sixth Seal. Moreover in such a conflagration neither would the sun become black as sackcloth, nor the moon appear blood-red; still less the stars fall to the ground. The expressions must be taken metaphorically, and as referring to political changes, like those in the other parallel prophecies just before referred to. There seems to me a physical necessity for this, from what is said; as well as almost a necessity from what is not said: besides the necessity arising from the requirements of symbolic language, in a confessedly symbolic prophecy.

Still the suspicion may remain that, though referring to political revolution and changes, it may be the political changes attendant on the last great consummation. For that there are to be then, and in connection with the great final catastrophe of the earth's drama, extraordinary political commotions and revolutions, is a truth revealed both in the Apocalypse itself, and in many other of the sacred prophecies. This I fully allow. But I think internal evidence is here, too, not wanting, to shew that it is not these that are intended in the sixth Seal. For, let but the description of the earthquake of the sixth Seal be compared with that of the xvith chapter of the Apocalyptic book,-which latter is allowed on all hands to be the description of the great final political revolution, and how is it possible but that an unprejudiced mind will be struck with the marked differences ?? The earthquake of the xvith chapter is so great, that "there never was any like it since the time that men were on the earth;"—this, simply, "a great earthquake." And whereas the most prominent points of accompaniment and result in the former case are the tripartite division of the great city, Babylon receiving the wine-cup of God's anger, and a

1 Such, I believe, are Matt. xxiv. 29, and the corresponding prophecies in Mark and Luke. Such, perhaps, Hag. ii. 6, Heb. xii. 26, and Joel ii. 10.

2 I say an unprejudiced mind. One who is not unprejudiced writes thus: "The revolution of this sixth Seal is the same as that again mentioned on the sounding of the seventh Trumpet, xi. 19, and more particularly described under the seventh Vial; (xvi. 17—21;) between which, and the sixth Seal, there is a remarkable similarity." Cuninghame, p. 35. Of this similarity let the reader judge; after comparing the two descriptions together, as here set before him.

tremendous hail-storm falling on the inhabitants of the Roman earth,-to neither one nor another of these is there the least allusion, in the description of the earthquake of the sixth Seal before us.-Were the one indeed but a notice in brief, as it were, the other the description in detail, the omission and the difference would not be so remarkable. And thus it seems to me very possible, and even probable, that the earthquake noticed on the sounding of the seventh Trumpet, at the close of chap. xi, may be the same in brief, as that of chap. xvi in detail, on the effusion of the seventh Vial. But in the vision of the sixth Seal the description is as detailed and full, indeed more so, than that of chap. xvi.

Thus my conclusion from simply comparing the descriptive language in the two passages is this,-that they pourtray different and distinct earthquakes; that of the sixth Seal the less, that of the seventh Vial much the greater; although at the same time it is allowed that the former may be possibly in a certain sense typical of the latter, in the same way that a less event, of the same character, is often in scripture typical of a greater following. Which premised, when we consider the vision further in respect of its relative position in the Apocalyptic series, its connection with, and chronological sequence on, those of the other five Seals,-when we think how exactly every successive epoch of change in the Roman Pagan Empire, with its characteristic causes and symptoms, from the time of Domitian's death, at the close of the first century, to the persecution by Diocletian and Galerius, at the beginning of the fourth, has been depicted, all in order, in the consecutive visions of the successive Seals preceding, and find ourselves thus brought by them to the very eve of the great politicoreligious revolution of the time of Constantine,-I say, when, with the evidence of this its position and context, we consider the vision of the symbolic earthquake repre

1 Two characteristic notices serve to identify the earthquake of xi. 19, with that of xvi. 18: first, the mention of the temple in heaven being previously opened; secondly, the great hail mentioned as a concomitant in the one case and the other. Compare also xv. 5.

VOL. I.

sented on the opening of the sixth Seal,-it seems to me that all doubt as to its intended application is absolutely precluded; and that it cannot but be the prefiguration of that wonderful revolution.-Nor let me omit to observe, in further confirmation of this explanation, that the infidel illustrator of the Apocalyptic prefigurations fails not here, as usual, to add his corroborative testimony. "The ruin of the Pagan religion," says Gibbon, "is described by the sophists as a dreadful and amazing prodigy, which covered the earth with darkness, and restored the ancient dominion of chaos and of night."1

CHAPTER VII.

THE SEALING AND PALM-BEARING VISIONS.

"AND after these things I saw four angels, standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth, and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number. of them which were sealed; and there were sealed 144,000 out of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Out of the tribe of Judah were sealed 12,000. Out of the tribe of Reuben were sealed 12,000, &c.

After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round

1 Gibbon v. 123.

about the throne, and about the elders and the four living creatures, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen! And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, Who are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which are to come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."—APOC. vii.

Thus the first of these two connected visions opened with a representation of four destroying tempest-angels, just now under temporary restraint, but destined ere while to desolate the Roman earth :-the which earth appeared tranquil again after the earthquake, and with its luminaries shining in the new firmamental heaven: 2 -presently after which, as if on some premature threatening of the Angels to execute their commission of judgment, another and mightier Angel, rising from the East, in loud voice uttered his inhibition against it, until he should have sealed God's servants on their foreheads. Who were the earthly agents intended by the tempests of the tempest-angels, and what the thing intended by the temporary restraint of those angels, are points best explained to us, as usual, by Gibbon. "The

1 οἱ ερχομενοι.

2 This is obvious in part from verse 1 of this chapter, where the wind is spoken of as not blowing on the land or the sea; in part from verse 12 of the next chapter, where the sun, the moon, and the stars are implied to have shone during the three first Trumpets on the Roman earth.

threatening tempest of barbarians," he writes (iii. 97), in his sketch of the empire after the Constantinian revolution, "which so soon subverted the foundations of Roman greatness, was still repelled or suspended on the frontiers."-As to the Sealing Vision, it lay not within his province to explain it and indeed it meant much more, if I mistake not, than even professed Apocalyptic expositors have hitherto supposed. Wherefore such a commission of wrath against the empire, after the glorious religious revolution just effected therein, and the triumph and establishment of Christianity? To this, I believe, the Sealing Vision gave answer, by hinting a wide-spread apostacy begun in the professing Church. And what the safeguard of the true Church against it? The vision answered this question also. For it figured, if I mistake not, a revelation of grace then to be given, which would be to it an antidote, and preservative from essential instealing error.-These I regard as the two main points signified in the vision; and, that though retrospectively it gives intimation respecting the half century and more preceding, as measured from Constantine's establishment of Christianity, yet its own proper chronology appertains to the reign of Theodosius.

§ 1. INTIMATIONS OF APOSTACY BEGUN.

It will be interesting, I think, and may serve as the best introduction to what follows, to suspend for a few moments our investigation of the prophecy; and look into the state of things and feelings as exhibited in the Roman Empire after its first Christianization under Constantine; agreeably with the representation of them handed down to us by cotemporary history.

When heathenism had been cast down from its supremacy, and Christianity established in the Roman world, the changes consequent were immense and universal. Now, throughout its vast extent, the cross once so despised was every where in honour,' and the preserving

1 "Attende gloriam crucis ipsius," said Augustine (in Psalm xxxiv), somewhat