11 And the name of theſtar is called Wormwood =, and the third part of the waters became Wormwood ; and many men died of the waters becauſe they were made bitter *,
z His Dodtrine was as bitter as Wormwood ; * and he was the Ruin of many Souls. But if any do rather chuſe to underſtand it of a Political Star, Mr. Mede's Notion bids as fair for the Senſe as any, becauſe the Weſtern Empire determined in Auguſtulus, and he Reigned but a very ſhort time; and he was a Prince of many Sor- rows and Afffiitions, and many perifhed with him in thoſe Sorrows and Affidtions, which he underwent. Whether we underſtand it of ſome eminent Political Magiſtrate ( ſuch was Auguſtulus ;) or ſome eminent Light in the Church ( ſuch was Pelagizs ;_) they both fell about this time, the one from his terrene Dignity, the other ſpiritually from the Honour he had in the Church ; and many fell with them, either in a civil or ſpiritual Senſe,
12 And the fourth angel ſounded. and the third part of the ſun was ſmitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the ſtars, ſo as the third part of them was darkned ; and the day ſhone not for a third.
part of it, and the night likewiſe a. |
a Interpreters (ſetting afide one or two, who conceit the Revelati- on is nothing but a Repetition of things that hapned in Zudea before Fohn's time ) generally agree, that the Period of time to which this Prophecy relates, is from the year 480, when the Weſtern Empire ceaſed, The Hiſtory ofthe Age next following, both relating to Ci- vil apd Ecclefiaſtical Things, doth fo fit this Prophecy, that Interpre- ters are much divided about the Senſe of it, whether it be to be un- derſtood of the Miſeries befalling the Reman Empire, or the Church in that time : For, as great Princes in the former, ſo great Lights in the latter are metaphorically expreſſed in Scripture, under the Notions of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, in regard of the great Influence they have upon Men, as thoſe Luminaries of Heaven have upon theyEarth. Mr. Mede ynderſtands it of Political Magiſtrates here expreſſed ( as in Foſeph's Dream ) by the Sun, Moon, and Stars : and to ſhew us how the Event fitted the Prophecy, he tells us out of the beſt Authors. That when Odoacer had routed AuguFulus, and turned him out of the Empire, himſelfruled Rome under the Title of a King 16 years, and deſtroyed all their old Magiſtracy, but after two years reſtored it. That Theodoricus following him in the Government of Ttaly, reſtored all their Rights again, which ſo continued under three Kings (all Goths) for near 50 years. Wut after the year $46, Rome was taken and burnt once again, and a third part of it demoliſhed by Totilas, O- thers underſtand it of Pelagins, or ſome famous Heretick in that time. But to ſpeak freely, the words of the Prophecy, and the Hiſtories we have, rather agree to Mr. Mede's Senſe ; for ( except Pelagius, who began about 406 ) we read of none in this Age to whom the words of this Prophecy will agree in any good Senſe.
13 AndI beheld, and heard anangel flying through the midſt of heaven, ſaying with a loud voice, Wo, wo, wo to the inhabitants of the earth, by reaſon of the o- ther voices of the trumpet of the three angels which are yet to ſound 6.
b This Verſe is but an IntroduQion to the other three Angels ſound-
ing, declaring that the times which were to follow, would be much more full of Miſeries and Woes to the Inhabitants of the Earth + By
which IT underſtand all thoſe Countries which lately were ſubje& to the
Roman Empire. Others underſtand the more earthy, unſound, hy- pocritical part of the Church. The Wo is thrice repeated, either to ſhew the greatneſs of the Calamities, or rather correſpondently to the Number of the Angels yet to ſound.
CHAP. IX.
On the ſounding of the fifth Angel, a Star falleth from Heaven, to whom 4 given the Key of the Bottomleſs Pit, 1. Out of this Ptt iſſueth a terrible Smoak, 2. Out of this Smoakh cometh Locuſts like Scorpions, ſtinging them that have not the Seal of God, one Wo paſſeth away, 3 13: The ſixth Angel ſoundeth, and the four Angels bound in the River Euphrates are looſed, who with a multitude of Horſe-men, ſlay the third part of Men.
I4. 19. Tet they that eſcaped, Repent not of their Wickedneſs,
20, .
AR the fifth angel ſounded 2, and I faw a ſtar
fall from heaven unto the earth þb: and to him * Luke 8.
Chap. IX
3T. a The Chapa7.8.
ma
Chap. IX.
a The fifth of the feven Angels mentioned, chap. 8. 2. to whom were given ſeven Trumpets, It denoteth the beginning of a new Period of Calamities and Miſeries to the Earth, or to the Church. b What this Star falling from Heaven means, is not eafje to reſolve. Thoſe who think it the Devil, once a Star, but fallen, forget that John is not here told a Story of what was in the beginning of the World, but what ſhould. be, and that 500 years after Chriſt's coming. And the ſame reaſon holds againſt thoſe who think thoſe ſeditious Perſons are meant, who did ſo much Miſchief in and about He- ruſalem during the Siege. This had been to have reyealed to Zobn thoſe things which he knew were done many years before. Amongſt thoſe who think ſome particular eminent Miniſter of the Church who apoſtatized, is meant ; thoſe ſeem to me to judge better, who think that Boniface the third is meant, who, in the year 606, ob- tained the Priviledge of the Pope's Supremacy, than thoſe who un- derſtnd it of Arrizs or Pelagizs, who both of them fell two hun- dred years before this. It ſeems very harſh to interpret it of Chri#, or_any good Angel's deſcending from Heaven, becauſe the word mrToure 15 rightly by us tranſlated, falling, and not to be interpre- ted ſo ſoftly as deſcending. In all probability, therefore, the firſt 4- pſtacy of the Biſhop of Rome was here propheſied. c But how to him
was given the Key of the bottomleſs Pit ,, (by which Hell 15:
meant here, as often in Scripture ) is hard to ſay; unleſs we un- derſtand it of his Inftrumentality, to ſend many thouſands to Hell by that corrupt Dofrine and Worſhip, which by him then began to obtain ? But this Key was borrowed, ( if God had not permitted him, he could not have done it ) and it turned but one way ; he had only a power to open it, not (as Chriſt) both to open and ſhut 7t.
2 And he opened the bottomleſs pir &, and there a- role a ſmoke out of the pit, as the ſmoke of a great fornace /, and the ſun and the air were darkned, by
reaſon of the ſmoke of the pit 7.