k By theſe four Angels or Inſtruments of God to execute his Vengeance, I find the moſt valuable Interpreters underſtanding the Turks, conſidered as diſtin& from the Sayacens, and ſucceeding of them, whoſe Empire began in Ottoman 1296, or thereabouts. Mr. Mede ſaith theſe four Angels denote ſo many Sultanies or Kingdoms, into which the Turks were diſperſed, having paſſed the River Eu- phrates, which River is famous for four things : 1. It was the boun- dary of David and Solomon's Kingdom, Deut. 11. 24. Foſh. 1. 4. 2. It was that River by which Babylon ſtood, Fer. 13. 4, 5, 6. 3. It was the boundary of the Roman Empire, beyound which it could ne- ver extend it ſelf. 4. And it alſo was the ſeat of the 7iwks, who having ſome years before come over Euphrates, firſt divided them- ſelves into a Tetrarchy; of which one in Aſia, another at Aleppo, another at Damaſcus, a fourth at Antioch. Mr. Mede gives us a Ta- ble or Diagram of it, Clav. Apoc. 40. p. 102. where they were bounded for a while, but about the year 1300 they were looſed, and began further to invade Europe, which is the ſevere Providence of God, conceived to be here foretold as the conſequent of this ſixth Angel's ſounding. The Turks, who though come over the River Eu- Phrates, had hitherto by the Providence of God been bounded near unto it, not much contending to inlarge their Territories, now join- ed together with the Saracens under the Ottoman, and went further into Europe, and'could by no means be ſtopt till they had got the Em- pire of Conſtantinople. ;
15 And the four angels were looſed which were prepared || for an hour, and a day, and a month, and
a year /, for io ſlay the third part of men m7.
That is ( ſay ſome) for any time whatſoever God would have them move; or for that certain time which God had deter- mined; but Mr. Mede hath here a peculiar Notion ; he obſeryeth that an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, make juft 396 years. Ina year are 365 days, in a month 3o, which makes 395, to which add the odd day, then make 396. The Turks begun their Empire under Ottoman, who began his Reign 1296 : But their Lea- der Tangrolipix upon the taking of Bagdat was inaugurated, and put on the Imperial Rohe, Anno 1057. Conſtantinople was taken by them 1453, betveen which are juſt 396 years. m In which time they ſlew :a numberleſs number of Men, called here the third part.
16 And* the number of the army of the horſe-men, were two hundred thouſand thouſand, and I heard the
number of them 7:. |
n He ſaith nothing of the Infantry, but leaves us to conjecture how great that muſt be, from the number of the Horſe ; we muſt not think there was preciſely this number, but the meaning is, that the Armies ſhould be vaſtly great, as we know all the Turkiſh Ar- mies are. Magog's Army 1s deſcribed from the Cavalry, Ezek. 38.
4, 15. 17 And thus I ſaw the horſes in the viſion, and
them that ſare on them, having breaſt-plates of fire, and of Jacinth, and brimſtone ; and the heads of the horſes were as the heads of lions, and out of their
mouths iſſued fire, and ſmoke, and brimſtone 0.
o We have no ſuch Deſcription or Repreſentation as this in any other place of Holy Writ. Some underſtand it of the ſeyeral coloured Breaſt-plates that the Soldiers wore ; ſome of a red and flaming colcur hke Fire ; others blew like the Jacinth ; ſome pale ; all ſuch as wear them look terribly. Mr. Mede hath here again a peculiar Notion ; thinking that the Holy Ghoſt doth here ſignifie their fighting with great Guns, ( not known before the Siege of Con fRtantinople ) which throw out Fire and Smoke, &c. and ſo alter the Air, the Medium by which we ſee, that the oppoſite party in fight- ing appear to thoſe that uſe theſe Arms, as if they were covered with Breaſt-plates that were red, and blue, and pale. To confirm this, he tells us of Chalcondylas his report of this Siege, who men- tioneth great Guns uſed at it of that vaſt bigneſs, that one of them required threeſcore and ten yoke of Oxen, and two thouſand Men to draw it, &c. It is at leaft a very ingenious conjeQure, and I could not but mention it in honour to the Learned Author ; lea- ving it to my Readers liberty, whether he will with Mr. Mede, judge this litteral ſenſe of the Text-is beſt, or interpret all theſe Phraſes more generally, only of a terrible appearance of thoſe Ar- mics.
REVELATION.
18 By theſe three were the third part of men kil- | led, by the fire, and by the ſmoke, and by the brim-
ſtone which iſſued out of their mouths p.
Þ That is, a great part of Men were killed by theſe numerous Armies, No ſuch Devaſtations ' were ever made by any Enemies that ever appeared in the World, as by the Turks have been, nor ever were there ſuch vaſt great Guns made, out of which came Fire and Smoke, and Brimſtone.
19 For their power zs in their mouth, and in their tails g, for their tails were like unto ſerpents, and had
heads ; and with them they do hurt 7.
q By their Tails ſome underſtand their Infantry or Foot-Soldie- ry ; others their Serpentine Craft and Subtilty. As the Locuſts verſe 10. are compared to Scorprons, whoſe Sting was in their Tails, anc who were ſaid to hurt with their Tails ; ſo the fame thing is ſaid of theſe Armies, intimating that the Tirks ſhould be miſchieyou; by the ſame Arts and Means as their Predecefſors the Saracens. r Theſe are ſaid to have had Heads in their Tails, which was not ſaid of - the Locuſis; the reaſon of which Interpreters judge to * have _ from the different Animals by which they are repreſent- , ed.
20 And the reſt of the men which wers not kil- led by theſe plagues /; yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they ſhould not worſhip devils 7,
* and idols of gold, andfilver, and brafs, and ſtore, »1,y.11,,, and of wood ; which neither can ſee, nor hear, nor Deur. 32.
walk z: | J The two thirds of Men that ſhould be left, for we read