The prophecy of Haggai, interpreted and applied in sundry sermonsThe prophesie of Haggai, interpreted and applyed in sundry sermons

Touching the former it may seem strange that God promiseth to take delight in the Temple, for if he taketh no pleasure in the strength of a horse neither delight in any mans legs, how much less likely is it that he should take delight in an heap of stones and timber? But we must consider the temple not nakedly in it self but in such sort as respecteth the use and signification of it. First the signification, in that it betokened Christ Jesus, of whom it was a figure and shadow, Secondly the use ¹and end whereunto it was directed, namely to serve God. For the signification you know that the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews as also to the Colossians both plainly teach that the things under the law were shadows to represent Christ: they were shadows but he the body; even so the whole temple was a figure and a shadow of Christ, and that nor of himself only, but of his Church also: of him, as the head, of it as the body So the parts thereof shadowed him as the Apostle in the 9 and ²10 to the Heb. teacheth: the verse signifying his flesh whereby he entered into heaven as into the holy of holies: so the altar of incense, the sacrifices, the blood which were offered, the table whereon they were offered, &c. all these things appertaining to the Levitical services, were so many mysteries to represent and shadowed out unto us the person of Christ in whom the light ³and truth of them all shineth. Neither hereby only was the head figured, but the whole body also, for so saith the Apostle to the Corinthians: you are the temple of the living God. Now the Lord himself saith of our Saviour, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, and we also read in the 1 Ephes. 6. that it hath pleased him of his infinite mercy to accept and take delight in us in his beloved. Wherefore you see that God might take delight in the temple in that it signified and shadowed out Christ (in ⁴whom only, if we speak absolutely and properly, God is delighted) as also his members whom it hath pleased God to adopt, and so to delight in his beloved son whom also he vouchsafeth; this grace, that he accepteth not only of their persons, but of their works too: Wherein the latter promise is contained (and I will be glorified) which regardeth the end whereunto this house was built to be a house of prayer, and to offer up praise and thanksgiving for his mercy;