mankind on this earth. When such a catastrophe takes place, the day of grace seems to be over for foolish virgins, and the door of heaven shut against the wicked. Rev. xxii. 11.

By this terribly majestic description, the Lord informs his Church of the total overthrow of Paganism in the Roman empire, both as to its religion and civil power; which was begun during the period of this seal, by the conver sion of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, and its final doom perfectly fixed in the year 372.

This earthquake signifies a great civil commotion in the Roman empire; heaven, Paganism; the sun, the Heathen-* ish doctrine of religion; the moon, their worship and idolatry; the stars, their priests; the earth, their civil polity; mountains and islands, the larger and inferior divisions of the empire; dens and rocks, those places, into which the gospel of Christ had not yet penetrated, and which served as places of refuge, concealment, and protection.

The sun and fountain-head of all their religious light and knowledge became black, which is a sign of mourning, perplexity, and consternation. Joel ii. 10. It darkened at the dawn of gospel day, and lost all power further to illuminate, even in the eyes of reason. Their idolatrous worship appeared an unreasonable fraud and deception, and the Heathens changed their assemblies, and festival days, into councils of blood and revenge against the Christians. Their priests, magicians, and vestals, lost all their honour, excellence, and support, and sunk down to the common multitude. Chr. i 20, Dan. viii. 10. Paganism, which had been the universal religion of the empire, like the expanse or firmament, departed as a scroll when it is rolled together. For Constantine prohibited its worship, and turned the Heathen temples into Christian churches. The mountains and islands were moved; for the different emperors carried on great wars against one another, and made new divisions in the empire between themselves, and B b

in the provinces. All the supporters of Paganism, from the throne to the cottage, withdrew after that total overthrow of Licinius by Constantine, in which the first is said to have lost 100,000 men; and the idolaters began to dread the wrath of the worshippers of the Lamb, whom they had persecuted so cruelly. They were dismissed from the offices of the state, and in the Roman armies. Maxentius fled from Constantine, and perished in the ri ver Tiber; Dioclesian poisoned himself; Licinius was put to death, after having lurked about in fields and villages, under a sense of the wrath of the Lamb in his conscience, which was the case with many thousands in those days. The conversion of Constantine the Great, was undoubtedly the most fatal blow Paganism ever received, and the emperor Theodosius nearly affected its total abolition. From this period it gradually declined, and the Church of Christ rose, arrayed in heavenly splendour.

Historians testify, that on the day of the great victory of Constantine over Licinius, the sun was eclipsed, and the stars shone for four hours, and the moon appeared like blood. Thus the Lord intimated this great change on earth by signs in the firmament, in order to excite the attention of men to his marvellous deeds.

It has been often remarked by able divines, who were critically acquainted with the Roman history during the period now under consideration, that the defeat and ruin of Paganism was neither so rapid, nor so generally marked with such poignant and alarming sensations in the minds and conduct of the Heathens, as the strong and glaring images under this seal would lead us to suppose. In answer to this objection it has been observed, that these are figurative terms, customary in prophetic writings, which must not be taken in a literal sense, nor extended beyond the limits of what they usually signify in other parts of the Scriptures. But this solution is not fully satisfactory in this place. When I consider this seal in all its

bearings to the whole prophecy, it appears to me, that those eminent men have not formed to themselves a competent conception of the majesty and vast import of this book, which certainly comprehends both the visible and invisible world, and many of its prophecies reach from one into the other, just as the events are produced by invisible first causes. Paganism in the Roman empire under this catastrophe, is an emblem of the infernal regions; and the hieroglyphics under this seal, express a final doom, begun on earth in an empire, which for many years had been the throne and residence of Satan, and ended by such an actual representation of the last day of judgment among the damned in hell. The learned and pious Bengelius is of this opinion, as also Dr. Yung; and the context strongly requires such an explanation. For the fifth seal opens a scene in the invisible world, where we behold the state of the holy martyrs; and in the following chapter, we are shown a great multitude of saints and angels in heaven. If, therefore, the unhappy dead are not also intended in this place, they would not be mentioned at all. And yet it is acknowledged, that the seven seals comprise the whole creation. The holy martyrs were promoted to a higher state of felicity, and no doubt, the unhappy dead have been hereby placed into a more painful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. Heb. x. 27. 31. ix. 27. Math. viii. 29.

Thus the great mystery was solved, and the Christians now knew, which of the two principal religions in the Roman empire would at last prevail. The Lion of Juda had overcome Judaism, and now by a second victory laid even the throne and residence of Satan under his fect.

CHAPTER VII.

TWO VISIONS AS PREPARATORY TO THE SEVENTH SEAL.

This chapter contains two visions, expressive of the security of saints in all ages; which should both be considered as preparatory to the opening of the seventh seal, or to its contents under the sound of the seven trumpets. First, four angels make their appearance, as instruments of God's wrath against the vices and corruptions in Christendom, which, since the emperor Constantine had given the Church peace, tranquility, riches and honour, soon rose to such a daring height, as to eclipse the spirit and lustre of genuine Christianity. Against these dangerous innovations, and succeeding judgments, the people of God were sealed to the number of 144,000. After which the holy apostle had another vision of a numberless multitude of saints, and of an innumerable company of angels, worshipping before the throne of God and the Lamb, in profound submission and reverence.

Verse 1. And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

2.

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to

whom it was given to hurt the earth and the

sea,

3. Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

I have remarked in my preliminary observations, that the language of St. John in this book of prophecy is not Athenian, but in a great measure only the vehicle of oriental ideas. Here, perhaps, is a most suitable place, to produce a strong proof in favour of that assertion.

So obvious is this truth in the hieroglyphic language of Daniel and the Apocalypse, that our would-be philosophers, and modern infidels have united to assert, that our Scripture doctrine concerning angels was originally derived from Chaldea. These gentlemen have often told falsehoods, sometimes from ignorance, and more frequently against their better knowledge, in order to undermine the word of life, in favour of their own vicious desires. But in this instance, the resemblance of Scripture emblems to the religious tenets of the Chaldeans, has in justice struck them with conviction, though their conclusion is fallacious and only true in part. It is true that both the Chaldean and Persian Magi taught a doctrine concerning good and bad angels, as a part of their wisdom, similar to our Scripture doctrine, even as early as the days of Daniel, of which the numerous litanies of the Zend Avesta, or Persian Bible, contain ample testimony. And it is also true, that the inspired penmen in their style of writing, have adopted those commonly received and understood opinions in their days, as emblems, to express the profound and hidden mysteries of God to man. But will it follow from hence, that because this doctrine has been believed among the ancients, and corrupted by the Persian Magi, that it is therefore false, and the philosophic dreams of moderns true? The ancient reformers of philosophy, religion, and politics, have been men of great minds, who have even