Serra. XVI. the Glory o f the Second Temple. 1 1 9 will 'afo give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayefi be my Salvation to the endof the earth : And Luke 2. 3o. when Simeon had our Bleffed Saviour in his Arms, when he was firft brought into the Temple, he calls him the Sal vation of God; Mine Eyes (faith he to God) have feen thy Salvation; and ,john 4. 22. Salvation is of the yews, that is, the Mesas was to be of that Nation. But which is more exprefs, Chrift is called our Peace,' Eph..2. 14. nay, he is exprefly called Peace, or the Peace, Micah 5. 5. and this Man (fpeaking of the Mlles) (hall be the Peace, that is, one of his -Tames or Titles Chaff be peace. So that I make little doubt, but that in this Expreflion in the Text, of giving peace, is meant, giving the Megias; and that this is render'd as the Reafon, why the Glory of the Second Temple fhould be greater than of the Firft, becaufe in that place. the Was fhould appear, and remarkably Phew himfelf. God could have given this Second Temple, if he had thought fit, as much outward Glory andBeauty as that, of Solomon's Building ; for filver and gold are his, and all the Riches ofthe World are at his Command ; but he chofe to put a far greater Ho- nour upon it than that of Silver and Gold, and to make it much more Glorious in another refpeft, theglory of this latter hoofe £hall be greater than of the for- mer; becaufe in this place I will give the Meelas the Peace, and Happinefs, and Salvationof Mankind, and incomparably the greateft Bleffing that ever was given to the World. The Words being thus explained, it will now be more eafie to fhew, how the feveral parts ofthis Prediftion do agree to our Bleffed Saviour, and to no other. - I. That there fhould be great Changes and Commotions in the World before his coming; Iwill (hake the heavens, andthe earth, and the fea, and the dry land, and Iwill (hake all nations ; and then he fhould come. II. That about the time of his coming, the World fhould be in a general Ex- pedtation of him ; and the expeèlation ofall nations(hall come. III. That he fhould come during the, continuance, of the Second Temple ; for it was his coming that fhould fill that Houfe with Glory, and in that place the Mejias, who is called Peace, is protìiifed to be given ; andin this place will I givepeace, faith the Lordof hells. IV. That this comingof the Mlles fhould be the raft difpenfation ofGod for the Salvation of Men, and confequently fhould be perpetual and unalterable; yet once more, and I will (hake the heavens and the earth ; yet once more, from whence the Apoftle to the Hebrews argues, that the Gofpel fhould be a perpetual and unalterable difpenfation. Of thefe I £hall fpeak feverally, and as briefly as I can. I. Here is a Prediftion of great Changes andCommotion in the World before the coming of the Meffias ; thus faith the Lord of hofis, I will £hake the hea- vens, and the earth, and the fea, and the dry land, and Iwill £hake all nations, and the Afire of all nations (hall come ; plainly fignifying hereby, that before. the 'coming of the Maas (who is here called the defire and expeiiation of all nations) there fhould be very great Commotions and Changes in the World, that the Empire of the World fhould be overturned; for fä I have told you, that this Expreffion of fhaking the heavens, and the earth is explained, verfe 21. of this Chapter, I will (hake the heavens and the earth, and will overthrow the throne of kingdoms. And this was fulfilled in a molt remarkable mariner, between the time of this Prophecy, and the coming of our Bleffed Saviour, during which time, (though it was but four hundred Years) there happened great Commotions, and much more confiderable Revolutions, in the great Kingdomsof the World, than had done in above two thoufand Years before, and in almoft one thoufand feven hundred Years fince ; fo that it is no wonder, that the Predidtioti of thefe things is by God himfel£ expreft in fo very folemn a manner, as I obferved before. At the time of this Prophecy, the Empire of the World was newly tranfla- ted'from the Arians to the Medes and Perfians; and not long after, the Gre-, cians under 4lexander the Great quite overthrew the Pollan Empire, and that by
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