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8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were fealed twelve thoufand. Of the tribe of Jofeph were fealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were fealed twelve thoufand.

9 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, cloathed with white robes, and palms in their hands ;

10 And cried with a loud voice, faying, Salvation to our God which fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

11. And all the angels ftood round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four beafts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worthipped God,

12 Saying, Amen: Bleffing, and glory, and wifdom, and thankfgiving, and honour, and power, and might be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

: 13 And one of the elders anfwered, faying unto me, What are thefe which are arrayed in white robes and whence came they?

14 And I faid unto him, Sir, thou knoweft. And he faid to me, Thefe are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and ferve him day and night in his temple: and he that fitteth on his throne fhall dwell among them.

16. They fhall hunger no more, neither thirft any more, neither thall the fun light on them, nor any heat.

17 For the Lamb which is in the midft of the throne, fhall feed them, aud fhall lead them unto living fountains of waters: And God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

What follows in this chapter is ftill a continuation of the fixth feal, for the feventh feal is not opened till the beginning of the next chapter. It is a defcription of the

ftate

ftate of the church in Conftantine's time, of the peace and protection that it fhould enjoy under the civil powers, and of the great acceffion that fhould be made to it both of Jews and Gentiles. Four angels (ver. 1, 2, 3.) are ordered by another angel to reftrain the four winds from blowing with violence on any part of the world; to fhow that thefe were halcyon days, wherein the former wars and perfecutions fhould ceafe, and peace and tranquillity be restored for a feafon. Eufebius is very copious upon this fubject in feveral parts of his writings; and hath (3). applied that paffage of the Pfalmift in the verfion of the Seventy, (Pfal. XLVI. 8, 9.) Come hither, and behold the works of the Lord, what wonders he hath wrought in the earth: He maketh wars to ceafe unto the end of the earth, he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the fpear afunder, he burneth the chariot in the fire; which things, faith he, being manifeftly fulfilled in our times, we rejoice over them. Lac tantius alfo (4) faith in the fame triumphant ftrain, that

tranquillity being reftored throughout the world, the 'church which was lately ruined rifeth again. Now after 'the violent agitations of fo great a tempeft, a calm air ' and the defired light became refplendent. Now God

hath relieved the afflicted. Now he hath wiped away 'the tears of the forrowful.' Thefe are teftimonies of contemporary writers; and fome (5) medals of Conftantine are ftill preferved with the head of this emperor on one fide and this infcription CONSTANTINUS AUG, and on the reverfe BEATA TRANQUILLITAS, Bleffed Tranquillity. During this time of tranquillity the fervants of God were to be fealed in their foreheads. It is an expreffion in allufion to the ancient cuftom of marking fervants in their foreheads to diftinguith what they were, and to whom they belonged. Now among Chrif tians baptifin being the feal of the covenant between God

(3) Eufeb. Ecclef. Hift. Lib. 20. Cap. 1. εφ' οἷς εις ήμας εναργως πεπληζωμένοις χαιροντες Quæ cum omnia noftris temporibus manifeftè completa fint, læti deinceps et gratulabundi

(4) Reftituta per orbem tranquillitate, profligata nuper ecclefia rurfum

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and man, is therefore by ancient writers (6) often called the feal, the fign, the mark and character of the Lord: and it was the (7) practice in early times, as it is at present, to make the fign of the crofs upon the foreheads of the parties baptized. The fame fign of the crofs was alfo made at confirmation; and upon many other occafions the Christians figned themselves with the fign of the cross in their foreheads, as a token that they were not afhamed of a crucified mafter, that on the contrary they gloried in the cross of Christ, and triumphed in that symbol and representation of it. The fealing therefore of the fervants of God in their foreheads at.this juncture can imply no lefs, than that many converts fhould be baptized, and those, who before, in times of perfecution, had been compelled to worship God in private, fhould now make a free, open, and public profeffion of their religion; and that fuch an acceffion was made to the church, every one knoweth who knoweth any thing of the hiftory of this time.

