SERMON I.

CHRIST IS THE FOUNDATION AND BELIEVERS ARE THE BUILDING.

I CORINTHIANS iii. 11.

Jesus Christ. He was their all in all; and, therefore, should be ours.

Christ was the foundation which they reported, and preached of to others. Paul says here, v. 10. I laid the foundation. Whom? Himself! No, v. 11. no foundation but Christ. The prophets prophesied

which is Jesus Christ.

Ir is not here alone, but in many other scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament, that our Lord Jesus Christ is held forth unto us under the notion of a foundation; and believers, the church of the firstborn, under the notion of a great building, reared upon that foundation. The explaining and applying of this will be the work of this day.

DOCT. That our Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation, and believers are the building reared upon that foundation.

There is a like union and relation between him and them, as there is between a foundation and a building.

Now that relation and union is,

Very near and close. The closer the better. Such is that between Christ and his church. They that are joined to the Lord are one with him, 1 Cor. vi. 17. "For both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one," Heb. ii. 11. of one piece. It is also very necessary and useful. The building cannot stand without it. A foundation may stand long enough without a building upon it, but no building can stand without a foundation under it and they must be joined united. So Christ might have been without us, but we cannot be without him. But are not the apostles and prophets the foundation? Eph. ii. 20. compare Matt. xvi. 18.

I answer; It is not said, the foundation, the apostles, but the foundation of the apostles; that is, the foundation which they themselves rested on. Had the apostles and prophets been asked, one by one, Who is your foundation, on whom do you build for life and happiness? they would have said,

already come. "Behold the Lamb of God," said John the Baptist.

As for that place in Matthew, by this rock, is not meant the person of Peter. A poor rock for the church to be built on. A rock shaking immediately, v. 22. and worse afterward, Matt. xxvi. But it is the confession of Peter that is intended," Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," v. 16. "Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

But is it not said that Jesus Christ is the corner stone? The corner stone is not the foundation!

I answer; His being the corner stone doth not hinder his being the foundation also. He is both in different respects, "Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone,a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste, Isa. xxviii. 16. The use of a corner stone is to unite the sides of the building, yea, and of the foundation too. That Christ doth by making Jew and Gentile one. "But now, in Jesus Christ, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us,” Eph. ii. 13, 14. He that could join those two distant sides, and make them one, can certainly (and we hope will in his own due time) reconcile lesser differences. The corner post is reckoned very material in a timber fabric, and so the corner stone. "The stone which the builders refused, is become the head stone of the corner," Ps. cxviii. 22.

I. Show the properties of Christ as a foundation, what kind of foundation he is.

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1. A laid foundation, Isa. xxviii. 16. I lay; that is, God the Father, one that knew well enough how to do it, a God of infinite wisdom, and power. The Lord Jesus did not take to himself this honour of being a Mediator; he was called to it, appointed of God for such a purpose. And this is our comfort and joy he that could best tell what would best serve to satisfy his offended justice, here fixed upon his Son for that purpose: "Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom," Job xxxiii. 24. "I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people,” Ps. lxxxix. 19. | 2. A low foundation. Foundations are wont to be laid low; the lower the surer. So here, the Lord Jesus Christ was laid very low, that he might bea meet foundation for us; Phil. ii. 8. he humbled himself.

These were several steps of his humiliation: Into the human nature; to be made a man. That was a long step downward. That the word should become flesh was more than if a star should turn into a clod.

Into subjection under the law. "When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law," Gal. iv. 4. The moral law; nay, the ceremonial law-to be circumcised-presented in the temple-redeemed and ransomed with two turtles-bound to go up to all the feasts.

Into poverty and persecution, contempt and contradiction; to be spurned and trampled on.

To death itself, even the death of the cross; painful, shameful: it is called lifting up, but it was humiliation.

His proceedings are invisible; the proceedings of his grace within, the proceedings of his providence without. "Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron," Ps. lxxvii. 20.

5. A precious foundation, Isa. xxviii. 16. Though all stones in their places are useful, yet they are not all precious stones. Few buildings are built upon precious stones, but the church is. Christ is precious in himself, he is of great worth, the fairest of ten thousands. He is precious in their account and esteem, 1 Pet. ii. 7. To others he is a stone of stumbling, but to them that believe he is precious.

6. A permanent foundation; Isa. xxvi. 4. the rock of ages, from everlasting to everlasting. The saints have been building on him from the beginning, and will be to the end of time. "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever," Heb. xiii. 8. His righteousness is everlasting righteousness; his promises unchangeable promises.

