others make it to begin with Trajan, and to comprehend 80 Year until the time of Comodus, in which time Trajan and Hadrian, _ the three Antonius's, ſucceſfively ruled the Roman Empire; the Reign of Trajan and Hadrian took up near half the time, in which time this Prophecy was moſt eminently fulfilled ; for in Trajan's time the Jews rebelling, and killing many SubjeRs of the Roman Empire, to the number of 22000 in one place, and 240000-in another place themſelves were as miſerably handled by the Roman Forces ſent by Trajan and Hadrian, who ſlew of them, (as Hiſtories tell us) five. hundred and fourſcore thouſand : Nay, the Zews themſelves ſay they loſt double the number of thoſe who came out of Zzypt, an more than they loſt by Nebuchadnezzar, or by Titus, when theig City was taken ; on the other fide the Romans loſt very many. Many Chriſtians alſo were put to death during this period, during which was the third and fourth Perſecution.
5 And when he had opened the third ſea}, I heard the third heaſt ſay, Come, and ſee p. And I beheld, and lo, a black horſe 9, and he that ſat on him had a
pair of ballances in his hand 7.
þ The third Beaſt was he who had the Face of a Man, who alſo inviteth 7ohn to come and ſee what came forth upon his opening the third Seal. q He ſeeth a Black Horſe, and a Rider upon him, with a pair of Ballances. There is a difference amongſt Interpre- ters what ſhould be ſignified by this Black Horſe ; ſome by it under- ſtand Famine, becauſea ſcarcity of Vicuals bringeth Men to a black and ſwarthy colour ; ſome underſtand by it Fuſtice, becauſe the Ri- der is ſaid to have a pair of Ballances in his Hand ; others underſtand by it Hereſies and great Sufferings of the Church by Hereticks and 0- thers. r Either to give Men their Bread by weight (as is uſual in times of great ſcarcity; ) or to meaſure out every one their due. |
6 And TI heard a voice in the midſt of the four
beaſts ſay, || A meaſure of wheat for a penny, and
-
| The word
three meaſures of barley for a penny /, And * ſee thou Choenix
hurt not the oil and the wine 7.
fignifieth 4
/ Interpreters are at ſo great a loſs, here to fix the Senſe, that meaſure
ſome of them think this Phraſe ſignifies Famine and Scarcity : Others think it ſignifies great plenty. The Greek, word here uſed,
containing one Wine
ſignifieth (ſay ſome) half a Buſhel ; others ſay it fignifieth ſo much Quart, and Bread-Corn as is ſufficient for four Loaves ; others ſay ſomething ##e ? welfth more than a Quart ; others, ſo much as was allowed Servants for part of a
maintenance for a Day : let it be which it will, is ſignifies no great Quart.
Scarcity ; for the word ſignifying a Penny,fignificd but as much in our Money as came to Seven-pence-half-penny.I think therefore Mr.Mede judgeth well, that by the Jack Horſe was ſignified not a time of Famine and Scarcity, but of Plenty ; # and the rather, becauſe 1t is added, Hurt not the Oyl and the (ine. And that the Ballances in the Riders Hands, ſignified not Scales to give Men their Bread by
| weight (as ina time of Scarcity) but the Ballance of Juſtice; nor
wt
F Ch. Oe 4:
Chap. VI.
will the colour of the Horſe conclude the contraty. The whole ;
|| Or, him.
* Chap.
8. 3, & 5. I3. & 14+ 18. +FCh.20.4.
| Ch. 1. 9. Ch. 19.10,
*SeeZech. *
I. I2,
* Ch.3.4, $.4nd-7. 9, I4.
theretore of this Prophecy ſeemeth to foretel that this Period, from the tune of Commodus the Roman Emperor, who ruled the Empire from the Year 180, to 197; and was followed by Severus, Caracal- la, Macriuus, and Heliogabalzs, and Alexander Severus the Son of Mammea, who came to the Empire in 222, and reizned to 237, ſhould be a tine of great Plenty and. Civil Juſtice. Hiſtories tell us of no Famine in that time, but latge Stories of the great Care of two of thoſe Emperors eſpecially, for ſupplying their Countties with Corn, and for the adminiſtring of Civil Juſtice. The things foretold by the
- opening of this Seal, our famous Mede makes to have had their Ac-
compliſhment with the Determination of the Reign of Alexander Se- Vers.
7 And when he had opened the fourth ſeal, I
heard rhe voice of the fourth beaſt ſay, Come and ſee. u The Beaſt mentioned, chap. 4. 7. that had the Face of a Flying Eagle, inviteth Fohn to attend to the opening of the fourth Seal, that is, the Revelation of the Counſels of God, as to what ſhould happen to the Church (within the Roman Empire ) in-the Fourth Pe- riod, which is .conceived to have begun with Mazimins, about the Year 237, and to have ended with the Reign of Diccleſian, 294+
s And Ilooked,and behold, a pale horſe w,and his name that fate on him was Death x, and Hell follow- ed with him y - And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth 2, to kill with the ſword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beaſts
of theearth a. |
w An Horſe of the Colour of his Rider. x Death, which makes Men look Pale, y and bringeth them into the State of the- Dead, C here tranſlated Hell ) whether Heaven or Hell, as they have lived. 2 Over a great part of the Earth. a To kill Men all manner of ways, with the Sword, Famine, Peſtilence, and by throwing them to wild Beaſts. Interpreters judge that here was propheſied what ſhould happen to the Roman Empire, and the Church within it from the time when Maximinus was made Emperour, which was about 237, to the time of Aurelianus, which was about 294. Some extend it to Diocleſian's time, which ended about 224 ; but Mr. Mede ra- ther reſerveth that for the 5th Seat; if the former time only be taken in, there was within it the 7th, 8th, and 9th Perſecutions, Diocleſian began the Tenth and greateſt of all. Within this time this Prophecy was eminently fulfilled, Maximinus deſtroyed all the Towns in Germany, for. 3 or 4oo Miles. There was a Plague laſted 15 Yeats together in the time of Gallus, who had the Empire, Anno 255, Three hundred and twenty thouſand Goths were ſlain by Flavius Clauding. Maximims and Galliemss were both great Butchers both toi their own Subje&s that were Heathens, and to Chriſtians. Gallienus is ſaid to have killed -3 or 4000 every day : ſach Wars and Devaſtations could not but be followed with Famine: Beſides that we are confirmed in - 1t both by the Teſtimony of Euſebius and Cyprian; the latter of which lived within this Peri-
od. | | |