now fcarce a handful of Chriftians to be found fcattered through the vaft countries of minor Afia, Sy ria, Perfia, &c? What remains are there now of Christianity in Africa, where formerly it flourished fo much, and where were feen to fhine fuch great lights of the Church, as a St. Athanafius; a St. Cyprian, a St. Auguftin, &c? Thofe regions, having been fubdued and over-run by the Mahometans, have received their fuperftitions and impoftures. The fame has also been the fate of that part of Europe, which has fallen under the dominion of the Turks. How could fuch wide encroachments be made upon Religion, but by the help and co-operation of the devil?

We must however here obferve, that this Prophecy, though already fulfilled in fome measure in Mahomet and the Mahometan nation, will ftill be more fully accomplished, as we shall fhew hereafter, in Antichrift, who will be one, the greateft, and the moft cruel of Mahomet's fucceffors. And hence appears the reason, why St. John is invited to the view of the prefent fpectacle by the fourth living creature, which, as we have observed, reprefents the prophet Daniel: the reafon is, because that prophet had foretold the coming of Antichrift and his great power, as we fhall fee in the fequel.

Here then we discover the rife and progress of a power, which in the course of time will become the mighty empire of Antichrift; the destruction of which is reserved to be the work of Chrift himself, and thus the Lamb will fhew that ftrength, which he was faid to receive, Apoc. v. 12. See p. 20.

Let us here further remark, that in each of the four preceding Seals there appeared a horse, for his ftrength the natural emblem of Power or Empire: that in the firft Seal the horse exhibited the Empire of Chrift; in the second, that of Herefy; in the third, the Empire of Rome falling away; and in

this fourth, the rife of the Mahometan Empire, which as no horfe appears in any of the subsequent Seals, we may conclude to be the laft great temporal Power, that will exift upon earth, Enemy to the Chriftian Church.

The preceding Explication illuftrated by a brief Account of Mahomet and the Mahometan Empire.

Mahomet was born at Mecca in Arabia, in the year 571, of poor parents, who were of the race of Ifmael. His father was a heathen, and his mother a Jew. Being very young when his parents died, he was educated by an uncle, who put him to trade. He afterwards married a rich widow, whose busi nefs he managed Being arrived at about forty years of age, he commenced prophet, and fet to compofe a new religion, He faid, that the true religion had been corrupted by the Jews and the Chriftians, and that therefore God had fent him, as his prophet, to restore it to it's purity.

He taught them that there was one only God, but no diftinction of perfons in the Deity. He exploded the Incarnation and all the other myfteries of the Christian Religion. He adopted Circumcifion, and prescribed abftinence from wine, blood, and pork. On another hand he allowed every man to have four wives, and concubines without reftriction: but he referved to himself the liberty of marrying as often as he pleased, and he is faid to have had at least fifteen wives, and ten of them together. He exhorted people to take up arms for religion, promising a paradife of all the fenfual pleasures to those who hould die fighting in that caufe. To make war against unbelievers he declared to be of high merit before God. He taught predeftination, affirming that every man's fate was abfolutely decreed; and that the term of every man's life was fixed by God, not to be shortened by any accidents or prolonged by any means whatever.

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These and other impious tenets, which he pretended to have received from the Angel Gabriel, he procured a perfon to pen down, as he could neither read nor write; and the Book he called " Alcoran." When feized with Epileptic fits, to which he was fubject, he was then vifited, as he devulged, by the Angel Gabriel; whofe appearance being more than he could bear, occafioned him to fall into thofe trances and convulfions. Such was his impofture. His doctrine met with much oppofition from fome of his countrymen of Mecca. They called him, a madman, an impofter, and faid he was poffeffed by the devil. But his partifans increafing daily, the magiftrates of the town began to be alarmed, and fufpecting he had a defign upon the government, they refolved to take away his life. Mahomet having intimation of their defign, fled to Medina. This retreat, which happened in the year 622, gives date to the Mahometan Era, called Hegira, or "the "flight." At Medina he was joined by new profelytes, chiefly thieves and fugitive flaves, who the more freely flocked to him on account of the latitude he allowed them in induling their fenfual defires. Having formed a fmall body, he fet himfelf at the head of them, as their chief and legiflator, He told them, he was not fent to do miracles, but to propagate religion by the power of the fword. He firft attacked the caravans, that travelled through the country for trade; and meeting with fuccefs, he enriched his followers, and enlarged his projects. His little army being foon encreased, he proceeded against the town of Mecca, took it, and put his principal opponents to death. He then fubdued one tribe of people after another, carrying the fword of deftruction through the country, and forcing the people to fubmit to him, and to receive his religion, or pay him an annual tribute. His progrefs was fuch, that he was mafter of almost all

