him as designating only some great political convulsion, yet we have reason to think that they had a literal accomplishment in the event before us. It must be remembered, that, at the giving of the Law, " the whole of Mount Sinai quaked greatly^." Thus at the termination of that, and the introduction of the Christian, dispensation, a similar miracle was wrought ; " the earth quaked to its very centre ; and the rocks were rent asunder :" and we are warranted by an inspired Apostle to declare, that that phenomenon shadowed forth the abolition of the whole Jewish economy, and the establishment of Christianity in its place °. It is observable, too, that the Apostle lays all the stress on one particular word of the prophet ; (a word which superficial readers would have overlooked;) and shews, that it was intended by God himself io foretell, and to explain, the earthquake which we are now speaking of. The tabernacle and all the things belonging to it were " made'' by the hands of men, and therefore were not intended to continue beyond a certain period : but, under the Christian dispensation, every thing is spiritual and of Divine origin, and consequently is destined to endure for ever : the removal of the former, there- fore, and the establishment of the latter, being fixed in the Divine counsels, they were predicted by the prophet, and ex- pressly marked in that one word which the Apostle so correctly notices ; " This word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things ivhich cannot be shaken, may remaiii"
What obligations do we owe to God for the light which the New Testament reflects on the Jewish writings, and for the confirmation which it receives from them ! No uninspired author could ever have discovered such mysteries in so obscure a passage ; nor can any one who beholds this inspired expo- sition of it, withhold his admiration of the unfathomable depths of God's wisdom and knowledge.]
2. The rending of the veil —
[This was not a mere accident arising from the earthquake, but an appointment of God for the fuller manifestation of his own purpose and grace.
There were two veils in the temple ; the one separating the holy place from the outer court, and the other separating the holy place from the holy of holies. This latter veil was for the purpose of screening from the view of men the ark and the shechinah, that bright symbol of the Deity. This was the veil that was " rent in twain from the top to the bottom :" and the rending of it denoted three things ; first. That the rending of Christ's body was the meatis of bringing us nigh to God ; next, that the mysteries which had hitherto been hid in God were note
b Exod. xix. 18. Ps. xviii. 7. "= Heb. xii. 26, 27.