usiness, 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."(486)

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 it grew dark very fast." "Nor was the darkness of the
night less uncommon and terrifying than that of the day; notwithstanding
there was almost a full moon, no object was discernible but by the help of
some artificial light, which, when seen from the neighboring houses and
other places at a distance, appeared through a kind of Egyptian darkness
which seemed almost impervious to the rays."(487) Said an eye-witness of
the scene: "I could not help conceiving at the time, that if every
luminous body in the universe had been shrouded in impenetrable shades, or
struck out of existence, the darkness could not have been more
complete."(488) Though at nine o'clock that night the moon rose to the
full, "it had not the least effect to dispel the deathlike shadows." After
midnight the darkness disappeared, and the moon, when first visible, had
the appearance of blood.

May 19, 1780, stands in history as "The Dark Day." Since the time of
Moses, no period of darkness of equal density, extent, and duration, has
ever been recorded. The description of this event, as given by
eye-witnesses, is but an echo of the words of the Lord, recorded by the
prophet Joel, twenty-five hundred years previous to their fulfilment: "The
sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the
great and the terrible day of the Lord come."(489)

Christ had bidden His people watch for the signs of His advent, and
rejoice as they should behold the tokens of their coming King. "When these
things begin to come to pass," He said, "then look up, and lift up your
heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." He pointed His followers to the
budding trees of spring, and said: "When they now shoot forth, ye see and
know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye,
when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is
nigh at hand."(490)

But as the spir