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dignity, so far as to make him who had but just before been the greatest monarch in the world, to bow down and serve as a footstool to him' (the king) to get on horseback. After keeping him seven years in this wretched slavery, Sapor ordered that his eyes should be pulled out, then that he should be flead alive, and his skin hung up as a trophy in one of the Persian temples.

After Valerian's persecution, Heaven and Earth seemed to conspire in the destrucion of the Roman Empire. Earthquakes overthrew cities, and destroyed great numbers of people. The sea overswelled its boundaries, and broke into many continents, drowning countries, cities, and people: and so violent a pestilence raged, that in Rome no less than five thousand persons died in a day. Besides this, the whole empire was invaded on all sides. A body of Germans crossed the Alps, and broke into Italy. Another body of the same enemies wasted Gaul and entered Spain. The Goths and Scythians ravaged Pontus, and great part of lesser Asia; and in Europe, all Greece, Macedon, and their confines The Quadi and Sarmatians seized on Dacia and Pannonia; and the Persians and Parthians took possession of Mesopotamia, and a great part of Syria. To complete these disasters, there rose up thirty tyrants, who assuming the title of emperors, set up in opposition to one another, and to the reigning emperor Gallienus, which occasioned the empire to be more harassed and oppressed by its own intestine broils than by foreign devastations. These disasters had been foretold in the time of the persecution by the holy martyr St. Marian, when he was carried to execution. He announced them as a scourge impending on the State for the innocent blood that was spilt of the Christians.

The emperor Aurelian, another percecutor, was assassinated by his own secretary and some others, who had formed a conspiracy against him.

Dioclesian, the tenth persecutor, was compelled by Galerius, whom he had created Cæsar, to resign to him the empire, and retire himself to a private life. Afterwards he had the mortification to learn, that Conho was become emperor, had pulled down

his statues. His wife and daughter were also put to death by Licinius. These disgraces, and the load of guilt that hung upon him, operated so strongly on his mind, that he could neither eat nor sleep. He sighed and groaned continually, often with tears in his eyes, sometimes tumbling himself on his bed, and sometimes on the ground. Thus he, who had governed the world for twenty years, as Lactantius observes, was reduced to so miserable a condition, that he finished his life by hunger and grief. This happened in the year 312.

Maximian, Dioclesian's colleague in the empire and in the persecution, had been also obliged to abdicate. He made several attempts to resume the purple, but seeing them all defeated, he hanged himself.

The succeeding emperors, Galerius, Maxentius, Maximinus Daia, and Licinius, endeavouring to carry on the persecution begun by Dioclesian and Maximian, met also with their due punishment. And first,

The hand of God was very visible upon the abominable Galerius, who had taken so much pains to instigate Dioclesian against the Christians. He was struck with a dreadful disease. An ulcer consumed the lower parts of his belly, and laid open his very bowels. He was devoured by vermin, and the whole mass of his body putrified. The stench that came from him was intolerable. His pains were so violent, that he roared out, and often attempted to kill himself. In these agonies he seemed to acknowledge the Hand that lay over him, and in order to avert it, he published an edict in favour of the Christians. But Heaven did not relent; and his distemper increasing, in a few days put a period to his life.

Maxentius was routed in a battle he fought with Constantine on the banks of the Tiber. As he was crossing that river in his flight, the bridge gave way with the weight of the crowd, and he was drowned.

Maximinus Daia being upon the point of engaging in battle with Licinius, made a vow to Jupiter, that if he got the victory, he would extinguish the very name of Christian. His army was totally defeated by a much lesser number; upon which he threw away his imperi

V. 4. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and magnify thy name? for thou only art holy. For all nations shall come, and shall adore in thy sight, because thy judgments are manifest.

