches, it hence clearly follows, that according to our Saviour's doctrine, we ought to pay like

i Mark xi. 15-17.