to the Noachian deluge, which, as he tells us, they were "willingly ignorant of," but which was of such a nature as to lead to the destruction of the ancient world. This was a purely physical catastrophe, producing, indeed, a moral result, in that it led to the destruction of the ungodly, but still in itself of a purely physical character. And this is seen in the specification which is made of some of the phenomena of the case: "By the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water" (ver. 5). No rational being can doubt whether the material earth and heavens are here alone meant. There is no doubt upon the subject. There is no room for any. Nor is there in reference to those which are next mentioned, as those which now exist:-"But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men" (ver. 7). All must of course admit, all do admit, that again the literal, material earth and heavens are meant; and all understand the Apostle to say, that as the world in the days of Noah was, as it were, destroyed by water, the world that now exists will hereafter be destroyed by

fire: and that as the former event was the means of destroying the ungodly of that day, so will the future one be the means of destroying those of the same character in its day. But the action of water and of fire are very different, and their destructive results differ immensely. The deluge would, in some measure, affect the surface of the earth, and effectually destroy its ungodly inhabitants; but fire, and especially such fire as that foretold by the Apostle', will not only destroy its inhabitants, but also the earth itself—not annihilate it, indeed, but render it utterly unfit any longer to be the abode of man. The conflagration will, it seems, be mighty and universal. "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up" (ver. 10). Again, it is clear that the literal, material earth and heavens are alone meant. It is impossible that any other can be intended. The connection renders this necessary and certain. But must not this also be the case in reference to the earth

1 See APPENDIX B.

and heavens which the Apostle next speaks of, when, after having reminded us of our duty in the prospect of such great and mighty changes as those he had predicted, he immediately proceeds to say: "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness"? (ver. 13.) Is it possible that any argument can be needed to show that this passage is so immediately connected with those which precede it, that the subject must be the same in both cases? If in all the former verses the literal earth and heavens were certainly, nay, necessarily, meant, must not the same be the case here? To take the expressions in all the former verses literally, and to understand the same in this verse figuratively, is surely to violate all consistency of interpretation. It is difficult to speak of such a course with becoming coolness; for if but once allowed and carried out, it would render the Bible altogether unintelligible, and its meaning so utterly uncertain, that we never could be assured that we understood it aright. And there is here, we may add, neither symbol nor figure. Nay, if there be a clear and simple passage in the Bible this is one. Nor is the chapter in which it occurs symbolic, as, for in

stance, some in the book of Revelation are; but it is throughout of such a character, in point of style and matter, that, if it is not to be understood in its plain, literal, and obvious sense, it would be difficult to name any chapter in the Word of God that should be so taken.1

This brief discussion as to the meaning of this passage was necessary, not only on account of its bearing upon our subject, and upon the principle of interpretation generally, but also because it determines the sense of three other important passages, two of which are immediately connected with this, and all of which evidently refer to the same subject. These are Isaiah lxv. 17, lxvi. 22, and Rev. xxi. 1. It is unquestionable that when St. Peter says, that we "look for new heavens and a new earth according to God's promise," he alludes to the two former of these passages, which run as follows:-" For, behold, I create

1 We have here a case to which the celebrated rule of the "judicious Hooker "-never more "judicious" than when he wrote the wordsmay justly be applied: "I hold it for a most infallible rule in expositions of sacred Scripture, that where a literal construction will stand, the farthest from the letter is commonly the worst. There is nothing more dangerous than this licentious and deluding art, which changeth the meaning of words, as alchymy doth, or would do the substance of metals, making of anything what it listeth, and bringeth in the end all truth to nothing."-Eccl. Pol. b. v. ch. lix. 2.

new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." (Isaiah lxv. 17.) "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, 80 shall your seed and your name remain." (Isaiah Ixvi. 22.) St. Peter evidently quotes or alludes to these passages, and he does so in a definite and specific sense, and in so doing he has determined for us the light in which they must be viewed. It is true that no other sense can be rightly given to them, if in interpreting them we adhere to the common usage of terms, and do not attempt to force some mystical meaning upon them which they cannot, except with the greatest difficulty, be made to bear; but the Apostle's authority has decided the matter for us, and we have no need to investigate it farther. Rev. xxi. 1, is an independent passageindependent of, and unconnected with, this of St. Peter. But it contains the same expressions, and manifestly refers to the same subject; and announces, in short, the fulfilment of the "promise" to which he alludes. We are surely, therefore, justified in saying, that since he uses the terms, "new heavens and a new earth,” for literal heavens and a literal earth, the same terms