: On opening the third seal, a black horse: 411 ix. that was red and seemed to betoken some great slaughter and SECT. power was given to desolation to be made by approaching wars; for him that sat thereon, he [was] red; and it was given to him who sat to take peace from Rev. the earth, and that upon it, to take peace from the earth; and that vi. 4 they should kill one they should slay each other. And, as a further another and there token of this, there was given to him a great was given unto him sword, or faulchion, in his hand, by which he a great sword. might make terrible devastation. 5 And when he the third beast say, and he that sat on And when he opened the third seal, I heard the 5 had opened the third living creature saying, as the two former third seal, I heard had done, Come and see. And I saw, and beCome, and see. hold, there appeared a black horse, which might And I beheld, and betoken an approaching famine, by the emble lo, a black horse; matical and memorable circumstances which him had a pair of attended his entrance on the scene; for, he balances in his hand. that sat upon him, had a pair of scales in his hand, to imply that men should eat their bread by weight, and drink their water by measure. 6 And I heard a And I heard a great voice in the midst of the four 6 living creatures, saying, A measure of wheat, A measure of wheat which shall only be daily food for one man, for a penny, and shall now be sold for a denarius, or Roman three measures of measures of penny, which is the price of his daily labour; barley for a penny ; and see thou hurt and three measures of barley only shall be sold And yet, not the oil and the for a denarius, or Roman penny. voice in the midst of the four beasts say, wine. that there may not be a total scarcity, see that of some of the seals, especially the seventh. * A measure of wheat for a penny.] This may seem, to an English reader, a description of great plenty; but, it certainly intends the contrary, as I have intimated in the paraphrase. The penny was about seven pence half penny of our money; and it appears from Tacitus, as well as from Mat. xx. 2, (See Fam. Expos. in loc) to have been the daily wages of a labourer. It also appears from other ancient writers, particularly Herodotus, (see Raphelius in Zoc.) and from Hippocrates, Diogenes, Laertius, and Athenæus, (see Grotius in loc.) that this measure, or chanix, was no more than was allowed to a slave for his daily food. What would become of families, when a man could gain by his labour no more, and that only of bread, than might suffice for his own subsistence ? Mr. Lowman interprets this third seal of the scarcity, in the time of the Antonines, from A. D. 138, to A. D. 193, and produces passages from Tertullian, and the Roman historians, concerning the calamity the empire endured by scarcity in this period. See that thou injure not, &c.] The introduction of so many allegorical persons, as famine, and death, and the state of separate spirits in this vision, confirms what was said above, in noted, as to the nature of the things that appeared. 412 SECT. Rev. vi. 7 On opening the fourth seal, a pale horse: 7 And when he fourth seal, I heard And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard ix. the voice of the fourth living creature saying to had opened the me, Come, and see a further discovery of the the voice of the Divine will. And I saw, and behold a pale fourth beast say, 8 horse appeared; and as for him that sat on him, Come, and see. 8 And I looked, his name was called Death. He appeared like and behold, a pale a person entirely emaciated, and hell followed horse, and his name him; he seemed to be attended with a person, that sat on him was who was a proper emblematical representation Death, and hell folof the state of separate spirits; and there was And power was giv. given unto him power to slay a great number, en unto them, over as it were, the fourth part of the earth, with the the fourth part of sword, and with famine, and with pestilence, with sword, that most dreadful kind of death; and with with hunger, and the wild beasts of the field. with death, and with the beasts of the 9 lowed with him. the earth, to kill and testimony they held. which And when he opened the fifth seal, a very earth. memorable scene presented itself to me; for 9 And when he then I saw under the altar, which made a part of had opened the fifth the view before me, a visible representation of seal, I saw under the altar, the souls the souls of those who were slaughtered on account of them that were of the word of God, and the testimony to the slain for the word of truth of the gospel which they courageously re- God, and for the 10 tained, in the midst of all opposition. And they cried with a loud voice, as making an appeal to the injured justice of the Divine Being; and said, How long, O thou supreme and sovereign Lord of the universe, who art ever armed with almighty power and terror against all judge and avenge thine implacable enemies: how long, O thou our blood on them holy and true God, shall it be, ere thou dost judge and avenge our blood upon those who dwell upon the earth, who have, without 11 remorse, poured it out as water. And, upon 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes