Now is come the end of the old Heathen world in the principal part of it, the Roman empire. This great revolution and change of the state of the world, with that terrible destruction of the great men who had been persecutors, is compared, in Rev. vi. to the end of the world, and Christ coming to judgement; and is what is most immediately signified under the sixth seal, which followed upon the souls under the altar, crying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" This vision of the sixth seal, by the general consent of divines and expositors, has respect to this downfall of the Heathen Roman empire; though it has a more remote respect to the day of judgement, or this was a type of it. The day of judgment cannot be what is immediately intended; because we have an account of many events which were to come to pass under the seventh seal, and so were to follow after those of the sixth seal. What came to pass now is also represented by the devil's being cast out of heaven to the earth. In his great strength and glory, in that mighty Roman empire, he had as it were exalted his throne up to heaven. But now he fell like lightning from heaven, and was confined to the earth. His kingdom was confined to the meaner and more barbarous nations, or to the lower parts of the world of mankind. This is the event foretold, Rev. xii.9. &c. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth ⟨p. 208⟩the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. &c. Satan tempted Christ, and promised to give him the glory of the kingdoms of the world, but now he is obliged to give it to him even against his will. This was a glorious fulfilment of that promise which God made to his Son, that we have an account of in Is. liii.12. "Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and •e shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." This was a great fulfilment of the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the glorious time of the gospel, and particularly of the prophecies of Daniel. Now the kingdom of heaven is come in a glorious degree.
Now is come the end of the old Heathen world in the principal part of it, the Roman empire. This great revolution and change of the state of the world, with that terrible destruction of the great men who had been persecutors, is compared, in Rev. vi. to the end of the world, and Christ coming to judgement; and is what is most immediately signified under the sixth seal, which followed upon the souls under the altar, crying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" This vision of the sixth seal, by the general consent of divines and expositors, has respect to this downfal of the Heathen Roman empire; though it has a more remote respect to the day of judgement, or this was a type of it. The day of judgment cannot be what is immediately intended; because we have an account of many events which were to come to pass under the seventh seal, and so were to follow after those of the sixth seal. What came to pass now is also represented by the devil's being cast out of heaven to the earth. In his great strength and glory, in that mighty Roman empire, he had as it were exalted his throne up to heaven. But now he fell like lightning from heaven, and was confined to the earth. His kingdom was confined to the meaner and more barbarous nations, or to the lower parts of the world of mankind. This is the event foretold, Rev. xii.9. &c. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth ⟨p. 208⟩the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. &c. Satan tempted Christ, and promised to give him the glory of the kingdoms of the world, but now he is obliged to give it to him even against his will. This was a glorious fulfilment of that promise which God made to his Son, that we have an account of in Is. liii.12. "Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and •e shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." This was a great fulfilment of the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the glorious time of the gospel, and particularly of the prophecies of Daniel. Now the kingdom of heaven is come in a glorious degree.
