A Beam of Light Darted Through the Clouds, Chapter 5 – Chapter 7
CHAP. V. Whether this viſible world ſhall be destroyed, or changed, and how.
GOD from age to age brings forth ſome old truth as new unto the world; therefore let not the Reader ſtumble, if he find that here which may at preſent be contrary to moſt mens judgements.
For that opinion of ſome that ſay the world is judged already in the Saints in ſome reſpect is true, to him that lives in ſpirit; but I will not ſpeak of that, I leave the end to try all things.
My diſcourſe ſhall only be of this queſtion, Whether this viſible frame of things ſhall be deſtroyed, or changed, which is a great queſtion amongſt godly men; which I ſay not that I will reſolve, but only hint at it as the truth is manifeſted in me: Firſt, that this viſible world ſhall be deſtroyed by materiall ſire, as ſome places ſeem to allow, as 2 Pet. 3.7. where the heavens and the earth are kept in ſtore reſerved unto fire, ſome think that as the old world was deſtroyed with water, ſo the Anti-type muſt be like it, that is to ſay, deſtroyed by fire.
An argument for this opinion may be thus framed.
Fire is an element ſtrong and fierce, therefore all matter that is tangible by it may be conſumed, but the viſible world hath matter fit for fire to feed upon, therefore it ſhall be burnt.
But this argument is more logicall then theological, and it wil not be a hard matter to prove that a great part of the earth, and heavens is not matter for fire, but rather fights againſt it.
In the 12. Verſe of the aforeſaid Chapter, the heavens being on fire ſhall be diſſolved, and the element ſhall melt with fervent heat, that as fire conſumes all ſtubble, ſo there ſhall be an utter conſummation: So in 2 Theſ. 1.8. he ſhall come in flaming fire taking vengeance: ſome from theſe places conclude, that it will be materiall fire, and all things ſhall be burnt up.
Now to anſwer theſe places, there are ſome Scriptures that ſpeak not of an utter deſolation, and if I erre, conſider with thy ſelf I am not alone.
I may ask whether thoſe former places ſpeak of fire in a metaphoricall ſenſe, and by way of alluſion and no more; that as the nature of fire is to purge and purifie droſſe out of metalls, and it ſuddenly burnes up all combuſtible matter, ſo this may note the ſuddenneſſe of that change, and that it will purge the world of its droſſe: And for the havens melting with fervent heat, it may point this to us, that they ſhall melt ſo as wax doth by the candle, where it is not deſtroyed, but onelyonly made pliable to receive the impreſſion of the ſcale: ſo the heavens may thus be ſaid to melt, that is to ſay, not deſtroyed, but only changed from thoſe corrupt qualities that are in it, not of the ſubſtance, it ſhall receive the deep impreſſion of Gods image and glory.
Now to illuſtrate this, that there will only be a change, 2 Pet. 3.13. Nevertheleſſe we look for a new heaven, and a new earth, wherein dwells righteouſneſſe. This ſeems to allow, that only the corruption ſhall be taken away, and we ſhall have a new heaven and earth in righteouſneſſe. They ſhall be brought forth into a ſtate of purity, freed from bondage, Non per interitum priſtinorum, ſed commutationem in melius; not by a deſtruction of the old, but by a change into a better: ſo David ſpeaks, Pſal. 102.26. The heavens ſhall waxe old as a garment, as a veſture ſhalt thou change them, and they ſhall be changed. He ſaith not here deſtroy them.
Now the changing a thing is a converting the ſame to the beſt advantage.
And the alluſion ſeems to be ſtrange, that as a veſture when changed is not deſtroyed, but onelyonly refined, dreſt, the beſt ſide outward.
So the world hath at preſent corruption covering it as a garment; therefore it may be tranſlated into a better ſtate: For, if Davids words hold true, then it muſt be changed, but not deſtroyed. And indeed the worſt ſide of the world is now outward ſince Adams fall.
But I will not determine whether this change will be by materiall fire, or whether fire in thoſe places be a figurative ſpeech. For the inſtrumentall cauſe of this change, I may have ſome ground to ſuppoſe the contrary, but will leave this to the end which tries all things.
Some have converted theſe Scriptures into other myſterious ſenſes, and I judge a ſpirituall uſe may be made of all things: Yet let none be ſo ignorant as to bind one ſenſe upon ſuch places as theſe are; for ſome Scriptures have both a literall and a ſpirituall meaning under them.
For inſtance, where Chriſt is ſaid to raiſe the dead, cleanſe the lepers, heal the ſick, and the like, no man can truly deny but that CHRIST did fulfill this in the letter: yet he doth it in a ſpirituall ſenſe: alſo every man hath Microcoſmos, Eccleſiaſt. 3.11. a little world in him: Now God in order to the great change; begins firſt in mans heart, therefore let Chriſtians take heed of denying one truth by binding it to another: For to avoid error I would take ſuch Scriptures in the largeſt ſenſe, for both theſe meanings may be in few words.
CHAP, VI. Whether all creatures ſhall be restored to their priſtinate ſtate in Adam.
