pestuous winds, vehement rains, terrible lightnings, and roarings of the trembling earth. And if these wonders have a prognosti cative signification, we and our mother country may forbode unusual things; for there they have all been perceived.

Another presage of the destruction of Jerusalem, here foretold, was a famine. This was the famine foretold also by Agabus,* which gave occasion for that collection for the poor saints in Judea, which St. Paul so often and so warmly recommends to the Gentile churches: Josephus also mentions the same famine. This calamity, which is at once a severe judgment and an omen, we have not yet felt in all its extremity; but we have been terri. bly threatened with it, both in Great Britain and Virginia: there, by the deadly plague that has raged so long among the cattle ; and here, by the severe drought of the last season, which actually reduced many poor families to great straits.

As to the pestilence, another presage of the destruction of the Jews, and which raged with such unexampled violence during the siege of their metropolis; through the kindness of Providence, Europe and America have not been lately visited with it; but how soon the deadly contagion may break out among us is unknown. This is obvious in the history of the world, that earthquakes, famines, and pestilences, have generally been compan ions, or followed close upon one another. And our cold climate and pure air are no security against the infection: for two or three years before the first English settlers arrived in New Eng land, there had been a plague among the Indian natives which had swept off some tribes entirely, and diminished others so much, that the English found the wilderness in some places covered with sculls and bones; for in some tribes none survived to bury the dead. Thus were the heathen cast out to make room for

affeos et ayas famine and pestilence are generally used together in Greek authors, as Grotius (in loc.) observes: and the reason may be, not only that which he assigns, viz. their resemblance in sound; but also, because they generally happen together, or closely follow upon each other, in the world. Old Hesiod has λιμον ομε και λοιμον.

Seneca also observes," Solere post magnos terrarum motus pestilentiam fieri." (De nat. q. 1. vi. ch. 27.) And he assigns this reason for it, that the air and water are corrupted by the effluvia from the bowels of the earth, vented through the chasms.

See Prince's Chron. of New England, vol. i. p. 99.

these pious puritans, as the Canaanites were before the Children of Israel. Now, what was justly inflicted upon the savages, who could not sin with our aggravations, we certainly cannot claim exemption from upon the footing of innocence, nor, I am afraid, of superior goodness; and we see we cannot promise ourselves exemption from our climate.

The remaining signs of this desolation I shall mention together. Fearful sights, and great signs from heaven-signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars-the sea and waves roaring. The mere simple relations of these portentous appearances strike us with horror and Josephus, who has left us a full history of these times, informs us they all actually happened at that tragical period. When he enters upon the subject, he uses some of the very words of this chapter, proposing to speak of the signs and prodigies* which presignified the approaching desolation; and he mentions the following horrendous prognostications : A star in the shape of a sword, or a comet, pointing down upon the city, was seen to hang over it for a whole year. There were other strange and unaccountable meteors seen in the aerial regions: armies in battle-array, and chariots surrounding the country and investing their cities; and this before sun-set. The great gate of the temple, which twenty men could scarcely shut, and which was made fast with bolts and bars, opened of its own accord to let in their enemies; " for so, says Josephus, our wise men understood the omen. At the ninth hour of the night

a great light shone upon the temple and the altar, as if it had been noon-day; and at the feast of Pentecost, when the priests went at midnight into the temple to attend their service, they first heard a kind of noise as of persons removing from a place, and then a voice, "LET US AWAY FROM HENCE."

Tacitus, a Roman historian of the same age, confirms this, by relating the same things ; and as he had no connections with the Jews, his testimony is liable to no suspicion. Josephus further adds, what he counts more terrible than all this, that a certain person began, at the feast of Tabernacles, to cry, "A voice against Jerusalem and the temple! A voice against all

* "Evenerunt prodigia, visæ per cœlum concurrere acies, rutilautia arma, et subitò nubium igne collucere templum, expassæ repentè delubri fores, et audita major humanâ vox excedere Deos, simul ingens motus excedentium. Hist. 1. v.

t onura xaι regala Lib vii. c. 31.

the people! Woe, woe to them!" And that he continued crying," Woe! Woe !" incessantly for seven years, notwithstanding all the barbarities the Jews exercised upon him, to silence him; of which he seemed entirely regardless. Josephus also mentions, as I observed, uncommon perturbations and inundations of the sea; hurricanes, thunder and lightning, and subterranean rumblings and bellowings of the trembling globe. Thus exactly does history agree with this prophecy, and prove it true and divine.

I need not tell you that some of these, or the like horrendous portents, have appeared in our age; and we shall presently see, whether they do not probably forebode some grand events to us also, as they did to the Jews.

