Tillotson - BX5037 T451 1712 v1

Serm. XV I. the Glory of the Second Temple. 117 Lord of Holds, being no lefs than five feveral times ufed within the compafs of thefe four Verfes ; the like Inflance whereto is not, perhaps, in the whole Bible: Thus faith the Lord of hofls, Tet once, it is a little while, and I evill /hake ¿he heavens, and the earth, Verfe 6. And I will fill this horfe with glory, faith the Lordof hafts, verfe T. The filver is mine, and the gold is mine, faith the Lord of halls, Ver. 8. And twice, Ver. 9. The glory of this latter beufe /hall hegreater than of the former, faith the Lord ofbolls ; and in this glace, will I givepeace, faith the Lord ofhofis. So that by the folemn manner of expreflïng of it, we may imagine, that it is fome very great thing which is fpoken of, and fuch as the like had never been before ; and fuck was the incarnation and coming of the Meffïas. I know that the Modern yews will by no means have this Text to be under- ftood of the Mohacs, and not without caufe ; for he that is fpoken ofin the Text, was to collie into the fecond Temple, which hath now been deftroyed above i600 Years ago; and they do not believe the Mefas to be yet come ; and there- fore whatever shift they make, they nmft interpret this Text, offonie other Perfon than the ploy ias : But then it is plain for what Reafon they do fo, it being evi- dent from their own Talmud, that the Ancient yews did underhand it of the Mefás; but being harden'd in their Unbelief, they pervert all thofe Texts where- by they might be convinc`d, that fefus our Bleffed Saviour was the True Mefas. And indeed, whoever carefully confiders the feveral Exprefüons and Cireum- ftances of this Predi &ion, cannot underftand it of any other. To make this Evi- dent, I hhlll explain the feveral Expreffions in the Text, Thus faith the Lord of lees, Yet once, it is a little while. Tet a little while, fo it is in the Hebrew. Tet once more, fo the LXX render it, and fo it is quoted from the LXX in the New Tefiament, Heb. 12. 26. and this Senfe the Hebrew Word may likewife hear, and our Tranflation of the Text takes them both in, Tet once it is a little while. If we take the Words in the firfl Senfe, Tat a little while, they lignifie, that God was then beginning thofe Changes in the World, which were to precede atad make way for the coming of the Meffias. This indeed was not till about Four Hundred Years after ; but a great while before that time God began thofe Changes in the World, which were to prepare the way for his coming ; and confidering the long time which was paff from the dril Promife made to Abra- ham, Four HundredYears in comparifon of that may feem but a little while. But I rather choofe the latter Senfe of this Phrafe, Tet once more ; becaufe the Hebrew will bear it, and becaufe it is fo quoted in the New Teftament ; as if the Prophethad faid, That God had before done a great thing in the World, and accompanied with great Miracles; viz. The giving of the Law by Mofes, which was attended with great Commotions, both in Egypt, by bringing the People of Ifrael out front thence with a mighty Hand, and by deftroying the Nations before them, whofe Land God gave then for a Poifefliion ; but now he would do one greater thing more, the fending of the Muas, and the planting ofhis Religion in the World; in order whereunto there fhould be much greater, and more univerfal Commotions and Changes in the World, and more and greater Miracles wrought; Tet once more, and Iwill /hake the heavens and the earth, and the fea, and the dry land, and I will fha.tze all nations. From which Words the Apoftle to the Hebrews argues the abolifhing of the Jewifh Difpenfation, and the bringing in of another that Ihould be unalterable, Heb. IS. 27. And this Word, Yet once more, (fays the Apoftle) ftgnifes the removing of thofe things that are /baker,, that thole things which cannot he Jhaken may remain. And this I fitall have occafion to explain more fully in the following parts of this Dif- courfe. Pet once snore I will (hake the heavens and the earth, &c. For the under- flanding whereof, we are to confider, That the Hebrews have no one Word where- by to exprefs the World, and therefore they do it by an enumeration of the prin- cipal Parts of it. Sp Gen. s. when Mofes would exprefs the Creation of the World,

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