Secondly, It is to note the wonderful desperation that in the apprehension and sense of this their misery they had no whither to go for help, but their hearts should despair, and all the help that they should expect was, to have the Mountains fall upon them, and the Hills to cover them. Now this expression I find Christ makes use of in the setting out the misery of the destruction of the Jews by the Romans afterwards,1 in Luke, 23. 30. and so I find the holy Ghost in expressing the misery of the Antichristian party, when the wrath of God should come out upon them, their misery shall be so great, as to cry to the Mountains to fall upon them,2 and the Hills to cover them, in Revel. 6. 16. there the Princes and the great men, and mighty men, and Captains, they call upon the Mountains to fall upon them and the Hills to cover them. I remember reverend Mr. Brightman upon that very Scripture interpreting, the great men,3 and the mighty men calling to the mountains to fall upon them, and the hills to cover them, he saith, That it was fulfilled in the time of Constantine, when the Heathen Emperors were vanquished, and he doth interpret it upon Diocletian that he was so terrified in apprehension of the wrath of the Lamb that Christ did appear against him, that he drank poison and killed himself. And Maximian ended his life with a halter, and hanged himself. Galerius died of a most noisome and filthy disease. Maximinus that he might prevent his death he likewise murdered himself. And so Maxentius ran into the bottom of Tiberis to hide himself there. And thus they did seek by several ways ⟨p. 412⟩to hide themselves from the sight of the Lamb by violent deaths.
Secondly, It is to note the wonderful desperation that in the apprehension and sence of this their misery they had no whither to go for help, but their hearts should dispair, and all the help that they should expect was, to have the Mountains fall upon them, and the Hills to cover them. Now this expression I find Christ makes use of in the setting out the misery of the destruction of the Jews by the Romans afterwards,1 in Luke, 23. 30. and so I find the holy Ghost in expressing the misery of the Antichristian party, when the wrath of God should come out upon them, their misery shall be so great, as to cry to the Mountains to fall upon them,2 and the Hills to cover them, in Revel. 6. 16. there the Princes and the great men, and mighty men, and Captains, they call upon the Mountains to fall upon them and the Hills to cover them. I remember reverend Mr. Brightman upon that very Scripture interpreting, the great men,3 and the mighty men calling to the mountains to fall upon them, and the hills to cover them, he saith, That it was fulfil'd in the time of Constantine, when the Heathen Emperors were vanquished, and he doth interpret it upon Dioclesian that he was so terrified in apprehension of the wrath of the Lamb that Christ did appear against him, that he drank poyson and kild himself. And Maximian ended his life with a haltar, and hanged himself. Galerius died of a most noisom and filthy disease. Maximinus that he might prevent his death he likewise murdered himself. And so Maxentius ran into the bottom of Tiberis to hide himself there. And thus they did seek by several waies ⟨p. 412⟩to hide themselves from the sight of the Lamb by violent deaths.
- 1Luke, 23. 30.
- 2Rev. 6. 16
- 3See Mr Brightm. in Revel. 6. 16.
