Miscellaneous Discourses, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
The Fourth Queſtion Reſolved, Whether ſhall there be any Signs or Forerunners of the Diſſolution of the World?
4. THE Fourth Queſtion is, Whether ſhall there be any Signs or Forerunners of the Diſſolution of the World?
In order to the Anſwering of this Queſtion we ſhall diſtinguiſh Signs into natural and arbitrarious, 1. natural Signs, ſo the Aurora, or Dawning of the Day, is a Sign of the Sun-riſing. Now if the Diſſolution be effected in the courſe of Nature, and by natural Means, there will be ſome previous natural Signs of it. An old Houſe will threaten Ruin before it falls. The natural Death of Men and all Animals hath its Harbingers, and old Men before their Diſſolution feel the Impreſſion of Age; and proclaim to the World their approaching Fate by Wrinkles, Gray Hairs, and Dimneſs of Sight. But we have formerly ſhewn, that there is no Conſeneſcency or Declenſion in Nature: but that the World continues ſtill as firm and ſtaunch as it was three thouſand years ago; and why hereafter it ſhould founder and decay more than it hath done for ſo many Ages heretofore, what reaſon can be given? It is not therefore likely there ſhould be any natural Signs of the Diſſolution of the World; and conſequently that it ſhall be effected by natural Means.
2. There are arbitrary Signs, as a Garland hung out is a Sign of Wine to be ſold. Now if the Diſſolution of the World be effected by ſupernatural and extraordinary means. (as is moſt likely) the Signs of it muſt be arbitrarious. For tho they may be natural Effects and Productions, yet would they not ſignifie the Deſtruction of the World, if they were not ordered by providence to happen at that time, and predicted as Forerunners of it; with which otherwiſe they have no natural Connexion. Such Signs are Matth. 24. The Sun being darkened, and the Moon not giving her Light, and the Stars falling from Heaven, and the Shaking of the Powers of Heaven. Theſe and many other Signs of his coming we find mentioned in Scripture: but what the meaning of theſe Expreſſions may be, is not ſo clear: For tho ſome of them may be taken in a Literal Senſe, yet it is manifeſt that others cannot. The Sun may indeed be ſo covered with a Macula, as to be quite obſcured; and thereupon the Moon neceſſarily loſe her Light, which ſhe borrows only from the Sun-beams: But how the Stars ſhould in a literal Senſe fall down from Heaven is inconceivable; it being almoſt demonſtratively certain, that moſt of them are bigger than the whole Earth. We may therefore, keeping as near as we can to the Letter, thus interpret them. There ſhall be great Signs in Heaven, diſmal Eclipſes and Obſcurations of the Sun and Moon; new Stars and Comets ſhall appear, and others diſappear, and many fiery Meteors be ſuſpended in the Air. The very Foundations of the Earth ſhall be ſhaken, and the Sea ſhall roar and make a noiſe. But I muſt not here diſſemble a great Difficulty: How can ſuch illuſtrious Signs and Forerunners be reconciled to the ſuddenneſs and unexpectedneſs of Chriſt's coming, and the end of the World? Luke 21.25. After the Evangeliſt had told us, That there ſhall be ſigns in the ſun, and in the moon; and in the ſtars — the ſea and the waves roaring, he adds, as a Conſequent thereof, Verſ. 26. Mens hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after thoſe things that are coming on the earth. And indeed how could any Man poſſibly be buried in ſo profound a Lethargy of Senſeleſsneſs and Security, as by ſuch ſtupendious Prodigies not to be rowſed and awakened to an expectation of ſome diſmal and tremendous Event? How could he ſing a Requiem to his Soul, and ſay Peace and Safety, when the World ſo manifeſtly threatens Ruin about his Ears? For the reconciling of theſe Expreſſions to this ſudden coming of our Saviour to Judgment, it were moſt convenient to accept them in the Figurative and Metaphorical Senſe. For if we underſtand them of the Ruins and Devaſtations of Cities and Countries, the Changes of Governments, the Subverſions of Kingdoms and Commonwealths, the Falls and Depoſings of Princes, Nobles and Great Men; theſe happening more or leſs in every Age, tho the ſerious and inquiſitive Chriſtian, who ſearches and underſtands the Scriptures, may diſcern them to be the Signs of the World's Cataſtrophe; yet the careleſs and inconſiderate, the vicious and voluptuous are not like to be at all ſtartled or moved at them, but may notwithſtanding, looking upon them as ordinary and inſignificant Accidents, Dormire in utramque aurem, ſleep ſecurely till the laſt Trump awaken them. Or it may be anſwered, that theſe Prophecies do belong to the Deſtruction of Jeruſalem only, and ſo we are not concerned to anſwer this Objection.