The Eye and Wheel of Providence, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Of the Eclipſes; a large diſcourſe on the miraculous Eclipſe that happened at the death of Chriſt.
IN the next place we may obſerve the operation of Gods Providence, in the Eclipſes of the Sun and Moon, for every year both Planets are eclipſed at certain dayes and hours under the earth. Pliny obſerveth,Plin. Natural. Hiſt. l. 2. c. 13. that all Eclipſes in two hundred and twenty two moneths have their revolutions, and return to their former points. Although Eclipſes ariſe from naturall cauſes, yet is it contrary to the property of the lights of Heaven, whoſe nature and office is to ſhine; therefore when their light is obſcured, they are in a ſuffering condition: whence Eclipſes are called by Heathens, —Defectus Solis, lunae que labores. When the Sun is obſcured, all the Stars and Creatures which receive their ſtrength from the Sun, do as it were ſuffer together with him. The examples of all ages do teſtifie, that great mutations, drought, inundations, peſtilences, warres, and great deſtructions have followed immediately after great Eclipſes. At the death of our Saviour there was a great Eclipſe of the Sun, there being darkneſs over all the earth till the ninth hour, Luk. 23.44, 45. The Sun, the eye of the world, (as the Poets call him) was darkned, but how he was darkned, and how this Eclipſe was occaſioned, there's the difficulty; and that it was not naturall but miraculous, all Interpreters new and old conſent and agree: for it is concluded by Divines, Philoſophers and Aſtronomers, that there cannot be a naturall Eclipſe of the Sun, but in the new Moon, when thoſe two Planets may be in conjunction, and ſo the body of the Moon interpoſed between the Sun and the earth: but this was at the full Moon, for it was the day before the Jews Paſſeover, which ever was celebrated the fourteenth day of the MonethMonth Niſan, or the firſt full Moon after the Vernall Equinoctiall.— Beſides, there could not have been darkneſs of ſo long continuance by that means, but the Sun would have recovered his light ſooner, by reaſon that he is by many hundred degrees bigger than the Moon.Solis eclipſis nòn poteſt eſſe univerſalis. Lyra. Iſtae tenebrae fuerunt factae per retractionean radiorum Solis virtute divina. Hieron. Per interpoſitionem nubium denſarum. Origen. Dionyſ. Aereop. Epiſt. ad Polycarp. And Lyra ſaith, that an Eclipſe of the Sun cannot be univerſall. And Hierom ſaith, that darkneſs hapned through the retraction of the Sun-beams by a divine power. And Origen ſaith, it was by the interpoſition of a thick Cloud. And Dionyſius the Aereopagite in an Epiſtle to Polycarpus, (whereto Nicholas Lyra giveth much credit, which Mr Beza thinketh to be counterfeit) ſaith, that being at that time in Aegypt, where the air is wondrous thin, and there be ſeldome any clouds or rain, (but the Land is watered and made fruitfull, by the overflowing of the River Nilus) he ſaw in a miraculous and prodigious manner, the Moon coming out of the Eaſt, (being by courſe of nature in another Hemiſphere and Horizon, viz. full South with their Antipodes) and about noon interpoſing it ſelf between the Sun and the earth, and there continuing by the space of three hours, and then returning again to the Eaſt; whereupon it is ſaid, he cryed out,Aut Deus naturae patitur, aut mundi machina diſſolvitur. Either the God of nature is now ſuffering ſome impediment, and is by a greater than himſelf hindered, or (if that be impoſſible) he hath determined to make a preſent diſſolution of the world. The courſe of nature was altered, when the God of nature ſuffered.
Now for the largeneſs and extent of this darkneſs in regard of place, divers are of divers opinions. Some think that this was univerſall, and over all the world, becauſe St. Luke ſaith, there was darkneſs over all the earth: of this opinion was Tertullian among the Ancients, as Beza noteth,Beza in Annot. ſup. Marc. 15.35. Gualt. in Luc. 23. and Gualter in his Commentary upon theſe words. But Lyra, Calvin, Beza, Perkins, and divers others, be of another judgement, ſc. that this darkneſs was in the Land of Jury only, or at leaſt, but in ſome few neighbouring and near adjoyning Countreys. Hereof they give divers conjecturall Reaſons.
Reaſon. 1. Becauſe Lyra ſaith, there cannot be a generall or univerſall Eclipſe of the Sun over all the world at once, as aforeſaid; but being miraculous it might: therefore not to inſiſt upon that.
2. Calvin, Beza, and Mr Perkins affirm, that if it had been univerſall, it's not unlikely, but that all Hiſtorians of thoſe tintes both Greek and Latin would have mentioned it, but many (they ſay) ſay nothing of it, and but ſome few speak of it.
3. Alſo they ſay, It had been leſs miraculous and prodigious, and not ſo likely to portend the ruine of the Jews, if it had been common to others as well as to them; but to be appropriate and peculiar to them only, might well be thought fatall. Beza ſaith likewiſe, It's the more probable opinion, becauſe it hath more reſemblance to a miracle of the like nature, Exod. 10. where it's ſaid, that by the ſpace of three dayes there was groſs and palpable darkneſs over the whole Land of Aegypt, but light in the Land of Goſhen, where the children of Iſrael dwelt. So here for the ſpace of three hours there was darkneſs over the Land of Juda, but light over all the world beſides.
Object. If the words of the Text be alleadged, viz. that there was darkneſs over all the earth;
Reſp. 1. Then their anſwer is, that foreign, terram, pro regione, the Earth or Land put for the Land of Canaan only, as Mat. 9.26. Luk. 4.25. as for the Epiſtle of Dionyſius before-mentioned, it is counterfeit, and therefore of no credit, but may be a fabulous fiction.
2. It might ſignifie portend, and admoniſh them of the great judgement of God, ſhortly to enſue upon that Nation, viz. that as when Chriſt ſuffered, there was darkneſs over the Land of Jury only, whereas all the world beſides enjoyed the benefit of the light of the Sun; ſo ſhortly after ſpirituall darkneſs and blindneſs of mind was to ſurprize and ſeize on that Nation, becauſe they refuſed the light that ſhined among them, and was offered to them: whereas unto all other Nations the Sun of righteouſneſs more clearly ſhined in the preaching of the Goſpel, Mal. 4.1, 2, 3. 2 Cor. 3.14, &c.
3. This miraculous Eclipſe of the Sun confuteth the folly of the Jews, and declareth them to be much deceived in thinking and ſaying Chriſt was a deceiver, who was no leſs than the Lord of glory, the Meſſiah and Saviour of the world; and this appeared, in that all the Creatures did him homage, and ſuffered together with their Creator.
4. It ſheweth the horribleneſs and hainous nature of ſin, ſo provoking God to anger, as at the puniſhment thereof, he even ſeems to turn the whole courſe of nature topſie-turvy, or upſide down. Alſo it may admoniſh us, that the price of our redemption was no trifle or ſmall matter, it coſting no leſs, than if the Sun ſhould have fallen from Heaven to earth. A wiſe Captain or Houſholder will not eaſily be induced to alter the courſe and order of his government in his Camp or Family: much leſs will God alter his government of the world, notwithſtanding now he did, even diſordering (as it were) the whole order of nature, to ſet our diſorders to rights again.