- 9 And when he had opened the fifth ſeal b, I ſaw * under the altar c + the ſouls. of them that were ſlain for the word of God, and for the || teftimony which they held d. BREE; |
-þ This and the- next Seals opening, is not prefaced with any living Creatures calling to John to.come and ſee. . We muſt confider 1. the number ofthe Beaſts was but four, who all had their Courſes. 2. Some have thought that it is, becauſe here is no mention-of any new Perſecution, ' but a conſequent of the former. - .3.- But this Viſt- on was ſo plain, it-needed no Expoſitor. . c Still” he fpeaks in the Diale& of the Old Teſtament, wherein the Temple was the Altar of Burnt-Offering;” and the Altar. of Incenſe ; the' alluſion here is judged to be to the latter. - 4 From whence we may not conclude, that the Souls of: Men and Women when they die do' ſleep, as ſome Dreamers have thought. Theſeare ſaid to be the Souls of them that were ſlain for the Word of God, &c; for preaching the ' Word, and their profeſſion of 'the Goſpel, ' bearing a Teſtimony to Chriſt and his Truths. Mr. Mede thinks that under this Seal is comprehended the ten bloody -Years' of Diocleſian's Perſecution, which of all others was moſt ſevere y Paganiſm at that time ( as dying things are - wont ) moſt ſtruggling to keep it ſelf alive, This Tyrant 1s ſaid in the Be- inning of his Reign within thirty Days to have ſlin feventeen thouſand, and in'Egypt alone during his Ten Years, 144000, He thinks that the Souls of thoſe which this Wretch had ſlain through- out all his Dominions, within his ſhort Period of teti Years, were thoſe principally which were ſhewed Fohn upon the opening of this Seal.
ro And they cryed 'with® aloud voice ſaying, 4* How long, O: Lord, holy eand true f, doſt thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the
earth g * : - 4 Their Blood cried, or their Souls cried to God. . e*How long
0 Lord, holy, and therefore that canſt not abide iniquity, and of'all
Iniquity, can feaſt abide thedding innocent Blood, which is the |
Blood of thy Saints, whoſe Blood is precious in thy fight; f And who art true to thy Word of Threatnings againſt Bloog-thirſty Men, and to thy Promiſes for - the "deliverance of thy People. g Def thou not judge our Cauſe, and avenge us who have committ2d Ven- geance to thee, not daring to avenge our ſelves upon wicked Men, who dwelling upon the Earth are ſeen, and their Praftices known to, and by thee, and are under thy Power, ſo as thou canſt at pleaſure do it. : 11 And * white robes þ were given to_every one of them, and it wasfaid unto them, thar they ſhould reſt et for a little ſeaſon 7, until their tetlow-lervants al- ſo and their brethren that ſhould be Killed, as they were þ, and ſhould be tulhilled /.
Vol. II.
REVELATION.
h White Robes of Glory ; for the white Robes 6f Cluiſt's Ripghte- ouſneſs, and of an Holy Life were by them put on betore they were at. 7 That they ſhould be ſatisfied and acquieſce in God's Diſpen- iattons. k For God had yet more Faithful Witneſſes to be mar- tyr'd ( though not in ſuch Flocks as before ) who ſhould die for t-6
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Chap.
ſame Faith and Profeſſion. 1 When the number of thoſe his Mar- tyrs ſhould be compleated, he would avenge their Blood upon thei Enemies. .
12 And I beheld when he had opened the ſixth ſeal zz, and Io there wasa greatearthquake 7, aud the * ſun became black as ſackclorh of hair o, and rhe moon became as blood p.
m The f1xth of thoſe Seals with which the Book was ſealed» mentioned, chap. 5. 1. this ſignifieth the revelation of ſome things which ſhould happen in ſome certain Period of time, but what pe- riod 15 the queſtion, as to which Interpreters differ ; ſome thiak th2 time when Feruſalem was taken ; but this was a time paſt 26 or 27 Years before Fohn was in Patmos, where he had this Viſion abcut things that ſhall be, chap. 1. r. and 22. 6, Some think that period of time which ſhall be immediately befere the Day of Judzment ; but that Gueſs ſeemeth worſe, for after this there was a event! Seal to be cpened. Some think the period of the Churches Confli& with Antichriſt; but Mr. Mede's Judgment ( followed bymany other famous Men ) ſeems beſt, that.it denotes that period when Contan- tine the firſt Chriſtian Emperour reſtored Peace to the Church, by overturning the whole Pagan State, and making Chriſtianity the Religion of the greateſt part of the World. This was about the year 311, and perfefted upon his Vitory over Licinizs $25; mn this I acquieſce. Let us now ſee how what is ſaid in tiiis and 1he following Verſes about this pericd will agree to that time. » The great Queſtion is here, what is meant by this great Zartharcke, tha darkning of the Sun, the Moon becomin; as Blood, &c. No #i- ſtory. recording any fuch Prodigies, hath made many ( takin; tlicſe things in the natural literal Senſe) to ſay the Period under the fixth Seal, f13miftes cither the time when Feruſalem was taken, or the Day of Judgment : but there is a metaphorical ſenſe of thefe #5. pr. fMi- ons, very uſual in the Prophetical Writings, to ſkew ere:t chanes in States; and in this ſenſe it is to be taken here. Thus tic Pro phet- deſcribeth the great Change God' would make in 7er/..lrrr, Iſa. 29. 6. Thou ſhalt be viſited of the Lord of Hoſts with Thunder,
' and with Earthquake , and great Noiſe, with Stoym and with Tem- : peſt, and the Flame of devouring Fire; and Fer. 15. 9. Hr Sun 3s
gone down while it is yet Day. And Exeh. 32. 7. the Change God
: would work in the ruine of Fgypt, is thus expreſt : When 7 hal! . put thee out I will cover the Heavens, and make the Stars theresf
dark, and the Moon ſhall not give her light: All the bright Lights
. of Heaven will I make dark over thee. So Feel 2. 10. 31, and chap. '3- 15» What is an Earthquake, but the ſhaking of the Earth ?
And under this Notion God exprefſeth the Changes he makes in States and Kingdoms, J/. 2. 19, 21. and 24.18. Haz. 2. 6, 7. Thus by. Earthquake here, is to be underſtood a great change in the
, Roman Empire. o The Sun ſignifies thoſe that are in the hi-keſt ' Power. þ The Moon, thoſe that are next to them in Place an ? Di--
nity. 13 Andthe ſtars of heaven f-l1 unto the earth, even
as 4 fig-tree caſteth her || untimely figs when the is ſhak. en of a mighty wind g.
V1
q This is but another Phraſe ſignifying a great change ; the whole