This second Temple was, in many respects, greatly inferior to the first. Hence, when the foundation of it was laid, many, on this interesting occasion, shouted aloud for joy; there were many, on the other hand, of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers that were ancient men, and had seen the first house, who wept with a loud voice, while they perceived how far this house would probably fall short of the former, in beauty and grandeur. Thus they discouraged the people, in the arduous work which they had begun ; and it appears that the building proceeded heavily and slowly, and was attended with frequent interruptions, and much unnecessary delay.

In these circumstances the prophet Haggai, by a Divine commission, was sent to them for the purposes of reproving their negligence, and animating them in their undertaking. He accordingly reminded them, that, on account of their suffering" the house of the Lord to lie waste, while they dwelt at ease in their own ceiled houses," the Lord had visited them with unfavourable seasons, and blasted their hopes from the fruits of the earth. Then with a view to excite them to resume and prosecute the work with alacrity and diligence, he assures them, that in this case, "the Lord would be with them, as he had been with their forefathers," to pros per and to bless them; and that he would take pleasure, and be glorified, in the house which they should build. To obviate the discouragement which they felt from the consideration, that this house must appear as nothing, in comparison, in the eyes of those who had seen the first house in its glory, he directs their views to an event in its nature, the most important and interesting that ever took place in the world; an event which

would occur, during the existence of this second Temple, and which would give a greater glory to this latter house, than any which belonged to the former. For to this house, the long expected Messiah would come; even that Divine Saviour, who is described as "the Desire of all nations," because in him all the nations of the earth were to be blessed, and to him would they all, in due time, look with ardent desire, as their consolation and hope, their salvation and glory. His coming, they are encouraged to expect, "in a little while ;" within a short space of time, compared with the years that had passed; the centuries that had rolled away, since the first promise of salvation in him to fallen man. In this view, soon would that " shaking of the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land, and of all the nations," take place, which signified those great political convulsions and revolutions that would terminate in the extension and establishment of the Roman empire over the principal nations, commonly called the whole world; and more especially, that great change in the Jewish church and state, which would include the abrogation of their ritual law, and the introduction of the Christian dispensation, that was to endure to the end of the world. Then, in the fulness of the time appointed, and in the circumstances ordained to attend his appearance in the world, the Messiah would come to this second Temple, and by his presence, fill that house with a glory far surpassing all the external magnificence and splendour, by which the first Temple was distinguished.

This promise, made more than five hundred years before the coming of Christ in the flesh, was in its time fulfilled; when, as the Apostle testifies, "The Word was

made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Then was this promise realized in that house, which was not long afterwards completely destroyed and laid waste, together with the city of Jerusalem, in which it stood. Then did the sceptre of government totally depart from Judah, and the Jewish nation, divested of the high honor and sacred privileges, which belong to the church of God, were scattered abroad among all the other nations of the earth; and in all places of their dispersion, they have, for more than seventeen centuries, continued under those awful frowns of heaven, which visibly and strongly mark their peculiar guilt, in rejecting their Messiah, and crucifying the Saviour of the world; and from which they will not be delivered, "till they shall return and seek the Lord and David their king, and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days."

Since that memorable period, the Temple of the Lord has been in every place, where the exalted Redeemer, for whom the pious formerly." waited, as the consolation and glory of Israel," and who was "set to be a light of the Gentiles, that he might be for salvation to the ends of the earth," finds any number, even two or three of the church, which he has bought with his blood, gathered together in his name, for the purposes of waiting upon him in the ordinances of his grace, and of offering the homage of their worship, to God in him, according to the rules of his word.

Considering then the promise in our text, in the true spirit of it, as applicable to every place in which the disciples and friends of Christ are assembled, and engaged in the exercises of Christian worship; may we

not now cherish the pleasing, animating hope, that this house, which we have prepared for the worship of our God and Saviour, and which we are this day dedicating to his holy service, may be filled with his glory?

The observations which have been already suggested, will lead us to consider the presence of the Lord, as constituting the glory with which we should desire to see the house of his worship filled.

That our desire of seeing this, may be the more rational, pure, and animated, by being directed to its proper object: I shall now endeavour to shew,

I. What we are to understand by the presence of the Lord, in the house or place where he is worshipped. II. In what respects the presence of the Lord may be expected to fill the house or place of his worship with glory.

I. What we are to understand by the presence of the Lord in the house or place where he is worshipped.

The presence of the Lord is indeed every where ; and there is no place in which his glory is not displayed, or may not be perceived by the eye of reason or of faith. "Am I a God at hand, and not afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places, that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord."* Impressed with this grand and awful truth, the Psalmist exclaims, "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit; or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend into heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there! If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth, even there shall thine hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."†

* Jer. xxiii. 23, 24.

†Psalm cxxxix. 7—10.

These things are spoken of the essential, universal presence of Jehovah.

But the subject of our present meditations, leads us to consider rather his special presence, or the peculiar manifestations of himself, which he grants to those whom he condescends to favour and to bless. The presence of the Lord, in this sense, constitutes the heavenly state of glory and felicity, in which Daniel saw, in prophetic vision, an innumerable multitude of holy and happy spirits ministering to the Lord, and ten thousand times ten thousand, standing before him.* And of this David speaks, in language the most animated and expressive, when he says, "In thy presence, is fulness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures forever more."+

The presence of the Lord, in this sense, is not however confined to heaven. It is vouchsafed also to his people on earth. "For thus saith the high and lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, and whose name is Holy : I dwell in the high and holy place; with him also, that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." To the same purpose his word assures us, that he draws nigh to them who draw nigh to him. And the experience of the pious, co-incides with his word, in pronouncing the persons blessed, whom the Lord chooses and canses to approach unto him, that they may dwell in his courts, or wait upon him in the ordinances of his worship. In this view, also, he has graciously promised to his people, saying, “In all || Jam. iv. 8.

* Dan. vii. 10.

Psalm xvi. 11. + Isai. lvii. 15

§ Psalm Ixy.