are fufficiently diftinguifhed by their internal marks and characters. The fifth feal or period is remarkable for a dreadful perfecution of the Chriftians, who are reprefented (ver. 9.) lying under the altar, (for the fcene is ftill in the tabernacle or temple) as facrifices newly flain and offered to God. They cry aloud (ver. 10.) for the Lord to judge and avenge their caufe; that is, the cruelties exercised upon them were of fo barbarous and atrocious a nature, as to deferve and provoke the vengeance of the Lord. White robes are given unto every. one of them (ver. 11.) as a token of their juftification and acceptance with God; and they are exhorted to rest for a feafon, till the number of the martyrs be completed, when they fhall receive their full reward, as we fhall fee hereafter. Where Mr. Lowman (5) obferves very well, that "this reprefentation feems much to favor the "immediate happiness of departed faints, and hardly "to confift with that uncomfortable opinion, the infen"fible ftate of departed fouls, till after the refurrection." There were other perfecutions before, but this was by far the most confiderable, the tenth and laft general perfecution which was begun by Diocletian, and continued by others, and lafted longer, and extended farther, and was fharper and more bloody than any or all preceding; and therefore this was particularly predicted. Eufebius and Lactantius, who were two eye-witneffes, have (6) written large accounts of it. Orofius (7) afferts, that this perfecution was longer and more cruel than all the paft; for it raged inceffantly for ten years by burning the churches, profcribing the innocent, and flaying the martyrs. Sulpicius Severus too (8) defcribes it as the most bitter perfecution, which for ten years together depopulated the people of God: at which time all the (5) See Lowman on the Rev. p. 51. (6) Eufeb. Ecclef. Hift. Lib. 8. cum fupplemento. Lactantius de Mortibus Perfecut. Cap. 7, &c. (7) quæ perfecutio omnibus fere ante actis diuturnior atque iminanior fuit. Namn per decem annos incendiis ecclefiarum profcriptionibus innocentum, cædibus martyrum, inceflabiliter. 1 world almoft was ftained with the facred blood of the martyrs, and was never more exhausted by any wars. So that this became a memorable æra to the Chriftians, under the name of the æra of Diocletian, or as it is otherwife called the era of martyrs. 12 And I beheld when he had opened the fixth feal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the fun became black as fackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. 13 And the ftars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree cafteth her untimely figs when fhe is fhaken of a mighty wind: 14 And the heaven departed as a ferole when it is rolled together; and every mountain and iland were moved out of their places: 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty-men, and every bond-man, and every free-man hid themselves in the dens, and in the 'rocks of the mountains: 16 And faid to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that fitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who fhall be able to ftand? The fixth feal or period produceth mighty changes and revolutions, which according to the prophetic ftile are expreffed by great commotions in the earth and in the heavens. The very fame images, the very fame expreffions are employed by other prophets concerning the mutations and alterations of religions and governments; and why may they not therefore with equal fitnefs and propriety be applied to one of the greateft and moft memorable revolutions which ever were in the world, the fubverfion of the Heathen religion, and establishment of the Chriftian, which was begun by Conftantine the great, and was completed by his fucceffors? The feries of the prophecy requires this application, and all the phrafes and expreflions will eafily admit of fuch a conftruction. conftruction. And I beheld when he had opened the fixth feal, (ver. 12.) and lo, there was cromos pezas a great earth-quake, or rather a great concufion; for the word in the original comprehends the thaking of heaven as well as of earth. The fame phrafe is ufed by the prophet Haggai (II. 6, 21.) concerning the firft coming of Chrift, I will shake the heavens and the earth: and this fhaking, as the apoftle faith, (Heb. XII. 27.) fignifieth the removing of thofe things which are fhaken; and fo the prophet Haggai himfelf explains it, I will shake the heavens and the earth, And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will deftroy the strength of the kingdoms of the Heathen: And where was ever a greater concuffion or removal, than when Chriftianity was advanced to the throne of Paganifin, and Idolatry gave place to the true religion? Then follow the particular effects of this general concuffion, (ver. 12, 13, 14.) And the fun became black as fackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the ftars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a figtree cafteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind: And the heavens departed as a ferole when it is rolled together; and every mountain and iland were moved out of their places. Ifaiah fpeaketh much in the fame manner concerning Babylon and Idumea; (XIII. 10. XXXIV. 