this, they appeared to be called up from the were given unto ev- Fourth seal.] Mr. Lowman interprets this fourth seal of the pestilence, and other calamities, in the reigns of Maximin and Valerian, from A. D. 193, to A. D. 270. This he supports by proper author. ities from several Christian and heathen writers in that period, who particularly mention one pestilence, that lasted fifteen years. Ere thou dost avenge our blood.] We are not to understand this as the language of personal revenge, but of zeal for the honour of God, which was so intimately concerned in the punishment to be inflict ed upon those blood thirsty persecutors. White robes.] Mr. Fleming understands this, as an intimation of their preferment to some new post of honour and service. But, I suppose, this was only a representation, that though their blood did cry for vengeance in the ears of God, yet that vengeance should be delayed; nevertheless, that, in the mean time, they should be exalted to a glorious state. The argument he draws from this passage, in proof of a first resurrection, seems too precarious to be repeated. Flem. first Res. p. 46, 47. On opening the sixth seal, a great earthquake, &c. a little season, until 413 Rev. it was said unto gained over death, and all its terrors; and sECT. them, that they it was said to them, that they should rest yet a ix. should rest yet for little while, though their blood remained unatheir fellow servants venged, till the number of their fellow servants, vi. 11 also, and their breth- and brethren, who should be killed, as they [had ren that should be been,] for the testimony of a good conscience, should be fulfilled. and the defence of the gospel, should be fulfilled, according to the intention of Divine Providence, in letting their persecutors go on a while, till they had filled up the measure of their iniquity.' killed, as they were, 12 And I beheld lo, there was a great And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and 12 when he had opened behold there was immediately a great earththe sixth seal, and quake; and not earth alone, but heaven, was earthquake; and the affected with great consternation; for the sun sun became black as became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon sackcloth of hair, became red as blood: And it seemed as if the 13 came as blood; stars fell from heaven upon the earth; numbers and the moon be 14 And the heaven 13 And the stars of them at once, as fast as when a fig tree of heaven fell unto droppeth its untimely figs, being shaken by the the earth, even as a force of a mighty wind. And the heavens 14 fig tree casteth her untimely figs when passed away, the clouds rolling one upon anshe is shaken of a other, like a volume of a book when it is rolled mighty wind: up; and every mountain on earth, and every departed as a scroll island in the sea, were moved out of their places; when it is rolled to- so great and general was the shock, to repregether; and every sent the calamities approaching in those terrimountain, and island ble wars, which were to precede the revoluwere moved out of their places: tions to which this seal referred." And all 15 15 And the kings the inhabitants of the world were thrown into of the earth, and the an universal terror; so that the kings of the rich men, and the earth, and the grandees about their courts, and chief captains, and the rich men, and the chief officers of armies, the mighty men, and who commanded their thousands, and the powerful men, who bore the greatest sway in the public counsels, or were armed with the most warlike prowess; and every slave, and every great men, and the The number of their brethren who should be killed, &c.] Nothing could tend more to encourage Christians to endure their sufferings with steady patience, than this, that it was appointed of God, that a certain number of martyrs should be put to death, and that the season of their triumph was to succeed. Fifth seal.] Mr. Lowman interprets this seal, of the severe persecution under Dioclesian, from A. D. 270, to A. D. 304; which was the most extensive and furious of all; and so many Christians suffered death, that the heathens boasted, in an ancient inscription, that they had effaced the name and superstition of the Christians. m Earthquake,-sun becoming black,stars falling, &c.] Awful judgments and calamities are often described by such commotions and alterations in the natural world. Compare Isa. xiii. 10; xxxiv. 4; Ezek. xxxii. 