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the temples and shrines of idols, erected in high places. These were finally removed by the same Theodosius. The temples had been only shut up by Constantine, except at Constantinople, where they were destroyed; and Julian opened them again for a time, but Theodosius utterly demolished them. Then was the time when the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and every slave, and every freeman; including Maximian, Galerius, Maxentius, Maximin, Sicinius, Julian, and others, found their efforts ineffectual in defending the cause of their gods, and the religion of their forefathers, and in attempting to restore them when overthrown; being baffled, routed, and overcome. with all their forces, they fled in despair from the wrath of the Lamb, and cried on the mountains to fall on them, and on the rocks to cover them. For they say in truththe great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? All those who contended with the standard-bearers of Christ felt this conviction, but Galerius, Maximin, and Licinius confessed it.

Though the meaning of the different images. may in general be aptly and satisfactorily explained by reference to other passages in the prophetic Scriptures, yet Mede has referred like

wise, not improperly, to the opinions of the ancient oriental nations, in those works of theirs which are still extant, and which contain the interpretations of dreams according to the notions prevalent among these original tribes. It is remarkable how such interpretations apply to many of the figures which have been displayed in the foregoing visions, and how exactly they tally with the expounded language of sacred prophecy, and with the facts of history.

After the close of the sixth seal we should at once proceed to the seventh, but the Holy Spirit interposes with a pause, and describes an assembly who were to contemporize with the seventh seal, were to continue during its course, to be safe from its plagues, and also to survive them.

The seventh chapter opens with the appearance of four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that they should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And St. John sees another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God, and he cried to the four angels not to hurt the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till they had sealed the servants of God in their foreheads. And he heard the number of them which were sealed; an hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the

children of Israel. This appears to be an assemblage of Christians, formed by the multiplication of the twelve patriarchs into the twelve apostles, and this number composes the Church of the Surrogate, or adopted Israel.

The angels who were here restrained in the different quarters of the globe, from immediately executing their commission, were they who were entrusted with power over storms, wars, and calamities; the winds which desolate the earth, and who, when the trumpets afterwards began to sound, were to let loose those winds on the unhappy countries which were to be the subject of the wrath of God. For awhile they are restrained by His mercy, till His servants are sealed for their preservation. The winds are frequently adverted to by the prophets as emblems of destruction; as in Jeremiah xlix. 36; li. 1, 2, and also, xviii. 17. Daniel likewise refers to the same, chap. vii. 2, 3. where he sees the four winds of heaven striving on the great sea; and, afterwards, four great beasts ascending out of the sea. That is-from the conflict of nations on every side, contending for dominion, four great kingdoms arose.

The sealing of the servants of God probably alludes to the rite of baptism, which was often called the seal, sign, mark; and character of the Lord. And it was the practice of the earliest

times, as well as of the present, to make the sign of the cross on the foreheads of those who were baptised. They might have been sealed likewise on this occasion as the peculiar objects of the care of God, who, during the destruction of the Roman empire, protected His true Church from error and perdition. And indeed, without His miraculous interposition, when such numbers of the professors of the new faith, and of all classes, ranks, and conditions of men were destroyed, how otherwise could the Christian religion have been preserved during the overthrow of cities, the subversion of kingdoms, and the wreck of the greatest empire on the globe?

The names of the substituted tribes of Israel are here enumerated in a different order from that which takes place in any other part of Scripture, and that from an evident reference to Jesus Christ our Lord, or to some circumstance connected with him. Dan and Ephraim are entirely omitted, probably because they were the principal promoters of idolatry in Israel; and Levi and Joseph are introduced in their stead. No preference is given to the children of the free over those of the bond-woman, for "in Christ Jesus there is neither bond nor free." The family of Leah, as Mede observes, take precedence in virtue of the prerogative of Christ, who sprung from that stock. The first quaternion

are named in the following order-Judah, as the tribe which gave birth to our Saviour, Reuben, as the elder born, and to whom the noble declaration of erecting the Altar of Remembrance on the banks of Jordan, gave a title to that honour: Gad, who joined in the protestation of Reuben, of retaining the worship of the true God, and of whose tribe was Elias the prophet: Aser, whose tribe gave birth to the widow of Sarepta, by whom Elijah was supported; and to Anna, the prophetess, who bore testimony to our Saviour. Simeon, Levi, Issachar, and Zabulon, are reserved for the last quaternion of the sons of Leah, because their descendants had no peculiar merit to boast, and therefore, being equal in that respect, the order of their nativity is preserved. Of the four sons of Rachel, adopted and natural, the two first are Napthali and Manasseh. These were perhaps preferred, the former for giving birth to Barak, and Hiram, who assisted Solomon in building and furnishing the temple; the latter for producing Gideon, and Elisha the prophet. The residence of Christ, in Mede's opinion, exalts Napthali above Manasseh, as the principal seat of his preaching was at Capernaum, the capital of Galilee, and the prophet peculiarly notices the way of the sea, Galilee of the Gentiles, on this account, that it was to be the habitation and chief place of the ministry of

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