Haggai 2

2. Unless the kingdom of grace be set up in our hearts, our purest offerings are defiled; they may be good as to the matter but not as to the manner, they want that which should meliorate and sweeten them under the Law. If a man who was unclean by a dead body did carry a piece o…

Great was the work of creation, but greater was the work of redemption. As it was said (Haggai 2:9), "The glory of the second temple was greater than the glory of the first temple": so the glory of the redemption was greater than the glory of the creation. Great wisdom was seen…

From the giving of the first Promise, and throughout under the dispensation of the Law, Christ and his coming into the world were the hope of all believers, the great thing which they desired, longed and hoped for. Hence was he called, the Desire of all Nations (Haggai 2), that…

Upon the return of the people from their captivity, neither the Temple, nor the worship of it, nor any of the administrations of the Covenant, nor the Priesthood, were ever restored to their pristine beauty and glory. And whereas the people in general were much distressed at the…

(2.) He did it to exercise the faith of the Church called by virtue of the promise, in the expectation of its accomplishment. And by the various ways whereby God cherished their faith and hope was he glorified in all ages (Luke 1:70; Matthew 13:16; Luke 10:24; 1 Peter 1:10, 11;…

When he had but cast out the buyers and sellers out of the Temple, the priests and scribes begin to plot his death (Luke 19:45, 47). No, where Christ and the Gospel come, there is a shaking of heaven and earth (Haggai 2:6). The less wonder, if I call Reformation like a refiner's…

There are many that hate the true Temple, and the true Church, that is, the communion of saints, yet magnify the outward buildings, as if there were no other Church but only that. So the Jews, when God would have them build his own Temple there they were slack enough: in (Haggai…

Hence He was called "the Coming One." Such is the sense of the question of John (Matthew 11:3): "Are you the Coming One?" — and He had been desired from Adam onward: "the Desire of all nations" (Haggai 2:7). At the appointed time, therefore — that is, when the time destined for…

First, the subject ours; that is, such as we in Christ be heirs of, to use, being sanctified by word and prayer (1 Timothy 4; 1 Corinthians 3:22). The second by the adjoint, such as is both apt, and able by his blessing to nourish us; seeing we may have money, and put it in a bo…

No; (verse 2) "Many people shall say, Come, and let us go to the mountain of the Lord's house." (Haggai 2:7) "And the desire of all nations shall come" — did all nations, quantum in se, so far as lay in them, desire Christ? No such thing.

The scepter of Christ whereby he smites the nations, is in his mouth (Isaiah 11:4): that is, in the Ministry of the word (Jeremiah 15:19). And it is the same Ministry, which shakes heaven and earth (Haggai 2:5). By this it appears, that to take a text, and to make a discourse up…

But Haggai to comfort them, and to show that the glory of the second Temple shall far surpass the first, albeit the outward form of it were less beautiful, brings them forthwith to the Redeemer, saying on this manner: Thus says the Lord of hosts; Yet a little while, and I will s…

We must therefore comprehend all these things together, if we will attain to the true meaning of the Prophet's words. And in this sense it is that Zechariah, Malachi, and Haggai do encourage the people touching the hope of their estate to come, while they thought they lost so mu…

Both these also were to be continued until the coming of the Messiah, but by no endeavours afterwards. Hence was that promise of the glory of the second House, built after the Captivity, and restored by Herod, because of his coming to it who was signified by it (Haggai 2:9; Mala…

The sense also of the words given by the LXX. and that Vulgar, [in non-Latin alphabet], expectatio Gentium, have good countenance given to it, in other places of Scripture. For as he is called, (Haggai 2:7) [in non-Latin alphabet], the desire of all nations, that which they desi…

First, By certain [in non-Latin alphabet], or evident tokens, taken from the Judaical Church, with the state and condition of the whole people of the Jews. This we have insisted on from Genesis 49:10, Haggai 2:8, Malachi 3:1, 2. Secondly, By a computation of the time its self as…

