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book; and in considering the sixth seal, we have seen that it signifies a revolution: indeed, it is generally admitted to bear that meaning. It must therefore be interpreted in the same manner here. But since the publication of the Apocalypse, only three revolutions have happened in the Roman empire. The first was in the time of Constantine; the second at the period of the reformation; and the third is that awful revolution, which began by the overthrow of the French monarchy, and has since then never ceased to convulse the world. The earthquake mentioned in the eighth chapter of the Apocalypse cannot, for chronological reasons, be referred to the second or third of these revolutions. It must therefore relate to the first.

* A revolution may be defined as a change in the state of an empire, arising from internal convulsions. The overthrow of the western empire by the barbarous nations, and of the eastern by the Turks, were not revolutions; they were conquests.

CHAPTER V.

THE FIRST FOUR TRUMPETS.

"AND the seven angels which had the seven "trumpets, prepared themselves to sound. The "first angel sounded, and there followed hail and "fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon "the earth; and the third part of trees was burnt 66 up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the "second angel sounded, and as it were, a great "mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea ; "and the third part of the sea became blood; and "the third part of the creatures which were in the

sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the "ships were destroyed. And the third angel "sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, "burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the "third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of "waters: and the name of the star is called Worm"wood: and the third part of the waters became "wormwood; and many men died of the waters "because they were made bitter. And the fourth "angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was "smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the "third part of the stars; so as the third part of "them was darkened, and the day shone not for "a third part of it, and the night likewise."*

That which takes place under the first four trumpets is the partial destruction of an universe, consisting of dry land, a sea, rivers and fountains, and

Rev. viii. 6-13.

.

celestial luminaries. All interpreters of note agree that this universe is to be considered as a symbolical one; but there is much difference of opinion with regard to the signification of the symbols. The learned Archdeacon Woodhouse applies these trumpets wholly to spiritual objects, and supposes that they relate to the general warfare which the Christian religion underwent on its first establishment.* To this interpretation it may, however, be objected (and the objection seems conclusive), that if the first four trumpets relate to the fortunes of the church, then the sun, a third part of which is smitten under the fourth trumpet, must be a symbol denoting our Lord, the Sun of Righteousness; for there is no other sun in the firmament of the church. But the incongruity and absurdity of supposing that any of these trumpets can affect Him, who, though He was once dead, is now alive for evermore, and hath the keys of Death and Hades, is so manifest, that it at once appears, that an interpretation which involves such a consequence cannot be the true one. Some other interpreters apply these trumpets partly to the fortunes of the Roman empire, and partly to those of the church. In particular, they understand the third trumpet as denoting the corruption of the waters of life, or the pure doctrines of the gospel, by the early heretics and the bishop of Rome. But wherever water, in the prophetical writings, is applied to signify the doctrines of the gospel, or the consolations of the Holy Spirit, it is either denominated the water of life, to distinguish it from material water, or there is something in the context Archdeacon Woodhouse on the Apocalypse, p. 218.

clearly marking that it is to be so understood. Our Lord said to the Jews, "If any man thirst, let him "come unto me and drink. He that believeth on "me (as the scripture hath said), out of his belly "shall flow rivers of living water." And when he conversed with the woman of Samaria respecting the water of life, though he did not use the expression living water, he distinctly showed that this was the nature of the water which he should give, by saying that it would be in the recipient "a well "of water springing up into everlasting life."† The waters seen by the prophet Ezekiel, in his vision, are also sufficiently marked, by their healing quality, to be the waters of life; and the river, clear as crystal, which the apostle John saw proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb, § is expressly called a pure river of water of life, to distinguish it from all other water.

In the account of the third trumpet, there is no expression which can lead us to suppose, that the waters which are made bitter by the falling of the blazing star, are the waters of life. Moreover, we are obliged, by the principle of homogeneity, to interpret these four trumpets as relating to objects of a like nature: we must therefore reject every interpretation which refers a part of them to the church, and a part to secular objects: and that some of them refer to the secular Roman empire, has been admitted by all the writers whom I have met with, excepting Archdeacon Woodhouse; and for rejecting the interpretation of this learned writer I have already offered a sufficient reason.

* John vii. 38. + John iii. 14. ‡ Ezek. xlvii. § Rev. xxii.

These arguments are, I think, conclusive in showing, that none of the symbols of the trumpets which we are now considering, can relate to the church. They must consequently be applied exclusively to secular objects, and having in our view the principle already more than once noticed, that the Roman empire is the principal scene of the Apocalyptic prophecies, we shall find no difficulty in referring this part of the Apocalypse to events which took place within the limits of that empire, and have relation to its fortunes.

The first four trumpets have accordingly, by the great body of interpreters, been supposed to relate to the overthrow of the western empire by the Goths, Vandals, and other barbarous nations. As I entirely concur with the able writers who have adopted this explanation, I shall first give a brief history of the events which seem to me to have fulfilled the prophecy of these trumpets; and afterwards it is my intention to offer some general remarks in support of my interpretation.

In the year 376, the Visigoths, driven from their possessions in the countries situated to the north of the Danube by an invasion of the Huns, were, at their own earnest solicitations, transported across the Danube, and admitted into the Roman empire by the emperor Valens. Scarcely, however, had they been received, when they rose in rebellion against the Roman government, defeated the general of the emperor, and ravaged the country to the south of the Danube. Uniting their forces with those of the Ostrogoths and other tribes of barbarians, whom

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