4.) For the ftars of heaven and the conftellations thereof shall not give their light; the fun fhall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon fball not caufe her light to Jhine: And all the host of heaven fhall be diffolved, and "the heavens fhall be rolled together as a ferole; and all their hoft fhall fall down as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig-tree: And Jeremiah concerning the land of Judah, (IV. 23, 24.) I beheld the earth, and to, it was without form and void: and the heavens and they had no light: I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly: And Ezekiel concerning Egypt, (XXXII. 7.) And when I fhall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the ftars thereof dark; I will cover the fun with a cloud, and the moon jhall not give her light: And Joel concerning Jerufalem, (II. 10, 31.) The earth fhall quake before VOL. II. O them, them, the heavens fhall tremble, the fun and the moon fhall be dark, and the flars fhall withdraw their thining: the fun fhall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come: And our Saviour himfelf alfo concerning the destruction of Jerufalem, (Mat. XXIV. 29.) The fun fhall be darkened, and the moon fhall not give her light, and the ftars fhall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens Shall be fhaken. Now it is certain, that the fall of any of thefe cities and kingdoms was not of greater concern and confequence to the world, nor more deferving to be defcribed in fuch pompous figures, than the fall of the Pagan Roman empire, when the great lights of the heathen world, the fun, moon, and fiars, the powers civil and ecclefiaftical, were all eclipfed and obfcured, the heathen emperors and cæfars were flain, the heathen priefts and augurs were extirpated, the heathen officers and magiftrates were removed, the heathen temples were demolished, and their revenues appropriated to better ufes. It is cuftomary with the prophets, after they have defcribed a thing in the moft fymbolical and figurative diction, to reprefent the fame again in plainer language and the fame method is obferved here, (ver. 15, 16, 17.) And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, amd every bond-man, and every free-man, that is Maximian, Galerius, Maximin, Maxentius, Licinius &c. with all their adherents and followers, were fo routed and difperfed, that they hid themselves in the dens, end in the rocks of the mountains, and faid to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us; expreffions used, as in other prophets, (If. II. 19, 21. Hof. X. 8. Luke XXIII. 30.) to denote the utmoft terror and confternation; Full on us, and hide us from the face of him that fitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to ftand? This is therefore a triumph of Chrift over his heathen enemies, and a triumph after a fevere perfecution; fo that the time and all the circumstances, as well as the feries and order of the prophecy, agree perfectly 6 with this interpretation. (9) Galerius, (1) Maxiand (2) Licinius made even a public confeffion of guilt, recalled their decrees and edicts against the ians, and acknowledged the juft judgments of God 7 Chrift in their deftruction. CHA P. VII. ND after these things, I faw four angels ftanding on the four corners of the earth, ling the four winds of the earth, that the wind uld not blow on the earth, nor on the fea, nor on tree. And I faw another angel afcending from the having the feal of the living God: and he d with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom as given to hurt the earth and the fea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the fea, the trees, till we have fealed the fervants of our in their foreheads. - And I heard the number of them which were ed: and there were fealed an hundred and forty four thoufand, of all the tribes of the children Ifrael. I Of the tribe of Juda were fealed twelve thoud. Of the tribe of Reuben were fealed twelve ufand. Of the tribe of Gad were fealed twelve ufand. S Of the tribe of Afer were fealed twelve thou1. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were fealed lve thoufand. Of the tribe of Menaffes were ed twelve thoufand. Of the tribe of Simeon were fealed twelve ufand. Of the tribe of Levi were fealed twelve Of the tribe of Ifachar were fealed ufand. lve thousand. Eufeb. Ecclef. Hift. Lib. 8. . De Vita Conftant. Lib. I. Cap. 9, 10, 11. De Vita Conft. |