being restored throughout the world, the • church which was lately ruined riseth again. Now after the violent agitations of fo great a tempeft, a calm air and the defired light become refplendent. Now God • hath relieved the afflicted. Now he hath wiped away the tears of the forrowful.' Thefe are teftimonies of contemporary writers; and fome (5) medals of Conftantine are still preferved with the head of this emperor on one fide and this infcription CONSTANTINUS AUG., and on the reverse BEATA TRANQUILLITAS, Blessed tranquillity. During this time of tranquillity the fervants of God were to be fealed in their foreheads. It is an expreffion in allufion to the ancient custom of marking fervants in their foreheads to distinguish what they were, and to whom they belonged. Now among Chriftians baptifm being the feal of the covenant between God and man, is therefore by ancient writers (6) often called the feal, the Sign, the mark and character of the Lord: and it was the (7) practice in early times, as it is at present, to make the fign of the cross upon the foreheads of the parties baptized. The fame fign of the cross was also made at confirmation; (5) See Daubuz. p. 311. and ham's Antiquities. B. 11. Ch. 1. Se&t. 6 & 7. (7) See and upon many other occafions the Christians figned themselves with the fign of the cross in their foreheads, as a token that they were not afhamed of a crucified mafter, that on the contrary they gloried in the cross of Chrift, and triumphed in that symbol and representation of it. The fealing therefore of the fervants of God in their foreheads at this juncture can imply no lefs, than that many converts fhould be baptized, and thofe, who before, in times of perfecution, had been compelled to worship God in private, should now make a free, open, and public profeffion of their religion; and that fuch an acceffion was made to the church, every one knoweth who knoweth any thing of the hiftory of this time. As the church of Chrift was firft formed out of the Jewish church and nation, fo here (ver. 4-8.) the fpiritual Ifrael is first mentioned; and the number of the thousands of Ifrael is that of the twelve patriarchs multiplied by the twelve apostles, which we fhall find to be a facred number throughout the Revelation. But the twelve tribes are not enumerated here in the fame method and order, as they are in other places of holy fcripture. Judah hath the (7) See Cave's Primitive Bingham, ibid. Ch. 9. Sect. Christianity. Part. 1. Ch. 10. 4. &c. (8) Hoc the first rank and precedence, because from him defcended the Meffiah. Dan is entirely omitted, and Ephraim is not mentioned, becaufe they were the principal promoters of idolatry, and therefore Levi is fubftituted in the room of the one, and Jofeph is mentioned instead of the other. The children too of the bond-women and of the free-women are confounded together, there being (Gal. III. 28.) in Chrift fefus neither bond nor free. Befides fome of all the tribes of Ifrael, there was an innumerable multitude of all nations and tongues, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands, (ver. 9, 10.) who received and embraced the gospel: and as Sulpicius Severus (8) fays, it is wonderful how much the Chriftian religion prevailed at this time.. The hiftorians, who have written of this reign, (9) relate how even the moft remote and barbarous nations were converted to the faith, Jews as well as Gentiles. One hiftorian in particular (1) affirms, that at the time when Conftantine took poffeffion of Rome after the death of Maxentius, there were baptized more than twelve thousand Jews and Heathens, befides women and (8) Hoc temporum tractu mirum eft quantum invaluerit religio Chriftiana.Sulpic.Sever. Sacr. Hift. Lib. 2. p. ico. Edit. Elzevir. 1656. (o) Socratis Hift. Ecclef. Lib. 1. Cap. 18, 19, 20. Sozomen. Hift. Ecclef. Lib. 2. Cap. 5. 6, 7, 8, &c. &c. (1) Hoc and children. The angels alfo (ver. 11, 12.) join in the celebration of God upon this occafion: for if there is joy (Luke XV. 10.) in the prefence of the angels of God over one finner that repentéth, much more may those heavenly spirits rejoice at the converfion of whole countries and nations. Then one of the elders (ver. 13-17.) explains to St. John fome particulars relating to this innumerable multitude of all nations. They have palms in their hands, as tokens of their victory and triumph over tribulation and perfecution. They are arrayed in white robes, as emblems of their fanctity and juftification thro' the merits and death of Chrift. They are, like the children of Ifrael, arrived at their Canaan or land of reft, and they fhall no more fuffer hunger, or thirst, or heat, as they did in the wilderness. They are now happily freed from all their former troubles and moleftations; and their heathen adverfaries fhall no more prevail against them. This period we may suppose to have continued, with some little interruption, from the reign of Conftantine the great to the death of Theodofius the great, about 70 years. (1) Hoc tempore Romæ baptizati funt e Judæis & Idololatris ultra duodecim hominum millia, præter mulieres & pueros. Abul Pharajii Hift. Dyn. VOL. III. CHAP. I A ND when he had opened the feventh feal, there was filence in heaven about the space of half an hour. 2 And I saw the feven angels which ftood before God; and to them were given feven trumpets. 3 And another angel came and stood at. the altar, having a golden cenfer; and there was given unto him much incenfe, that he should offer it with the prayers all faints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. of 4 And the smoke of the incenfe, which came with the prayers of the faints, afcended up before God, out of the angel's hand. 5 And the angel took the cenfer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and caft it into the earth: and there were voices, and thundrings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 And the seven angels which had the feven trumpets, prepared themselves to found. (2) προ τε της έωθινης θυσίας nas μeta Tηio-ante ma The tutinum et poft vefpertinum facrificium-Philo de Victimis. p. 836. |