The City of God, Exposition of Revelation · Chapter 21 · Part 13
Of there being no Temple in it.
And I ſaw no Temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb are the Temple of it. verſe 22.
THe Temple of old was the place of Gods worſhip that ſtood in the City of God, which was curiouſly built, by cunning Artificers of Wood and Stone, and richly adorned with Gold, and precious ſtone, and to which worldly Sanctuary belonged a Prieſt-hood, viz a High-prieſt, Chief-prieſts and inferiour prieſts or Levites, whereof divers Ranks and Courſes and diſtinguiſhed by different habits, wayting at the Altar, and attending the Moſaical Service and Ceremony both day and night, and maintained by Tenths, firſt-Fruits and Oblations, &c. beſides the Nazarites and Votaries which was typical of the true Tabernacle that was made with hands, even the New Teſtament Temple, viz. the miſtical body of Chriſt the Church, ſo called in the Goſpel, as the Apoſtle witneſſeth, 1 Cor. 16.17. 2 Cor. 6.16. What Agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols for year, the Temple of the living God, as God hath ſaid, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God and they ſhall be my people, compared Rev. 21.3. and Heb. 3.5, 6. whoſe houſe are ye, built by Chriſt the maſter-builder, and which as the ſpiritual houſe, 1 Pet. 2.4, 5 6. is built of living ſtones, and hath belonging to it the Golden Altar, ſpiritual incenſe and ſacrifices, a ſpiritual prieſt-hood with a great High-prieſt that lives for ever after the order of Melchiſadeck, ſo that in the New Teſtament day there is no other Temple to be ſeen but ſuch as Chriſt and his miſtical body makes, no ſuch Temple that was to be built after Moſes pattern in the Old Teſtament day; for the Vail of that Temple being rent, the Altar ſervice, ſacrifice and Prieſt-hood, Law it ſelf being altered and changed, Heb. 7.12. to make way for the new Temple Altar, Law-ſervice, ſacrifice, Prieſthood, the old is no more to be ſeen, but all the Divine worſhip and ſervice to be performed in the new …emple, where the Prieſts the ſons of Levi Mal. 3.3. being purified, and having on the white Robes, the pure fine Linnen, which is interpreted to be the righteouſneſs of the Saints (in alluſion to the linnen Ephod of old) do ſtand at the Altar with much incenſe in the Golden Cenſer, offering it with the Prayers of all Saints, Rev. 8.34. and ſo ſerve him day and night in his Temple, Rev. 7.15. And this to fulfil what Chriſt himſelf affirmed to the Woman of Samaria, John 4.23, 24. That the hour was coming, and then was that the true Worſhippers ſhould worſhip the Father in Spirit and Truth; and that he ſought to worſhip him, and that in oppoſition to their going up to this, or the other Conſecrated and Dedicated place, of worſhip as Samaria or Jeruſalem.
Holding out hereby the truth, purity, and ſpirituality of Goſpel worſhip, that by the Lords Miniſtry according to his own order and appointment ſhall now be performed, that will make it like the figure of Heaven it ſelf as before.
The quit contrary is true concerning Babylon, for there is a Temple to be ſeen in her; yea, and ſuch a Temple too that is afte… the old pattern, which is as great a demonſtration, as any of her Apoſtate ſtate, and that ſhe is old Ieruſalem, not new, the Harlot, and not the Bride; for have you not there the Cathedral, that is juſt built after the figure and pattern of the Temple, with the Porch, the Holy and moſt holy Place, with ſolemn dedication and conſecration to Divine worſhip, with all the holy ground it ſtands upon, and is ſurrounded with; and richly adorned with gold and ſilver and precious ſtone, having alſo its holy Water, Oyl, Incenſe and rich Perfumes, Lamps, Tapors, Candelſticks, and Inſtruments of Muſick, &c. And is their not a Prieſthood, belonging thereto after the pattern of Aaron, to ſerve at the Altar, for have you not a Higſt-prieſt the Pope, and chief Prieſts, the Cardinals, Biſhops, Deans, Abbots, as well as an inferiour Prieſt-hood, like the Levits, conſiſting of ſeveral orders and ranks, diſtinguiſhed by their names and Veſtments, as Parſons, Vicars, Curates, Cannons, petty Cannons, Bural, Deans, Choriſters, Muſitians, ſinging Nuns, Monks and Fryers of diverſe Orders, Votaries unnumerable, who ſerve at this Alter day and night, and have their tenths, firſt Fruits, Oblations, to ſupport and maintain the ſame, with their Jubiles, new Moons, Feaſts, Faſts, and Saints days, and a hundred Heatheniſh additions and inventions, to make this their Temple compleat Babyloniſh, and for none of which is their the leaſt ſylable in Chriſts Goſpel concerning his new Teſtament Temple and ſervice. Fully demonſtrating and fulfilling what the Apoſtle Paul foretold, 2 Theſſ. 2. Concerning this myſtery of iniquity and man of ſin: that ſhall thus ſit in the Temple of God, ſhewing himſelf that he is God, who by his thus changing times and Laws, Dan. 7.25. Eſa. 24.5. ſhall oppoſe and exalte himſelf above all that is called God and worſhipped; And who hereby is truely ſaid, Rev. 13.6. To open his mouth in blaſphemy againſt God, to blaſpheme his name, and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven: and to tread the Holy City under his feet, Rev. 11.2.