have been made, on this globe, to fubvert the whole.

... In confequence of which we read ;

Revelations, ch. xx. ver. 9.

!

9. Καὶ ἀνέβησαν ἐπὶ τὸ πλάτος τῆς 554. γῆς, καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν τὴν παρεμβολὴν τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἠγαπημένην· καὶ κα]έβη πῦρ ἀπὸ τὸ Θεᾶ ἐκ τῆ ἐρανε, καὶ κατέφαγεν αὐτές.

9. And they came up upon the face of the earth, and furrounded [and besieged] the camp of the holy ones, and the beloved city, [i. e. we may conclude, the peaceable and improved habitations of the people and fervants of God;] and fire DESCENDED from God out of the bea ven, and devoured them.

Now, if the earth, on that tremendous occafion, will at laft, from fome correfponding ordained caufe, change its orbit, and fall towards the fun, as above defcribed; then, the very appearance which will enfue, to its inhabitants, must be that of fire descending from heaven, and of fire continued, inceffant, in

creafing,

creafing, and unquenchable, or not to be with

Stood.

Further on we read, in the Book of Revelations:

Chap. xx. ver. 11.

II. Καὶ εἶδον θρόνον λευκὸν μέγαν, καὶ τὸν καθήμενον ἐπ ̓ αὐτῶ, ὅ ἀπὸ προσώπε ἔφυγεν ἡ γῆ καὶ ὁ ἐρανός. ń

с

II. And I faw a great white throne, and Him that fat upon it, from whofe prefence the earth and the heaven FLED AWAY.

And those words are furely exactly applicable to what would be the appearance, both to those spirits who either dwell in or are received into the fun, and to those who are left to remain on earth, on occasion of the earth's pafling its perihelion, as an eccentric comet does, and then inftantly flying away (in fuch orbit) into the regions of remote space.

And the idea of this being the cafe, is ftill further confirmed by the description in the xxift chapter of Revelations.

For there we read:

555.

Chap.

SECTION I

THE following conclufions, although 549. they appear to be founded on a very confiderable degree of probability, yet, not having fuch full and pofitive fupport from Holy Scripture as the preceding feem to have, are not ventured to be inferted amongst those Obfervations which were more particularly defigned to form the contents of this Volume; and therefore have been referved to be added by themselves in an Appendix, as mere hints, to any perfons whose curiosity and philofophical enquiries may lead them to confider the fubjects ftill more thoroughly and maturely.

And the first conclufion of this kind, which I have adventured to deduce, is concerning the celebrated Prophecy of St. Peter, relating to the Deftruction of this prefent Earth by

fire.

A Prophecy that the rather demands our 550. attention on the prefent occafion, and the application

Y 3

plication of a diligent and ferious endeavour to apprehend the true nature of it, as far as poffible; because of its close connection with what has been found to be the refult of the foregoing remarks.

In the account given, by that Holy Apoftle, of what shall happen at the final conclufion of the present Scene of things on earth, we read :

Peter, ch. iii, ver. 7, &c.

7. Οἱ δὲ νῦν ἐρανοὶ καὶ ἡ γῆ τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ τεθησαυρισμένοι εἰσὶ πυρὶ, τηρέμενοι εἰς ἡμέραν κρίσεως καὶ ἀπωλείας τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἀνθρώπων.

7. But the heavens and the earth, which now exift, are, according to the fame word, kept in ftore, referved for fire, unto the day of judgement, and deftruction of impious men.

And here we cannot but perceive, that the Apostle, by his mode of fpeaking, manifeftly means, by the present heavens, nothing more than the present appearance of the sky and atmosphere, and of the heavenly bodies that (to our eyes) feem to be placed therein; as contrafted with a different appearance, which they