- The Fourth Question is, Whether shall there be any Signs or Fore-runners of the Dissolution of the World?
In order to the Answering of this Question, we shall distinguish Signs into Natural and Arbitrarious.
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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 Impressions 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.
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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 though 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 Fore-runners 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 though 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 Fore-runners be reconciled to the suddenness and unexpectedness of Christ’s coming, and the end of the World? Luke 21. 25. After the E vangelist 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, Verse 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 Senslessness 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 Ruin, and Devastations of Cities and Countries, and 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, though 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 Ierusalem only, and so we are not concerned to answer that Objection.
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