7. An elect, chosen foundation; Isa. xxviii. 16. chosen of God, and precious.

8. An experienced, tried foundation. He was tried by God, who laid a load upon him; by men and devils, who did their best against him, yet all to no purpose; by the saints, who have had occasion to make use of him, and he never failed them. II. Show what is our duty in reference to this foundation.

To the grave. When he was buried he was, as other foundations, laid under the ground.

3. A foundation of stone, Isa. xxviii. 16. A stone is the fittest of all other things to make foundations of, because hard and firm, and yet easily hewn. Now Jesus Christ is a stone foundation, a rock. The Israelites "did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ," 1 Cor. x. 4. 4. A foundation out of sight. All foundations are so; we see the building, but we do not see the foundation. Now such a foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ; he is out of sight. Not below us, as he once was, under the earth, but above in glory.

1 Pet. i. 8.

floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it," Matt. vii. 24, &c.

4. To repair to him in the way of faithful and fervent prayer. Tell him thou art sensible of thy need of him, thou art undone without him.

5. To build upon him. In the great business of justification, to roll and rest thy soul by faith upon

In all our perils and dangers, personal or public, to fly to him, to trust in him, to rely upon him: faithful is he that hath promised. Ps. Ixii. 1. 2; xlvi. 1. "Truly my soul waiteth upon God; from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence: I shall not be greatly moved," Ps. lxii. 1, 2. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble," Ps. xlvi. 1.

6. To beware what we build upon this foundation, in opinion, in practice. "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward." Cor. iii. 12—14. If you build loose, vain, careless walking, your hopes built will be accordingly wood, hay, stubble.

OF THE CHURCH THE BUILDING. "Ye are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through | the Spirit," Eph. ii. 20-22. Ye are built, saith the apostle,―ye believing Ephesians, Christians, saints. Show, I. What kind of building the church is; what are the properties of it.

There it is that the glorious angels are, and the spirits of just men made perfect; all of this building. And then for those that belong to it that are below; their aims and desires are high, their hopes and expectations are high, their affections and conversations are above: "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ," Phil. iii. 20. They trample upon the great things of the world as dirt, as Moses: 66 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter," Heb. xi. 24.

4. It is a holy building, Eph. ii. 21. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" 1 Cor. iii. 16. Every building is not a temple. The church is God's temple. The temple was a place set apart for God-from all other uses for holy uses; so "The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself." And it is our duty to set ourselves apart to be for him wholly-solely. This temple is called a house of prayer, Isa. Ivi. 7. Holiness to the Lord is written upon the front of this building. It is the house that he dwells in. "His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it," Ps. lxxxvii. 1, 2; cxxxii. 13, 14.

5. It is a living building. No other is so. The

1. It is a spiritual building. Other buildings are made of wood and stone, and such like materials. But this building is made of men and women : Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ," 1 Pet. ii. 5. What our Lord Jesus says of his kingdom, is true of his building, that it is not of this world-in it, but not of it, John xv. 19. It is a building of souls. Souls, united to him by faith, are those that make up this building.

2. It is a spacious building; a building of large and vast extent; a great house, nay a great city, nay a great kingdom, from the rising of the sun to the setting of the same-east, west, north, and south, Matt. viii. 11. It is true, in comparison with the devil's building it is but small, a remnant, a little, little flock; but in itself considered, it is exceedingly wide and comprehensive. "I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands," Rev. vii. 9.

dation of the apostles and prophets," Eph. ii. 1, 20. The foundation is a living foundation, and the superstructure is a living superstructure, 1 Pet. ii. 4. 5. All the materials in this building are men and women made spiritually alive-quickened with divine quickenings. Such as once were dead in trespasses and sins, but are now otherwise-alive to God. O make this sure to yourselves.

6. It is a light building. This is one thing that makes a building pleasant, and comfortable-many and large windows. All the world besides is in darkness; it is the church only that hath the true light. As Egypt and Goshen. Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord, walk as children of light."

There are many things about which men are in the dark till they are in this building. As, about God; his glorious excellences, and perfections. About the Lord Jesus; who he is, and what he is, in himself, and to us. About the corruption of nature. About the evil of sin-the vanity of the creature, And the reality of invisible things-heaven-hell.

In all these grace enlightens. The devil's build-, ing is a dark building-called the kingdom of dark