As before the opening of the feals we faw, p. 23, the close of the Old Law and the commencement of the New; fo here, before the founding of trumpets a confirmation of the fame appears, by the two Jewifh altars, of incenfe and holocaufts, being removed out of fight on the angels proceeding to found the trumpets which relate to the Chriftian Church.

The founding of the first Trumpet..

APOC. Chap. VIII. v. 7. "And the firft angel founded the trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mingled with blood, and it was caft on the earth, and the third part of the earth was burnt up, and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all the green grafs was burnt up.'

This shower of hail and fire mingled with blood, denotes the cruel and bloody perfecutions exercised against the Chriftians in the three first centuries, till Conftantine, the firft chriftian emperor, put a stop to them. The words, hail, fire, and blood, pretty plainly exprefs fome of the most remarkable kinds of death inflicted on the christians; fome being confumed by fire, others having their blood pilt by the fword, and others being ftoned to death, which kind of execution may very well be reprefented by hail. This terrible shower fell upon the earth, which here represents the Church of Chrift, in its firft quiet ftate, in allufion to the land which is the ftable part of the terraqueous globe. Then a third part of the earth was destroyed by the shower, that is, the perfecutions fwept away nearly one-third part of the chriftians. But in particular, a third part of the trees was burnt, that is, a third part of the paftors, with their clergy, meant here by the trees, were facrificed in the fire of perfecution and all the green grafs, or beft grafs, was confumed, that is, all the moft fervent and

*The third part of the earth was burnt," is not in the common Greek text; but it is found in feveral very good manufcripts,

and perfect among the faithful were bleffed with the crown of martyrdom.

Perfecutions, tortures, violent deaths by martyr dom, are fuch objects of alarm and terror to human hature, that they may with great propriety, be metaphorically stiled thunders: Apoc. viii. 5.

At the opening of the firft feal we faw the converfion of Jews and Pagans to the Chriftian faith, and thus the kingdom of Chrift took its rife. But no fooner is the infant Church formed, than the trumpet of alarm founds, and Chrift permits his new-acquired people to be fubjected to rigorous trials by repeated perfecutions, and their fidelity to be put to the ftricteft teft. Such is the economy of his unfathomable wisdom.

Satan, who had ufurped for many ages almoft an univerfal empire in the world, by setting himself up to be worshipped in the place of God, feeing his throne fhaken by the propagation of the Chriftian religion, was deeply ftung, and refolved to exert his utmost efforts to crush the new rifing power, and to fupport his own. For that purpose he fet out by ftirring up the potentates of the earth: and as the monarchy of Rome was at that time exceedingly powerful, and extended over a great part of the then known world, his chief attempt was to inftil the poifon of his malice into the minds of the pagan Roman emperors, and to infpire them with the rankeft hatred against the Chriftian religion. To open the scene of his hellish machinations, he made ufe of the emperor Nero, doubtless a very proper inftrument for the work, as being already a monfter, of cruelty and vice. He freely drank the poifonous cup offered him by the devil, and firft of all the Roman monarchs drew his sword against the chriftians. Nine other general perfecutions were raifed by the fubfequent emperors, of all which we fhall here infert a brief account.

The first Perfecution under Nero.

This brutal prince had privately ordered the great city of Rome to be fet on fire, which reduced the greateft part of it to afhes. Finding himself detefted by the people, who imputed the mischief to him, in order to clear himfelf, he endeavoured to transfer the odium upon the Chriftians, whom he charged with being the incendiaries, and immediately began to perfecute them in the moft bloody manner. Some were wrapt up in fkins of wild beasts, and fo exposed to be worried by dogs; others were crucified; others burned alive, being clad in coats dipt in pitch or brimftone, that they might serve as torches in the night. The Church celebrates, on the 24th of June, the memory of all these martyrs, the first fruits which heathen Rome fent up to heaven. Before the end of this perfecution fuffered the two great pillars of the Church, SS. Peter and Paul, at Rome in the year 67; the first being crucified with his head downwards; the fecond, being a Roman citizen, was put to death by the fword. In confequence of the fevere edicts of Nero, many Christians were facrificed to the fury of the Pagans in the different provinces of the Roman empire.

