This is the best point
of view that I read regarding solar eclipses. Read on and you'll see why.
Delivered on Sabbath
Morning, March 14th, 1858 by the
REV. C. H. Spurgeon at
the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens.
"I form the light,
and create darkness.'—Isaiah 45:7.
Yesterday, we have
witnessed one of the greatest sights in the universe—the annular eclipse of the
sun. It is possible that many of us shall have gone the way of all flesh before
such a sight shall again be seen in this country and we therefore looked
forward for it with some degree of expectation. It is probable that hundreds
and thousands of the human race were attracted by it, to study for a few hours
at least, the science of astronomy.
I suppose that it is
impossible that the earth should revolve around the sun, and that the moon
should spin continually round the earth, in the same plane of their orbit,
without there being eclipses. Since God has made the ellipse, or the circle,
the great rule of nature, it is impossible but that eclipses should occur. Now,
did you ever notice that in providence the circle is God's rule still. The
earth is here today; it will be in the same place this day next year; it will
go round the circle; it gets no further. It is just so in providence….Where God
has begun, there will he end; and as God has taken the rule of the circle in
providence, as well as in nature, eclipses must be sure to occur. Moving in the
pre destined orbit of divine wisdom, the eclipse is absolutely and imperatively
necessary in God's plan of government. Troubles must come; afflictions must
befall; it must, needs be that for a season ye should be in heaviness, through
manifold temptations.
…Everything that god
does has a design. When God creates light he has a reason for it, and when he
creates darkness he has a reason for it too. God does not always tell us his
reason; he always has one, We call him a sovereign God, because sometimes he
acts from reasons which are beyond our knowledge; but he is never an
unreasoning God. It is according to the counsel of his will that he works; not
according to his will, but according to the counsel of his will, to show you
that there is a reason, a wisdom and counsel in everything that he does. Now I
cannot tell you what is God's design in eclipsing the sun; we can see many
gracious purposes answered by it in our minds, but I do not know of what use it
is to the world. It may be that if there never were an eclipse some great
change might happen in the atmosphere, something far beyond the reach of all
philosophical knowledge at present, but which may yet be discovered. It may be
that the eclipse, like the tornado and the hurricane, has its virtue in
operating upon this lower world in some mysterious way, but that we know not.
However, we are not left
in any darkness about other kind of eclipses; we are quite certain that
providential eclipses, and gracious eclipses, have both of them their reasons.
…God hath some design in all these things, and permit me to tell you what I
believe to be God's design, when he sends troubles into the world, and when he
sends troubles upon us. It is this, it is to draw our attention to himself.
Well, said an old divine," Nobody ever looks at the sun except when he is
in an eclipse." You never thought about the sun before yesterday; but you
did yesterday..." Doubtless, we should entirely forget God, if it were not
for some of those eclipses which now and then happen. God would not have his
name remembered on earth at all by the race of man if he did not make them
recollect his name, when he scourged it into them with his rod. …Doubtless,
this is God's great design in his afflictive providences, to make us think of
him. …
…Christians, if you will
just remember what I am about to say you will learn a useful lesson. What was
that which hid the sun from us yesterday? It is the ungrateful moon. She has
borrowed all her light from the sun month after month; she would be a black blot,
if the sun did not shine upon her, and now see all the return she makes is, she
goes impudently before his face and prevents his light from shining upon us. Do
you know anything at all like that in your own history? Have you not a great
many comforts which you enjoy upon earth that are just like the moon? They
borrow all their light from the sun. They would be no comforts to you unless
God shone in them and they reflected back the light from his countenance. What
is your husband, your wife; what are your children, your friends, your house,
your home? What are all these but moons that borrow their light from the sun?
Oh how ungrateful it is when we let our comforts get before our God; no wonder
that we get an eclipse when we put these things that God gave to be our
comforts into God's own throne and make them our idols. Oh! if our children
take half of our hearts, if our friends take away our souls from Jesus, if like
it was with Solomon, the wife leads the heart astray, if our goods, our house,
our lands become the object of our life, if we set our affections upon them
instead of setting them upon the things above, no wonder that there is an
eclipse. Oh ungrateful heart that allows these moons of comfort to hide the
sun. …
Take care Christians,
lest thy comforts like the moon eclipse thy sun. That is a sermon for thee,
remember it, and be wise from it.
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