The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
The first trumpet sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, mid all green grass was burnt up. I would beg, once for all, to observe, that these are all figurative expressions. The earth, means the place of action, the empire where Christ's Church is. The grass and trees therein are the people. So speaks the Prophet. The grass withereth the flower fadeth, surely the people is grass, Isaiah 40:7. Hence, by hail and fire mingled with blood, falling on the earth, or rather people, like the plagues of Egypt, Exodus 9:23-25 is implied, as then, God's judgments.
But the great point is to discover what these judgments were? Various have been the opinions of Commentators. Some supposing that the empire is intended, which; at this time, was divided into great parties. But I confess, that I, am inclined to think, that the empire was no more concerned in these judgments, than as it concerned the Church. For, however humiliating it may be to the pride of men, it is Zion, and Zion only, that is at the bottom of all God's designs in the earth. The putting down one empire, or the setting up of another, is only to bring about the Lord's purposes, concerning his Church and people. When this grand object is to be accomplished, the Lord makes what instrument be pleaseth, subservient to the work. An emperor, or a beggar, in raising, up, or throwing down, when the Church of Christ needs it, is the same.
One thing is certain, that under the era of the sounding of the first trumpet, the heresy of Arius received a deadly blow. The shower of all and fire mingled with blood, might well be said to represent the check which this awful heresy (of the denial of the threefold Persons in the Godhead, and the personal glory of Christ), then received. And, well might such a storm be sent from the Lord. For the earth, on which the storm is said to have fallen, meaning the professing Church, was full of this awful heresy. A few only of God's hidden ones, comparatively speaking, being preserved from the taint of it. And there is somewhat very descriptive of the different parts of this storm, if we consider it in this point of view. For hail injures the vines and trees, and especially young plants, in their early budding. And heresies coming down upon a Church, cannot but induce great barrenness among it. Fire intimates the contention which is in all professing Churches, where a full, and finished salvation is not uniformly maintained. And blood, mingled with the fire, hath been known to follow the hot, and violent animosities, among men, who hold not the truth as it is in Jesus. Reader! do not dismiss your view of the dispensations under the first trumpet, until that you have gathered some sweet and precious instruction from it. It must have been a very awful time, when the Arian heresy very generally prevailed. As in nature, so in grace, hailstorms, and fire, and blood, are solemn things. What a mercy it was then, that God had a seed to serve him? Depend upon it, the same is now. Never, perhaps, a time more awful than the present. Men mingle up in societies, and smother their views of things, under the specious pretence, that if we preserve brotherly love towards each other, our views of Christ, and his great salvation; we may keep to ourselves. Hence that indifferency to divine things, and that zeal about trifles! Hence that smothering our real sentiments, in order to stand well with others. And men fancy they are doing God service, in joining the greatest enemies of Christ, who deny his Godhead, in order to promote, as they call it, the spread of the Gospel through the earth. Lord! preserve me from such delusions!