Let　us　with　John；　the　servant　of　God；　cry　in　our　hearts　unto　our　Saviour
  Christ；　Come；　Lord　Jesus；　come。〃Ibid。；　pages　151；　145。
  〃The　thoughts　of　the　coming　of　the　Lord；〃　said　Baxter；　〃are　most　sweet　and
  joyful　to　me。〃Richard　Baxter；　Works；　vol。　17；　p。　555。　〃It　is　the　work　of
  faith　and　the　character　of　His　saints　to　love　His　appearing　and　to　look　for
  that　blessed　hope。〃　〃If　death　be　the　last　enemy　to　be　destroyed　at　the
  resurrection；　we　may　learn　how　earnestly　believers　should　long　and　pray　for
  the　second　coming　of　Christ；　when　this
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  full　and　final　conquest　shall　be　made。〃Ibid。；　vol。　17；　p。　500。　〃This　is
  the　day　that　all　believers　should　long；　and　hope；　and　wait　for；　as　being　the
  accomplishment　of　all　the　work　of　their　redemption；　and　all　the　desires　and
  endeavors　of　their　souls。〃　〃Hasten；　O　Lord；　this　blessed　day！〃Ibid。；　vol。
  17；　pp。
  182；　183。　Such　was　the　hope　of　the　apostolic　church；　of　the
  〃church　in　the　wilderness；〃　and　of　the　Reformers。
  Prophecy　not　only　foretells　the　manner　and　object　of　Christ's　coming；　but
  presents　tokens　by　which　men　are　to　know　when　it　is　near。　Said　Jesus：　〃There
  shall　be　signs　in　the　sun；　and　in　the　moon；　and　in　the　stars。〃　Luke　21：25。
  〃The　sun　shall　be　darkened；　and　the　moon　shall　not　give　her　light；　and　the
  stars　of　heaven　shall　fall；　and　the　powers　that　are　in　heaven　shall　be
  shaken。　And　then　shall　they　see　the　Son　of　man　coming　in　the　clouds　with
  great　power　and　glory。〃　Mark　13：24…26。　The　revelator　thus　describes　the
  first　of　the　signs　to　precede　the　second　advent：　〃There　was　a　great
  earthquake；　and　the　sun　became　black　as　sackcloth　of　hair；　and　the　moon
  became　as　blood。〃　Revelation　6：12。
  These　signs　were　witnessed　before　the　opening　of　the　nineteenth　century。　In
  fulfillment　of　this　prophecy　there　occurred；　in　the　year　1755；　the　most
  terrible　earthquake　that　has　ever　been　recorded。　Though　commonly　known　as
  the　earthquake　of　Lisbon；　it　extended　to　the　greater　part　of　Europe；　Africa；
  and　America。　It　was　felt　in　Greenland；　in　the　West　Indies；　in　the　island　of
  Madeira；　in　Norway　and　Sweden；　Great　Britain　and　Ireland。　It　pervaded　an
  extent　of　not　less　than　four　million　square　miles。　In　Africa　the　shock　was
  almost　as　severe　as　in　Europe。　A　great　part　of　Algiers　was　destroyed；　and　a
  short　distance　from　Morocco；　a　village　containing　eight　or　ten　thousand
  inhabitants　was　swallowed　up。　A　vast　wave　swept　over　the　coast　of　Spain　and
  Africa　engulfing　cities　and　causing　great　destruction。
  It　was　in　Spain　and　Portugal　that　the　shock　manifested　its　extreme　violence。
  At　Cadiz　the　inflowing　wave　was　said　to　be　sixty　feet　high。　Mountains；　〃some
  of　the　largest　in　Portugal；　were　impetuously　shaken；　as　it　were；　from　their
  very
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  foundations；　and　some　of　them　opened　at　their　summits；　which　were　split　and
  rent　in　a　wonderful　manner；　huge　masses　of　them　being　thrown　down　into　the
  adjacent　valleys。　Flames　are　related　to　have　issued　from　these　mountains。〃
  Sir　Charles　Lyell；　Principles　of　Geology；　page　495。
