Thefalling ftar is not a grandee or a Prophet. fourth Monarchy and Religion, is the Em pire of the Arabians. The imperial dignity falls in the fifth Age. In the fixth Age the Arabians are raifed up to weary and torment the Roman Empire divided into ten Kingdoms, but above all, for the punishment of the Empire of Conftantinople, the most remarkable part of the ten. We fhall fee that the words of the Prophecy agree very well with this difcovery of those modern people. A star falls from heaven. 'Tis a prefage of fome in the fifth great event. By this ftar we must not Trumpet underitand a great Lord, or a falfe Prophet, as fome have imagin'd. For this ftar doth nothing, & appears no more in this fifth Trumpet. 'Tis very improperly that De Launay & many others apply to this Star these words, to him was given the Key of the Bot tomlefs-pit; as if a far could carry a Key, use it, and open a door. The Prophecies are continued Metaphors and Allegories: Now according to good Rhetorick, Actions in Metaphors must be attributed to Subjects according to the nature of thofe fubjects. Here an Angel &a ftar are fpoken of; 'Tis the Angel that opens the Bottomlefs-pit, and not the ftar. "Tis the proper office of Angells in the Apocalyptical Vitions, to open and fhut, and bring in on the ftage. So in the 20th. Ch. of the Revelation 'tis an Angel that closes the Bottomlefs-pit on the Dragon. This ftar therfore doth nothing elfe here but only prefage a great infurrection against God, that gion of meant by Saracens that was to happen under the fifth Trumpet. The bottomlefs-pit being open'd, there comes The Reliout a Smoke black and thick, like that of a Mahomet Furnace, and the Sun was darkned therby. the black 'Tis the unhappy Religion of Mahomet that imoak, fills the world with his thick darkness of Error: there arofe out of the smoke of the bottomless pit Locusts on the Earth. And this unhappy and deteftable doctrine formed an Empire, and united the Arabians together under the deteftable Mahomet. One can't By the better represent the Arabians than by Locufts. Locufts the Firft because of their innumerable multitude. are meant. So'twas the Author of the book of Judges called them many ages before St. John. And the Midianites & the Amalekites, & all the Children of the East, were in the valley as Locusts for number. 2. 'Tis from Arabia that thefe inundations of locufts come, that often cover both Egypt and Ethiopia, and the other neighbouring places round about. 3. The prodigious fwiftnefs of the Conquefts of the Saracens is moft admirably represented by Clouds of Locufts, that fall on the fields in one night, and atmoft in a moment. 4. One can't better represent the hideous defolations which the Saracens made every where, than by the hideous condition that the meadows and fields are in when the Locufts come on them. It is commanded thefe Locufts; not to .45 hurt the Grass of the Earth, nor any green thing, but only those men which have not the feal of God in their forheads. This is to exFz. prefs, What the five mouths of the reign of the Locufts press, that these Locusts are men that are fent against other men, wheras true Locufts faften on the green things. And to them it was given, not that they should kill men, but torment them five months. We muft know & always remember the foundation, we have laid, that the whole Revelation is a history of the Roman Empire, & that all the events refer to that Empire. So that the fenfe is, the Saracens by the permiffion of God fhould have a great power to torment & harrafs the Roman Empire divided into ten Kingdoms, but not to deftroy it. Indeed the Saracens tormented both Greeks & Latins most cruelly. But both the Empire of Conftantinople & the other parts of the Roman Empire defended themselves against their affaults. The duration of these Locufts is limited to five months, these make 150 days. But these days do not fignify an 150 years, a day for a year according to the prophetick style. fignify Jofeph Mede that follows this hypothefis, affigns 150 years to the time, during which the Saracens particularly afflicted Italy from the year 830 to the year 980. But 'tis not fo. We muft obferve, that the reign of the Locufts is in the five months of the fummer, May, June, July, Auguft, September, & that is their longeft reign. For oftentimes they last not fo long, becaufe fometimes in the midft of summer a great wind carries them away, or a long rain makes them burst. So that the Prophet means that the Sarazens shall fulfill their reign in its greatest extent, & that God will not abate any thing of it in favour of the men that are the fubjects of the Roman Empire. The description of thefe Locufts is notable. Their fhape was like unto horfes prepared to the battle. Tis to fignify the wars & fights wherby the Saracens were to establish their government: On their heads were as it were crowns like gold. All the Empires that at this day take up the Eaft came from them, that of the Turks, that of the Perfians, that of the great Mogull, that of the Tartars. Their faces were as the faces of men & they had hair as the hair of women, & their teeth were as the teeth of Lions, & the found of their wings was as the found of Chariots. That is to fay, they are as great women, with their hair dishevelled, a hideous countenance, & wings on their shoulders. I question not but the Prophet had refpect to the description which the Poets make of the Harpyes. Triftius haud illis monftrum, nec favior ulla Aneid. 3. name and Where 'tis very obfervable that the name vvhence of Harpyes, comes from the Hebrew word comes the Arbim or Arpim, which fignifies Locufts. fable of They were the terror of the East. Therfore the Harthe Poets made of them Women with wings de pyes. devouring all they faw, & which came up from Hell, Stygiis fefe extulit undis. Exactly in the fame manner as thefe according to St. John, afcended out of the bottomless pit. So the Prince of the bottomlefs-pit, viz. Pluto, is looked on as their Prince among the Poets, & in the Pagan Theology; for tis he that in that Theology is called Serapio inftead of Serarpis or Sararpi, i. e. Prince of Locusts in the Phanisian & Hebrew Tongue; just as the Phenicians called the fame Pluto, Belzebub, 1.e. the God of flies. The flies & locufts being two great plagues to the fruits & plants of the Earth. Pluto was thought to send these plagues. Therfore he is call'd their Prince. Tis to this I fay the Prophet alludes, & he would tell us that the Saracens fhould be like these winged women called Harpyes, that afcend out of Hell, that have Hooks instead of Teeth, & that devour all things. In truth the Saracens & Arabians were always profeffed Thieves. Twas by covetoufnels & pillaging much more than by flaughter that they made the Eaft defolate. Thefe Locusts had Tails like Scorpions, & ftings in their tails. All the world knows that the tail & the fting in the Serpent is the feat of venome & poyfon. And poyfon is the Emblem of falfe Doctrine. Which fignifies not only that the Arabians should carry defolation & death every where, but alfo the venom of a deteftable Religion. Therfore 'tis the Devil is called a Serpent & a Dragon, by reafon of the poyson of falfe Religions that he fpreads. Laftly |