a The Dragon mentioned, ver. 3. which typified the Pagan Em- perours. b In caſting them out, the Devi! who influenced them, was caſt out ; who 1s here called the 0!d Serpent, with reference to the Form in which he ſeduced Eve, as well as in Malignity to Man. The Devil, that is, the Accuſer of the Brethren, (of which we have an Inſtance in Fob, chap. 1.) and Satan, which Name he hath from his Oppoſition to Chriſt and all Chriſtians. c By ſeducing them to Idolatry and Superſtition. 4 Caſt down from his former ſtate. e The Inſtruments he uſed in perſecuting the Church, were put out of Power. Mr. Mege underſtands it of the Demons which the Heathens worſhipped as Inferiour Gods. Fohn being in his Trance ſtill, thcught he ſaw a great red Dragon, (which he judged to be the Devil) and Chriſt, and the good Angels fighting with, and overcoming him; and that he ſaw the Devil, and thoſe evil Angels aſſiſting him, thrown down to the Earth. This propheti- cally and typically fignified, that though the Roman Emperours, be- ing Pagans, ſhould perſecute the Church upward of 300 years, yet they ſhould be overthrown, and Paganiſm, with all its Idolatry and Superſtition, ſhould be rooted out ; which occaſioned a great deal of Glory to God from the Praiſes and Thankſgivings of his People, ex- prefled in the three next Verſes.
10 And I heard a loud voice ſaying in heaven F, * Now is come ſalvation g, and ſtrength Þþ, and the kingdom of our God z, and the power of his Chriſt &: for the accuſer of our brethren is caſt down, t who
accuſed them before our God day and night /.
f John undoubtedly heard this Voice as in the third Heaven, whither he was caught; but it is not only expreffive of the Joy and Satisfation which the glorious Angels, and glorified Saints had, upon their knowledge of what was done upon the Earth, but pro- phetical of the great Joy ſhould be over all the Church, upon Comſtantine's ſtopping the Perſecution, and reſtoring Peace to the Church, by caſting out all Pagan Idolatries and Superſtitions. £ Temporal Salvation, and Deliverance from Perſecutors. h Now God hath ſhewed himſelf a ſtrong and mighty God. 7 And the King of Kings, who reigneth over all the Earth. k Now Chriſt hath ſhewn his Power. / For the Devil, who inceſſantly accuſeth the Saints, is overcome. Two things are here obſervable, 1. That the holy Angels call the Saints Brethren. 2. That the Accuſers of Chriſtians, for their Piety towards God, are of their Father the Devil, for his Works they do. Informers ſhow who is their Father by accuſing others, by murthering the Servants of God. They differ to more than as elder and younger Brethren; both are Children of the ſame Father.
11 * And they overcame him 9: by the blood of the Lamb z, and by the word of their teſti mony 9; and they loved not their lives unto the
death m Michael and his Angels, mentioned v. 7. overcame the Dragon and his Angels: The Chriſtians overcame the Pagans. n= Some
. tranſlate here, propter, becauſe of, as denoting the meritorious
*Pſ.96.11. Iſa. 49. 13.
, 45
5 . . . Haar &
Cauſe, which is true; for Chriſt's Blood was both the meritorious and exemplary cauſe of their Victory. But this will not agree with the uſage of the term in the next words. Others therefore rather chuſe to tranſlate it, by, as denoting the efficient Cauſe, whether principal, (as was the Blood of the Lamb) or inſtrumental, o as was their preaching, and profeſſing the Goſpel ; p and by their patient bearing the Croſs, not ſhunning the danger of Death, that they might _ Chriſt, and own his Truths, and live up to the holy Rule of his Goſpel, —_
12 Therefore * rejoice ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them 9g. Wo to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the ſea 7: for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath /; becauſe he knoweth that he hath
but a ſhort time 7.
q He calls to the Angels and Saints again to rejoice ; ſome think to the Church alſo. r Theſe tells us, that the Inhabitants of the Earth, and the Sea, in St. John's Writitigs, always ſignifies the E-
* nemies of the Church, earthly, carnal Men. ſ The Devil now be-
ing deveſted of the Power he exerciſed againſt the Church, will fall upon you ; for though he principally hateth the Saints, as moſt oppoſite to him, yet he is the common Hater of Mankind ; # and he hath but a little time to execute his Malice, he ſhall ſhortly be confined to the bottomleſs Pit. It is hard to ſay whether here be intended all in general, or the worſer part of the World only ; for great Judgments, after this, came upon the whole Roman Em- pire by the Goths and Vandals, and upon the Church by the Ar- rians, and by Antichriſt, of whoſe Riſe we ſhall read in the next Chapter.
13 And when the dragon ſaw that he was caſt un-
to the earth z, he perſecuted the woman. which
brought forth the man-ch/d w. .
u When the Devil ſaw that he could not uphold his Kingdom by Paganiſm, nor further execute his Malice by Pagen Emperours, but was wholly routed and overcome, as to that Power. w To let us know, that he retained his Malice, though he had loſt his for- mer Power; - he goes on in purſuing the Church of God to its ru- ine, only doth 1t in another Form ; heretofore in the Form of a Pagan, now under the pretence of a Chriſtian ; by Hereticks, the Spawn of Arrius and Photinus, (who were before this time) and by Pelagius, Neſtorius, and Eutyches, who all were betwixt 4oo and 500, and by Antichriſt the Beaſt we ſhall read of chap. 13. 1. with ſeven Heads and ten Horns.
14 And to the woman x were given two wings
of 2 great eagle a, that ſhe might flie into the wilder- neſs b into her place c : where ſhe is nouriſhed d for
2 time, and times, and half a time from the face of |
the icrpent.
REVELATION. |
x To the ſincerer part of Chriſtians (repreſented by the Wo-: man, vey. 1.) and by the Temple, and Altar, and thoſe that wor- ſhipped therem, wiz. 19 the Oracle where the Altar ſtood chap. 11.1 a The Eagle being the Enfign of the Roman Empire, and Ti heodafiion
Chap. XI].
having two Sons, Honorius and Arcadivs, betwixt which he divided .
the Empire, making Honorius the Emperor of the Weſt, and 4r . - Ca . _ Ca- dis of the Eaft, leadeth fome very judicious Interpreters to ex-
pound this Paſſage of the Providence of God- (by this Diviſion of
the Empire about the year 390) in ſome meaſure ſecuri