Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/361

 Divinity who  dwelleth  in  them,  and  all  places  are  full  of  his  glory and immensity,  the  divine  writings  incessantly  warn  us  every  where to respect  the  presence  of  God,  who  seeth  and  who  watcheth  us; on no  occasion  to  offer  any  thing  to  his  eyes  which  may  wound the sanctity  of  his  regards;  and  not  sully  with  our  crimes  that earth which  wholly  is  his  temple  and  the  dwelling-place  of  his  glory. The sinner  who  bears  an  impure  conscience,  is  therefore  a  kind of profaner,  unworthy  of  living  upon  the  earth;  for,  by  the  sole situation of  his  corrupted  heart,  he  every  where  dishonours  the  presence of  the  holy  God  who  is  ever  beside  him,  and  he  profanes every spot  where  he  bears  his  crimes,  for  all  places  are  sanctified through the  immensity  of  the  God  who  filleth  and  consecrateth them.

But, if  the  universal  presence  of  God  be  a  reason  why  we  should every where  appear  pure  and  without  stain  to  his  eyes,  doubtless those places  which,  in  that  universe,  are  particularly  consecrated  to him,  our  temples,  in  which  the  Divinity,  as  I  may  say,  corporeally resides, much  more  require  that  we  should  appear  in  them  pure and without  stain,  lest  the  sanctity  of  the  God  who  filleth  and dwelleth in  them  be  dishonoured.

Thus, when  the  Lord  had  permitted  Solomon  to  erect,  to  his glory, that  temple  so  famed  for  its  magnificence,  and  so  venerable through the  splendour  of  its  worship  and  the  majesty  of  its  ceremonies, what  rigid  precautions  did  he  not  take,  lest  men  should abuse his  goodness  in  choosing  a  special  dwelling-place  amid  them, and lest  they  should  dare  to  appear  there,  in  his  presence,  covered with stains  and  defilements! What barriers  did  he  not  place  between himself,  as  I  may  say,  and  man;  and,  in  drawing  near  to us,  what  an  interval  did  not  his  holiness  leave  between  the  spot filled with  his  presence,  and  the  eyes  of  the  people  who  came  to invoke  him?

Yes, my  brethren,  take  a  description  of  it. Within the  circle  of that  vast  edifice  which  Solomon  consecrated  to  the  majesty  of  the God of  his  fathers,  the  Lord  chose,  for  the  place  of  his  abode,  only the most  retired  and  the  most  inaccessible  spot;  that  was  the holy of  holies,  that  is  to  say,  the  sole  spot  of  that  immense  temple which was  regarded  as  the  dwelling-place  and  the  temple  of  the Lord upon  earth. And, besides,  what  terrible  precautions  defended its entry! An outer  and  far  distant  wall  surrounded  it;  and  there, the Gentiles  and  foreigners,  who  wished  to  be  instructed  in  the law, could  only  approach. Secondly, another  wall  very  distant concealed it;  and  there  the  Israelites  alone  were  entitled  to  enter: yet was  it  necessary  that  they  should  be  free  from  stain,  and  that they had  carefully  purified  themselves,  through  stated  fastings  and ablutions, before  they  should  dare  to  approach  a  place  still  so  distant from  the  holy  of  holies. Thirdly, another  wall  more  advanced still separated  it  from  the  rest  of  the  temple;  and  there  the  priests alone entered  every  day  to  offer  sacrifices,  and  to  renew  the  sacred loaves exposed  upon  the  altar. The law  required  that  every  other Israelite who  should  dare  to  approach  it,  should  be  stoned  as  a  sa-