tion, and Jesus with infinite bravery and honour had given him an entire defeat, St. Matthew tells us that, behold, angels came and ministered unto hima, to grace his triumph, and supply what was needful to refresh him after his long fast and toilsome conflict with the prince of darkness.

In what manner they did it I shall not pretend to say, but doubtless it was done effectually; and then, with new vigour, and holy satisfaction and joy, he returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and entered upon his ministry, being thus prepared and enabled for it, and was glorified of all.

And without all question, the comfort and satisfaction is inexpressible that a good man feels when he has baffled a temptation, and preserved his integrity, and his conscience untouched with guilt. This inspirits him with new courage and resolution in the service of the God of his salvation; engages him with exceeding alacrity and cheerfulness in the performance of the duties of his station; and when there is occasion, furnishes him with fresh strength to win new victories.

Wherefore, finally, my brethren, let us be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, and put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, alone, but against principalities and powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Take unto you therefore the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. And then, the God of peace will, in due

a Matt. iv. II. d Ephes. vi. 10, &c.

b Luke iv. 14.

c Luke iv. 15.

time, bruise Satan under your feet, and we shall be more than conquerors through him that loved us, and hath conquered for us, and was himself made perfect through sufferings, even Jesus, the great Captain of our salvation.

And thou, most gracious Lord, who for our sakes didst fast forty days and forty nights; give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen h

And since thou seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended against all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul Stretch forth, Almighty God, the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemiesk; that thou being our Protector, our Ruler, and Guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal: Grant this, O heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ our Mediator and Redeemer1. Amen! Amen!

e Rom. xvi. 20. f Rom. viii. 37.

lect for the first Sunday in Lent. k Third Sunday.

g Heb. ii. 10. h Col

i Collect for the second.

1 Fourth after Trinity.

II.

The buyers and sellers driven out of the temple.

JOHN ii. 13, 14, &c.

And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went 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, &c.

AFTER our Lord had triumphed over Satan in the wilderness, and was returned into Galilee, and had called some disciples to attend him, and at a wedding in Cana began to manifest his divine power, by turning water into wine; the feast of the passover drawing nigh, he went up to Jerusalem, which at that time was always thronged with people from all parts, with a design then to enter upon his public ministry, and which was the properest season he could make choice of for it.

And when he was there, the first thing he did was to go into the temple to worship his heavenly Father, and recommend himself to his blessing and protection in the great work he was going about. But at his coming into the first court of it, called the court of the Gentiles, because there the Gentile proselytes that had renounced their idolatry, and worshipped the God of Israel, but were not yet admitted into the Jewish church by circumcision, were permitted to come and worship, and bring their

a John ii. 3.

offerings when he came there, with what indignation and abhorrence did he see the place filled with oxen, sheep, and doves, and men very busy in counting and receiving money, as if it were a market or an exchange, rather than a part of the temple of the most high God!

The occasion of their bringing those creatures there was to accommodate those that came from far with their proper sacrifices, which could not be brought with them without much trouble and expense; and the money-changers were those that returned the money which people that lived at a great distance had occasion for during their stay at Jerusalem; or changed greater pieces for less, with an allowance of some advantage to themselves.

It is true, this was a great convenience; and those that had the charge of the temple connived at it, and were no doubt considered for so doing; but any part of the temple, even the outmost court of it, was too sacred a place for such purposes, and it fired our Saviour's zeal to see his Father's house so profaned; and he could not bear to see it so, but immediately made a scourge of small cords, (which probably he found scattered upon the floor, as having been used in binding the sacrifices, and then thrown away as of no further value,) and with a warm resentment of the indignity offered to God, drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables upon which they counted it; and said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; (which had he let loose would have flown away and been lost, so duly tempered was his zeal with goodness and discretion;) and then gave

them this awful reproof, Make not my Father's house a house of merchandise.

This extraordinary action of Jesus brought into his disciples' mind that passage in Psalm lxix. 9, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; hath made me uneasy and in pain, like a continual gnawing upon my heart, until I have vindicated the honour of thy sanctuary; and, as it follows in the same verse, the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. I am more moved with the dishonour reflected upon God by such practices, than for the greatest affronts that can be put upon myself.

This indeed is the spirit of true religion; and things that bear a near relation to God should be treated with great veneration, and strike us with a sacred awe; particularly the places of God's more especial presence, and that are hallowed and set apart for his peculiar worship and service. And accordingly God commanded his people to reverence his sanctuary; and they did so, until this ill custom crept in upon them, under the pretence of conveniency, and by the avaricious connivance of those who preferred a little filthy lucre before the honour of their great Master's house.

But see the difference between mercenary servants and a son, whose heart was filled with love and duty to his heavenly Father: he made it his first business, when he entered upon the public exercise of his sacred office, to correct so great an abuse of that holy place, and restore it to the dignity that belonged to the courts of the eternal King of heaven

b John ii. 15, 16.

c Lev. xix. 30.