z i 8 The Prefence of the li/i"effïas, voie L World, he fays, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And fo St. Peter, when he would exprefs the Revolution of all things, after the uni- verfal Conflagration of the World, calls it, a new heaven, and a new earth, 2 Pet. 3. 13. Neverthelefs we, according to his promife, look for new heavens, and a new earth ; that is, a new World, a quite other Frame and State of things, than that which we now fee. And fo the Prophet here in the Text to exprefs tlíe great Commotions and Changes that fhould he in the World before the coming of the Mefas, fays, that God will )hake the heavens, and the earth, and the fea, and the dry land; that is, he would caufe great Revolutions in the World ; there fhould be great Wars and Confufions, and the Empires of the World fhould pafs from one Hand to another. And thus we find this very Exprefl'ion interpreted, ver. 2r, 22. of this Chapter, I will (hake the heavens and the earth, and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I soill deftroy abe firength of the Kingdoms ofthe nations. And to Phew that by fhaking the heavens and the earth, is meant great Changes in the World, and as it were an univerfal Commotion of it, he adds in the Text, by way of farther Explication, and Iwill (hake all nations. And then it follows, and thedefire of all nations fhall come. This we (as the ancient 7ews alto did) take to be a plain Charader and Defcription of the Hear, he is the defire of all nations ; he whom all Nations had Reafon to defire, be- caufe of thofe great Bleflings and Benefits which he was to bring to the World. Thus Interpreters generally underhand thefe Words, and it is very true the Meffras was fo : But this does not feem to be the true importance of this phrafe ; for the HebrewWord fignifies Expectation as well asDefire, and fo I fhould rather choofe to render it, the Expectation of all Nationsjhall come ; which fignifies, that about the time of the coming of the Me/fias, not only the yews, but other Nations, fhould be in a general Expectation of foine great Prince then to appear ; which was mob eminently accomplilhed in our Bleffed Saviour, as I (hill Phew by and by. And I will fill this houfe withglory, faith the Lord of boffs, fpeakingofthe Second Temple, which was then in buildings which though it fell very much fhort of Solomon's, in point of State and Magnificence ; yet by being honoured with the Prefence of the Merïas, it fhould he much more Glorious than Solomon's Temple. The fiber is mine, and the gold is mine, faith the Lord of hop ; not that God wanted the command of Gold and Silver , to have made the Second Temple equal to Solomon's in outward Glory and Splendour ; he could eafily have made it fo in that refpe& ; and 'ofphus tells us, that not long before the time ofour Saviour's coming, Herod had built and beautified it to that degree, that in foine refpe&s it excelled Solomon's; and of this foine underhand the next Words, Theglory of this latter hou fe )hall be greater than of the former ; namely, That this was accomplifhed in that Beauty and Magnificence which was added to it, when it was re-edified by Herod the Great : But however that be, this is cer- tain, that it was much more Glorious in another refpe&, namely, that it entertained the Meffïas thegreat Expeation and Bleffing of all Nations. And in thisplace will Igive peace, faith the Lord or bolls. Some underhand this, of that Univerfal Peace which was throughout the World, when our Savi- our was born in the Reign of Auguflus Cefar. Others with great probability in- terpret this of the Me/fias himfelf, who is called here by the Name of Peace; and fo fome of the ancient Yews underflood it ; in this place will I give Peace, that is, the Megias. For the HebrewWord fignifies all kind of Happinefs, and fo it includes all thofe Bleflings and Benefits, that Happinefs and Salvation which the MefJias brought to the World. And this will appear very probable, if we confider, how frequently in Scripture this Title is given to the Me/Jias. If i. 9. 6. he is called the Prince ofPeace ; and Zach. 9. ra. it is fiid of him, that he fhould fpeak peace to the nations ; and the Apoftle to the Hebrews, parallels him with .Melchífedech in this, Particular, that be was King of Salem, that is, King ofpeace; and which is very little different from this, he is frequently in Scripture called Salvation, which fignifies the Happinefs of being refcued and de- Livered from all kind ofEvil ; as Peace fignifies all kind of Good, Ifni. 49. 6. I will
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