As the church of Chrift was firft formed out of the Jewish church and nation, fo here (ver. 4-8.) the spiritual Ifrael is first mentioned; and the number of the thousands of Ifrael is that of the twelve patriarchs multiplied by the twelve apoftles, which we fhall find to be a facred number throughout the Revelation. But the twelve tribes are not enumerated here in the fame method and order, as they are in other places of holy fcrip ture. Judah hath the firft rank and precedence, because from him defcended the Meffiah. Dan is entirely omit ted, and Ephraim is not mentioned, because they were the principal promoters of idolatry, and therefore Levi is fubftituted in the room of the one, and Jofeph is mentioned inftead of the other. The children too of the bondwomen and of the free-women are confounded together, there being (Gal. III. 28.) in Chrift Jefus neither bond nor free. Befides fome of all the tribes of Ifrael, there was an innumerable multitude of all nations and tongues, cloathed with white robes, and palms in their hands, (ver. 9, 10.) who received and embraced the gofpel: and as Sulpicius

(6) See Mede, p. 511. Bingham's Antiquities, B. 11. Ch. 1. Sect 6

et 7:

(7) See Cave's Primitive Chrif tianity. Part 1. Ch. 10. Bingham, ibid. Ch. 9, Sect. 4, &c.

Severus

Seyerus (8) fays, it is wonderful how much the Chriftian religion prevailed at that time. The hiftorians, who have written of this reign, (9) relate how even the most remote and barbarous nations were converted to the faith, Jews as well as Gentiles. One hiftorian in particular (1) affirms, that at the time when Conftantine took poffeffion of Rome after the death of Maxentius, there were baptized more than twelve thoufand Jews and Heathens, befides women and children. The angels alfo (ver. 11, 12.) join in the celebration of God upon this occafion : for if there is joy (Luke XV. 10.) in the prefence of the angels of God over one finner that repenteth, much more may thofe heavenly fpirits rejoice at the converfion of whole countries and nations. Then one of the elders (ver. 13-17.) explains to St. Jolin fome particulars relating to this innumerable multitude of all nations. They have palms in their hands, as tokens of their victory and triumph over tribulation and perfecution. They are arrayed in white robes, as emblems of their fanétity and juftification thro' the merits and death of Chrift. They are, like the children of Ifrael, arrived at their Canaan or land of reft, and they fhall no more fuffer hunger or thirst, or heat, as they did in the wildernefs. They are now happily freed from all their former troubles and moleftations; and their heathen adverfaries fhall no more prevail against them. This period we may fuppofe to have continued with fome little interruption, from the reign of Conftantine the great to the death of Theodofius the great, about 70 years.

1

CHAP. VIII.

ND when he had opened the seventh feal, there was filence in heaven about the space

of half an hour.

(8) Hoc temporum tractu mirum eft quantum invaluerit religio Chriftiana. Sulpic, Sever. Sacr. Hift. Lib. 2. p. 100. Edit. Elzevir. 1656.

(9) Socrates Hift. Ecclef. Lib. 1. Cap. 18, 19, 20. Sozomen. Hift. Ecclef, Lib. 2. Cap. 5, 6, 7,8, &c. &c.

(1) Hoc tempore Romæ baptizati funt e Judæis et Idololatris ultra duodecim hominum millia, præter mulieres et pueros. Abul Pharajii Hift. Dyn. 7. p. 85. Verf. Pocockii. Vide etiam Epiphanii Hæref. 30. Sect. 4. &c. p. 127. Vol. 1. Edit. Petavii.

2 And I faw the feven angels which ftood before God; and to them were given feven trumpets.

3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden cenfer; and there was given him much incenfe, that he fhould offer it with the prayers of all faints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

4 And the fmoke of the incenfe, which came with the prayers of the faints, afcended up before God, out of the angel's hand.

5 And the angel took the cenfer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and caft it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

6 And the feven angels which had, the feven trumpets, prepared themfelves to found.

The feventh feal or period is of much longer duration, and comprehends many more events than any of the former feals. It comprehends indeed feven periods diftinguished by the founding of feven trumpets. At the opening of this feal (ver 1.) there was filence in heaven about the space of half an hour. This filence of half an hour is a fign that the peace of the church would continue but for a fhort feafon. It is an interval and paufe as it were between the foregoing and the fucceeding vifions. It is a mark of folemnity, to procure attention, and to prepare the mind for great and fignal events; and not without an allufion to a ceremony among the Jews. Philo (2) informs us, the incenfe ufed to be offered before the morning, and after the evening facrifice; and while the facrifices were made, (2 Chron. XXIX. 25-28.) the voices and inftruments, and trumpets founded; while the prieft went into the temple to burn incenfe, (Luke I. 10.) all were filent, and the people prayed without to themselves. Now this was the morning of the church, and therefore

(2) PO TE TNS iwbins duoias nai de Victimis. p. 836. Edit. Paris. μελα την εσπερινην - ante matutinum

1649.

et poft vefpertinum facrificium-Philo

the

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