Arabia,

Arabia, when he died in 631. His followers were called ઃઃ Saracens," or " Mufulmans." From his actions and his maxims one may conclude, that ambition, luft, and cruelty, were the characteristics of this famous impoftor.

Abubeker, one of Mahomet's firft adherents, fucceeded him in command, and taking the name of Caliph or Lieutenant, carried on his late mafter's conquefts over other Arabian nations. Amron, one of his Generals, having advanced into the territory of Gaza, and laid fiege to that town, the Governor afked him the reafon of fuch an act of hoftility. Amron answered, "We come by the order of our "prince to propofe to you the acceptance of our "religion. If you chufe to embrace it, we shall "be brethren: if not, pay us tribute, and you shall "be our allies. But if you agree to neither, the "fword must decide, and we shall wage war against you, to execute the order of God."

Abubeker dying in 634, was fucceeded by Omar. This Caliph completed the conqueft of the rest of Arabia. Then he invaded Syria, where he defeated the imperial army commanded by Theodorus, brother to Heraclius Emperor of Conftantinople. Heraclius fearing the fuccefs of the Arabian's arms, quitted Syria and went to Jerufalem, from whence he removed the Holy Cross with other valuable things to Conftantinople. His brother hazarded a fecond battle, which he loft, and the Saracens became mafters of Damafcus, and afterwards of the country of Phoenicia. The Caliph then divided his army; one part of which he fent against Egypt, which they fubdued and difmembered from the Eastern Roman Empire, of which it had been a confiderable province, ever fince Auguftus's days. In the mean time Omar himself took the route of Jerufalem, which he refolved to befiege; and unfortunately the Emperor Heraclius had not in those

parts

parts fufficient forces to oppofe him. About this time St. Sopronius, Bishop and Patriarch of Jerufalem, in a letter to Sergius Patriarch of Conftantinople, wrote: " Pray for the Emperors," Heraclius and his Son, "that God may make them vic"torious over all the barbarians; but especially that " he may be pleased to humble the pride of the "Saracens, who on account of our fins have fuddenly broke in upon us, and ravage all the country "with terrible cruelty and impious arrogance." Jerufalem, after maintaining a fiege of two years, furrendered to Omar in 336 upon condition, that the inhabitants fhould remain in the peaceable poffeffion of their fortunes and liberty, and the free exercise of the Chriftian Religion. However, fome time after, this caliph ordered a Mosque to be built on the very spot where had ftood the temple of Solomon. From Jerufalem Omar marched to Antioch, capital of Syria, which for want of forces and provifions was forced to furrender. This conqueft made him foon mafter of all Syria. And thus the Roman Empire was divefted of another Province, which it had been in poffeffion of for 700 years. In 639 the Saracens croffed the Euphrates, and overran Mefopotamia. From thence they advanced into Perfia, defeated Ifdegerdes the king, drove him out of his dominions, and feized upon the Perfran Empire. This Caliph's progrefs was fuch, that he alfo fubdued the greaeft part of Armenia, with fome other neighbouring countries. But in the midft of all this fuccefs he was affaffinated in 643.

Othman, of the race of Mahomet, was chosen Omar's fucceffor. He carried on the conquefts; took Cyprus, Rhodes, and other iflands in the Mediterrean fea. His Generals in Africa defeated Gregory, the Imperial commander in those parts, and extended their conquefts all along the coaft on the Mediterranean fea to the ftraits of Gibraltar,

Othman