light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne, fhall feed them, and fhall go lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes. What follows in this chapter is ftill a continuation of the fixth feal, for the feventh feal is not opened till the beginning of the next chapter. It is a defcription of the ftate of the church in Conftantine's time, of the peace and protection that it should enjoy under the civil powers, and of the great acceffion that fhould be made to it both of Jews and Gentiles, Four angels,' ver, I, 2, 3. are ordered by another angel to restrain the four winds' from blowing with violence on any part of the world; to fhow that these were halcyon days, wherein the former wars and perfecutions fhould ceafe, and peace and tranquillity be restored for a feason. Eufebius is very copious upon this fubject in feveral parts of his writings; and hath applied the paffage of the Pfalmift in the verfion of the Seventy, Pfal. xlvi. 8, 9. Come hither, and behold the works of the Lord, what wonders he hath wrought in the earth: He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth, he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the fpear afunder, he burneth the chariot in the fire;' which things, faith he, being manifeftly fulfilled in our times, we rejoice over them. Lactantius alfo h faith in the fame triumphant ftrain, "tranquillity being reftored throughout the world, the church which was lately ruined riseth again. Now after the violent agitations of fo great a tempeft, a calm air and the defired light become refplendent. Now God hath relieved the afflicted. Now he hath wiped away the tears of the forrowful." Thefe are teftimonies of contemporary writers; medals of Conftantine are still preferved with the head of this emperor on one fide and this infcription CONSTANTINUS AUG, and on the reverfe BEATA TRANQUILLITAS g Eufeb. Ecclef. Hift. Lib. 1o. Cap. I. O as was exagger WETogμsvis XMIGOVTES---Quæ cum omnia noftris temporibus manifeste completa fint læti deinceps et gratulabundi-- h Reftituta per orbem tranquillitate, profligata nuper ecclefia rurfum exfurgit---Nunc poft tantæ tempeftatis violentos turbines placidus aer et optatą lux refulfit. Nunc Deus afflictos fublevavit. Nunc maerentium lacrymas deterfit. Lactantius de Mort. Perfecut. Cap.1. i See Daubuz. p. 311. k QUILLITAS, Bleffed Tranquillity. During this time of tranquillity the fervants of God were to be fealed in their foreheads.' It is an expreffion in allufion to the ancient custom of marking fervants in their foreheads to distinguish what they were, and to whom they belonged. Now among Chriftians baptifm being the feal of the covenant between God and man, is therefore by ancient writers often called the feal, the fign, the mark and charader of the Lord: and it was the ' practice in early times, as it is at prefent. to make the fign of the crofs upon the foreheads of the parties baptized. The fame fign of the cross was alfo made at confirmation; and upon many other occafions the Chriftians figned themselves with the fign of the cross in their foreheads, as a token that they were not ashamed of a crucified mafter, that on the contrary they gloried in the crofs of Chrift, and triumphed in that fymbol and representation of it. The fealing therefore of the fervants of God in their foreheads' at this juncture can imply no lefs, than that many converts fhould be baptized, and those, who before, in times of perfecution, had been compelled to worship God in private, fhould now make a free, open, and public profeffion of their religion; and that fuch an acceffion was made to the church, every one knoweth who knoweth any thing of the hiftory of this time. As the church of Christ was firft formed out of the Jewish church and nation, fo here, ver. 4-8. the fpiritual Ifrael is first mentioned; and the number of the thoufands of Ifrael is, that of the twelve patriarchs multiplied by the twelve apostles, which we shall find to be a facred number throughout the Revelation. But the twelve tribes are not enumerated here in the fame method and order, as they are in other places of holy fcripture. Judah hath the first rank and precedence, because from him defcended the Meffiah. Dan is entirely omitted, and Ephraim is not mentioned, becaufe they were the principal promoters of idolatry, and therefore Levi is fubftituted in the room of the one, and Jofeph is mentioned instead of the other. The children too of the bond-woman and of the free-woman k See Mede, p. 511. Bingham's Antiquities. B. 11. Ch. 1. Sect. 6. et. 7. 