and has its proper place before the throne*, or, the brazen altar of burnt sacrifice t. The former belongs more appropriately to the scenery; but the latter seems more fitting to the action represented, in which the martyrs are sacrificed. For, at the golden altar were offered only incense and prayer; before the brazen one, the victims were slain. This uncertainty occasions some difficulty, which may perhaps be removed, by supposing the action of this seal, as of the four preceding, to be represented graphically in picture. Then, though the golden altar may be still supposed to stand in its place, in the scenery before the Throne, yet the brazen altar may also appear delineated upon the roll of the book when opened by the Lamb. For on the unfolding of the fifth roll, this additional altar appears, and the martyrs are seen under it, and voices are heard to accompany their expressive gestures, as they hold their hands in prayer. up Ib. The Souls.] 'Hvxn, the soul, is that vital part or principle of life in man, which, by the favour of God through Christ, they who kill the body cannot destroy. The martyrs (for such they are), although slain by persecutors "for the word of God, and the "testimony which they held," are "alive unto God," their "souls are not left in hell §;" they are deposited in their proper place :" they had suffered as victims. * That is, before the Ark and Mercy-seat, which was the local seat of the Divine presence in the Temple. See Exod. xxx. xxviii. xxxi. xl. 5; 2 Chron. iv. 19; Luke i. 11; Heb. ix. 4. 7. The word Jugiangiov may be used to signify either of these altars; see Luke i. 11. Matt. v. 23. Rev. xi. 1. The expression vacancion Jauros is applied in the Septuagint to both of them. ↑ Matt. x. 28. § 1 Pet. iv. 19. || TOY TOTOY TOY IDION" (Acts i. 25.): on which text see Bp. Bull's Sermon. at at the altar:" and from under the altar we hear their complaint. Ib. They cried.] In the figurative language of Scripture, the blood of the murdered is said to cry from the ground to the Lord for vengeance t. Ver. 10. Sovereign Lord.] In the Greek, dεOTOTE, which is applied to God, as the sovereign Arbiter and Disposer of all things. Ib. How long?] Such, with pious sufferers, has ever been the subject of enquiry and complaint: "How long "shall the ungodly triumph? For wise reasons, in part discoverable now, but which will be completely apparent hereafter, the Almighty, in forbearance, suspends his certain vengeance on the triumphant wicked ||. But in chapter xv. of this prophecy, we shall see a complete answer to this complaint;-we shall see the martyrs triumphant, and the "just judgments of God" manifested. Ver. 11. And there was given unto them white raiment.] White raiment is emblematic of innocence, purity, and justification through Christ ¶. "Precious "in the sight of the Lord is the blood of his saints **." To those who suffer in the cause of their Redeemer, are promised great rewards in heaven ††: and what can be more glorious, than to be presented pure, and blameless, and justified, in the sight of God! To this blessing, they who suffer for the word are entitled ‡‡ * Rom. viii. 36. 2 Tim. iv. 6. Phil. ii. 17. † Gen. iv. 10: and see Grotius on Heb. xi. 4. Luke ii. 29; Acts iv. 24; 2 Pet. ii. 1. § Psalm xciv. 3. See Luke xviii. 7, 8; which has resemblance to this passage. See note, ch. iii. 4. ft Malt. v. 12. ** Psalm lxxii. 14. # Dan. xii. 10. Ib. They should rest yet a time, until their fellowservants also and their brethren should be completed, who were about to be slain, even as they had been.] A general day of recompense, and of vengeance on wicked persecutors, is universally promised in the Word of God. Until that time come, although persecutors may be seen to suffer some exemplary punishments *, yet the adequate and complete vengeance of a Just God is delayed. Under this seal, the promise of a Divine retribution is renewed, and the lists are still kept open for additional martyrs who shall conquer in the cause of their Redeemer. At the time when this prophecy