The Second Perfecution under Domitian.

The difturbances in the Roman empire under the emperors Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, and the humane difpofition of Vefpafian and Titus, gave fome reft to the Chriftians, till Domitian fucceeding began the fecond general perfecution. This emperor, a fecond Nero in cruelty, inftigated by the malice of Satan, published in the year 95 new edicts throughout the empire against the chriftians, by virtue of which great numbers were made victims of religion. In Rome, among others he put to death Flavius Clemens, his own coufin-german, for being a chriftian, and banished Clemens's wife Do

mitilla. SS. Nereus and Achilleus fuffered alfo in this perfecution; as likewife Antipas, mentioned in chap. ii. 13. of the Apocalypfe, whom Chrift calls there" his faithful witness." It was by this tyrant's order that St. John the apoftle was fent for to Rome, and was caft into a caldron of boiling oil, but coming out more vigorous than before, he was banished to the ifle of Patmos.

The third Perfecution under Trajan.

The Christian religion, by the beginning of the fecond century, had prodigiously increased, and fpread itself through a great extent in Europe, Afia, and Africa; and all confiderable cities were governed by their respective bishops. Trajan, the Roman emperor, according to the pagan writers, was of a mild temper and poffeffed of many amiable qualities, which gained him from the fenate the title of Optimus,' or good prince.' But this glorious title received a black and indelible ftain from the perfecutions which he permitted to be carried on against the Chriftians. For, though he iffued out no new edicts against them, he fuffered the former fanguinary laws to be executed in different parts of the empire in the years 106, 107, &c. A clear inftance of this appears in his answer to Pliny the younger, governor of Pontus and Bithynia, who had writ to know his pleasure, what fhould be done with the Chriftians who were very numerous in the provinces of his government. Trajan's answer was,

Let the Chriftians not be fought for; but if they be accused and convicted as fuch, let them be punished.' The chief of those who gained the crown of martyrdom in his reign were, St. Clement, bifhop of Rome; St. Simeon, bishop of Jerufalem; St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, whom Trajan himfelf condemned and fent to Rome, there to be torn to pieces by wild beafts in the amphitheatre.

1

The first Perfecution under Nero.

This brutal prince had privately ordered the great ity of Rome to be fet on fire, which reduced the reatest part of it to afhes. Finding himfelf deefted by the people, who imputed the mifchief to im, in order to clear himself, he endeavoured to ransfer the odium upon the Chriftians, whom he harged with being the incendiaries, and immeditely began to perfecute them in the most bloody anner. Some were wrapt up in skins of wild beasts, nd fo exposed to be worried by dogs; others were rucified; others burned alive, being clad in coats ipt in pitch or brimftone, that they might serve as orches in the night. The Church celebrates, on he 24th of June, the memory of all thefe martyrs, he firft fruits which heathen Rome fent up to heaen. Before the end of this perfecution fuffered the wo great pillars of the Church, SS. Peter and Paul, t Rome in the year 67; the firft being crucified with his head downwards; the fecond, being a Roan citizen, was put to death by the fword. In onfequence of the fevere edicts of Nero, many Chriftians were facrificed to the fury of the Pagans n the different provinces of the Roman empire.

The Second Perfecution under Domitian.

The difturbances in the Roman empire under the mperors Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, and the hunane difpofition of Vefpafian and Titus, gave fome eft to the Christians, till Domitian fucceeding bean the fecond general perfecution. This empeor, a fecond Nero in cruelty, inftigated by the maice of Satan, published in the year 95 new edicts hroughout the empire against the chriftians, by irtue of which great numbers were made victims f religion. In Rome, among others he put to eath Flavius Clemens, his own coufin-german, for eing a chriftian, and banished Clemens's wife

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