Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 22 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Verſe 1. The ſeventh ſeal]
THe buſineſſe or parts whereof are the ſeven Trumpets, that ſound a dreadfull alarm againſt the Roman Empire, ready now to be … for the innocent bloud, and upon the inſtant ſait of the Martyrs, Chap 6.10.
There was ſilence in heaven] That is in the Church on earth, often called, The kingdome of heaven. This half-hours ſilence was either for horrour and admiration, or for attent expectation, or (as ſome will have it) for religious awe and devotion: Chriſt the high-Prieſt being now about to offer incenſe (thoſe praiers of the Martyrs, Chap. 6.10.) there was in the Church (as uſed to be in the Temple at ſuch times, Luk. 1.10.) a deep ſilence. So among the Romans, the people in time of worſhip were enjoyned favere linguis, to ſpare their tongues. And in the Greek Church one ſtood up and cried, foreign peace people, leave off your diſcourſes.
Verſe 2. Which ſtood before God] In a waiting poſture, ready pr…ſt to do his pleaſure.
Seven trumpets] To be ſounded at ſeven ſeverall times: to ſhew that God ſuffereth not his whole wrath to ariſe at once againſt his creatures, but piece-meal and by degrees: proving, if peradventure they will repent and recover out of the ſnare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
Verſe 3. And another Angel] An Angel after another manner; not by nature, but by office. Chriſt the Angel of the Covenant. For I cannot be of his minde,M Bright…. who makes this Angel to be Conſtantine, the odours given him, to be the power of calling the Councel, the golden Altar, Chriſt in the midſt of this holy Aſſembly; the thick cloud of odours, the whole matter brought moſt happily to effect: which yet is a pious interpretation.
Much incenſe] The merit of his own precious paſſion, Heb. 9.24. & 13.5.
Ʋpon the golden Altar] viz. Himſelf, as Chap. 6.9.
Verſe 4. The ſmoke of the incenſe] The Saints praiers perfumed with Chriſts odours, aſcended, that is, were highly accepted in heaven, Act. 10.4. Exod. 3.9. as well appeared by the anſwer they had here in the next verſe. The Church is ſaid, To aſcend out of the wilderneſſe of this world with pillars of ſmoke, Cant. 3.6. Elationibus fumi, with raiſed affections, and with ſtrong ſupplications, wherein how many ſweet ſpices are burned together by the fire of faith, as humility, love, &c. All which would ſtinke worſe in Gods noſtrils then the onions and garlick of Egypt, did not Chriſt perfume and preſent them.
Verſe 5. And filled it with fire of the Altar] Fire, in token of fierce indignation, and from the Altar; for Chriſt came to ſend fire on the earth, Luk. 12.49. Fire and ſword, Mat. 10.34. through mens ſingular corruption and obſtinacy, in not ſtooping to the ſcepter of this Kingdome. Hence fire and brim-ſtone, ſtorme and tempeſt, A fearfull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation, which ſhall devour the adverſaries, Heb. 10.27. From the ſame Altar Chriſt, praiers go up, vengeance comes down.
Verſe 6. Prepared themſelves] Having got ſign, as it were, by that which Chriſt did in the former verſe, they ſet too in order to ſound their trumpets.
Verſe 7. Hail and fire mingled with bloud] In ſtead of the fire of love (ſaith one) mixed with the ſweet rain of healthſome doctrine, and ſpirit of Chriſtian lenity, the fire of contention,M Forbes. and froſty hail-ſtones of deſtruction ruled all. Yea ſo far herein were the Biſhops carried one againſt another, as it is monſtrous what malice, falſhood and cruelty they practiſed, eſpecially in the times of Conſtan…, Conſtantius, and Valens the Arrian Emperours.
And the third part of trees] Men of ma…k.
And all green graſſe] Meaner men.
Were burnt up] Were tainted with errours and hereſies, whereof this age was ſo fertile and full (that as Hierom ſpeaketh) it was a witty thing to be a right believer.
Verſe 8. A great mountain] Some notable haereſiarch, poſſibly Pelagius, a Monk of Bangor, Morgan by name, that is, in the Welſh tongue, a ſea-man. This Morgan travelling beyond ſea to ſpread his hereſie, called himſelf Pelagius, by a Greek word of the ſame ſignification; becauſe it ſounded better in the ears of forraign Nations.Lib 1. de grat. Chriſt adverſ. Pelag. Hence Auguſtine, Quid eo pelago (ſaith he) vult mergi Pelagius, unde per petram liberatus eſt Petrus?
Verſe 9. And the third part] Hereſie as a gangrene ſpreads and kils, as the leproſie in the head, it renders a man utterly unclean, Levit. 13.44. So cunning are ſome ſeducers, and ſo cloſe in the conveyance of their colluſion, that if poſſible the very elect may be deceived.
Verſe 10. There fell a great ſtarre] Falling ſtars were never but meteors. That grand apoſtate of Rome may well be meant by this blazing, burning comet. He was in falling by degrees from the time of Constantine till Phocas, who ſet him upon the chair of peſtilence.
The third part of the rivers] i. e. Corrupted true doctrine, and perverted the Scriptures with his falſe gloſſ…s.
Verſe 11. Was called wormwood] Becauſe himſelf was in the gall of bitternes, and did imbitter others. See Jer. 23.15. and Deu. 29 18. with Junius his Note there.
Verſe 12. And the third part of the Sun] The Prelates and Patriarchs.
And the third part of the Moon] The inferiour Church-Officers.
And the third part of the ſtarres] The community of Chriſtians. All began to be over-ſpread with groſſe ignorance, not only of heavenly truths, but of humane ſciences, which are here called the night, in compariſon of Goſpel-light. Gregory the great (thought to be that Angel mentioned in the next verſe) though better then any that ſucceeded him in the Popedome, calling himſelf the ſervant of Gods ſervants, and carrying himſelf modeſtly in the daies of Mauricius the Emperour; yet when Mauricius was ſlain by the traitour Phocas, how baſely did he claw the traitour, and collogue with him: commending to his care the Church of Rome, and often minding him of Peters primacy, and of that ſpeech of our Saviour, Thou art Peter, &c. for no other end, but that he might enlarge his juriſdiction over all Churches, by the favour of that parricide?
Verſe 13. And I beheld and heard an Angel] Or, an Eagle, foreign.as ſome copies reade it. See the Note on Verſe 12. Gregory the great ſeems to be pointed at, who is ſaid to be the worſt of all the Popes that went before him, and the beſt of thoſe that came after him. Hence he is here brought in flying betwixt heaven and earth. And that he cried with a loud voice: pointing at and painting out that to be Antichriſt that ſhould challenge to himſelf the title of Ʋniverſall Biſhop, and had an hoſt of Prieſts ready to follow him, Hic propè eſt, & in foribus, ſaid he, and he ſaid right, for his immediate ſucceſſour, Boniface the third, fulfilled the ſame that he had fore-told.