n That is, about the ſame time, when the Spirit of Life from God entred into' the Witnefles, and they were again reſtored. 0 By Earthquake doubtleſs is here meant a great confuſion in the Werld, and ſhaking of Nations by differences one with another, and Wars ; ſee the Notes on chap. 6. 12. þ By the City doubtleſs is meant the grcat City before named, ſpiritually called Sodom and Egypt, elfe- where Babylon; by which Rome is to be underſtood. What 15 meant by the tenth part of it falling, is not ſo well agreed ; ſome by it underſtanding many Kingdoms falleti off from its Juriſdition - Others a great part of its Tribute or Dominion. q Theſe Words ſeem to intimate, that the Reſtauration of the Witnefles ſhall not be without Oppoſition, and that the Oppoſition ſhall not be great, 7000 is a ſmall number to fall in ſuch a great Quarrel: But the Pa- pal party fhall appear to have cheated the World fo with their Im- poſtures, and ſo to have impoſed upon them, that the World ſhall grow fick of them, and when the time comes for God to put a final period to them, the number ſhall be but few that adventure for them. » Others ſhall be affrighted, either from their own Conlſci- ences, or from the ſtupendious Diſpenſations of Divine Providence in the fall of the great City. / And give Glory to God by con- feſſing their Errors, and turning to an 1ngenious and fincere Ac- knowledgment of the Truth, inſtead of worſhipping Saints and An- gels and Images, worſhipping the true and living God of Heaven and Earth only. ; ;
14 * The ſecond wo is paſt 7, ard behold, the third
wo cometh quickly z. _ Ls t That is, here endeth the miſery that is like to come upon the World in that period of time which ſhall follow the ſounding of the ſixth Trumpet. « The third Woe ſignifies thoſe Calamities which ſhould come in that period of time prophefied of by the ſounding of the ſeventh Trumpet. This makes a late learned Author think that all that which went before, viz. The Gentiles treading down the outward Court, the ſlaying of the Witnefles, and their reſuſci- tation muſt be under the ſixth Trumpet, which Period endeth not until the Churches Enemies be ready to be deſtroyed ; whoſe De- ſtruction is afterwards opened to us in the Angels pouring out their Viols. 15 And the * ſeventh angel ſounded w, and there were great voices in heaven, ſaying x, The kingdoms of this world are become F 7b? kingdoms of our Lord,
and of his Chriſt, and he ſhall reign for ever and ever Y.
w The laſt of thoſe Angels mentioned chap. 8. 2. x St. Fohn in his Vifon heard great Acclamations and Shoutings for the Victory which Chriſt and his Goſpel had got over the Beaf:. y So that a great part of the World, caſting off the Papacy (that new Gen- tilijm ) together with all their abominable Idolatries and Super- ſtitions, embraced the Truth of the Goſpel, Here ariſeth a great Queſtion, whether the ſeven Vials, of which we ſhall find the fix- teenth Chapter treating, do belong all to the ſeventh Trumpet, or ſome of them belong to the fixth Trumpet, of which mention hath been before made. Great Divines are on both fides as to this Que- ſtion, Mr. Pool in his Latin Synopſis hath colle&ed together their Reaſons, of which I ſhall give a ſhort account, leaving my Reader for a fuller ſatisfaRtion to the Latin Synopſes.
Thoſe who think that the ſeven Vials do all relate to the ſeventh Trumpet, and contemporize with it, in defence of their Opi- nion ſay,
1.- That the Seven Seals, and the ſeven Trumpets, and the ſeven Vials are all mentioned in the ſame form of Speech, and therefore the ſeven Vials are not to be divided, ſome to one Trumpet, ſome to another.
2. Becauſe the feventh Trumpet and the ſeven Vials are one and the ſame thing, nothing being revealed under the ſeven Vials which doth not belong to the ſeventh Trumpet ; they agree in their Titles of Woes, in the nature of the Revelations, in their Oh- jeas, both the one and the other declaring the ruine of Antichriſt,
both of them are mentioned as the laft Plagues to come upon the World before the laſt Day.
REVELATION.
3- All the Vials are of the ſame nature, declaring but the Judg- ments by which God, ſetting. up the Kingdom of Chriſt, would ruine Antichriſt, they only differ in the degrees of the Plagues, each one riſing higher than' the other.
4- The ſeyenth Trumpet cannot declare the ruine of Antichriſt, unleſs the ſeven Vials be poured out under it, for they ſhew the means by which he muſt be deſtroyed.
5. The ſeventh Trumpet ſoundeth imniediately upon the 11a ing of the Witneſſes, and contemporiſeth with the whole courſe of their renewed Liberty, and therefore the period ſignified by it, wa be before the fall of Antichriſt declared by the ſixth
'al,
- 6, The ſeventh Trumpet ſoundeth immediately after the expira- tion of the 1260 Days; before the end of which, none of the Vials were poured out.
Thoſe who think that divers of the Vials were poured out, or — poured out before the ſounding of this ſeventh Trum- pet lay,