THE whole Creation ſince Adams fall hath been ſubject to innumerable evills and changes: Now ſome are of opinion that all creatures ſhall be reſtored, excepting ſuch as are for the food and cloathing of man, and they give this reaſon, becauſe man ſhall have no need then of ſuch helps, but ſhall be perfect.
I anſwer: By the ſame rule all creatures ſhall not be reſtored; for every creature in its kind doth conduce to the life of man, as might be made eaſily to appeare: For whatever concurres to life may be called food and cloathing; ſo that if any creature may be excluded from this liberty by the former opinion, then all may.
But doth not that place teſtifie that all ſhall not be reſtored, Iſai. 60.19. The Sun ſhall be no more light by day, nor the Moon give light unto thee, but the Lord ſhall be thy everlaſting light. I might give a ſpirituall ſenſe of theſe words, but ſhall only anſwer as to the queſtion; it ſeems by this place that the Sun and Moon ſhall be deſtroyed.
I anſwer: The Prophet ſpeaking of the glorious appearing of God, intimates all ſuch lights ſhall be darkened as we have walked in without himſelfe: But if it may be litterally underſtood, then mark the words, he ſaith not the Sun and Moon ſhall be no more, but they ſhall give light no more; that is to ſay, their light ſhall be no more in reſpect of that profit man hath had by them, for God ſhall be our light, our ſtate will be beyond the creatures perfection, much leſſe ſhall we want their light: Yet they may be, though we have no benefit by them, as no man is ſo blind in judgment as to ſay the Sun is not, becauſe it is under a cloud; and as the greater light ſwallowes up the leſſe, ſo this teſtifies onelyonly that the light of God will ſwallow the light and luſtre of all excellencies, as to our advantage, yet they may ſtill be. So then I judge there will be a reſtauration of all things, and thoſe words witneſſe it Rom. 8.21. The creature it ſelf was made ſubject to vanity, and it ſhall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the ſons of God.
Now then the bondage of the creature what is it, but a ſubjection to corruption? Look then what liberty the ſons of God expect, the ſame all creatures are to have; but it is in ſuo modo, in their kind, or according to their nature: I ſay not a part of the creation, but the whole creation (or every creature) groans for the manifeſtation of the ſons of God. And although they have not a ſenſe of liberty, yet they have of miſery: ſo Acts 3.21. mentions a time when there muſt be a reſtitution of all things. Now if the whole creation hope for that which they ſhould never attain to, why are thoſe Scriptures mentioned ſo fully to this point?
Therefore I conclude, that there will be a generall reſtauration: but whether they ſhall be reſtored to the ſtate in Adam, or more glorious, I will not fully determine: yet ſuppoſe it will be a more glorious perfection.
CHAP. VII. When, or about what time will this change be?
THis queſtion being more difficult then neceſſary, I may not ſearch into the time, holding it godly wiſdome to be ignorant of it; yet many men have weakly betrayed their wiſdome in ſpending much time upon this particular.
I will onelyonly hint at ſome probabilities that divers have ſuppoſed about it.
Firſt, there were many Jewes got an opinion from one Elias a man eminent amongſt them, who ſaid, that as the world was made in ſix dayes, and the ſeventh God reſted, ſo the world ſhould ſtand ſix thouſand years and no longer, and ſtrengthened his opinion upon 2 Pet. 3.8. One day with God is a thouſand years, and a thouſand years one day, and thus taking a day for a thouſand years, ſix dayes make ſix thouſand; but alas, he conſidered not the ground of this expreſſion, which Peter onelyonly uſeth to confute the ſleepers of thoſe dayes, that thought God was far enough off, he condemns their ſecurity, and informes them time is nothing to eternity.
A ſecond ſort were ſuch as by Arethmetical numbers, as by a witty invention calculated the time, as one did out of two words, ConfLagratIo MƲnDl, finding ſo many numeral letters in theſe words as make up 1657. from thence concluded, that in that year the world muſt end; and to hold up this opinion, they ſay Noahs flood was in 1657.
So others, as Picus Mirandula, ſaid it ſhould end in 1905. And formerly in Germany divers went about, ſaying, in ſuch a year it muſt end: As I have read one Thoda a woman in Germany in 848. went about ſtreets and told people that ſhe had it from an Angell, that the world ſhould end that yeare, whereby many became prodigall of their goods, fearing they ſhould not ſpend them in ſo ſhort a time. Others more moderately divide the world into ſix Ages, and ſay the ſeventh Age the end muſt be; the Ages are thus divided.
Firſt, from the Creation to the Flood.
Second, from the Flood to Abraham.
Third, from Abraham to David.
Fourth, from David to the Captivity.
Fifth, from the Captivity to Chriſt.
Laſt, from Chriſt to the end of the world; ſo that the beginning of the ſeventh age will be the full reſtauration: And as Enoch was the ſeventh from Adam, and was tranſlated, for God took him; ſo this may be a figure of this ſtate, that the ſeventh Age God ſhall be fully manifeſt: This opinion my judgement leads me to believe neareſt to truth; for certainly this is the laſt age, as Heb. 1.2. witneſſeth.
Now to ſuch as will deſcant upon time, to ſhew their learning, I will leave them to learne what thoſe words meant, Mark. 13.32. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the Son, ſave the Father.