Miscellaneous Discourses, Introduction – Chapter 1
THE INTRODUCTION.
THERE is implanted in the Nature of Man a great deſire and curioſity of fore knowing future Events, what ſhall befal themſelves, their Relations or Dependents in time to come; the Fates of Kingdoms and Common-wealths, eſpecially the Periodical Mutations, and final cataſtrophe of the World. Hence in ancient times, Divination was made a Science or Myſtery, and many Nations had their Colleges or Societies of Wiſemen, Magicians, Aſtrologers and Sooth-ſayers; as for example, the Egyptians, Babylonians and Romans. Hence the vulgar are very prone to conſult Diviners and Fortune-tellers.
To gratifie in ſome meaſure this Curioſity; and that his people might not in any privilege be inferiour to the Nations about them, it pleaſed God, beſides the ſtanding Oracle of Ʋrim, not only upon ſpecial occaſions to raiſe up among the Jews extraordinary Prophets, by immediate Miſſion; but alſo to ſettle a conſtant Order and Succeſſion of them, for the maintenance and upholding whereof, there were Colleges and Seminaries inſtituted for the educating and fitting young men for the Prophetick Function. Theſe were the Sons of the Prophets, of whom we find ſo frequent mention in Scripture.
Moreover, it pleaſed God ſo far to condeſcend to the weakneſs of the Jews, that in the infancy of their State, he permitted them to conſult his Prophets concerning ordinary accidents of life, and affairs of ſmall moment: As we ſee Saul did Samuel about the loſs of his Fathers Aſſes: which it's not likely he would have done, had it not been uſual and cuſtomary ſo to do. In the latter times of that State, we read of no conſulting of Prophets upon ſuch occaſions. At laſt alſo by their own confeſſion, the Spirit of Prophecy was quite taken away, and nothing left them but a Vocal Oracle, which they called Bath col, i. e. the Daughter of a Voice, or the Daughter of Thunder, a Voice out of a Voice. This Dr. Lightfoot thinks to have been a meer Fancy or Impoſture.
In the primitive Churches of Chriſtians planted by the Apoſtles, there was alſo an Order of Prophets, 1 Cor. 12.28. God hath ſet ſome in the Church, firſt Apoſtles, ſecondarily Prophets, &c. This Spirit of Prophecy was an extraordinary and temporary Gift, as were the Gifts of Healing and Speaking with Tongues, continuing not long after the death of the Apoſtles, and Conſignation of the Canon of Scripture. So that now we have no means left us of coming to the knowledge of future Events, but the Prophecies contained in the Writings of the Holy Penmen of Scripture, which we muſt ſearch diligently, conſider attentively, and compare together, if we deſire to underſtand any thing of what ſhall befal the Chriſtian Church or State in time to come.
This Text which I have made choice of for my Subject, is part of a Prophecy concerning the greateſt of all Events, the Diſſolution of the World.
2 PETER iii. 11.
Seeing then all theſe things ſhall be diſſolved, what manner of perſons ought we to be in all holy converſation and godlineſs?
CHAP. I.
The Diviſion of the Words and Doctrine contained in them, with the Heads of the following Diſcourſe.
THESE words contain in them two Parts, 1. An Antecedent or Doctrine, All theſe things ſhall be diſſolved. 2. A Conſequent, or Inference thereupon, What manner of perſons ought we to be?
The Doctrine, here only briefly hinted, or ſummarily propoſed, is laid down more fully in the precedent Verſe; But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens ſhall paſs away with a great noiſe, and the Elements ſhall melt with fervent heat, the Earth alſo, and the works that are therein ſhall be burnt up.
Theſe words are by the generality of Interpreters, Ancient and Modern, underſtood of the final deſtruction or diſſolution of Heaven and Earth: in which ſenſe I ſhall chuſe rather to accept them at preſent, than with the Reverend and Learned Dr. Hammond, and ſome few others, to ſtem the Tide of Expoſitors, and apply them to the deſtruction of Jeruſalem and the Jewiſh Polity. I ſay then,
That this World and all things therein contained, ſhall one day be diſſolved and deſtroyed by Fire.
By Heaven and Earth in this place, the moſt rational Interpreters of Scripture, do underſtand only the whole Compages of this ſublunary World, and all the Creatures that are in it; all that was deſtroyed by the Flood in the days of Noah, and is now ſecured from periſhing ſo again, that I may borrow Dr. Hammond's words, in his Annotations on this place. And again, the word Heavens (ſaith he) being an Equivocal word, is uſed either for the ſuperior Heavens, whether Empyreal or Ethereal, or for the ſublunary Heavens, the Air (as the word World is either the whole Compages of the ſuperior or inferior, or elſe only of the ſublunary lower World) we may here reſolve, that the foreign and foreign, Heaven and Hoſt, or Elements thereof, are literally the ſublunary aereal Heavens, and all that is therein, Clouds and Meteors, &c. Fowls and flying Creatures, and ſo, fit to join with the Earth and Works that are therein.
In proſecution of this Propoſition, and in order to the Proof and Confirmation, and likewiſe the clearing and illuſtration of it, I ſhall, (1.) Give you what I find concerning the diſſolution of the World; 1. In the holy Scripture. 2. In Ancient Chriſtian Writers. 3. In the Heathen Philoſophers and Sages.
(2.) I ſhall endeavour to give ſome anſwer to theſe ſeven Queſtions, which are obvious and uſually made concerning it.
1. Whether there be any thing in Nature, which might prove and demonſtrate; or argue and infer a future Diſſolution of the World?
2. Whether ſhall this Diſſolution be brought about and effected by Natural, or by Extraordinary Means and Inſtruments; and what thoſe Means and Inſtruments ſhall be?
3. Whether ſhall the Diſſolution be gradual or ſudden?
4. Whether ſhall there be any Signs and Fore-runners of it?
5. At what Period of Time ſhall the World be diſſolved?
6. How far ſhall this Conflagration extend? Whether to the Ethereal Heavens, and all the Hoſt of them, Sun, Moon and Stars, or to the Aereal only?
7. Whether ſhall the Heavens and Earth be wholly diſſipated and deſtroyed, or only refined and purified?