Miscellaneous Discourses, Chapter 6 – Chapter 7
CHAP. VI.
Containing an Anſwer to the Second Queſtion, Whether ſhall this Diſſolution be effected by natural or by extraordinary means, and what they ſhall be?
2. AS to the Second Queſtion, 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? I anſwer in brief, that the Inſtrumental Efficient of this Diſſolution ſhall be natural. For it is clear both by Scripture and Tradi…ion, and agreed on all Hands. that it ſhall be that Catholick Diſſolvent, Fire. Now to the being and maintenance of Fire there are four things requiſite. 1. The active Prin…iple or Aether. 2. Air, or a nitrous Pa…ulum received from it: Theſe two being …ommixt together, are every where at hand. …. Fewel, which conſidering the abundance of combuſtible Materials, which are to be …ound in all places upon or under the Surface of the Earth, can no where be wanting. 4. The Accenſion and the ſudden and equal Diffuſion of this Fire all the World over. And this muſt be the Work of God, extraordinary and miraculous.
Such a Diſſolution of the World might indeed be effected by that natural Accident mentioned in the Anſwer to the precedent Queſtion, viz. The Eruption of the Central Fire. But becauſe it is doubtful, whether there be any ſuch Fire in the middle of the Earth or no: and if there ever were, it is hard to give an account, how it could be maintained in that infernal Dungeon for want of Air and Fewel. And becauſe, if it ſhould break forth in the Conſiſtency of a thin Flame, it would in all likelyhood ſpeedily like Lightening mount up to Heaven, and quite vaniſh away; unleſs we could ſuppoſe Floods, nay Seas of melted Materials, or liquid Fire, enough to overflow the whole Earth, to be poured forth of thoſe Caverns. For theſe Reaſons I reject that Opinion, and do rather think that the Conflagration ſhall be effected by a Superficial Fire. Tho I muſt confeſs we read in Tacitus, Annal. 13. at the end, of a ſort of Fire that was not ſo apt to diſperſe and vaniſh. — The City of the Inhonians in Germany (ſaith he) confederate with us was afflicted with a ſudden Diſaſter: for Fires iſſueing out of the Earth, burned Towns, Fields, Villages every where, and ſpread even to the Walls of a Colony newly built, and could not be extinguiſhed neither by Rain, nor River-Water, nor any other Liquor that could be employed, until for want of Remedy, or anger of ſuch a Diſtraction, certain Peſants caſt Stones afar off into it; then the Flame ſomewhat ſlacking, drawing near, they put it out with Blows of Clubs, and other like, as if it had been a wild Beaſt; laſt of all, they threw in Cloaths from their Backs, which the more worn and fouler they were, the better they quenched the Fire. I uſe Dr. Hakewil's Tranſlation.
CHAP. VII.
The Third Queſtion Anſwered. Whether ſhall this Diſſolution be Gradual and Succeſſive, or Momentaneous and Sudden?
3. THE Third Queſtion is, Whether ſhall this Diſſolution be gradual and ſucceſſive, or momentaneous and ſudden?
I anſwer, The Scripture reſolves for the latter, The day of the Lord ſhall come as a thief in the night: a Similitude we have often repeated in Scripture, as in the tenth Verſe of this Chapter, in 1 Theſſal. 15.2. Revel. 3, 3. and 16.15. And the Reſurrection and Change of Things, it is ſaid ſhall be in a moment, in the twinkling of a… eye: 1 Cor. 15.52. Conſonant whereto both the Epicureans and Stoicks held thei… Diſſolutions of the World ſhould be ſudde… and brief, as Lucretius and Seneca in th… places forementioned tell us. And it i… ſuitable to the nature of Fire to make a quic… diſpatch of things, ſuddenly to conſume an… deſtroy.
And as it ſhall be ſudden, ſo alſo ſhall it be unexpected, being compared to the coming of the Flood in the days of Noah, Matth. 24.37, 38, 39. But as the days of Noah were, ſo ſhall alſo the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entred into the ark: And knew not until the flood came and took them all away; ſo ſhall alſo the coming of the Son of man be. And the raining of Fire and Brimſtone upon Sodom, Luke 17. Theſſal. 5.3. For when they ſhall ſay peace and ſafety, then ſudden deſtruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child. Now if it ſhall be thus ſudden and unexpected, it is not likely there ſhould be in nature any manifeſt Tendency to it, or remarkable Signs and Forerunners of it: for ſuch muſt needs ſtartle and awaken the World into an expectation and dread of it. That there is at preſent no ſuch Tendency to Corruption, but that the World continues ſtill in as good ſtate and condition as it was two thouſand years ago, without the leaſt impairment or decay, hath been, as we before noted, without any poſſibility of contradiction clearly made out and demonſtrated by Dr. Hakewill in his Apology: and therefore, arguing from the paſt to the future, it will in all likelyhood ſo continue two thouſand years more, if it be ſo long to the Day of Doom; and conſequently that day (as the Scripture predicts) will ſuddenly and unexpectedly come upon the World. But if all theſe Prophecies (as Dr. Hammond affirms) be to be reſtrained only to the Deſtruction of Jeruſalem, and Jewiſh Polity, without any further reſpect to the end of the World; then indeed from thence we can make no Inferences or Deductions in reference to that final Period.