This period con is fitly made by a creature like a lion. tinuing during the reigns of the Flavian family and the fhort reign of Nerva, about 28 years. They who fuppofe this book to have been written in Domitian's time, fome years after the destruction of Jerufalem, are obliged to give another explanation of this firft feal, applicable to fome fubfequent event, that it may not be deemed a history of things paft inftead of a prophecy of things to come. Now their notion is, that this first seal exhibits a reprefentation of the perfon and dignity of Christ, and of the triumphs of the Chriftian reli- gion over all the powers of Paganifm. At the fame time they allow (as it is generally allowed) that the fix firft feals efpecially relate to Heathen Rome, and comprehend fo many notable periods in the Roman Hiftory. But where then is the propriety or confiftence, of understanding this first seal of Chrift and the Chriftian religion, and the fucceeding feals of fucceffive revolutions in the Roman empire, during its Pagan and unconverted state? And what good reafon can be given for reprefenting the Church in triumph and glory, at a period when it was moft grievously perfecuted and afflicted? Would it not have been more uniform and of a piece, and have agreed better with the feries and order of true hiftory, if they had applied this firft feal to the conquefts of Vefpafian and Titus and the deftruction of Jerufalem; as they have applied the fecond feal to the wars of Trajan and Adrian with the Jews, and the third and following feals to tranfactions of other Roman emperors? The four living creatures have their stations, as we have fhown, in the four quarters, eaft, weft, fouth and north, to denote from what part we are to look for the completion of the prophecy and as Trajan proceeded from the weft, Septimius Severus from the fouth, and Maximine from the north, what other emperor before them, befides Vespasian, came from the east, which was the station of the lion, who made the first proclamation? It fhould feem therefore that the interpretation which was first propofed is the more eligible, and indeed I cannot see how this first feal can be well explicated otherwife, confiftently with the truth of histo ry and other circumstances of the prophecy; and if this be the true interpretation, this is a farther argument that the the book was more probably written in the perfecutions under Nero than in thofe under Domitian. ed the fecond feal, I heard that fat thereon, to take 3 And when he had open- and power was given to him the fecond beaft fay, Come and fee. 4 And there went out another horfe that was red: peace from the earth, and that they fhould kill one another: and there was given unto him a great fword. The fecond feal or period, ver. 3, 4. is noted for war and flaughter, and was proclaimed by the fecond living creature, who was like an ox, and had his ftation in the And there went out another horfe that was red: and power was given to him that fat thereon, to take peace from the earth, and that they fhould kill one ano weft. ther; and there was r the weft, being a " given unto him a great fword.' This Spaniard by birth, and was the first In fecond period commenceth with Trajan, who came from foreigner who was elevated to the imperial throne. his reign and that of his fucceffor Adrian there were hor-rid wars and flaughters, and efpecially between the rebellious Jews and the Romans. Dion relates, s that the Jews about Cyrene flew of the Romans and Greeks twohundred and twenty thousand: ing circumstances of barbarity. In Egypt, alfo and in Cyprus they committed the like barbarities, and there the Jews were fubdued in their turn by the other generals perithed two hundred and forty thousand men more. But and Lucius fent against them by Trajan. men with the most fhock Eufebiuswriting * ιβηρ ὁ Τραιανος αλλ' εκ Ιταλος, εδ' Ιταλιωτης ην μηδεις προσθεν αλ Mortons To Tay Pwμau-xguros &σxnze. Trajanus homo Hifpanus, nec -ante eum nemo alterius nationis imperium. * Και εν τέτω οι κατα Κυρήνην 188αι τις τε Ρωμαίες και τις Ελληνας: Dion. Hift. Lib. 68. p. 771. Edit. Leunclav. Italus erat, nec Italicus- εφθειρον, ώσε πολλα έδρασαν όμοια, -Romanes pariter δυο και είκοσι εν τη Κυπα atque μυριαδας απολεσθαι. ἐν τε Αίγυπτ τέσσαρες και εικοσι,αλλ' Ιεδαίες μεν αλλοι τε και Λέκιος ὑπὸ Τραϊανα τεμά ples xarisgears. Interim Judæi, qui circum Cyrenen habitabant hominum ad ducenta viginti millia, Praeterea in Egypto CyproGraecos concidunt-ita ut interierine que confimilia quaedam perpetrarunt, ubi defiderata funt homia Lucio, quem Trajanus miferat, fubacti funt. Dion. ibid. p. 786€ num ducenta quadraginta millia.