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Son of God; the defection of a Donatus*, who threw his venom into the baptismal laver of Regeneration † ; -this is what is predicted by the lapse of the great Star, whose name was Wormwood.

Thus we are taught to regard Heresies in their true light; that is, as punishments for men's sins; and grievous punishments they are, even in a temporal sense, as was seen in the fury of the Arian ‡ Vandals, of the Asiatic Monophysites, of the African Circumcellions: we are taught also to view them as trials of our faith, hope, and love; and so, as serving to the manifestation of God's grace and glory, and to the final purification of His Church. There must be heresies, says the Apostle, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you §.

Let me here offer a remark concerning the order of these trumpets-the Second and Third.

The heresy of Arius prevailed before the capture of Rome by the Goths; and it might therefore be said, that this heresy could not be the subject of the Third Trumpet, if the capture of Rome is the subject of the second.

Auctor. ap. S. Augustin. in loc. Hoc in his qui rebaptizantur intelligi potest.

+ Titus iii. 5.

6

Joachim, p. 129, (reverse.) "The Arians," he observes, "betook themselves ad persequendam omnem Catholicorum Ecclesiam Perseveravit autem persecutio Arianorum usque ad tempora Saracenorum: Propter hoc multos legimus ab Arianis Regibus et Episcopis martyrio coronatos.'

§ 1 Cor. xi. 19.

But the same method which St. John pursues in the Apocalypse as a whole, is also pursued by him in the subordinate parts of it. He classifies similar events together; and so one portion of his prophecy overruns another. And since the Arian heresy, and the other heresies which it generated, made its evils felt for many generations after the taking of Rome, therefore it is placed after it.

The consequences of these Heresies appear to be further portended by the Fourth Trumpet. The third part of the sun, we read, was smitten, the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars. Here we see errors, confusions, and defections, such as were prevalent in the fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries.

This leads us to another Judgment. The Fifth Trumpet sounds. From corrupt Christianity we now pass to Apostasy. The Stars of false teaching fell from Heaven; but we now see an emanation from Hell. Lucifer, once an Angel of God, fell from heaven. He unseals the bottomless pit, and smoke issues from it, and a cloud of Locusts like scorpions arises from the smoke, and torment those who have not the Seal of God in their foreheads. And they have breastplates as it were of iron; and the sound of their wings is as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle †.

This Vision of Locusts is, I believe, rightly

† Rev. ix. 9.

* Isa. xiv. 12. Some interesting information and reflections concerning the

interpreted as representing the rise and progress of the Arch-Impostor of Arabia (A.D. 611); and the fierce retribution which was executed by God through him on degenerate and idolatrous nations. Mahometanism was, and is, a scourge on the world for its neglect and abuse of Christianity. It was a child of hell; but it avenged the cause of Heaven. But it could not hurt those who had the Seal of God in their foreheads. Rather, it exercised and strengthened their faith and courage, and quickened their vigilance. They were unhurt, like Job, when tempted by Satan*; and, like him, they desired to depart rather than to live on earth †. Besides, it united Christians together. Heresies and Schisms were checked by the fear of Apostasy.

The next, the Sixth, Trumpet has occasioned much perplexity.

A voice from the horns of the altar of incense cries to the sixth Angel, who has the sixth Trumpet, Loose the four Angels, who are bound at the great river, the river Euphrates.

Modern Expositors understand by these Angels and their host, some great, earthly, powers, -Turkish,

Locusts of Arabia, regarded as "an army of God," as they were called by Mahomet, and on the language of Scripture concerning them, will be found in Pococke's Works, on Joel, caps. i. and ii. *Job i. 12. ii. 6. † Job iii. 21. vi. 9.

This is specially true of Christians in Greece and Asia Minor, in which a spirit of religion has been kept alive by Turkish persecution.

Saracenic, Oriental,-which will come forth from the literal river Euphrates.

I am bound to confess, that these expositions do not appear to me satisfactory; and I must crave your indulgence, while I declare my own opinion concerning this Trumpet.

Loose the four Angels. This carries us back to the sixth SEAL, where we have already seen four Angels, standing at the four corners of the earth, having power to hurt the earth, the sea, and the trees, holding the four winds, that they may not blow upon the earth. And an Angel cries to these, Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads *. And they are restrained, till the Sealing of the Saints is complete.

These four Angels are now described as boundbound at the great river Euphrates. The Euphrates is the river of Babylon; and Babylon in the Apocalypse is always used in a figurative sense: it designates the Great City, concerning which more will be said hereafter t. I cannot concur with those Interpreters who, while they understand Babylon in a typical sense, interpret the river of Babylon in a literal sense. Both these names, Babylon and Euphrates, must be regarded as figurative †.

These four Angels then are bound as captives in

*Rev. vii. 1-3.

In Lectures XI. and XII.

This was seen by the ancient interpreters, e. g. Haymo: Euphrates, fluvius Babylonis, potentia secularis intelligitur; and Aquinas: Dicitur Aumen magnum propter multitudinem scelerum.

the Great City; and yet, in another sense, they are not bound; for they are said to stand at the four corners of the earth. How is this to be explained?

Naturally, this is impossible: and these physical incompatibilities, which are of frequent occurrence in the Apocalypse, are the very things, which are designed to show us the need of spiritual interpretations.

To be brief, I believe, that, as the Four Living Creatures under the heavenly throne* represent the fourfold Gospel in its glorified condition, adoring God in heaven, so the Four Angels represent the Gospel †, diffused to the Four Winds of heaven; preached in the Four quarters ‡ of the World. And this Gospel is free as air: as St. Paul says, The Gospel is not bound §.

And yet, in a certain sense, the Gospel has been bound, bound at the great river Euphrates; bound in the Great City-the mystical Babylon-the Church of Rome: for that great City has put fetters upon it; it has chained the Word of God.

These four Angels are loosed, in obedience to a voice from the Altar of incense, which is before the

*Rev. iv. 6. See above, Lecture IV.

† There is a certain ομοφωνία in the τέσσαρες ἄγγελοι and Téoσapa Evayyéλia, which will be observed by the Greek reader.

The number four in the Apocalypse expresses universality of extent and diffusion, and is very appropriate to the Gospel. Rev. vii. 1. xx. 8.

§ 2 Tim. ii. 9.

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