First, by preferring the promised relief and remedy above all the present glory and worship of the Church; directing it to look above all its enjoyments to that which in all things was to have the pre-eminence. See Isaiah 2:2; chapter 4:2-5; chapter 7:13-15; chapter 9:6-7; chapt…

And this life is called the blood, because it is contained or carried in the blood (Genesis 9:4). Further, it is also observable, that the Hebrews call the body separated from the soul, or a dead corpse, Nephesh (Numbers 5:2; 9:10; 19:11; Haggai 2:14). Though the life be quite g…

So then, from this we may see, that a seal, or signet, signifies, 1. What one has a precious esteem of; and therefore, (Jeremiah 22:24) the Lord says of Coniah, though you were the signet on my right hand, etc. And, (Haggai 2:23) the Lord expresses his love to Jerusalem in this,…

4. The next concomitant was his first coming into the second temple, which was his being brought thither when an infant, on occasion of the purification of the blessed Virgin. We read, Haggai 2:7. "The desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house (or temple) with…

The supreme power over Israel should be no more in the royal line of David, to which it properly belonged, but should be removed away, and given to others, and overturned from one to another: First the supreme power over Israel should be in the hands of the Persians; and then it…

The visible kingdom of Satan shall be overthrown, and the kingdom of Christ set up on the ruins of it, everywhere throughout the whole habitable globe. Now shall the promise made to Abraham be fulfilled, That "in him and in his seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed…

The glory of man is their delight. Hence (Haggai 2:7) he is called the desire of all nations: him whom their soul loves and delights in, desire, and long after. So is the saints' delight in him made a description of him by way of eminence (Malachi 3:1).

What is said of life, is true also of his estate, he is not an owner so much as a steward, that's the notion of our possession; we are stewards, and must render an account to God (Hosea 2:9): I will return and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season ther…

Where that word is used, it denotes not Christ: though 2 Samuel 23:2, where that word is, is urged by some to that purpose. He is also called [⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩] (Haggai 2:5), so perhaps in other places. Our present Quakers would have that expression of, the word of God, u…

2. On this condition we possess and enjoy the good things of this world, namely to part with them when God calls us to it. We are not absolute owners but tenants at will (Haggai 2:8): The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Hosts. The absolute disposal of the…

It brings a curse upon all our comforts, blasts all our blessings, the best of all our endeavors, the use of all the choicest of all God's ordinances: it's so evil and vile, that it makes the use of all good things, and all the most glorious, both ordinances and improvements evi…

To the unclean all things are unclean (Titus 1:15); their offering is unclean. Under the law, if a man who was unclean by a dead body, did carry a piece of holy flesh in his skirt, the holy flesh could not cleanse him, but he polluted that (Haggai 2:12-13). He who had the lepros…

It is the judgment of most of the learned writers both Rabbins and others, that the oracular consultation with the Breastplate continued no longer than to the captivity of Babylon, Urim and Thummim being lost at the captivity of Babylon, and wanting at the people's return, as th…

A gracious heart, seeing how far short his renewed state (forthe present) falls of mans primitive holiness by Creation, cannot but weep and mourn, (as the Jewes to behold the second Temple▪) yet (Christian even while the tears are in your eyes for your imperfect graces, (for a s…

When the mountain, upon which it was delivered, the Mediator Moses, into whose hand it was delivered, and the people, for whose use it was delivered, did all shake and tremble, at the voice, power and presence of Christ, who, as it hence appears, is that Jehovah who gave the Law…

Thirdly, all the proficiencies of nature cannot make a man's endeavors good before God; though they may serve to excuse a man to himself, yet not to God. If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt does touch flesh shall it be unclean, says the Lord in…

What is the reason why many ordinary men drudge and toil all the year long, think every hour in the Church so much time lost from their life, are not able to forbear their covetous practices on God's own day, count any time of their life, any work of their hand, any sheaf of the…

Are works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them, they may be things which God commands, and of good use, both to themselves, and others, are they (I say) sinful, and cannot please God? Yes. (Haggai 2:14; Titus 1:15; Amos 5:21-22; Hosea 1:4; Romans 9:16; Titus…