LEVIT. XXVI. 2. Ye shall keep my fabbaths, and reverence my fanctuary; I am the Lord. C Ircumstances of Time and Place being abfolutely neceffary to all Actions, of what kind foever, it may with good reafon be prefumed that they do in fome measure partake of the Nature of thofe Actions which cannot be perform'd without them. And therefore as in all publick and folemn Actions, whether Civil or Religious, stated Times and Places have always been appointed for their more Orderly performance; fo thofe very Times and Places have in all Nations of the World had a fuitable degree of refpect according to the Nature of the Service about which they were employed. And from hence in all Religions, fome Times and Places have ever been esteemed more Sacred than others; and their Diftinction is neither of Heathenifh nor Jewish Original, but a part of Natural Religion practifed by Holy Men in all Ages; and therefore though the Precept in my Text was particularly delivered by Mofes to the Jews, yet the Ground and Reason of it will always hold. As to the former part of it, Te shall keep my Sabbaths, fince the prefent Occafion does not fo directly lead me to it, I fhall not now speak particularly about it, but proceed immediately to the Second Part, Te fhall reverence my Sanctuary. In difcourfing upon which, I fhall endeavour to fhew, First, What an Holy Place or Sanctuary of God is, and wherein the Holiness of it confifts. And, Secondly, What Reverence or Respect is due to fuch Holy Places. I. What a Sanctuary of God is, and wherein the Holiness of a Place confifts. And this will the better appear by confidering the feveral degrees of Holiness, that we may fee which of them. belongs to Places. And, 1. Effential Holiness, as it is an Attribute of Almighty God, is that peculiar Eminency of the Divine Nature, whereby it is infinitely and ncceffarily removed from all Moral Imperfection, and may be esteemed the Univerfal and Abfolute Perfection of all his Attributes, fuch as Wisdom, Power, Juftice, Goodness, &c. without any mix ture ture of weakness or defect whatsoever; and this Tranfcendent Holiness is peculiar to God alone. 2. The next in degree to this is the Habitual or Inherent Holinefs of Good Men, which is a feparation from Sin and Moral Impurity, a cleannefs from all pollution both of Flesh and Spirit, and as near a resemblance to the Divine Nature in Moral Perfection, as Human Nature can attain to: but this fort of Holiness belongs only to Rational Beings; And therefore, 3. There is an External or Relative Holiness, of which both Perfons and Things are capable, which confifts in the relation they bear to God and his Service, in being feparated from ordinary and common Ufes, and appointed to more peculiar and excellent Purposes, fuch as immediately concern the Worship of God. And of this fort of Holiness fome perfons are capable by vertue of their External dedication to God, who yet are too much deftitute of the former, though it ought to be the main concern of those who are Holy by their Office, fincerely to endeavour that their Lives and Converfations may be Holy also, that they may thereby both maintain and encrease that Reverence which is due to their Sacred Function. But the External or Relative Holiness being oncly that which Times and Places, and inanimate Things are capable of, is what we are at A 2 prefent fal. 24. 1. prefent more particularly concerned to enquire about. Now Places are capable of a Relative Holiness in these two refpects. 1. In refpect of a peculiar propriety God Almighty has in them by their Dedication to his immediate Worship and Service. 2. In respect of his efpecial Prefence vouchfafed in them, and the particular Communications of his Grace in the Holy Offices there formed. per 1. In refpect of a peculiar propriety God Almighty has in them by their dedication to his immediate Worship and Service. God indeed being the Creator of the World, is alfo the abfolute Lord and Proprietor of all the parts of it; for the whole Earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; and we can give him nothing but what was his own before. But forafmuch as he has made Men his Tenants of this Lower World, and allowed them the ufe and convenience of this Earth for their Habitation, he is graciously pleafed to accept of a kind of referved Rent from them as an Acknowledgment of his Supreme Right. This was Holy David's Opinion of the matter, as may appear from his Prayer and Thanksgiving at the offering up of his Treasure for the Service of the House of God, which was afterwards to be built by his Son Solomon. Chron. 29. Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art ex 1, &c. alted alted as head above all-for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we are strangers before thee, and fojourners, as were all our Fathers; our days on the earth are as a fhadow, and there is none abiding. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an houfe, for thy holy Name, cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own. And this has been the general opinion of all pious Perfons who have given of their Subftance to the Service of God, or fet apart Places for his Publick Worhip. By their own Solemn Act and Deed they have transferred the Right and Property from themselves; and by God's accepting of it, fignified either by Special Revelation, or by the Intervention of his chief Minister, who thereupon blesses it in his Name, and configns it to his Ufe, it becomes God's peculiar, and is no longer any Man's property. Quod enim divini juris eft, id Inftitut. 1. 2. nullius in bonis eft, as the Civil Law expreffes it; Tit. 1. §.7. 8. which also defines things Sacred to be fuch as are folemnly confecrated to God by the Bishop. The Confecration therefore of Churches and` to |