  At　Lisbon　〃a　sound　of　thunder　was　heard　underground；　and　immediately
  afterwards　a　violent　shock　threw　down　the　greater　part　of　that　city。　In　the
  course　of　about　six　minutes　sixty　thousand　persons　perished。　The　sea　first
  retired；　and　laid　the　bar　dry；　it　then　rolled　in；　rising　fifty　feet　or　more
  above　its　ordinary　level。〃　〃Among　other　extraordinary　events　related　to　have
  occurred　at　Lisbon　during　the　catastrophe；　was　the　subsidence　of　a　new　quay；
  built　entirely　of　marble；　at　an　immense　expense。　A　great　concourse　of　people
  had　collected　there　for　safety；　as　a　spot　where　they　might　be　beyond　the
  reach　of　falling　ruins；　but　suddenly　the　quay　sank　down　with　all　the　people
  on　it；　and　not　one　of　the　dead　bodies　ever　floated　to　the　surface。〃Ibid。；
  page　495。
  〃The　shock〃　of　the　earthquake　〃was　instantly　followed　by　the　fall　of　every
  church　and　convent；　almost　all　the　large　public　buildings；　and　more　than　one
  fourth　of　the　houses。　In　about　two　hours　after　the　shock；　fires　broke　out　in
  different　quarters；　and　raged　with　such　violence　for　the　space　of　nearly
  three　days；　that　the　city　was　completely　desolated。　The　earthquake　happened
  on　a　holyday；　when　the　churches　and　convents　were　full　of　people；　very　few
  of　whom　escaped。〃　Encyclopedia　Americana；　art。　〃Lisbon；〃　note　（ed。　1831）。
  〃The　terror　of　the　people　was　beyond　description。　Nobody　wept；　it　was　beyond
  tears。　They　ran　hither　and　thither；　delirious　with　horror　and　astonishment；
  beating　their　faces　and　breasts；　crying；　'Misericordia！　the　world's　at　an
  end！'　Mothers　forgot　their　children；　and　ran　about　loaded　with　crucifixed
  images。　Unfortunately；　many　ran　to　the　churches　for　protection；　but　in　vain
  was　the　sacrament　exposed；　in　vain　did　the　poor　creatures　embrace　the
  altars；　images；　priests；　and　people　were　buried　in　one　common　ruin。〃　It　has
  been　estimated　that　ninety　thousand　persons　lost　their　lives　on　that　fatal
  day。
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  Twenty…five　years　later　appeared　the　next　sign　mentioned　in　the
  prophecythe　darkening　of　the　sun　and　moon。　What　rendered　this　more
  striking　was　the　fact　that　the　time　of　its　fulfillment　had　been　definitely
  pointed　out。　In　the　Saviour's　conversation　with　His　disciples　upon　Olivet；
  after　describing　the　long　period　of　trial　for　the　church；the　1260　years　of
  papal　persecution；　concerning　which　He　had　promised　that　the　tribulation
  should　be　shortened；He　thus　mentioned　certain　events　to　precede　His
  coming；　and　fixed　the　time　when　the　first　of　these　should　be　witnessed：　〃In
  those　days；　after　that　tribulation；　the　sun　shall　be　darkened；　and　the　moon
  shall　not　give　her　light。〃　Mark　13：24。　The　1260　days；　or　years；　terminated
  in　1798。　A　quarter　of　a　century　earlier；　persecution　had　almost　wholly
  ceased。　Following　this　persecution；　according　to　the　words　of　Christ；　the
  sun　was　to　be　darkened。　On　the　19th　of　May；　1780；　this　prophecy　was
  fulfilled。
  〃Almost；　if　not　altogether　alone；　as　the　most　mysterious　and　as　yet
  unexplained　phenomenon　of　its　kind；　。　。　。　stands　the　dark　day　of　May　19；
  1780；a　most　unaccountable　darkening　of　the　whole　visible　heavens　and
