And the fourth he understands to denote the degeneracy and corruption of the Christian clergy, which began to be notorious in the reigns of Theodosius, Honorius, and Arcadius: which was followed by a great loss of influence and authority on the part of the Church, and by the subsequent decline of the Roman Empire, both in splendour and in power.

But in examining those interpretations of this prophecy, in which it has been attempted to explain the predictions which it contains, of the calamities which the Roman Empire experienced from the irruption of the barbarian nations, the meaning, which has been attributed to the different symbols, not only appears forced and unnatural; but the events which are supposed to be pre-signified by them, do not appear to be immediately connected with the history of the Christian Church, nor to harmonize with what appears to be the great and leading object of the prophecies of the Apocalypse. If we pare the interpretations, derived from events relating to the Roman Empire, which have been applied to the Seals, with the principles which have been laid down in the second Chapter, as appearing to regulate the introduction of temporal events into ancient prophecy, how little connection have the events, which are supposed to be alluded to, with religion in general, and how little influence on it! And these observations apply still more strongly to the interpretations, which have been affixed by Mede and his followers to the prophecies contained in the Trumpets.

9

"There is," as Dean Woodhouse has observed, "no reason why we should except the Trumpets from the general law which has been laid down with regard to the prophecies of this book,-that the Christian

Church is the main object of the Apocalyptic, and indeed, of all divine prophecy. It is, on the contrary, confirmed in their case by the preparation which we have just now contemplated. It is confirmed also by the fact, that in those visions of the Trumpets whose meaning can be most accurately ascertained, the Christian Church is evidently the object of assault. Such it is seen to be in the fifth and sixth Trumpets, and yet more clearly and confessedly in the seventh, where (in Chap. xi. 15.) upon the angels sounding, the heavenly voices immediately proclaim the victory, and award the kingdoms of the world to Christ; and that his Church is to partake the happiness and glory of his victory and reign, is apparent from the subsequent song of the Elders, and indeed from all holy writ. In this seventh and last conflict, the contending powers are fully declared:" "we may reasonably, therefore," as Dean Woodhouse has justly concluded, " suppose them the same in all the stages of the warfare, under the first four Trumpets, as well as under the three last1."

The sketch of Christian history thus regarded as being contained under the first four Trumpets, is passed over with great rapidity. (1) "The attack of the first Trumpet is upon the earth, eis TU Yŷv, which being here contra-distinguished from the sea, (the object of the next Trumpet,) and being evidently only a part of the globe of the earth, that part which we call land, might be more fitly expressed in our language by the word land." Upon this division of the whole earth "fall hail and fire mingled with blood." Such a storm is described as falling upon Egypt, by the divine command, literally (Exod.

1 Woodhouse, Annotations, pp. 173, 174.

must be received in its Now in the writings of

ix. 23, &c.) But here it typical or spiritual sense. the prophets, yn, the land, as opposed to the sea, frequently signifies the holy land, the people of Israel; while the Gentiles, especially those of the west, are spoken of by the word sea'. Upon the Christian Israelites, therefore, we may suppose that the storm of hail and fire mingled with blood-by which is generally understood the storm of persecution even unto death,-was destined to fall." This storm was to destroy the third part of trees, and all green grass, by which is meant the converts to the Christian religion; some of whom are "rooted and grounded in the faith;" others, having no root, cannot stand against the storm: and of these the third part were to be destroyed. In the same manner, with regard to the destruction of Jerusalem, which was prophesied by Ezekiel and Zechariah, two-thirds of the people were to perish in the siege, and one-third were to go into captivity3.

(2) Upon the sounding of the second Trumpet, the hostile invasion of the anti-christian powers falls upon the sea; by which is to be understood, as has been already explained, the Gentile Christians, as they are distinguished from the Jewish converts. And this attack is described under the image of a burning mountain being cast into the sea. "A mountain," as Dean Woodhouse has observed, "signifies an eminent seat of power, civil or religious." In this sense, Babylon, an eminent seat of power and idolatry, hostile to true religion, is addressed as a

1 Gen. x. 5; Isai. xxiv. 14, 15. LX. 5, 9. XLii. 4. compared with Matt. xii. 21; Ezek. xxvi. 15, 16, &c.

2 Woodhouse, Annotations, pp. 175, 176.

3 Ezek. v. 12; Zech. xiii. 8, 9.

mountain (Jer. Li. 25); " Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain; I will stretch out my hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks." To which is added, "I will make thee a burnt mountain;”—which words appear to point to the destruction of Babylon, which is so often foretold in other passages. During the three first centuries, the idolatrous power was consuming away from the fire inflicted upon it from above, from the altar of true religion in heaven; but so long as it continued burning, the persecution by the idolaters raged grievously against the Gentile Churches, and great was the number of the lapsed"."

(3) Upon the sounding of the third angel, a great star is described as falling from heaven; of which the name is Wormwood. It is said to "fall upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter." Now, by a star, in prophetical language, is understood a prince, or some eminent person, Numb. xxiv. 17; Matt. ii. 2; and also a leader in doctrine, Rev. ii. 28. xxii. 16. Such an one falling from heaven, as did Satan, (Luke x. 18; 2 Pet. ii. 4; Jude 6; Rev. xii. 4. ix. 1-12.) corrupts the third part of the rivers and fountains of waters; that is, corrupts the streams and sources of pure doctrine, which are expressed by our Lord under the same metaphor, (John iv. 10, &c. vii. 37-39.) And this interpretation is confirmed by the remaining part of the description, which is given to the star; which is designated by the appellation of Wormwood, and of which

4 See W. Lowth ad locum.

5 See Dean Woodhouse ad locum.

the effect, when it falls upon the waters, is to make them bitter; under which image the corruptions of false doctrine are described in other passages of Scripture. (Compare Deut. xxix. 18. with Hebr. xii. 15. and Acts viii. 23.) Under these images are described those false doctrines, which, at the instigation of Satan, assailed the early Christian Church: and the death, described as following them, is spiritual'.

(4) Upon the sounding of the fourth Trumpet, the same kind of stroke, which had fallen upon the other divisions of the creation, falls upon the heavenly luminaries, the sun, the moon, and the stars; and the third part of them is smitten, and ceases to give light. Under the symbolical imagery of the darkening of these luminaries, is represented, in the prophetical language of the Old Testament, the removal of that glory which was vouchsafed by the Almighty to his chosen kingdom and people". In the same manner, by the increasing splendour of these heavenly luminaries, are represented the increasing glories of the Christian dispensation; and there is frequent allusion to this mode of expression in the Apostolical writings. Under the imagery, therefore, which is contained under this Trumpet, is represented the spiritual darkness which followed the promulgation of those heretical opinions which were directly opposed to the great and vital doctrines of the gospel, and which so effectually obscured the purity and simplicity of the Christian faith".

1 See Woodhouse, Ib.

2 Amos viii. 9, &c.; Matt. xxiv. 29. 3 The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be seven-fold." Isai. xxiv. 23. xxx. 26.

4 Col. i. 12, 13; 2 Cor. iv. 6; 1 Thess. v. 4, &c.; James i. 17; 1 Pet. ii. 9; 1 John i. 5.

5 The exposition of these Trumpets is borrowed principally from Dean Woodhouse.