-Sed Judaei et ab aliis, et maxime writing of the fame time faith, that the Jews inflamed as it were by fome violent and feditious spirit, in the first conflict gained a victory over the Gentiles, who flying to Alexandria took and killed the Jews in the city. The emperor fent Marcius Turbo againft them, with great forces by fea and land; who in many battles flew many myriads of the Jews. The emperor also suspecting that they might make the like commotions in Mefopotamia, ordered Lucius Quietus to expel them out of the province, who marching against them flew a very great multitude of them there. Orofius treating of the fame time faith, "that the Jews with an incredible commotion, made wild as it were with rage, rose at once in different parts of the earth. For throughout all Lybia they waged the fiercest wars against the inhabitants, and the country was almost defolated. Egypt also and Cyrene and Thebais they dif turbed with cruel feditions. But in Alexandria they were overcome in battle. In Mefopotamia alfo war was made upon the rebellious Jews by the command of the emperor. So * ώσπες ὑπὸ πνεύματος δεινά τινος και κασιωδες αναρριπίσθευτές - εν τη πρώτη συμβολη επικρατήσαι αυτό συνέβη των Ελλήων· οἱ και καταφυγοντες εις την Αλεξανδρίαν, τες εν τη πόλει Ιεδαίες εξώγρησαν τε και απέκτειναν. εφ' ε; ἱ αυτοκρατωρ επεμψε Μάρκιον Ταρίωνα συν δυνάμει πεζη τε και ναυτι κα, ετι δε και ἱππικη· ὧδε πολλαις μάχαις πολλας μυριάδας Ιεδαίων uvaipes, ὁ δε αυτοκράτωρ ὑποπτεύσας και της εν Μεσοποταμία Ικδαίος επιθήσεσ θαι τοις αυτόθι, Λεκιῳ Κυητῳ προσέταξεν εκκαθάραι της επαρχίας αυτές ὡς και παραταξάμενος πάμπολυ πλήθος των αυτόθι φονεύει velut a violento quodam et feditiofo daemone exagitati-et primo quidem conflictu forte Judaei Gentiles fuperaverant. Qui mox Alexandriam confugientes, Judaeos qui in eo urbe degebant, captos interfecerunt.Itaque imperator Marcium Turbonem adverfus cos mifit cum pedeftribus ac navalibus copiis, et cum equitatu. Hic multis praeliis confertis infinita Judaeorum millia-neci dedit. Sed imperator veritus ne Judaei qui Mesopotamiam habitabant, incolas perinde aggrederentur, mandavit Lucio Quieto, ut eos extra provinciae fines deportaret. Qui inftructa adverfus illos acie, ingentem eorum multitudinem proftravit. Eufeb. Ecclef. Hift. Lib. 4. Cap. 2. Incredibile deinde motu, fub uno tempore Judaei, quafi rabie efferati, per diverfas terrarum partes exarferunt. Nam et per totam Lybiam adverfus incolas atrociflima bella gefferunt: quae adeo tunc interfectis cultoribus defolata eft- Ægyptum vero totam et Cyrenem et Thebaida cruentis feditionibus turbaverunt. In Alexandria autem commiffo praelio victi et adtriti funt. In Mefopotamia quoque rebellantibus juffu imperatoris bellum illatum eft. Itaque multa millia eorum vafta caede deleta funt. Sane Salaminan, urbem Cypri, interfectis omnibus accolis deleverunt. Orof. Hift. Lib. 7. Cap. 12. p. 487. Edit. Havercamp. X So that many thoufands of them were deftroyed with vaft flaughter. They utterly deftroyed Salamis, a city of Cyprus, having first murdered all the inhabitants. Thefe things were tranfacted in the reign of Trajan; and in the reign of Adrian was their great rebellion under their falie Meffiah Barchochab, and their final difperfion, after fifty of their ftrongeft caftles and nine hundred and eightyfive of their best towns had been demolished, and after five hundred and eighty thoufand men had been flain by the fword, befides an infinite number who had perithed by famine and