Practical Reflections on the Late Earthquakes, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Earthquakes uſually reckoned the Forerunners of other Calamities. We have had many Signs and VVarnings; and a long Seaſon of Divine Forbearance; though we are guilty of the like Sins, as have brought deſtructive Judgments on other People. The Land full of Sin. Publick Societies only puniſh'd in this VVorld.
BUT to come more particularly to conſider the late Earthquakes. There are many things that ſhould affect us with an holy Awe and Fear of God, and his Judgments, upon thoſe Inſtances of his Severity in Jamaica, in Sicily, and by the leſſer one we felt September the 8th, 1692.
It is not to be overlook'd, that moſt of the ancient Hiſtorians do obſerve, that this kind of Calamity has been the Preſage of further Judgment *Cicero ſpeaking of an Earthquake, Orat. 30. de Haruſpicum Reſponſis, ſpeaks to the like purpoſe: Etenim haec Deorum Immortalium vox, haec paenè Oratio judicanda eſt, cum ipſe Mundus, cum Aer, atque Terra, motu quodam novo contremiſcunt, & inuſitato aliquid ſono, incredibilique praedicant; in quo conſtituendae nobis quidem ſunt Precationes & Obſecratio, quemadmodum monemur. Sed faciles ſunt Preces apud eos, qui ultrò nobis viam ſalutis oſtendunt: Noſtrae nobis ſunt inter nos Irae, diſſidiaeque placandae. And in another Place, diſcourſing how in the ſecond Punick War, C, Flaminius neglected the Signs of Futurities, to the Ruine of the Republick, his Army deſtroyed, and himſelf ſtain: He adds, Magnum illud etiam, quod addidit Caelius, eo tempore ipſo, cum hoc Calamitoſum fuerit Praelium, tantos Terrae Motus in Liguribus, Galliâ, compluribuſque Inſulis, totâque in Italiâ, factos eſſe, ut multa Oppida corruerint, &c. De Divinatione lib. 1. §. 35. And afterward, §. 43, 50. ſpeaking of other Earthquakes, he adds, Quibus Portentis, magno Populo R. Bella, pornicioſaeque ſeditiones denunciabantur. Inque his omnibus reſponſa Haruſpicum cum Sibyllae verſibus congruebant.—And in another Place he reckons Earthquakes among thoſe things; Quae nuper Bello Octaviano magnarum fuerunt Calamitatum Praenuntiae. Cicero de nat. Deor. l. 2. §. 13, 14.. And even ſuch as have no great Kindneſs for Religion, Machiavel himſelf not excepted, have acknowledged this to be true as to Matter of Fact. Socrates †Socrates Eccleſ. Hiſt. l. 4. c. 11.in his Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtory, ſpeaking of the Earthquakes that hapned in Bithynia, and the neighbo…ring Countries, in the Days of Valentinian and Valons, takes notice of them as Signs of the Shakings and Convullions, the Tumults and Diſerders, which ſhould afterwards follow in the Chriſtian Churches. The whole known World, both Land and Sea, was then ſhaken, and its like the then unknown too; which might ſeem to be a Prelude to the future Confiagration, or Deſtruction of the whole. Thucidides mentions an Earthquake in Delos, which in the ‖Thucidides de Bell. Pelop. l. 2.Memory of the Grecians never ſhook before; that it was interpreted for, and ſeemed to be a Sign of what was to come afterwards to paſs, in a moſt bloody War.
We know that Earthquakes were foretold before the Deſtruction of Jeruſalem, and the final Deſtruction of the World, Matth. 24. That there ſhall be great Earthquakes in divers Places. How far this may be underſtood in a Metaphorical Senſe, is worth conſidering: becauſe though ſome of thoſe Signs may be taken in a literal Senſe, others cannot; as how the Stars ſhould fall down from Heaven. And the declared Suddenneſs of Chriſt's Coming to judg the World, pleads for the Application of theſe illuſtrious Signs to the Deſtruction of Jeruſalem. And ſo it was literally as to Matter of Fact, before the Deſtruction of Jeruſalem, as *De Bello Jud. l. 7. c. 12.Joſephus relates. So before the End of the World, or the Day of Judgment, the laſt of the laſt Plagues, Rev. 16.18. we read of a great Earthquake, ſuch as was not ſince Men were on the Earth, ſo mighty an Earthquake, and ſo great.
I know many make light of theſe things, becauſe they are capable of being ſolved by natural Cauſes. But the Hand of God is not to be overlooked in ſuch things, under whoſe Government and Influence all natural Agents act, and are over-ruled as to the Time and Degree of their Acting, eſpecially ſuch rare and unuſual Inſtances as Earthquakes. All ſecond Cauſes in their ſeveral Motions need the Continuation of the Divine Power and Influence, in order to their Operations, as well as their Subſiſtence. God uſes all Creatures to be the Inſtruments of his Will, and to ſerve his Purpoſes. Natural Agents, and moral, are all under his Direction. Fire and Hail, Snow and Vapour, and ſtormy Wind fulfil his Word, Pſal. 148.8. Blaſting and Mildew, Drought and Barrenneſs, an Infectious Air, Peſtilential Diſeaſes, &c. however brought about by natural Cauſes, are under Divine Government, and act by virtue of his Influence. He gives Order to the Deſtroying Angel in a Peſtilence, 2 Sam. 24.16. He ſaith to the Sword, Go through the Land, Ezek. 14.17.
