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THE TEMPLE DESTROYED, OR THE PARISH IN AFFLICTION.

A

SERMON, Preached in the Court House, AUBURN, CAYUGA COUNTY, N. Y.

The sixth Sunday alter Epiphany, Feb, 12, 1832,

BEING THE SUNDAY FOLLOWING THE DESTRUCTION OF ST. PETER'S CHURCH BY FIRE.

By J. C. Rudd. D. D.

RECTOR OF SAID CHURCH.

AUBURN: Office of the Gospel Messenger. H. B. TEN EYCK, PRINTER.

been designated for their home.

It was a delightful

land for beauty and fertility. It brought forth fruits of delicious flavour, " and all manner of store."

Its

streams were pure, and its hills were arrayed in a richness of verdure, which justified the remark of its historians,--that it was a" delightsome land."

Amid

those fertile hills and beautiful valleys, and along those winding brooks and rivers this favoured company became the wonder, and the fear of all surrounding people.

Wise men, breathing forth the maxims

of inspiration, and evidently in the special keeping of the divine power, regulated their affairs.

Institutions

holy and instructive led their thoughts to virtue, and God was evidently their friend. Though they were frequently found wandering from the ways of truth and propriety, they were often most truly grateful for their mercies and bestowed their best efforts to evince their gratitude.

At length as a demonstration

of their devotion they resolved to erect a temple for the worship of the great and holy one who had so con spicuously favoured them.

That temple rose in all

the magnificence and splendour of art and its decorations were of the most sumptuous and engaging na-ture. God himself accepted this offering of his peo-ple, and by incontestable demonstrations, placed the glory of his presence within the hallowed dwelling and gave a consecrating touch to the beautiful hill upon which the edifice was reared. But this people could not, or would not profit by all the evidences of their great deliverer's mercies.

They lost sight of

the daties of that Banetrary and rim away for its ser-

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vices to the worship of other Gods, not known to their fathers. The most tender warnings were spoken to persuade them- -the most unequivocal assurances were uttered to divert them from folly and sin. Severe visitations overtook them, and sore af flictions befel them. If they smarted awhile under the rod, they soon forgot their promises of amend-ment, and again offended their merciful protector.

At length, as if wearied with their rebellions and their ingratitude he gave up their country to the madness of invading hosts, -and the temple which had been their pride, to pillage, waste and desecration-and finally, a proud and insulting foe, to complete their misery, drove them out of the land they loved, and compelled them to witness the impious feasts of idolatry and shame in the midst of Babylonian op-pression.

There they felt the degradation and

wretchedness of their condition.

They sat them-

selves down in despondency upon the banks of the turbid streams of their conqueror's dominion, and hanging their harps, which in other days, they had employed in the songs of their temple, upon the wil lows around them, they gave themselves to despair; and there they say, in one of their own plaintive hymns,-« We wept when we remembered Zion." I need not tell you brethren, that this afflicted people was the Jewish nation, the peculiar care of God.

In the Ist verse of the 137th Psalm. we have the declaration just recited, and which constitutes my test.

" Wewept when we remembered Zion