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of the world, Now we are which is the

One wo is paft, and behold yet two woes come after this.' Rev. ix. 12. We have heard at large what this first wo is, namely, the plague by the Pope and his clergy. to hear of the fecond wo, moft huge and murdering army of the Turks: wherein the third part of men were flain. Some do expound this fecond wo of the kingdom of Antichrift and his armies; but that it is not fo, may appear by thefe reafons following.

First, The angel denouncing wo, wo, wo, denounceth three feveral woes, and therefore it is faid: One wo is past, and behold yet two woes come after this.' It followeth then that this is a diftin&t and feveral wo from the former and therefore cannot be the fame.

Secondly, This wo containeth fpecially a bodily flaughter of the third part of the world, and of the wicked reprobates: but the first wo was fpecially a plague of mens fouls, as we have heard, and therefore this cannot be the fame with the firft.

Thirdly, We are to understand, that this book defcribeth all the greateft calamities and plagues that fhould come upon the world in any age after Chrift, and therefore we may juffly think, that the kingdom of the Turks is not left out, seeing it was one

of the greatest plagues that ever came upon the world. But the kingdom of the Turks is defcribed in no other part of this revela. tion, and therefore muft of neceffity be here described.

Then the fixth angel blew the trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four corners of the golden altar, which is before God.' Rev. ix. 13.

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Saying to the fixth angel which had the trumpet, loofe the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.'. Rev. ix. 14.

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Now we are come to the defcription of the fecond wo, which followeth upon the blowing of the fixth trumpet by the fixth angel. And first of all he faith, He heard a voice from the four corners of the golden altar.' By the golden altar, is meant Chrift as before hath been fhewed, with the reafons thereof. From this altar the voice cometh to the angel which blew the fixth trumpet,' Rev. viii. 3. that we might know it is the voice of the mighty God, and the commandment of our Lord Jefus.; The voice commandeth the fixth angel to loofe the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.' By thefe four angels, which are thus bound at Euphrates, is meant many devils and angels. of darknefs, as we have heard before,

Rev. vii. 1. Their binding fignifieth their restraint, by which they were held back from doing that mifchief which they defired to do. Their loofing fignifieth, that power was given them to perform that which they wished.

They are faid to be four in number,' because they should raife an horrible plague in the four corners of the earth, both eaft, weft, north, and fouth. The fenfe is, that the devils have yet farther and greater fcope given them to plague and destroy the inhabitants of the earth. Thefe devils had exceeding great power in the kingdom of Antichrift, but they are unfatiable in mif. chief, and fo after a fort lie ftill bound till they have their defire. The place where they lie bound, is Euphrates, wherein is a myltery: for Euphrates literally taken, is a great river, which ran fo nigh the city Babylon in Chaldea, that it was a mighty defence unto it, fo that the city could not be taken, until they that laid fiege unto it, cut out trenches, and derived the waters another way. Now for the mystery, it is this: Rome in this book is called Babylon, by a metaphor, and after the fame manner, the great river Euphrates, as we fhall fee afterward, chap. xvi. fignifieth the power, wealth, and authority which that city Rome, even this weftern Babel, hath to

defend itfelf. Then it followeth, that in this power, authority and ftrength of Rome, the devils lie bound, for they waited through the power of Rome, to work yet far greater mifchief, and therefore are faid to be bound, fo long as they were reftrained. The mifchief which they plotted and purposed to bring to pafs by the authority and power of Rome, was the hatching and bringing forth of the Mahometifh religion, which in very deed did fpring from the darknefs of Rome, as from his proper root and original caufe.

The devils did forefee, that out of the fuperftitions and idolatries of Rome, defended by their great power and authority, Mahometih religion, might very well be framed, and therefore not being content to plague the weft part of the world with popery and idolatry, they do greedily defire allo to plague the Eaft part of the world with the falle religion of Mahomet. They are not fatisfied with plaguing and poifoning all Europe with abominable idolatries, except alfo they plague and infect all Afia and Africa with the Turks moft execrable religion: fo infatiable working mifchief, Now in the mean time they think themselves too much straitened, bound and tied up in Rome and Romish religion, except they may be loofed; and

ore the devils in

proceed further to overfpread the whole world with all impieties, and horrible abominations. A man would think that when the devil had prevailed fo far, as to place Antichrift in his curfed chair, and to breed the fwarms of locufts out of the fmoke of hell, they might have been fatisfied: for then, as we fay, hell feemed to be broke loofe. But yet all this cannot fatisfy the unfatiable devil, but they will have the religion of Mahomet established to poifon and plague all the Eaft parts of the world in their fouls; and alfo they will have the moft huge, cruel, and favage armies of the Turks raised up, to murder and maffacre millions of men in their bodies, in the Weft part of the world; as prefently we shall hear. Now till all this be effected, they are faid to lie bound at Rome. But here we fee, that this fixth angel hath a précise commandment from Jefus Chrift, to loose thefe devils which lay bound at the great river Euphrates, that they might plague the whole world far and near, at their pleafure: fo now all the devils of hell are det loofe, and let us hear what followeth.

6 And the four angels were loofed, which were prepared at an hour, at a day, at a month, and at a year, to flay the third part of men.' Rev. ix. 15.

Now the devils being loofed and unbound

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