7; Joel ii 19; and the like, 414 ix. Rev. And all men are thrown into consternation. themselves in the ains; from sitteth on the throne, seer. free man, fled as in surprise, and hid themselves every bond man, and as fast as they could, even in the most gloomy every free man, hid caves, and the rocks of the mountains, dens, and in the among vi. 15 horrid as this retreat appeared. And not rocks of the mount16 thinking themselves sufficiently secure there, 16 And said to they said, in wild astonishment and affright, to the mountains and the mountains, and to the rocks, Fall upon us, rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sitteth upon and hide us the throne, the Almighty and terrible God, and the face of him that 17 from the wrath of the Lamb; For the great day and from the wrath of his wrath is come; and mild and gentle as of the Lamb: he once appeared, we find it insupportably day of his wrath is 17 For the great dreadful; and who can be able to stand against come; and who shall it? Thus it appeared that they would have be able to stand? thought the crush of a mountain less terrible, than the vengeance they expected; and had more hope of moving inanimate nature by their outcries, than of prevailing upon their righteous and inexorable Judge." verse IMPROVEMENT. To whatever event these seals may refer, it is certain, that the representations here made, are very awful, and very instructive. Let us consider ourselves as invited to come up and see, and let us observe the memorable spectacle with attention. Let the view of the white horse, and his rider, who went forth conquering and to conquer, lead us to reflect on the peaceful purposes of our blessed Saviour's appearance, and the rapidity of his conquests; and engage us frequently to pray for the further prosperity of his kingdom, that kingdom of righteousness, love 3, 4, 5 and happiness. When we think of the terrible effects of war, of famine, and of pestilence, represented by the three following horses, and their riders, here mentioned, let it excite our thankfulness, that not one of this dreadful triumvirate is sent forth "Day of his wrath is come.] As it ap x. 8; Zeph. i. 14; Luke xxiii. 30. Mr. pears, by comparing one part of this book Lowman interprets the 6th seal, of the with another, that the last seal made way great commotions in the empire, from for, and introduced the trumpets; and the Maximinian to Constantine the Great, last trumpet, the vials; it is justly argued, who put an end to the persecution of that there is a reference to a series of heathen Rome; from A. D. 304, to A. events, successively following each other; D. 323, during which time, there were and consequently, this passage cannot re- many bloody battles between the contendfer to the final judgment; but to some ing emperors, till Constantine abolished great and spreading calamity, in which paganism, and established the Christian the hand of Christ should appear. And religion. This interpretation he confirms this interpretation is illustrated and con- by apposite passages from Lactantius, and firmed, by the manner in which the de- the heathen historians; and it appears struction of Jerusalem is foretold. Mat. the most probable. xxiv. Compare Isa. ii. 19; xiii. 6; Hos. Reflections on the opening of the seals. 415. verse against us, though our national crimes have indeed deserved, SECT. that they should invade us with united terrors; that peace ix. should be taken from our land, that our bread and water should be received by weight and measure, and that the dead should lie unburied in our streets, the food of the fowls of heaven, and the beasts of the earth nor can any thing more justly excite our gratitude and thankfulness, than that the terrors and the guilt of sanguinary persecution, are not to be found in the midst of us. The history of its horrors and ravages in other nations 9 and ages, may sometimes be an exercise of our faith; and we may be ready to cry out with the souls under the altar, How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt thou not avenge the blood of thy saints upon the earth? But let us wait with patience; let us not form a hasty and inconsiderate judgment. The dead, who die in the Lord, and those who had been persecuted to death for his sake, and in his cause, are incomparably more happy than those who are the happiest among the living. The white robes, and golden 11 crowns, with which they are adorned, are an abundant compen- . sation, not only for every lighter suffering, but even for the slow fire, and the rack, those most dreadful instruments of torture. And though their malicious and implacable enemies may bitterly insult over them for a while, yet the triumphing of the wicked is for a short time, their guilty spirits will soon be summoned before the great Avenger of blood; and the day is coming when they shall be publicly brought forth, to suffer the utmost demands of his justice; even that day, when all the figurative descriptions here used shall be fully answered, in their literal meaning; when the sun shall indeed be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood; when the volume of heaven shall be rolled up as a 13, 14 scroll, and its stars shall fall from their orbs. It is no wonder, that ungodly sinners fly from this alarming and tremendous scene, with wild consternation and confusion; no wonder, that they rend the very heavens with their cries, and call upon the mountains to fall upon them, and the rocks to cover them: for O! 15, 16 what were the sudden and irresistible crush of a rock, or a mount- 17 ain, when compared with the weight of the wrath of the Lamb, and with the fire and brimstone of this second death. O! that by the expectation of this awful day, men of all ranks and conditions, may be influenced to make their application to him, while he yet appears in the displays of his grace and mercy; to kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and they perish from the way, even when his wrath is only beginning to be kindled. (Psal. ii. 12.) |
