of tije REV E L A T I 0 N. ' ~ The Sixth Seal follows, from verf 12. to the end of the Chapter. Now as~ the former Seals contained feverul Punifhmems upon the Heathenifh .R.omari . State; fo this Sixth exprcffeth the final accomplifhment of God's Wrath upon the Heatheriifl:1 Religion in it, in rhtowing it down; and upon Heathenifh Worfhippers, and upholders of Gem!lifm, in confoundingthem;. and is theref'?re called, the great DJy of the Lamb1 Wrath. Now, becaufe rt ts.thus called; and (ome Phrafes are ufed concerning it, that ar~ ufed of the tmmedtate fore· runners of the Day of Judgment, (as MJIIh. 24. 19. when before the .Son of Man's coming, the Sun is (aid to be dar/zned, &c.) therefore Come Interpreters have iln~ derfl:ood it, of the great Day of Judgment only; and fo you may have heard it often quoted by fuch as by piece-meals take up Interpretations of this Book; not having framed them to the feries of the whole; But, •fl, the Great Day of Judgment it cannot be; the Series. of this PrO.: phecy will not admit that Expofition. Which is argued, r. From what goes before it: For ']ohn having but now fpoken of the Pri– mitive Times, in the five former Seals, and brought us llut to three hundred Years after Chrifl:, in the tenth and lafl: Perfecution: Now to make a leap over the 1300 Years.finc-e palfed, and after thofe Primitive Perfecutions, to bring in the Day of Judgment, were too great a Strtde, too wtde a Chafma and Gulph in this orderly Story. . 2. From the Seri-es of things after this ; for there is a Seventh Seal yet to be opened, and that to produce feven Trumpets, which are new and fre!h fuc~ ceeding Puni!hments upon that Empire. And it is certain, that there are nd fuch Punifhments to come after the great Day of Judgment. And a~ fo'r the Phrafes here founding fa like thofe ufed of that Day; it i~ certain that there is never a Phrafe h~re ufed, but is frequently and ordinarii~ ufed to exprefs great Mutations and over,tumiogs in Kingdoms, and great Cala-' mities brought upon Men in thofe Kingdoms by God, long before the Day of Judgment. , . . · As, x. that it is called the Great Day, in which who can jland? ( ve>f.lall;) <Uld that the Sun and Moon ate faid to be darl(ned, &c. You !h~ll find the fame Expreffions ufed Joel 2. 9· to fet forth.the great overturning the Jewifh State by the Armies of the Chaldeam in tbe Captiv.ity. Their Armies the Prophet de- ' fcribes, verf 2, j, and 8. and their facking ']erufolem, veri. 9· and the Cqnfufi– on and Calamities brought upon that State, he exprelfeth, (by the fame Meta– phors th~t are here uled) \rerC I o. The Earth jhall quakg before theJJi, the HeavenJ jhall tremble; the Sun and Moon fball be darl(; the Stm foal! withdraw their fbi~ ning. And verf 1 r. becaufeithefe were God's Executioners of his VengeariceJ therefore he is defcribed as their General, making a Speech to them; The Lord jhallutter hi1 Voice before hi1 Army ; hi1 Camp if very great. Therefore that Time is called ( ~s here) the great and terrible Day of the Lord; and who ran abide it! as here, Who can Jland! Thus lfo. 34· where the Prophet plainly defcribes the ..overthrow of Edo111, os appears by verf 5· though he calls all tHe World to con~ fider her Example as a warning to them, (as verf I.) that he would go on to dd the like to them, (as verf 2.); yet thus he defCribes it, ( jufl: as here) verf 4· .All the Hojl of He.ven fball de dij{olved, and the Heavem fba/1 be rolled togethet ~M a Scroul ; •nd all the Hojl (or Stars) of Heaven, Jh•ll fall doWJt M Figs from ti Fig-Tree: and yet all this foretells but the Sword upon Edo111, overturning that State, as appears by verf 5, and verf 8. It is the Day of the Lord'! Vmgeance for their perfecuting of Sion, jufl: as here. And thofe other Phrafe, alfo, of hiding themfilvu in Cave1 and Rock! of the Mountains; aitd calling upon the Hi!fs to cover them : They are but Expreffions of fuch Shames, and Miferies, and Calamities, as the Vengeance of God in fuch great Ch:inges doth wbrk. Thus I[<. 2. 19. when God comes to puni!h /frail for their Idols,and to fend forth the Light ofthe Go~! unto them; the Idolaters, as confounded, are faid to go into the Holes of the 'l{pck.J, and into the Cave1 of the Earth, for fear of the Lor'd,and the Glory of h;s M,')ejiy. And when the ten Tribes were carried Captive by AjlJHr, their CalaG hlities
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