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was utterly fubverted. Some critics understand rivers and fountains with relation to doctrins; and in this sense the application is ftill very proper to Genferic, who was a moft bigotted Arian, and during his whole reign moft cruelly perfecuted the orthodox Chriftians. Victor Uticenfis, or Vitenfis as he is more ufually called, who (6) wrote in three books the hiftory of this perfecution by the Vandals, fpeaking of St. Austin (7) hath used this very fame metaphor, of the river of his eloquence being dried up, and his fweetuefs turned into the bitterness of wormwood.

12 And the fourth angel founded, and the third part of the fun was fmitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the ftars; fo as the third part of them was darkened, and the day fhone not for a third part of it, and the night likewife.

At the founding of the fourth trumpet (ver. 12.) the third part of the fun, moon, and stars, that is the great lights of the Roman empire, are eclipfed and darkened, and remain in darknefs for fome time. Genferic left the western empire in a weak and defperate condition. It struggled hard, and gafped as it were for breath, through (8) eight fhort and turbulent reigns, for the space of twenty years, and at length expired in the year 476 under Momyllus, or Auguftulus as he was named in derifion, being a diminutive Auguftus. This change was effected by Odoacer king of the Heruli, who coming to Rome with an army of barbarians, ftripped Momyllus of the imperial robes, put an end to the very name of the western empire, and caufed himself to be proclaimed King of Italy. His kingdom indeed was of no long duration; for after a reign of fixteen years he

(6) Voffius de Hift. Latinis Lib. 2. Cap. 13. Hofmanni Lex.

(7) Tunc illud eloquentiæ, quod ubertim per omnes campos ecclefiæ decurrebat, ipfo metu ficcatum eft flumen; atque dulcedo fuavitatis dulcius propinata, in amaritudinem abfinthii

verfa eft. Victor Vit. de Perfecut. Vandal. Lib. 1. n. 3. Vide etiam Vitam Auguftini Lib. 8. Cap. 11. Sect. 2. Edit. Benedict.

(8) Sigonius de Occidentali Imperio. Lib. 14, et 15 in initio.

was

was overcome and flain (9) in the year 493 by Theodoric king of the Oftrogoths, who founded the kingdom of the Oftrogoths in Italy, which continued about fixty years under his fucceffors. Thus was the Roman fun extinguished in the western emperor; but the other leffer luminaries, the moon and stars, ftill fubfifted; for Rome was still allowed to have her fenate, and confuls, and other fubordinate magiftrates as before. Odoacer (1) at first fuppreffed them, but after two or three years reftored them again. Theodoric (2) changed none of the Roman inftitutes; he retained the fenate, and confuls, and patricians, and all the ancient magiftrates, and committed thofe offices only to Romans. Thefe lights, we may fuppofe, fhone more faintly under barbarian kings than under Roman emperors; but they were not totally fuppreffed and extinguifhed, till after the king dom of the Oftrogoths was deftroyed by the emperor of the eaft's lieutenants, and Italy was made a province of the eastern empire. Longinus was (3) fent then in the year 566 by the emperor Juftin II. to govern Italy with abfolute authority: and he changed the whole form of the government, abolished the fenate, and confuls, and all the former magiftrates in Rome and Italy, and in every city of note conftituted a new governor with the title of Duke. He himself prefided over all; and refiding at Ravenna, and not at Rome, he was called the Exarch of Ravenna, as were alfo his fucceffors in the fame office. Rome was degraded to the fame level with other places, and from being the queen of cities and emprefs of the world was reduced to a poor dukedom, and made tributary to Ravenna which fhe had ufed to govern.

13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying

(9) Sigonius ibid. Lib. 15. in fine. Procop. de Bell. Goth. Lib. 1. Cap. 1. (1) Sigonius ibid. Lib. 15. Ann. 476 et 479.

(2) Jam vero nullum Romanum inftitutum mutavit: fiquidem et fenatum, et confules, patricios,-cæ.

terofque qui fuerant in imperio, magiftratus retinuit eofque Romanis hominibus tantum mandavit. Sigonius ibid. Lib. 16. Ann. 494.

(3) Sigonii Hift. de Regno Italiæ, Lib. 1. Blondi Decad. primæ, Lib. 8.

through

through the midft of heaven, faying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to the inhabiters of the earth, by reafon of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels which are yet to found.

Notice is then proclaimed by an angel (ver. 13.) that the three other trumpets found to fill greater and more terrible plagues, and are therefore diftinguished from the former by the name of woes. The defign of this meffenger is to raife our attention to the following trumpets; and the following we fhall find to be more ftrongly marked than the foregoing. The foregoing relate chiefly to the downfall of the western empire; the two following relate chiefly to the downfall of the eastern empire. The foregoing are defcribed more fuccinctly, and contain a lefs compafs of time; the following are fet forth with more particular circumftances, and are of longer duration as well as of larger defcription.

