Luk.j. 10.

Jer. iv. 19.

of the Trumpets, and containing the State of the Undefil'd Followers of the Lamb during the whole Interval belonging to them and fo it is to be explain'd together with its remaining Branch, and the parallel Series in the Open Codicil hereafter. And this diftinct procedure will give greater light to the feveral parts, and permit us to obferve a more orderly and regular Method thro' the whole, than if we fhould confound them all together in our Expofition. In order then to the better underftanding of this Preface to the Trumpets before us, and of the Trumpets afterwards, I premife the Obfervations following.

I. The defign of the Trumpets in general, is to revenge "the Innocent Blood of the Martyrs on that wicked Roman "Empire which fhed it; and in answer to the Prayers of the "Saints, who at once groan'd for Deliverance from that new "Antichriftian Idolatry and Perfecution, which foon began "to be introduc'd into it after it was become Chriftian; and "long'd for the full coming of Chrifl's Kingdom.

The latter part of the defign is visible in the Preface to the Trumpets juft now fet down: for upon the Opening of this feventh feal there was great filence in heaven about the space of half an hour; viz. while the Incense was offer'd, and the People pray'd without, according to the known Custom of the Temple. And accordingly, we find here both the Incenfe offer'd to God by the Angel, and the Prayers of all the Saints afcending up together with the Incense: and we find alfo that upon this a Cenfer full of Coals of the Altar is thrown upon the Earth; and then the Preludes and Signs of the Judgments of the Trumpets appear immediately, even Voices, and Thunderings, and Lightenings, and an Earthquake; the ufual Prophetick Symbolls of Judgments and Calamities, and great Concuffions upon Earth: which also the very name of Trumpet in fome measure intimates, that moft naturally fignifying an Alarm to War and Battles; (the found of the Trumpet, the Alarm of War, fays the Prophet Jeremy,) and in the process of the Trumpets we shall find that name was not chofen without a caufe. And then as to the former part of the defign of the Trumpets, or the Avenging the Innocent Blood of the Martyrs on that wicked Empire that thed it, it seems to be a fecondary fulfilling of the

Promife

Matt. xxiij. 34

35.36.

Promise made to the Martyrs under the fifth Seal, which had its primary Completion under the fixth Seal, as we have before obferv'd. For altho' God would have remitted the crying Guilt of the Roman Empire's ancient Pagan Idolatry and Perfecution, upon its embracing Chriftianity, had it been conftant, and mcver relaps'd into the fame Crimes afterwards; yet fince it became in a manner as notorious in another way of Idolatry and Perfecution after it was become Chriftian, as it had been before, while Pagan; God, according to the ancient and usual methods of his Providence, Vifits the iniquities of the wicked Parents on their wicked Children, and punishes this Cruel, and Idolatrous Empire at once by the Judgments of the Trumpets, for its former and latter Crimes; for its prefent, and past wickedness still continu'd in, or reviv'd; until its utter Destruction at the conclusion of the Vials. And fince it appears by History that the great Corruptions of the Chriftian Church began within a Century after the Introduction of Chriftianity into the Empire; and that within two more Centuries, they were increas'd to almost the greatest degree; we need not wonder that the four leffer Trumpets, as gentler Warnings, and means of Reformation,began to appear within a Century after Conftantine, and continu'd for a Century alfo; nor that in two Centuries more the first of the three greater and more direful Trumpets begins to found, and that they continue fucceffively the whole duration of thofe Corruptions, till the complete Kingdom of our Saviour is fet up in the World. So that in fhort, the Preface to the Trumpets before us contains a Prophetical representation,that God, in answer to the Prayers and Cries of his Saints and Martyrs for the removing the Idolatries and Cruelties of the Roman Empire, and for the coming of his Kingdom of Peace and Holiness, fent the feven Archangels that ftand before see Mr. Mede him, with feven Trumpets, or Demunciations of fo many Discourse 10. dreadful Wars and Invafions to befal that Empire, in order to its deferv'd Punishment, and to the Introduction of his Kingdom upon its Destruction.

II. "The feveral Trumpets have a mighty correfpondence Apoc. Chap. with the several Vials: and they are to be look'd on as fome viij, & ix. with Chap.xvj.

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"way or other anfwerable to one another all along, and fo capa"ble to afford light to each other perpetually.

This is evident on a comparison of them one with another quite through the two Series of the Prophecies. Thus the Object of the first Trumpet, and of the first Vial is the Earth. The Object of the fecond Trumpet, and of the fecond Vial is the Sea. The Objets of the third Trumpet, and of the third Vial are the Rivers, and Fountains of Waters. The firft and Principal Object of the fourth Trumpet is the Sun; and the only Object of the fourth Vial is the Sun alfo. The fifth Trumpet darkens the Air; the fifth Vial darkens the Kingdom of the Beaft. The fixth Trumpet loofes the Angels bound at the River Euphrates; and the fixth Vial is poured out upon the River Euphrates. The feventh Trumpet brings Apoc. xi. 19. lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and Lemma 8. pri- great hail: and we have already feen, that this directly belongs to the feventh Vial, which produces exactly the fame things. So that as the Trumpets themfelves may receive fome light from the parallel Vials, as to the understanding of several Texts; fo much more, in all probability, will the Vials receive great light as to their completion and application from the Trumpets; because they being to come after the fulfilling of the other,and fo probably after their fulfilling is commonly understood, they cannot but receive very great Illuftration from them; efpecially after one or two of the Vials are alfo paft, as Indications in what refpects this fimilitude is ftill to be expected in the future Vials.