1 See Cave's Primitive Christianity, Part I. Ch. 10. Bingham,ibid Ch. 9. Sect. 4, &c. 192 iii. 6 in Chrift Jefus neither bond nor free, Befides free woman are confounded together, there being, Gal. verus as well as Gentiles. The historians, who havé n relate how even the most remote One historian in particular affirms, and barbarous nations were converted to the faith, Jews that at the time when Conftantine took poffeffion of Rome than twelve thoufand Jews and Heathens, befides women after the death of Maxentius, there were baptized more The angels alfo, ver. 11, 12. join in the celebration of God upon this occafion; for if there is that repenteth,' much more may thofe and children. joy,' Luke xv. 10. in the prefence of the angels of God at the converfion of whole counThen one of the elders, ver. 13—17. tokens of their victory and triumph over heavenly fpirits rejoice explains to St John fome particulars relating to this innutries and nations. tribulation and perfecution. They are arrayed in white merable multitude of all nations. They have palms in embles of their fanctity and justification their hands,' mer as it robes,' as through the the children of I reft, and they fh heat, as they did pily freed from all and their heathen them. This perio with fome little int tine the great to th out 70 years. Hoc temporum tra iana Sulpic. Sever rates Hift. Eccle b, 2. Cap. 5mpore Ro minum 7.P.85 p. 127 They are, like and death of Chrift. No the more fuffer hunger, or thirst, or wilderness. They are now hapformer troubles and molestations ; verfaries fhall no more prevail against We may fuppofe to have continued uption, from the reign of Conftandeath of Theodofius the great, a CHAP. mirum eft quantum invaluerit religio Sacr Hift. Lib. 2. p. 100. Edit. Elzevir. C. &c. e Judaeis et Idololatris ultra aptizati funt A CHAP. VIII. ND when he had opened the feventh feal, there was filence in heaven about the space of half an hour. 2 And I faw the feven angels which stood before. God; and to them were given feven trumpets. 3 And another angel came and ftood at the altar, having a golden cenfer; and there was given him much incenfe, that he fhould offer it with the prayers of all faints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the fmoke of the incenfe, which came with the prayers of the faints, afcended up before God, out of the angel's hand. 5 And the angel took the cenfer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and caft it into the earth: and there were voices, and thundrings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 And the feven angels which had the feven trumpets, prepared themselves to found. The feventh feal or period is of much longer duration, and comprehends many more events than any of the former feals. It comprehends indeed feven periods diftinguished by the founding of feven trumpets. At the opening of this feal, ver. 1. there was filence in heaven about the space of half an hour.' This filence of half an hour' is a fign that the peace of the church would continue but for a short season. It is an interval and pause as it were between the foregoing and the fucceeding vifions. It is a mark of folemnity, to procure attention, and to prepare the mind for great and fignal events; and not without an allufion to a ceremony among the Jews. Philo P informs us, the incense used to be offered before the morning, and after the evening facrifice and while the facrifices were made, 2 Chron. xxix. 25-28. the voices and inftruments, and trumpets founded; while the priest went into the temple to burn incense, Luke i. 10. all were filent, and the people prayed without to themfelves. Now this was the morning of the church, and thereVOL. II. fore R Ο προ τε της έωθενης θυσίας και μετα την εσπερινην ante matutinum et poft vefpertinum facrificium-Philo de Victimis. p. 836. Edit. Paris. 1640. 6 fore the filence precedes the founding of the trumpets. It was neceffary before the trumpets could be founded, that they fhould be given, ver. 2. to the feven archangels, who were to execute the will of God, and to found the trumpets each in his feafon. At the fame time, ver. 3, 4, 5. another angel,' like the priest, having a golden cenfer,' offereth incenfe with the prayers of all faints ;' and then filleth the cenfer with fire of the altar, and cafteth it into the earth;' as in Ezekiel, x. 2. 'coals of fire' are taken from between the cherubim,' and scattered over Jerufalem, to denote the judgments of God to be executed upon that city. Whereupon immediately enfue voices, and thundrings, and lightnings, and an earthquake,' the usual prophetic figns and preludes of great calamities and commotions upon earth. Then the angels, ver. 6. 'prepare themselves to found:' and as the. feals foretold the state and condition of the Roman empire before and till it became Chriftian, fo the trumpets forefhow the fate and condition of it afterwards. found of the trumpet,' as Jeremiah, iv. 19. fays, and as every one understands it, is the alarm of war:' and the founding of thefe trumpets is defigned to roufe and excite the nations against the Roman empire, called the third part of the world,' as perhaps including the third part of the world, and being feated principally in Europe, the third part of the world at that time. 7 The firft angel found ed, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were caft upon the • The earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grafs was burnt up. At the founding of the first trumpet, ver. 7. the barbarous nations, like a ftorm of hail and fire mingled with blood,' invade the Roman territories; and destroy the third part of trees,' that is the trees of the third part of the earth' and the green grafs,' that is both old and young, high and low, rich and poor together. Theodofius the great died in the year 395; and no fooner was Socratis Ecclef. Hift. Lib. 6. Cap. I. Sozomen. Lib. 8. Cap. 1. Zofimi Hift. Lib. 5 et 6. Pauli Orofii Hift. Lib. 7. Cap. 37, &c. Car. Sigonii Hift. de Occidentali imperio Lib. 10. |