1

It is evident, that, at least, some of the Jews and other nations did then consider them as tokens of some dreadful approaching judgments; for we are told in the text, that, as the effects of these appearances, "Men's hearts should fail them for fear, and for looking after those things that are coming upon the earth." The posture of eager anxious expectation seemed natural, at such a time, when heaven and earth were struggling and trayailing, to bring forth some astonishing revolution. And may not the late extraordinary phenomena of nature cast us into the same posture, and set us upon preparation for some new astonishing scenes? Certainly they may, and ought, if these phenomena are indeed prefigurative, or portend something future. And that they are really. o; that they are intended for that purpose by the supreme Manager of the world, and ought to be looked upon in that view by us, will, I think, appear at least probable from the followin considerations:

I. There seems to be a correspondence and propriety in it, that there should be kind of sympathy between the natural and moral world; that when the kingdoms of the earth are tossed and agitated, the eth itself should totter and tremble under them ;-that when the light of the rational world, the splendour of courts and kingdons, is about to be extinguished or obscured, the sun and men, and other lights of the material world, should abate their glory too, and, as it were, appear in mourning ;—that when some grand event is hastening to the birth, that terribly illustrious stranger, a comet, should make us a visit, as its harbinger, and shake its horrendous tail over the astonished world :— that when peace is broke among the nations, the harmony of the

elements should likewise be broken, and they should fall into transient animosities and conflicts, like the restless beings, for whose use they were formed. There is an apparent congruity and propriety in these things; and therefore the argument is, at least, plausible but as it is drawn only from analogy, which does not universally hold, I shall not lay much stress upon it. And yet, on the other hand, as there is an obvious analogy, which does unquestionably hold in many instances, between the natural and moral world,* the argument is not to be utterly disregarded.

2. These unusual appearances are peculiarly adapted to raise the attention of mankind, and prepare them for important revolutions.

There is a propriety and advantage, if not a necessity, especially with regard to that part of mankind, (and there are always many such upon earth) whose benefit is intended by these extraordinary events and revolutions, that they be prepared for them. And they cannot prepare for them without some general expectation of them; and they can have no expectation of them, without some warning or premonition of them. Now the ordinary appearances in nature cannot answer this end, because they are ordinary, and therefore not adapted to rouse and fix the attention; and because they really have no such premonitory signification. And as to the word of God, it may have no direct perceivable reference to such extraordinary periods; and, therefore, can give us no previous warning of their approach.

But these unusual phenomena are peculiarly adapted to this end their novelty and terror catch the attention of the gazing world. They stare and shudder, and pause and think, and nat

* See that masterly performance, Bishop Butler's "Analogy, in which this is incomparably illustrated.

Nemo usque eỡ non erigatur, ac

† Seneca has a remarkable passage to this purpose tardus, et hs et demissus in terram est, ut ad DIVIN tota mente csurgat; utiq; ubi novum aliquid è cœlo iraculum fulsit Nam quamdiu ta decurrunt, magnitudinem rerum consuetudo subducit Ita enim compositi sumus, ut nos quotidiana, etiamsi admiratione digna sunt, transeant contrà, minimarum rerum, si insolitæ prodierunt, spectaculum dulce fiat. Hic itaque cœtus astrorum, quibus immensi corporis et sulchritudo distinguitur, populum non convocat. At cum aliquid ex more ataudatum est, omnium vultus in cœlo est. Sol spectatorem, nisi cum deC non habt. Nemo observat lunam, nisi laborantem. Si quid turbatum es aut præter uetudinem emicuit, spectamus, interrogamus, € tendir. Nat. vii. c. 1.

urally bode something important impending. They tremble at the Power which hangs out these tremendous ensigns of his wrath. They reflect upon their guilt, which makes them timorous, and fear the worst. They view the frame of nature with horror, sensible of its frailty and liableness to disorder, and that they may be buried in its ruins. They begin to reflect upon the necessity of preparation for all events in this fluctuating state of things, and seek the favour and protection of the great Ruler of the universe, These prodigies have this natural tendency; and upon some, who were unaffected and unreformed by all the ordinary works of God and means of grace, they have actually had this happy effect. Thus some are prepared for the events, which these things forebode; and others have had timely warning, and therefore are inexcusable. Now, if these things have naturally a tendency to promote this benevolent end, is it not a strong presumption, that they are intended for this end by a wise and gracious Providence ; that is, that they are intended to answer an end, which they have a natural fitness and tendency to answer? This seems, at least, highly probable. Our stupid and senseless world, which is proof against the energy of the usual means of reformation, seems to need such extraordinary, alarming monitors. And, as it is a maxim of the divine government to consult the advantage of his dutiful subjects, to reform those that are corrigible, and at once to punish and leave inexcusable those that continue obstinate; and, as he acts upon this maxim in all the judgments he inflicts upon the earth, it seems agreeable to the goodness and justice of God, to give such previous warnings when the dreadful period is at hand, in order to alarm a secure world, and set them upon preparation. This, I say, is agreeable to his perfections; and, therefore, there is some apparent reason to expect it. He may hang out a comet, like a blazing ensign over the nations, to rouse them out of their slumbers. He may cause half the globe to tremble under the inhabitants, in order to strike terror their impenitent hearts. He may preach to them by the võid of thunder, and roaring oceans, that they may hear who were eaf to the gentle voice of his gospel. Such premonitions would be striking illustrations of the goodness and equity of his administration, who does not usually let the blow fall without previous warning, and they would contribute to the right improvement of such di sations. This, therefore, I think, we may ok upon, at let, us