Section 1081
IV. This temple was a figure of the church of God, as to the materials of it
The materials, we are told, were costly stones: (1 Kings 5:17) such as were of great worth, and were bought at a great price. Hence the antitype, the church of God, is said to have its foundations laid with sapphires, its windows of agates, its gates of carbuncles, and all its borders of pleasant stones: (Isaiah 54:12) by which are meant the precious sons of Sion, comparable to gold, and all that is valuable. The stones of which the temple was built were hewn stones, ready prepared to he laid in the building: for there was not so much as a hammer or an axe, the noise of which was heard all the while the temple was building, as it is said in the preceding chapter. This denotes, that such as are laid in the spiritual building, are taken from nature’s quarry, separated from the rest of mankind; are hewn by the Spirit of God, and so fitted for the spiritual building. And it suggests, that in this spiritual building, the church, there shall be no discord, no clamours, no jars; but all concord, harmony, peace, and love. The noise of an axe or a hammer ought not to be heard there.
Moreover, cedar wood was greatly made use of as a material in building that temple. As the temple was built of costly and precious stones, hewn and fitted for the building; so the wall was wainscoted and floored with wood of cedar, fetched from mount Lebanon. A fragrant and durable wood; so a proper emblem of those who are the materials of the spiritual building, the church. Our Lord Jesus Christ, because of the excellency of his person and offices, is said to be excellent as the cedars: (Song of Solomon 5:15) and his people also, because of the fragrancy and grace bestowed upon them, and because of their duration and perseverance in grace and holiness, are said to grow as the cedar in Lebanon. (Psalm 92:12)
Once more: That stately, famous building, the temple, where these two pillars were placed, mentioned in our text, was covered or overlaid with gold. Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he wade a partition, by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold. And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house. (1 Kings 6:21, 22)What a magnificent, splendid building must this be! a proper emblem and figure, therefore, of the church of God, and of true believers in Christ, who are the materials thereof; who stand in the presence of Christ, at his right hand, in gold of Ophir; whose clothing is of wrought gold, and who are all glorious within, ornamented with the graces of the blessed Spirit. But,