Us.

III. Moft of the Trumpets do principally, if not wholly "regard Europe, the Third part of the World known in the "days of St John and do not extend to the whole Roman Em"pire.

We find in moft of the Trumpets an Eminent To Tele or Third Part of their feveral Objects concern'd, and no more. In the firft Trumpet we have Το Τρίο τῆς γῆς, καὶ Τὸ Τρίτον τῶν δυν par, the Third Part of the Earth, and the Third Part of the Treesi In the fecond we have To Terr της Θαλάσσης, και το τείων τῶν κλισίως τῶν ἐν τῇ θαλάσῃ, ἐ τὸ Τρίων τῶν πλοίων; The Third Part of the Sea, and the Third Part of its Inhabitants, and the Third Part of the Ships.

In the third Trumpet we have το Τρίον τῶν ποταμῶν, καὶ τὸ τρίων τῶν id; The Third Part of the Rivers, and the Third Part of the Waters. In the fourth Trumpet we have To Telt sõ únie, xg Tò Τρίξι τῆς σελήνης, καὶ τὸ Τρίξιν τῶν ἀφέρων, The Third Part of the Sun, and the Third Part of the Moon, and the Third Part of the Stars. Alfo in the Gixth Trumper we have τὸ Τρίον τῶν ἀνθρώπων; The ThirdPart of Men: while the object of the fifth Trumpet feems to be intire, without any such retriction to a Third Part only. What this famous Tè Te, or Third Part of each Object should be, is of great Importance to know; that we may not miftake the meaning and bounds of thefe Trumpets. Mr. Mede P. 559. will have the Roman Empire, as a Third Part of the then known World to be meant hereby; and Monfieur Jurieu and L. i. C. 6. others partly agree with him. But befides that one fhould more naturally have fuppos'd the whole Roman Empire to have been defign'd if no fuch restriction had been us'd; that Empire being of courte, generally speaking, the place wherein all the Apocalyptick Vifions are terminated; this gives no account why the fifth Trumpet, and other Prophecies of this Book, which refpect the Roman Empire, have no fuch Third Part at all mention'd. And withal the particulars of the four firft Trumpets do not exactly enough fit the feveral Texts according to this expofition. Dr. Creffener was aware of the defects of Mr. Mede's interpretation of this T Ter, and Judgments advances another; namely That when Conftantine did firft 37. &c. part the Empire, it was into three fhares amongst his three Sons; and fixing two of the Præfecti Pratorio to one of the three fhares only, made the memory of that threefold divifion to be preferved with those Prafecti Pratorio, and that the Tòteib. therefore denotes one of thofe Third Parts of the Roman Empire, which were once diftinguished by the great Officers, call'd the Prafecti Pratorio; which were Governors of fuch large fhares of that Empire, and with fuch large powers, that they were efteemed next to the Augufti and Cafars themselves. But truly I cannot but very much wonder that One, otherwife fo Judicious and Cautious of his foundations as Dr. Creffener, fhould fatisfy himself in this Hypothefis. For 'tis plain in Hiftory, and not deny'd by himself, that the Prefecti

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Pratorio were in number not three but four and accordingly each of their districts must have been esteemed a Fourth, and not a Third Part of the Empire: and all Salvo's for fuch a Fundamental Miftake, cannot but be too weak to make it pass in the World. But befides, if there had been but three Prafecti Praterio, This Partition of the Roman Empire is so obfcure, and fo little remarkable in Hiftory; it lafted fo little awhile; it was fo little taken notice of in the Times to which these Trumpets belong; nay was quite out of date under the fixth Trumpet, where we have great occafion for it; wholly unknown when St. John faw thefe Vifions; not imagin how we can fuppofe it here refer'd to. befides all this, the Drs. Hypothefis making the T be taken at random for any one of thofe three divifions at pleafure; and yet after all but indifferently fittting the feveral Trumpets, I cannot at all concur in my Opinion with him. Let us therefore fee whether that most famous of all the divisions into three Parts both of the Roman Empire, and of the whole known World, fo famous even before St John's days, and continuing ever fince, which Dr. Creffener rejects, I mean Europe, Afia,and Africa, will not better affift us, and better Illuftrate the Trumpets before us .And here Since we have no particular character of this Third Part; it seems moft reasonable to choose Hypoth. 7. the most remarkable and eminent divifion of that kind; which is prius. without question that which we have pitch'd upon: Europe, Afia,and Africa,being inSt. John's days and longfince unqueftionably the most known and famous divifions both of the World, and of the Roman Empire. So that the To Te, must be one of those three Divifions. And if fo, we cannot at all doubt which of thefe Divifions to choose, if we remember that Europe contains much the greatest part of the Roman Empire, to which the Prophecy is confin'd: that Rome it felf, the Head of that Empire, is withal the Head of Europe; and that the Antichriftian State, about which the Trumpets are fo much concern'd, is known to be confin'd to Rome and its jurifdiction also. That Third Part of the Earth therefore of which Rome is the Metropolis I take it to be the To Tg here refer'd to: and to be no other than Europe. Now let us fee if this moft Natural

P. 35.

and