Now though I will not ſay, that always theſe things are Preſages of further Calamity and Judgment to a particular People; yet, becauſe they have uſually been followed by ſome ſuch, and we have many other moral Prognoſtications of Divine Diſpleaſure, it ſhould call us to a humble Conſideration of the Grounds of our Fear, as to National Calamities. And there are ſeveral Things (ſome whereof are taken notice of by *Mr. Fleming's Diſcourſe of Earthquakes, 8o. ſome of whoſe Remarks I here repeat.Others) that may here very fitly be mentioned, as,
1. That we have a multitude of ſuch Signs, as have been generally eſteemed the Fore-runners of publick Calamity. It is not the late Earthquake alone, but in conjunction with many other things, that is the Ground of our Fear. And the more Signs we have, and the more they are deſpiſed, the louder is their Voice, to thoſe that will conſider them. We had Signs in the Heavens in 1681. We have had Earthquakes of late, in divers Places: And God has lately taken Peace from the Earth, as to this part of the World, by engaging ſo great a part of Europe in bloody Wars: All which has the Appearance of ſome great Things to be uſhered in. I durſt not be confident, as many are, what they ſhall be, or the particular Year, or Seaſon of their Accompliſhment: I chuſe rather to acknowledg my Ignorance in Prophetick Scripture; tho divers Learned Perſons ſay more on that Subject, than I am able to anſwer, or refute.
2. That the longer the Time is of God's Patience and Forbearance, with the diſtinguiſhing Mercies, and repeated Warnings that we have had, the more terrible Judgments are like to follow, if we are Unthankful and Impenitent after all. Deliverances, if not improved, are but Reprievals from further Judgment; we may not be ſo much preſerved and ſaved, as reſerved to greater Miſery. That Paſſage ſeems to record our Doom, Pſal. 106.43. Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him by their Counſel, and were brought low for their Iniquity. As God will not always contend, ſo neither will he always forbear. There is no greater Sign of a final Overthrow, than a Miſimprovement of paſt Mercies, and Judgments: And if God be provoked by National Sins, we cannot think his Anger will be turned away, while the Cauſe of it remains; that is as much as to ſay, Except we repent, we must likewiſe periſh. Though a leſs Repentance may prevent National Judgments, than will preſerve from Eternal Ruine.
Is it nothing unto us, that God has dealt ſo ſeverely with other People? when our Privileges and Obligations are equal to, or greater than theirs? There is hardly any one ill Symptom, that has ever been upon any People, that God has dealt in Severity with, but ſomething of it is obſervable, and notorious amongſt us. I grant, we muſt not ſet Bounds to the Patience of God, any more than to his Power: We know not how much longer he may bear with us, before he vindicate his own Rights, or in what Way, or to what Degree he will do ſo, at leaſt in our Time. But we have no Ground of Confidence, and Security: For while we ſay, Peace, Peace, ſudden Deſtruction, yea National Deſtruction may overtake us, as Travail upon a Woman with Child. And the rather, becauſe all his Warnings hitherto ſeem to be ſlighted: Our National Preſervation and Deliverance, ſo often repeated, has not bettered us; but our Provocations are rather the more aggravated, by all that God has done to Reform, Eſtabliſh, and Save us.
3. If we are guilty of the like Sins with other People, who have been ſeverely puniſh'd by extraordinary Judgments, why may not our continued Impenitence expoſe us to an equal Puniſhment? And may not England ſay, Are there not with me, even with me, the ſame Sins against the Lord? The ſame Sins, for which Others have ſmarted, and that with this Aggravation, that we ſin againſt more VVarnings? God is unchangeably Just, as well as Gratious. It is Soveraignty alone can preſerve us; by that he may do ſo; But who can tell whether he will? God hates the ſame Sins in our Days, which he hated, and puniſhed formerly: He is as much, or more, diſpleaſed with our Impurities, as with thoſe of other People, that are deſtroyed. He loves the ſame Holineſs now, which he ever loved; he is the ſame yeſterday, to day, and for ever: And why ſhould we think, God ſhould go out of his way to ſpare us? As they may encourage themſelves by truſting in God, who have Examples of God's Deliverance, in the like Caſe of holy Truſt in him; ſo they may fear, under the like Provocations, for which Others have been puniſhed.
4. When a Land is full of Sin, and the whole Body of a Nation, a very Few excepted, have corrupted themſelves, and provoked God; conſider, the Puniſhment of ſuch Sins can be only in this World, while the Community laſts. This is not to be reſerved to the Judgment of the Great Day, when every particular Perſon ſhall anſwer for his own Guilt. And is not our Nation full of Sin? Do not our Provocations reach to Heaven? Is there not a Fulneſs, as to Number and Multitude, as to Meaſure and Degree, that the Children fill up the Meaſure of their Fathers Iniquity; and as to Strength, and Growth, that it riſes higher; and as to Cunning and Dexterity in the Arts of Wickedneſs, in Court, City, Country, Ʋniverſity, among all Ranks and Degrees; and as to Boldneſs and Impudence, by open bare-fac'd Impiety? Many of thoſe Crimes, which were formerly Matter of Reproach, and Shame, are now Alamode, and in Faſhion, and the Character of a Gentleman.