Tillotson - BX5037 T451 1712 v1

Semi. XVI. the Glory of the Second Temple. Mon, porous throughout all the Ehjiern Parts, that the Fates had determined that there fhould come out of Judea thole thatflmuldgovern the World ; and be adds what it quoted before out of 7ofephus, Id fudai ad fe trahentes, rebellarunt; That the Jews taking this to themfelves, did thereupon rebel. Now it is very remarkable, that the very Words of this. Tradition feem to be a verbal Tranfla- tion of that Prophecy in. Micah, I t out ofJudah fliould come the Governour lit 7udaii profedi rerum potirentur. The other Teftitnony is out of Tacitus ; and his Words are there,. (lib. 2I.) Pluribus perfia/io inerat antiquis Sacerdotum libris contineri, eo ipfo tempore fore, ut valefceret Oriens, profeftique 7udæa re-- rumpotirentur : Agreat many (fays he) were poffe/fed with a Perfuafton that it was contained in the ancient Books of the Priefts, that at that very Time the Eafi fhould prevail, and that they who fhouldgovern the World, were to come out of Judea. By the ancient Books ofthe Prie1is, he, in all Probability, means the an- cient Prophecies of Scripture ; for the lafi Expreflion is the fame with that of Suetonius, taken out of the Prophet Micah ; and the other, that the KO fbould prevail, does plainly refer to that Title given to the Mews by the Prophet Za- chary, Chap. 6. 12. where he is called, The Man whofe Name is ring, which fignifies Oriens and Germen, both the Eafl and a Branch ; our Tranflation hath it, The Man whofe Name is the Branch; but it might as well be render'd, The Man whofe Name is the Eaft. Thus you fee this Character of our Saviour in this Prophecy molt literally fulfilled, That he was the Expedation Ofall Nations. I proceed to the Illy Circumftance of this Prediftion, That he who is here foretold, fhould come during the Continuance ofthis Second Temple ; becaufe it was his Prefence that fhould fill that Houfe with Glory ; and it was in that Place that the lbteas, who is called the Peace, is promifed to be given; And in this Place will I give Peace, faith the Lord ofHofs. And this is likewife molt exprefly foretold by the I'rophet Malachi, Chap. 3. i. Behold, I willfend my Meffenger, and he fhhall pre- pare the Way before me ; and the Lord whomye look for, (hall fuddenly come into bic Temple ; even the Meffenger ofthe Covenant, whom yedelight in, behold he (ball come, faith the Lord of Halls : And accordingly Jefus, our Bleffed Saviour, carne during the Second Temple ; he was prefented there by his Parents, and owned by Simeon for the Me'S CGS ; he difputed there, and taught frequently there,F and by his Prefence filled that Houfe with Glory. For that the Son of God taught publickly there, was a greater Honour to it, than all the Silver and Gold ofSolomon's Temple. And not long after his Death (according to his exprefs Prediftion) this Second Temple was deftroyed to the Ground ; fo that not one Stone of it was left upon another. And when, fome hundred of Years after, it was attemptedtto be re-built three feveral times, the laft whereof was by Julian the Apoftate, in Oppofitiori to Chriffianity, and to our Saviour's Prediftion; Fire came out of the Foundation, anddeftroyed the Workmen ; fo that they defifted in great Terror, and durst ne- ver attempt it afterwards. And this not only the Chriftian Writers of that Age, iii great Numbers, do teftify, but Ammianus Marcellinus (a Heathen Hiftorian who liv'd in that Time) does alfo give us a very particular Account ofthis memorableMatter. So that if by the Expectation of the.Nations be here meant the Mefas, (as I have plainly (hewn) then he is long fince come, and was no other than ,efus, our Bleffed Saviour, who, according to this Prophecy, was to fill the fecond Temple with Glory ; which bath now been demolifhed above one thoufand fix hundred Years ago, and the Re-building whereof hath been fo often and fo re- markablyhinder'd from Heaven. The Confideration of all which were fufficient to convince the Jews of their vain Expedation of a Me/fiás yet to come, were they not fo obftinately rooted and fixed in their Infidelity. There remainsnow the IVh And Left Circumftance of this Prophecy, viz. That the Coming of the McJìas was to be the laft Difpenfation of God, for the Salvation of Men ; and, confequently, was to be perpetual and unchangeable : Tet once more, and I will (hake the Heavens and the Earth, and the Sea, and the dry Land : And I will fhake all. Nations, and the Expedation ofall Nations (hall come, Tet once more front

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