By the sea of glass is meant, as before explained, the firmament that makes the floor of heaven; which here is said to be mingled with fire, in allusion to the persecutions and troubles, which the faithful servants of God, who are seen standing on this sea, have sustained during the whole course of the Christian ages. For here, it must be observed, we are transferred to the moment of time when all the seven scourges are completed and past, which is at the end of the world. Supposing ourselves, therefore, at that point of time, we see a great body of Christian saints standing upon the sea of glass. But who in particular are they? Those who have over

come the Beast, and his image, and his character, or mark, and the number of his name. By a Beast is generally meant an animal that destroys mankind, or ravages a country. In allusion to that idea, the Beast here stands for idolatry and heresy; both which always make great devastation and desolation in the Church. Pursuant to that double meaning of the Beast, its image denotes either the idols of the pagan gods, or the pernicious tenets of heresy. By the character or mark of the Beast, we may understand, either a real distinctive mark of idolatry or heresy, or a special power exercised in de fence of either. The number of the name of the Beast is appropriated, as we shall see hereafter, to the famous abettor of idolatry, Antichrist. Those Christian champions, therefore, who have courageously suffered death, or persecution, or other tribulations, rather than join with idolatry or heresy under any respect whatever, are here collected together in heaven, holding in their hands celestial harps to sound the praises of God. They are employed in singing the canticle of Moses the servant of God, and the canticle of the Lamb: the first, to acknowledge the power and justice of God in the seven terrible plagues or punishments, which he has inflicted upon their enemies, the idolaters and heretics. Thus in that sense they sing: Great and wonderful are

thy works, O Lord God Almighty. This canticle is here said to be the canticle of Moses the servant of God, because it bears the sense, and is sung in imitation, of the canticle which the Israelites-sung to God, after having passed the Red Sea under the conduct of Moses, and seen their enemies perish in its gulf. For thus sung they: Let us sing to the Lord; for he is gloriously magnified, the horse and the rider he has thrown into the sea, &c. Exod. xv. 1. To the canticle of Moses the Christian saints immediately join the canticle of the Lamb, singing: Just and true are thy ways, O Kings of Saints; thus extolling his justice and bounty in his dispensations to them, for having subjected them to severe trials, having safely conducted them through by his grace, and crowned them with victory. Then they conclude their religious hymn in addressing Almighty God thus: Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and magnify thy name? For thou only art holy for all nations shall come, and shall adore in thy sight, because thy Judgments, or punishments on the impious, are manifest.

From what has been exhibited in this scene, we learn, that the Almighty is jealous of whatever injuries are offered to his servants, and takes upon himself the judgment of their cause. Though for the proof of their zeal, and for their greater crown, he permits their enemies for a while to exercise their tyrannical power over them, yet in his wisdom he reserves to himself a time, in which he will revenge the evils done to them, and severely punish their persecutors. Not only former ages furnish a great number of known instances of such punishments, but the word of God openly declares such to be the tenour of the divine economy. Will not God, said our Saviour, revenge his Elect who cry to him day and night: and will he have patience in their regard? I say to you, that he will quickly revenge them, Luke xviii. 7, 8.-Hence we are prepared for what follows.

V. 5. And after these things, proceeds St. John, I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.

V. 6. And the seven Angels came out of the temple,

having the seven plagues, clothed with clean and white linen, and girt about the breast with golden girdles.

Here the scene changes, and is carried back to the period of time that immediately precedes the beginning of the seven plagues or punishments. This removal of the scene St. John insinuates by the unusual circumlocution, after these things I looked, and behold. Then the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. St. John sees in heaven a tabernacle of testimony, similar in form. to the ancient Jewish tabernacle; and the Temple, that is, the Holy of Holies, or sanctuary of this heavenly tabernacle, had been shut up on the conclusion of the above canticles, and in it the Deity with the seven angels: but after a short space of time, on the commencement of the new scene, the Temple or sanctuary opens, and presently comes out from the presence of God the seven Angels, holding the seven plagues, clothed in clean and white linen, the emblem of the immortal glory they enjoy ; and girt about the breasts with golden girdles, to show they are vested with the divine authority, and that they are actually proceeding to execute the work they are charged with.

V. 7. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven Angels seven golden vials, full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

V. 8. And the temple was filled with smoke from the Majesty of God, and from his Power: and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled. Here the seven Angels receive seven Vials full of the wrath of God; upon the pouring out of which, as we shall see, follow the seven plagues or divine judgments upon the enemies of religion. The Vials are given to the Angels by one of the four living creatures, that is, by a prophet, because at that time the effects of the Vials have not happened, but are to happen in time to come, and therefore are here announced by way of prophecy. Then the temple in heaven is filled with smoke, manifesting, first, the Majesty of God residing there; secondly, his Power, which he is going to exert in the punishment of idolaters and heretics. A similar scene to this was former.

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