was delivered, there had been but few martyrs to the Christian cause. We are here taught to expect (that which subsequent history has produced) a numerous -succession of suffering witnesses, through a long period of time. We were prepared, by the imagery of the second and third, and more especially of the fourth seal, to expect some account of those that should be slain in such times "for the testimony of the word.” In this seal it comes forward, but in general description only, (as in the preceding seals,) to be resumed in the sequel of the prophecy . The period of time, occupied by the martyrs under this seal, is therefore from the death of our Lord, who is properly the first Christian Martyr, to the great day of recompense, when the "noble Army of Martyrs" will be completed and avenged. But the point of time in which their history is especially delineated, under this seal, seems to be towards the close of the fourth seal, when they had suffered * See some striking instances adduced in Jortin's Eccl. Hist. ii. 246-322. ↑ See ch. xi. 7-14. xiii. 7. xv. 2-5. xviii. 20. xx. 4. Ch. i. 5. such such enormities of persecution, that the question "how "long," seems more emphatically called forth, and thus the events of the fifth seal, as here interpreted, will be found to stand in their proper place. PART II. SECTION VIII. The opening of the sixth Seal. 12 Καὶ εἶδον, ὅτε ἤνοιξε την σφραγίδα τὴν ἕκτην· καὶ σεισ μος μέγας εγένετο, καὶ ὁ ἥλιον ἐγένετο μέλας, ὡς σάκκα. τρίχινον, καὶ ἡ σε λήνη ὅλη ἐγένετο ὡς 13 apa Kai oi àséρες τῇ ἐρανῦ ἔπεσαν εἰς τὴν γῆν, ὡς συκῆ βαλλει τὰς ἐλύνθης avτns, imò μɛyúλe 14ἀνέμε σειομένη Καὶ ὁ ἐρανὸς ἀπεχω είσθη ὡς βιβλίον εξλισσόμενον, καὶ πᾶν ὄξος καὶ νῆσος ἐκ τῶν τόπων αὑτῶν ἐκινή 15 θησαν Καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ οἱ με Visāves, xjoi xixixpχαι και οἱ πλήσιοι, καὶ οἱ ἰσχυροί, καὶ πᾶς δέλων, καὶ [πᾶς] CHAP. VI. VER. 12-to the end. 12 And I beheld when he heaven was removed earth, and the great 12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal; and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sack-cloth of hair, and the moon became 13 as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth ber untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty 14 wind: And the heaven . departed as a scroll, when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of 15 their places: And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every ἐλεύθερο, ἔκρυψαν ἑαυτὸς εἰς τὰ σπή λαια καὶ εἰς τὰς πέ τρας τῶν ὀρίων 16 Καὶ λέξεσι τοῖς ὅρι σι καὶ ταῖς πέτραις" Πέσετε ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, καὶ κρύψανε ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ προσώπε το καθημένη ἐπὶ το θρόνε, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς iggs rỡ ả vờ 17 Οτι ἦλθεν ἡ ἡμέρα ἡ μεγάλη τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτῷ· καὶ τίς δύναται ςαθῆναι ; bond-man, and every free-man, bid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the 16 mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Ver. 12. Sixth seal.] In the complaint of the martyrs under the fifth seal, it was asked, "how long" the day of vengeance and of recompence should be delayed? The answer to which was expressed in general terms, "When the number of martyrs should be com pleted." The sixth seal represents the arrival of this awful day: "The great day of his wrath is come; and "who may be able to stand!" Now, if this great day be (as I trust will be made apparent in these notes) the great day of universal recompence, and which cannot take place till all martyrdom is over, the prophecy before us evidently describes a time which is still future. Such a prophecy cannot be now illustrated, as all prophecy should be, by the event, as delivered in history. In a prophecy of this description, all that the commentator can prudently attempt is, to cast upon it what assistant light he can, by comparing it with the other prophecies of the Old and New Testament, which bear relation to it. This shall be our present object, after |