64 



THE PHILOSOPHY OF A FUTURE STATE. 



&amp;gt;io ji which will stun the assembled world, and 

 shake the earth to its foundations. For, if, in 

 chymical experiments conducted on a small scale, 

 the separation of two gases, or their coming 

 in contact with the principle of flame, is fre 

 quently accompanied with a loud and destructive 

 explosion, it is impossible to form an adequate 

 idea of the loud and tremendous explosions which 

 would ensue were the whole atmosphere at once 

 dissolved., and its elementary principles separated 

 from each other and left to exert their native en 

 ergies. A sound as if creation had burst asun- 

 jer, and accompanied the next moment with a 

 universal blaze, extending over sea and land, 

 would present a scene of sublimity and terror, 

 which would more than realize all the striking 

 descriptions given in Scripture of this solemn 

 scene. 



Again, when in reference to this tremendous 

 event, it is said, that &quot; the earth and the heaven 

 fled away,&quot; (Rev. xx. 11.) we are not to imagine, 

 that the distant bodies of the universe shall be 

 either annihilated, or removed from the spaces 

 they formerly occupied ; but that all sublunary 

 nature shall be thrown into confusion and disor 

 der, and that the celestial orb?, during this univer 

 sal uproar of the elements, will be eclipsed from 

 the view, and appear as if they had fled away. 

 The appearance of the heavens whirling with a 

 confused and rapid motion, at this period, would 

 be produced, were the Almighty (as will proba 

 bly be the case) suddenly to put a stop to the 

 diurnal rotation of the earth, or to increase the 

 rate of its motion; in which case, the celestial 

 luminaries would appear either to stop in their 

 courses, or to be thrown into rapid and irregular 

 agitations. And the appearance of the heavens 

 in reality receding from the view, would be pro 

 duced, were the earth to leave its present station 

 among the planets, and to be impelled with a 

 rapid motion towards the distant parts of the 

 solar system, or beyond its boundaries ; in which 

 case, the sun would appear to fly off with a rapid 

 motion to a distant part of space, till he had di 

 minished to the size of a twinkling star, and 

 the moon and the nearest planets would, in a 

 short time, entirely disappear. Whether these 

 suppositions exactly correspond with the arrange 

 ments which Divine Wisdom has made in refer 

 ence to the general conflagration, I do not take 

 upon me positively to determine. But I have 

 stated them in order to show, that all the descrip 

 tions contained in Scripture, of the dissolution of 

 our globe, and of the circumstances connected 

 with it, can be easily accounted for, and may be 

 fully realized, without supposing any change to 

 take place in the universe beyond the limits of 

 the earth and its atmosphere. 



To suppose, as some have done, that the whole 

 fabric of creation will be shattered to pieces, 

 that the stars will literally fall from their orbs, 

 and the material universe be blotted out of exis 



tence, is a sentiment so absurd and extravagant 

 and so contrary to tho general tenor of Scripture, 

 and the character of God, that it is astonishing il 

 should ever have been entertained by any man, 

 calling himself a divine or a Christian preacher.* 

 I have already had occasion to remark, that there 

 is no example of annihilation, or entire destruc 

 tion of material substances, to be found in the 

 universe, and that it is to the last degree improba 

 ble, that any one particle of matter which now 

 exists will ever be completely destroyed, how 

 ever numerous the changes that may take place 

 in the universe, j We have no reason to believe, 

 that even those changes to which our world is 

 destined, at the general conflagration, will issue 

 in its entire destruction. The materials of which 

 the earth and its atmosphere are composed will 

 still continue to exist after its present structure 

 is deranged, and will, in all probability, be em 

 ployed in the arrangement of a new system, puri 

 fied from the physical evils which now exist, and 

 which may continue to flourish as a monument 

 of divine power and wisdom, throughout an in 

 definite lapse of ages. 



In accordance with these sentiments, we find 

 the inspired writers asserting the stability and 

 perpetuity of the material universe. In a pas 

 sage formerly alluded to, the Psalmist, after 

 having contemplated the scenes of the material 

 creation, declares, in reference to these visi 

 ble manifestations of the divine perfections, 

 &quot; The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever, the 

 Lord shall rejoice in all his works.&quot; And the 

 Apostle Peter, when describing the dissolution of 

 the elementary parts of our globe, intimates, at 

 the same time, the continued existence of the 

 visible fabric of nature. &quot; We look,&quot; says he, 

 &quot;for new heavens and a new earth, wherein 

 dwelleth righteousness.&quot; The same truth is in 

 cidentally declared in many other portions oi 

 Scripture. In the prophecies respecting tho 

 Messiah and the duration of his kingdom, it is 

 declared, that &quot; His name shall endure for ever, 

 his name shall be continued as long aft the sun. 



As a specimen of the vague and absurd declama 

 tions on this subject, which have been published both 

 from the pulpit and the press, the following extract 

 from a modern and elegantly printed volume of 

 sermons may suffice. &quot;The blast of the seventh 

 trumpet thundering with terrific clangour through 

 the sky, and echoing from world to world, shall fill 

 the universe, and time shall be no more ! The six 

 trumpets have already sounded : when the seventh 

 shall blow, a total change shall take place throughout 

 the creation ; the vast globe which we now inhabit 

 shall dissolve, and minsle with yon beauteous azure 

 firmament, with sun, and moon, and all the immense 

 luminaries flaming there, in one undistinguished 

 ruin; all shall vanish away like a fleeting vapour, 

 a visionary phantom of the night, and -not a sing/e 

 trace of them be found ! Even the last enemy, Death, 

 shall be destroyed, and time itself shall benomore! 1 

 &c. &c. When such bombastic rant is thunlered in 

 the ears of Christian people, it is no wonder that 

 their ideas on this subject become extremely incor 

 rect, and even extravagantly absurd. 



+ See Sect. x. page 44. 