  atmosphere　in　New　England。〃R。　M。　Devens；　Our　First　Century；　page　89。
  An　eyewitness　living　in　Massachusetts　describes　the　event　as　follows：　〃In
  the　morning　the　sun　rose　clear；　but　was　soon　overcast。　The　clouds　became
  lowery；　and　from　them；　black　and　ominous；　as　they　soon　appeared；　lightning
  flashed；　thunder　rolled；　and　a　little　rain　fell。　Toward　nine　o'clock；　the
  clouds　became　thinner；　and　assumed　a　brassy　or　coppery　appearance；　and
  earth；　rocks；　trees；　buildings；　water；　and　persons　were　changed　by　this
  strange；　unearthly　light。　A　few　minutes　later；　a　heavy　black　cloud　spread
  over　the　entire　sky　except　a　narrow　rim　at　the　horizon；　and　it　was　as　dark
  as　it　usually　is　at　nine　o'clock　on　a　summer　evening。　。　。　。
  〃Fear；　anxiety；　and　awe　gradually　filled　the　minds　of　the　people。　Women
  stood　at　the　door；　looking　out　upon　the　dark　landscape；　men　returned　from
  their　labor　in　the　fields；　the
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  carpenter　left　his　tools；　the　blacksmith　his　forge；　the　tradesman　his
  counter。　Schools　were　dismissed；　and　tremblingly　the　children　fled　homeward。
  Travelers　put　up　at　the　nearest　farmhouse。　'What　is　coming？'　queried　every
  lip　and　heart。　It　seemed　as　if　a　hurricane　was　about　to　dash　across　the
  land；　or　as　if　it　was　the　day　of　the　consummation　of　all　things。
  〃Candles　were　used；　and　hearth　fires　shone　as　brightly　as　on　a　moonless
  evening　in　autumn。　。　。　。　Fowls　retired　to　their　roosts　and　went　to　sleep；
  cattle　gathered　at　the　pasture　bars　and　lowed；　frogs　peeped；　birds　sang
  their　evening　songs；　and　bats　flew　about。　But　the　human　knew　that　night　had
  not　come。　。　。　。
  〃Dr。　Nathanael　Whittaker；　pastor　of　the　Tabernacle　church　in　Salem；　held
  religious　services　in　the　meeting…house；　and　preached　a　sermon　in　which　he
  maintained　that　the　darkness　was　supernatural。　Congregations　came　together
  in　many　other　places。　The　texts　for　the　extemporaneous　sermons　were
  invariably　those　that　seemed　to　indicate　that　the　darkness　was　consonant
  with　Scriptural　prophecy。　。　。　。　The　darkness　was　most　dense　shortly　after
  eleven　o'clock。〃The　Essex　Antiquarian；　April；　1899；　vol。　3；　No。　4；　pp。　53；
  54。　〃In　most　parts　of　the　country　it　was　so　great　in　the　daytime；　that　the
  people　could　not　tell　the　hour　by　either　watch　or　clock；　nor　dine；　nor
  manage　their　domestic　business；　without　the　light　of　candles。　。　。　。
  〃The　extent　of　this　darkness　was　extraordinary。　It　was　observed　as　far　east
  as　Falmouth。　To　the　westward　it　reached　to　the　farthest　part　of　Connecticut；
  and　to　Albany。　To　the　southward；　it　was　observed　along　the　seacoasts；　and　to
  the　north　as　far　as　the　American　settlements　extend。〃William　Gordon；
  History　of　the　Rise；　Progress；　and　Establishment　of　the　Independence　of　the
  U。S。A。；　vol。　3；　p。　57。
  The　intense　darkness　of　the　day　was　succeeded；　an　hour　or　two　before
  evening；　by　a　partially　clear　sky；　and　the　sun　appeared；　though　it　was　still
  obscured　by　the　black；　heavy　mist。　〃After　sundown；　the　clouds　came　again
  overhead；　and
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  it　grew　dark　very　fast。〃　〃Nor　was　the　dar