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XXIII. DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS.

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'For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the Desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.' Hag. ii. 6, 7. COMMENTATORS, generally refer this prophecy to Christ. The words were originally addressed to Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the residue of Israel who were engaged in rebuilding the temple after the Babylonish captivity. The strong language employed here, is in accordance with the metaphoric style of the prophets throughout the Old Testament. They represent important changes in the religious and political world, by commotions in the heavens and in the earth. Isaiah, in his prediction concerning the overthrow of the Jewish state, says, "They go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.'*

The passage evidently refers to the coming of Jesus and the glories of his reign. It can with no propriety refer to any other being than Jesus, for it will be seen, as we proceed, that there was revealed through him the very truths which all nations desire. The apostle Paul quotes the passage, though with a little different phraseology, and points out the permanency of the

*Isa. ii. 21. See Ezek. xxviii. 20. Matt. xxiv. 29. 34.

kingdom that would be established by Jesus:'Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear.'*

Several particulars seem to crowd on the mind in viewing this passage. We shall endeavor to present

the whole under two heads.

I. In what sense is Christ the Desire of all nations? II. What was the nature of the glory alluded to in the prophecy?

I. In what sense is Christ the Desire of all nations? It is evident that there was nothing in the mere personal appearance of Jesus that could cause the world to desire him above any other being. It was, therefore, because there were certain blessings to flow from his reign that the world had not yet enjoyed. 'There is a desire, inseparable, it should seem, from the very essence of an immortal spirit, after something, which it feels necessary to its happiness, and which eludes its search, wherever that search is directed. This desire, debased by the fall, seeks, but never finds, satisfaction in earthly and polluted things; and, though it cannot reach the full possession of its object,-for

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Our very wishes give us not our wish yet, until the soul is taught from above, it turns with

*Heb. xii. 26-28.

aversion from Him, who in his own person and work is alone and altogether what the soul wants.' That there was a general expectation of the appearance of such a personage, is evident from many facts which might be gathered from the history of the age in which Jesus appeared.*

1. All nations desire light. The light of day is the most beautiful object in the world. It seems to be the first thing that attracts the infant mind. God has so arranged the natural world that there is light for every human being. But then the mind needs. spiritual light. There is a world within and a world without, and all may be light without while there is midnight darkness within. Jesus came then to enlighten the mind. And as the outward sun enables us to see the outward glories of the universe, so the Sun of Righteousness enables us to behold the moral glories of the Creator. And what a beautiful correspondence there is between the natural and the spiritual world. And has not God provided as extensively for the one as for the other? Jesus has come then as the light of that world. Hence, he is emphatically the Desire of all nations. The light of science and all the glories of the intellectual world are insufficient for the moral and spiritual part of man. Jesus alone can supply that want. He will shine on every heart till light and truth shall fill God's universe. The light has come. Long was it desired. Men explored their way as well as they were able, amidst darkness and doubt, till at last moral light dawned upon the world, and the Desire of all nations appeared!

* See title MESSIAH.

2. All nations desire knowledge. Man is an intellectual and moral being. He needs that kind of knowledge which will satisfy his whole nature. The gospel is revealed for that purpose. And to show the manner in which this is accomplished would be a greater work than our limits would permit. When Jesus started on his great errand of mercy, the world was in a state of moral darkness. True, much had been done by philosophers to adorn and enlighten the intellect. But the soul was thirsting for a knowledge of spiritual and divine things. There was a general ignorance respecting the nature and worship of God, respecting the creation of the world and the final destiny of man. Dark, confused and imperfect views of human duty prevailed universally. Philosophy could not give man a perfect knowledge on these great subjects. Hence there was a strong desire for more light from on high. 'How many, it is probable, have resembled the interesting Burman female, Mah Menla, whose little history is recorded in the life of the late Mrs. Judson. For ten years had her mind sought, with an anxiety nearly amounting to distraction, a satisfactory knowledge of the origin of all things, and of innumerable other points connected with that primary question, before a tract, written by Mr. Judson, gave her the first clear notion of an eternal God.' Man was groping his way, guided by a few transitory and uncertain beacons, amid desolate realms of mental darkness and chaos. The moral world was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. said, Let there be light, and there was light!'

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the Desire of all nations appeared. glory of the Lord shone round about.' There was 'heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.'

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3. All nations desire immortality. Man clings (with great tenacity to his earthly existence, yet pants for a future life. Who is there that does not desire another state of being? It seems to be inwoven with our very nature. Indeed, our state on earth is rather that of desire than attainment. In heaven, this will be completely gratified, and the attainments of the soul will be commensurate with, and even largely exceed its more expanded and ardent desires. To show the darkness that prevailed in the ancient world respecting the doctrine of immortality is too great a work for us. We will, however, cite the words of two of the most eminent philosophers. Cicero, after treating the subject at considerable length, and bringing forward a variety of cogent arguments in behalf of the doctrine, and the nature and duration of the soul, says, 'Which of these is true, God alone knows, and which is most probable, is a very great question.'* Indeed, after looking over the views of the whole ancient world, Seneca makes the following very just observation: 'Immortality,

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* Cicero, Tusc. Quæst. lib. 1.

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