fickness and other cafualities, with great lofs and flaughter too of the Romans, infomuch that the emperor forbore the usual falutations in his letters to the Here was another illuftrious triumph of Christ fenate. over his enemies; and the Jews and the Romans, both the perfecutors of the Chriftians, were remarkably made the dreadful executioners of divine vengeance upon one another. The great fword and red horfe are expreffive emblems of this flaughtering and bloody period; and the Proclamation for flaughter is fitly made by a creature like an ox that is deftined for flaughter. This period continued during the reigns of Trajan and his fucceffors by blood or adoption about 95 years. 5 And when he had opened the third feal, I heard the third beaft fay, Come, and fee. And I beheld, and lo, a black horse; and he that fat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midft of the four beafts fay, A meafure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and fee thou hurt not the oil and the wine. The third feal or period, ver. 5, 6. is characterized by the ftrict execution of juftice and judgment, and by the procuration of corn and oil and wine; and was proclaimed by the third living creature, who was like a man, and had his ftation in the fouth. And I beheld and lo, a black horfe; and he that fat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures fay, A meafure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and fee thou hurt not the oil and the wine.' Where Grotius and others Eufeb. ibid. Cap. 6. Dion. ibid. Lib. 69. p. 794. thers have obferved, that a chanix of corn, the measure here mentioned, was a man's daily allowance, as a penny was his daily wages; fo that if his daily labour could earn no more than his daily bread, without other provifion for himself and his family, corn muft needs bear a very high price. But whatever may be the capacity of the chanix, which is difficult to be determined, as it was different in different times and countries; yet fuch care and fuch regulations about the neceffaries of life imply fome want and fcarcity of them. Scarcity obligeth men to exactness in the price and measure of things. In fhort, the intent of the prophecy is, that corn fhould be provided for the people, but it should be distributed in exact measure and proportion. This third period commenceth with Septimius Severus, who was an emperor from the fouth, being a native of Africa. He was an a enactor of juft and equal laws, and was very fevere and implacable to offences; he would not fuffer even petty larcenies to go unpunished: as neither would Alexander Severus in the fame period, who was a most severe judge against thieves; and was so fond of the Christian maxim, ⋅ Whatfoever you would not have done to you, do not you to another,' that he commanded it to be engraven on the pa lace, and on the public buildings. Thefe two emperors were also no lefs celebrated for the procuring of corn and oil and other provifions; and for fupplying the Romans with them after they had experienced the want of them. They y Eft autem xong tritici tantum, quanto homo fanus in diem indiget, ut ex Herodoti libro tertio et feptimo obfervarunt eruditi, alii etiam ex Hippocrate, Diogene Laertio et Athenæo. Denarius vero tantum, quantum quoque die mereri poterat homo ftrenue laborans, ut videre eft Matt. XX. 2, &c. Grot. in locum. Vide etiam Vitring. p. 259. z Septimius Severus oriundus ex Africa-Solus omni memoria et ante et poftea ex Africa imperator fuit. Eutropius. Lib. 8. Cap. FO. Interfecto Didio Juliano, Severus Africa oriundus imperium obtinuit. Ælius Spartianus in Severo. Hift. Auguft. Scriptores VI. p. 64. Edit: Salmafii. a Legum conditor longe æquabilium-implacabilis delictis--ne parva latrocinia quidem impunita patiebatur. 'Aurel. Vi&or de Cæfar. Cap. 20. b Severiffimus judex contra fures-Quod tibi fieri non vis, alteri ne feceris; quam fententiam ufque adeo dilexit, ut et in palatio et in publicis operibus præfcribi juberet. Lampridius in Alexandro. Hift. Auguft. Script. VI. p. 123 et 132. Edit. Salmafii. |