The Greek term buccos occurs in Rev. ix. 1, 2, 11, and xi. 7, in xvii. 8, and xx. 1. 3, in all which places it should be rendered," the pit of the abyss-the angel of the abyss-the key of the abyss," and so on. Grotius on Luke viii. 31, observes, that the abyss or bottomless pit is the same that St Peter calls Hell or Tartarus, 2 Peter ii. 4. This prison of Satan and his angels, is represented in Rev. ix. 1, &c., as being permitted to be opened, by a righteous judgment of God, for the just punishment of apostate churches, who would not repent of their evil works. And as errors, delusions, and impostures, blind the understanding, they are in the 2d verse compared to a great smoke, which hinders the sight, proceeding from the abyss. And truly, if interpreters are correct in applying this prophecy to Mahomet, the rise, progress, extent, and long continuance of his imposture, may well be compared to a darkening smoke, issuing from the great abyss.

The confining Satan in the abyss for a thousand years, seems to be a figurative description of the restraint imposed upon all powers, that might either seduce men into error and wickedness, or persecute men of conscience, constancy, and faithfulness. During such a period, religion may be expected to flourish in purity and in peace. And this, perhaps, is the whole amount of what so many have dreamed, in relation to what is termed the Millennium.

The abyss sometimes signifies metaphorically grievous afflictions or calamities, in which, as in a sea, men seem ready to be overwhelmed. Ps. xlii. 7, and lxxi. 20.

The pit in Ezek. xxxii. 21 and 23, means the spa

cious sepulchre, full of receptacles hewn round about its sides, in which the dead were deposited. To this region of the dead, the land of the living is opposed.

ABADDON OR APOLLYON. Rev. ix. 11, "And they (the mystical locusts) had a king over them, who is the Angel of the Abyss, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon."

Here the hordes of the Saracens are described as armed locusts, under a leader called "The Exterminator or Destroyer," for such is the meaning of the term above used. And this well agrees with the prophetical emblem, the distinguishing property of locusts being that of desolation; and still more with the military character of Mahomet and his successors the Caliphs, who, in their wars for the propagation of the imposture, committed the most destructive inroads, and reduced many nations to misery and despair. The duration of these inroads and conquests is computed from the death of Mahomet in 632, until 782, in the reign of the Empress Irene, and just before the accession of Haroun Alraschid to the caliphate, a term of five months or 150 days, reckoning each day for a year. But see under Locusts.

Mede supposes, that there is an allusion in the word "Abaddon" to the name of Obodas, the common name of the kings of that part of Arabia, from whence Mahomet came, as Pharaoh was the common name of the kings of Egypt, and Cæsar of the emperors of Romebut the conjecture appears fanciful.

Pococke derives it from the root bad" to perish." The Arabians call the desert Albaidas, i. e. the place of destruction, whence Abaddon, as it were, the Angel

of the Desert. And Mahomet brought the Saracens out of this quarter, being, as Nicephorus says, "an unknown nation, coming from an inaccessible wilder

ness.

ADULTERY is used symbolically to denote Idolatry, or any departure from the law, worship, or service of God, which might be construed into unfaithfulness to that covenant which God condescends to describe as équivalent to the marriage-contract, a figure frequently used to signify the relation in which he was pleased to stand to his people, speaking of them as a spouse, and of himself as their husband. Thus in Jerem. iii. 8, 9; v. 7; xiii. 27, and other passages. Also in Ezek. xvi. 32; xxiii. 27, 43, &c.

And in Rev. ii. 22.

In Jerem. ii. 2, God reminds Israel, not of their affection to him, for they never shewed much, as their history testifies, but of his to them, which was on his part perfectly gratuitous, and which led him to espouse them; that is, to engage in a special contract with them to be their God, and to take them for his peculiar people.

In Jerem. iii. 14, where God says, "For I am married to you," or rather, "For I have been a husband among you," he reminds them, that he had fulfilled the covenant on his part, by protecting and blessing them as he had promised. And therefore, as they never had any reason to complain of him, he urges them to return to their duty, and promises in that case to be still kinder to them than before.

See also Jerem. xxxi. 32, and Heb. viii. 9.

Jerem. xiii. 27. Here Jerusalem is reproached with having practised her idolatry in such a deliberate

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manner, as shewed it to proceed from a steady attachment, which, at the same time, she was at no pains to disguise, having chosen the most public places for the scene of her wickedness.

AIR. The air may be considered as the mansion of evil spirits, of whom Satan is the chief. In this view, it may denote the jurisdiction of those invisible powers, which powers symbolically represent their visible agents and instruments on earth.

It was the opinion of Pythagoras, as Diogenes Laertius mentions, that "all the air was full of souls or spirits, and that these were they who were thought to be demons or heroes-that by them dreams were sent to men, &c.

The Jews also believed, that from the earth to the firmament, all things were full of these companies or rulers, and that there was a prince over them, who was called the Governor of the World, that is, of the darkness of it.

Eph. vi. 12, "The prince of the power of the air." The power of the air, says Chandler, signifies that government and dominion which is exercised by evil spirits, who are supposed to have their habitation assigned them in the air above us; and who are represented in Scripture as subject to one, who is the head or prince over them, the author of their apostaсу from God, and their leader in their rebellion against him; called here "the prince of the power of the air," or of that government which is exercised in the regions of the air, and amongst wicked and apostate spirits, who now work in or amongst the children of disobedience, influencing them to continue in their

idolatry and vices, and to refuse submission to the Gospel of the Son of God.

Rev. ix. 2," The sun and the air were darkened."

A dark smoke is said to issue from the pit or abyss, so thick that it intercepted the light of the sun, and obscured the whole air; a just representation of great errors, such as those of Mahomet, who is here thought to be pointed at, darkening the understanding, obscuring the truth, and attended with violence and destruction.

Rev. xvi. 17, "The angel poured out his vial into the air."

The pouring out the vial into the air, is a proper expression to point out the very seat and foundation of Satan's power and authority as god of this world, and to denote the restraining of that power, so that he shall no longer be able to prevail, either to corrupt the truth of Christianity, or to persecute its faithful professors.

The air, as the midst of heaven, or the middle station between heaven and earth, may symbolically represent the place where the Divine judgments are denounced. Thus, in 1 Chron. xxi. 16, it is said, "David saw the Angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven," when about to destroy Jerusalem by the pestilence. The hovering of the angel shewed, that there was still time by prayer to avert the judgment. It had not yet fallen upon the earth, nor as yet done any execution.

ALTAR. An altar, both among the Jews and the Heathen, was an asylum-a sanctuary-for such persons as fled to it for refuge. This appears from Exod. xxi. 14, 1 Kings i. 50, 1 Kings ii. 28, and other passages.