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of this period. This peftilence, according to (2) Zonaras, arifing from Ethiopia, while Gallus and Volufian were emperors, pervaded all the Roman provinces, and for fifteen years together incredibly exhaufted them; and fo learned a man as Lipfius declares, that he never read of any greater plague, for the space of time that it lafted, or of land that it overspread. Zofimus, fpeaking of the devastations of the Scythians in the reign of Gallus before mentioned, farther addeth, that (3) the peftilence not lefs pernicious than the war, deftroyed whatever was left of human kind, and made fuch havoc as it had never done in former times. He faith alfo, that in the reign of Gallienus, (4) fuch a grievous peftilence as never happened at any time before, rendered the calamities inflicted by the barba

annos incredibiliter exhaufiffe. Nec alia unquam major lues mihi lata (inquit vir nostro ævo celebris) patio temporum, five terrarum. Mede p. 446. Zonar. in Gall. & Volus. Lipfius de Conftantia. Lib. 2. Cap. 23.

(3) εχ ήττον δε τε πανταχόθεν επιβρίσαντος πολεμε, καὶ ὁ λοιμος· πολέσι τε και κωμαις επιγενομενος, εἴ τι λελειμμένον ην ανθρωπείον γενος διεφθειρεν, επω πρότερον εν τοις φθασασι χρόνοις τοσαυτην ανθρωπων απώλειαν εργασαμενος. Nec minus bello, quod undique fcaturiendo velut emerferat, lues

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rians more moderate. He faith afterwards too in the reign of Claudius, that (5) the peftilence feifing on the Romans as well as the barbarians, many of the army died, and alfo Claudius the emperor. Dionyfius in (6) Eufebius, treating of the fame time, mentions the war and the famin and the peftilence, as fucceeding one another in their natural order. St. Cyprian too mentions (7) all the three together, as troubling the world more at that time than at any other. He wrote alfo a (8) treatise upon this very pestilence, which he intitled De mortalitate, as if he had taken the name from the prophecy which had predicted it. In fhort, without alleging more teftimonies, Eutropius affirms of Gallus and Volusian, that (9) their reign was remarkable only for the peftilence and difeafes and ficknefs. Orofius (1) afferts much the fame thing and Trebellius Pollio likewife (2) informs us,

(5) Αψάμενα δε το λοιμε και Ρωμαίων, απέθανον μεν πολλος το σρατεύματος, τελευτα δε nat Khading. Sed quod in Romanos quoque peftis fævire cæpiffet, cum alii complures in exercitu mortui funt, tum etiam Claudius vivendi finem fecit. Zofim. ibid. Sect. 46.

(6) Eufeb. Ecclef. Hift. Lib. 7. Cap. 22.

(7) Sed enim cum dicas,

that

plurimos conqueri quod bella crebrius furgant, quod lues, quod fames fæviant, &c. Ad Demetrianum. p. 129. Edit. Felli. Quod autem crebrius bella continuant, quod fterilitas et fames folicitudinem cumulant, quod fævientibus morbis valetudo frangitur, quod humanum genus luis populatione vaftatur, &c. Ibid. p. 130.

(8) Vide Edit. Felli. p. 110. (9) Sola

that in the reign of Gallienus the peftilence was fo great that five thousand men died in one day. When the countries lie thus uncultivated, uninhabited, unfrequented, the wild beasts multiply, and come into the towns to devour men; which is the fourth diftinguishing calamity of this period. This would appear a probable confequence of the former calamities, if history had recorded nothing of it but we read in history that (3) five hundred wolves together entered into a city, which was deserted by its inhabitants, and where the younger Maximin chanced to be. It is well known, that the Heathens maliciously afcribed all public calamities to the Chriftians, and among them we find objected (4) the wars which they were obliged to wage with lions and wild beasts; as we may collect from Arnobius, who wrote foon after this time. The color of the pale horfe very fuitable to the mortality of this period;

is

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and the proclamation for death and destruction is fitly made by a creature like an eagle that watches for carcafes. This period continued from Maximin to Diocletian about fifty years.

9

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I faw under the altar the fouls of them that were flain for the word of God, and for the teftimony which they held.

10. And they cried with a loud voice, faying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, doft thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

II And white robes were given unto every one of them, and it was faid unto them, that they should reft yet for a little feason, until their fellow-fervants also, and their brethren that should be killed as they were, fhould be fulfilled.

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The following feals have nothing extrinfecal, like the proclamation of the living creatures, to determin from what quarter we must expect their completion; but they are fufficiently diftinguished by their internal marks and characters. The fifth feal or period is remarkable for a dreadful perfecution of the Chriftians, who are reprefented

fented (ver. 9.) lying under the altar, (for the fcene is still in the tabernacle or temple) as facrifices newly flain and offered to God. They cry aloud (ver. 10.) for the Lord to judge and avenge their caufe; that is, the cruelties exercifed upon them were of fo barbarous and atrocious a nature, as to deferve and provoke the vengeance of the Lord. White robes are given unto every one of them (ver. 11.) as a token of their justification and acceptance with God; and they are exhorted to rest for a feafon, till the number of the martyrs be completed, when they shall receive their full reward, as we shall fee hereafter. Where Mr. Lowman (5) observes very well, that "this representation feems "much to favor the immediate happiness of

departed faints, and hardly to confift with "that uncomfortable opinion, the infenfible "ftate of departed fouls, till after the refur"rection." There were other perfecutions before, but this was by far the moft confiderable, the tenth and last general perfecution which was begun by Diocletian, and continued by others, and lafted longer, and extended farther, and was fharper and more bloody than any or all preceding; and therefore this was particularly

(5) See Lowman on the Rev. p. 51.

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(6) Eufeb.

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