Three Physico-Theological Discourses, Discourse 3 · Introduction – Chapter 1
THE INTRODUCTION TO THE Third Discourse.
THERE is implanted in the Nature of Man a great desire and curiosity of fore-knowing future Events, and what shall befal themselves, their Relations and Dependents in time to come; the Fates of Kingdoms and Commonwealths, 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 Colledges or Societies of Wise-men, 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 Priviledge be inferiour to the Nations about them, it pleased God, besides the standing Oracle of Vrim, not only upon special occasions to raise up among the Iews extraordinary Prophets, by immediate Mission; but also to settle a constant Order and Succession of them, for the maintenance and upholding whereof, there were Colledges 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 Iews, 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.*Horae Hebr. in Matth. cap. 3. v. 17. Light foot thinks to have been a meer Fancy or Imposture. Quae de Bath Kol referunt Iudaei, ignoscant illi mihi si ego partim pro fabulis habeam Iuduicis, partim pro praestigis Diabolicis. What the Iews report concerning Bath Kol, I beg their pardon, if I esteem them no other then either Jewish Fables or Diabolical Illusions. It is a Tradition among them, that after the death of the last Prophets, Haggai, Zachary and Malachy, the Holy Spirit departed from Israel. But why, I beseech you, was Prophecy withdrawn, if Coelestial Oracles were to be continued? Why was Vrim and Thummim taken away, or rather not restored, by their own confession, after the Babylonish Captivity? It were strange indeed, that God taking away his ordinary Oracles from a People should bestow upon them one more or equally noble; and that after they were extremely degenerated and fallen into all manner of Impiety, Superstition and Heresy, &c. And a little after, if I may freely speak what I think, those innumerable Stories, which every where occur [in the Jewish Writings] concerning Bath Kol, are to be reduced to two Heads: viz. 1. The most of them are meer Fables, invented in honour of this or that Rabbin, or to gain credit to some History. 2. The rest meer Magical and Diabolical Illusions, &c.
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. 1.
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 choose 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 Ierusalem and the Jewish Polity. I say then, That this World,Doctr. and all things therein contained, shall one day be dissolved and destroyed by Fire.
By World in this Proposition We, and 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 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 superiour Heavens, whether Empyreal or Ethereal, or for the sublunary Heavens, the Air (as the word World is either the whole Compages of the superiour and inferiour World, as the Author of the Book De Mundo, ascribed falsly to Aristotle, defines foreign, The Systeme or Compages of Heaven and Earth, and the Beings therein contained: or else only of the sublunary lower World) we may here resolve, that the foreign and foreign, Heaven and Host, or Elements thereof, are litterally the sublunary Aereal Heavens, and all that is therein, Clouds and Meteors, &c. Fowls and flying Creatures, and so, fit to joyn 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, 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?