1

CHAP. IX.

ND the fifth angel founded, and I faw a ftar fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomlefs pit.

2 And he opened the bottomlefs pit, and there arofe a fioke out of the pit, as the fmoke of a great furnace: and the fun and the air were darkened, by reafon of the fioke of the pit.

3 And there came out of the fmoke locufts upon the earth; and unto them was given power, as the fcorpions of the earth have power.

4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grafs of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only thofe men which have not the feal of God in their foreheads.

5 And to them it was given that they fhould not kill them, but that they thould be tormented five months and their torment was as the torment of a fcorpion, when he ftriketh a man.

6 And in thofe days fhall men feek death, and

fhall

all not find it; and fhall defire to die, and death all flee from them.

7 And the fhapes of the locufts were like unto rfes prepared unto battle; and on their heads. ere as it were crowns like gold, and their faces re as the faces of men.

8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and eir teeth were as the teeth of lions.

9 And they had breaft-plates, as it were breastates of iron; and the found of their wings was as e found of chariots of many horfes running to ttle.

10 And they had tails like unto fcorpions, and ere were ftings in their tails: and their power was hurt men five months,

11. And they had a king over them, which is the gel of the bottomlefs pit, whofe name in the ebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek ngue hath his name Apollyon.

12 One woe is paft, and behold, there come Fo woes more hereafter,

the founding of the fifth trumpet (ver. 1, 2, 3.) a fallen from heaven, meaning the wicked impoftor ammed, opened the bottomless pit, and there arofe a e out of the pit, and the fun and the air were darkened ; that is, a falfe religion was fet up, which filled the d with darkness and error; and fwarms of Saracen rabian locufts overfpread the earth. A falfe prois very fitly typified by a blazing star or meteor. Arabians likewife are properly compared to locufts, only because numerous armies frequently are fo, but becaufe fwarms of locufts often arife from Arabia: and becaufe in the plagues of Egypt, to which conftant ion is made in thefe trumpets, the locufts, (Exod. X, are brought by an eaft-wind, that is from Arabia, -h lay eaftward of Egypt: and alfo becaufe in the - of Judges (VII. 12.) the people of Arabia are pared to locufts or grasshoppers for multitude, for in

tural locufts (4) are bred in pits and holes of the earth, fo thefe myftical locufts are truly infernal, and proceed with the moke from the bottomless pit. It is too a remarkable coincidence that at this time the fun and the air were really darkened. For we learn from an (5) eminent Arabian hiftorian, that in the feventeenth year of 'Heraclius half the body of the fun was eclipfed, and this defect continued from the former Tifrin to Haziran, (that is from October to June) fo that only a little of its light appeared.' The feventeenth year of Heraclius (6) coincides with the year of Chrift 626, and with the fifth year of the Hegira; and at this time Mohammed was training and exercifing his followers in depredations at home, to fit and prepare them for greater conquefts abroad.

It was commanded them (ver. 4.) that they should not hurt the grafs of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; which demonftrates that thefe were not natural, but fymbolical locufts. The like injunctions were given to the Arabian officers and foldiers. When Yezid was marching with the army to invade Syria, Abubeker charged him (7) with this among other orders; "De"ftroy no palin-trees, nor burn any fields of corn; cut "down no fruit-trees, nor do any mifchief to cattle,

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only fuch as you kill to eat." Their commiffion is to hurt only thofe men who have not the feal of God in their foreheads; that is those who are not the true fervants of God, but are corrupt and idolatrous Christians. Now from hiftory it appears evidently, that in thofe countries of Afia, Africa, and Europe, where the Saracens extended their conquefts, the Chriftians were generally guilty of idolatry in the worshipping of faints, if not of images; and it was the pretence of Mohammed and his followers to chaftife them for it, and to re-establish the unity of the

(4) Vide Gefner. de Infect. Plin. Nat. Hift. Lib. 11. Cap. 29. Sect. 35. Edit. Harduin.

(5) Anno Heraclii decimo feptimo dimidium corporis folaris lumine defecit, manfitque ejus deliquium a Tifrin priori ad Haziran, adeo ut non appareret nifi parum quid de lu

mine ipfius.

Abul- Pharajii Hift. Dyn. 8. p. 99. Verf. Pocockii.

(6) Blair's Chron. Tab. No 33. Abul Pharajii Dyn. 9. p. 102. Elmacini Hift. Saracen. Lib. 2. p. 6.

(7) Ockley's Hift. of the Saracens. Vol. s. 'P. 25.

Godhead.

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