St. Peter, after he had foretold the general conflagration, prefently fubjoins-Nevertheless, we, according to his promife, look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness *. St. John, the beloved difciple, was vouchfafed a vifion of nature, in this its renovated ftate. In a former vifion, he had feen a great white throne, and him that fat upon it; from whose face the earth and the heaven had fled away, and there was found no place for them †. The old face of nature being totally deftroyed, its place could not be found. After this fucceeds an account of the final judgment. Then follows, And I faw a new heaven, and a new earth: For the first heaven, and the firft earth, were paffed away; as before mentioned. And again, The former things are passed away: And he that Sat upon the throne faid, Behold I make all * 2 Pet. iii. 13. + Revel. xx. II. Hh 4 things things new. And in confirmation of the certainty of this great change, he said unto me, Write: For these words are true and faithful. Therefore enter them upon record, as what, in its due time, fhall be faithfully and fully accomplished. And as a still farther ratification of it, the inspired writer adds, He faid unto me, It is done*. This decree is as firmly established in the divine council, as if it were already executed. We have allufions to this renovated state in several other parts of scripture. Thus we are given to understand, that the present ftate of the world is not permanent. For the fashion, form, or, oxnua, the scheme, or plan, of this world passeth away. The prefent form of the world is to be changed, and it is to be modeled upon a different plan. And that the world is not to be annihilated; but only to undergo a change, we learn elfewhere. Thou, * Revel. xxi. 1, 4, 5, 6. Comp. 2 Cor. v. 17. Lard, Lord, in the beginning, haft laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure. They all fhall wax old, as doth a garment; and as a vefture fhalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the fame, and thy years shall not fail. From this comparison it sufficiently appears, that this will not be a partial, but a total change. Our Saviour likewife fpeaks of a regeneration; and promifeth, that Elias fhall come, and refore all things For it is poffible, there may be a coming of his yet future. Our Lord fpeaks of it, as fuch, at the fame time that he obferves, he was once come already, in the person of John, the Baptift. And that there shall be a restoration of all things, the apostle * Pf. cii. 25, 26, 27. Heb. i. 10, 11, 12. Ειλίσσει δε τις κρανες εχ ίνα απολέση τέλος, αλλ' ίνα xxλλova; Tapу. Cyril. catech. 15. + Matt. xix. 28, 29. Ch. xvii. II. is exprefs: For, fpeaking of Jefus, he faith, Whom the heavens must receive, till the times of the reftitution of all things; which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, fince the world began *. These times he had just before called times of refreshing. And it is most probably in allusion to this renovation of the inanimate creation, that the apostle speaks of its being made fubject to vanity; and that the time will come, when it fhall be delivered from the bondage of corruption unto the glorious liberty of the children of Godt. This restoration of all things, or renovation of all nature, having been foretold. by the mouth of all the prophets, fince the world began; no wonder the tradition concerning it was fo antient, and univerfal; not only amongst Jews and chriftians, but among the heathens likewife: Among the feveral fects of the Greek phi Acts iii. 21. + Rom. viii. 20, 21. lofophers, lofophers, Stoicks, Pythagoreans, Platonifts ; who all held it. It had fpread likewife through the eaftern, or barbarick philofophers, as the Greeks were pleased to call them, whom they might have owned to have been their mafters, and from whom they probably got it; the Perfians, Chaldeans, Egyptians, and Indian Brachmans; who had all imbibed this notion of the renovation of the world. Some held that this great change would precede the general conflagration; others, that it would be subsequent to it. Of the former opinion were the Platonifts. The Stoics maintained the latter: But both opinions are reconcilable; as it is probable, there will be fo great a melioration in the ftate of man and nature before the conflagration, as may be truly reckoned a renovation of both: And, on the other hand, there certainly will be fuch an entirely renovated ftate, after the earth hath undergone this thorough purgation. |